According to Wikipedia; “In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors (al fresco or en plein air), ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance, and usually in summer.”In the world we live in, it is my belief that one pines for a daily moment of simplicity.

I know that with all of the electronic devices and connected portals that we deal with, a picnic with my wife is the best way to for me to escape.

I am reminded of a commercial where a bunch of guys on a quest for the perfect camping site look for a place with no cell service.  Is that the new heaven on earth?  Even when I am “not connected” I find myself taking photos in the hope of posting to Facebook and tweeting when service returns.  The overwhelming force to share the moment with the world is very strong.  I am looking for my inner Yoda to help me.  What is wrong with me, why can’t I just enjoy the moment?

Well, thank God for my wife and that look.  You know the one.  Every partner has one.  It’s that look that makes you come back to center and be back in the moment.  Personally, I love that look.  Wine and cheese always follow.

]]> http://willdrive4food.garageandcellar.com/the-picnic-and-why-we-should-all-indulge/feed/ 0 http://willdrive4food.garageandcellar.com/the-picnic-and-why-we-should-all-indulge/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WillDrive4Food/~3/iTa7EQTA5Y0/ http://willdrive4food.garageandcellar.com/a-day-with-a-benz/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:54:24 +0000 Todd http://willdrive4food.garageandcellar.com/?p=692

The 1969 280 se cabriolet. Oh yeah…..This is a car that was meant to be driven with a picnic basket in the trunk, a loved one by your side, and if it’s warm enough, the top down.

She is elegant, sexy and a pleasure to drive. She has heat and air conditioning and even a cassette deck thanks to a Becker Mexico.

The 280 se is the 6 cylinder version of the more expensive 3.5 liter 280 se 3.5

One of the most wonderful attributes of this vehicle is that you can take a family of five out for a drive with the top down and put three sets of clubs in the boot!

Today was just an excuse to get some exercise and grab a cup of coffee.

In other words, one of the perks of the job.

Will it ever snow?

WD4F, The First Drive recap

When Monica and I set off on this journey we weren’t sure what we were thinking or what we were doing.  All we knew was that we made the time had a few bucks and were going to do it.

We sat next to each other for 6 weeks, most of the time holding hands, a camera or the navigation source (map or iPhone) and talked.  The radio was hardly ever on.  I have to say that this kind of a trip is not for everyone.  You need to be able to communicate, compromise and know how to go with the flow.  I remember when I first started a post on the 356 Registry forum, the first responses were all essentially the same, “drop her off at the nearest airport and enjoy yourself”.

This could not have been further from the correct response for me.  I consider myself a very lucky man to have married my best friend.  We love food, wine, the drive and each other.  The journey was one of personal growth, awareness and understanding.

One of the original reasons for the journey was the growth of our business, a small specialty cheese and wine store in Ridgefield Ct. Recently, a large gourmet chain store started building a new store within a 20 min. drive from our shop.  So the question presented itself, how does a small shop compete with the big boys?  The answer for us was hit the road and meet your cheese producers, vintners and farmers and experiences this great country, that’s how.  One of the fundamental elements that lacks in the larger stores is the ability to connect with the customer.

Monica and I have experienced what most can only dream of.

We’ve traveled over 6000 miles, visited countless restaurants, vineyards, farms, cheese producers, B&B establishments and hotels along our way.

We love when a customer comes to our store and we can tell the story of the product because we have been there.

We started in Los Angeles, drive up the coast to Whistler, across Canada through Revelstoke, Banff and into Alberta.

We then turned back to the USA and through Glacier National Park, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado and home to Connecticut.

The car was in retrospect the perfect road trip vehicle.  It has about a 250-mile range, smooth and comfortable on flat roads, amazing in the corners, enough storage with the back seats folded down for two and a great reliability factor for a vintage car.

Newfoundland this spring…..maybe

Check out the archives (May / June 2011) to see all of the details.

January and still driving the 356

This has been one of the most amazing winters for the vintage car enthusiast. Not just one day of driving this weekend, but two!

This weekend I was invited to a barn on hill for lunch with two friends and a late 356 “A” coupe. I was to bring a bottle of wine and a little something else.  I decided on some ibérico de bellota ham from Spain.

If you have never had it and you eat ham, you must find some.  This is the 4-cam of hams! Scallops with mushrooms and thyme were to follow; a great rustic lunch in a barn with cars.

