Thursday, January 23, 2014
A new adventure for me as I have never had Ethiopian food before. After finally locating this small restaurant in a seedy strip mall in Anaheim I was more than surprised with the food. "tanaethio.com"
Fortunately we had a person with us that is quite familiar with Ethiopian dishes so we let her order for us.
We started out with "Sabusa" , a fried pocket of dough filled with either lentils or beef. we had both. Outside was crispy but not oily. Similar to Indian Samosas I do like Samosas better.
Next was the Vegetarian Special. A large metal platter lined with Injera bread, (made with Teft, Barley, Wheat & Millet). the bread is spongy, flat like a pancake, and has a slight bitter taste to it. It is fermented for 2 days before cooking. The vegetables were in small piles around the outside edge of the platter, You take small pieces of the bread and pick up the food with it. No utensils at all. It had Yemiser Wot, which is a red lentil stew (quite thick), Kik Alicha (yellow split peas), Unsplit Lentil Stew, Gommen (spinach), Shiro Wot (split peas), Shimbera Asa (ground chickpeas in a Berbere sauce), Tomato Salad, Potato & Carrot Wot and Sinegkarya (have no idea). Wot is a sauce made with shallots, red hot peppers or curry, spiced butter with fresh ginger and spices.
We also had an order of Yebeg Tibs, cubes of lamb, sauteed with onion, garlic, tomato and Awaze (spicy sauce). This was dumped into the middle of the platter. Very good and lamb was tender.
Two other side orders "Gored Gored", which is strips of lean beef, onion and green chiles in a herb seasoned butter. Very good.
And "Doro Wot", chicken pieces marinated in lemon juice, sauteed in butter, seasoned with garlic, onions and fresh ginger with diced hard boiled eggs. Flavor was excellent but it was just a tad too spicy for me to really enjoy it.
This was an interesting meal and I would go back. Restaurant is small, a little run down but clean. Everything is made to order so it takes awhile to get your food. The owner was very accommodating .
This food would probably be better with beer but we brought wine (no corkage). I brought a 2012 Cuattro Dias , Fess Parker Vineyard, Grenache Blanc which did pair very well with the food. A bottle of 2003 Chateau Ferriera Margux and a 2005 McKeon-Phillips, Ardisons' AD Cabernet Sauvignon rounded out the meal. Excellent wines all around.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
555 East
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Margie arranged for 18 of us to have dinner in the cellar room at 555 East in Long Beach. Known for their prime steaks. There was one no show which was extremely rude to not let anyone know. There were people that wanted to attend but could not because of the limit on seating.
16 people ordered steak or prime rib and one ordered lobster. All were really pleased with their selections. I had the Kansas City Strip steak which is one of most flavorful cuts of beef. It was cooked perfectly. Instead of potatoes I had the sauteed spinach and the buttered mushrooms. Let the bread alone also. But I did break the rule and had creme brulee for dessert.
Margie had put a Godiva chocolate bar at each persons setting as a gift from the hostess which was a very nice gesture for her to do and at the end of the meal passed around a box of chocolates. I did not have any chocolate because at this stage right after the holidays I am chocolated out.
I did not get around to tasting all of the wines. With that many wines on the table it ends up being a picking and choosing. I am sure I missed a few good ones but I did drink some good ones also. Someone brought 2 bottles of Sea Smoke's sparkling wine. I passed on buying this when it was offered to me and I will say I am sure glad I did. I was not impressed at all. Found it very weak without much going for it. For me I would have felt that I threw my money away if I had bought it.
