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Archives Life in the Time of Coronavirus Travel

Finger Lakes Wine Tour

Finger Lakes Wine Tour: Tasting at Ravines Wine Cellars, overlooking Keuka Lake
Finger Lakes Wine Tour: Ravines Wine Cellars, overlooking Keuka Lake

With the coronavirus still raging, my husband and I decided to plan a Finger Lakes Wine Tour in upstate New York. We did not live in a banned state, and we could drive there in a few hours. Besides, we liked the bookend to our last out-of-state trip before the shutdown, to Napa Valley. With social distancing and mask-wearing in effect, the trip provided a low-key, relatively safe, and fun deviation from our routine.

Although the region focuses on white wines made from riesling and gewurtztraminer grapes, other varieties and styles tasted quite good. We tasted a few reds, but while they were perfectly enjoyable, they didn’t meet our admittedly high standards for red wine.

Best Overall Experience: Boundary Breaks Vineyard

Worst Overall Experience: Dr. Konstantin Frank

Tasting Room Most Closely Connected to Wine Making: Hermann J. Wiemer

Most Knowledgeable Service: Wagner Vineyards

Most Intimate Tasting: Tower Tasting at Heron Hill

Biggest Surprise: Keuka Spring Vineyards

Because tastings cost less and are less formal (also less informative) than those in California, we were able to visit many wineries a day. Below, you’ll find reviews of some of the best wineries in the Finger Lakes.

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Archives Travel

The Murals of La Jolla

Walking Tour of the Murals of La Jolla: Man, Myth, and Magic by Steven Hull
Walking Tour of the Murals of La Jolla: Man, Myth, and Magic by Steven Hull

Earlier this year, before the coronavirus lockdown, I planned a self-guided tour of the Murals of La Jolla, California. Even if you don’t live in the San Diego area, you can “visit” them in this seaside town, albeit virtually. The Murals of La Jolla project commissions art by both well-known and lesser known artists based in California. Murals such as my favorite Man, Myth, and Magic by Steven Hull (above) bring art to the the buildings and community.

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Archives World Oyster At Home

Twists on Three Easy Summer Salads

Grilled Pineapple and Watermelon with Fresh Herb Dressing
Grilled Pineapple and Watermelon with Fresh Herb Dressing

Easy summer salads are a mainstay in my kitchen during the hotter months. Still, I get tired of the same old/same old. Enter inspiration from restaurants and friends. Although I previously shared a recreated Watermelon Greek Salad, a dish that easily falls into this category, I tackled three new recipes this summer, each with a twist on a classic.

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Archives Life in the Time of Coronavirus World Oyster At Home

Art in the Time of Coronavirus

Art in the Time of Coronavirus: one of Van Gogh's Sunflower series
Art in the Time of Coronavirus: one of Van Gogh’s Sunflower series, as seen in the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Viewing art in the time of coronavirus has shifted from physical museums to virtual tours. While this happened, something else shifted underneath society. We have mutally discovered how the arts keep us sane and connected during lockdown. Whether an entire town singing from balconies or an individual dancing with himself in front of a mirror, we’ve discovered that creativity and expression help assauge aloneness. When people sing together in a Zoom mosaic of faces and voices, they strengthen connections despite physical distance.

All those who have said that studying the arts is useless should heed what’s happening. The arts sustain us. They allow us to soar beyond our small spaces and into the world. They reach across language barriers, oceans, and cultures to establish a human bond where perhaps none existed before. For that reason, I’ve chosen to focus this article on the visual arts currently locked away in collections but now available for all of us to visit, virtually.

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Archives Life in the Time of Coronavirus Restaurants

Curbside Pickup from White Orchids

Curbside Pickup from White Orchids, Center Valley, PA
Curbside Pickup from White Orchids, Center Valley, PA

Curbside pickup from White Orchids, one of our local Thai restaurants, brought the spicy flavors we love to our date night during life in the time of coronavirus. We’ve tried to spread our support of local businesses over several of our favorite restaurants. Although we hadn’t eaten at White Orchids in several months, the time seemed right to do curbside pickup. I pulled an actual white orchid off my planters’ rack, and my husband looked up music from Thailand on his phone. We were ready to satisfy our “spice teeth.”

(In case you haven’t been following my Life in the Time of Coronavirus series, check out my first installment to see how to make takeout into a special occasion.)

Curbside Pickup Restaurant: White Orchids

Location: The Promenade Shops in Center Valley, PA

Phone: 610-841-7499

Pickup Hours: Daily, 11:30 am-7:30 pm

Recommended music: Thai classical music from YouTube

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Archives Life in the Time of Coronavirus Restaurants

Life in the Time of Coronavirus: Curbside Pickup from Torre

Life in the Time of Coronavirus: Curbside pickup at Torre
Life in the Time of Coronavirus: Curbside pickup at Torre

Our recent curbside pickup from Torre, our local higher-end Mexican restaurant, served two purposes: supporting a small business and giving me a night off from cooking. It gave us a break from the now-normal routine of life in the time of coronavirus. As I wrote in an earlier blog, you can create a special date night out of curbside pickup. In this case, we chose another ambience. Different food, different mood.

If you don’t live near Center Valley, PA, find your own local restaurant to support. They will appreciate it.

