When one reads through David Rosengarten’s Wikipedia page it’s hard not to be impressed. From his lengthy stint as contributing editor/restaurant critic at Gourmet magazine, through his many other writings (including him penning a number of bestselling books), to his eight year tenure as host of the Food Network’s successful Taste series, David has obviously had a lifetime of food and wine experiences (and then some.)
Earlier this year I discovered that I would be lucky enough to be travelling around Greece with David and I have to say that I was most intrigued to meet the man himself. When one is invited upon a culinary/wine tour it is often said that the success of the expedition is reliant upon the synergy of the group, a group that has been assembled, most often, by a governmental body. In my personal experience, if there is going to be any friction, one can usually sense dark tensions between members of a touring group after three days of winetasting/dining/being-shipped-around-in-a-bus-together. Thankfully this was not to be the case upon this trip, and as it turns out one could not have wished for more amiable (and knowledgeable) peripatetic companions.
This convivial atmosphere was due in no small part to David’s eager willingness to share many of his adventures with the entire group. Whether it be leading an small expeditionary force out into the wilds of urban Heraklion to find the city’s best Gyro, or regaling us with one of his, occasionally bawdy, tales which invariably centred, in some strange way, around food, he was a fine travelling companion indeed… and a damn good storyteller to boot!
I was absolutely delighted when he agreed to record a brief podcast one early morning in Santorini, looking out over Ia and the Aegean sea.
For more information on David’s writings please visit www.rosengartenreport.com
Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… and he thinks it’s a pity that the morning was so overcast when he recorded this piece with David. The sun burst out from behind the clouds just as we wrapped things up!