2006 Clos Pepe VS Pinot Noir. Sta Rita Hills
NV Caraccioli Brut Cuvee (Chardonnay), Santa Lucia Highlands
2003 Serpico Irpina Aqliliano, Deifeuida Disan, Italy
2007 Williams Selyem Papera Vineyard, Zinfandel
2006 Cinquain Cellars Reserve Meritage, Paso Robles
2011 Denner, The Dirt Worshipper, Central Coast
2008 Cinquain Cellars, Nagengast Estate Vineyards, Syrah, Paso Robles
2009 Bevan Cellars, Showket Vineyards, (Napa ?) Caberent Sauvignon
2006 Pahlmeyer, Red Wine, Oakville
2010 Peter Michael 'Lapres Midi
2010 Caymus Special Selecxtion, Caberent Sauvignon
1999 Chimney Rock Elevabe
2011 DuMol , Chloe Vineyard, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
2010 Sanford, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills
2009 Lorenzi Estate, Adam & Eve Reserve (Cucamonga ??)
NV Lorenzi Estate, Bacia. Zinfandel Dessert Wine
2009 Saxum, James Berry Vineyard, Paso Robles, (Magnum)
Margie arranged for 18 of us to have dinner in the cellar room at 555 East in Long Beach. Known for their prime steaks. There was one no show which was extremely rude to not let anyone know. There were people that wanted to attend but could not because of the limit on seating.
16 people ordered steak or prime rib and one ordered lobster. All were really pleased with their selections. I had the Kansas City Strip steak which is one of most flavorful cuts of beef. It was cooked perfectly. Instead of potatoes I had the sauteed spinach and the buttered mushrooms. Let the bread alone also. But I did break the rule and had creme brulee for dessert.
Margie had put a Godiva chocolate bar at each persons setting as a gift from the hostess which was a very nice gesture for her to do and at the end of the meal passed around a box of chocolates. I did not have any chocolate because at this stage right after the holidays I am chocolated out.
I did not get around to tasting all of the wines. With that many wines on the table it ends up being a picking and choosing. I am sure I missed a few good ones but I did drink some good ones also. Someone brought 2 bottles of Sea Smoke's sparkling wine. I passed on buying this when it was offered to me and I will say I am sure glad I did. I was not impressed at all. Found it very weak without much going for it. For me I would have felt that I threw my money away if I had bought it.
2006 Clos Pepe VS Pinot Noir. Sta Rita Hills
NV Caraccioli Brut Cuvee (Chardonnay), Santa Lucia Highlands
2003 Serpico Irpina Aqliliano, Deifeuida Disan, Italy
2007 Williams Selyem Papera Vineyard, Zinfandel
2006 Cinquain Cellars Reserve Meritage, Paso Robles
2011 Denner, The Dirt Worshipper, Central Coast
2008 Cinquain Cellars, Nagengast Estate Vineyards, Syrah, Paso Robles
2009 Bevan Cellars, Showket Vineyards, (Napa ?) Caberent Sauvignon
2006 Pahlmeyer, Red Wine, Oakville
2010 Peter Michael 'Lapres Midi
2010 Caymus Special Selecxtion, Caberent Sauvignon
1999 Chimney Rock Elevabe
2011 DuMol , Chloe Vineyard, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
2010 Sanford, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills
2009 Lorenzi Estate, Adam & Eve Reserve (Cucamonga ??)
NV Lorenzi Estate, Bacia. Zinfandel Dessert Wine
2009 Saxum, James Berry Vineyard, Paso Robles, (Magnum)
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Phantom Cellars & Luigi's d'Italia Restaurant
Saturday. January 11, 2014
Today was Margie's January Wine Activity. Both of the places we went today were recommended by another person to Margie. So she was in the dark just like the rest of us. I felt she was not overly happy with the recommendation.
We started out at Phantom Cellars in Anaheim. They make their own wine and apparently make beer and ales also. By time I arrived several people were having a glass of ale before the tasting. We tasted 4 house wines with a small plate of cheeses and meats. Their wines are decent but nothing special. Have no idea of the pricing because I was not interested. The manager kept saying that they get their grapes from high end Napa growers. Never saying what vineyards they come from which I would think if they were that high end you would want to name drop. I was not overly impressed with the whole situation. A total lack or coordination. A lack of information. One person trying to handle our large table, the walk ins and the bar area. At the end of the tasting he put 4 carafes of their wines on the table for "blending". Nothing to measure with just pour and eyeball it. I have done several wine blendings before but this was not even close to what it should have been. Frankly I don't feel that this whole tasting was too professional. More like your neighborhood bar. At least they had 3 televisons on the wall and they did turn on the football game when asked.
