Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Could not pass this dinner up. Price was so right. $39. Four courses and three wines. Was not expecting it to be over the top and it wasn't. Good and adequate for the price. Arte Cafe in Cerritos was packed for this dinner. www.artecamellia.com, so others wanted a bargain also. 6 tonight for dinner. Knew the wine rep, John from previous dinners around town. Nice to chat with him for a few minutes. He is going to be working on a dinner at Delius next year.
Started out with fresh Bay Scallops, Brie Cheese Raviloi. Bay scallops to me have very little flavor. All the flavor from this dish was the ravioli which was quite good along with the sauce. This would have been standout dish if they would have used sea scallops. Wine selected to go with this dish was a Oakville, Elizabeth Rose, Rose. Blend of Syrah, Grenanche and Cinsault. Mixed reviews at the table. I did not care for this wine. Others did. But we all agreed that it was not the best pairing.
Second course was a Fresh California Stripe Bass with grilled vegetables and Dijon cream sauce. Fish was cooked perfectly. Only complaint was they left the skin on one side and had that side on the bottom of the dish in the sauce. Skin gets very moist this way and is really not tasty. Vegetables were good and the mustard cream sauce was excellent.. A Oakville, Elizabeth Rose, Chardonnay was poured. Clean, crisp wine and went well with the fish. This wine also would have been much better with the scallops.
Main course served was New York Steak, dry cherry and Cabernet jus with mashed potatoes, mushrooms and avocado egg roll. Steak was excellent. Had a good sear to it and lots of flavor. Jus was good but I did not even venture to the egg roll. I noticed several people at the table took one bite and put it down. Paired with a Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine was high in alcohol and to be had a bitter taste.
Dessert was a Berry Souffle with a berry cream sauce. Very good dessert.
Nice, enjoyable inexpensive evening out. Company was good. Food had ups and downs as did the wine but the price was right.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
If It's Monday It's Dim Sum
Monday, December 14, 2015
Six today to partake in Dim Sum. The usual suspects met at the Seafood Palace for lunch. Place was crowded today. A lot of offices having their employee holiday lunches.
A lot of white wine showed up today for some reason so we ordered heavy on the seafood
Started out with Steamed Shrimp Dumpling and Pork Shu Mai. Then our complimentary bowl of the hot, sour soup. Glad this came early. The weather is cold and it really tasted extra good today.
White fish with Bok Choy is always winner then another dish with Bok Choy - Shrimp with fat noodles. Lots of vegetables today.
Henry ordered the Stir Fry Lobster with special noodles. We all agreed this dish was better two weeks ago. It was still good but not quite the same. Could be a different cook.
Had to have a beef dish as we had 2 red wines on the table. So Beef with Snow Peas was next.
Dessert was our usual Daan-taat - egg custard tarts.
Wines were interesting.
A Louie Bouillot champagne and a Perrier Joulet champagne to start with.
2014 Chateau La Gordonne, Cotes de Provence, Rose. Nice wine
2011 Tourine Val de Loire, Sauvignon Blanc - excellent with the soup
2010 Alma Rose , Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - Richard Sanford does make good wine
2008 Thorne, Rio Vista Vineyard, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - excellent wine
Six today to partake in Dim Sum. The usual suspects met at the Seafood Palace for lunch. Place was crowded today. A lot of offices having their employee holiday lunches.
A lot of white wine showed up today for some reason so we ordered heavy on the seafood
Started out with Steamed Shrimp Dumpling and Pork Shu Mai. Then our complimentary bowl of the hot, sour soup. Glad this came early. The weather is cold and it really tasted extra good today.
White fish with Bok Choy is always winner then another dish with Bok Choy - Shrimp with fat noodles. Lots of vegetables today.
Henry ordered the Stir Fry Lobster with special noodles. We all agreed this dish was better two weeks ago. It was still good but not quite the same. Could be a different cook.
Had to have a beef dish as we had 2 red wines on the table. So Beef with Snow Peas was next.
Dessert was our usual Daan-taat - egg custard tarts.
Wines were interesting.
A Louie Bouillot champagne and a Perrier Joulet champagne to start with.
2014 Chateau La Gordonne, Cotes de Provence, Rose. Nice wine
2011 Tourine Val de Loire, Sauvignon Blanc - excellent with the soup
2010 Alma Rose , Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - Richard Sanford does make good wine
2008 Thorne, Rio Vista Vineyard, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - excellent wine
Holiday Dinner at 555
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Fourteen of us tonight for Margie's monthly dinner at the 555 East Steakhouse in Long Beach. www.555east.com. Apparently a change in seating arrangements by the restaurant. We were seated at a long table instead of two round tables. Conversation was limited to those right next to you or straight across the table. I found the restaurant to be very noisy. They were filled to capacity and also had a piano player plunking away on the keys.
I had ordered the small filet with baked potato and mushrooms. Meat did not seem very flavorful as before. It lacked something. You should not have to add sauce to enjoy your meat. Most everyone ordered steak but there were exceptions. I did not keep track of what everyone else ordered. I was not that interested in keeping that many notes. I did keep a list of wines. Most of those I did not taste. In fact I did not know they were on the table until I typed the list up the next day. 14 people, 20 wines. The wines did not move up and down the table well. Too much on the table, between all the glasses, wines and dinner plates it was way to crowded. I would say on the verge of confusion.
I brought a 2005 Stolpman Angeli, Santa Ynez (syrah) . I decanted it for 4 hours and it really helped it to open up. I thought it was excellent and apparently others did also. There was less than 3 ounces left in the bottle when I took it home. I also brought one of my favorite Champagnes. a NV Robert Moncuit, grand Cru, Brut.
Others wines:
1997 Chateau du Terte, Marguax, Grand Cru - just going downhill
2005 Williams Selyem, Bacigalup Vineyard, Zinfandel - one of the best wines on the table
NV J Laurens, tete de Cuvee, Clos des Demnoiselles - did not taste
2011 Lorenzi, Phantom, Temecula - did not taste
NV Veuve Cliquot, A Rems Brut - always a good Champagne for mass production
2011 Saxum, Broken Stones, Paso Robles - did not taste but I would say it still is to young
2012 Rombauer, Propetor R Selection, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Peter Michaels, L'Apes-Midi, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste
2012 Longoria, Syran Vino Dulce - did not taste
2013 Dutton Goldfield, RRV, Pinot Noir - did not taste - sorry to have missed this one
2010 Antinori, Brunello - this was a very good wine - will go several more years easily
2013 Dusty Goose, Willamette Valley, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Prince of Hearts, Napa Red, - did not taste - this wine has shown up at the last 3 functions that I have attended. It was good. I am sure it tasted the same.
2012 Paul Hobbs, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste
2001 Chateau Vieux, Fortin, St. Emilion, Grand Cru - did not taste - sorry to have missed this one
2006 Lindstrom, Stags Leap - going downhill
NV Desert Florus, Late Harvest, Banfi - did not taste
2011 Puma Road, SLH, Pinot Noir - was not impressed
Fourteen of us tonight for Margie's monthly dinner at the 555 East Steakhouse in Long Beach. www.555east.com. Apparently a change in seating arrangements by the restaurant. We were seated at a long table instead of two round tables. Conversation was limited to those right next to you or straight across the table. I found the restaurant to be very noisy. They were filled to capacity and also had a piano player plunking away on the keys.
I had ordered the small filet with baked potato and mushrooms. Meat did not seem very flavorful as before. It lacked something. You should not have to add sauce to enjoy your meat. Most everyone ordered steak but there were exceptions. I did not keep track of what everyone else ordered. I was not that interested in keeping that many notes. I did keep a list of wines. Most of those I did not taste. In fact I did not know they were on the table until I typed the list up the next day. 14 people, 20 wines. The wines did not move up and down the table well. Too much on the table, between all the glasses, wines and dinner plates it was way to crowded. I would say on the verge of confusion.
I brought a 2005 Stolpman Angeli, Santa Ynez (syrah) . I decanted it for 4 hours and it really helped it to open up. I thought it was excellent and apparently others did also. There was less than 3 ounces left in the bottle when I took it home. I also brought one of my favorite Champagnes. a NV Robert Moncuit, grand Cru, Brut.
Others wines:
1997 Chateau du Terte, Marguax, Grand Cru - just going downhill
2005 Williams Selyem, Bacigalup Vineyard, Zinfandel - one of the best wines on the table
NV J Laurens, tete de Cuvee, Clos des Demnoiselles - did not taste
2011 Lorenzi, Phantom, Temecula - did not taste
NV Veuve Cliquot, A Rems Brut - always a good Champagne for mass production
2011 Saxum, Broken Stones, Paso Robles - did not taste but I would say it still is to young
2012 Rombauer, Propetor R Selection, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Peter Michaels, L'Apes-Midi, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste
2012 Longoria, Syran Vino Dulce - did not taste
2013 Dutton Goldfield, RRV, Pinot Noir - did not taste - sorry to have missed this one
2010 Antinori, Brunello - this was a very good wine - will go several more years easily
2013 Dusty Goose, Willamette Valley, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Prince of Hearts, Napa Red, - did not taste - this wine has shown up at the last 3 functions that I have attended. It was good. I am sure it tasted the same.
2012 Paul Hobbs, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste
2001 Chateau Vieux, Fortin, St. Emilion, Grand Cru - did not taste - sorry to have missed this one
2006 Lindstrom, Stags Leap - going downhill
NV Desert Florus, Late Harvest, Banfi - did not taste
2011 Puma Road, SLH, Pinot Noir - was not impressed
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Metaphora Wine Dinner at Delius
Friday, November 20, 2015
In lieu of the Champagne dinner that Delius, www.deliusrestaurant.com does every year Dave opted to have a big "red" wine dinner. He chose a winery that I was unfamiliar with. Metaphora, www.MetaphoraWines.com, . The owner Ravi Metha was in attendance to talk about his wines. Nice, personable person, a lawyer in Sacramento. This winery is very small production and the prices are high. Apparently the wines are in some very high restaurants like the French Laundry. But at $150 a bottle for the Cabernet Sauvignon it is not in my cellar.
We started out with a Pomegranate Salad, sweetbreads, argula, frisee, pine nuts and pomegranate dressing. Sweetbreads were very good. A 2014 Sauvignon Blanc was paired and it was a very good pairing. The wine itself had a very light citrus and peach taste. Very intensive nose. Fermented Sur Lie in concrete eggs and neutral french oak barrels. 14.3 % alcohol. It really cut the fat in the sweetbreads. I really did like this wine.
Second course served was an Oxtail Tortellini, roasted tomato ragout, fava beans and mushroom broth. Again another excellent dish from Delius. The ragout had deep flavor and I wiped out the remains with the bread. Paired with a 2009 Pinot Noir. Grapes from Truchard vineyard and Atlas Peak. 13.8 % alcohol. This was not my style of Pinot.
Third course was a Lamb Porterhouse, sunchoke puree, roasted peppercorn demi and grilled white asparagus. Lamb was very flavorful and tender. Nice thick chop. The demi was good and the asparagus were addicting. A 2012 Cabernet Franc was poured. I really liked this wine. Dark fruit and a little spice with chocolate. Grapes sourced from the Sierra Foothills and 1% from Stage Coach vineyard. Alcohol was 14.%. My favorite wine of the evening.
Entree was Hanger Steak, red currant spice grits, haricot verts, caramelized onion bechamel. Good dish. Loads of flavor. Grits were great. Paired with a 2009 Caberent Sauvignon. Very dark fruit with a hint of chocolate. This was Clone 29 . Beatty Ranch, Howell Mtn. 13.7 % alcohol. Nice wine Good pairing.
Dessert was interesting. Chocolate Angel Cake. Very dense. With a persimmon butter and malbec tuille. Good flavors. But after this heavy meal I personally would have preferred a much lighter dessert
In lieu of the Champagne dinner that Delius, www.deliusrestaurant.com does every year Dave opted to have a big "red" wine dinner. He chose a winery that I was unfamiliar with. Metaphora, www.MetaphoraWines.com, . The owner Ravi Metha was in attendance to talk about his wines. Nice, personable person, a lawyer in Sacramento. This winery is very small production and the prices are high. Apparently the wines are in some very high restaurants like the French Laundry. But at $150 a bottle for the Cabernet Sauvignon it is not in my cellar.
We started out with a Pomegranate Salad, sweetbreads, argula, frisee, pine nuts and pomegranate dressing. Sweetbreads were very good. A 2014 Sauvignon Blanc was paired and it was a very good pairing. The wine itself had a very light citrus and peach taste. Very intensive nose. Fermented Sur Lie in concrete eggs and neutral french oak barrels. 14.3 % alcohol. It really cut the fat in the sweetbreads. I really did like this wine.
Second course served was an Oxtail Tortellini, roasted tomato ragout, fava beans and mushroom broth. Again another excellent dish from Delius. The ragout had deep flavor and I wiped out the remains with the bread. Paired with a 2009 Pinot Noir. Grapes from Truchard vineyard and Atlas Peak. 13.8 % alcohol. This was not my style of Pinot.
Third course was a Lamb Porterhouse, sunchoke puree, roasted peppercorn demi and grilled white asparagus. Lamb was very flavorful and tender. Nice thick chop. The demi was good and the asparagus were addicting. A 2012 Cabernet Franc was poured. I really liked this wine. Dark fruit and a little spice with chocolate. Grapes sourced from the Sierra Foothills and 1% from Stage Coach vineyard. Alcohol was 14.%. My favorite wine of the evening.
Entree was Hanger Steak, red currant spice grits, haricot verts, caramelized onion bechamel. Good dish. Loads of flavor. Grits were great. Paired with a 2009 Caberent Sauvignon. Very dark fruit with a hint of chocolate. This was Clone 29 . Beatty Ranch, Howell Mtn. 13.7 % alcohol. Nice wine Good pairing.
Dessert was interesting. Chocolate Angel Cake. Very dense. With a persimmon butter and malbec tuille. Good flavors. But after this heavy meal I personally would have preferred a much lighter dessert
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Recon at India Grill
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Five of us tonight doing a recon of new dishes for Margie's next monthly wine dinner. We met at India Grill in Cypress, www.ocindiagrill.com. Traffic was a beast tonight so I was running late. The group had already started with an appetizer of "onion rings". Not your typical American version. Smaller and far more flavor. They were good cold.
A plate of "Seekh Kabal" arrived. Minced, ground lamb shaped into small logs and grilled. Even Margie ate this type of lamb so there is hope for her . These were good, mild flavor, not too spicy and loads of flavor. Served with sauteed onions and bell peppers.
We tried a bowl of "Yellow Dal Soup", lentils with spices and herbs. Not my thing. It was a texture problem for me. I am not a big fan of lentils, black eyed peas, etc. because of the texture. I will eat them if served but do not go out of my way to seek them out. I guess the flavor was good because everyone else ate theirs.
A plate of Chau Chau (noodles) with chicken and a masala sauce was next. Really prefer the regular Chau Chau without the sauce.
An eggplant dish was next. I do not like eggplant but was very surprised at the taste of this dish. I went back several times for another spoonful. It is called Bengan Bharta and consisted of roasted eggplant that was pureed with spices and a cream sauce. Very good. Served with a Tandoori Roti (bread).
Another bread we had was Aloo Paratha, Naan stuffed with potatoes and peas. Different and tasty.
Last dish was a mixed vegetable with curry and masala sauce. These had good flavor also.
So it will be interesting to see what new dishes show up along with a few old favorites on the dinner in January
Wines tonight were really good. No dogs here.
2012 Niederosterreich, Gruner Veltliner
2009 Clos Pepe VS, Pinot Noir
2007 Merry Edwards, Klopp Ranch, RRV, Pinot Noir
2006 Robert Mondavi, Napa, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Sea Smoke, Southing, Pinot Noir
NV Tattinger Brut
Five of us tonight doing a recon of new dishes for Margie's next monthly wine dinner. We met at India Grill in Cypress, www.ocindiagrill.com. Traffic was a beast tonight so I was running late. The group had already started with an appetizer of "onion rings". Not your typical American version. Smaller and far more flavor. They were good cold.
A plate of "Seekh Kabal" arrived. Minced, ground lamb shaped into small logs and grilled. Even Margie ate this type of lamb so there is hope for her . These were good, mild flavor, not too spicy and loads of flavor. Served with sauteed onions and bell peppers.
