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