No better way to get warm than...

So it was 9 degrees, I believe, on Saturday. Because of the cold, we didn't leave the house until about 9 p.m.

We only did so after finally deciding we should crawl out from under the covers and see if life still exists in Antarctica or Iceland or wherever it is we now seem to live.

I wondered why the heck we even bothered as we walked toward the car and the frigid Michigan wind smacked against my face, making me feel like a thousand prickly shards of glass were lodged in my cheeks.

Well, it was all quite worth it after we found ourselves at a lovely Vietnamese restaurant called Annam just a mile or so from my folks' house.


If there's a better way to warm yourself than by sipping a glass of Trimbach Gewurztraminer along with a steaming bowl of Vietnamese-style chicken curry, I'd like to know it. (Please submit your ideas below.) I was warmed in a matter of minutes by the spicy food and wine and the soft buttercup glow of Annam's walls that seemed the epitome of Feng Shui against the backdrop of tiny bamboo plants dotting each table. During dinner I realized we have so many cool new places to explore that my mind was racing, my foot was tapping and my cheeks were flushed with excitement. (That, and I was tipsy.)

So take that, Jack Frost! Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no temperature cold enough...

For you Cincinnatians, we used to love our Trimbach Gewurtz at Quarter Bistro. We'd get a half bottle along with some appetizers, like the sea scallops or tomato basil bisque soup. Mmmm. It may not be as chilly there, but it would be a lovely warm-up for you.

And heck, pretend you're in Michigan and it'll likely taste all the better.