We tried a bowl of "Yellow Dal Soup", lentils with spices and herbs. Not my thing. It was a texture problem for me. I am not a big fan of lentils, black eyed peas, etc. because of the texture. I will eat them if served but do not go out of my way to seek them out. I guess the flavor was good because everyone else ate theirs.
A plate of Chau Chau (noodles) with chicken and a masala sauce was next. Really prefer the regular Chau Chau without the sauce.
An eggplant dish was next. I do not like eggplant but was very surprised at the taste of this dish. I went back several times for another spoonful. It is called Bengan Bharta and consisted of roasted eggplant that was pureed with spices and a cream sauce. Very good. Served with a Tandoori Roti (bread).
Another bread we had was Aloo Paratha, Naan stuffed with potatoes and peas. Different and tasty.
Last dish was a mixed vegetable with curry and masala sauce. These had good flavor also.
So it will be interesting to see what new dishes show up along with a few old favorites on the dinner in January
Wines tonight were really good. No dogs here.
2012 Niederosterreich, Gruner Veltliner
2009 Clos Pepe VS, Pinot Noir
2007 Merry Edwards, Klopp Ranch, RRV, Pinot Noir
2006 Robert Mondavi, Napa, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Sea Smoke, Southing, Pinot Noir
NV Tattinger Brut
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Issara Restauramt with Margie's Wine Group
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Margie took us back to Issara for dinner for her November restaurant selection. www.issarathaicuisine.com and the food again was worth it. 12 of us tonight.
We started out with 2 appetizers. Issara Chicken Wings, sticky and finger lickin good along with Shrimp Roll. David the owner threw in some Bangkok cups also.
Salad was "Nam Thok Mo" grilled pork with fish sauce and fresh lime. Lime really gives this dish a bang. Served with herb toasted rice, red onion and mint.
5 entrees tonight. First was Spicy eggplant with Tofu, carrots, green beans, red peppers, onion, soybean sauce and basil. Basil is very heavy in Thai food. To me a little goes a long way. Just like cilantro. I ate a lot of the tofu, eggplant is just not my thing.
Second entree was Drunken Fettuccine with beef, onion, basil, bell pepper and a chili based sauce. Very good flavor and the noodles soaked up the sauce nicely.
Third entree served was a "Mu Yang Pork", grilled marinated pork, tamarind dipping sauce and sticky rice. Excellent flavor and the sticky rice has a slight sweetness to it..
Fourth entree is "Crispy Sole", lightly breaded fried sole filet with granny smith apples slivers, lime vinaigrette and cashew nuts. One of my favorite dishes here at Issara. Fish is sweet and flaky.
Last entree was a "Duck with Red Curry" - roasted duck in a red curry, grape tomatoes, lychee and fresh basil. This dish is not on their regular menu. David the owner, just brought back the recipe from Thailand. Another real winner.
Dessert was a Thai Tea Creme Brulee. Not overly sweet and served with mixed berries. A nice ending to an very good meal. Another successful dinner for Margie.
So many white wines on the table tonight. I did not taste most of the wine.
I brought a 2013 Tercero "Outlier", a dry Gewurztraminer. Perfect with Thai food. Not overly sweet like the Rieslings tonight.
Other wines:
NV Segura Viudas, Cava, Rose - very good
2013 Bel Vino Riesling - a little sweet for me
2012 Denner Viognier - did not taste as I am not into that grape varietal
20190 Le Couvier Pinot Noir - did not taste
NV Canals and Nubiola, Cava - did not taste
2011 Seghesio, Zinfandel - did not taste
2012 Red Newt Cellars, semi-dry Rielsing - did not taste
2012 Williams Selyen, Limestone Ridge at Vista Verde Vineyard, Chenin Blanc - excellent wine and paired very well with the food
2011 Williams Seylem, Central Coast, Pinot Noir - seemed to be not quite up to what it really should be
NV Laurent-Perriet, Brut, Maison Fondee 1812 - very good
2012 Lincourt, Wllie Mae, Pinot Noir - good
NV Divici, Prosecco - good
2013 Stolo, Gewurztraminer - did not taste
2007 Williams Selyem, Peay Vineyards, Pinot Noir - excellent wine, a pleasure to drink
Margie took us back to Issara for dinner for her November restaurant selection. www.issarathaicuisine.com and the food again was worth it. 12 of us tonight.
We started out with 2 appetizers. Issara Chicken Wings, sticky and finger lickin good along with Shrimp Roll. David the owner threw in some Bangkok cups also.
Salad was "Nam Thok Mo" grilled pork with fish sauce and fresh lime. Lime really gives this dish a bang. Served with herb toasted rice, red onion and mint.
5 entrees tonight. First was Spicy eggplant with Tofu, carrots, green beans, red peppers, onion, soybean sauce and basil. Basil is very heavy in Thai food. To me a little goes a long way. Just like cilantro. I ate a lot of the tofu, eggplant is just not my thing.
Second entree was Drunken Fettuccine with beef, onion, basil, bell pepper and a chili based sauce. Very good flavor and the noodles soaked up the sauce nicely.
Third entree served was a "Mu Yang Pork", grilled marinated pork, tamarind dipping sauce and sticky rice. Excellent flavor and the sticky rice has a slight sweetness to it..
Fourth entree is "Crispy Sole", lightly breaded fried sole filet with granny smith apples slivers, lime vinaigrette and cashew nuts. One of my favorite dishes here at Issara. Fish is sweet and flaky.
Last entree was a "Duck with Red Curry" - roasted duck in a red curry, grape tomatoes, lychee and fresh basil. This dish is not on their regular menu. David the owner, just brought back the recipe from Thailand. Another real winner.
Dessert was a Thai Tea Creme Brulee. Not overly sweet and served with mixed berries. A nice ending to an very good meal. Another successful dinner for Margie.
So many white wines on the table tonight. I did not taste most of the wine.
I brought a 2013 Tercero "Outlier", a dry Gewurztraminer. Perfect with Thai food. Not overly sweet like the Rieslings tonight.
Other wines:
NV Segura Viudas, Cava, Rose - very good
2013 Bel Vino Riesling - a little sweet for me
2012 Denner Viognier - did not taste as I am not into that grape varietal
20190 Le Couvier Pinot Noir - did not taste
NV Canals and Nubiola, Cava - did not taste
2011 Seghesio, Zinfandel - did not taste
2012 Red Newt Cellars, semi-dry Rielsing - did not taste
2012 Williams Selyen, Limestone Ridge at Vista Verde Vineyard, Chenin Blanc - excellent wine and paired very well with the food
2011 Williams Seylem, Central Coast, Pinot Noir - seemed to be not quite up to what it really should be
NV Laurent-Perriet, Brut, Maison Fondee 1812 - very good
2012 Lincourt, Wllie Mae, Pinot Noir - good
NV Divici, Prosecco - good
2013 Stolo, Gewurztraminer - did not taste
2007 Williams Selyem, Peay Vineyards, Pinot Noir - excellent wine, a pleasure to drink
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Dim Sum and the Boys
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Busy week for being on vacation. Five of us today for Dim Sum at the Seafood Palace. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com. Started out with a plate of Chinese Broccoli from the cart along with Cheong Fun (rice noodle wrapped shrimp) and the BBQ pork dumplings.
After that Henry surprised us with the House special lobster, pan stir fried with special noodles. These noodles had a bite to them. Not soft but good texture and flavor. Sauce on this dish was finger lickin. Good dish. We had not had lobster in a long time.
Then onto Lo Mai Gai ( sticky steamed rice in lotus leaf) and Beef filet with snow peas. 3 Cabs today, needed beef.
Finished with Salt and Pepper Calamri and Hot and Sour soup.
Dessert was the Daan Taat (egg custard tart).
No one consulted each other on the wines so it was a coincidence that three McKeon-Phillips BPR Cabernets were on the table. 07, 08 and 10. Seven was very good, great year. Next the 10 and then the 08
Also was a Segura Viudas Rose and I brought a 08 Roar Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. This wine was on the slight downhill slide. Not as much bright fruit. Drinkable but sliding. A little disappointed in it.
Another nice lunch with the boys. We keep this group limited to singles. Henry is married but his wife never joins us as she is not into wine so in our eyes he is single for those few hours. Couples always pair up with other couples. Very rarely are we singles ever included when they go out for dinners, happy hour etc., Women on the whole are insecure and men don't want to rock the boat with a insecure mate. So we have decided to only pair up with other singles for these lunches and once in awhile dinners. We have a lot more fun that way.
Busy week for being on vacation. Five of us today for Dim Sum at the Seafood Palace. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com. Started out with a plate of Chinese Broccoli from the cart along with Cheong Fun (rice noodle wrapped shrimp) and the BBQ pork dumplings.
After that Henry surprised us with the House special lobster, pan stir fried with special noodles. These noodles had a bite to them. Not soft but good texture and flavor. Sauce on this dish was finger lickin. Good dish. We had not had lobster in a long time.
Then onto Lo Mai Gai ( sticky steamed rice in lotus leaf) and Beef filet with snow peas. 3 Cabs today, needed beef.
Finished with Salt and Pepper Calamri and Hot and Sour soup.
Dessert was the Daan Taat (egg custard tart).
No one consulted each other on the wines so it was a coincidence that three McKeon-Phillips BPR Cabernets were on the table. 07, 08 and 10. Seven was very good, great year. Next the 10 and then the 08
Also was a Segura Viudas Rose and I brought a 08 Roar Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. This wine was on the slight downhill slide. Not as much bright fruit. Drinkable but sliding. A little disappointed in it.
Another nice lunch with the boys. We keep this group limited to singles. Henry is married but his wife never joins us as she is not into wine so in our eyes he is single for those few hours. Couples always pair up with other couples. Very rarely are we singles ever included when they go out for dinners, happy hour etc., Women on the whole are insecure and men don't want to rock the boat with a insecure mate. So we have decided to only pair up with other singles for these lunches and once in awhile dinners. We have a lot more fun that way.
Antinori Wines at Michael's on Naples
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Four of us tonight for a wine dinner at Michaels on Naples, www.michaelsonnaples.com. Got there right at 7:00 and found out we were seated upstairs. I had a hissy and wasn't quiet about it either. The other 3 were already seated so I climbed the stairs slowly. After greeting everyone we discussed the situation. Pitched a bitch with the waitstaff (not their fault) we were finally told that there would be a table downstairs available in 10 minutes and we could move. Meantime they finally get around to serving the first wine. 20 minutes later we get the first course. Then they decided to move us. After a slow climb downstairs we were seating in the room off the side where they have private events. Much quieter and much more comfortable.
Waited awhile before we got our menus and second glass of wine. They were clearly overbooked and the waitstaff and kitchen were having a hard time keeping up the pace.
Dinner was excellent. First course was Kauai prawn. Meyer lemon marmalade and watercress. A 2013 Orvieto Superiore "San Giovanni" Castello Della Sala was paired. Good combination.
Next up was Orecchiette con Conigliuo. Pasta with Devil's Gulch Ranch rabbit sausage. Another excellent dish. Wine served was a 2009 Chianti Classico "Gran Selezione" Badia di Passignano. Good wine and good pairing.
Third course was a hand rolled ricotta pasta with Liberty Farm duck stew and Percornio Toscano. My favorite dish of the night. Paired with a 2010 Brunbello di Montalcino, Plan delle Vigne. My favorite wine of the night.
Main course was a grilled Porterhouse steak, forest mushrooms and sunchokes. I was stuffed. Ate one piece of steak and had them box it up to take home. The wine served was my least favorite of the night. A 2012 Tignanello. Tenuta Tignanello.
Dessert was a cheese plate which I gave to Marc. I just could not eat anymore. They served a 2012 Merlot "Cont 'Ugo" Tenuta Guado al Tasso. Gave that to Marc also.
Food was excellent, waitstaff was doing as best they could. This dinner was clearly way overbooked. Apparently we were not the only ones complaining about being seated upstairs. $132 and I have to sit in a noisy space with my ear roasting on one side because of the space heaters and freezing on the other side, Plus the noise. Don't think so. They could have added a second dinner on Thursday night and avoided the bad customer relations.
Four of us tonight for a wine dinner at Michaels on Naples, www.michaelsonnaples.com. Got there right at 7:00 and found out we were seated upstairs. I had a hissy and wasn't quiet about it either. The other 3 were already seated so I climbed the stairs slowly. After greeting everyone we discussed the situation. Pitched a bitch with the waitstaff (not their fault) we were finally told that there would be a table downstairs available in 10 minutes and we could move. Meantime they finally get around to serving the first wine. 20 minutes later we get the first course. Then they decided to move us. After a slow climb downstairs we were seating in the room off the side where they have private events. Much quieter and much more comfortable.
Waited awhile before we got our menus and second glass of wine. They were clearly overbooked and the waitstaff and kitchen were having a hard time keeping up the pace.
Dinner was excellent. First course was Kauai prawn. Meyer lemon marmalade and watercress. A 2013 Orvieto Superiore "San Giovanni" Castello Della Sala was paired. Good combination.
Next up was Orecchiette con Conigliuo. Pasta with Devil's Gulch Ranch rabbit sausage. Another excellent dish. Wine served was a 2009 Chianti Classico "Gran Selezione" Badia di Passignano. Good wine and good pairing.
Third course was a hand rolled ricotta pasta with Liberty Farm duck stew and Percornio Toscano. My favorite dish of the night. Paired with a 2010 Brunbello di Montalcino, Plan delle Vigne. My favorite wine of the night.
Main course was a grilled Porterhouse steak, forest mushrooms and sunchokes. I was stuffed. Ate one piece of steak and had them box it up to take home. The wine served was my least favorite of the night. A 2012 Tignanello. Tenuta Tignanello.
Dessert was a cheese plate which I gave to Marc. I just could not eat anymore. They served a 2012 Merlot "Cont 'Ugo" Tenuta Guado al Tasso. Gave that to Marc also.
Food was excellent, waitstaff was doing as best they could. This dinner was clearly way overbooked. Apparently we were not the only ones complaining about being seated upstairs. $132 and I have to sit in a noisy space with my ear roasting on one side because of the space heaters and freezing on the other side, Plus the noise. Don't think so. They could have added a second dinner on Thursday night and avoided the bad customer relations.
SLO Wine Country Harvest on the Coast
November 6, 2015
On the road about 9:30 am today. Have a long drive to Avila Beach with a few stops. Decent traffic but still hit enough to be irritating. No way to get through downtown LA and the valley without slowing down somewhere.
Arrived in Buellton just after 1:00 and stopped in at Terravant for lunch. The elevator is broken so I had to hike up the stairs. My hip is in bad shape right now and it was not pleasant. Had the best BLT's ever. Chibatta bread with lettuce, tomato and applewood smoked bacon. Selected a half glass of Ken Brown Sta. Rita Hills Pinot and a half glass of Dragonette 7 Syrah. Both good choices.
Then down the road to Huber Cellars. Needed to pick up wine an visit with Norman and Traudl for an hour. They were telling me they got 2,000 lbs of grapes an acre this year and Clos Pepe on the other side of Hwy 246 from them only got 500 pounds per acre. Not a good start for Kathryn Hall who just took a 15 year lease on the Clos Pepe vineyards.
After an hour took off to get into Avila Beach at a decent time. Needed to stop at Trader Joes to get few things for breakfast every day while I am up here. Pulled into he San Luis Bay Resort about 5:30. A long day. Hip is in bad shape. Could barely walk. Unloaded the car onto a cart and checked in. Naturally since I am having problems walking this year my room is on the 4th floor and the very end of the building. At least it is quiet here. And so glad I did not opt for the winemaker dinner tonight.
Saturday morning went to the golf course next to the resort for the wine festival. Had early admission so got to taste some library wines. Talked to a few new comers in the area. Too bad I am at the tail end of my wine buying days. Some really nice new wineries. Lots of good food and a lot of wine. Spent the rest of the day stretched out on the couch to get pressure off the hip.
Sunday got a late start which was OK with me. Headed to the Edna Valley to Wolff Vineyards. They make some of the best Petite Syrah around. Tastings in SLO are free today if you have your wristband from the festival.. Then back to Avila. Stopped in at Sinor-Lavalle and tasted Mike's new white label and black label pinots. Black label is fruit and jammy. Cocktail wine. White label is only 13% alcohol and is a great food wine. Came out of there with 9 bottles. Mike sent me down the street to a new tasting room. Clutoh. Good wines but pricey. Came away with 2 blends but at $55 each hope I like them when I get home as well as I do now. Decided to eat out tonight and went into Shell Beach to Kanpai Sushi. www.kanpaishellbeach.com Had a Morimoto Imperial beer and the Nigri Omakase sushi plate which consisted of Tuna, Yellow Tail, Sea Breen, Albacore, Red Sea Bass, Shrimp, Scallops and I added Spanish Mackerel and Fresh Water Eel. I was surprised at the quality of the fish. They fly it in twice a week from Japan.. Their other menu items looked really good. Will have to come back to this place.
