La Fogata Features New Tequila for April

La Fogata is excited to announce that they will be featuring a new tequila throughout the month of April. Well-known tequila Hornitos will be available to customers. The restaurant encourages customers to come in and enjoy a Fiesta Margarita with Hornitos Tequila.

Hornitos Tequila is available in a variety of drink options, including a Blood Orange Margarita, Sauza Skinny Margarita and the Top Shelf Margarita. Customers also have the option of enjoying a frozen margarita with Hornitos Plata Tequila.

The Blood Orange Margarita is made with Hornitos Plata Tequila, Dekuyper Blood Orange Liqueur and fresh lime juice. The Sauza Skinny Margarita is made with Agave Nectar and Hornitos Plata Tequila. The Top Shelf Margarita contains Hornitos Reposado Tequila, Orange Liqueur and fresh lime juice.

La Fogata is also currently completely decorated for Fiesta and is ready to create a memorable experience for all their guests. Stop in today to check it out.

In addition, the Lent Entrée Feature will continue to be offered through the month.

La Fogata encourages all their customers to come in and try one of their famous margaritas today. For more information about the restaurant or to make a reservation, call 210-340-1337.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a tequila enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Discover the Wines of Don Quixote's Spain

Don Quixote by Ciprian Frunza

The wineries of Castilla-La Mancha look forward to bringing their distinctive wines to three US cities during the week of February 24th 2014. Just as local ‘celebrity’, Don Quixote, traveled through his region seeking adventure and noble experiences, trade and press at the Castilla-La Mancha US tastings will do the same as they discover the wines of 25 participating producers. Each of these events will offer guests the opportunity to experience the wines and traditions of this distinctive region. The events will welcome members of US wine trade and press.

Castilla-La Mancha is the most expansive wine-producing region in the world. It is a land of fascinating foods and cultural traditions and, naturally, a wide variety of wines. The land, composed of limestone clay and a great variety of subsoils, makes the region ideal for growing grape vines. Within the Castilla-La Mancha area, there are nine appellations of origin, four estates with their own appellations and many ‘Geographical Indication Wines’.

After years of focus and investment in quality wine production and a very successful reception of our wines by industry professionals on the 2013 tour, Castilla la Mancha is excited to bring their distinctive traditions to new cities and educate press and trade about the quality and diversity of these wines through these tastings.

Each event in all three cities will be hosted by wine expert Geralyn Brostrom, Advanced Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator. She will share the winemaking history of the region of Castilla-La Mancha, the technical qualities of its wines, and the sales opportunity for these wines in the US market with the trade and press, followed by an afternoon walk-around.

The participating wineries include Alcoholes de Tomelloso, Bodegas Arrayan, Bodegas Cristo de la Vega, Bodega Dehesa de Luna, Bodega Familia Mateos de la Higuera, Bodegas Los Aljibes, Bodegas Real, Bodegas Romero de Avila, Bodegas San Dionisio, Bodegas Videl del Saz, Bodegas Yuntero, Bodegas Zagarron, Bogarve 1915, Dominio de Punctum, El Progreso, Encomienda de Cervera, Finca el Refugio, Finca la Blanca, Finca la Estacada, Finca Los Alijares, Finca Rio Negro, Ntra. Sra. De La Cabeza, Vinicola de Castilla, Vinicola de Tomelloso and Vinos & Bodegas.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a wine enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

The Macallan 55 Year Old Leads Bonhams Edinburgh Whisky Sale

A bottle of The Macallan-55 year old in a Lalique Crystal Decanter leads Bonhams Whisky sale in Edinburgh on Wednesday 26 February. It is estimated at between £12,000-15,000.

The Macallan 55 year old is regularly included in the world’s top 10 most desirable whiskies. Aged in Spanish Oak, it is said to have mace, ground ginger and nutty notes and was bottled in a Lalique decanted modelled on perfume bottle design dating from 1910. The bottle for sale is numbered 220 out of 420.

Another highly desirable from the sale distillery, The Macallan 1951, is one of 632 bottles and is estimated at £9,000-11,000.

Three exceptional bottles of Bowmore are presented in one lot estimated at £12,000-15,000. They are Black Bowmore-42 year old-1964, number 557 out of an edition of 827 bottles; White Bowmore-43 year, number 183 of 732 and Gold Bowmore, number 83 from an edition of 701.

Bonhams whisky specialist, Martin Green, said, “The Macallan 55 year old is one of the great whiskies and fully deserves its iconic status. The link with Lalique adds further lustre and we are very pleased to be able to offer it as the leading bottle in a strong and varied sale.”

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a whisky enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Bride Plans to Marry Her Bicycle

After 15 years together, Lisa Nelson has decided to marry Steel Spokes, her beloved bicycle. The next day, the Spokes shall depart on a six-month bicycle touring honeymoon. On March 2, 2014, the unusual couple will tie the knot in Pacifica, just South of San Francisco. The Hawaiian themed affair will have the bridesmaids dressed in hula attire, complete with a flower girl, and a ring-bearing pooch (also appropriately dressed). The wedding party and assorted guests will be on bicycle. The entourage plans to cycle along the ocean to the old Pacifica Courthouse for the marriage ceremony. A festive luau reception shall follow.

All right, so why is this gal marrying her bicycle? The bride states, “This is an attempt to accomplish a variety of ambitious goals from a bicycle that lead to ever bigger dreams.” She says that her ultimate dream is to create the "Semester on Cycle" university program, and this is the first phase of turning that dream into a reality. By moving her life to her bicycle, she hopes to lower her cost of living, complete her writing for her Ph.D. from Ohio University, and experiment with a bunch of collaborative arts, music, and service projects. The couple's new love nest will be primarily a tent, as they aim to keep to a $20 a day budget.

The bicycle marriage idea came to Lisa as a fundraising idea after reflecting on how many weddings and babies that she had helped fund. The project is posted on Indiegogo. In return for any support, the Spokes will provide an array of unique entertaining perks.

Lisa explains that this project is a culmination of her personal and professional experiences. She has led students from high school (delinquent to privileged youth) to college age on adventure and service experiences in the United States and Central America, for a non-profit organization, for-profit tour companies, and through a university. However, it’s been over 15 years since Lisa has done an extended bicycle trip, and she has never attempted to accomplish major tasks while living on a bicycle.

The newlyweds plan to depart from northern California and ride south, but the specific route is not planned, nor will it be. “We want to let fate take its course and see where we were meant to end up.” Having said that, they do hope to see the world. Everything they own fits into the bride’s car, which will stay behind at a friend’s home. Lisa has already begun blogging about the experience. She aims to blog throughout the bicycle adventure, and post entertaining videos along the way.

Lisa and Steel are originally from Willoughby, Ohio, but moved to San Francisco just over two years ago. They intend to continue making the Bay area their home, but are open to building their life elsewhere should the right circumstances present.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a vodka enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

The 50 Most Popular World Travel Destinations

Which destinations continued to be favorites among American travelers in 2013 and where are the new tourism hotspots? Fodors.com reveals the answers with their first annual list of the year’s most popular travel destinations according to the more than 4.5 million unique monthly visitors to the brand’s website. Of the 7,500 destinations Fodors.com covers around the world, the leading travel publisher has identified 2013’s top 50 worldwide travel locales as well as the 50 destinations that have grown most in popularity over 2012 based on destination-guide page views from natural search by American visitors to Fodors.com.

“Natural search is a strong indicator of travelers’ intent to visit a destination--these are people that came to us because they were actively researching a trip using a search engine,” says Arabella Bowen, Editor in Chief of Fodor’s Travel.

While New York City continued to top the travel charts in 2013, many of the U.S.’s charming small cities and regions emerged with record interest. Texas Hill Country, situated between Austin and San Antonio and home to a burgeoning wine scene, saw the most dramatic growth in 2013, with a 258% increase in page views according to Fodors.com website statistics. Charleston, S.C., Savannah, G.A., and New York’s Hudson Valley also saw increased interest in 2013 and joined New Orleans, Napa and Sonoma, and Washington, D.C. in the top 50 most-popular destinations for the year.

Europe, the subject of Eugene Fodor’s first guidebook, ON THE CONTINENT (published in 1936), experienced a post-recession resurgence in 2013. Paris and Rome appear in the top ten of the year’s most visited destinations on Fodors.com while Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Ireland and Iceland all saw page views more than double.

“Europe is back in a big way, with the strongest numbers we’ve seen in years, which is really exciting. A number of great events and cultural happenings like Ireland’s The Gathering as well as terrific travel values in countries like Spain have helped put a spotlight on travel to the continent,” said Bowen. “At the same time, we saw a shift to new regions in the United States, like Texas Hill Country and the Oregon Coast, which indicates the Fodor’s audience is always looking to discover new places and experiences, something the brand has long embodied.”

Highlighting the popularity of warm-weather destinations among Americans, the report also revealed that eleven of the top 25 most-visited destination guides on Fodors.com in 2013 were beach retreats. Hawaii is a perennial favorite, along with Caribbean islands like St. Martin and Turks and Caicos. Mexican hotspots showed tremendous growth last year, with travelers showing increased interest in Isla Mujeres, Los Cabos, and the Riviera Maya. Other beach destinations with a significant uptick in interest included Puerto Rico (particularly San Juan and Vieques and Culebra); St. John and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and the Dominican Republic.

To explore these great destinations and other locations around the world, with travel tips from the experts and more, visit Fodors.com.

TOP 50 MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS WORLDWIDE:

1. New York City
2. Paris
3. The Florida Keys
4. San Francisco
5. New Orleans
6. Maui
7. St. Martin/St. Maarten
8. Las Vegas
9. Rome
10. Washington, D.C.
11. Big Island, Hawaii
12. London
13. Kauai
14. Bermuda
15. Napa and Sonoma
16. Turks and Caicos
17. Honolulu and Oahu
18. Seattle
19. Cape Cod
20. Los Cabos, Mexico
21. Barcelona
22. Savannah
23. Chicago
24. Boston
25. St. Lucia
26. Montreal
27. Miami
28. Charleston
29. Los Angeles
30. San Diego
31. Santa Fe
32. Philadelphia
33. Amsterdam, Netherlands
34. Aruba
35. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
36. Puna Cana, Dominican Republic
37. The Hudson Valley
38. Cayman Islands
39. San Antonio
40. Venice
41. San Juan, Puerto Rico
42. Walt Disney World
43. Cancun
44. Grand Canyon
45. St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
46. Buenos Aires
47. Florence
48. Jamaica
49. Quebec City
50. Puerto Rico

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a vodka enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

MKE Brewing Introduces New IPA Named Litta Bitta

The 2014 year-round and seasonal calendar for MKE Brewing Co. will be the most innovative for the young microbrewery in its’ history. To commemorate the occasion they are launching the first new seasonal in over a year. Litta Bitta White IPA will lead off this exciting calendar year in fine fashion.

Available while supplies last over the next 2 months, Litta Bitta’s inviting light pepper and citrus aromas abound up front and blend well with lemon and grapefruit flavors as a result of a lemongrass infusion. This balanced and refreshing White IPA finishes with a touch of wheat that beckons you back for more. Clocking in at 50 IBUs and 6.5% ABV this will be the perfect White IPA to brighten up the winter doldrums and get everyone thinking about spring.

The recipe for Litta Bitta is a result of friendly internal brewery competition in 2013 where the brewers challenged themselves to create different recipes for the “12 months of IPA’s”. Each IPA was brewed and served at the Milwaukee Ale House, MKE Brewing Co.’s brewpub. This particular recipe for White IPA, created by lead brewer Brian Blazel, was so popular that it was the only IPA recipe to be repeated throughout the year. “I am both honored and excited to have one of my recipes make it into the line-up this year” says Blazel.

Owner Jim McCabe added, “Our company culture attracts and fosters passion and creativity. The Litta Bitta release spotlights what our team is up to every day. We all feed off of incredible collaboration and our fans get to enjoy this glimpse of real craft brewing.”

The name Litta Bitta ia a reference to the brutal feud between the two founding fathers of Milwaukee, Solomon Juneau and Byron Kilbourn. In the mid-1800’s, the respective leaders of Juneautown west of the river and Kilbourtown east of the river could not come to a resolution to unite their two settlements with a common bridge.

The Bridge War, as it came to be known resulted in a bloody feud lasting more than a year, until the two settlements came together for a unified resolution for the future of Milwaukee in 1846. Interestingly enough, this is why all of the bridges Milwaukee are slightly askew and none run directly east and west.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

New iPhone and Android App Theater Ears Promises No More Subtitles

South Florida Orthodontist Dr. Larry Kawa has announced that he is launching a new mobile app, Theater Ears, that will allow moviegoers the ability to hear a movie in the language of your choice, without the subtitles.

The app, which is scheduled for release on both Google's Android and Apple's iOS, will allow a user to synchronize a dubbed audio track of the film playing in a movie theater. The idea is to allow people whose native language is not English to enjoy the experience of going to an English language movie theater while hearing the film in their native language.

Dr. Kawa was inspired to develop this new iPhone & Android app for his mother-in-law, who is not a native English speaker, to enjoy the U.S. theater experience in her own native language, Spanish.

“As millions come to America speaking another language, there is a tremendous demand for moviegoers to watch popular American films in their native language. Whether it is Spanish, Chinese, Creole, or Italian, the new Theater Ears mobile app will allow millions who are unable to speak or are uncomfortable with the English language the opportunity to enjoy the art of Hollywood like never before,” stated Dr. Larry Kawa, the app's creator.

Unlike other ideas around this concept, Theater Ears does not require a streaming internet connection. With many theaters offering no WiFi and poor 4G LTE reception, Theater Ears has created an app solution that does not face the major problem of lack of internet connectivity.

The latest date from the 2011 American Community Survey along with the most recent U.S. Census data shows that roughly 1 out of 5 American homes speak a language other than English, or 60.6 million Americans. Two thirds of those Americans speak Spanish.

Few theaters in the United States feature alternate language subtitles denying those Americans the opportunity to hear the action of the movie theater in their own native language. In addition, many DVDs only offer audio dubbed in certain languages. Languages such as Tagalog (widely spoken in the Philippines), Vietnamese, Arabic, and German are often not found in DVD & Blu-ray releases.

To encourage new users of Theater Ears for iPad, iPhone and Android devices, the app will allow each user to sample one movie free of charge.

Dr. Kawa went on to state, “In today's world of creativity, technology, and opportunity, there's no longer a reason to exclude anyone just because their ears are trained in a foreign land. For the first time ever, Theater Ears' groundbreaking technology will allow them the fair chance to find a little piece of their homeland in every theater seat in America. Voice is passion. No more subtitles. Theater Ears.”

About Theater Ears

Theater Ears was founded in February of 2013 by South Florida orthodontist Dr. Larry Kawa. Theater Ears is a multimedia app development company that seeks to revolutionize the movie going experience through its app titled, Theater Ears. Based in Boca Raton, Fl, the company will offer via its app the ability to watch a motion picture in the movie theater and listen to the accompanying audio track in your native language in real time. The app is in development for both Apple's iOS platform (iPad, iPod, iPhone) and Google's Android platform (mobile phones and tablets).

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a tequila enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.