Bucket List

The Barn at Blackberry Farm

Recently a dear friend of mine lost her husband suddenly. It was such a shocking loss to all who knew this loving couple that it served as a wake-up call that life is indeed fleeting and incredibly precious. While such euphemisms are oft-repeated but not routinely felt, this loss has forced me to refine my perspectives on many things. I was inspired to create a bucket list of the culinary sort. I'm sure it will be an evolution, but here is my first crack.

Pike Place Market, Seattl

DRINK CHAMPAGNE. Getting specific, I would preferably sip with Carol Duval-Leroy, the power woman in charge of one of the top champagne houses in the world. Of course I would want to taste bubbly with her at her family's historic winery in Vertus, located in the Côte de Blancs subregion of Champagne. Vertus is one of the highest rated Premier Cru villages of Champagne. Champagne Duval-Leroy is also my favorite, so this is all a no-brainer.

DESTINATION RELAXATION. Blackberry Farm, located in Walland Tennessee in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains, is a posh bed & breakfast renowned for world class cuisine. On-property bakery, there is a butchery, a salumaria, and acreamery. Their 8,000-square-foot wine cellar compliments the efforts of Executive Chef Joseph Lenn in The Barn, the farm's chief dining nevue. Chef Lenn prides himself on providing the region's best "Foothills Cuisine." Did I mention that Blackerry Farm frequently has visiting chefs for one-of-a-kind culinary experiences?


EAT LOTS OF CARBS. You know where this is going: Italia! While I've had some delicious Italian food stateside, I want the real McCoy. Authentic Neopolitan pizzas, Venetian risotto and polenta, and tortellini and lasagne from Bologna is at the top of my list... Fantastico! (Of course, periodic gelato and affogato to break up the straight-up carbohydrate fest will be necessary).

Ruth Rechl

SHOP. COOK. REPEAT. While I love my Broad Ripple Farmer's Market (and I do!), I want a full week of the world's best fresh seafood, vegetables, and artisan goods at the Pike Place Market in Seattle. Ideally, I would rent a little place in walking distance to the market and just knock myself out cooking and enjoying all of the local fare.

DINE WITH RUTH REICHL. The queen of all food critics, Ruth Reichl's career has been incredibly rich and varied. An accomplished cook, author, and critic, her book Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of Critic in Disguise, is an inspiration for any person who thinks about food as a way of life. Meeting her would be mind-blowing, but sharing a meal would just be over the top.