Monday I decided to go into Los Olivos to pick up wine and have lunch. Stopped at Stolpman and Tercero. By time I left Bacon and Brine was getting ready to close to no pig for me right now. Hit a lot of heavy rain on the way back to Avila. Stopped in at the Cracked Crab, www.crackedcrab.com for an early dinner. Had to have the cup of clam chowder along with crab cakes and abalone. Had a glass of Verdad, Albarino. Tasted like 7-UP.
Tuesday, my last day. Cutting the trip short this time. Did a little shopping, Target. Home Goods and Costco. Always like to see the local wines that the stores in the area carry. Then down to Pismo Beach and stopped in at the Taste of The Valley wine bar. Always make this stop. They carry a good variety of local wines. Tasted the 2012 Lucia Garys Pinot, 2012 Pianetta Paso Robles Sangiovese, 2013 Ricky Hill Tempranillo, 2012 Hoyt Paso Robles Cabernet, NV 08-09-10, Margerum Syrah, 2013 Opolo Mountain Zinfandel and a 2012 Clayhouse Petite Syrah. Wanted to go to Ember tonight for dinner. That is the new hot restaurant in Arroyo Grande. While in the Taste of the Valley, the owner Lisa pointed out a man who turned out to be the the owner-chef of Ember. They are closed on Monday and Tuesdays. Out of luck tonite. So I left and walked across the street to Giuseppe's www.guisepperestaurant.com for dinner. Not to busy when I walked in by by time I left they were packed. Had a 2011 Damilano Barolo along with Osso Bucco (veal) for dinner. The plate came with Saffron Risotto and Zucchini that had been spiraled cut like spaghetti.
Wednesday got on the road about 8:00 am. 40 degrees. Winter is coming. Stopped in Buellton to gas up. 50 cents a gallon cheaper than Pismo. Got home about noon. Then of all things the damm elevator in the building is down and I have to walk up the stairs. Had to have my son carry everything up and put the 5 cases of wine the garage. Glad it is cold now. Good trip but the hip issue has to be resolved.
On the road about 9:30 am today. Have a long drive to Avila Beach with a few stops. Decent traffic but still hit enough to be irritating. No way to get through downtown LA and the valley without slowing down somewhere.
Arrived in Buellton just after 1:00 and stopped in at Terravant for lunch. The elevator is broken so I had to hike up the stairs. My hip is in bad shape right now and it was not pleasant. Had the best BLT's ever. Chibatta bread with lettuce, tomato and applewood smoked bacon. Selected a half glass of Ken Brown Sta. Rita Hills Pinot and a half glass of Dragonette 7 Syrah. Both good choices.
Then down the road to Huber Cellars. Needed to pick up wine an visit with Norman and Traudl for an hour. They were telling me they got 2,000 lbs of grapes an acre this year and Clos Pepe on the other side of Hwy 246 from them only got 500 pounds per acre. Not a good start for Kathryn Hall who just took a 15 year lease on the Clos Pepe vineyards.
After an hour took off to get into Avila Beach at a decent time. Needed to stop at Trader Joes to get few things for breakfast every day while I am up here. Pulled into he San Luis Bay Resort about 5:30. A long day. Hip is in bad shape. Could barely walk. Unloaded the car onto a cart and checked in. Naturally since I am having problems walking this year my room is on the 4th floor and the very end of the building. At least it is quiet here. And so glad I did not opt for the winemaker dinner tonight.
Saturday morning went to the golf course next to the resort for the wine festival. Had early admission so got to taste some library wines. Talked to a few new comers in the area. Too bad I am at the tail end of my wine buying days. Some really nice new wineries. Lots of good food and a lot of wine. Spent the rest of the day stretched out on the couch to get pressure off the hip.
Sunday got a late start which was OK with me. Headed to the Edna Valley to Wolff Vineyards. They make some of the best Petite Syrah around. Tastings in SLO are free today if you have your wristband from the festival.. Then back to Avila. Stopped in at Sinor-Lavalle and tasted Mike's new white label and black label pinots. Black label is fruit and jammy. Cocktail wine. White label is only 13% alcohol and is a great food wine. Came out of there with 9 bottles. Mike sent me down the street to a new tasting room. Clutoh. Good wines but pricey. Came away with 2 blends but at $55 each hope I like them when I get home as well as I do now. Decided to eat out tonight and went into Shell Beach to Kanpai Sushi. www.kanpaishellbeach.com Had a Morimoto Imperial beer and the Nigri Omakase sushi plate which consisted of Tuna, Yellow Tail, Sea Breen, Albacore, Red Sea Bass, Shrimp, Scallops and I added Spanish Mackerel and Fresh Water Eel. I was surprised at the quality of the fish. They fly it in twice a week from Japan.. Their other menu items looked really good. Will have to come back to this place.
Monday I decided to go into Los Olivos to pick up wine and have lunch. Stopped at Stolpman and Tercero. By time I left Bacon and Brine was getting ready to close to no pig for me right now. Hit a lot of heavy rain on the way back to Avila. Stopped in at the Cracked Crab, www.crackedcrab.com for an early dinner. Had to have the cup of clam chowder along with crab cakes and abalone. Had a glass of Verdad, Albarino. Tasted like 7-UP.
Tuesday, my last day. Cutting the trip short this time. Did a little shopping, Target. Home Goods and Costco. Always like to see the local wines that the stores in the area carry. Then down to Pismo Beach and stopped in at the Taste of The Valley wine bar. Always make this stop. They carry a good variety of local wines. Tasted the 2012 Lucia Garys Pinot, 2012 Pianetta Paso Robles Sangiovese, 2013 Ricky Hill Tempranillo, 2012 Hoyt Paso Robles Cabernet, NV 08-09-10, Margerum Syrah, 2013 Opolo Mountain Zinfandel and a 2012 Clayhouse Petite Syrah. Wanted to go to Ember tonight for dinner. That is the new hot restaurant in Arroyo Grande. While in the Taste of the Valley, the owner Lisa pointed out a man who turned out to be the the owner-chef of Ember. They are closed on Monday and Tuesdays. Out of luck tonite. So I left and walked across the street to Giuseppe's www.guisepperestaurant.com for dinner. Not to busy when I walked in by by time I left they were packed. Had a 2011 Damilano Barolo along with Osso Bucco (veal) for dinner. The plate came with Saffron Risotto and Zucchini that had been spiraled cut like spaghetti.
Wednesday got on the road about 8:00 am. 40 degrees. Winter is coming. Stopped in Buellton to gas up. 50 cents a gallon cheaper than Pismo. Got home about noon. Then of all things the damm elevator in the building is down and I have to walk up the stairs. Had to have my son carry everything up and put the 5 cases of wine the garage. Glad it is cold now. Good trip but the hip issue has to be resolved.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Festival of Autumn Harvest at Franco's
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
This was the 4th wine dinner at Franco's, www.francositalianrestaurant.com, So looking forward to it and so disappointed. Last week it was announced that live music would be provided. I am not a fan of live music with dinner. I want food and conversation. No way do I want to have to stop talking or eating to applaud some entertainer. To me that is what bars and lounges are for. Plus the db level. I will say that the group that played was very good, not overly loud but Franco's is such a small place that even normal conversations are too loud. We were seated right below a speaker so that did not help the situation.
All wines tonight are private labels. Susan was pushing the private label bit for the holidays. Buy a case with your own "label" for the holidays. Not my thing.
First course was a Zuppa di Zuppa con Gruviera. Roasted Pumpkin, Gruyere Cheese, Carrots, Onions Leeks,and Pumpkin Seeds. Excellent. By far the best dish of the day. This dish was worth the aggravation of the evening. They poured a "Franco's", Pinot Noir from Italy. Decent wine, not great but drinkable. Generous pours. I had to stop them pouring a full glass after the third one.
Second course served was another winner. Insalata di Barnanietole Arrosto. Endive Lettuce, Roasted Beets, Tarragon Vinaigrette. Very good. But the wine was another thing. "Franco's" Chardonnay (Lodi). Weak, slightly oaked. Left most of in the glass. Not worth the effort.
Entree was a Filetto Mignon a la Rossini. Filet Mignon, Crouton, Pate, Truffles, Demi-Glaze. The piece of meat was set on the crouton with the pate on top of the meat. Small pieces of truffle could be tasted. Demi-Glaze was very good and had lots of flavor. Unfortunately the steak was close to being well done, which makes it almost dry and no flavor. What a huge disappointment. I did see several other steaks that looked like they were medium well but not in my case. I am a "rare" steak person and I just could not get over the disappointment of the meat. There were glazed carrots, green beans and roasted potatoes on the plate. Wine paired with this dish was a "Franco's" Old Vine Zinfandel (Lodi). Again a decent wine, fruit forward but lacking in any complexity and layers.
Dessert is a Tortino di Mele. Tart Apples, Cinnamon, Sugar, Caramel and Vanilla Ice Cream. Good flavor but my apple was almost burned around the edge. It was a simple dessert but good. But nothing special to get excited about. The wine was a "Franco's" Sparkling Moscato (Lodi). Tasted like 7-UP.
There was a bottle of Franco's" Syrah (Lodi) opened. I had a small taste and that was enough for me. Very mediocre. So of all the wines the Pinot was the best but even it was not that good. I guess Terry and I were in the minority because the other diners were raving about the food and wine. So disappointed in tonight's dinner and wines. The last 3 dinners have been great and even the wines , all from Italy, were good even if they were not expensive. They were great food wines.
This was the 4th wine dinner at Franco's, www.francositalianrestaurant.com, So looking forward to it and so disappointed. Last week it was announced that live music would be provided. I am not a fan of live music with dinner. I want food and conversation. No way do I want to have to stop talking or eating to applaud some entertainer. To me that is what bars and lounges are for. Plus the db level. I will say that the group that played was very good, not overly loud but Franco's is such a small place that even normal conversations are too loud. We were seated right below a speaker so that did not help the situation.
All wines tonight are private labels. Susan was pushing the private label bit for the holidays. Buy a case with your own "label" for the holidays. Not my thing.
First course was a Zuppa di Zuppa con Gruviera. Roasted Pumpkin, Gruyere Cheese, Carrots, Onions Leeks,and Pumpkin Seeds. Excellent. By far the best dish of the day. This dish was worth the aggravation of the evening. They poured a "Franco's", Pinot Noir from Italy. Decent wine, not great but drinkable. Generous pours. I had to stop them pouring a full glass after the third one.
Second course served was another winner. Insalata di Barnanietole Arrosto. Endive Lettuce, Roasted Beets, Tarragon Vinaigrette. Very good. But the wine was another thing. "Franco's" Chardonnay (Lodi). Weak, slightly oaked. Left most of in the glass. Not worth the effort.
Entree was a Filetto Mignon a la Rossini. Filet Mignon, Crouton, Pate, Truffles, Demi-Glaze. The piece of meat was set on the crouton with the pate on top of the meat. Small pieces of truffle could be tasted. Demi-Glaze was very good and had lots of flavor. Unfortunately the steak was close to being well done, which makes it almost dry and no flavor. What a huge disappointment. I did see several other steaks that looked like they were medium well but not in my case. I am a "rare" steak person and I just could not get over the disappointment of the meat. There were glazed carrots, green beans and roasted potatoes on the plate. Wine paired with this dish was a "Franco's" Old Vine Zinfandel (Lodi). Again a decent wine, fruit forward but lacking in any complexity and layers.
Dessert is a Tortino di Mele. Tart Apples, Cinnamon, Sugar, Caramel and Vanilla Ice Cream. Good flavor but my apple was almost burned around the edge. It was a simple dessert but good. But nothing special to get excited about. The wine was a "Franco's" Sparkling Moscato (Lodi). Tasted like 7-UP.
There was a bottle of Franco's" Syrah (Lodi) opened. I had a small taste and that was enough for me. Very mediocre. So of all the wines the Pinot was the best but even it was not that good. I guess Terry and I were in the minority because the other diners were raving about the food and wine. So disappointed in tonight's dinner and wines. The last 3 dinners have been great and even the wines , all from Italy, were good even if they were not expensive. They were great food wines.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Mirage Mediterranean Grill
Monday, November 2, 2015
Joined a few people for dinner tonight at a place in Bixby Knolls. They feel the food it is better than Baba Ghanouj which is a few blocks down the street. To me it was a yes and no. We ordered some appetizers to start, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Falafal, Arayes which is Pita stuffed with beef, lamb, onions a few other things then heated. It was good. Also had the Cauliflower which was loaded with garlic.
I ordered the Beef Shawarma. Marinated skirt steak sliced horizontally. The meat was a decent thickness and was moist. Dinner came with rice and a non descript salad with very little dressing, I took some Tahini sauce and poured it on. Dessert was a scoop of cheesecake with Rosewater and Pistachio sprinkles. This was really good. Not overly sweet. Just the right touch for the end of the meal.
This restaurant serves no alcohol and none is allowed to be brought in. They also have a Hooka lounge in front if you are so inclined.
Would I go back to the Mirage ? Probably not unless it was with this group of people. I did find the beef much better at Mirage. But I thought that Baba Ghanouj's pita bread was superior along with the rice. But the biggest reason was service. Took forever to get a menu then forever to take our order. We started with some appetizers, slow out of the kitchen. Pita bread was set down just after the appetizers. You would think that would be the first thing on the table. The Hummus was good. After dinner orders were taken again it took time to even get the salads set down. The waitresses had two speeds, slow and stop. Plus they could not get the bill right. Everything is hand written. I found the atmosphere strange and just on the verge of seedy looking. It was clean but something I would expect to find in a more ethnic area of town. It seemed out of place.
Joined a few people for dinner tonight at a place in Bixby Knolls. They feel the food it is better than Baba Ghanouj which is a few blocks down the street. To me it was a yes and no. We ordered some appetizers to start, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Falafal, Arayes which is Pita stuffed with beef, lamb, onions a few other things then heated. It was good. Also had the Cauliflower which was loaded with garlic.
I ordered the Beef Shawarma. Marinated skirt steak sliced horizontally. The meat was a decent thickness and was moist. Dinner came with rice and a non descript salad with very little dressing, I took some Tahini sauce and poured it on. Dessert was a scoop of cheesecake with Rosewater and Pistachio sprinkles. This was really good. Not overly sweet. Just the right touch for the end of the meal.
This restaurant serves no alcohol and none is allowed to be brought in. They also have a Hooka lounge in front if you are so inclined.
Would I go back to the Mirage ? Probably not unless it was with this group of people. I did find the beef much better at Mirage. But I thought that Baba Ghanouj's pita bread was superior along with the rice. But the biggest reason was service. Took forever to get a menu then forever to take our order. We started with some appetizers, slow out of the kitchen. Pita bread was set down just after the appetizers. You would think that would be the first thing on the table. The Hummus was good. After dinner orders were taken again it took time to even get the salads set down. The waitresses had two speeds, slow and stop. Plus they could not get the bill right. Everything is hand written. I found the atmosphere strange and just on the verge of seedy looking. It was clean but something I would expect to find in a more ethnic area of town. It seemed out of place.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Antonello's & Ferrari-Carano Wine Dinner
Thursday, October 29, 2015
When I arrived in the parking lot in front of Antonellos, www.antonello.com, I watched numerous people go into the restaurant but no one was going into the "event room" . I ventured over and the door was open so I went in. Apparently the first to arrive for the wine dinner. But then they informed me my name was not down on the list. Good thing I had my confirming e-mail with me and the names of both people I talked with in making the reservation. Seems that the first person I talked with did not relay the fact I was making a reservation for the wine dinner and they had my party down for the regular restaurant. After some switching of seats at the various tables we were seated at the table with the Von's wine buyer and the winemaker, Sarah Quider.
Antonellos had 5 large groups in the regular restaurant tonight and that reflected in the service we were getting tonight. Good service but not the same caliber as the last dinner. The appetizers were not as abundant and it seemed that we had less staff wating on us.
Another very noticeable item was the fact they were not pouring wine as generously as before. One pour of each wine. Maybe this was because the winery did not provide as much as the last one. Sometimes that is an issue. I asked for a second glass of the Fume Blanc as I would not drink that over oaked Chardonnay they served. They did accommodate me on that one.