I found the place dark, uncomfortable and awfully noisy for a wine tasting bar. Towards the end I had to get out of the building. I will not return to Phantom Cellars again.
We left and went down the road to Luigi's D'Italia restaurant on State College in Anaheim. Their ad in the OC Register states that they were voted one of the top 5 Italian restaurants on Orange County. I don't agree. The food was good but not great. The service was good and Luigi came out and said hello. We had 13 for dinner and they split us up in two tables. This had happened before at a restaurant and I am not in favor of it. Makes it seem like we were two separate groups.
I had the seafood with linguine. The seafood was fresh but the sauce was watery. It lacked seasoning. I did have a salad before dinner and it was good. The lettuce was very crisp and the dressing was good.
I did not try most of the wines. But the Barolo that Ray & Barbara brought was very good. A sparkling wine from Temecula I found strange. Others seemed to like it but I am so glad I took a very small pour since there were no dump buckets
2006 Vigna Delle Sampietrana Negromano Riservia, Italy
2009 Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy
2008 Guido Porro Vigna S. Caterina Barolo, Italy
2012 Acquiesce Viognier, Lodi
2010 Perry Creek, Petite Syrah, El Dorado County
2006 McKeon-Phillips Nancy's Fancy, Syrah Reserve, Santa Maria
2009 Perry Creek, Fairplay Farms, Zinfandel, El Dorado County
2912 Lewis Cellars,Chardonnay, Russian River
NV Lorenzi Bella Mia, "champagne" ???, Temecula
NV CA, Napa
2010 Brander Merlot, Santa Ynez
2011 Doffo, Don Armando
2011 Weins, Zinfandel
Today was Margie's January Wine Activity. Both of the places we went today were recommended by another person to Margie. So she was in the dark just like the rest of us. I felt she was not overly happy with the recommendation.
We started out at Phantom Cellars in Anaheim. They make their own wine and apparently make beer and ales also. By time I arrived several people were having a glass of ale before the tasting. We tasted 4 house wines with a small plate of cheeses and meats. Their wines are decent but nothing special. Have no idea of the pricing because I was not interested. The manager kept saying that they get their grapes from high end Napa growers. Never saying what vineyards they come from which I would think if they were that high end you would want to name drop. I was not overly impressed with the whole situation. A total lack or coordination. A lack of information. One person trying to handle our large table, the walk ins and the bar area. At the end of the tasting he put 4 carafes of their wines on the table for "blending". Nothing to measure with just pour and eyeball it. I have done several wine blendings before but this was not even close to what it should have been. Frankly I don't feel that this whole tasting was too professional. More like your neighborhood bar. At least they had 3 televisons on the wall and they did turn on the football game when asked.
I found the place dark, uncomfortable and awfully noisy for a wine tasting bar. Towards the end I had to get out of the building. I will not return to Phantom Cellars again.
We left and went down the road to Luigi's D'Italia restaurant on State College in Anaheim. Their ad in the OC Register states that they were voted one of the top 5 Italian restaurants on Orange County. I don't agree. The food was good but not great. The service was good and Luigi came out and said hello. We had 13 for dinner and they split us up in two tables. This had happened before at a restaurant and I am not in favor of it. Makes it seem like we were two separate groups.
I had the seafood with linguine. The seafood was fresh but the sauce was watery. It lacked seasoning. I did have a salad before dinner and it was good. The lettuce was very crisp and the dressing was good.
