TGIF! It was such a gorgeous, warm January day (THIS is why we live in California, earthquakes or no earthquakes) that Jason decided to chill a 2007 Rosé of Syrah from Ampelos for us to have as our pre-dinner wine. This deeply pink colored wine is dry on the palate with serious backbone; this is definitely not one of those sticky-sweet pink wines! The flavors of the Syrah grapes really shine through – spice, berry and currant. With help from our friends Shannon, Betsy and Brendon we finished the wine and headed down the coast to Sly’s in Carpinteria. Sly’s was wonderful – high quality steaks, fresh Maine lobster – everything you’d want in a steakhouse, complete with a relaxed atmosphere and vintage car racing photos adorning the walls. I am especially fond of Sly’s traditional cocktail list featuring dandy drinks like the Gimlet, Zombie, Sazerac, Vesper, Old Fashioned (I especially love these because they remind me of my Dad), Manhattan and White Lady. My one and only complaint about Sly’s is its limited by-the-glass list– with only 7 red wines. It is a shame that the list doesn’t offer more local choices, especially since the restaurant is located a mere 45 minutes away from one of California’s best wine producing regions. Oh well, the vintage cocktails are so good that I don’t bother with the teeny-tiny wine list.