Welcome, from Jonny Leahan... finally!

Grilling a Giant Steak from The Meathook

The Mystery Gin... How Old is this Stuff?!

After watching this blog slowly come to life over the past couple months, I’m thrilled to finally be able to join my crew here at Eating is Fundamental!  I have known Mark and Eugene for over a decade, and one thing we’ve always shared is an almost abnormal love of food and wine.  Not just consuming it, but talking about it, cooking it, and generally just obsessing over it.  I spent from ages 16-30 in restaurants before leaving the industry, and even that didn’t deter my love for all things surrounding it.  “It” can be just about anything, which is why folks like us never seem to tire of discovering the next great chef (or thinking we have), visiting vineyards the world over, or simply exploring our own back yard — for me, that’s the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

Case in point:  I recently walked over to my favorite butcher, The Meat Hook and was invited to taste something rather extraordinary.  In a hushed tone, I was ushered to the back room to share in a discovery that had just been unearthed at a local yard sale earlier that morning — a bottle of Clementina Gin from The Philippines that appeared to be about 70 years old.  I tentatively took a sip and was blown away by how much flavor it still had, despite the unidentified little black flakes floating in the bottle.  It was surprisingly floral, not unlike Tanqueray Ten, with hints of fresh grapefruit and chamomile flowers.  If anyone knows anything about this gin, please chime in!  Until then, I look forward to sharing my adventures and discoveries here, and hope that you will, too.