I did not try most of the wines. But the Barolo that Ray & Barbara brought was very good. A sparkling wine from Temecula I found strange. Others seemed to like it but I am so glad I took a very small pour since there were no dump buckets
2006 Vigna Delle Sampietrana Negromano Riservia, Italy
2009 Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy
2008 Guido Porro Vigna S. Caterina Barolo, Italy
2012 Acquiesce Viognier, Lodi
2010 Perry Creek, Petite Syrah, El Dorado County
2006 McKeon-Phillips Nancy's Fancy, Syrah Reserve, Santa Maria
2009 Perry Creek, Fairplay Farms, Zinfandel, El Dorado County
2912 Lewis Cellars,Chardonnay, Russian River
NV Lorenzi Bella Mia, "champagne" ???, Temecula
NV CA, Napa
2010 Brander Merlot, Santa Ynez
2011 Doffo, Don Armando
2011 Weins, Zinfandel
Saturday, January 11, 2014
The Black Trumpet Bistro & Tapas
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Black Trumpet is a very small "bistro" in a strip mall in Huntington Beach, www.theblacktrumpetbistro.com, The owner also has Capone's and Mona Lisa in the same city. I believe they are all located on Beach Blvd.. I arrived at 6:15 which was good because in 10 minutes the place was packed. An eat/ bar that overlooks the cook area seats about 12. Then there are about 12 tables in the entire place.
They specialize in "Tapas" (small plates). But they do have dinners and they are named after Jazz people, eg: Satchmo, Coltrane, Miles, Billie etc.,
One person in our group ordered a dinner plate and the rest of us had the small plates. We were given a plate of fresh pita bread (tasted freshly made) with a dipping sauce of olive oil, feta cheese, garlic, green olives and red pepper flakes. Really good.
An order of 3 Bruschetta, Kalamata Tapenade, Caponata & Cannelini. All very good - served on soft bread instead of toasted,. Followed by Stuffed Mushrooms - stuffing was good but the sauce that they were sitting in was outstanding. We took the pita bread and sopped it up.
An order of veal meatballs, Very light with a good marinara sauce. Two large meatballs on the dish, these are Tapas not full plates.
One person ordered the Pear, Spinach, Cucumber, Feta Cheese, Gorgonzola salad. I did not taste it but they raved about it.
A plate of baked Brie was set down - best baked brie I have ever had - in a puff pastry.
Last dish was a Spicy Garlic Shrimp - very fresh shrimp, loads of garlic with a hint of red pepper flakes. The last of the pita bread went to sop up the sauce.
We did split a dessert of Dolce Leche which was encrusted with toasted coconut.
A large wine list with a good variety from different countries. About one quarter of the selection could be had by the glass. As I was with non-drinkers, instead of bringing a bottle I opted just to order from the list. Had two glasses of a Spanish Albarino which was good and only $6 a glass.
The corkage is $12 so I probably would have been ahead to bring a bottle and take the balance home, which I will do next time.
This is a place I will be going back to soon.There are a lot of Tapas I want to try and since everything we had was good I suspect everything else will be also.
The restaurant itself is small and a little noisy. A younger crowd. Not too many people over 50 in there, Not good for a large group. I would say a max of 6 to 8 people at the most for one of the larger tables. 6 would be ideal, 8 would be cramped. And not a good place for children.
Black Trumpet is a very small "bistro" in a strip mall in Huntington Beach, www.theblacktrumpetbistro.com, The owner also has Capone's and Mona Lisa in the same city. I believe they are all located on Beach Blvd.. I arrived at 6:15 which was good because in 10 minutes the place was packed. An eat/ bar that overlooks the cook area seats about 12. Then there are about 12 tables in the entire place.
They specialize in "Tapas" (small plates). But they do have dinners and they are named after Jazz people, eg: Satchmo, Coltrane, Miles, Billie etc.,
One person in our group ordered a dinner plate and the rest of us had the small plates. We were given a plate of fresh pita bread (tasted freshly made) with a dipping sauce of olive oil, feta cheese, garlic, green olives and red pepper flakes. Really good.
An order of 3 Bruschetta, Kalamata Tapenade, Caponata & Cannelini. All very good - served on soft bread instead of toasted,. Followed by Stuffed Mushrooms - stuffing was good but the sauce that they were sitting in was outstanding. We took the pita bread and sopped it up.
An order of veal meatballs, Very light with a good marinara sauce. Two large meatballs on the dish, these are Tapas not full plates.
One person ordered the Pear, Spinach, Cucumber, Feta Cheese, Gorgonzola salad. I did not taste it but they raved about it.
