Saturday, April 30, 2016

Pinot Showdown at the Sky Room

Friday, April 29, 2016

The Sky Room at the Breakers hotel in Long Beach, www.theskyroom.com hosted a dinner tonight with 3 Pinots from California and 3 Pinots from Oregon. We did not know that the wines would be brown bagged and tasted blind. Flights of two wines each and we had to guess which wine from the list. Not quite what I expected from a dinner but you just go with the flow. Since you are drinking two wines with each course your palate is going to be changing quite a bit because of the food. Our guesses were checked after every flight. I managed to get 3 right and received a bottle of 2007 Coquelicot, Mon Amour, a bordeaux blend. The owner of the Sky Room also owns the winery.

When I arrived I was a bit early so I got to pick out the seats for dinner. Choose ones facing the windows because of the view. We had a couple at the same table and two no shows. The no shows apparently were restaurant reviewers and they were getting comp'd dinners. I though that it was very tacky for them not to be there. The restaurant could have sold those seats to others.

Dinner started late because of people not being there on time. Our first course was a Lyonnaise Salad consisting of Applewood Bacon, Frisee and Radicchio, Poached Egg, Heirloom Grape Tomatoes, Brioche Crouton, Shallots and Sherry Vinaigrette.  Flavors were good but again the damm Frisee that just does not want to go into your mouth neatly. The brioche crouton was large, the salad sat upon it. That needed to cut with a knife.  My pet peeve , salads that need a knife. The two wines that were served was a Gainey, Sta Rita Hills,  CA and a Left Coast Cellars "Cali's Cuvee", Willamette Valley. No years were listed.

Second course  was a Sicilian Style Grilled Swordfish with a Caponata of Cherry Tomatoes, Plums, Capers, Shallots, Garlic, Roasted Pine Nuts, Basil and White Wine Sauce,. Fish was excellent. Cooked perfectly.  I was not wild about all the sweet in the Caponata and thought it clashed with the wines that were paired. A Serene Domaine "Yamhill Cuvee", Yamhill, Carlton, OR and a Dutton Estate, "Karmen Isabella", Russian River Valley, CA.. The Dutton was my favorite wine of the evening.

Main course served is a filet of Venison with Salsify, Brussels Sprouts, Morel Mushrooms, Star Anise, Cloves and Juniper Berry Sauce. Venison was perfect, tender and full of flavor. This was a well done plate. The wines were Neely "Picnic Block", Santa Cruz Mountains, CA and a Soter "Mineral Springs Ranch" Yamhill, Carlton, OR

Dessert was a Tart made with Strawberries and Rhubarb. Flavor were good but to me it was heavy after this meal. My preference would have been something very light and airy.

View is wonderful from the Sky Room. Service impeccable. Noise level is ridiculous. There are no acoustics at all because of the walls being almost a 100% glass. But on top of that especially for weekends the noise from the bar, cocktail lounge and dance floor. Loud music and a lot of dancers tonight. The place was packed. My head was throbbing when I left. But it was an enjoyable dinner with good friends and spectacular views.


Friday, April 29, 2016

Utopia and Hahn Wines

Thursday, April 28, 29016

Utopia restaurant in downtown Long Beach, www.utopiarestaurant.net, hosted a Hahn wine dinner. This place in on the small side but it was sold out. Price was right. $70 including tax and tip. In today's wine dinner markets that is a bargain. I did arrive early which turned out well. I was a least able to get a parking space  right by the restaurant. A half hour later and I would have circling the block looking.

Chatted with the wine reps before going in. Somehow I can never remember their names. Guess there are too many of them. But then most of the time they recognize me but can't remember my name.

Hahn winery is in the Santa Lucia Highlands area. Not expensive wines but fairly solid.

We started out with an appetizer of Warm Brie with caramelized garlic and onions.  Simple but very good. The wine was a 2014 Hahn, Monterey County, Pinot Gris. Clean , crisp and light.

Second course was  Pepper Dusted Grilled Scallops with a ginger, sesame wine sauce.  When I saw the wine pairing  I thought it would be a disaster. A 2013 Hahn, Monterey County, Pinot Noir.  Turned out perfect. The ginger, sesame sauce had quite a bite to it and the wine actually went well with it. Big surprise. The scallops were cooked perfectly. The wine was big and fruity. Not to my liking but paired well.

