Dim Sum After Christmas

Friday, December 26, 2014

6 of us today at the Seafood Place for Dim Sum. This was originally scheduled to be lunch at Nayada. But due to a huge mix up 6 of us ended up going to the Seafood Palace instead. But our wines were outstanding which they would not have been going to Nayada with a larger group of people . We would not have brought the same wines.

We started out with Beef Tendons. This is a dish that you will either eat or pass up. A lot of people do not like the texture. But they were tender and had good flavor.

Next was the minced shrimp wrapped in seaweed and deep fried. I noticed that they were not as large as last time. Seemed to loose some flavor being smaller.

Sticky rice with Chinese sausage cooked inside a Lotus leaf was set in front of us. This is always an interesting dish, good flavor.

No Dim Sum is complete without Chau Shu. BBQ pork inside a baked bun.

A new dish for me came from the kitchen. Taro Root , battered and deep fried. Non-discript, not much flavor. OK dish but without much favor beside the mustard sauce.

Finally seafood showed up. Clams in garlic sauce with jalapenos and shrimp with bok choy and fat noodles. These two dishes are always good. Seafood is fresh as it should be. Two of my favorite dishes.

Beef with Chinese broccoli was next. We needed something for the red wines. Again always a good standby dish.

Last dish before dessert was brand new one and they can keep it. I will always try something once but I would never order this particular dish. They call it "A Protein Dish".  Pork blood tofu with tripe and Daikon radishes.  I like tripe but this whole dish did not cut it at all. Most people at the table felt the same way.

We finished off the meal with Egg tart Cantonese Style and Fortune Cookies.

Our wines were good and only two bottles had something left in them at the end of  the lunch. A nice get together after the holidays with good friends

NV Domaine J Laurent, Cremant, Brut de Limox

2008 Evening Land, Seven Springs Vineyard, La Source, Pinot Noir

2006 D'Arnenberg. Laughing Magpie, Shiraz

2012 Sanford, Sanford and Benedict, Chardonnay

2011 Pisano, Rio de Los Pajaros, Torrontes

2005 BV, Georges de La Tour, Private Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon

Greenfields

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Nine of us gathered tonight for Margie's "Fun Wine Activity" event for December at Greenfields Brazilian Steakhouse in Long Beach.  It has been several years since I was here and they seemed to have "cleaned" the place up.

After a trip to the extensive salad bar we started getting bombarded with the meats. All meat is brought to the table and carved table side. Several of the meats I did not try. It was way too much food for me. Big eaters are in heaven at this place.

Of the meats that I did try I preferred the rib eye, top sirloin and the skirt steak (which had the most flavor). The bacon wrapped turkey was flavorful and moist and the quail was good. I passed on the sausages, lamb and chicken.

I am still recovering from the creeping crud so I am not 100 %.  The meats were good but for the price I would prefer 555 East. I go for quality over quantity. But it was a a fun evening out and the big eaters in the crowd were happy

Wines brought tonight were 2003 Stolpman Angeli, took several hours for this wine to open. I should have decanted it. Bottle was almost empty before it started showing well.

2007 Dunham Cellars Syrah
2011 Tablas Creek Viognier
2012 Caymus 40th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Saxon Brown, Duvell Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, Chardonnay
NV   Pommery Champagne, Reims, France
2011 Wiens-Chateau Grande Rouge, Temecula Valley
2010 Stolpman La Croce, Sangiovese/Syrah
2011 Stolpman Petite Syrah
2005 Domaine du Grand Ormeau, Pomerol

Cellar Room at Delius

Thursday, December 11, 2014
Once a year I have the opportunity to dine in the Cellar Room at Delius Restaurant, www.deliusrestaurant.com, for dinner at half price. This is a 10 course dinner that runs $95. I always ask 5 other people to join me, and try to do it around the holidays because of the festive mood.

We started off the a Charcuterie plate that and numerous cheeses, salamis, sausage,  olives,  hummus and olive tapenade. Along with  toasts. A nice start to the meal. All the ingredients were explained by the waiter but who can remember them all. We selected a 2012 Phillipe Rainbault Sancerre. Wine opened up nicely after it warmed up a little bit. Way to cold when first served. We originally ordered a Muscadat but it was not available,

Next was a seared Diver Scallop sitting in a pool of corn pudding. Sweet dish Scallop cooked perfectly.

Third was a salad with roasted beets, watercress, burrata and heirloom tomatoes. Good flavor but I personally can do without watercress - to bitter for me.

After quite a bit of "hassle" we ended up with a 2012 Sharecropper. Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir. recommended by Matt. Frankly it turned out to be the best wine of the evening. Took awhile to open up but it was quite nice. Only 2 Oregon Pinots on the wine list and they were out of both of them. Paul and Margie are big into Oregon Pinot Noir and they were a bit disappointed in the selection.

A farro, mushroom risotto with zucchini and duck confit was served. This was a very good dish but I have had this dish several times recently.

Biggest "bomb" of the evening was next. Calamari in Arribatta sauce. Way too spicy. 3 of is have acid reflux so it just did not sit well. Also it really did not flow with the rest of the meal. Too spicy for the wine and I feel it really screwed up a good meal. It had no place on this menu.

Terry ordered a bottle of 2011 Boucard, Pere and Fils, Gervey Chambertin. I was slightly disappointed in this wine. Most expensive of the evening but it was way to young.

Next dish was a red wine braised beef cheek with Salsify puree and quince . Tender and good flavor. The quince added the right touch.

A palate cleanser of Orange sorbet was served. The oranges are sourced from a tree at the back door of the restaurant. This was excellent. Had a very clean taste.

Main course was Hanger Steak with Gnocchi and broccolini. Good flavor, tender.

A cheese plate was served, again with various cheeses, dried fruits, nuts and grapes.

Dessert was Russian Cream with double ginger cookies. Their Russian cream is similar to Panacotta but much richer. They do not serve this as often as they used to. Which is too bad, Its rich, but light and I would rather have a small dish of this instead of a heavy dessert at the end of a heavy meal.

 I always let my "guests" choose the wine. I stay out of it but next year I may just go in several days early, pick out 3 to 4 bottles and make sure the restaurant has them in stock. That way everything is ready and we are not hassling back and forth over the wine list. Delius had gone to a "pad" instead of a book. It might be easier for them but I find it a real big pain. You can't remember where you were, what you saw or where the hell you saw it. Guess next best thing is to write things down as you see them so you don't forget. It also does not help when the restaurant is out of the wine you selected. Why can't they put a notation on the pad that the item is temporarily unavailable. Sure would save a lot of running back and forth and lot of frustration.

I have been sick most of this week so maybe some of my tastebuds are screwed and I am not in the best of moods. But I was disappointed in the wine and several of the food dishes. Nothing was on the level it should be. I also had a big problem with the table and chairs Way to big for the space . Chairs are huge with high backs. Hard to move, uncomfortable to sit in unless you are tall. So being uncomfortable all evening did not help my mood. I still have a screwed back several days later.

But we did have a good time And a pleasant evening out for the holidays. Maybe next year I will have the dinner a little earlier when the restaurant is not in such a flux of holiuday activity.

Seafood Cove

Saturday. November 29, 2014

Henry decided he had some free time so an invite to dinner was issued . Apparently the Seafood Palace had a big event tonight so there were no larger tables available so Henry opted for the Seafood Cove. Had never been there before.  When I arrived at 6:00 the place was packed. . It is a Vietnamese restaurant with Chinese influence. Had to wait for our table to become available

We all brought red wines, mine by mistake - pulled the wrong bottle - looked at the year and spaced out everything else. I am so exhausted from decorating for Christmas. Don't think all the decorating will get done this weekend. But the tree is up and that is the biggest item to get out of the way. Took two days.

I wanted to bring a 2009 Clos Pepe Sparkling Rose. Pulled a 2009 Clos Pepe out - did not pay any attention to the bottle just the 2009. Turned out to be a VS Pinot. Now how can anyone mistake the cork situation. You can' t if you are paying attention and clearly I was not.

So since we had 4 big red wines we had meat dishes - no seafood tonight. Henry says we will come back and have the lobster. They have tanks in the restaurant with fresh seafood.They fill a bucket and bring it to the table so you can pick out your own,

We started out with a Pork Ribs, Peking Style. This is definitely a finger food. Excellent flavor. Then off to Beef, French Style, very tender small pieces of beef with fresh tomatoes, leafy something and loads of onions which Terry and CJ liked. I passed. 

A plate of Kung Pao Chicken was next. Very good flavors and not overly spicy. Last dish was a Beef with Chinese broccoli and fat noodles. Again excellent flavors.