It was 55 degrees, sunny and I was looking at two 356’s, I really can’t complain.  After a great meal and some even better car talk, I headed out for a cappuccino.

You gotta have a cappuccino after a meal, don’t you?  Tusk & Cup is a new shop in Ridgefield, Ct that I have been meaning to get to for some time, so…. Great cappuccino and I did get a homemade gelato sampler, even better! (Thanks Laura). Is there another weekend of driving around the corner?  One can only hope.

Happy New Year!

January 1^st 2012 turned into a beautiful 50-degree day that was perfect for a drive. Monica wanted some time to catch up on her reading so I added a few logs to the fire and started out to nowhere.  Nowhere is one of my favorite destinations.  It means no planning, no thinking, just driving.  This day took me to Washington Depot, Ct.  I was not planning on seeing any stores open on New Years day, but one never knows.  Washington Depot is this wonderful little hamlet of shops and eateries that always provide a good eat or two.  Today, Marty’s Café appeared to be open and an espresso was sounding like a plan.  The door was open and people were sitting inside. I went to the counter and a scary lady said “closed”, looked at me with 4 eyes and walked away.  That was all.  As a business owner myself, if you want to stay in business, lock the door if your closed or try and help the customer.
I hope they have a happy new year.

With no espresso I continued on to Waramaug Lake.  A beautiful lake located on the shores of the Litchfield County bordering the towns of Washington, Kent, and Warren.  I sat at the shore, read my latest copy of the 356 Registry and watched the sun sink.

The drive home was 45 minutes of smiles. These cars love the cold air and even better, you can wear driving gloves and not look like a geek. Next Saturday is supposed to be 50-degrees again.

Can I get one more in before the snow…..I think so.

Our last 356 Drive of the season was a nice 4-hour drive through the country.  Monica and I set out for a breakfast destination called Patty’s Restaurant in Litchfield CT.

It had received rave reviews from various magazines and most reviews from Yelp were also promising.  The short of Patty’s was really big pancakes all of it just good.

As always, we were able to find a ridiculously long 60-mile back-road route to go what should have been more like 20 miles.  We find that not having a plan always leads to new finds and usually an extra culinary find.  Today we found fresh eggs, maple syrup, Arethusa Dairy and The Bantam Bread Company.

The must go of this Drive 4 Food is absolutely The Bantam Bread Company and Arethusa Dairy.

Make sure you get a Dirt Bomb from the bakery and chocolate milk from the dairy.

Ever just want to drive?  

Pick a destination or don’t, but get in your car (or bike) and go.  Take your partner or let them sleep in.

Stop along the way if you feel like it and get a cup of coffee or just stare at a cow.

Today was coffee in Kent, a quick hello to the gang at LimeRock Park, back to Kent for an extra cup, talked to a cow for a while and a stop in Ridgefield at the cheese store.

A great day.

The weather is turning and we have already had our first snow.  I am picking up my 356 from my friend Dick’s with a fresh rebuild on the engine and will try and get a few hundred miles on her before the season is completely over.  I find it fascinating how I look at my car from 1963 and plan on tucking it nicely in a heated garage until the first sign of spring.  Back in 1963 it would have been purchased from the Porsche showroom and driven just like a new 911 would be today.  I wonder what a 2011 Porsche 911 will be doing in the year 2059.

When I pulled her into my in-laws garage in Manhattan Kansas I knew something wasn’t right.  The engine had a new noise that I was hoping could be cured with a valve adjustment.

The wonders of a 356, doing a valve adjustment with a 13 mm wrench and a flathead screwdriver on the floor of your in-laws garage.

What I found were very loose exhaust valves and a glimmer of hope.

After adjusting both sides, I went to start her. The noise was still there, it just ran better.

I have always consider myself a cautious person and after posting a “what would you do if” post on the 356 Registry, my instinct was to ship her home and save the engine.

The Rental, need I say more.

Toasted Bearings

She is now in the hands of my 356 doctor friend and seems to require a tear-down and some crank and bearing work.

The good news is that she is still a number matching true super 90.

After 6 weeks of being together and spending every day together, I do miss driving her and hope to be back on the road for Labor day.

Until then, our 42 Dodge pickup will be our vintage outlet for now.

42 Dodge Pickup