Most people will tell you that I’m not into new age ideals and that superstitions aren’t a big part of my daily life; however, I never pass up an opportunity to read my horoscope. Whether it’s waiting for my latte at Starbucks or flipping through the pages of a magazine, I’ve always liked the idea that there is some sort of cosmic guidance offering us insights into the coming day, week or month.

So, imagine my excitement when I stumbled across an online guide to the ideal beer for you, based completely upon your astrological sign. Divine beer guidance? This was something I had to read. Here’s a quick look at the LAD zodiac and what the universe has in store for our palates:

• Lisa & Katie (Taurus) – Brooklyn Lager
• Jackie (Gemini) – Guinness Stout
• Stephanie (Virgo) – Smithwick’s
• Lota (Scorpio) – Old Ruffian Barley Wine

You can find the complete article here. What do you think about your cosmically perfect brew, ideal match or unfathomable flop? Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section below.

Are you a Guinness fan? If so, Men’s Journal recommends you swap out your current brew of choice in favor of Deschutes Brewery’s Black Butte Porter. The magazine named the beer as one of “America’s Best Beers” in its October issue.

Men's Journal

2004 Piluso Pinot noir

The wine lovers at LAD have officially called it. ‘04 Oregon Pinot noirs are ripe and ready to be drunk. I write this after last night’s dinner went from seriously last minute, to seriously memorable. Here’s how it happened…

I’m drowning in tomatoes. In an effort to eat my mandatory daily ration I decided to cook up a quick tomato tapenade for fish last night. While it was bubbling away on the stove, I ransacked my house for a cheap red wine. Pepperwood Syrah… gone. Red Bicyclette… au revoir. By then I was fixated. Fresh tomato tapenade and no red wine is practically a sin, and one I’m not willing to pay the price for. I trudged down to the cellar, the whole while wondering if I could justify popping a bottle of one of my more prized wines on a Wednesday night, with no company. I’ve got a nice little trove of Oregon indie wines that I’ve collected over the last couple of years at the Portland Indie Wine Festival. Granted, they don’t last very long around my house, so I was quite surprised to discover a forgotten ‘04 Toluca Lane Pinot noir…

Here’s where it gets interesting. It was perfect. It had a little effervescence when I first uncorked it, but the nose was beautiful and it was perfectly balanced and full of flavor. It was Oregon elegance at its best, and 30 minutes later it surpassed my highest expectations. I could tell it was at its prime – 6 months or more and it might have been over the hill, but right now it was perfect!

I told my tale at the office today and learned that I’m not the only one who had this ‘04 experience. Last week Lisa popped a bottle of ‘04 Black Cap Pinot noir and knew she’d hit the jackpot. The nose had particularly interesting rose pedal character and the finesse was incredible. It was a stunning example of Jason Lett’s intuitive talent and must be similar to when a surfer catches the crest of a wave — it was a perfect arc of flavor.

Catching a wine in its prime is a sublime experience, and one you wish you could savor over and over again, but it’s that short window of perfection that makes the moment so coveted. After making this discovery, we understood what we had to do. As Oregon wine lovers, we feel it is our duty to ensure that people get the best experience possible. Take our word for it … drink your ‘04 Oregon Pinot noir, and DRINK IT NOW!

Thanks to Amelia Hard for her tip on this kick*** new hole-in-the-wall near our office (1237 S.W. Jefferson Avenue).  Chef Naoka is a charming joint with outstanding organic Japanese options, open only for lunch, we found the food highly fresh with great clean flavors. We loved the salmon bentos — both the ginger and the herb.  

Lovely grilled zucchini and roasted tomato accompany the fish

The bento box is $ 10.00 and we also had the interesting rice cake sides stuffed with things like cheese (?!!) and seaweed (our favorite) and the seasonal salad ($5.50) which was dressed in a sweet Asian vinaigrette.

Delicious salad with beans, seaweed and other cool stuff

 Please check it out and let us know what you think!