KORPORATE KITCHEN KUTIES… I know a lot of you out there are worried about the direction our world is headed, and probably with good reason. There doesn’t seem to be any reduction in the usual fears: global warming, AIDS, over-population, greed, rampant lunatic power mongering.

Well I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing to worry about. The following headline gleaned from an MSNBC.com article will set aside any concerns you may have about the direction of our world: “Hooters sets its eyes on India.” According to Sunil Bedi, Managing Director of franchisee HOI Pvt. Ltd., “I am looking forward to the ‘recreation’ of this dining atmosphere.”

Naturally, the menus will be adjusted to accommodate Hindu diets, for instance, the way McDonald’s India has its Chicken Maharaja Mac and vegetarian McAloo Tikki Burger. So, as you can plainly see, there is no need to spend any further restless nights worrying about this great world. Be safe in knowing that wherever you might end up on your global passage, the friendly, exceedingly familiar confines of the corporate culinary cookie cutter concept will greet you, seat you and eat you…I’m sorry, feed you.

CHEEERS... Thank you to all the folks who attended the Monterey Beer Festival: “Brew With A View” last Sunday. And, as always, to the dozens of great friends, family, volunteers, breweries, the City of Monterey, the folks at Monterey Bay Boatworks and all the efforts of all involved. Sorry we had to raise the price $5 dollars, but our expenses went up almost 40 percent—they should be a fixed amount so admission will remain frozen where it is. As always, we tried to put on the funnest party possible with a lot of love and true hospitality spirit and hope everyone enjoyed it.

BE STRONG... For all of you out there who are either a) taking good care of yourself and trying to get even better b) wishing you were taking better care of yourself and trying to get good or c) not taking care of yourself and knowing you should be better…check out a great evening of life-enriching knowledge at Eddison & Melrose in Sand City. On Oct. 7 from 7-8:30pm—that’s next Thursday so don’t procrastinate—pop down there and listen to Karen A. Jones, MFT, present research in the area of Psychoneuroimmunology. Now don’t get intimidated by that long word, it’s a simple explanation of the fact that what we feed our mind and how we handle our emotions is just as important to optimal health as what we feed our bodies.

Then, to explain about what you feed your body, Staci Ellis, an RN specialist in holistic nursing, will give you the lowdown on the food showdown: family nutrition, disease prevention. This is important stuff ladies and gentlemen. It’s nice to go out and party, but you’ve got to keep the machine running right. Advance reservations are required for a headcount. Call Michele Reese toll-free at (866) 305-2421 right now.

WINE STARS... Got an email from Mark Pisoni, one of the two sons of cult grape-grower, Pinot Noir fanatic and all around eccentric Gary Pisoni. Mark, along with his brother Jeff, comprise the dynamic duo of the younger winemaking generation. I had a pretty good run in my twenties, but these two guys are like a couple of rock stars. They’re both handsome, incredibly talented, focused—Jeff makes the wine, Mark makes the money—and have the awesome backing of those peerless Pisoni Vineyard grapes…if I could come back as somebody else, either of those two wouldn’t be a bad start.

Anyway, seems the 2001 Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir was given Food & Wine Magazine’s award for “Best Pinot Noir of the Year over $20.” It was the magazine’s eighth annual American Wine Awards feature and chosen by a panel of 32 experts from a sampling of thousands of bottles. The October issue described the 2001 Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir as “a subtle and seductive wine that’s no less than a benchmark for California Pinot.” Congratulations to the Pisoni clan for their continued excellence…anybody following the wine scene even casually knows this ain’t no fluke. Right on boys.

SWINGN’... Had a great time at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Couldn’t believe the scope of the event, just loads of vendors and people all jammin’ and having a good time. I was really impressed with the diversity of the crowd, people of all nationalities and ethnicities all hanging out groovin’ to the tunes, the vibe and the overall feel. It’s a real tribute to America’s truly original musical form, to which we owe a huge debt to our African-American ancestry. I’ve been around jazz a long time, in fact, one of my first writing gigs was as a jazz columnist, and let me say that the music is still going strong, just like it always has. Good night.