Wine and Spirits Travel

After a morning of checking out the Grand Market , my daughter Sam and I still had a full day and night ahead of us at the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival. We got back to the press room at Caesar’s Resort in time for a fun and candid conversation with Martha Stewart . It was a press only round table. I had never met her before and was surprised how relaxed she was. One of the things she talked about is a subject close to my palate – infusing vodka. Ms. Stewart, who has a farm in Bedford, New York, said, “Black currants are the basis for cassis. It flavors the vodka very nicely. Within two months, the vodka is great and it only gets better and better. “ She also added, “I use raspberries in vodka. I use strawberries. I grow a lot of citrus on my farm, lots of lemons and limes. I use that a lot for the drinks." "When I have a lot of lemon or sour oranges, I squeeze them and freeze it for ice cubes, and keep that in the freezer for drinks. That makes

I've attended many food festivals around the country and the Grand Market is almost always my favorite event. It's a chance to sample many different foods, wines, and spirits, as well as watch cooking demonstrations and meet personalities. This year, the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival, hosted by Caesar's Resort , moved their Grand Market outside for the first time. It was held in the park of Bally's Resort in Atlantic City. The weather cooperated and the outside location allowed some food trucks to join in the fun. With the help of my daughter, Sam, I was able to enjoy lots of finds -- some new and some old favorites. Guy Fieri's Fish Taco, from his new Bally's Restaurant, was a fan favorite. 14 Hands brought a fruit-filled Unoaked Chardonnay Bay Shore served a delicious Lobster Bisque. I was surprised that I hadn't previously sampled Absolut Texas, a limited edition worth trying. Goodway Gourmet Cafe had scrumptious

I was in Atlantic City for a little birthday celebration with my close friends Liza and Lynn before the Food and Wine Festival. We had a fun evening and were up early for a beautiful day along the Jersey Shore. Liza had to head out in the early afternoon, but Lynn and I remained. I used my free time to walk along the boardwalk for about an hour. I was happy to see that everything had been rebuilt along this part of the Atlantic Ocean since the last time I was here, prior to Hurricane Sandy. I spent some time at both the beach and pool before Lynn and I headed to the next stop, Caesar’s Resort. I’m not usually one to go for the buffets in Atlantic City , but we were both hungry and I knew I was going to have a late dinner.  We were not disappointed as the selection at the Palace Court Buffet is huge. I had a little bit of everything, including General Tsao Chicken, pork dumplings, salad, pasta, brisket, stuffing, and vegetables. They also had ice cream you cou