Next a plate of Grilled Lamb Chops with garlic mint sauce was served. I am not into mint with my lamb but the garlic sauce was great. served on two slices of grilled squash which apparently were supposed to be cold and a mound of mashed potatoes. That did not rock my boat. Chops were good, sauce was great but the rest was a disappointment.  The wine was the best of the night. A 2014 Hahn, Monterey County, GSM. Well balanced. just the right amount of fruit forwardness. A very nice wine for being inexpensive. $14 a bottle. A bargain.

Dessert was a nice warm house made apple tart with vanilla ice cream and a sliced strawberries. This was served with a Trenatadue Chocolate Amore wine. Very chocolate aroma and taste. Not overly sweet. A good selection.

A decent dinner, price was right. Several food items were excellent. The rest OK.  Amir, the owner was apparently glad to see me. Came by our table several times to talk with me. More than usual. Might do the wine dinner with them next month depending on the date.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Monday and It's Dim Sum With The Boys

Monday, April 25, 2016

Another Monday off work so it is Dim Sum again at the Seafood palace in Westminister. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com,. Five of us today. Glad to see Terry for the second Dim Sum in a row. 

We started out with a few items off the carts. White Fish Sui Mai which was different and quite good along with the Seaweed Wrapped Minced Shrimp.

Then came our complimentary bowl of  spicy sour soup. Today the soup had a real bite to it. Henry says the cooks used a lot of white pepper. Also a small plate of deep fried baby octopus. Crunchy and small taste of jalapeno. 

A dish with very large tender shrimp, bean sprouts and fat noodles. This had been dry stir fried. Excellent flavor. No leftovers here.

Since we have had the lobster the last few rimes we opted for crab today.  Cantonese style whole crab with ginger and chives. Crab was very sweet. Messy eating but worth the effort.

A shredded pork with garlic sauce was next. Very good flavor. Lots going for it today. No leftovers on the dish either.

Last dish before dessert was sauteed scallops with the house special sauce. Which means whatever the chefs threw together that day. Did not care it was excellent.

Dessert today was an egg, coconut, sugar, milk  concoction baked in pastry bun. Quite good and different from our usual egg tarts.

The wines today were exceptional. I brought a 2011 Clos Pepe HTC Chardonnay and a 2009 Sea Smoke Southing, Pinot Noir.  Both showing quite well. Chardonnay was perfect with all the seafood.

2008 Saxum,  Broken Stones, GSM,  can never go wrong with this wine. Excellent.

 2010 McKeon-Phillips BPR, Cabernet Sauvignon,. Good structure, well balanced.

2006 Denner, The Dirt Worshiper". Very "dirt" at the beginning but then really opened up and was an outstanding wine.

2007 P2, Brosseau Vineyards, Pinot Noir. I think we are all getting down to our last P2's. I had my last one a few weeks ago. Sorry to see Padrick close down but we have enjoyed his wines for the past years.

An exceptionaly good day today. Great wines, excellent food and very good company .

Mai the waitress gave all of us a a candy from Viet Nam. A cashew crunch type bar. No English on the label. It was very good. I will look for it when I am in one of the markets.

April's Wino's Soriee

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Very unusual wine tasting today. The hosts picked out Kosher Wines for their theme since is was Passover.

I was pleasantly surprised about the quality of the wines. I had thought they would not be close to being drinkable but they were all good wines and few were excellent. 

Several of the food dishes that were brought played into the theme.  Brisket, carrot pudding, cheese blintzes, smoked salmon.

Interesting theme, small group of winos but a very pleasant day.

Friday, April 22, 2016

The Wine Dinner That Wasn't At La Traviata

Thursday. April 21, 2016

Had made reservations to attend a wine dinner at La Traviata in Long Beach  and the day before I received a call from Mario, the owner,  that the dinner was being rescheduled for a later date. But if we wanted to come in and have dinner off the regular menu he would give us a bottle of  wine for the table. He indicated that this would be a bottle that would have been served with the wine dinner. So we opted to have dinner. It was free bottle of wine.

When we arrived Mario took a bottle off the bar and brought it to our table.  I took a look at it and informed him that this bottle was not listed on the menu for the wine dinner. He insisted it was. I pulled out the printed menu for the wine dinner and showed him that it was not listed. After dancing around a bit he changed the subject. The wine still had a grape varietal that I was looking for, Pugnitello" so I didn't make too much of it and it was complimentary. But nowhere near the "$65" price Mario alluded to on the telephone. 

We ordered at calamari fritta for an appetizer. One of the sauces was excellent. Had a lot of lemon in it. Calamari was good but not the best I have had.