A plate of baked Brie was set down - best baked brie I have ever had - in a puff pastry.
Last dish was a Spicy Garlic Shrimp - very fresh shrimp, loads of garlic with a hint of red pepper flakes. The last of the pita bread went to sop up the sauce.
We did split a dessert of Dolce Leche which was encrusted with toasted coconut.
A large wine list with a good variety from different countries. About one quarter of the selection could be had by the glass. As I was with non-drinkers, instead of bringing a bottle I opted just to order from the list. Had two glasses of a Spanish Albarino which was good and only $6 a glass.
The corkage is $12 so I probably would have been ahead to bring a bottle and take the balance home, which I will do next time.
This is a place I will be going back to soon.There are a lot of Tapas I want to try and since everything we had was good I suspect everything else will be also.
The restaurant itself is small and a little noisy. A younger crowd. Not too many people over 50 in there, Not good for a large group. I would say a max of 6 to 8 people at the most for one of the larger tables. 6 would be ideal, 8 would be cramped. And not a good place for children.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
New Years Eve in the Harbor
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Celebrated New Years Eve at Donna's. The houses in the Harbor were still decorated for the holidays and parades. The lights reflected in the water and makes for a very picturesque scene.
10 for dinner tonight. Traditional Mexican food. Tamales, Enchiladas, and a wonderful Chili Rellano casserole made by Sam. Lots of nibblies to along with it. Donna made Margaritas from scratch. So much more flavor than the bottled mixes.
A couple of bottles of Champagne were opened. I brought a bottle of 2009 Meeker Four Kings, a blend of Cab, Merlot, Petit Verdot & Petite Syrah. This was showing nicely. I had opened an older bottle a few months ago and was a little disappointed in it. Apparently this wine needs to be drunk a little on the young side.
7 of us stayed and played cards, three rounds of LRC and then 3 of us hung on and played "Golf" which is 9 rounds, hence the name.
Left before midnight and it was pea soup fog. Glad I lived close and knew my way because you could only see about 20 feet in front of you. The lights still looked great in the fog.
Home before midnight and asleep when the noise started. Fortunately it didn't last long
Celebrated New Years Eve at Donna's. The houses in the Harbor were still decorated for the holidays and parades. The lights reflected in the water and makes for a very picturesque scene.
10 for dinner tonight. Traditional Mexican food. Tamales, Enchiladas, and a wonderful Chili Rellano casserole made by Sam. Lots of nibblies to along with it. Donna made Margaritas from scratch. So much more flavor than the bottled mixes.
A couple of bottles of Champagne were opened. I brought a bottle of 2009 Meeker Four Kings, a blend of Cab, Merlot, Petit Verdot & Petite Syrah. This was showing nicely. I had opened an older bottle a few months ago and was a little disappointed in it. Apparently this wine needs to be drunk a little on the young side.
7 of us stayed and played cards, three rounds of LRC and then 3 of us hung on and played "Golf" which is 9 rounds, hence the name.
Left before midnight and it was pea soup fog. Glad I lived close and knew my way because you could only see about 20 feet in front of you. The lights still looked great in the fog.
Home before midnight and asleep when the noise started. Fortunately it didn't last long
Cellar Room Dinner at Delius
Thursday, December 19, 2013
6 of us dined tonight in the Cellar Room at Delius in Signal Hill. "Deliusrestaurant.com, ". Room holds 6 people and has a window into the kitchen to watch your meal being prepared. This is a 10 course dinner for $95 plus whatever wine you select to have with your meal.
Since I dine at Delius frequently, I let the others pick the wines for dinner.
This was the first time I had the chef come in and ask for food preferences. Margie was happy since she is the picky one. But there was only one dish they had to do a substitution on which worked out well.
We started out with a plate of cheeses, pate, meats, pickles, bread, etc. That could have been my dinner. Cindy picked a Vionat Albarino to pair with the first dishes. We ended up ordering 2 bottles of this wine. It did pair well with all 3 dishes.
Second course was Goat Cheese Souffle. This was excellent.