The size of the dishes were larger than the Seafood Palace so that is why we only had 4 dishes and took leftovers home. These dishes would serve 6 to 8  people easily.

For dessert we were served a Seaweed with Tapioca and Green Bean soup along with Fortune Cookies.

Nice restaurant but does not have the ambiance of the Seafood Palace. Very busy and noisy. Rapid turnover of the tables. Place was packed from 6 to 9 but after that it cleared out considerably. Seems to be a very popular spot with the locals.A lot of older white men, probably served in the war and got a taste for the food.

Along with my 2009 Clos Pepe VS Pinot Noir, there was a 2006 Melville, Carries Vineyard, Pinot Noir, a 2011 Dearly Lane, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2000 McKeon-Phillips Ardison, A.D., Cabernet Sauvignon.

Big Reds and Delius

Friday, November 21, 2014

The dinner tonight was Delius' first one to pair two wines with each course." www.deliusrestaurant.com". It turned out to  be a big hit with the sold out room . Five of us were seated with the rep, Mike Levine from Southern Wines and Spirits.  Had not seen Mike in close to a year.

Started out with a glass of Ferrari Blanc de Blanc, Brut NV, Trentino. Nice clean, crisp, slightly yeasty.  Paired with raw Oysters, Cucumber Mignonette (which was outstanding) and Micro Mint.  Good pairing and everyone was happy.

Second course was Grilled Octopus, Gnocchi, Spanish Chorizo, Roasted Tomatoes and Castelvetrano Olives. Flavors were excellent. . The Octopus was exceedingly tender. BUT - I only had one piece of Octopus and a lot of Gnocchi. Whomever was in the kitchen plating did not pay attention. Tim also only had one piece. Dave brought us a plate from the kitchen with more after I pointed it out to him.   The two wines paired with this dish were a 2010 Pio Cesare, Langhe, Nebbiolo and a 2010 Silvio Grasso, Piemonte, Barolo. Both wines were very good but I did prefer the Barolo.

Third course put before us is a Stuffed Leg of Lamb, Roasted Seasonal Vegetables. (carrots, baby eggplant). Lamb was stuffed with a dressing and chicken liver. Flavor was good but I think the lamb was just too thick and it wasn't quite as tender as it should have been and for me too well done.  After the loin at Charlie Palmers Wednesday night, this was a disappointment. The two wines were a 2009 Phillip, Tuscany, Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2012 Pine Ridge, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon. Again both were good my my vote goes to the Phiillip. One year older may have been a deciding factor.

Fourth course was a Braised Short Rib with Red Wine Farro Risotto. Meat was full of flavor and very tender.  No knife needed here. Cooked perfectly.  A 2010 Alpha Omega, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2010 Inglenook Cask, Napa, Sauvignon Cabernet were poured. It was hard to decide which one was best. But in the end the Inglenook won out. It took awhile to open up but when it did it was soooooo good.

Dessert was a Vanilla Panna Cotta, Spiced Apple Compote. Light and refreshing and a  nice ending to the meal. They did have some kind of chunky strips of something on the top. Looked like wonton but it did not have much flavor and frankly could have been left off the dish easily. A tuile would have been better.

Another good dinner at Delius - a couple of disappointments. Good company at the table and a very enjoyable evening

Kosta Browne at Charlie Palmers

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

I had been looking forward to this dinner for awhile and it did not disappoint . Got to South Coast Plaza with plenty of time to spare.  Never know about work traffic and what it will bring. Charlie Palmers is located at Bloomingdales at the center. www.charliepalmer.com.  Since some of us were early we sat in the lounge with a glass of bubbly until we were summoned into the dining area for the reception.

The restaurant was pouring J sparkling and were generous with the wine. Took about 20 minutes for the seating for dinner to begin. We had 9 people at our table and plenty of room for us all. Chairs at this table. No banquette. Makes for more comfortable seating.

Started out with a Hamachi Crudo, Green Apple, Seaweed, Compressed Cucumber, Pink Sea Salt and Tangerine Yuze Vinaigrette. Very good dish and the dressing was exceptional.  Paired with a 2012 Kosta Browne, One Sixteen, Russian River, Chardonnay. Nice wine and paired well with the salad. Slight oak but for me very drinkable.

Second course was a Beeler's Farm Crispy Pork Belly, Root Beer Glaze, Brown Butter Butternut Squash Puree, Shaved Radish- Petite Salad. (very petite). Pork was very flavorful. I would have preferred a touch more fat on it but it was good. Puree had nice flavor. A well composed dish. Wine was a 2012 Kosta Browne, Russian River, Pinot Noir. Another good pairing.

Third course was up - Creamy Farro Risotto, Duck Confit, Mixed Berries, Parmesan Cheese, Poultry Jus. Farro is a grain and the consistency showed that. Good flavor and the wine paired well. It was a 2010 Kosta Browne, Gary's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir. Good wine but somehow I was not overly impressed. Gary's is one of my favorite vineyards but something wasn't clicking.

Main course was served - Coirander Dusted Colorado Lamb Loin, Portobello Mushroom, Pomegranate Truffle Sauce. Paired with a 2009 Kosta Browne, Kanzler Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir. This to me was a far better wine than the Gary's. Granted it was a year older but showed much better. Very well balanced, good fruit and complexity. I did not eat any of this dish as I was getting stuffed and we did have dessert to go. Had them box in up and ate it Thursday night. The flavor was really on. Very good cut of lamb, excellent dish. Sauce was outstanding.

Dessert was a Pumpkin Cheesecake, Gingerbead, Pecan, Creme Fraiche Sorbet. A really nice touch at the end of the meal. ate every morsel.

Excellent dinner and wines. Michael Browne, one of the winemakers was in attendance. He made the rounds and went to every table and talked with everyone. Very personable. He seemed to be really enjoying himself this evening. A really huge difference in his attitude over Bob Cabral from Williams Seylem who talked to everyone through a microphone and did not leave his table area.

Interesting to note the difference in quality of food and wine compared to the amount charged. This dinner was twice the price of my dinner Monday night. But the quality of the food and the wines was so much better along with the level of service. The old saying "you get what you pay for" really rings true.

Lane Tanner's Lumen Wines at Restaurant Christine

Monday, November 17, 2014

Winemaker dinner at Restaurant Christine in Torrance, www.restaurantchristine.com,  Close to work so its and easy drive. Lane Tanner who retired for a few years is now back with a new label "Lumen". I enjoyed her wines years ago and was anxious to see what her new endeavor would bring. Lumen sources their grapes from the Sierra Madre Vineyards.

This dinner was put on by Wine Getaways.  I saw Bart at the Terecero dinner here earlier in this year but had not seen Peter for several years. Most of their dinners are on the westside of LA and the drive is really too much in work traffic.

We started out with a reception in the patio area. The 2012 Lumen Stary Rose was poured liberally. A blend of Pinot and Grenache. I thought this was the one of the best wines of the night. Grilled Anjou Pear & Triple Creme Brie Crostini, Wild Mushroom Tartlet with Aged Gouda and Pancetta and a Pork and Shrimp Shu Mai Dumpling with Asian Glaze were the passed appetizers All were very good.

After about 45 minutes were seated for dinner. The restaurant was sold out for this dinner and seating was tight.

A Charred Shrimp Salad with Soft Organic Greens, Dried Pineapple, and Mango Vinaigrette with a Warm Avocado Toast  was served.  Way too much Radicchio for me. The vinaigrette was extremely good and the dried pineapple added a nice sweet touch to the salad. Shrimp had good flavor but were slightly overdone. The avocado mash was dark but flavorful. The wine paired was a 20121 Lumen Chardonnay. Slightly oaked. I did not feel it really went with the salad. I was not impressed with this wine. I felt it did not have a good mouth feel and tasted "weak". Did not finish my glass.

Main course was a Slow Braised Pork Cheek, Butternut Squash Risotto, Sage Brown Butter and Broccolini. The pork was tender and the sauce was very good. But it did almost taste like beef. Several people at the table made the same remark. Probably because of the sauce. Risotto was good. Paired with a 2013 Lumen Pinot Noir. Nice front palate but no back finish. Way too young to being poured now.

They did pour everyone a small taste of their Reserve Pinot Noir which is not available now. It was a better wine but compared to other Pinots that I like, I am not to apt to consider this wine.

Dessert was a Savory Goat Cheese Tart, Spiced Nuts, Dark Berry Compote and Cocoa Nib Bark. The filling was very good. The crust was tasty but difficult to cut with a fork. (the knives had been taken away).  They poured a 2013 Lumen Grenache which had 10% Beckman grapes in it. This and the Rose were the two picks for me as far as wine.