Main dishes ordered were duck ravioli, scallops and Risotto with mushrooms and sliced filet of beef. Food was good but not outstanding like it used to be.

I am starting to think that the influx of new restaurants in areas of Long Beach are taking its toll on La Traviata. The parking has always been a a problem and I think the downward spiral on the quality of the food has an effect also. Mario is  personable but has a tendency to "forget".  He also over hypes. Hope he makes in through the downtown renovations that will be happening in that area in the next few years.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

J.Wilkes Wines at Delius Restaurant

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Looking forward to this dinner and seeing Wes Hagen again.  I know the food will be good because Delius always comes through, www.deliusrestaurant.com. This will be my first encounter with J. Wilkes wines, expect for a small taste of one of the wines 3 weeks ago.  I was not familiar with this label until Wes made the switch from Clos Pepe to J. Wilkes.. Numerous people I knew were in attendance. A good group to share a meal with.

Started out with a dish of Argentine Langostines with citrus zest, toasted hazelnuts, Asian pear and frisee salad. This dish was my least favorite of the night. The langostines were whole, head on. Made for messy eating. The flavor was good but I felt mine were a bit over cooked. Not as sweet and moist as they should be. Flavor was good with the salad but again we have that damm frisee that is hard to eat without cutting it up. I personally have an aversion to having to cut a salad. It should come from the kitchen ready to eat plus this one was in a bowl which makes it even harder to cut larger pieces of lettuce. The wine paired very well with the food. A 2014 Pinot Blanc. But it also made a fabulous picture on Facebook.

Second course was a Pork Belly Ravioli with brown butter and roasted sunburst squash. This was my favorite dish of the evening. Excellent flavors and the brown butter gave it the magic touch. A 2013 Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay was served. A tad oaky but the oak was cut by the richness of the ravioli. 

Third course was a Crispy Skin Duck Breast. Delius's duck breast is always perfect.  They do an outstanding job with duck breast and lamb chops. No one does this better. This dish was full of flavor. Served with roasted brussel sprounts,  fried sunchokes  and red wine cherry reduction. Paired with a 2013 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir. Had a taste of this wine a few weeks ago and thought it was a bit rough. Tonight's  wine was a big difference. Could be bottle variation. This pinot was a blend of Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills, Sierra Madre vineyards with a small amount of Garey's vineyard in it.  A very pleasant, drinkable wine and a good pairing.

Main course served was a Pink Peppercorn Crusted Rack of Lamb with parsnip puree, haricot verts and lamb demi.  Another excellent dish. Lamb chops were cooked perfectly.  Accompanied by a 2013 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. (the menu said Santa Maria Valley but that was a typo). This was a very good Pinot. Sourced from vineyard that I was sworn to secrecy not to reveal their name. 

Dessert was yummy. A  Blackout Cake with Mulberry-Kumquat syrup, Mulberry ice cream and a citrus tuille. Light and refreshing. Beautiful flavor.

Another excellent wine dinner at Delius. Good wines from J. Wilkes.  Great to see Wes again. Good table companions.  Looking forward to next weeks wine dinner with Lane Tanner of Lumen Wines. Should be another good evening at Delius.

Monday, April 11, 2016

All The Boys Are Back For Dim Sum

Monday, April 11, 2015

All the boys here today. Terry was in attendance after several hospital stays. John was here after a years absence. Dim Sum at noon at the Seafood Palace in Westminister.  www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com

We started out with the French style beef and Chinese broccoli.  A lot of big  reds on the table today.

Then onto  "Beef Balls" off the cart

Since there was six of us today Henry ordered two lobsters Cantonese style with special noodles,. Finger licking good.

Seaweed wrapped minced shrimp that was deep fried came off the cart.

We also had our complimentary bowl of spicy sour soup.

The last dish was Salt & Pepper Calamari. Always a favorite.  Since we had so much lobster we did not order numerous dishes as we usually do.''Finished it up with the egg  custard tarts.

 Wines were big today. I did bring my opened bottle from Saturday night,  2013 Tercero Outlier (dry Gewurztraminer). I also opened a 2008 Roar, Rosella's Vineyard, Pinot Noir.

Other wines today were, 2009 Keenan, Mernet, Spring Mountain Vineyard, Napa blend. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab Franc. Took a long time to open up. Bet it is really good tomorrow.

