Ombidextrous: Multiple Wine Events This Week at Ombi

At Ombi this Sunday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m., Hoyt Hill and Village Wines will host a tasting of Nicolas Potel Burgundies ranging in price from $13.99 to $89.99. On the docket: the 2006 Potel-Aviron Beaujolais Villages, the 2006 Potel-Aviron Julienas, the 2006 Potel Cuvee Gerard Pinot Noir, the 2006 Potel Volnay Vieilles Vignes, the 2006 Potel Nuits St.-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers, the 2005 Potel Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers, the 2006 Potel Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens, and the 2006 Potel Gevrey-Chambertin.

The Burgundy Report was especially complimentary of the Volnay Vieilles Vignes: "The nose is wide with a nice complexity of dried berries; cranberry, red currant and black cherries—very nice. The palate has good intensity and a background of ripe tannin." Admission for the tasting is $10, and anyone who stays for dinner gets a 10 percent discount.

Should you have plans, Hill will host another wine tasting 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, at Ombi, this time featuring Roda Spanish wines. Then, at 6 p.m. Sept. 22, Hill will host a tasting of wines from New Zealand's Nobilo Wine Group with professional golfer Frank Nobilo in attendance. (Nobilo, as it turns out, is related to the winery's founder and now serves officially as a brand ambassador.) Call 320-5350 for reservations.

Mas Tacos Por Favor!

It's an idea so simple, so obvious, so brilliant, so...diabolical!...that I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it first—a taco truck parked weekend nights outside the thriving hot spots of East Nashville's Five Points. Duh!

Well, Teresa Mason beat me to it. Teresa, whom you may remember as a bartender from Rumours Wine Bar in 12 South, recently converted a mid-'70s Winnebago into her own personal taco truck called Mas Tacos Por Favor. She plans to park it weekend nights (and perhaps some weekdays) in the area featuring Red Door East, 3 Crow Bar and The 5 Spot, and will likely move to other parts of Nashville for special events.

Tonight is the official inaugural ride, which may include stops at Next Big Nashville events at City Hall and elsewhere before taking up its late-night post at the corner of 11th and Woodland. On the menu this evening: a variety of tacos (chicken, fish, quinoa and spicy mashed potatoes) as well as tamales and a refreshing fruit drink, watermelon agua fresca.

I sampled chicken tacos and the agua fresca during a trial run at the Tomato Arts Festival, and both were most excellent. Screw the bars: I'd make the trek to Five Points just for the food! (Of course, I only live 10 blocks away.)

As much as I envy her entrepreneurial spirit, come to think of it, I'm not so sure I'd want to deal with a couple hundred drunk folks at 1 in the morning. But an East Nashville drunk is probably no worse than the occasional pretentious wine snob she had to stomach at Rumours. For my own selfish, gluttonous purposes, I hope she succeeds. And Teresa, have you ever considered parking the 'Bago on McKennie between 14th and Chapel? My front porch is bustling on a Friday night.

If you check it out, please report back. And check out myspace.com/mastacos for more information.

For Your Dining Pleasure

Some options for this weekend:

CHEFS AT THE MARKET: JOE SHAW Carrington almost sank The Standard at Smith House by eating every last kumquat—they don't grow on trees, you know—but for at least one day, chef Shaw is setting up close to an endless supply of locally grown fruits and vegetables. Shaw is the first featured guest in the Nashville Farmers' Market's new series of cooking demonstrations led by local chefs. He'll be cooking tomorrow in the Market's Midway JennAir Portable Kitchen, using produce from the Market's own stalls. Classes are free. For more information on subsequent events, visit the Market's website or call 880-2001. 12 noon June 28 at the Market Midway Tent, Nashville Farmers' Market —JR

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER WITH SLOW FOOD NASHVILLE Leave it to the Slow Food folks, that dogged group of culinary activists dedicated to preserving local food culture, to rebuild the lowly nitrate-soaked hot dog as a beacon of all that is wholesome, local and fresh. City House chef Tandy Wilson will provide house-cured sausages made from locally raised pigs, and the Nashville Farmers’ Market will provide seasonal bounty to decorate your sandwich. Grab a dog at I Dream of Weenie and head to the Slow Food tent. For a small donation, you can sample condiments—think heirloom-tomato relish, corn salsa and homemade mustard—that will make you never look at a fancy ketchup packet again. 5 to 9 p.m. June 29 at I Dream of Weenie (1108 Woodland St.) —CARRINGTON FOX