Food was good as usual for Antonello's. We started out with a selection of Stuzzichini (appetizers). A Cheese flatbread, ahi tuna and what they called fried ravioli. More like small empanadas. These were served with the 2014 Fume Blanc.
Antipasto was next - A Seafood Salad, puree of green fava beans (excellent) topped with marinated Spanish Octopus, Argentina Shrimp, Crab Claws and Lobster meat with micro greens. Also had pomegranate seeds mixed in. Good, tasty dish. Wine was a 2012 Reserve Chardonnay which I gave away and had a second glass of the Fume Blanc which went very well with the salad.
Primo - Ravioli Plin. Braised Veal Ravioli (very rich) with a light veal reduction (good) with sweet onions and Parmigiano. Again an excellent dish. Paired with a 2013 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. Way to young. Needs several years.
Secondo - Lamb Shank, red wine braised Lamb Shank with Polenta seasoned with sage and rosemary and green beans. Falling off the bone tender. Very good flavor, very large. I ate a few bites and asked for the "doggie bag". I was stuffed and the Ravioli was so rich I just could not finish this dish. the wine was a 2012 "Tresor" red blend. Better than the Pinot.
Dolce - (dessert) A housemade apricot tart (butter crust) with vanilla gelato and a caramel sauce.. Rich but too much crust. 2009 "Eldorado Gold" sweet wine was paired. Way too much sweet on sweet. Both items were good but this was overkill on the "sweet". Cheese course would have made better sense.
Really not big complaints just the little things that seemed to reflect my attitude about the dinner. Lack of wait staff, scimpy on the appetizers and wine. Food was excellent as usual. We all agreed on this.
When I arrived in the parking lot in front of Antonellos, www.antonello.com, I watched numerous people go into the restaurant but no one was going into the "event room" . I ventured over and the door was open so I went in. Apparently the first to arrive for the wine dinner. But then they informed me my name was not down on the list. Good thing I had my confirming e-mail with me and the names of both people I talked with in making the reservation. Seems that the first person I talked with did not relay the fact I was making a reservation for the wine dinner and they had my party down for the regular restaurant. After some switching of seats at the various tables we were seated at the table with the Von's wine buyer and the winemaker, Sarah Quider.
Antonellos had 5 large groups in the regular restaurant tonight and that reflected in the service we were getting tonight. Good service but not the same caliber as the last dinner. The appetizers were not as abundant and it seemed that we had less staff wating on us.
Another very noticeable item was the fact they were not pouring wine as generously as before. One pour of each wine. Maybe this was because the winery did not provide as much as the last one. Sometimes that is an issue. I asked for a second glass of the Fume Blanc as I would not drink that over oaked Chardonnay they served. They did accommodate me on that one.
Food was good as usual for Antonello's. We started out with a selection of Stuzzichini (appetizers). A Cheese flatbread, ahi tuna and what they called fried ravioli. More like small empanadas. These were served with the 2014 Fume Blanc.
Antipasto was next - A Seafood Salad, puree of green fava beans (excellent) topped with marinated Spanish Octopus, Argentina Shrimp, Crab Claws and Lobster meat with micro greens. Also had pomegranate seeds mixed in. Good, tasty dish. Wine was a 2012 Reserve Chardonnay which I gave away and had a second glass of the Fume Blanc which went very well with the salad.
Primo - Ravioli Plin. Braised Veal Ravioli (very rich) with a light veal reduction (good) with sweet onions and Parmigiano. Again an excellent dish. Paired with a 2013 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. Way to young. Needs several years.
Secondo - Lamb Shank, red wine braised Lamb Shank with Polenta seasoned with sage and rosemary and green beans. Falling off the bone tender. Very good flavor, very large. I ate a few bites and asked for the "doggie bag". I was stuffed and the Ravioli was so rich I just could not finish this dish. the wine was a 2012 "Tresor" red blend. Better than the Pinot.
Dolce - (dessert) A housemade apricot tart (butter crust) with vanilla gelato and a caramel sauce.. Rich but too much crust. 2009 "Eldorado Gold" sweet wine was paired. Way too much sweet on sweet. Both items were good but this was overkill on the "sweet". Cheese course would have made better sense.
Really not big complaints just the little things that seemed to reflect my attitude about the dinner. Lack of wait staff, scimpy on the appetizers and wine. Food was excellent as usual. We all agreed on this.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Happy Hour at Bistro St. Germain
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Happy hour on Tuesday's at Bistro St. Germain in Seal Beach is an all day affair which makes it very convenient for me. Most HH end at 6:00 and that is about the time I manage to get anyplace when coming from work. I was surprised wen I got there that the establishment wasn't packed as it normally is on a Tuesday. Lots of empty tables. I was the first of my group to arrive so I snagged one off in the corner and away from the foot traffic.
I usually order wine off the wine list. Tonight I opted for the chalk board specials. I only saw one red wine that I thought was worth ordering and that was the Peachy Canyon Zinfandel. Nice wine but nothing special. Next time I go back to the printed wine list.
We ordered a few dishes off the Tapa menu which are half price on happy hour. The bacon wrapped shrimp was a bit of disappointment. Thought the bacon was overcooked. Shrimp Scampi is always good but I did notice that the size of the shrimp were a little smaller than usual. Vegetable Risotto was perfect. A Quiche Lorain with a salad was good. It was a chalkboard special tonight. I do like my quiches a bit more dry. This was on the verge of being just a bit too moist. But good flavor.
I opted not to walk around Main Street like we normally do I have been in the fast lane the last couple of weeks and there is no end in sight until after the holidays.
Happy hour on Tuesday's at Bistro St. Germain in Seal Beach is an all day affair which makes it very convenient for me. Most HH end at 6:00 and that is about the time I manage to get anyplace when coming from work. I was surprised wen I got there that the establishment wasn't packed as it normally is on a Tuesday. Lots of empty tables. I was the first of my group to arrive so I snagged one off in the corner and away from the foot traffic.
I usually order wine off the wine list. Tonight I opted for the chalk board specials. I only saw one red wine that I thought was worth ordering and that was the Peachy Canyon Zinfandel. Nice wine but nothing special. Next time I go back to the printed wine list.
We ordered a few dishes off the Tapa menu which are half price on happy hour. The bacon wrapped shrimp was a bit of disappointment. Thought the bacon was overcooked. Shrimp Scampi is always good but I did notice that the size of the shrimp were a little smaller than usual. Vegetable Risotto was perfect. A Quiche Lorain with a salad was good. It was a chalkboard special tonight. I do like my quiches a bit more dry. This was on the verge of being just a bit too moist. But good flavor.
I opted not to walk around Main Street like we normally do I have been in the fast lane the last couple of weeks and there is no end in sight until after the holidays.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
If It's Monday It's Dim Sum
Monday, October 26, 2015
The boys and I met today at the Seafood Palace for Dim Sum and to finish some of the wine from Henrys event yesterday. Henry took and filled a few bottles up with the leftover wine from Sunday. They were all red Napa blends so it did not matter if they were blended some more.
I brought a Robert Moncuit Champagne so we would have something other than red wine.
Started off with the walnut shrimp, always good then onto the deep fried minced shrimp wrapped in seaweed. A new version of the big flat noodles wrapped around a filling. Instead of shrimp today it was BBQ beef with cilantro. I like the beef better. More flavor and it was not loaded with cilantro which I appreciated.
I asked for salt & pepper calamari because we have not had this in quite awhile. The lunch version is mostly baby squid. Dinner plate is more of the filet. Big difference on price.
Our "free" bowl of sweet, sour, spicy soup showed up. Always nice to have the extras when we are with Henry.
Beef with green pepper, onion fat noodles and black bean sauce was next on the agenda. A plate of Chinese green beans with beef and scallions was next. Very good quality of beef. Loads of flavor. Last dish before dessert was salt and pepper pork ribs. Good dishes with the red wines.
Dessert was Daan Taat - egg custard tarts. We ordered these early because they have a tendency to run out.
Dim Sum today was a last minute decision by Henry last night. He wanted help in drinking up the wines that were left and fortunately I had the day off. First we were going to have lunch at Henrys but then decided to do Dim Sum and have someone else do the dishes. We had a great time today, a lot of jokes and laughter.
The boys and I met today at the Seafood Palace for Dim Sum and to finish some of the wine from Henrys event yesterday. Henry took and filled a few bottles up with the leftover wine from Sunday. They were all red Napa blends so it did not matter if they were blended some more.
I brought a Robert Moncuit Champagne so we would have something other than red wine.
Started off with the walnut shrimp, always good then onto the deep fried minced shrimp wrapped in seaweed. A new version of the big flat noodles wrapped around a filling. Instead of shrimp today it was BBQ beef with cilantro. I like the beef better. More flavor and it was not loaded with cilantro which I appreciated.
I asked for salt & pepper calamari because we have not had this in quite awhile. The lunch version is mostly baby squid. Dinner plate is more of the filet. Big difference on price.
Our "free" bowl of sweet, sour, spicy soup showed up. Always nice to have the extras when we are with Henry.
Beef with green pepper, onion fat noodles and black bean sauce was next on the agenda. A plate of Chinese green beans with beef and scallions was next. Very good quality of beef. Loads of flavor. Last dish before dessert was salt and pepper pork ribs. Good dishes with the red wines.
Dessert was Daan Taat - egg custard tarts. We ordered these early because they have a tendency to run out.
Dim Sum today was a last minute decision by Henry last night. He wanted help in drinking up the wines that were left and fortunately I had the day off. First we were going to have lunch at Henrys but then decided to do Dim Sum and have someone else do the dishes. We had a great time today, a lot of jokes and laughter.
October Wino's Day
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Today's theme for the monthly winos gathering was Napa Blends 2002 to 2012. An interesting selection of wines today.
A couple I really enjoyed was the 2004 BV Tapestry, 2005 Blankiet, Prince of Hearts, 2008 Hendry and the wine I brought a NV10 Cain Cuvee (2 harvests).
The best wine of the night was non-conforming that Stan opened up. It was a 1995 which did not meet the criteria for the theme because it was too old. But it was very good, a 1995 St. Clement, Oroppas.
A nice selection of wines and some very good food. Henry had decorated his yard for Halloween and a good time was had by all.
Today's theme for the monthly winos gathering was Napa Blends 2002 to 2012. An interesting selection of wines today.
A couple I really enjoyed was the 2004 BV Tapestry, 2005 Blankiet, Prince of Hearts, 2008 Hendry and the wine I brought a NV10 Cain Cuvee (2 harvests).
The best wine of the night was non-conforming that Stan opened up. It was a 1995 which did not meet the criteria for the theme because it was too old. But it was very good, a 1995 St. Clement, Oroppas.
A nice selection of wines and some very good food. Henry had decorated his yard for Halloween and a good time was had by all.
Sparkler Event at K & L Wine Merchants
Saturday, October 24, 2015
8 of us met at Greg's house to await the "limo" to take us to Hollywood to K & L Wine Merchants for their annual Sparkler event. This was my first time attending. Normally I do not drive that distance for a tasting but with a limo involved it made the day so much easier.
We were dropped off about 45 minutes before the opening of the door. We were first in line and it was in the shade of the building so that helped. At 4 o'clock the door opened and we were ushered into the blocked off parking lot. 22 tables were set up for the wine reps and a couple of tables for food. They did have those tall bar tables to set your food (on napkins) and glasses on but no place to sit down.
The food was catered by Repulique and basically was cheeses, pates, bread and a few sauces. All the food was very good. I made sure I ate something in between each taste of bubbly.
I headed to the tables with the high end wines first before they ran out. usually at events like this they bring a limited number of expensive wines and when its gone its gone.
So first stop was table 10 which was Louis Roederer. Cristal was my first choice then 4 others at that table before moving on. Others tasted doing the day were Lucien Albrecht, Deutz, Franck Bonville, Launois, Tattinger, Bollinger, Dom Perignon, Billecart-Salmon, Pol Roger, J. Laurens, Michael Dervin, Allimant.
I was quite taken with Drappier. Had not heard of this label before. They were pouring 3 wines. I particularly liked the Brut Nature Zero Dosage. Very dry. $99 a bottle. All three of their selections were good.
I did not have a sparking that I did not like. Some were really outstanding and the others were good.
At 6 o'clock the limo came back for us and we headed back to Gregs house for small bites and wine. We were treated to a 2005 Williams Selyem Allen Vineyards, Pinot Noir and a 2005 Thomas George Pinot Noir.
A nice ending a great day
8 of us met at Greg's house to await the "limo" to take us to Hollywood to K & L Wine Merchants for their annual Sparkler event. This was my first time attending. Normally I do not drive that distance for a tasting but with a limo involved it made the day so much easier.
We were dropped off about 45 minutes before the opening of the door. We were first in line and it was in the shade of the building so that helped. At 4 o'clock the door opened and we were ushered into the blocked off parking lot. 22 tables were set up for the wine reps and a couple of tables for food. They did have those tall bar tables to set your food (on napkins) and glasses on but no place to sit down.
The food was catered by Repulique and basically was cheeses, pates, bread and a few sauces. All the food was very good. I made sure I ate something in between each taste of bubbly.
I headed to the tables with the high end wines first before they ran out. usually at events like this they bring a limited number of expensive wines and when its gone its gone.
So first stop was table 10 which was Louis Roederer. Cristal was my first choice then 4 others at that table before moving on. Others tasted doing the day were Lucien Albrecht, Deutz, Franck Bonville, Launois, Tattinger, Bollinger, Dom Perignon, Billecart-Salmon, Pol Roger, J. Laurens, Michael Dervin, Allimant.
I was quite taken with Drappier. Had not heard of this label before. They were pouring 3 wines. I particularly liked the Brut Nature Zero Dosage. Very dry. $99 a bottle. All three of their selections were good.
I did not have a sparking that I did not like. Some were really outstanding and the others were good.
At 6 o'clock the limo came back for us and we headed back to Gregs house for small bites and wine. We were treated to a 2005 Williams Selyem Allen Vineyards, Pinot Noir and a 2005 Thomas George Pinot Noir.
A nice ending a great day
Issara Recon
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Went to Issara tonight, www.issarathaicuisine.com. Margie wanted to try new dishes for her upcoming wine dinner at Issara. Don't know which dishes she will choose to be included in dinner along with a few old must have standards.
Chicken Wings, crispy and sticky, made with fish sauce, tamarind paste and palm sugar. Excellent
Roasted Duck Red Curry - another excellent dish . I would expect to see these two dishes as they were standouts.
Other dishes tried tonight were a Cold Pork salad. Tofu with eggplant. Fettuccine with beef. A dessert and an appetizer rounded off the menu tonight.
Since it was a dinner of "tasting" I brought a 2012 Tercero Grenache Blanc that goes well with spicy food. The other wines were 2013 Palwhinnie"The Hut", Pinot Noir and a 2012 Williams Selyem, Limestone Ridge at Vista Verde Vineyard, Chenin Blanc. All good wines and all went with the Thai food.
Went to Issara tonight, www.issarathaicuisine.com. Margie wanted to try new dishes for her upcoming wine dinner at Issara. Don't know which dishes she will choose to be included in dinner along with a few old must have standards.
Chicken Wings, crispy and sticky, made with fish sauce, tamarind paste and palm sugar. Excellent
Roasted Duck Red Curry - another excellent dish . I would expect to see these two dishes as they were standouts.
Other dishes tried tonight were a Cold Pork salad. Tofu with eggplant. Fettuccine with beef. A dessert and an appetizer rounded off the menu tonight.
Since it was a dinner of "tasting" I brought a 2012 Tercero Grenache Blanc that goes well with spicy food. The other wines were 2013 Palwhinnie"The Hut", Pinot Noir and a 2012 Williams Selyem, Limestone Ridge at Vista Verde Vineyard, Chenin Blanc. All good wines and all went with the Thai food.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Annual Passport Tasting at Delius
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill, www.deliusrestaurant.com, hosts this "wine" tasting every year. Calling it "Passport" because of wines from around the world. But this year I did not find any from Australia or Portugal - maybe I just missed them. But I visited every wine rep today. There were several wines I would like to see Delius have on their wine list.
I was impressed with the French line up but not so much the Italian line up. Spanish wines are good also.
Food this year seemed better - don't know why , some of the items were they same as in the past but it just looked to me me like more variety.
Mist of the wines seemed to be a little above average and a few of them were really good. I did not take a wine list because I did not need to be tempted to buy. I have no room and too many wines. Now I think maybe I should have but I need a reality check.
