Food and Wine

Paris in Pittsburgh

Mary Gilbert Food and Wine, United States August 19, 2014America's Most Livable City, BMW, Brian O'Neill, David Piquard, Eiffel Tower, France, Fred Rongier, French restaurants, Gaby et Jules, Hell with the lid off, Lori Rongier, Macarons, Mario Lemieux, Metropolitan clock, Paris, Paris 66, Paris of Appalachia, Paris-Brest, Parisian-style bistro, Parisian-style patisserie, Patisserie, Penn State University, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh - The Paris of Appalachia, Pittsburgh Magazine, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Route 66, Steel City, Travel, Travel blog, Travel writing 8 Comments

If you still operate under the assumption that Pittsburgh is predominantly the “Steel City” belching out columns of thick, smelly, black smoke, a place that Boston writer James Parton is said to have called “Hell with the lid off” duringRead more

Date Night in Charlotte at Foxcroft Wine Company

Mary Gilbert Food and Wine, United States July 3, 2014Bordeaux, Burgundy, Charlotte, Cheers, Conrad Hunter, Date night, Elvis Presley, Foxcroft Wine Company, In vino veritas, Jura, Justin Solomon, North Carolina, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers, Sliders, SouthPark, The Wine Shop at Foxcroft, Travel, Travel blog, Travel writing, Wine 14 Comments

If you’re looking for Bill and me on a Friday night when we’re not traveling, you’ll most likely find us at the recently renamed Foxcroft Wine Company (formerly The Wine Shop at Foxcroft) in the booming SouthPark area of Charlotte.Read more

What’s Cooking in Burgundy

Mary Gilbert Europe, Food and Wine May 9, 2014Alain Hess Fromager, Beaune, Bourgogne, Burgundy, Cooking class, Crémant, Époisses Cheese, French Market, Gougeres, Joie de vivre, Kendall Smith Franchini, La Place Carnot, Marjorie Taylor, Market tour, TGV Train, The Cook's Atelier, Travel, Travel blog, Travel writing 4 Comments

“It’s all about the ingredients and knowing where they come from,” says Marjorie Taylor, chef and co-founder of The Cook’s Atelier. She’s leading us through the bountiful and beautiful stalls of fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, olives, and herbs from someRead more

The Great Apple Tart Hunt

Mary Gilbert Europe, Food and Wine May 5, 201448 rue de Verneuil, Apple, Apple pie, Apple tart, Dessert, Farida Cabado, France, John Chapman, Johnny Appleseed, Jose Cabado, La Bonne Excuse, Molten Chocolate Cake, Paris, Restaurant, Travel, Travel blog, Travel writing 8 Comments

Apples have always been my favorite fruit. Baked, crisped, sauced, sautéed, turnovered, caramelized, roasted, or juiced – or best of all, just freshly picked from a tree – apples are an enduring touchstone in my life. When I was learning theRead more

Ina Garten Dishes Up Cooking Wisdom

Mary Gilbert Food and Wine, United States December 4, 2013Andromeda International, Anthony Bourdain, Atlanta, Atlanta Living, Barefoot Contessa, Barefoot Contessa Saute Dinners, Belinda Skelton, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Cold-Weather Cooking cookbook, Cooking, Cuisinart, Danny Meyer, Food, Food Network, Fran's Salted Caramels, Georgia, Hamptons, Ina Garten, Italy, Jeffrey Garten, Julia Child, Kitchen Aid, Loaves and Fishes cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Murano glass, Nigella Lawson, Travel, Travel blog, Travel writing, Union Square Cafe, Venice, WSB 95.5 FM, WSB AM 750 6 Comments

When I read a notice that Ina Garten, aka Barefoot Contessa, was on tour and stopping in Atlanta for an appearance, I knew it was time for a road trip with my friend, Carole, from Winston-Salem. We’re both fans ofRead more

Food Tripping In Portland

Mary Gilbert Food and Wine, Tours and Sightseeing, United States October 29, 2013Balsamic vinegar, Belgian waffle, Benessere, Cacao, Chocolate, Cool Moon Ice Cream, Courier Coffee Roasters, Elephants Delicatessen, Food cart, Give Pizza a Chance, Heathman Hotel, Hotlips Pizza, Mt. Hood, Nostrana, Olive oil, Oregon, Ox, Pearl Bakery, Pearl District, Portland, Portland Farmers Market, Portland State University, Portland Walking Tours, Powell's Books, The Frying Scotsman, The Gaufre Gourmet, These Guys Brooklyn, Travel, Travel blog, Travel writing, U.S. News and World Report, Willamette Valley 6 Comments