A little disappointed in the wines. Could be that they are just way to young to be opened yet. Another thing that slightly irritated me was that they did not change the silverware with each course. This is not Denny's .  Service was good and efficient. Dinner was over about 9:30. I left before the real end as I had a drive to get home. But it was priced well. $89 inclusive.

Sequoia Grove - Trujillo Wine Dinner at Delius

Thursday, November 13, 2014.

This was a last minute dinner that Delius decided to put on.   "www.deliusrestaurant.com", I had never heard of this winery before so I checked them on line. Medium priced wines. Been around for a long time. Mike Trujillo the owner and winemaker was in attendance. This dinner was sold out.

Started out with a Goat Cheese and Leek Tart, Boston Lettuce Salad with Pancetta Lardons and Herb Vinaigrette. Tart was excellent,. Very rich. Paired with a Sequoia Grove Sauvignon Blanc. Nice clean, well balanced wine.

Second course was a Pan Seared Scallop. Apple and Salsify Puree and Micro Arugula.. Scallop was cooked correctly and the puree was good. Wine was a Sequoia Grove Chardonnay. No oak on the nose but I did pick up some on the taste. It did well with the food but I would not drink a glass of this on its own. I was really not overly impressed.

Third course was served. A Duck Confit and Red Wine Mushroom Risotto. Duck was good. But I think the Risotto was a little thick. Flavor was there. Paired with a Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon. Nice pairing but again not overly impressed with the wine. It lacked something.

Fourth course was presented. A Rib Eye Steak, Cipollini Onion, Roasted Marble Potatoes and Sauteed Kale. My steak was cooked perfectly. Had nice fat on it. By this time I was stuffed so I had them box it up and I ate it for breakfast on Friday. This dish was good, but I felt it was a come down from what I have had a Delius' wine dinners before. I am also getting quite tired of Kale. It seems to be on every restaurants menus now. It is being over done. Wine poured was a Trujillo Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was better than the last cab but not overly great. Nice wine but.

Dessert was a Pecan Pie (which was more like a cookie) and Brown Sugar Pear Ice Cream. Ice Cream was great. The pecan whatever was good but I had Fred wrap what was left and will take it home.

So dinner was good but not great. Maybe I am spoiled by Delius's other dinners. I think this dinner fell a little short by their standards. I did notice the chefs did not spend a long time afterwards and they did not ask what dishes people really liked. Almost like they knew the shortcomings. The wines were alright but nothing I would buy or order in a restaurant.

SLO Wine Harvest Festival

Took off the morning of Friday, November 7, 2014 for Avila Beach. Tried to consider Friday morning work traffic with the need to be in Buellton about noon Got on the road about 8:40 and was in Buellton by noon. Had two wine pickups to make today as these wineries would not be open on Wednesday when I planned on doing all my pickups. With really good, cold nights and decent daytime temps I would not have to haul the cases of wine into my room, on the 4th floor of the resort. Had time to stop at Trader Joes in Arroyo Grande to get a few items to last me a couple of days. Everything is going good today. Had time to check in, clean up and rest for a ferw minutes before heading back down the road to the Sycamore for dinner at the Gardens of Avila.

Wine reception was held at 5:30 and we were seated at 6:15 for dinner. Sat at Mike Sinor's table, he is the wine maker at Ancient Peaks and has his own label, Sinor-LaValle. We had the noisiest table in the room. 5 women and Mike. Two of the women were out from the south, Kentucky, Alabama or someplace. Came out for a wedding and they were in a parteeeee mood.. All wines at this dinner were from the San Luis Obispo County. They had decided to brown bag the wines and have a contest to see which table won.

Started out with a Garden Squash Soup, Brown Butter, Crisp Sage and See Canyon Apple This to me was the the best of the meal. Good flavor. The wine was a 2013  Ancient Peaks Blanco.Muscat and Chardonnay. I guessed the muscat but could not pick up on the Chard.

Salad was just a salad. Pepper Creek Farms Greens, Cranberries, Walnuts, Bay Blue Cheese and a Persimmon  Vinaigrette. Ok but nothing special. Paired with a 2012 Clairbourne and Churchill Estate  Riesling. Good wine. They also spelled Riesling wrong on the menu.

Next dish was a Sunburst Ravioli, Artichoke Kale Puree, Farm Egg Yolk, Servecchio and Sungold Tomatoes. This had the makings of a really good dish but it was served barely warm. Kitchen screwed up on this one. Wine was a 2012 Baileyana Halcon Rojo, Pinot Noir. Fruity Pinot. I frankly thought it was a Grenache.

Main course was presented. Braised Short Ribs, Glazed Purple Haze Carrots, Potato Emulsion and Natural Gravy. Everything was great about this dish, meat was tender, good flavor but oh so much salt. Ruined the dish for me. Paired with a 2012 Saucelito Canyon Estate Reserve Zinfandel., Very good pairing but I just could not get past the salt.

Dessert was interesting. Lemon Verbena Creme Brulee, Anise Hysopp Short Bread, Fig Jam, Flowers and mints. The brulee was very good. The shortbread was hard to break a piece off, fig jam had good flavor. Wine was a 2008 Center of Effort Chardonnay. So damm oaky. I did not even taste it. The oak smell was enough to turn me off.

It could have been a really great dinner but so many flaws. Company was good and that made up for the shortcomings.

Next day, Saturday was the festival on the grounds of the golf course next to the resort. Lots of wine and food, A cool day but very pleasant, Some fog this morning but it did burn off. Ran into  people I knew, they were staying at the resort also. Had happy hour with them in their room Saturday night. They were leaving Sunday and I will be here until Thursday.

Sunday was open house at all the wineries in SLO county. Heavy fog in the morning and It was not burning off. When I got to the Edna Valley about 1:00 the fog was hanging a little bit in the Valley. The coast was socked in. Only went to two places. I was wined out and I also knew where ever I went I would buy. So I was good almost. Bought 6 bottles at Sinor-LaValle and 6 bottles at Wolff.

The whole week was fogged in and cold. Did not go into Paso Robles. Did some Christmas shopping, hung out a few days at the Taste of The Valley Wine Bar in Pismo Beach. Was good. Only bought 5 wines here and 2 were for Terry.

Had a meal at Yanagi in Pismo Beach. A sushi bar. Ok but not overly great. Passable. Did hear about another sushi place in Pismo and will try that next year. Also did a dinner at Custom House in Avila., They are OK, nothing spectaculor\. I probably should have gone down to the Old Port Inn on the pier but you really could not see anything because of the fog.

Did have a decent dinner at Giuseppes just a few feet away from Taste of The Valley. They have a good menu but I opted to do appy's. I ordered a half bottle of 2010 Damilano, Levinguevigue Barolo. Decent but not exceptional. Maybe I should had ordered a glass of Stolpman Sangiovese. I would have been happier. Started out with a basket of bread and a dish with grated parmesan cheese and chopped garlic. They then stirred in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This was a really big hit with me. Then I ordered the Stuffed Mushrooms. Five mushrooms topped with cheese sitting in a cheese garlic sauce. This was good. I soppped up the sauce with the bread. Next was a Beef Carpaccio. The meat might have been good but it was covered with halved cherry tomatoes, and greens. On top pf the carpaccio was a lemon dijon sauce with capers, shaved parmesan and balsamic. I want my carpaccio plain so I can taste the meat. Put all the other stuff on the side so I can decide what I want to eat with it. A big disappointment. I then ordered a plate of Spinach Gnocchi. This was excellent but I did not consider it an appetizer. The portion was large. Had them box it up and took it with me. Ended up eating the balance Thursday afternoon when I got home.

This was a good trip, relaxing because I did not go and push myself. The fog kept me from doing a lot. Left Avila about 7:10 in the morning and got back to my place about 11:30. Traffic bogged down to a crawl between Desoto and the 405 fwy. At 10:00 in the morning you would have thought this was late afternoon work traffic.

Have a dinner tonight at Delius - looking forward to it. Next week 3 wine dinners scheduled.

Recon at the OC India Grill

Tuesday. November 4, 2014

Time to recon the dishes at OC India Grill to help Margie get her menu set for her upcoming wine activity dinner.

Five of us were here to critique the food. We have been here before but needed to talk with Sanjiv and get some prices set.

Started out with two appetizers, Paneer Pokoras - housemade cheese in a dough then fried and Vegetable Pokoras. I preferred the Paneer. The cheese came through more than the vegetables.

Then on to main dishes. We tried the Lamb Chau Chau, which is pan fried noddles with chunks of lamb and vegetables. I always like this dish.

Next was a Nirvana Chicken , new dish for me.  White meat in a coconut curry. Quite good. Then a  Shrimp Masala. Shrimp were very fresh and cooked perfectly. The Masala sauce is always a winner.