Crowd was quite different from years past. Not too many "oldtimers". That can be a good thing.
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill, www.deliusrestaurant.com, hosts this "wine" tasting every year. Calling it "Passport" because of wines from around the world. But this year I did not find any from Australia or Portugal - maybe I just missed them. But I visited every wine rep today. There were several wines I would like to see Delius have on their wine list.
I was impressed with the French line up but not so much the Italian line up. Spanish wines are good also.
Food this year seemed better - don't know why , some of the items were they same as in the past but it just looked to me me like more variety.
Mist of the wines seemed to be a little above average and a few of them were really good. I did not take a wine list because I did not need to be tempted to buy. I have no room and too many wines. Now I think maybe I should have but I need a reality check.
Crowd was quite different from years past. Not too many "oldtimers". That can be a good thing.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Donnafugata and Michael's on Naples
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Found a few people who wanted to join me for this dinner tonight. www.michaelsonnaples.com, Menu was interesting and the winery name intrigued me. Donnafugata. An old Sicilian winery. Silvio Di Silvio was the winery rep from Italy. Charming man and got more so when I found out one of the wines tonight had 6 obscure grapes in the blend. This to me was worth the price of the dinner. I ended up getting 5 more new varietals for my quest. I now have 465. Really pushing to get to the 500 mark.
We started out with Arancino D'Aragosta, leeks and lobster stuffed rice ball. Good flavor but would have like a bit more sauce on the plate. Wine was a 2014 Zibibbo Lighea, a dry muscat. Good pairing and nice way to start the meal
Second course: Spaghetti al Nero con Ricci di Mare, squid ink pasta with Santa Barbara uni. Slight fishy taste to the pasta, needed just a light touch of salt which I added . Uni was good but wished there was more of it. I thought the amount of uni was "chintzy". A 2010 Chardonnay "Chiaranda". Unusual nose and taste. I would not have taken it for a Chardonnay. 6 months in stainless, 3 months in oak and then into the bottle. The bottles are not released for another 3 years. If I was in the buying mode I would have picked up a few bottles of this wine.
Third course: Tonno con Panelle, Smoked Ahi tuna with chickpea fritter, oven roasted cherry tomato and walnut pesto. Loads of flavor, tuna was perfect. Paired with a 2012 "Sedara", a Nero d'Avola. Again another very good match.
Main course: Agnello al Forno. Devils Gulch leg of lamb with artichokes, potato puree and eggplant caponata. Had several bites and boxed it up to take home. I was pushing my full meter and we did have dessert coming up. Wine was a 2008 "Mille e' una Notte" a Nero d'Avola along with 6 other obscure grapes. Ninella, Vetriolo, Alzano, Nocera, Perricone, and Nerello-Cappuccio. I had the Perricone on my list already. But 5 new ones for me. I am a happy wino. This was a very good wine. a bit pricy but excellent pairing.
Dessert was a Panna Cotta alle Mandorle, almond milk panna cotta with almond cookies and blackberries. served with a 2013 "Ben Rye" which was a sweet muscat. Had faint wild strawberry with a touch of honeysuckle.
So a very good dinner, excellent wines and good company. My kind of night.
Found a few people who wanted to join me for this dinner tonight. www.michaelsonnaples.com, Menu was interesting and the winery name intrigued me. Donnafugata. An old Sicilian winery. Silvio Di Silvio was the winery rep from Italy. Charming man and got more so when I found out one of the wines tonight had 6 obscure grapes in the blend. This to me was worth the price of the dinner. I ended up getting 5 more new varietals for my quest. I now have 465. Really pushing to get to the 500 mark.
We started out with Arancino D'Aragosta, leeks and lobster stuffed rice ball. Good flavor but would have like a bit more sauce on the plate. Wine was a 2014 Zibibbo Lighea, a dry muscat. Good pairing and nice way to start the meal
Second course: Spaghetti al Nero con Ricci di Mare, squid ink pasta with Santa Barbara uni. Slight fishy taste to the pasta, needed just a light touch of salt which I added . Uni was good but wished there was more of it. I thought the amount of uni was "chintzy". A 2010 Chardonnay "Chiaranda". Unusual nose and taste. I would not have taken it for a Chardonnay. 6 months in stainless, 3 months in oak and then into the bottle. The bottles are not released for another 3 years. If I was in the buying mode I would have picked up a few bottles of this wine.
Third course: Tonno con Panelle, Smoked Ahi tuna with chickpea fritter, oven roasted cherry tomato and walnut pesto. Loads of flavor, tuna was perfect. Paired with a 2012 "Sedara", a Nero d'Avola. Again another very good match.
Main course: Agnello al Forno. Devils Gulch leg of lamb with artichokes, potato puree and eggplant caponata. Had several bites and boxed it up to take home. I was pushing my full meter and we did have dessert coming up. Wine was a 2008 "Mille e' una Notte" a Nero d'Avola along with 6 other obscure grapes. Ninella, Vetriolo, Alzano, Nocera, Perricone, and Nerello-Cappuccio. I had the Perricone on my list already. But 5 new ones for me. I am a happy wino. This was a very good wine. a bit pricy but excellent pairing.
Dessert was a Panna Cotta alle Mandorle, almond milk panna cotta with almond cookies and blackberries. served with a 2013 "Ben Rye" which was a sweet muscat. Had faint wild strawberry with a touch of honeysuckle.
So a very good dinner, excellent wines and good company. My kind of night.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
If It's Sunday It Must Be Dim Sum
Sunday, October 12, 2015
Phone rang at 8:30 this morning and it was Henry looking for Dim Sum partners. 4 of us today at the Seafood Palace. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com. This was a semi holiday. Columbus Day. Only people that had it off were government, banks and a few schools.
Started out with a couple of items from the cart. During the week the carts are not as numerous as Sundays offerings. A plate of Chinese Broccoli for our vegetable requirement then Steamed Shrimp Balls , Pork Shu Mai and the Shrimp wrapped in very fat , wide noodles. Good flavor but really hard to eat with chopsticks.
A bowl of Sweet Sour soup was sent out by the kitchen. I ordered a quart of this soup to take home along with another dish.
Clams with Jalapeno's and Basil was next. Then onto Beef with Baby Bok Choy, Carrots and Fat Noodles. We rounded out lunch with Sauteed Scallops with mushrooms and greens.
We did get egg custard tarts for dessert this week.
I brought a 2012 Clos Pepe, Brut Rose which turned out to be really refreshing because of the weather.
Privada, Bodega Norton, Blend (Malbac, Merlot, Cabernet) - a little tannic, needs another year or so
2014 Jules Taylor, Sauvignon Blanc - not your typical New Zealand over done Sau Blanc - nice wine
2007 Paraiso, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir - Typical SLH pinot - showing well
And the winner today of the best wine on the table was a 29007 Casa Lapostalle, Cuvee Alexandre, Apalta Vineyard, Carmenere - Beautiful wine. Balanced, soft mouth feel throughout the palate, nice muted fruit., dark berries. A pleasure to drink.
Phone rang at 8:30 this morning and it was Henry looking for Dim Sum partners. 4 of us today at the Seafood Palace. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com. This was a semi holiday. Columbus Day. Only people that had it off were government, banks and a few schools.
Started out with a couple of items from the cart. During the week the carts are not as numerous as Sundays offerings. A plate of Chinese Broccoli for our vegetable requirement then Steamed Shrimp Balls , Pork Shu Mai and the Shrimp wrapped in very fat , wide noodles. Good flavor but really hard to eat with chopsticks.
A bowl of Sweet Sour soup was sent out by the kitchen. I ordered a quart of this soup to take home along with another dish.
Clams with Jalapeno's and Basil was next. Then onto Beef with Baby Bok Choy, Carrots and Fat Noodles. We rounded out lunch with Sauteed Scallops with mushrooms and greens.
We did get egg custard tarts for dessert this week.
I brought a 2012 Clos Pepe, Brut Rose which turned out to be really refreshing because of the weather.
Privada, Bodega Norton, Blend (Malbac, Merlot, Cabernet) - a little tannic, needs another year or so
2014 Jules Taylor, Sauvignon Blanc - not your typical New Zealand over done Sau Blanc - nice wine
2007 Paraiso, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir - Typical SLH pinot - showing well
And the winner today of the best wine on the table was a 29007 Casa Lapostalle, Cuvee Alexandre, Apalta Vineyard, Carmenere - Beautiful wine. Balanced, soft mouth feel throughout the palate, nice muted fruit., dark berries. A pleasure to drink.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Aroma's Italiano Cafe
Saturday, October 20, 2015
This was Margie's choice for her October event. A lot of Italian restaurants now seem to have ":aroma" in their names. This place was in a shopping center near the racetrack in Cypress. www.aromaitalianocafe.com, Margie had checked out this place before with a few others and she was really up on the food. 11 of us tonight for dinner. We were seated at one long table and then another small table for 3. Since I was the last one there that is where I sat with Kelly and Dimitry. So there was a disconnect in the seating, It was like 2 separate dinner parties. Apparently Kelly asked to have the tables split so she wouldn't have to crawl over people to get out of the back.
Food was served. We had pre-ordered what we wanted from a selection. We had one of the hottest weekends of the year so my selections were based on that factor. I took the Antipasto Della Casa which was prosciutto wrapped canteloupe. Those who had ordered that were served and then about the time we were finished with that dish the salad was served. And the salad was served to everyone
My main course selection, we had choice of salmon, canelloni or steak. I chose the salmon, which said "Grilled Salmon and Prawns ". Came out it was two very small pieces of salmon about 1" by 1" and two medium shrimp on a skewer with loads of onions and peppers. Nothing on the menu said "kabob". I never order kabobs anyplace. I am not a fan of them in any way. The potatoes and vegetable's on the plate were decent. Not great but just as good as most places. Kelly took one look at her salmon plate and sent it back and replaced it with a steak.
I did not see any cannelloni so I cannot comment of that dish but the rib eye steak was another thing. It was very thin but apparently was good. I prefer a smaller steak but thicker so I know I am tasting meat.
Dessert was a choice of tiramisu or cannoli. I choose the tiramisu. It had been frozen so I doubt if the restaurant made it. It said "homemade" but did not indicate whose home. It did not say "housemade". It was ok but I have had much better.
Because I had been vocal about my main dish the chef/owner, Umberto came out to speak with me. I voiced my displeasure in the fact "kabob" was not mentioned on the menu. I had expected a filet of salmon. He seemed not to be overly concerned with the difference in terminology. He also had an attitude. Reminded me of the dickhead at Park Ave Grill. To top it off I misread the charge slip and did not see the tip was included. The lighting was not good but it was my fault for not catching it. So I tipped on top of that. But then no one at the table said, "be careful the tip is included". If I see that I always tell everyone because it is easy to not catch it. It was my fault but I think someone should have made a mention of that fact.
Needless to say I will not be coming back. Within a mile or so of this place is Franco's and I will go there in a heartbeat. This dinner was dis-jointed. Did not flow well. Seating sucked.
Wines were a mixed lot. A lot of reds. I passed on most. Too hot to drink reds. I become a wasteland in the heat. I brought a 2013 Tercero Rose of Mouvedre because I was ordering the salmon. Went well with the minuscule salmon I was served. I also brought a 2012 Huber Hafen (Dornfelder Port)
2010 Iron Horse, Russian Cuvee, Sparkling - I did not taste as I am not a fan of Iron Horse
2012 Iron Horse, Pinot Noir - again I did not taste
Stella Rose Proseco - this was good and refreshing
2013 Dusty Goose, Chardonnay - did not taste because I knew it was oaky
2010 Palmina, Alisos, (Sangio & Merlot) - I had a small taste and it was good. I have this wine at home
2012 Weins, Temecula, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste
NV Graham Beck, - always a good sparkling
1999 Puelles, Gran Reserva, Rioja - this was a good wine, well balanced and very drinkable
2010 Stolpman, Santa Ynez, Sangiovese - Starting to show well
2012 Hearthstone Estate, Paso Robles, Pearl - did not taste , I have an idea this was the white rhone everyone tried to get me to taste
2014 Calaferia, Negroamno Tocmausca - did not taste
2009 Pondera, Columbia Valley Consehsio - everyone raved about this wine, I personally did not like it.
This was Margie's choice for her October event. A lot of Italian restaurants now seem to have ":aroma" in their names. This place was in a shopping center near the racetrack in Cypress. www.aromaitalianocafe.com, Margie had checked out this place before with a few others and she was really up on the food. 11 of us tonight for dinner. We were seated at one long table and then another small table for 3. Since I was the last one there that is where I sat with Kelly and Dimitry. So there was a disconnect in the seating, It was like 2 separate dinner parties. Apparently Kelly asked to have the tables split so she wouldn't have to crawl over people to get out of the back.
Food was served. We had pre-ordered what we wanted from a selection. We had one of the hottest weekends of the year so my selections were based on that factor. I took the Antipasto Della Casa which was prosciutto wrapped canteloupe. Those who had ordered that were served and then about the time we were finished with that dish the salad was served. And the salad was served to everyone
My main course selection, we had choice of salmon, canelloni or steak. I chose the salmon, which said "Grilled Salmon and Prawns ". Came out it was two very small pieces of salmon about 1" by 1" and two medium shrimp on a skewer with loads of onions and peppers. Nothing on the menu said "kabob". I never order kabobs anyplace. I am not a fan of them in any way. The potatoes and vegetable's on the plate were decent. Not great but just as good as most places. Kelly took one look at her salmon plate and sent it back and replaced it with a steak.
I did not see any cannelloni so I cannot comment of that dish but the rib eye steak was another thing. It was very thin but apparently was good. I prefer a smaller steak but thicker so I know I am tasting meat.
Dessert was a choice of tiramisu or cannoli. I choose the tiramisu. It had been frozen so I doubt if the restaurant made it. It said "homemade" but did not indicate whose home. It did not say "housemade". It was ok but I have had much better.
Because I had been vocal about my main dish the chef/owner, Umberto came out to speak with me. I voiced my displeasure in the fact "kabob" was not mentioned on the menu. I had expected a filet of salmon. He seemed not to be overly concerned with the difference in terminology. He also had an attitude. Reminded me of the dickhead at Park Ave Grill. To top it off I misread the charge slip and did not see the tip was included. The lighting was not good but it was my fault for not catching it. So I tipped on top of that. But then no one at the table said, "be careful the tip is included". If I see that I always tell everyone because it is easy to not catch it. It was my fault but I think someone should have made a mention of that fact.
Needless to say I will not be coming back. Within a mile or so of this place is Franco's and I will go there in a heartbeat. This dinner was dis-jointed. Did not flow well. Seating sucked.
Wines were a mixed lot. A lot of reds. I passed on most. Too hot to drink reds. I become a wasteland in the heat. I brought a 2013 Tercero Rose of Mouvedre because I was ordering the salmon. Went well with the minuscule salmon I was served. I also brought a 2012 Huber Hafen (Dornfelder Port)
2010 Iron Horse, Russian Cuvee, Sparkling - I did not taste as I am not a fan of Iron Horse
2012 Iron Horse, Pinot Noir - again I did not taste
Stella Rose Proseco - this was good and refreshing
2013 Dusty Goose, Chardonnay - did not taste because I knew it was oaky
2010 Palmina, Alisos, (Sangio & Merlot) - I had a small taste and it was good. I have this wine at home
2012 Weins, Temecula, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste
NV Graham Beck, - always a good sparkling
1999 Puelles, Gran Reserva, Rioja - this was a good wine, well balanced and very drinkable
2010 Stolpman, Santa Ynez, Sangiovese - Starting to show well
2012 Hearthstone Estate, Paso Robles, Pearl - did not taste , I have an idea this was the white rhone everyone tried to get me to taste
2014 Calaferia, Negroamno Tocmausca - did not taste
2009 Pondera, Columbia Valley Consehsio - everyone raved about this wine, I personally did not like it.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Tuesday at Michaels on Naples
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Have missed the last few monthly tasting at Michaels due to conflicts. This will probably be the last one for this year as the holiday season will be upon us, way to soon. In the lobby I ran into a wine rep I had dinner with a few months ago. Then upstairs was Bennett who used to work at the Wine Country.
I will say I was totally under whelmed with the wines. Winery was "Habit". Never heard of them altho I did find out that they did a tasting at Wine Country recently. Met the wine maker/owner. Jeff Fisher. Nice enough guy. Seems they source their grapes from the central coast / Santa Ynez area.
