Marilyn Bailey

Bob Davis, Nancy and Sam Neill

Here one instant, gone the next!

In Brazil, Carnival is a week long event and, in that spirit, Flight offers carnival specials from Thursday-Fat Tuesday (Feb 19 – Feb 24). Special themed dinners like our 13 oz bone-in strip steak with chimichurri sauce for $30 and — to go with that here are some yummy drink specials:

$5 Caipirinha (Brazilian rum drink)

$5 New Age (slightly bubbly white wine)

$5 Hurricanos (two kinds of rum)

$5 Rotari Brut bubbly

$2 high gravity draft beer

Come on in, your beads are waiting!

Listen up, guys. Yes, make dinner reservations (at Flight, of course) and pick the right sparkling wine and wives and girlfriends will be impressed. (Flight is giving every two entrees a split of sparkling wine, normally called champagne, but that’s correct only if it actually comes from Champagne, France.) You can even have flowers awaiting her by calling Flower Market (828-696-4884). Roses, okay? No carnations. One single rose is better than 30 carnations. You will have a spectacular evening. If you’ve made reservations.

If you haven’t made the call to Flight yet, you can either dine early or late. Perhaps your favorite table, you know, the two top by the window that looks out on Main Street to the pretty white lights in the tree, is booked. Don’t despair! Make reservations for Friday night or Thursday or Wednesday and announce that you will be celebrating your love for her for the entire week of Valentine’s Day. If you’ve followed the above recipe for a special evening, you need spend no more money. Do unexpected things for her — watch a chick flick and snuggle on the sofa instead of watching the football game, especially if she made chili and bought beer for your Superbowl bash. Or, wash dishes or clean the kitchen — after you’ve cooked dinner, of course. If you’re not much in that arena, at least keep her company while she does it.

And, the most important thing of all? The mushy card. Makes you blush? Get over it because that’s what she really wants.

Every night at Flight is fun, interesting and yummy, but last night was simply magical.

Our friends Chusy Haney-Jardine and his wife, Jennifer, came to dinner. Those of you from the Asheville area may know the duo as the writers and producers of the film,“Anywhere USA” which began life as Asheville: The Movie. It won an award at Sundance last year. But, they came last night to talk to youngest daughter about Brazil because she’s off to Rio
to do a semester abroad on January 6th. (Is it evil to be jealous of your child?) Although Chusy is Venezuelan and Jennifer from these parts, they lived in Rio for two years before moving to Asheville (now that is culture shock) and had much practical information to share. We were drinking Argyle Pinot Noir, a treat because it has been impossible to get of late, something about we went over our allocation? and then we switched to Sanford, the wine Paul waxed rhapsodic about in the film “Sideways.” Chusy had the filet which is amazingly superior to home/other restaurants, Jennifer, mixed grill with scallops that melt in your mouth and hold on so well to that applewood essence. I had the mahi with some wonderful light red sauce, a new taste. That Rob, he’s so creative and full of surprises. Liza and Dawson had a Sleigh Crash martini to share. It’s so fun being 21. Scintillating conversation, of film and Rio, the best libations and excellent food make for a wonderful evening. It became magical when the romantic duo sitting a few tables down came over to talk to us. The beautiful, elegant, makeupless woman began speaking Portuegese to Chusy and Jennifer.

I looked at Sam and said, “Are we still in Hendersonville?”

For instance — “Cheaty trick #1 – You can divide all wine into two categories; Old World and New World.

Cheaty trick #2 – You only need to know six types. Wine is like ice cream. lots of flavors but once you’ve learned the six most common grapes, you’ve covered most of the wine you’ll normally encounter.

So, everyone is talking about wine whether it’s in their ballywick or not. That would include me, by the way.

“Sherry is the perfect drink to have before dinner, said David Wondrich in Saveur Magazine, “or after it, or really anytime at all.” All sherry is fortified white wine made in or near the city of Jerez and aged in oak. Sherry is divided into three categories. There are the pale, dry sherries called flor which include finos, manzanillas and amontillados. (Try Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino $18, the benchmark fino, the very essence of dryness or Sandeman Character Medium Dry Amontillado $15 which Wondrich calls “perfectly balanced: nutty and raisiny, with a hint of brininess and a good acidity.” A great sherry for mixing.

Then, there are the darker, richer olorosos. (Try Lustau Solera Reserve Dry Oloroso ‘Don Nuno’ $28, a classic from a 112-year-old winery or Williams & Humbert Dry Sack 15 Year Sweet Old Oloroso $25. Dry Sack is a proprietary blend and not dry at all. When old, like this Dry Sack, sherries become intense, dark, fruity, and redolent of blackberries. A perfect dessert wine.

And then there are the very sweet dessert sherries called PX for Pedro Zimenez, the grape variety used in making them. These sherries are usually used for blending.