Our vegetable dish was Vegetables Korma. Mixed veggies in a creamy cashew curry. This is one of my favorites. The sauce is so good.

We had garlic naan and onion kulcha. The kulcha was new for me. Onion stuffed naan, very good but a bit spicy . It did have really great flavor.

We topped the dinner off with Gulab Jumun which are deep fried dumplings of creamed milk in a saffron syrup. Just the right size to end the meal with. Not overly sweet.

Of course we had our wine bottles on the table - no dinner is complete without wine. So tonight we had.

2008 Rusack, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir. This wine was drinking nicely. Not overly extracted but not a light weight either.

A 2009 Louis Latour, Marsannay, Burgundy. Much lighter than the Rusack but a beautiful wine.

2011 Clos Pepe Sparkling of Pinot Noir. Always a winner. First bottle emptied.

2012 Montagne, Sierra Madre, Pinot Blanc. For a Pinot Blanc it was a good wine. Not my favorite varietal

2006 Faust, Rutherford, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon. I think this wine needed a few more years and it also would have been much better with a different type of food. Just did not go well with the Indian cuisine.

So we had had numerous dishes here at the India Grill and now Margie must come up with her menu items. Glad its her job and not mine.

Hall Wine Dinner at The Watertable

Thursday, October 30, 2014

The Watertable Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach hosted a wine dinner featuring Hall Wines and Walt Wines. Same owners and winemaker just two separate labels.  I was looking forward to this dinner to see if things had improved at the Watertable after last months wine dinner which I was not overly happy with. I will most always give a restaurant several chances before I write them off completely

There were five of us and a big surprise when William and Patte walked in. Apparently there was a loss of communication between William and Margie and we did not know they were coming. The staff at the Watertable were very accommodating in getting added seats to  the table for them. Also Patte is a vegetarian and they had a separate menu for her and the other "veggies".

 The  reception was basically the same as last time, Proseco flowed, the appetizer table was a little different. They had an olive tapendade and a spread that had smoked paprika in it. Also a cream cheese mixture that tasted a bit like blue cheese. It was dimmly lighted just enough that I hard a hard time reading the menu on the board. The staff puts these things together in the daylight so its easy to see. They do not take into account how it will be in the evening with  "mood" lighting. The food was good. Not so many items in olive oil so less mess. Still have to handle the bread and break off a piece. I shared my  "loaf" with Margie. At least she knew that my hands were clean, other people you never know.

We were ushered outside to  the dining area. This time were were seated at a real table. The heat lamps were on and there was no need for a sweater or jacket even though the night was cool.

Dinner started out with a Baja Rock Scallop Crudo, Passion Fruit, Chili, Watermelon Radish and Micro Arugula.  Good dish. The scallop was perfect and the dish had really niceflavors to it. Paired very nicely with a 2013 Hall Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. This was an exceptionally nice wine. Not to over mineraly, over acidic and overly citrusy. It had a soft, full mouth feel and was easy drinking. I am not much of a Sau Blanc fan but this wine would be an exception. Dinner is starting out good.

Second course was a California Kurobuta Pork Belly, Pea Puree, Spiced Hazelnuts, Toasted Pea Marshmallow, Apricot-Apple Cider Gastrique. Again flavors were good. I would have liked the pork belly to bet a bit more crispy on top instead of seared. Not sure if that would be the right description but I like a crispy top and this wasn't. It was very tender but still had to have a knife to cut it. The Pea Marshmallow was excellent. That was a first for me and I liked it. Whimsical but very good. The pairing was with a 2012 Walt La Brisa Chardonnay. OAKY - tried a couple of sips with the fatty pork belly but the oak just pushed its way through. I gave my wine to the others that are into the oak. I had some Sau Blanc left in my glass and frankly I thought it was a better pairing. I also had a piece of Patte's squash tart. It was very good but even it didn't really hit the mark with the oak.

Third course was a Hay Smoked Aged Striploin Duo, Redwood Hill Mushrooms, Celery Root Puree. Blueberry Pinot Reduction, Brussel Sprout Puree, Potato Foam,   Crispy Shallots, Ligonberry demi. A lot of flavors on this plate. All the "sauces' were very good and added a nice dimension to the dish. I felt that the meat needed just a bit more cooking. The fat needed to be cooked just a little longer. It was too  close to raw. If you are going to serve raw sliced it paper thin. But this was an excellent dish. Loved  the flavors that all blended in together. A pair of wines was poured. 2012 Walt Blue Jay and a 2012 Walt La Brisa Pinot Noir. Both nice wines but my vote goes to the La Brisa. Softer on the palate, plush, better fruit.

Fourth course up was a Illy Coffee Scented Lamb, Pee Wee Fingerling Potatoes, Heirloom Carrots. Fall Harvest Chutney, Thyme Lamb Jus. Again another really good dish. Lamb  was cooked perfectly. The Au jus was excellent and had really good  flavors going in it.   Gave Margie a small bite (she does not eat lamb) and she liked it. Maybe we will convert her someday.  We did convert her to duck. She is quite a challenge. A 2011 Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was poured. I am not a Cab fan. This was a nice wine but I gave it the the boys and drank the Pinots with the Lamb which personally I felt was a better pairing.

Dessert was a Chocolate Cambozola Cheesecake, Walnut Crust, Port Reduction, Candied Orange Peel. This was to die for. Deep Chocolate flavor and the orange peel really added a nice contrast to the chocolate. Served with a 2006 Hall Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. Not to sweet and a good end to the evening.

As always the service from the waitstaff as impeccable. The resort does a very good job with service. and the ambiance is so nice.  The view of the ocean is always a good sign and tonight  was a beautiful sunset also.

Since this dinner went so well I was hoping to end the evening on a high note. But unfortunately it did not. When I went to get my car from valet they dinged me for extra charges even though my ticket was validated by the restaurant. I was a little over the 4 hours allotted and they wanted $20. When I protested she brought it down to $10. The attendant said everyone was complaining about having to pay extra. Now if they can bring the charge down from $20 to why they cannot forget it completely I don't know. I know I have gone over the limit a   few times before and never got charged for it when I was doing a wine dinner, but  this was a different attendant in the booth than before. Almost makes you wonder if they were pocketing the money themselves. So a sour note to  a great evening. Very good food, good wines, great conversation with my dining companions.

I will miss the next dinner which is Silver Oak - will be out of town  -  going to Avila Beach and have a winemaker dinner scheduled the day I arrive and then the SLO Wine Festival over the weekend. A few days tasting around the Paso Robles, Edna Valley area and then heading home to do a Sequoia Grove Wine dinner at Delius the day I return.

Prix Fixe at Delius

Thursday, October 23, 2014.

Nine of us met tonight at Delius,  www.deliusrestaurant.com,  for the October Prix Fixe menu  The  which changes at the beginning of every month

Started out with a Chicken Sausage Stew, Kale and White Beans. To me it was a soup not a stew. Stews are always thicker. Very good flavor and went well with the 2013 Cade, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc. The wine was not overly acidic and had a light tropical fruit taste to it. But I did have some bubbly left from earlier and I thought the bubbly went better with the dish.

Second course presented was an Autumn Squash Ravioli, Sage and Pecan Butter. This to me was the hit dish of the evening. Dough was very tender and the squash really put it out there.  Great flavor and the butter was one that you sopped up with bread. Wine served was a 2011 Fossil Point , Edna Valley, Chardonnay.  Not my style of wine as it a bit oaky but the wine did hold up to the butter sauce. I could have had several of these raviolis.

The next dish I was really disappointed in. Crispy Calamari, Spicy Arrabiata Sauce.  I found the calamari rings to be a little tough. The whole baby calamari were ok but without the sauce they would have been nothing. The breading left a lot to be desired. Not much of a flavor. I am so used  to the salt and pepper calamari at the Seafood Palace that maybe I have become spoiled with really tender calamari. The Arrabiata Sauce is spicy and that is what is supposed to be but I personally found it too spicy for me and it did not pair well with the wine. The wine was a 2008 La Maia Lina Chianti Classico which is Sangiovese. I thought the wine was weak and did not pair well with the food. This was a big miss for me. I wonder what the Stolpman Carbonic Sangiovese would have tasted like.  Had this wine with a spicy risotto and it was a good match. Also perhaps a Grenache may have worked better or a light Zinfandel. I know a Riesling would have been great with this dish. I may have been able to handle the spicy sauce if the wine would have paired better.