We strated out with a 2014 Habit, Jurassic Park Vineyard, Chenin Blanc. Weak, no back finish, slight grapefruit taste to it. Priced at $30 a bottle. No way. One, I would not ever buy this wine and no way was it worth that kind of money. You can get a really good bottle of French Chenin Blanc for $15 a bottle.
Next we were poured a 2014 Habit, Santa Ynez Valley, Gruner Veltliner. These grapes come from a vineyard off of Fig Road. They grafted onto Merlot root stock several years ago. Again a very weak wine with no finish. Might be because of the new vines but again I was not impressed and again at $30 a bottle. I can buy Baker and Brain Gruner for less money and it is a very good wine.
The best wine of evening was put into our glass. A 2013 Habit, Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir. Actually a good Pinot. Light but nice balance and nice finish. Price was $48 which is OK because I know what tonnage of pinot goes for in that area. But I can buy several better made pinots from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA at that price and maybe a few dollars more that are far superior.
Last wine poured was a 2014 Habit, Santa Ynez Valley, Cabernet Franc. Why too light. Blind tasting I would not have taken it for a Cab Franc. At $30 a bottle it was not a bargain.
Disappointing tasting. Did have a nice plate of mushroom ravioli and a glass of 2010 Saladini-Plastri, Rosso Piceno. Slight, soft tannins, opened up after awhile.
Have missed the last few monthly tasting at Michaels due to conflicts. This will probably be the last one for this year as the holiday season will be upon us, way to soon. In the lobby I ran into a wine rep I had dinner with a few months ago. Then upstairs was Bennett who used to work at the Wine Country.
I will say I was totally under whelmed with the wines. Winery was "Habit". Never heard of them altho I did find out that they did a tasting at Wine Country recently. Met the wine maker/owner. Jeff Fisher. Nice enough guy. Seems they source their grapes from the central coast / Santa Ynez area.
We strated out with a 2014 Habit, Jurassic Park Vineyard, Chenin Blanc. Weak, no back finish, slight grapefruit taste to it. Priced at $30 a bottle. No way. One, I would not ever buy this wine and no way was it worth that kind of money. You can get a really good bottle of French Chenin Blanc for $15 a bottle.
Next we were poured a 2014 Habit, Santa Ynez Valley, Gruner Veltliner. These grapes come from a vineyard off of Fig Road. They grafted onto Merlot root stock several years ago. Again a very weak wine with no finish. Might be because of the new vines but again I was not impressed and again at $30 a bottle. I can buy Baker and Brain Gruner for less money and it is a very good wine.
The best wine of evening was put into our glass. A 2013 Habit, Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir. Actually a good Pinot. Light but nice balance and nice finish. Price was $48 which is OK because I know what tonnage of pinot goes for in that area. But I can buy several better made pinots from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA at that price and maybe a few dollars more that are far superior.
Last wine poured was a 2014 Habit, Santa Ynez Valley, Cabernet Franc. Why too light. Blind tasting I would not have taken it for a Cab Franc. At $30 a bottle it was not a bargain.
Disappointing tasting. Did have a nice plate of mushroom ravioli and a glass of 2010 Saladini-Plastri, Rosso Piceno. Slight, soft tannins, opened up after awhile.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Boys and Dim Sum
Sunday, October 4, 2015
An overcast day sure brought the masses in for Dim Sum today at the Seafood Palace. Place was packed. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com
Were in no hurry so we ate and drank for 3 hours. A nice way to have a lazy Sunday afternoon. We had a lot of our favorite Dim Sum dishes. Shrimp wrapped in Seaweed and deep fried, Sticky rice with Chinese sausage wrapped in Lotus leaves and steamed. Shrimp wrapped in fat noodles, deep Fried Baby Squid with Scallions. Filet of Beef, French style, Spicy pork strips with chefs sauce (lots of garlic). Chicken with Bok Choy, vegetables and crispy noodles. Plate of Chinese Broccoli, Clams with Black Bean sauce and peppers . Had a Streamed egg tart which was different from the normal egg tarts we get for dessert. They ran out of those early. Just wasn't the same.
Wines were eclectic. I brought a Rumland, Cuvee Marie-Louise Brut (sket) a German sparkling 100% Pinot Noir. On the dry side and was emptied quickly. Another sparkling, Aspasie, Carte Blanche a Brouillet, Champagne. Greg was a little disappointed in this wine he brought. Did not seem to have a lot going for it.
Other wines were 2012 Stolpman Estate Syrah, (drinking nicely but I would hold it for a few more years), 2007 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir, (had this numerous times, nice wine but I wonder is this bottle just was off a bit) 2013 Castellani, Di San Gimignaro, Vernaccia, (a nice light white went well with the seafood), 2010 Loring Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir (drinking very nice right now - need to find mine).
The winner this week was a 2005 BV, George de Latour, Private Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon. Complex, smooth, well balanced, good full mouth feel. A very nice wine.
I had a back up but did not open it as there was more than enough wines on the table. A 2004 Kenneth Crawford, Clos Pepe, Pinot Noir. Back to the cooler and will bring it out at another gathering .
An overcast day sure brought the masses in for Dim Sum today at the Seafood Palace. Place was packed. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com
Were in no hurry so we ate and drank for 3 hours. A nice way to have a lazy Sunday afternoon. We had a lot of our favorite Dim Sum dishes. Shrimp wrapped in Seaweed and deep fried, Sticky rice with Chinese sausage wrapped in Lotus leaves and steamed. Shrimp wrapped in fat noodles, deep Fried Baby Squid with Scallions. Filet of Beef, French style, Spicy pork strips with chefs sauce (lots of garlic). Chicken with Bok Choy, vegetables and crispy noodles. Plate of Chinese Broccoli, Clams with Black Bean sauce and peppers . Had a Streamed egg tart which was different from the normal egg tarts we get for dessert. They ran out of those early. Just wasn't the same.
Wines were eclectic. I brought a Rumland, Cuvee Marie-Louise Brut (sket) a German sparkling 100% Pinot Noir. On the dry side and was emptied quickly. Another sparkling, Aspasie, Carte Blanche a Brouillet, Champagne. Greg was a little disappointed in this wine he brought. Did not seem to have a lot going for it.
Other wines were 2012 Stolpman Estate Syrah, (drinking nicely but I would hold it for a few more years), 2007 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir, (had this numerous times, nice wine but I wonder is this bottle just was off a bit) 2013 Castellani, Di San Gimignaro, Vernaccia, (a nice light white went well with the seafood), 2010 Loring Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir (drinking very nice right now - need to find mine).
The winner this week was a 2005 BV, George de Latour, Private Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon. Complex, smooth, well balanced, good full mouth feel. A very nice wine.
I had a back up but did not open it as there was more than enough wines on the table. A 2004 Kenneth Crawford, Clos Pepe, Pinot Noir. Back to the cooler and will bring it out at another gathering .
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Happy Hour at The Daily Grill
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Made the trek out to Irvine at go to The Daily Grill, www.dailygrill.com. Donna's birthday and that is where she wanted to go. Not for dinner but happy hour. Saturdays and Sundays is all day happy hour. Long way to go but that is what she wanted. At least someone else drove.
We ate in the bar area because of happy hour. My preference would have been dinner but it was not my birthday.
I started out with deep fried asparagus. Good flavor but about half of the asparagus was edible. Not a good impression on me. I also had a crab cake that had excellent flavor but needed another minute or so cooking. Way too moist. Then onto Firecracker Shrimp. Again good flavor but I do think the shrimp had been frozen previously. Drank a couple of splits of Chandon.
Other dishes ordered were a HH special, Chicken Pot Pie. The 3 people that ordered it were all very happy. Deep fried chicken strips and a seared ahi sushi with fried spinach rounded out the selections.
We had a good time but I would not drive out there specifically to go to the Daily Grill. If I was in the area I might stop in. I found that the food service was slow. Granted it was Saturday night and they were packed.
Made the trek out to Irvine at go to The Daily Grill, www.dailygrill.com. Donna's birthday and that is where she wanted to go. Not for dinner but happy hour. Saturdays and Sundays is all day happy hour. Long way to go but that is what she wanted. At least someone else drove.
We ate in the bar area because of happy hour. My preference would have been dinner but it was not my birthday.
I started out with deep fried asparagus. Good flavor but about half of the asparagus was edible. Not a good impression on me. I also had a crab cake that had excellent flavor but needed another minute or so cooking. Way too moist. Then onto Firecracker Shrimp. Again good flavor but I do think the shrimp had been frozen previously. Drank a couple of splits of Chandon.
Other dishes ordered were a HH special, Chicken Pot Pie. The 3 people that ordered it were all very happy. Deep fried chicken strips and a seared ahi sushi with fried spinach rounded out the selections.
We had a good time but I would not drive out there specifically to go to the Daily Grill. If I was in the area I might stop in. I found that the food service was slow. Granted it was Saturday night and they were packed.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Bistro Bleu
Tuesday, September 23, 2015
We ended up with 5 people tonight for dinner. Bistro Bleu is quite the find for Margie. www.bistrobleudining.com . Started with 8 and one dropped out after finding out that only one 2 fer coupon could be used per table. The other couple because of a misunderstanding in the table arrangements. So it is their loss.
Couple next to us celebrated his birthday so we did share wine with them.
A really nice selection of wines were brought but we all agreed that the wine Greg brought was the hit of the evening. A 2010 Thomas George, Russian River Valley, Starr Ridge Vineyard, Pinot Noir. Not a drop left.
Other wines were:
2009 Roar, Garys Vineyard, Pinot Noir
2001 Serpico Dei Feudi Di San Gregorio, Aglianico
NV Graham Beck, Brut
2007 Sea Smoke, Southing, Pinot Noir
2013 Tablas Creek, Cotes de Tablas, Blanc
A really mixed bag of dinners tonight. Lamb Chops, Hamburger (huge), Fish & Chips, Salmon, Lobster Bisque, Rabbit and a cheese plate.
Found out that Wednesday is no corkage night. Next dinner here will be on a Wednesday. We had 6 wines tonight so that was an extra $60 on the bill.
We ended up with 5 people tonight for dinner. Bistro Bleu is quite the find for Margie. www.bistrobleudining.com . Started with 8 and one dropped out after finding out that only one 2 fer coupon could be used per table. The other couple because of a misunderstanding in the table arrangements. So it is their loss.
Couple next to us celebrated his birthday so we did share wine with them.
A really nice selection of wines were brought but we all agreed that the wine Greg brought was the hit of the evening. A 2010 Thomas George, Russian River Valley, Starr Ridge Vineyard, Pinot Noir. Not a drop left.
Other wines were:
2009 Roar, Garys Vineyard, Pinot Noir
2001 Serpico Dei Feudi Di San Gregorio, Aglianico
NV Graham Beck, Brut
2007 Sea Smoke, Southing, Pinot Noir
2013 Tablas Creek, Cotes de Tablas, Blanc
A really mixed bag of dinners tonight. Lamb Chops, Hamburger (huge), Fish & Chips, Salmon, Lobster Bisque, Rabbit and a cheese plate.
Found out that Wednesday is no corkage night. Next dinner here will be on a Wednesday. We had 6 wines tonight so that was an extra $60 on the bill.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Gainey Wines at Utopia
Thursday, September 17, 2015
I have not been to Utopia, www.Utopiarestaurant.net, in several years. Parking in downtown Long Beach is just too much for me to handle. This time I only circled the block twice before I made a very illegal U-turn to nail a spot. I know there are paid parking structures nearby but I have this thing about paying excess parking fees. And Long Beach is one of the worse cities for parking. along with a few others which I don't frequent either. Marc and Judy took the bus which made it very convenient for them. Does not work for me.
We started out with a couple of glasses of the 2011 Gainey, Santa Ynez, Riesling. Not overly sweet and a nice wine. It did pair well with the Seafood Ceviche, shrimp, salmon, scallops and calamari in a spicy cilantro lemon sauce. Dish had good flavor. I think the seafood had been frozen. You can usually tell by the texture.
Second course was Warm Brie with Caramelized Garlic and Onion with a toasted baguette. This and dessert was the best of the evening. A 2012 Gainey, Sta Rita Hills, Chardonnay was poured. A good wine, very slightly oaked but blew off with the fat of the cheese.
A 2012 Gainey, Santa Ynez, Merlot was next into our glass. For a merlot it was decent. Too fruity for me but it was right up Judy's taste buds. The food served was a huge disappointment. Thins slices of grilled zucchini with a sauce of Marsala wine and brandy. I think I ate some beef tenderloin. The pieces were so small and not tender by any means. There also was a blob of mashed potatoes in the middle.
Dessert was the highlight. A Raspberry Sorbet covered with White Chocolate Gelato. This was really good. But the wine served was a 2012 Gainey, Santa Ynez, Pinot Noir. Went OK with the dessert but nothing to get excited about.
Both red wines were a bit warm for my taste. Food portions were on the small side. But dinner was only $55 so I can justify some of it but not all. I know Utopia is very capable of producing good food. Tonight just wasn't their game day.
After the great meal last night this was a real downer. Probably will be awhile before I return.
I have not been to Utopia, www.Utopiarestaurant.net, in several years. Parking in downtown Long Beach is just too much for me to handle. This time I only circled the block twice before I made a very illegal U-turn to nail a spot. I know there are paid parking structures nearby but I have this thing about paying excess parking fees. And Long Beach is one of the worse cities for parking. along with a few others which I don't frequent either. Marc and Judy took the bus which made it very convenient for them. Does not work for me.
We started out with a couple of glasses of the 2011 Gainey, Santa Ynez, Riesling. Not overly sweet and a nice wine. It did pair well with the Seafood Ceviche, shrimp, salmon, scallops and calamari in a spicy cilantro lemon sauce. Dish had good flavor. I think the seafood had been frozen. You can usually tell by the texture.
Second course was Warm Brie with Caramelized Garlic and Onion with a toasted baguette. This and dessert was the best of the evening. A 2012 Gainey, Sta Rita Hills, Chardonnay was poured. A good wine, very slightly oaked but blew off with the fat of the cheese.
A 2012 Gainey, Santa Ynez, Merlot was next into our glass. For a merlot it was decent. Too fruity for me but it was right up Judy's taste buds. The food served was a huge disappointment. Thins slices of grilled zucchini with a sauce of Marsala wine and brandy. I think I ate some beef tenderloin. The pieces were so small and not tender by any means. There also was a blob of mashed potatoes in the middle.
Dessert was the highlight. A Raspberry Sorbet covered with White Chocolate Gelato. This was really good. But the wine served was a 2012 Gainey, Santa Ynez, Pinot Noir. Went OK with the dessert but nothing to get excited about.
Both red wines were a bit warm for my taste. Food portions were on the small side. But dinner was only $55 so I can justify some of it but not all. I know Utopia is very capable of producing good food. Tonight just wasn't their game day.
After the great meal last night this was a real downer. Probably will be awhile before I return.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Playground Presents PIG
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Dinner was called "Swine City" - the Playground Restaurant in downtown Santa Ana, www.playgrounddtsa.com, hosted an all pork dinner. One dinner on Tuesday night at 7:00 sold out, two dinners on Wednesday night, 6:00 and 8:30 sold out. Granted there are only 17 seats available in the 2.0 room but I find it impressive that almost all of there dinners in this room sell out completely. Met Marc and Judy there. We all know what a pain Marc can be but he was impressed, so much so he wants to go back. Most of these dinners are $125 inclusive. Includes food, wine pairing, tax and tip. Plus it is paid for ahead of time so no hassling with the bill at the end. Just get up and leave when you want to. This rooms set up is an old bar. Long bar top and you sit on bar stools. Absolutely no room for any type of table. Just a long room, large bar, narrow hallway. All the prep, cooking and plating are done in front of you.
On this dinner the dish of food set before you was for 3 people to share. Forces you to interact with your neighbors. We started out with a Procuitto (housemade) which was excellent. Then onto to a small cast iron skillet that a corn bread had been cooked in and topped with Benton ham, caramelized shallots and butter. This was so good. I could have each the whole dish myself but then I would not have room for the rest of the meal. Served with a glass of Fino Sherry. I thought the sherry tasted oxidized and asked Rhett about it. He explained it is deliberately made that way and it is supposed to be one of the best fino sherries available. Have no idea but will research "oxidized sherry" and see what I come up with.
Next was a salad made with frizee, thinly sliced jalapeno pepper, hazelnuts, orange vinagrette and pork belly. Just a bit spicy for me so I ate the pork belly, A 2011 Patrick Piuze Chablis was served with this dish and the next.