Curbside Pickup Restaurant: Torre

Location: The Promenade Shops in Center Valley, PA

Phone: 610-841-9399

Pickup Hours: Wed. – Sat. 4:30-7:30 pm; Sun. 3:30-6:30 pm

Recommended music: Adagio from Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra (Joaquin Rodrigo, composer)

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Archives Life in the Time of Coronavirus World Oyster At Home

Life in the Time of Coronavirus: Traveling Your Backyard

Life in the Time of Coronavirus: A magnolia bloom starts to open
Life in the Time of Coronavirus: A magnolia bud starts to open

During life in the time of coronavirus, traveling your backyard can relieve stress while reminding you that you are part of the world. While we hunkered down inside, spring arrived. Birds belt out their mating songs, and long-dormant plants push through the leaf litter and mulch. Those of us fortunate enough to own our own property can spend hours outside without leaving its borders. After all, lots of spring work lies ahead. But even city dwellers can avail themselves of the outdoors. If you can’t walk outside, open the windows. Look and listen carefully. Mindfulness doesn’t apply only to eating and meditation.

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Archives Life in the Time of Coronavirus World Oyster At Home

Flours in the Time of Coronavirus

Flour in the Time of Coronavirus: Different specialty flours
Flour in the Time of Coronavirus: Different specialty flours

You’d think that I’d be in great shape when needing flours in the time of coronavirus lockdowns because I’m a pantry stocker. Not a prepper. Just someone who likes to have staples on hand in case the urge to bake hits me. Now, though, with store shelves bare and delivery options even scarcer, I’ve had to adjust. In particular, my flour supply has dwindled because of my bread making, and I can’t find any in stores or online to replace it. Many of us work out our stress and extra time in the kitchen, and nothing is more frustrating than not being able to secure ingredients.

I’m more fortunate than most. Not only did I have an extra bag of all-purpose flour on hand but also I had various other kinds in more limited quantities. I even have the ability to mill my own flour. (More on that at the end of this article.) Not all flours are equal, though. Some can be substituted for others in certain situations, while others cannot.

A little ingenuity can help you score a different kind of flour than you usually buy. If people don’t know how to use the other types, they will gravitate to the all-purpose and whole wheats flours. That means that alternatives sell out more slowly than the popular ones. Still, you need to know the properties of the flours left behind. I’ve compiled a list of types and their properties below.

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Archives Life in the Time of Coronavirus Restaurants World Oyster At Home

Life in the Time of Coronavirus

Life in the Time of Coronavirus: Making curbside pick-up into a special evening
Life in the Time of Coronavirus: Making Curbside Pick-Up into a Special Dinner

Most of us are at home, adapting to life in the time of coronavirus, struggling with losing a job or being kept from loved ones or wanting to scream at the walls closing us in. World Oyster, usually devoted to travel and fine dining, will temporarily shift its focus to dealing with the isolation and to supporting the local community. Life in the time of coronavirus means that we all have to be creative.

Because several nearby restaurants offer curbside pick-up, my husband and I decided to support them while treating ourselves to a special evening. After all, we still have to tend to ourselves. We started with curbside pick-up from Cascade at Durham Springs and found ways to create an intimate, elegant dinner in our own home.

To set the stage for the evening, you will have to do some pre-planning. After you’ve decided which restaurant you’ll support, consider how to enhance your upcoming meal with ambience. Think dining, not eating. Take it as far as you’d like.

Curbside Pickup Restaurant: Cascade at Durham Springs

Location: 5065 Lehnenberg Rd. Kintnersville, PA

Phone: 484-907-2100

Pick-up hours: 4 pm-7 pm, Tuesday through Sunday

Wine recommendation: The Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon

Recommended music for pop music fans: It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense by Ingrid Michaelson

Recommended music for classical lovers: One of the late Mozart Piano Concertos.

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Archives Restaurants

Review of the Sergeantsville Inn

Review of the Sergeantsville Inn: Summer grilled watermelon and pineapple salad
World Oyster’s Review of the Sergeantsville Inn: Summer grilled watermelon and pineapple salad

After my fifth or sixth visit, I decided it was time for World Oyster’s review of the Sergeantsville Inn. The restaurant, located on the corner of a quaint New Jersey town, occupies an old stone building with sections built in the 1700s. In the winter, you can sit next to a blazing fire in one of the original fireplaces. The Colonial American structure combines upscale dining with a business casual atmosphere. If you want a more casual menu, you can opt to eat in the tavern. Even better for my extended family, the chef includes three vegetarian entrées, two of which can be made vegan.

Ambience: Cozy American Colonial

Dress: Business casual for the dining room; casual for the Tavern

Best entrées: Waygu steak, soy duckling, wild-caught salmon (menu changes)

Best Appetizers: Any salad, including specials

Vegetarian/vegan options? : Yes

The Sergeantsville Inn specializes in pasture-raised meat, wild-caught seafood, local produce, and other sustainable ingredients. Because of this emphasis, you can find some unusual meats such as wild boar, pheasant, buffalo, and venison. For the less adventurous, more common meats and fish round out the menu: short ribs, Icelandic cod, beef steak, veal chops, and shrimp.

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