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.