First, my apologies to anyone who noticed the absence of last week’s newsletter and the previous week’s posts. I was in Nashville leading a food and wine tour, with no time to devote to the website. If anyone is interested in participating in these periodic extravaganzas, please contact me.

Speaking of Nashville: among the many exceptional meals we had that week, dinner at Jeff Ruby’s steakhouse easily came out on top. In my review, I go so far as to say they’re reinventing the American steakhouse. Traditionally, these places were feeding troughs for diners who wanted a huge slab of meat and a few cocktails (think Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris). California Cabernet replaced whiskey some time back as the beverage of choice, but the steakhouse really didn’t change much until five or ten years ago. Today a customer can expect world-class service, stunning décor, an interesting wine list, and a selection of sustainable and carefully sourced seafood along with the USDA Prime. Jeff Ruby excels in all those areas.

Ken Schechet, our roving correspondent, filed a report on the growing trend of flavored olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It started when Ken walked into Coronado Taste of Oils in Coronado, California, and discovered a parallel universe of flavor. His piece is thorough, as usual, and includes several interesting recipes you can try.

Here are last week’s posts:

Jeff Ruby: Reinventing the American Steakhouse

Flavored Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar