The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

If you have $125 left in your 401k, I can think of at least three good reasons why you should splurge on a ticket to the Caux Culinary Challenge, a gastronomic extravaganza next Tuesday evening (November 18) from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Minneapolis Club, 729 2nd Ave. S., Minneapolis.

A correction. In my last entry, I mistakenly listed the old -- last week's -- Happy Hour wine at Sapor. Rather than the Austrian Gruner Veltliner, the Washington Avenue wine bar is now featuring a Spanish Protocolo Blanco (in addition to the Luzon Mourvedre-Grenache). I'm not famliar with this wine -- a blend of Airén and Macabeo grapes -- but the tasting notes cite an aroma of banana, apple, and peach, with a "silky" mouthfeel and a strong finish.

Last time I went to Sapor Cafe, it was with a man who used to say things like, "Don't you think that dress is a little low-cut?" and "I don't think I could ever marry a woman who's as smart as I am." Also, he was a Republican who lived in the suburbs and went antiquing on weekends.