Recently in the Food & Spirits Department

Last weekend, for the first time in years, I attended a fancy food show, held in San Francisco and sponsored by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. The sheer number of booths and exhibitors was mind-boggling. The amount of ground covered took every ounce of my energy. The show was split between two halls. Each had a distinct feeling - the South Hall was "old school," with many countries grouping their products together. The mostly male, mostly older representatives wore suits, their more serious demeanor perhaps supporting their view that food was all about business. The North Hall, however, was just fun. The vendors happily shared their products and the story of their conceptions, creating an intimacy between exhibitor and attendee. The result was that I wanted these companies to be successful. The energetic atmosphere propelled me from one booth to the next, so I had no choice but to continue up and down the aisles. There were themes a-plenty - chocolates infused with fruit flavors, teas infused with fruit flavors, a plethora of jams and jellies and barbeque sauces and salts. Only a small number of products or companies, however, stood out as so new or exciting...

VeSu, the upscale new restaurant in downtown Walnut Creek, features a largely original cocktail menu. These cocktails are on the pricey side ($10 for each, which is commensurate with VeSu's dinner menu), but their taste easily exceeds the cost, and each one includes distinctive features. On Tuesday night, we reviewed three cocktails off the list. Bartender Doug, who created the Ginger Lynn and the Hot Lips (among others) himself, helped us choose our drinks: Ginger Lynn: Flat-out amazing. The Ginger Lynn joins gin with some memorable flavors, including fresh and fruity citrus. But the highlight of this drink is the spice mixture coating the outside of the glass. Combining ground basil and coriander with sugar, it added a textural dimension to the drink, with the choice to smell or taste the spice mix. Moreover, the herbs provide a deep foundation for such a sweet and fruity drink. Dark and Stormy: This drink combines light and dark rum with a ginger beer. It hits the tongue with a strong, aggressive flavor, almost like an intense lemonade. The aftertaste is sweeter, "like a key-lime pie" according to my colleague. (Ginger beer, for those unfamiliar, is spicy like ginger, and it packs a...