Main course was a Rib Eye Steak, Roasted Cauliflower and Caramelized Onions.  Tender and cooked perfectly. The onions were very good. The cauliflower added some crunch.  A very good dish. Wine was not that great. A 2010 Stepping Stone, Napa Valley, Cabernet Franc. I prefer Cab Franc over Cabernet Sauvignon but somehow this wine did nothing for me. I poured half my glass into Maria's. Someone should enjoy it. Maybe it just me as others seem to like the wine.

Dessert was a Panna Cotta, Roasted Rhubarb and Salted Peanut Tuille.  Glad to see a light dessert served. The panna cotta is always good and the rhubarb was a surprise. Went very well together. The peanut tuille was a nice crunchy addition. A good ending to the meal.

A good dinner, hits and misses and good conversation. It was an enjoyable evening.

Baba Ghanouj

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

The restaurant Baba Ghanouj was recommended by CJ as to a destination for one of Margie's wine activities. www.babaghahoujrestaurant.com,  so tonight we are doing a recon to check out the menu. Located in Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach. Parking is not the best but we all found spaces close by. Terry decided to brave it and drove himself, first time since his surgery. It will be nice to have him back into the mix of things.

Interesting little place with a definite middle eastern decor and music.. And best of all no corkage. They even have a sign outside that advertises no corkage. Small inexpensive wine list.

We started out with a few appetizers, which I can make a meal out of. Naturally you have to order the Hummus and Pita Bread. Good but not great. I have had better and have had a lot worse. Then an order of Baba Ghanouj, minced eggplant. Taste was good, not my favorite dish to order but others liked it really well. Tabouli was added to the mix. Another dish I am not over whelmed by but I was not the only one eating. Best appy was the Warak Siam, vegetable stuffed grape leaves with a yogurt sauce. Very good. And lastly an order of Sauteed Potatoes with garlic, lemon, chili, cilantro and Tahini. These spuds were good. Cj was glad we had ordered them because not being a potato person he has always passed them up when dining here. Said he would never have tried them himself.

Then on to the main dishes. we tried the Beef Skish Kabab, Shisk Taouk (chicken) and the Shrimp on a Skewer. All good. Like the shrimp best then the chicken,. Beef had good flavor was way overdone for my taste. CJ said it was ordered medium but the outside and inside were the same color.
Sides of rice with vegetables and pomegranate seeds, baked tomatoes, peppers, raw tomatoes, onions were on the table. The rice was ok but a tad dry.

A couple of desserts were ordered. The Karafe with Kashta, a shredded phyllo dough drizzled with a sweet syrup and topped with Kastha Cream. I did not taste but others said it was very good. I ordered the Ice Cream with Pistachios, Rose Water and Rose Jam. It hit the spot. Not heavy and not overly sweet.

All in all good dinner. but I would have liked to try a few of their unusual dishes. Not just kababs.

We had a mixed bag of wines. I brought a 2007 Loring, Rancho LaVina, Sta Rita Hills,  Pinot Noir which was drinking really well.

 The 2009 Copain, Kiser "En Bas", Anderson Valley,  Pinot Noir turned out to be really good. Opened up after awhile. CJ had decanted it.

 2011 Michel Torino Estate, Don David,  Capayate Valley, Argentina, Malbec. This was a bigger wine and need beef with it or lamb. It was good also.

Paul and  Margie brought a 2012 Palmina Malvasia Bianca, Santa Barbara County. This wine needed spicier food. They also had a 2004 Bernard Bremont-Millesime, Ambonnay Brut, Grand Cru, France and a 2007 Dusky Goose, Rambouillet Vineyard, Orgeon, Pinot Noir. Both these wines were excellent and went well with the Lebanese food.

A good recon and now Margie has the job of deciding what will be on the menu in a few months when we come back for a full wine dinner.

October's Wino's

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Today's theme was German Wines and Beers. Host made sausages with saukerkraut, rolls etc. Side dishes all seemed to have potatoes in them. All good. Henry did bring a nixed vegetable dish with fuzzy squash which helped on the overloaded starchy dishes. The beers were a big hit. Small gathering, a lot of people had previous commitments. Wines were decent but nothing that shook my pants off. Even the wine I brought was ok but nothing to try and remember. Someone brought home made pretzels with home made whole grain mustard. Very good. Three of the females decided to attempt the "chicken dance" which is always done at Oktoberfest's. A nice relaxing day.

The Boys and I at Seafood Palace

Monday, October 20, 2014

Five of us today at the Seafood Palace for Dim Sum, Probably the last one until December. Henry is going to Hong Kong for a couple of weeks, I will be in Avila Beach and then turkey day hits us, November will be busy. So today we cured the world of everything, made decisions on how everything should be run and solved all the problems. 3 hours of enjoyment, good food, wine and great company. The guys can be themselves with me and nothing is off limits because some female is sitting at the table. People wonder why we like it the way it is. And that is one of the big reasons. Henry doesn 't feel like he has to "host". He can sit back and enjoy. Terry was with us today. His first outing since back surgery. CJ picked him up and was taking him home. He is not into driving yet. Nice to have him back into the fold.

We started out with a dumpling filled with minced shrimp and pork and then onto the minced shrimp filled seaweed roll that is deep fried, Followed by Sweet and Sour soup which is always a big hit,

A dish of sliced scallops with snow peas, carrots and mushrooms was set on the lazy susan spinning around on the table, This dish has always been consistently good and the scallops are very fresh.

A new dish for us . A Braised filet of white fish with noodles, mushrooms,  carrots and scallions. Good flavor, very fresh, cooked perfectly. Tender and moist. Nothing left on the platter with this one.

The kitchen sent out a small dish of just made right then,  honeyed walnuts with sesame seed. This could be a very addicting dish.

Our old standby, beef with Chinese broccoli, Can never go wrong with this dish. Beef is very flavorful and very tender. Needed something for the red wines.

Another new dish for us, Kung Pao shrimp with peanuts. The shrimp was so fresh and succulent, Sauce was great

Ended the dinner with custard cups and fortune cookies

I brought a 2005 McKeon-Phillips BPR Cabernet which was showing well. Reserved but big at the same time.

A 2006 Quintessa, Rutherford, Napa Valley red blend. This was the first bottle emptied. Beautiful wine.

2010 Denner, Mother of Exiles, Blend of Cabernet, Petite Verdot, Cab Franc and Merlot. Showing well but could really be great in another couple of years.

2011 Monaasi,  Poggio Tufo, Rompicollo,. Blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet. Another good wine.

And lastly a Segura Viudas Cava. Always have to have a sparkling of some kind.

Big wines with Chinese food but somehow it seems to work. These Chinese dishes aren't sweet, they have bold flavors and everything seems to go together. I know some people disagree but we have no problem with our wines and food selections. Sometimes people can get to uppity when there is no reason to. Save me from the so called "wine snob" who thinks they know everything, but only buys because of the labels.

Martinelli Wines and The Hobbit Restaurant

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Trekked over to Hobbit in Orange for dinner tonight . www.hobbitrestaurant.com, I was surprise that it only took me 70 minutes to drive from Torrance to Orange in work traffic. Big surprise.  Six of us tonight to sample the wines and wares.

Started out in the cellar for appetizers and Champagne, the Hobbits own label.  Their appys are always top notch. Could make a meal from them alone. Checked out the wines laying in the cellar racks. They do have an extensive collection and a high price. But tonight we are having Martinelli Wines. Julie Martinelli is representing her family tonight and gave up a little run down on the history of the family. Acreage has been in the family for over a hundred years.

Kelly took numerous photos which will soon be blasted all over Facebook. I am one of the most unphotogenic people and I am sure that will show in the pictures.  I did not inherit my fathers great trait.

Dinner was being served upstairs so off we went - started out with a Crayfish Ravioli with Fennel Custard. Not a fan of fennel but this was a light touch.  Good flavor and paired very nicely with the 2010 Martinelli Road Chardonnay - a bit oaky but went well with the custard sauce.

Next plate set in front of us was a Roulade of Kurobuta Pork Loin and Black Forest Ham with a Fig Reduction. Very good flavor to the pork, not sure where the ham was but the Fig reduction as just the right touch for this dish. I did think the portion was a bit small or maybe needed a starch or another vegetable. Tasted like some spinach underneath but not a lot of it. Two wines were poured for this dish, a 2012 Martinelli Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and a 2012 Martinelli Moonshine Ranch Pinot Noir, Russian River. Took awhile for the Sonoma Coast to open up but in the end I did prefer that wine over the Moonshine. Both were good but I think the Moonshine being a bit bigger could have used a couple more years before opening

Intermission was upon us so we took our wine outside the grape arbor. This gives the kitchen a chance to start the next dishes and the waitstaff an opportunity to clear up a bit. The Hobbit does take a lot of care with service.

