RESTAURANT CRITICS. Irene VirbilaClassy chassis for the...

RESTAURANT CRITIC

S. Irene Virbila

Classy chassis for the chablis

If your wine geek is given to strolling into fancy restaurants with old Bordeaux or cult California Cabs tucked into something that looks as if it came from a thrift store -- or worse, a brown paper bag -- give him or her something infinitely more elegant and discreet: a sleek black leather wine bag from luxe luggage designer Glaser Designs.

The form is something like an elongated binocular case, which hangs close to the body, the better to put the maitre d’ at ease. Inside, it has space for a corkscrew and fits two bottles, or, with the padded inserts removed, up to three. It even fits taller Riesling bottles. In black milled leather, it never threatens to clash with your Gucci or Prada. It also comes in black ballistic nylon trimmed in either black or walnut leather and can be personalized with that certain person’s initials.

For women, Glaser also has a line of tote bags that can double as mommy bags, briefcases and, with wine bottle inserts, stylish wine carriers.

Two-bottle wine bag, full black leather model, $434; ballistic nylon and black or walnut milled leather trim, $325. Glaser Designs, 1435 Folsom St., San Francisco; (800) 234-1075, www.glaserdesigns.com.

Cutting-edge technology

It is possible to fall in love with a knife. I have, and I suspect every cook, no matter how accomplished or well-supplied, could develop a beautiful relationship with a fine hand-forged Japanese knife. A great one is not only a thing of beauty, it has an exquisite balance that makes mundane slicing and dicing a distinct pleasure. Sushi masters and high-end chefs buy the knives that will last them a lifetime at Korin Japanese Trading Co. in New York, which stocks hundreds of knives from Japanese makers, in Japanese and Western styles.

For a special gift, call and consult with Korin’s knife specialists. If you’re not sure what sort of knife to get, consider something like the stain-resistant layered steel petty with 4.2-inch blade from the famous knife maker Ittosai. Just a bit larger than a traditional paring knife, it has an extremely thin blade, which is sensational for mincing a shallot or a clove of garlic.

Add a sharpening stone and/or a copy Korin’s new video on sharpening technique, “The Chef’s Edge,” from master knife sharpener Chiharu Sugai.

Ittosai petty knife, $106.60; “The Chef’s Edge,” $29.95, Korin Trading Co., (800) 626-2172, www.korin.com.

Nothing to squawk about

Just out: a wonderfully whimsical corkscrew from Italian designer Alessandro Mendini for Alessi. Shaped like a parrot, the pocket-sized wine opener comes in three colors -- blue, green or a more restrained black. This one doesn’t need an entire drawer to itself like some of the techno-openers do. It slips into a pocket, ready to be flourished at the proper moment.

Parrot corkscrew, $42. Alessi, 301 N. Robertson Blvd., L.A. (310) 276-7096, www.alessi.com.

STAFF WRITER

Lynne Heffley

Fantasyland

The first two books in the bestselling “Inheritance” series by wunderkind author Christopher Paolini (born in 1983) are a pleasure to read and bliss to hear, thanks to a tour-de-force by British actor Gerard Doyle.

Memorable, increasingly nuanced, this fantasy begins when farm boy Eragon secretly hatches a dragon and becomes a fledgling Dragon Rider, fated to battle the dark evils of the Empire. In the second book, Doyle brings more vivid characters to life as Eragon and his dragon Saphira travel to an elven retreat to prepare for an epic war, while his cousin Roran leads villagers in a heroic escape from monstrous creatures. A yarn for all ages.

“Eragon,” $39.95, and “Eldest,” $55 (“The Inheritance, Books 1 and 2”), Listening Library. Ages 9 to adult. www.listeninglibrary.com.

Strut your stuff

It was a bright day for children’s music when Dan Zanes, ex-Del Fuegos frontman and stone rocker, made his unlikely leap into the field. Turns out he was a natural. The exuberant warmth and wit in his “handmade” family music -- traditional and original folk songs -- never flags. On “Jump Up!,” Zanes teams with illustrator and frequent collaborator Donald Saaf, who does Zanes’ CD artwork, in a sweet and quirky children’s book with foldout flaps, based on one of Zanes’ most effervescent dance-and-party songs. Comes with a five-song CD.

“Jump Up! Dan Zanes and Donald Saaf,” Little Brown for Young Readers, $16.99 (hardcover book and CD). Ages 3 and up. www.lb-kids.com.

It’s in the cards

Pick a card, any card: The two quality boxed kits “Art in a Box” and “Once Upon a Time, Creative Writing for Kids,” packaged as a series of cards, spark imaginations with smart fun. The former draws on Britain’s Tate Collection, loading each card with information about individual works of modern art, suggestions on how to look at them and think about them, and interesting art projects. The latter gets young storytellers going with “how-to” suggestions for story structure and pick-and-choose plots, genres, characters, settings and moods.

“Art in a Box,” $19.95. Ages 5 to 11. www.tate.org.uk. “Once Upon a Time, Creative Writing Fun for Kids,” $14.95. Ages 8 and up. www.chroniclekids.com.