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.