A sorbet of blackberry and star anise was served to clean the palate. Really did like the flavor. Would have never thought to add star anise to a sorbet but it did work.

Main dish was a Wild Mushroom Stuffed Filet Mignon with Banana Squash, Haricot vert and Creme Fraiche Mash. Meat was very tender, mushrooms added just the right contrast, squash had a glaze on it and  the mash had good flavor. The green beans were added for color I suppose. There was another small vegetable on the plate. took turns trying to figure out what it was. Turned out to be a cooked radish. Very sweet. May have to try this sometime. Wine poured was a Martinellei 2012 Jackass Vineyard Zinfandel, Russian River.  Fruit comes from 100 year old vines. It was at 17.1 % alcohol. Big wine. I like Martinellis zins but I think for my palate it fell off the mark. I was not overly impressed with the wine. Other at the table liked it. I do not like big wines with dinners. I feel they can over power the food especially with a high alcohol percent.

Dessert was a Montrachet Fruit Tart - crisp dough. Custard was excellent. Paired with a 2012 Martinelli Jackass Hill Muscat of Alexandria. Not overly sweet and a nice ending to the evening.

I am beginning to suspect that all restaurants are cutting back slightly on portion size due to the high cost of meat right now. Keep the prices the same but shirnk the size.

Everyone seemed to have a good time, even Marc. Looking forward to next week. Monthly Winos, Dim Sum, Lebanese, and Delius. Makes me a happy and busy old broad

The Factory

Monday. October 13, 2014

Eight  of us gathered at the Factory Gastropub in Bixby Knolls tonight. www.thefactorylb.com,  I arrived early so I ordered a bottle of a Rioja wine and paid for it separately as the dinner tab was going to be split evenly.  I figured I would get my wine and share the bottle. Mostly beer drinkers in this crowd. A very mixed bag a food ordered. Several people ordered the Pig and Grits, which I believe was one of the dishes featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives television show. They raved about the dish. A grilled cheese sandwich which looked decadent and several hamburgers were on the table. I ordered the Bison Short Rib with Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Root Vegetables. Meat was excellent. Good flavor and very tender. Potatoes had good flavor. But again which seems to be the big trend with today's cooks,  the vegetables were still too much  on the raw side. The parsnips were good as were most of the carrots but the beets were in quarters and I could hardly cut them with my knife. I realize that people don't want "mushy" vegetables and neitner do I but I would like them cooked enough to get a fork into them.  A nice dinner, good conversation and a great time was had by all.

Two Mid Week Wine Tastings

Normally I do not post about mid week wine tastings that I do but this week I had two interesting ones.

On Tuesday, October 7, Michaels on Naples had there monthly wine tasting, www.michaelsonnaples.com  and they featured Antica Wines from Napa Valley. This is part of of the Antinori family in Italy hence the name Anti for the family name and ca for California.  "Antica". There were 4 wines featured. A 2013 Rose "Fossino",100% Pinot Noir which was very good. Dry and a creamy mouth feel to it. 2012 Chardonnay. Tad oaky but not bad. Paired very well the cheeses offered. 2012 Pinot Noir. Clean, and silky Nice wine but I do prefer other Pinots and a 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Not an overly big Cab but substantial enough. The Cabernet and the Rose were my 2 favorites. Nice tasting, cheeses were good. Ordered  a "Il Piatto de Salumi Con Pane e Olive" . Otherwise Italian meats, marinated olives and grilled garlic cibatta bread. Quality as always was excellent. Weather was perfect on the rooftop.

On Friday, October 10 went to Wine Country , www.thewinecountry.com, for a Wine & Cheese pairing. They do this every year. Ten cheeses and 10 wines.  Most of the pairings were excellent. A couple missed the mark a little. I won't go through the whole list but just a few that stood out. The first pairing was a NV Maurice Vesselle Grand Cru Brut with a D'Affinois with Truffles. The bubbly was good, the cheese had a tad bit too much truffle taste for me A 2012 Domaine de Rocfontaine Saumur-Champigny with a Pilota Basque. This was a Cab Franc from Loire and very good. This to me was the best pairing and I really liked the cheese. Something I had not had before. Another very good pairing was a 2012 Ercavio Tempranillo with a Caved Aged Gruyere. Always a good event to attend. Opens you up to some new cheeses and how to pair.

Octobers Fun Wine Activity - Seminar and Dinner

Saturday, October 4, 2014

For this months event Margie picked out a seminar at Total Wines. European Wines, 6 different countries and 11 wines. Good seminar, nice selection of very reasonably priced wines. All were paired with food to show the difference between drinking only and having wines with meals. A couple of the wines that I liked were the 2012 Winzer Krems Gruner Vetliner from Austria  and the 2012 Quinta Do Vale Maeo Meandro from Spain.  I ended up buying 4 bottles of the Gruner Veltliner. I need some whites in my cellar and with the discount it came to about $10 a bottle. This wine will pair very well with spicy foods.

After the seminar we went to George's Greek Cafe for dinner. 11 people opted for the family style dinner and 2 of us ordered separately. I ordered the mixed appetizer plate with a side of 4 lamb chops. John ordered the Flat Iron steak.  I did not want the family dinner because there were 4 to 5  dishes I was not to inclined to eat so in my mind it would have been a waste for me. As it was we had so many nibblies at Total Wine I was apparently not that hungry. When my plate arrived I ate the Pita Bread with dips, 2 Falafel and nothing else. Packed up everything to take home for lunch tomorrow. I did opt for a dessert, a lemon cake that was similar to a pudding cake with ice cream, It hit  the spot. The family style diners got Baklava which several indicated was dry and not that good. I probably paid $5 to $10   more than the others (depending on if the opted for lamb chops as an extra) but I ended up with lots of leftover  for myself. If I had opted for the family dinner there would have been no leftovers, I would have eaten a small amount and subsidized the other large eaters.

A mixed bag of wines were brought. Only the bubblies were almost empty. Every one took close to a half bottle of wine home with them. Too much wine at the seminar.

I brought a 2008 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir. 08 wasn 't the best year but this wine was drinking very nicely.

 Two Greek wines were on the table. I did not taste either one of these wines. 2004 Vaeni Xinomavro and a 2009 Tselepos Agirogitiko. Also did not taste the 2011 Kaiken Ultra Malbec (have had this too many times at wine bars)  a 2012 Martin Ray Chardonnay and a 2012 Tablas Creek Vermentino. I meant to try the Vermentino but it passed me and then I forgot about it.

A 2011 Wiens - Obscura for Temecula was on the table. I did try this wine and it was good., especially for Temecula,

I tasted both the NV Francois Montano Brut and a 2009 Pear Valley Charbono. The Brut was ok but the Charbono was very good. I also had a 2011 Ecluse, Nohl, Syrah and a 2009 Trilogy Flora Springs, both way too cold at the beginning but as they warmed a little they became a really nice wines. A Veuve Du Vernaz Burt was very good, much better than the other bubbly.

All in all it was a nice day. Good seminar, informative and fun. Very good dinner, wish I could have eaten more and nice company. Too bad the temperature was so miserable, In the midst of a heat wave and  thankfully it will start ending tomorrow.

I will miss Novembers event as I will be in Avila Beach. Tasting the wines of SLO county and Paso Robles. A winemaker dinner on a Friday night at the Sycamore. A big SLO Vinters Festival Saturday and open house at all the wineries in SLO on Sunday. It is a rough life.

Heitz Cellar Wine Dinner at Watertable

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

This was to be the first wine dinner at the newly renovated Watertable Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Huntington Beach.  Seven of us signed on for this dinner.

We started out with "appetizers" in a small area off the patio that seems to be set up just for this. They had various items in canning jars, most with olive oil. Some artichoke, red peppers. Some type of jerkey was listed but I never saw it.. Bread was very small loaves in paper bags. Warm and good but if you only want a small piece you had a problem. I sure don't want to take a piece off after someone else has had their hands on it. Flavors of the things I tried were good but olive oil with everything got to be messy. They poured a Proseco very freely which was nice.

After the reception we went outside to the patio area where it has been designed  to host dinners. Our name cards were set up around the fire pit. At first I thought that would really be nice but after a while the flaws came through.  Had to keep the wine glasses away from the inner edge as they became warm from the fire. Chairs were comfortable but way to low for comfortable eating. The height of the surface was just about at my boobs and I felt like a little kid eating at a large table. You had to yell across the table to talk with anyone who wasn't at your side.  First couple of food courses were fine by time the 3rd one arrived it was starting to get dark you could not see the menu or what the food looked like. Very poor lighting for a dinner. The other tables had a big advantage.