A non pork dish was set down. A Boudin Noir Tarte, The tart shell was topped with apple, fennel, mushrooms and tiny sliced potatoes. Again another dish that I could have devoured the whole thing
Next dish was a "Sope" but instead of a corn cake they used a very thick slice of sweet potato hollowed out and filled with mashed avocado and braised pork cheek, topped with pickled sweet onion and lemon. Another excellent dish. Paired with a 2011 Daniel Largael, Chorey les Beaune which was the wine for the following dish also.
A "Devils Gulch" roasted pork loin was cooked slice in front of us. The Playground gets a small allotment of this meat because of the demand from very high end restaurants. Seasoned with salt only, roasted, sliced and served on a sauce made with fermented blueberries. They ferment the blueberries in house and it takes about six months. Really added a very special taste to the pork.
Next "piggy" up was roasted pork, caramelized shallots and brussel sprouts along with crackings and a blueberry reduction. A 2009 Domaine Durad, St, Joseph, Syrah was the wine selected.
Last dish before dessert was a housemade pork chorizo. Had one slice, great flavor but really had a kick to it. I would not be able to eat this. A dish with french green beans, marcona almonds and heirloom tomatoes accompanied it. At this point I an saturated with food. But I felt the green beans again were just a bit too al dente. Just another 30 seconds of cooking.
Dessert's (2) were a Chocolate Mousse made with bacon fat infused cream and a Apple, Brown Sugar Confuti. A glass of Stone Imperial Russian Stout was paired with the desserts and it was good. the stout had a nice chocolate flavor to it. A very nice finish to a great dinner.
I did find out that Patrica Greene will be at the Playground for a wine dinner in January or February. No date yet but I sure hope I see the posting for that one when it comes up. Marc already said "when you see it get 3 tickets". But we will be back before then. I would like to try some of their themed dinners.
Dinner was called "Swine City" - the Playground Restaurant in downtown Santa Ana, www.playgrounddtsa.com, hosted an all pork dinner. One dinner on Tuesday night at 7:00 sold out, two dinners on Wednesday night, 6:00 and 8:30 sold out. Granted there are only 17 seats available in the 2.0 room but I find it impressive that almost all of there dinners in this room sell out completely. Met Marc and Judy there. We all know what a pain Marc can be but he was impressed, so much so he wants to go back. Most of these dinners are $125 inclusive. Includes food, wine pairing, tax and tip. Plus it is paid for ahead of time so no hassling with the bill at the end. Just get up and leave when you want to. This rooms set up is an old bar. Long bar top and you sit on bar stools. Absolutely no room for any type of table. Just a long room, large bar, narrow hallway. All the prep, cooking and plating are done in front of you.
On this dinner the dish of food set before you was for 3 people to share. Forces you to interact with your neighbors. We started out with a Procuitto (housemade) which was excellent. Then onto to a small cast iron skillet that a corn bread had been cooked in and topped with Benton ham, caramelized shallots and butter. This was so good. I could have each the whole dish myself but then I would not have room for the rest of the meal. Served with a glass of Fino Sherry. I thought the sherry tasted oxidized and asked Rhett about it. He explained it is deliberately made that way and it is supposed to be one of the best fino sherries available. Have no idea but will research "oxidized sherry" and see what I come up with.
Next was a salad made with frizee, thinly sliced jalapeno pepper, hazelnuts, orange vinagrette and pork belly. Just a bit spicy for me so I ate the pork belly, A 2011 Patrick Piuze Chablis was served with this dish and the next.
A non pork dish was set down. A Boudin Noir Tarte, The tart shell was topped with apple, fennel, mushrooms and tiny sliced potatoes. Again another dish that I could have devoured the whole thing
Next dish was a "Sope" but instead of a corn cake they used a very thick slice of sweet potato hollowed out and filled with mashed avocado and braised pork cheek, topped with pickled sweet onion and lemon. Another excellent dish. Paired with a 2011 Daniel Largael, Chorey les Beaune which was the wine for the following dish also.
A "Devils Gulch" roasted pork loin was cooked slice in front of us. The Playground gets a small allotment of this meat because of the demand from very high end restaurants. Seasoned with salt only, roasted, sliced and served on a sauce made with fermented blueberries. They ferment the blueberries in house and it takes about six months. Really added a very special taste to the pork.
Next "piggy" up was roasted pork, caramelized shallots and brussel sprouts along with crackings and a blueberry reduction. A 2009 Domaine Durad, St, Joseph, Syrah was the wine selected.
Last dish before dessert was a housemade pork chorizo. Had one slice, great flavor but really had a kick to it. I would not be able to eat this. A dish with french green beans, marcona almonds and heirloom tomatoes accompanied it. At this point I an saturated with food. But I felt the green beans again were just a bit too al dente. Just another 30 seconds of cooking.
Dessert's (2) were a Chocolate Mousse made with bacon fat infused cream and a Apple, Brown Sugar Confuti. A glass of Stone Imperial Russian Stout was paired with the desserts and it was good. the stout had a nice chocolate flavor to it. A very nice finish to a great dinner.
I did find out that Patrica Greene will be at the Playground for a wine dinner in January or February. No date yet but I sure hope I see the posting for that one when it comes up. Marc already said "when you see it get 3 tickets". But we will be back before then. I would like to try some of their themed dinners.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Sweet Summer Finale at Franco's
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
This was the 3rd wine dinner Franco's has held this year. Completely sold out. They actually closed the restaurant at 5:00 for the private event dinner. Had not done that before. The owners and staff at Franco's seem to getting the hang of hosting dinners. Next one will be November 3, 2015
We started out with several glasses of 2012 San Gimignano Vernaccia. I first tasted this grape in San Gimignano, Italy. I had the varietal on my list to find. Walking thought the town, built on a hillside, I spotted a sign that said "wine bar". It was one of the wines being poured that day. Turned out to be a former convent and the building had been repurposed.
The first course was Cozi Ripiene, stuffed mussels on the half shell. Excellent and the sauce they sat in was bread sopping good. This was my favorite dish of the evening. They again poured a glass of the Vernaccia with this course. So first course and 3 glasses of wine down.
Second course was a big surprise. Insalata Di Misticanza, Bibb lettuce (super cold and crsisp) and arugula salad with grape tomatoes, tiny thinly sliced cucumbers, robiola crostino (excellent) and a white balsamic vinaigrette. A red wine was poured with the salad. Never would I have paired a red wine with lettuce. Most white wines don't go with lettuce. Big surprise, it did pair very well. Don't know why. Wine was a 2011 Antica Burchino Chiani Organic.
Next was the entree. Arrosto di Maiale con Pesche, roasted pork chop with glazed peaches and creamed potatoes. Potatoes were to die for . Really good. The pork was a bit dry. Do not think they brined it before hand. Glazed peaches had very good flavor. I have about a third of mine and had it boxed to go. Then when I left I forgot it. Carrying a couple bottles of wine and navigating my way out on the backside of the table I just plain forgot to pick it up. Paired with a 2010 Villa Marin Ripasso. A good pairing.
Dessert was good but not the best pairing. A good pairing but. Torta di Cioccolato Blanco, white chocolate mousse tart with strawberries. Very good mousse. But the wine was a 2011 Aubin Cellars Verue Gerwurztraminer and I felt that this wine should have been paired with something made with stone fruits, peaches, nectarines, plums maybe even pears. It was an OK pairng but would have been a standout with a peach cobbler.
I did buy 2 bottles of the Vernaccia and 2 bottles of the Verue. Don't need more wine but these were really good and reasonable. The reds they poured tonight were good but not standouts. But they were really being bought up by the dinner guests tonight. Maybe my "taster" is still off from Saturday night. Wines did nothing for me that night either.
This was the 3rd wine dinner Franco's has held this year. Completely sold out. They actually closed the restaurant at 5:00 for the private event dinner. Had not done that before. The owners and staff at Franco's seem to getting the hang of hosting dinners. Next one will be November 3, 2015
We started out with several glasses of 2012 San Gimignano Vernaccia. I first tasted this grape in San Gimignano, Italy. I had the varietal on my list to find. Walking thought the town, built on a hillside, I spotted a sign that said "wine bar". It was one of the wines being poured that day. Turned out to be a former convent and the building had been repurposed.
The first course was Cozi Ripiene, stuffed mussels on the half shell. Excellent and the sauce they sat in was bread sopping good. This was my favorite dish of the evening. They again poured a glass of the Vernaccia with this course. So first course and 3 glasses of wine down.
Second course was a big surprise. Insalata Di Misticanza, Bibb lettuce (super cold and crsisp) and arugula salad with grape tomatoes, tiny thinly sliced cucumbers, robiola crostino (excellent) and a white balsamic vinaigrette. A red wine was poured with the salad. Never would I have paired a red wine with lettuce. Most white wines don't go with lettuce. Big surprise, it did pair very well. Don't know why. Wine was a 2011 Antica Burchino Chiani Organic.
Next was the entree. Arrosto di Maiale con Pesche, roasted pork chop with glazed peaches and creamed potatoes. Potatoes were to die for . Really good. The pork was a bit dry. Do not think they brined it before hand. Glazed peaches had very good flavor. I have about a third of mine and had it boxed to go. Then when I left I forgot it. Carrying a couple bottles of wine and navigating my way out on the backside of the table I just plain forgot to pick it up. Paired with a 2010 Villa Marin Ripasso. A good pairing.
Dessert was good but not the best pairing. A good pairing but. Torta di Cioccolato Blanco, white chocolate mousse tart with strawberries. Very good mousse. But the wine was a 2011 Aubin Cellars Verue Gerwurztraminer and I felt that this wine should have been paired with something made with stone fruits, peaches, nectarines, plums maybe even pears. It was an OK pairng but would have been a standout with a peach cobbler.
I did buy 2 bottles of the Vernaccia and 2 bottles of the Verue. Don't need more wine but these were really good and reasonable. The reds they poured tonight were good but not standouts. But they were really being bought up by the dinner guests tonight. Maybe my "taster" is still off from Saturday night. Wines did nothing for me that night either.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Fuego in The Heat Wave
Saturday., September 4, 2015
Margie's wine/dinner group met tonight at Fuego at the Maya Hotel on the bay in Long Beach. In the middle of the miserable, humid heat wave we are experiencing this week it was a welcome respite. Dinning outdoors next to the water was what we needed. We had a good, lively group tonight. A very pleasant evening.
The hotel had several functions going on tonight. A child's 6th birthday party took the honors with the best entertainment. Polynesian dancers gave quite the show. A wedding reception was also being held but in comparison it was damm boring.
We had a choice of 3 starters, 3 main dishes and 3 desserts. Normally I do not eat salads at a wine dinner but because of the heat I opted for that over the Chicken Tortilla Soup and the Argentine Beef Churrasco. Tried the Churrasco two months ago and it was a bit dry for me. But good flavor. The soup I had last year. I will say the salad was very good. The lettuce was extra cold and crisp and it came with Hearts of Palm, Roasted Mushrooms, Peppers, Red Onion, Blue Cheese, Lemon and Olive oil.
For the main we had a choice of Polla a la Parrilla, Prime Short Rib or Pan Roasted Chilean Seabass. I decided on the chicken. It was chili rubbed with a Poblano Ginger Sauce which was excellent. Several people choose the Seabass were happy with it. A couple opted for the short rib which they said was a bit on the dry side.
I had the Salted Caramel Cheesecake and it was very good. I took half of it along half of my chicken home. Way too much food for me. Other options were Coconut Flan, Molten Chocolate Cake .
Maybe because the hotel had so much going on tonight it may have reflected in the food. The dry beef. My chicken was not quite as moist as it was two months ago.
Because of the heat a lot of white wine showed up tonight. I brought a 2014 Longoria Albarino and a 2014 Tecerro Albarino. Grapes sourced from the same vineyard. Different winemakers. The Longoria is made by Rick Longoria who has made the Albarino for years. The grandfather of Albarino in the Santa Ynez area. Larry Shaffer is the new kid on the block. This was his first Albarino. Side by side was an interesting comparison. The Longoria won the tasting by a small margin. A softer wine not quite as acidic as the Tercerro. Both had a nice lemon taste to them. We will see what Larry Shaffer does in the upcoming years with this grape.
I tasted some of the other whites and a couple of reds. I will not offer any comments about the wines. Frankly most of the whites and all the reds did not do it for me. Way to hot for me to really enjoy. Exception being the Cava. Always the right time for sparkling.
Other wines were:
2013 Williams Selyem, Chardonnay
2011 Roar, Sierra Mar Vineyard, Viognier
2012 Patricia Green Cellars, Pinot Noir
2012 - 3 Rivers, Columbia Valley, Malbec
NV Renie Barbier, Mediterranean Rose Brut-Cava
2010 Graham Beck, Game Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2014 Life From Stone, Sauvignon Blanc
2013 Anthill Farms, Peters Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir
2012 Chaeau St. Michelle, Riesling
2012 Alchemy, Cachapoal Valley, Chile, Carmenere
2012 Jordi Oliver, Emphora Blanc, Spain, Granacha/Macabeu
2012 Cuveler, Los Andres, Mendoza, Malbec (compliments of the hotel)
2005 Grgich Hills Estate, Violetta, Napa Valley, Late Harvest
Margie's wine/dinner group met tonight at Fuego at the Maya Hotel on the bay in Long Beach. In the middle of the miserable, humid heat wave we are experiencing this week it was a welcome respite. Dinning outdoors next to the water was what we needed. We had a good, lively group tonight. A very pleasant evening.
The hotel had several functions going on tonight. A child's 6th birthday party took the honors with the best entertainment. Polynesian dancers gave quite the show. A wedding reception was also being held but in comparison it was damm boring.
We had a choice of 3 starters, 3 main dishes and 3 desserts. Normally I do not eat salads at a wine dinner but because of the heat I opted for that over the Chicken Tortilla Soup and the Argentine Beef Churrasco. Tried the Churrasco two months ago and it was a bit dry for me. But good flavor. The soup I had last year. I will say the salad was very good. The lettuce was extra cold and crisp and it came with Hearts of Palm, Roasted Mushrooms, Peppers, Red Onion, Blue Cheese, Lemon and Olive oil.
For the main we had a choice of Polla a la Parrilla, Prime Short Rib or Pan Roasted Chilean Seabass. I decided on the chicken. It was chili rubbed with a Poblano Ginger Sauce which was excellent. Several people choose the Seabass were happy with it. A couple opted for the short rib which they said was a bit on the dry side.
I had the Salted Caramel Cheesecake and it was very good. I took half of it along half of my chicken home. Way too much food for me. Other options were Coconut Flan, Molten Chocolate Cake .
Maybe because the hotel had so much going on tonight it may have reflected in the food. The dry beef. My chicken was not quite as moist as it was two months ago.
Because of the heat a lot of white wine showed up tonight. I brought a 2014 Longoria Albarino and a 2014 Tecerro Albarino. Grapes sourced from the same vineyard. Different winemakers. The Longoria is made by Rick Longoria who has made the Albarino for years. The grandfather of Albarino in the Santa Ynez area. Larry Shaffer is the new kid on the block. This was his first Albarino. Side by side was an interesting comparison. The Longoria won the tasting by a small margin. A softer wine not quite as acidic as the Tercerro. Both had a nice lemon taste to them. We will see what Larry Shaffer does in the upcoming years with this grape.
I tasted some of the other whites and a couple of reds. I will not offer any comments about the wines. Frankly most of the whites and all the reds did not do it for me. Way to hot for me to really enjoy. Exception being the Cava. Always the right time for sparkling.
Other wines were:
2013 Williams Selyem, Chardonnay
2011 Roar, Sierra Mar Vineyard, Viognier
2012 Patricia Green Cellars, Pinot Noir
2012 - 3 Rivers, Columbia Valley, Malbec
NV Renie Barbier, Mediterranean Rose Brut-Cava
2010 Graham Beck, Game Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2014 Life From Stone, Sauvignon Blanc
2013 Anthill Farms, Peters Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir
2012 Chaeau St. Michelle, Riesling
2012 Alchemy, Cachapoal Valley, Chile, Carmenere
2012 Jordi Oliver, Emphora Blanc, Spain, Granacha/Macabeu
2012 Cuveler, Los Andres, Mendoza, Malbec (compliments of the hotel)
2005 Grgich Hills Estate, Violetta, Napa Valley, Late Harvest
Monday, September 7, 2015
If Its Sunday It Must Be Dim Sum
Sunday, September 6, 2015
A very last minute invite for Dim Sum. A nice break from a "working" holiday weekend. Put in new bathroom vanity with top. Naturally walls are not straight. So we will have to be creative in this problem solving. Cambria is coming in Tuesday to replace all my new kitchen counters. Seems there is a manufacturing defect in them and there is a lifetime guarantee - so total replacement. When Henry called for a last minute invite I jumped at it.