FLOSS No, it’s not a directive about proper dental care. Rather, FLOSS stands for Fresh Local Organic Seasonable Sustainable. That acronym is the sacred mantra of Portland’s vibrant cuisine scene, said Adam, our guide from Portland Walking Tours. Adam wasRead more

Filling Our Senses Along Oregon’s Fruit Loop

Mary Gilbert Food and Wine, Hotels and Rentals, United States October 25, 2013Alpaca, Anjou pear, Biscotti, Cascade Alpacas and Foothills Yarn & Fiber, Cascade Mountains, Cody Orchards' Farm Stand, Columbia River Gorge, Fox-Tail Cider, Fruit Loop, Fruit Loop map, Hard cider, Hood River, Hood River County Chamber of Commerce, Hood River Lavender Farms, Hood River Valley, Lavender, Mt. Hood, Oregon, Organic farming, Packer Orchards & Bakery, Pear, Portland, Sustainable agriculture, Timberline Lodge, Travel, Travel blog, Travel writer 6 Comments

Its peak barely discernible from the parking lot of our hotel in Hood River, OR, Mt. Hood was a constant, albeit, distant presence. This majestic, commanding, snow-capped mountain loomed beyond us like an ever-watchful sentinel, all 11,240 rugged feet ofRead more

Good Times at Gourmet au Bay

Mary Gilbert Food and Wine, United States September 4, 2013Alfred Hitchcock, Bob Blanchard, Bodega Bay, Bodega Bay Chamber of Commerce, California, East Shore Outfitters, Gourmet au Bay, Happy Camper, PGA, S'mores, Sissy Blanchard, Sissy Made It, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, The Birds, Travel, Travel blog, Travel writing, Wine bar, Wine Surfing 8 Comments

Bob and Sissy Blanchard are enjoying the good life at Bodega Bay, a coastal town of about 1,500 residents. They live at and own Gourmet au Bay, the Sonoma Coast’s only waterside wine bar, bottle shop, and gift store. PartRead more

Anne Teller and a Legacy of Land

Mary Gilbert Food and Wine, Homes and Gardens, United States August 26, 2013airbnb, Anne Teller, Bucklin Zinfandel, Glen Ellen, Highway 12, Hood Mountain, Oak Hill Farm, Old Hill Ranch, Otto Teller, Ravenswood, San Francisco, Secret Pasture, Sonoma Land Trust, Sustainable agriculture, The Locavore's Dilemma, Travel, Travel blog, Travel writing, Valley of the Moon, Vineyard Gatehouse, Wendy Westerbeke, Westerbeke Ranch, Will Bucklin, Zucchini soup, Zucchini soup recipe 2 Comments

Posted from Glen Ellen, CA Anne Teller owns the Vineyard Gatehouse, the cottage we’re renting in Glen Ellen that’s situated on Old Hill Ranch vineyard. She and her late husband, Otto Teller, are revered in Sonoma Valley as pioneering andRead more

Say Cheese!

Mary Gilbert Food and Wine, History, United States August 17, 2013Brie, California Gold Rush, Camembert, Cheese, Cheese making, Curds, France, Golden Gate bridge, Guernsey cow, Hicks Valley Ranch, Holstein cow, Jersey cow, Jim Boyes, Lynne Devereux, Marin County, Marin French Cheese Company, Marin French Dairy, New Normandy, Petaluma, Rians, Sonoma County, Sonoma Marin Cheese Trail, The Cheese Factory, Thompson Brothers Creamery, Travel, Travel blog, Travel writing, Triple creme brie, Whey 2 Comments

Posted from Glen Ellen, CA “First you taste sweet, which is the cow’s milk. Then salt, which balances and enhances the sweet. Then a finish that’s slightly earthy, like mushrooms, from the bloomy rind, bringing a depth and pleasing bitterRead more

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Welcome to The Roads Traveled

Greetings! I’m Mary Gilbert, a writer and blogger sharing stories and discoveries about people, places, and passions. While I live in Charlotte, NC, travel begins as soon as I walk out the front door, and home becomes wherever I am at the moment. Click here to learn more.

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