Having a glass of wine with lunch in the middle of your work day won’t kill you. I had never tried it until today. From healthyliving.com:

“Red wine contains numerous antioxidants, including a generous amount of the rare, beneficial compound known as resveratrol. Drinking red wine in moderation offers numerous health benefits, says MayoClinic.com. If you enjoy the flavor and don’t have to drive, rest assured that drinking a glass of red wine with lunch will likely pay off.”

Trials are currently ongoing on resveratrol, showing potential benefits in cancer and diabetes prevention, supporting heart and brain health and even elevating mood. How convenient.

As you know, I’m in Mammoth with my teenagers. My boys mobbed the mountain today, while I worked at a local coffee shop. When lunch rolled around, I leaned on Yelp, as I often do, to help me with a local joint that would provide me with a mental break and a deviation from my normal routine. I discovered Bleu Handcrafted Foods Wine Bar and Market, and the establishment was crowned with an unusual 5 stars. It was also in the same parking lot and a short walk away. Sure, the review sample size was small (28), but this is Mammoth, theoretically a small town. I stepped inside, and it was empty sans a few employees baking bread and prepping food.

I sat at the wood bar and made the assessment to get away from life for a few moments. This classified as a planned indulgence.

I have a philosophy that nobody knows an establishment’s fare like the folks that run it. Because I genuinely dig almost all types of quality food, it makes rational sense to let the experts decide on what to deliver. Joe, the sommelier/cheese connoisseur (or just some dude from Boston working in Mammoth) served:

• Aged goat cheese from Bend, Oregon (nutty and salty)
• Manchego sheep cheese aged 12 months (drier, bitter), quince paste
• Bresaola, air dried tenderloin beef, aged with salt, pepper and juniper berries
• Salame nostrano from Berkley, California, salt and pepper, garlic
• Olives
• Seasoned almonds
• Greens
• Cup of freshly baked breads/crackers

The phenomenal meal above was accompanied by:

• Clean Slate Riesling 2011 from Germany
• Chardonnay from Sonoma coast, (buttery, toasted coconut flavor)
• Varietal from Italy called Aglianico, from Sicily (earthy undertone bold flavor, peppery, balsamic finish)

The experience was heavenly, and while the 45 minute work break was decadent, it wasn’t without nutritional upside.

Cheese:

Contains a host of nutrients like calcium, protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin B12.

Beef, from chriskresser.com:

In fact, an impartial review of the evidence indicates that red meat is one of the healthiest foods you can eat

Olives, from whfoods.com:

Greek-style black olives, Spanish-style green olives, Kalamata-style olives, and many different methods of olive preparation provide us with valuable amounts of many different antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Almonds, from sfgate.com:

Eating about 23 almonds a day is an easy way to incorporate many crucial nutrients into your diet. Almonds are rich in vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Additionally, almonds are a significant source of protein and fiber

Now you have an excuse to go get hammered and eat cheese in the middle of your workday. You’re welcome

Kap