Headed over to the Seafood Palace,(next to a Home Depot which I need so two things taken care of). Met Henry and the boys for lunch.
Started off with Steamed Shrimp Dumplings along with Steamed Pork Chu Mai. Then a small plate of Deep Fried Baby Squid. These were room temperature and had a sweetness to them. Quite good. A tin of BBQ Pork Dumplings was next off the cart along with a Steamed Ground Pork Tart.
Then onto dishes from the regular menu. Spicy Pork Strips with Chefs Sauce (which means anything that is available), this dish had loads of garlic and was very good. CJ's favorite. A plate of White Sea Bass with Chinese Broccoli. Fish was subtle and sweet.And the last dish Dry Stir Fry Beef with Fat Noodles,
Eight dishes of food, and we were stuffed, tax and tip $10 per person. Love eating with Henry. Always a huge bargain.. They had fresh live Crab on special today at $20 but we opted out as none of us wanted to deal with the shell and mess.
A very mixed bag of wines today. I brought a NV Meres Freres, Extra Brut, Memorie, Champagne. Got this at Wine Country a few years back. If I remember right this bubbly is made with numerous years of wine, limited and they were only were allotted a few bottles. Had not tasted it before but I was intrigued with the story so I bought it. Was not cheap and I was waiting for the perfect time and today felt good to me. Small amount of people to share it with. It was damm good
A 2003 Paolo Scavino, Barolo - either just slightly over the hill or going through the "dumb stage".
2011 Evening Land, Edna Valley, Chardonnay - a nice chardonnay, clean and went well with the fish.
2007 Domaine, Gran Veneur, Les Champay Vins, Cotes Du Rhone - Excellent wine
2010 Joseph Swan, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir - very good wine but I would hold it for a couple more years.
A very last minute invite for Dim Sum. A nice break from a "working" holiday weekend. Put in new bathroom vanity with top. Naturally walls are not straight. So we will have to be creative in this problem solving. Cambria is coming in Tuesday to replace all my new kitchen counters. Seems there is a manufacturing defect in them and there is a lifetime guarantee - so total replacement. When Henry called for a last minute invite I jumped at it.
Headed over to the Seafood Palace,(next to a Home Depot which I need so two things taken care of). Met Henry and the boys for lunch.
Started off with Steamed Shrimp Dumplings along with Steamed Pork Chu Mai. Then a small plate of Deep Fried Baby Squid. These were room temperature and had a sweetness to them. Quite good. A tin of BBQ Pork Dumplings was next off the cart along with a Steamed Ground Pork Tart.
Then onto dishes from the regular menu. Spicy Pork Strips with Chefs Sauce (which means anything that is available), this dish had loads of garlic and was very good. CJ's favorite. A plate of White Sea Bass with Chinese Broccoli. Fish was subtle and sweet.And the last dish Dry Stir Fry Beef with Fat Noodles,
Eight dishes of food, and we were stuffed, tax and tip $10 per person. Love eating with Henry. Always a huge bargain.. They had fresh live Crab on special today at $20 but we opted out as none of us wanted to deal with the shell and mess.
A very mixed bag of wines today. I brought a NV Meres Freres, Extra Brut, Memorie, Champagne. Got this at Wine Country a few years back. If I remember right this bubbly is made with numerous years of wine, limited and they were only were allotted a few bottles. Had not tasted it before but I was intrigued with the story so I bought it. Was not cheap and I was waiting for the perfect time and today felt good to me. Small amount of people to share it with. It was damm good
A 2003 Paolo Scavino, Barolo - either just slightly over the hill or going through the "dumb stage".
2011 Evening Land, Edna Valley, Chardonnay - a nice chardonnay, clean and went well with the fish.
2007 Domaine, Gran Veneur, Les Champay Vins, Cotes Du Rhone - Excellent wine
2010 Joseph Swan, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir - very good wine but I would hold it for a couple more years.
Friday, September 4, 2015
Bistro Bleu
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Five of us winos tonight for a mid week dinner at Bistro Bleu, www.bistrobleudining.com,. Had the rabbit last week and that is what I am ordering tonight. Maybe next time I will look at something else.
I repeated by dinner from last week, The roasted beet salad and the rabbit with mustard cream sauce. Did have the mashed potatoes this time instead of the pasta. Three people ordered the lamb chops and all said the chops were very good and cooked perfectly. There was a bowl of green mussels was ordered along with "Frites". Somehow "Frites" always taste better than french fries. Probably the double frying.
We were all happy campers. A interesting selection of wines tonight. All of them good.
2013 Kettmeir, Muller-Thurgau
2009 Alysian, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir
2012 Calcereous, Tres Violet, GSM
2012 Clos Pepe, VS, Pinot Noir
1994 Oakford Vineyards, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon - really opened up after decanting
Five of us winos tonight for a mid week dinner at Bistro Bleu, www.bistrobleudining.com,. Had the rabbit last week and that is what I am ordering tonight. Maybe next time I will look at something else.
I repeated by dinner from last week, The roasted beet salad and the rabbit with mustard cream sauce. Did have the mashed potatoes this time instead of the pasta. Three people ordered the lamb chops and all said the chops were very good and cooked perfectly. There was a bowl of green mussels was ordered along with "Frites". Somehow "Frites" always taste better than french fries. Probably the double frying.
We were all happy campers. A interesting selection of wines tonight. All of them good.
2013 Kettmeir, Muller-Thurgau
2009 Alysian, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir
2012 Calcereous, Tres Violet, GSM
2012 Clos Pepe, VS, Pinot Noir
1994 Oakford Vineyards, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon - really opened up after decanting
Timeless Pints and Delius
Wednesday. September 1, 2015
Delius Restaurant, www.deliusrestaurant.com and Timeless Pints, www.timelesspints.com, a brewery in Lakewood combined their talents tonight to host a beer dinner. Dinner was held at the brewery, so benches and disposable dishes. Plates and bowls were made from palm fronds and totally biodegradable. Big crowd tonight. Sold out with a waiting list.
Started off with a plate of 3 breads all made from the spent grain from 3 different beers. All of them were good in different ways. A Honey Blond Soda Bread with Honey Butter, IPA Wheat Bread with Cabernet Brie Spread and Huckleberry Oatmeal Stout Squaw Bread with Cherry Wood, Smoked Jalapeno and Bacon Jam. No complaints here. The jam was a knockout. I ended up taking most of mine home because the servings were very generous and I did not need to fill up on bread before dinner. Beer served was a A Swarm and a Hatter Honey Blond Ale, Liked this beer a lot.
Next up was a Lobster, Grapefruit Gelee, Frisee-Arugula Salad, Hearts of Palm and Lobster Vinaigrette. Lobster had good flavor and the grapefruit gelee added a nice component to the salad. Beer was a Wicked White IPA. I am not a fan of IPA's. Tasted this one and put it aside. Drank some of the Honey Blond Ale with this dish.
A plate of Pork belly, Spiced Molasses Syrup, Roasted Summer Squash, Papaya and Orange Crisp was next. Pork Belly was perfect. really liked the molasses syrup with it. Another IPA was served. The Expeditious Guest. Again one sip and put it aside and finished the Honey Blond Ale.
If you like IPA's these were probably very good. Hoppy is just not my thing.
A plate of Shredded Chicken in Mole, Tart Cherry Granita, Blistered peppers and Plantain Chips appeared. Mole was good, the granita added a nice cleansing bite. I passed on the peppers because of the heat. Beer was a Precarious Proposal Amber Ale. A good combination and a good beer.
Dessert was a Nutella and Huckleberry Jam Panini with Huckleberry Stout Ice Cream. the ice cream had great flavor. The Panini was very good but by this time I did not need more bread. Ate about half but devoured the ice cream. Paired with the Huckleberry Oatmeal Stout. Really liked this beer. I am into dark beers and stouts. Love the flavors of them.
A good dinner. Good beers and a really fun evening. Delius is hoping do do a few of these dinners every year with Timeless Pints.
Delius Restaurant, www.deliusrestaurant.com and Timeless Pints, www.timelesspints.com, a brewery in Lakewood combined their talents tonight to host a beer dinner. Dinner was held at the brewery, so benches and disposable dishes. Plates and bowls were made from palm fronds and totally biodegradable. Big crowd tonight. Sold out with a waiting list.
Started off with a plate of 3 breads all made from the spent grain from 3 different beers. All of them were good in different ways. A Honey Blond Soda Bread with Honey Butter, IPA Wheat Bread with Cabernet Brie Spread and Huckleberry Oatmeal Stout Squaw Bread with Cherry Wood, Smoked Jalapeno and Bacon Jam. No complaints here. The jam was a knockout. I ended up taking most of mine home because the servings were very generous and I did not need to fill up on bread before dinner. Beer served was a A Swarm and a Hatter Honey Blond Ale, Liked this beer a lot.
Next up was a Lobster, Grapefruit Gelee, Frisee-Arugula Salad, Hearts of Palm and Lobster Vinaigrette. Lobster had good flavor and the grapefruit gelee added a nice component to the salad. Beer was a Wicked White IPA. I am not a fan of IPA's. Tasted this one and put it aside. Drank some of the Honey Blond Ale with this dish.
A plate of Pork belly, Spiced Molasses Syrup, Roasted Summer Squash, Papaya and Orange Crisp was next. Pork Belly was perfect. really liked the molasses syrup with it. Another IPA was served. The Expeditious Guest. Again one sip and put it aside and finished the Honey Blond Ale.
If you like IPA's these were probably very good. Hoppy is just not my thing.
A plate of Shredded Chicken in Mole, Tart Cherry Granita, Blistered peppers and Plantain Chips appeared. Mole was good, the granita added a nice cleansing bite. I passed on the peppers because of the heat. Beer was a Precarious Proposal Amber Ale. A good combination and a good beer.
Dessert was a Nutella and Huckleberry Jam Panini with Huckleberry Stout Ice Cream. the ice cream had great flavor. The Panini was very good but by this time I did not need more bread. Ate about half but devoured the ice cream. Paired with the Huckleberry Oatmeal Stout. Really liked this beer. I am into dark beers and stouts. Love the flavors of them.
A good dinner. Good beers and a really fun evening. Delius is hoping do do a few of these dinners every year with Timeless Pints.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Annual German Wine Dinner at Delius
Saturday, August 29, 2015
These dinners featuring German wines have been an event for a lot of years at Delius. www.deliusrestaurant.com. Allie the wine rep from Rudy Weist Imports was there again. Looking quite summery in her bright orange dress, Showed off her surfers body. Allie surfs almost everyday. Her cousin was with her tonight. He just moved to California from Chicago by way of Florida. Brandon said he thought he could get used to dinners like this really fast. He was a lot of fun. Also shared the table with Ray & Barbara so we had a very lively evening.
We started out the a glass of 2009 Raumland Cuvee Marie-Luise Brut Blanc de Noir. Mineraly, crisp, green apple, black cherry and a touch of nectarine. Good enough that I bought the 2 bottles that were left.
First course: Crab, Avocado and Golden Beet Napolean with frisee, grilled serrano vinaigrette and toasted almonds. Exceptionally good, just the right amount of bite to it and a beautiful looking dish.
Paired with a 2013 Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett. A very good pairing. The Riesling had a touch of petrol on the nose, good acidity and a bit on the dry side. I also had some of the Sket with this dish and it was a winner also.
Second course: Crispy Skin Loup de Mer, basil broth, fennel, baby heirloom tomatoes and lemon oil. Another winner. The broth was very good, full of flavor. The fennel was not strong. Fish was cooked perfectly. Paired with a 2013 Wagner-Stempel Pinot Blanc Dry, Siefersheim. A decent pairing but the Rielsing and Sket we just had went better with this dish. It is nice to save some wine and hold it over to the next course to compare.
Third course: Caramelized Spaetzle, Duck Confit, grilled king oyster mushrooms, brown butter, garlic chips. To me this was by far the best dish of the evening. Loaded with flavors, rich, decadent. So glad the portion was not huge. This dish was exceptionally good. Wine was a 1994 Schloss Schonborn Riesling Auslese, Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg. The wine had a touch of petrol on the nose not quite as much as the other Riesling we had. But the color was beautiful, had good viscosity and mouth fell, well balanced and rich enough to stand up to the duck. A perfect pairing.
Fourth course: Grilled Hangar Steak, red wine reduction, farm risotto, roasted carrot puree, cipollini onions, fried carrot garnish. Normally by this time in the dinner I will take a bite or two and have them box up the rest to take home. But one bite led to another and so on. Before long the plate was clean. The carrot puree really set this dish apart and the risotto was perfect, Another excellent dish from the kitchen. A 2012 Schnaitmann Lemberger 2 Star was the wine selected for this dish. A good pairing. German red wines are usually on the lighter side and are made to go with food and this one was perfect for the dish.
Dessert was a Black Forest Cheesecake. Light and a nice ending to a rich meal. The cake was served on a rectangular plate and Delius's logo (the 3 glasses) was stenciled onto the plate with powdered cocoa. I thought that this was a cool touch and hope they do this more often.
Another dinner at Delius that was exceptionally good. I even ate the damm frisee that was with the Napoleon. Granted it was small but it still was frisee.
These dinners featuring German wines have been an event for a lot of years at Delius. www.deliusrestaurant.com. Allie the wine rep from Rudy Weist Imports was there again. Looking quite summery in her bright orange dress, Showed off her surfers body. Allie surfs almost everyday. Her cousin was with her tonight. He just moved to California from Chicago by way of Florida. Brandon said he thought he could get used to dinners like this really fast. He was a lot of fun. Also shared the table with Ray & Barbara so we had a very lively evening.
We started out the a glass of 2009 Raumland Cuvee Marie-Luise Brut Blanc de Noir. Mineraly, crisp, green apple, black cherry and a touch of nectarine. Good enough that I bought the 2 bottles that were left.
First course: Crab, Avocado and Golden Beet Napolean with frisee, grilled serrano vinaigrette and toasted almonds. Exceptionally good, just the right amount of bite to it and a beautiful looking dish.
Paired with a 2013 Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett. A very good pairing. The Riesling had a touch of petrol on the nose, good acidity and a bit on the dry side. I also had some of the Sket with this dish and it was a winner also.
Second course: Crispy Skin Loup de Mer, basil broth, fennel, baby heirloom tomatoes and lemon oil. Another winner. The broth was very good, full of flavor. The fennel was not strong. Fish was cooked perfectly. Paired with a 2013 Wagner-Stempel Pinot Blanc Dry, Siefersheim. A decent pairing but the Rielsing and Sket we just had went better with this dish. It is nice to save some wine and hold it over to the next course to compare.
Third course: Caramelized Spaetzle, Duck Confit, grilled king oyster mushrooms, brown butter, garlic chips. To me this was by far the best dish of the evening. Loaded with flavors, rich, decadent. So glad the portion was not huge. This dish was exceptionally good. Wine was a 1994 Schloss Schonborn Riesling Auslese, Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg. The wine had a touch of petrol on the nose not quite as much as the other Riesling we had. But the color was beautiful, had good viscosity and mouth fell, well balanced and rich enough to stand up to the duck. A perfect pairing.
Fourth course: Grilled Hangar Steak, red wine reduction, farm risotto, roasted carrot puree, cipollini onions, fried carrot garnish. Normally by this time in the dinner I will take a bite or two and have them box up the rest to take home. But one bite led to another and so on. Before long the plate was clean. The carrot puree really set this dish apart and the risotto was perfect, Another excellent dish from the kitchen. A 2012 Schnaitmann Lemberger 2 Star was the wine selected for this dish. A good pairing. German red wines are usually on the lighter side and are made to go with food and this one was perfect for the dish.
Dessert was a Black Forest Cheesecake. Light and a nice ending to a rich meal. The cake was served on a rectangular plate and Delius's logo (the 3 glasses) was stenciled onto the plate with powdered cocoa. I thought that this was a cool touch and hope they do this more often.
Another dinner at Delius that was exceptionally good. I even ate the damm frisee that was with the Napoleon. Granted it was small but it still was frisee.
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