First course was a Yellowtail Hamachi Crudo with avocado, compressed cucumber, red jalapeno pepper gel and micro citrus. Best dish of the evening. The avocado and red pepper gel were just the right touch to enhance the raw fish. A 2013 Napa Valley Sauvignion Blanc was paired with this dish. A nice Sau Blanc. Full mouth feel, not overly citrusy or acidic. A good pairing.

Second course was served -  Organic Beet Tartar with Drake Farm's goat cheese, fresh herb salad, rye crisp and enfuso olive oil. As far as I am concerned the beets needed a extra minute of cooking. Just this side of raw and you could not get the nice sweet beet flavor from them. A 2013 Napa Valley Chardonnay was poured. Too much oak for me and there also was not enough cheese in the dish to cut the oak in the wine.  Others said the Sau Blanc was a better pairing with the beets. But mine was gone and they did not offer second pours. Most of this dish went back to the kitchen and I gave my wine to Margie. She is into oak.

Third course up - a Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast, forest mushrooms, house pickled summer cherries, fresh pea blini and kale chips.  Duck lacked seasoning. Also just a cube of meat. I prefer diagonal slicing. Makes a much better presentation. I tasted the cherries but could not see where they were. It was dark. I spyed the pea blini and it was good. The wine paired with this course was a 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Ok wine . Did not like the pairing with duck. Maybe if the duck had a Cabernet sauce or heavier accompaniments it might have worked better.

Fourth course came to us - Espresso Rubbed Short rib, carrot puree, potato-leek foam, carmelized romanesco and a cabernet sauvignon reduction.  Meat was very tender and fairly good. Again very little seasoning beside the espresso. Since I could not see what I was eating, I had to go by taste. Could not find the carrot puree, the foam was good but not enough of it was on the plate. The romanesco was almost non-existent. Best wine of the evening was served. A 2005 Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc. Short pours. It was a good pairing/\.

Dessert was a huge disappointment. A" Fall Harvest"  Black Mission Fig Tart with marcona almond crumble, thyme infused honey, valencia orange sorbet. The sorbet was the best past of this dish. Figs had good flavor the tart itself was limp. Had the texture you get when you microwave pastry. Most of this went back to the kitchen. As required it seems, dessert wine was a NV Ink Grande Napa Valley port. Nice wine but please do not give me sweet with sweet. A cheese plate would have been much better.

What I figured out about this dinner was there were no starches with the dishes. I actually left hungry when most wine dinners I do I take some food home. Yes I did not finish a couple of dishes but that would not have made a difference. Portions were very small, almost skimpy. If they would have added more vegetables and / or starch to the dishes it would have been much better. Also no bread was served at the table.

Out table paid $95 for this dinner as we had been quoted a price by email. But the others paid $110. This was not a $110 or a $95 dinner.  I have had Heitz wines before but I don't feel the prices justify what you are getting. Maybe the winery was not that accomodating to the resturant. All wineries operate differently when it comes to pricing their bottles for these dinners.  But  the higher end wine did not justify the very small portions of food. Potatoes and rice are cheap

Dining in the dark has huge drawbacks. Part of eating is the look and presentation of the dish. When it is so dark that you cannot see what is set down in front of you it does not become a pleasant dining experience. Fire pit would be great for cocktails but for dinner it was the pits A lot of bugs seem to be in the need of fixing with this new venue. Setting was beautiful and the service impeccable. Food should have been also.

Septembers Wino Fest

Sunday, September 21, 2014.

I did not attend our monthly wino fest. I was out of town for the weekend. When the list of wines was sent to be I could have just about picked which wine and what person brought it. Some people are so predictable.

The theme was West Coast Blends. That was meant to be CA, OR and WA.  Only one wine from other than CA. And mostly from Paso Robles.

i would have liked to try the 1994 Conn Creek Anthology to see how it has held up. Another wine that I showed an interest in would have been the 2011 Margerum Wine Company, M5. It was probably too young yet but would have liked to see what it had ahead of it.

Not much to report since I was not there. Next month another conflict. SAWG is scheduled for the same day and time as Delius Restaurant's annual Passport Tasting. I not missed a Passport since it was started about 15 years ago.

Chianina and Montes Alpha Wines

Wednesday,  September 24, 2014

Have been wanting to try this new restaurant opened by the same person that has Michaels onNaples and Michaels Pizzerias. Took over the old Kellys Steak house. Newly renovated and new name Chianina,  www.chianina.com,  I liked what they did to the building and interior. Modern Italian. Some people might call it to cold or industrial but I think it is really sleek.  Very good acoustics. The long bar is next to the dining area and we were not bothered by the people sitting there.

Chianina is apparently a breed of cattle in the Piedmonte area of Italy. They do serve this beef on a limited basis. Other than that it is prime beef that is served. Their website gives a rundown on the history of the breed of cattle.

I did get to peruse the regular menu while I was waiting for Marc and Bob to show up. Not cheap and everything is al la carte. A Piedmontese beef steak, 29 oz. rib eye was listed at $98. They had a steak at $170 but it served four people. A 8 oz. Prime fillet (not the special beef) was $38. 18 oz. prime rib eye was $70. Oysters on the half shell were $3 each. Rack of Lamb (Colorado) was $45 for half and $90 for whole. A seafood platter was listed at $80. Sides ran from $5 to $12.

I had a flight of Sparkling Wines for $14 while I was waiting. 3 glasses, looked like 2 to 3 ounce pours. A Proseco, from Italy, a Pinot Noir Cava from Spain, which I really liked and a Perrier Jouet Champagne.

The wine dinner itself was excellent. We started out with a Stuzzichino (appetizer or starter)  Poached Lobster and Corn salad with a avocado and tarragon vinaigrette. Fresh corn kernals with  small dices of avocado and several small pieces of poached lobster. Great flavor. I think the vinaigrette is what really held everything together perfectly. I would order this anytime. But I did not see it on the regular menu which is too bad . Paired perfectly with a 2012 Casablanca Valley Chardonnay.

First Course:  Oxtail Agneloti, Mushroom Sauce, Veal Demi and Herbs. This was a big winner with me. Excellent flavor. Pasta was perfect. Melted in your mouth. Stuffed with Chianina meat. I could not tell the difference in that meat and another oxtail meat. But this dish was so full of flavor. Another dish I would order again if featured on the regular menu. Wine was a 2012 Aconcagua Valley Pinot Noir. Went very well with the food but I wouldn't buy this particular Pinot. It was good but I have my favorites that I would go to instead.

Second Course: A Seared Maple Farm Duck Breast with Heirloom Carrots, Swiss Chard and Plum sauce. The plum sauce cut the bitterness of the swiss chard. The duck was cooked perfectly for me. A nice, not too thick slice but I prefer to have my meat sliced on the diagonal. Paired with a 2011 Colchagua Valley Carmenere. Again another good pairing but I would not buy this wine either.

Main Course: Bone In Rib Eye with Yukon Gold Potato Rounds  and Roasted Whole Shallots. The meat was in pieces, like chunks when served.  I did not like that part of the presentation. Again cooked perfectly but I did have some gristle which surprised me.  Ate one piece and gave one piece to Marc then had them box it up to take home. At this point my feelings for quality of meat tend to lean towards 555 for steaks. I will have to return and try a steak on the regular menu and see what I think of the quality. 

 I had reached my point of no return plus there was a great sounding dessert coming up. The wine poured was a 2010 Santa Cruz Apalta Estate "M", blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon,  5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Excellent wine, excellent pairing. They had this wine listed on the price sheet at $400 a case. The 3 of us were going to buy a case then split it. Then we found out it was really a six pack not a case. We explained to the wine rep that a case in America means 12. So needless to say we did not purchase any.

The dessert was a Apple Tartin with Camembert Ice Cream.  The ice cream almost had a butter consistency to it, It was so good. And that warm apple tartin was exceptional. A 2011 Curico Valley late Harvest Gewurztraminer was served. Not overly sweet but I waited until I had finished dessert before drinking the wine.

They passed rolls around. Rye and Honey. Both very good. Also a dish that had regular butter, olive oil and marscapone butter on it. The Marscapone butter was to die for.

All in all a very good dinner. I filled up fast and only had one roll. Food was rich and satisfying. I feel for $100 plus tax and  tip it was a good dinner. Gave me an idea of what the quality of the food at Chianina was like and I would go back. Alejandro, the manager says they will be doing more wine dinners in the future. If they keep them at the $100 mark it will be well worth it. If they bump the price up like Michaels on Naples has I would have to think about it. You pay about $150 at the Hobbit and Charlie Palmers but they pour the wines quite liberally with second and third pours if you want. Michaels and Chianina do not.

