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.