Third course was Scallop with Beluga Lentils, Spanish Chiorizo and Fennel. Scallops are cooked perfectly and this dish had lots of flavors going on with it. Margie got a ball of Buffalo Mozzarella as a substitution.
Next it was time for Paul & Margie to pick the wine for the next few dishes. After what it seemed like numerous selection were out of stock (Dave was expecting 70 case delivery the next day, but that did not help us now), we tasted a few wines and turned them down. We all have good cellars so it is hard to pick and drink a mediocre wine. Ended up with a 2007 Christom Sommers Pinot Noir.
Fourth dish was Pork Cheeks with Apples and Fennel. Meat was very tender and had good flavor.
Fifth course - Risotto with Farro and Farm Vegetables, Everyone agreed this dish was outstanding.
Now it was time for Jan & Bob's wine selection, This went much better than the Pinot selection. A Cultivar Cabernet Sauvignon from Oak Knoll AVA in Napa was selected. Nice wine.
Sixth course was a Crispy Skinned Duck Breast with Sweet Potato Gnocchi. Again a very good dish with loads of flavor.
Seventh course was the palate cleanser - House made Raspberry Sorbet.
Eight course - Beef Filet encrusted with Peppercorns on a bed of Cauliflower Puree with White Truffle, Roasted Brussel Sprouts and a Peppercorn demi glaze.
Ninth course was a cheese plate with a very good selection.
Tenth course was dessert - a Flourless Chocolate Cake with House made Vanilla Ice Cream.
By time you get two thirds through the dinner you are stuffed. Portions are small but rich
Again another really good dinner at Delius. They do not rush you which makes the dining experience nice. We were the last ones out the door.
6 of us dined tonight in the Cellar Room at Delius in Signal Hill. "Deliusrestaurant.com, ". Room holds 6 people and has a window into the kitchen to watch your meal being prepared. This is a 10 course dinner for $95 plus whatever wine you select to have with your meal.
Since I dine at Delius frequently, I let the others pick the wines for dinner.
This was the first time I had the chef come in and ask for food preferences. Margie was happy since she is the picky one. But there was only one dish they had to do a substitution on which worked out well.
We started out with a plate of cheeses, pate, meats, pickles, bread, etc. That could have been my dinner. Cindy picked a Vionat Albarino to pair with the first dishes. We ended up ordering 2 bottles of this wine. It did pair well with all 3 dishes.
Second course was Goat Cheese Souffle. This was excellent.
Third course was Scallop with Beluga Lentils, Spanish Chiorizo and Fennel. Scallops are cooked perfectly and this dish had lots of flavors going on with it. Margie got a ball of Buffalo Mozzarella as a substitution.
Next it was time for Paul & Margie to pick the wine for the next few dishes. After what it seemed like numerous selection were out of stock (Dave was expecting 70 case delivery the next day, but that did not help us now), we tasted a few wines and turned them down. We all have good cellars so it is hard to pick and drink a mediocre wine. Ended up with a 2007 Christom Sommers Pinot Noir.
Fourth dish was Pork Cheeks with Apples and Fennel. Meat was very tender and had good flavor.
Fifth course - Risotto with Farro and Farm Vegetables, Everyone agreed this dish was outstanding.
Now it was time for Jan & Bob's wine selection, This went much better than the Pinot selection. A Cultivar Cabernet Sauvignon from Oak Knoll AVA in Napa was selected. Nice wine.
Sixth course was a Crispy Skinned Duck Breast with Sweet Potato Gnocchi. Again a very good dish with loads of flavor.
Seventh course was the palate cleanser - House made Raspberry Sorbet.
Eight course - Beef Filet encrusted with Peppercorns on a bed of Cauliflower Puree with White Truffle, Roasted Brussel Sprouts and a Peppercorn demi glaze.
Ninth course was a cheese plate with a very good selection.
Tenth course was dessert - a Flourless Chocolate Cake with House made Vanilla Ice Cream.
By time you get two thirds through the dinner you are stuffed. Portions are small but rich
Again another really good dinner at Delius. They do not rush you which makes the dining experience nice. We were the last ones out the door.
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