Chalk Hill and Phil Trani's

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

After the last dinner at Phil Trani's I was really looking forward to this one. Big disappointment. Last dinner the food was considerably better than it had been in the past. Not tonight. Mediocre at best.
And the wine pairing left a lot to be desired. All the portions of food were much smaller that previously. But at $65 inclusive,  that is Ok if the food is good.

We started out with a 2012 Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc paired with a Roasted Root Vegetable Salad. Not sure why peppers and tomatoes were considered root vegetables. Pairing was bad. Wine was way to acidic for this dish.  Also was not too impressed with the fact that when they set my plate down apparently there was quite a bit of food on the bottom underneath and it ended up on my place mat and menu.

Up next was a Linguini with Clams - sauce was very thin, needed something to thicken it. Like maybe parmesan cheese. But it was not offered. Taste was OK but nothing special. Have had much better numerous times at lesser restaurants. Pasta was just a bit more than al dente but not too overcooked. Pasta was "store bought" not housemade and it tasted like it. I would have preferred my clams to be a bit larger in size. They looked like they went through a meat grinder. Chopped would have been better but I have a suspicion that these came from a can. Wine was a Chalk Hill Chardonnay - way to oaky for me and there was not enough "fat" in the dish to balance out the oak. Poured my glass of wine into Kelly's.

A Pork Cutlet with Carmelized Onions and Feta Cheese was the third course.  Pork was dry. Onions were OK. The Feta Cheese did nothing for the dish.  A Chalk Hill Etate Pinot Noir was the wine selected for this course.  Went Ok with the pork but clashed with the Feta Cheese. The Pinot itself was alright but not stellar.

Main course was a Flat Iron Steak with Tarragon Sauce. Steak had a lot a grizzle. Not a good quality meat. Sauce was good. Mushroom on top was cold and raw. I could have had a better piece of meat at the 24 hour diner "Norms".  Wine paired with this dish was a 2010 Chalk Hill Estate Red Blend. Cabernet, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Carminere.  Best wine of the evening but a lot shorter pours of it that the other wines.

Dessert was a small chocolate "bundt" cake with raspberries.  A little dry but decent flavor. Reminded me a  cafeteria dessert. A Late Harvest Semillion was poured. We all know that I am not a sweet with sweet person. Overkill. Wine was very good on its own. But would have preferred a cheese plate with it.

Place was booked for the dinner. The price is what brings them in not the quality. I have had much better meals at Phil Trani's before. Don't know it its a new chef or a chef that is trying to be high end in a comfort food style restaurant. But its not working.

Fuego at the Maya

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Dinner tonight was off the a good start with the view of the harbor and the Queen Mary. Weather has been just plain hot for the coastal area and it was a nice treat to have dinner outside on the very large dining area. Fuego (means fire) is located at the Maya Hotel off of Queensway in Long Beach. The building has been there for over 30 years and has changed ownership several times. It still is tricky to make sure you are on the right road to get there. That hasn't changed.

We had one large table that they had set up for us. It was way to small for our group. We would have crammed in with no wiggle room at all. They did bring another long table out and set it up for us which was accommodating of the staff. Usually hotels try to cram as many people as possible into an area, especially when they have a fabulous view.

Margie had arranged for a pre-set menu to get a good price for dinner. We had a choice of soup or salad. I opted for the salad as I had the soup last time I was here. Salad consisted of romaine, cotija cheese, roasted corn, chipotle dressing and topped with fried tortilla strips. Good on a hot day. The soup choice was a spicy chicken tortilla.

Three items were available for the main entree. I selected the chicken only because I liked the sides better and I had the beef dish last time. It was a pan seared chili rubbed chicken breast, onion pepper sofrito, chorizo risotto (which was excellent). Other two dishes were a Ropa Vieja and a Pan Seared Mahi Mahi.

Dessert was a choice of Coconut Flan or Molten Chocolate Cake. I selected the Flan again because of the hot weather,

A big mix of wines were brought. I will say the majority of them I was not too impressed with. But then people didn't seem to be impressed with my red wine. Maybe because it was light and these people seem to prefer fruit bombs. I try to  pick a wine which I feel will go with what food dish I am ordering and also weather plays into it. I do not handle big reds in hot weather.

There were two bubblies brought and both of them were emptied quickly. A 2004 Gloria Ferrrer, Royal Cuvee Brut and a non-vintage Cremant, D'Alsace, Albrecht Tradition Brut Reserve. Both different and both good. The Cremant got my vote.

Three Malbec's were on the table. A 2007 Cinquain Reserve, a 2011 Kaiken Ultra, Mendoza and a 2009 Pondera . The Kaiken is always a good selection at a bar because of the price.  Inexpensive but decent. The Cinquain did nothing for me. So my pick of the three would be the Pondera although none of them were that stellar to me the Pondera was the best.

Two Chardonnays - 2009 Hillard-Bruce, Sta Rita Hills and a 2012 Martin Ray, Santa Cruz Mtn., Both a little on the oaky side. I brought the Hillard-Bruce. I liked it much better when I first tasted it. Can't say I really liked either one that much but then I am not into oak for my Chardonnays.

A couple of Sauvignon Blancs were floating around. 2013 Twomey, apparently from the notes there were two of the same wine brought. Nice  wines but to acidic for me. I stay away from Sau Blancs.

Four mixed reds rounded out the wines. 2010 Melville, Annas 667,  Pinot Noir - good wine. 2009 Dunham Cellars, Columbia Valley Syrah, cool climate Syrah - did nothing for me. Did not seem to have much going for it. 2001 Vendimia Saleccionada, Tinto Figuero, Spain. I really liked this wine. A lot going on. Layers and complexity. A good selection for tonight. 2013 Stolpman, Ballard Canyon, Carbonic Sangiovese. This wine I brought. It is light and a good hot weather red wine. The use of carbonic gas to press the wine seems to be the new darling of some winemakers. To me it worked well in this wine. Yes, this wine was not a big, heavy fruit bomb, but it was a fun wine and frankly went extremely well with the chorizo risotto. Better than anything else.

Too many wines are brought to dinner with no thought to the food or the people just do not know how to pair food and wine. They are drinkers and don't care how things meld together. If I am going to enjoy food and wine together I want them to compliment each other in the mouth. Not produce a war.

Another one of Margie's dinners down the pike. Next month Greek.

Back to the Seafood Place.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

We decided to get Marc out of the house for an evening. It's been about a month since Edie passed away and Marc is very depressed now. Maybe a dinner out with friends may help just a little. We can hope.

Margie is in attendance tonight so there won't be much seafood ordered or anything exotic. Probably good food, but safe  dishes and to me boring.

Started out with a Salt and  Pepper Calamari. Always a good dish here. And this is the only seafood dish of the night so I really enjoyed it.

With 7 of us Henry ordered the Peking duck. Tonight it seemed to be better than usual.  It was good because not much was left of the platter.

A sweet, sour, spicy, soup was served. We have this quite often and it always has good flavor.

Stir fried chicken with Chinese broccoli. A staple in restaurants but we have not had this dish for a long time. Since we usually go heavy on the seafood the chicken dishes get shoved aside. It was good but its chicken.

Henry opted  for stir fried bok choy with beef. Beef was excellent and I am a sucker for bok choy. But again this is another "staple"dish. served with fat noodles, Another item I am a sucker for. So maybe this dish was a little bit more than a "staple"

Dessert was fresh oranges which were very good tonight.

A nice selection  of wines were brought. But somewhere in the evening a bottle that still had quite a bit of wine in it seemed to disappear from the table. I can only assume the the "owner" wanted to take it back home with them. Yes there was a lot of wine on  the table but somehow that seems to me an attitude of "drink every ones wine so I can take mine home" because I am a cheap sob. Like Henry said - "no more invites for this person"

2007 Sinor-LaValle, Talley-Ricon, Pinot Noir - opened up after a while and was  good. Complex with a lot going on.

2009 McKeon-Phillips BPR Cabernet Sauvignon . Drinking exceptionally well right now. All of us have a seeming endless supply of BPR.  Mine goes back to 2003.

2010 Sea Smoke, Southing. Pinot Noir. Fruity but lacked character. Also young. needs a few years.

2010 Hartford, Far Coast, Chardonnay. Too oaky for me so I have no more comments.

2006 Tobin James,   Cabernet Franc. Big, fruit wine , seemed a little alcoholic.

2010 Williams Selyem, Limestone Ridge at Vista Verde Vineyard, Chenin Blanc.  Excellent wine. Nice and crisp, just a touch of acidity. My favorite of the night.

Another chardonnay was on the table. It neglected to write it down so I am not sure of the year. I think it may have been a 2010 or 2011, Lot 21. Also too oaky for me