*Full disclosure: as I write this my dog Clyde and I are sitting at State Street Eating House + Cocktails enjoying a happy hour beer and staring at the newly opened Daily Bird restaurant and I can smell fried chicken.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, my absolute favorite food and wine combination is really good fried chicken and good champagne (though confit duck and aged red burgundy is a very close second).

Having spent the bulk of my adult life in San Francisco and Chicago, I had the opportunity and privilege of eating at some of the best restaurants in America. During this time, I happily devoured some truly remarkable and unforgettable meals. Experiencing the greatness and unmatched talent of Alice Waters, Gary Dankos, Laurent Gras, Curtis Duffy and Nobuyuki Matsuhisas to name a few! Of all the times I said “wow, that’s really good!”, nothing provides the same kind gastronomic satisfaction the way champagne and fried chicken does.

Of all the blogs I have written, whether they are related to wine or medicine, I have never tried to promote something and in all candor, I am writing this to promote my idea for a “Bubbles, Birds and Biscuits” party in conjunction with Veuve Clicquot. While Michael and Terri are in South Africa, Phil and Kim are in Ireland and I have decided to book the wine cellar for a fried chicken and champagne Saturday afternoon party. I figure if I get the ball rolling they can’t say “no” right?

Thomas Keller is without question one of the best and most creative chefs on the planet. I have eaten at the French Laundry 4 or 5 times and each meal was always nothing short of remarkable and thought provoking. The sister restaurant next-door called “Bouchon” served THE best fried chicken I have ever had, bar none and without question. When I first saw it on the menu, it was about $23. I ordered it because, as I said to my dining companion, “I gotta know what $23 fried chicken tastes like because for this kind of money it had better be the best frickin’ chicken I have ever put in my pie hole!”. As it turns out, it was. It was so good I had that fried chicken 2 more times for dinner and once for lunch in a ten-day span.

I tell you this lil’ story because for “Bubbles, Birds and Biscuits” we will be making our version of Thomas Keller’s fried chicken along with different kinds of buttermilk biscuits. Oh, and Veuve - copious amounts of Veuve Clicquot.

I don’t know all of the specifics yet, but I do know that this party will be one that I expect to become a yearly tradition. After all, who doesn’t love champagne, fried chicken and biscuits?

Clyde staring longingly at the Daily Bird