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.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
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
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
Friday, November 21, 2014
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
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.
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.
Friday, November 14, 2014
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
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.
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.
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