Resident Wine Specialist Tim Coles and Executive Vice President of Operations Alex Sabad. Photos by Gary & Pierre Silva.
An indefinable Australian wine and specialty food importer, wholesaler, and retailer, The Grateful Palate in Oxnard is a unicorn grazing conspicuously within the culinary landscape. They’ve got a robust, top-rated wine portfolio that includes a series of superior Australian Shiraz and Grenache wines that Coles considers “impossible not to like.”
The 10-year-old company, owned by visionary Dan Philips, also has a collection of bacons, and edible and artisan gifts that are feisty, fresh, and seasoned with a pinch of the bizarre. Their Bacon of the Month Club is recommended, as is their line of bacon-inspired items such as T-shirts, candles, toilet paper, and air fresheners. The company has a talent for infusing traditionally conservative markets with a verve that effortlessly garners a wink, a chuckle, and a “how clever” without sacrificing taste, quality, or affordability. Here are a few items that deserve a try:
What’s on the table (back to front, left to right) 2006 Luchador Shiraz, $14.95, Wine Advocate (WA) 92 rating; 2006 Bitch Grenache, $9.95, WA 90; 2006 (Baby) Roogle Red, $9.95, WA 90; Ohara Hisakichi Shouten Soy Sauce, $32.95; 2005 (Little) r Cabernet Sauvignon, $14.95, WA 89; 2003 Marquis Philips “Integrity” Shiraz, $119.95, WA 94; 2005 Green Lion Cabernet, $19.95; Samuel's Gorge Coffee Blend, $15.95; 2004 Samuel’s Gorge Shiraz, $44.95, WA 91; 2007 Diddley Bow “Poor Thing” Riesling, $39.95; Christmas Balsamic Vinegar, $37.95; The Grateful Palate Bacon Brittle, $14.95; Blue Smoke Barbeque Sauce, $9.95; Cast Iron Skillet $29.95; Loveless Café Jalapeño Bacon, $14.95; Nodine’s 10 Clove Garlic Bacon, $13.95; Spicy Habagardils Pickles, $7.95; Dan’s Special Cure Bacon Bits, $17.95; Charcoal Peanuts, $9.95; Lot's Wyfe Hickory Smoked Bacon Sea Salt, $13.95; Johnny Snack’s Miracle Ham Dust, $9.95; Jungle Juice Coconut Honey from the Cocos Islands, $15.95; Blue Smoke Magic Dust, $9.95; Boccalone Mustard, $8.95; Lluis Riera Rectangle Serving Tray, $44.95
07-01-08