2011 Zaca Mesa, Estate Syrah - typical Santa Ynez style Syrah, Excellent wine.

2008 Twomey, Napa, Merlot - if you like Merlots this is the wine.

2010 McKeon Phillips BPR Cabernet Sauvignon. Drinking really well. 

2008 Brown Family, Westside, Napa, Zinfandel. Another excellent wine today.

It was nice to have everyone here again, At our ages we are thankful for the time we get together. Next one in two weeks and hope everyone is still able to make it.

Working Class Kitchen Monthly Dinner

Sunday. April 10, 2016

On the 10th of every month Working Class Kitchen in Long Beach, www.workingclasskitchen.com,
has a dinner limited to 14 people. $140 inclusive, paid in advance. No advance menu. Everything is selected as to what the chef's whimsey's are.

Started out with a couple of appetizers, a flatbread with gooey cheese and sausage along with a miniature open face Rueben sandwich. . A glass of Valdobbiadine Preseco accompanied  them.

First course was a salad of various greens, Guanaciale and Sea Salt, dressed with Olive Oil. It needed something. I asked for pepper thinking freshly ground black pepper but I got a shaker with regular old table pepper. This did not impress me. For a division of restaurants owned my Michael Dene I really expected a bit more. The flavor on the salad were very good an portion was large.

Second course served was my favorite.  Chicken Fried Rabbit Thigh with Calabrian Chiles and Sonoma Valley sour Pickles. In all my years of eating and cooking rabbit this is the first time I have had it deep fried. Excellent flavor.

Third course of the evening turned out to be Chianina Beef Heart Bolognese with Chitarra Pasta, Pasta  was lightly al dente and had good flavor. The Bolognese was spot on.

Fourth course served was a Roast Liberty Farms Duck Beast with Ramps, Morels and Polenta. At this point in the meal I was starting to fill up. Had a couple of bites to taste the flavors and had it boxed up to take home. Flavor was good but I have had much better duck breast before. Nothing wrong with it but it was OK not great.

Fifth course I knew I was taking home also. Had a couple of bites again to taste flavors Whole Roasted Veal Loin (cooked perfectly), Tono Sauce, Green Garlic Puree and New Potatoes. This was an excellent dish. Had a thick sauce on top made with artichokes.

An Animal Fat Tart (means the tart crust was made with lard like they used to in the "old" days)  filled with Black Berries, Cream and Goat Cheese. Very tasty. A 2014 Henri di Batasioso, Bosc Dla Rei, Moscato di'Asti was served this this dish

They did not list the wine son the menu. Kelly took pictures of them but I really have no idea what order they were served. All were good. I do not think anything was overly expensive. But good food wines.

Rustico Nino Franco,  Lupi Pigato, 2010 Rossese di Dolceacqua, 2013 Gran Passione Gavi, 2005 il gauno di arcanum Toscano, 2013 Colli Lune Rosso, Il Torchon.  A lot of wine was poured. Kept the kitchen busy washing the stemware.

This was a fun dinner, food was good, portions were good size, wines went well with the food. Dinner is the 10th of every month so it is always on a different day of the week. They do sell out. Seems to be very popular. I would go back. Go sit in the middle of the butcher shop by the display cases. One window had a whole pig hanging. They do have sandwiches and burgers during the day. 
Beautiful meat in the case. Not cheap but excellent quality.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Tonight it's Thai at Nayada

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Margie choose Nayada in Lakewood for her monthly wine dinner.   www.nayadathaicuisine.com        13 of us here tonight.

We started out with the traditional Tom Yum Shrimp Soup.  Flavors were spot on but the soup itself was warm not hot. Maybe if it had set on the heat source for a few more minutes it would have helped.

Then onto Lettuce Wraps with Chopped Chicken Breast, Water Chestnuts, Green Onion, Glass Noodles, Mushrooms.  The lettuce was Iceberg which most places use for wraps but I have always had a problem with that type of lettuce. It has a tendency to fall apart easily. Makes a mess. Flavors were excellent but I ended up eating most of mine with a fork.

Two more appetizers, Golden Bags and Thai Springs Rolls. Both had good flavors.

Main entrees starting showing up. No room on the table because of all of our wine glasses and bottles of wine  but the waitstaff seem to be good at finding a small opening to set a platter down.

Tantalizing Style Mixed Vegetables, Basil, Eggplant, Asparagus, Cauliflower, Tomatoes fried in a Kra Prao Sauce. Way too much Basil for me. It so overwhelmed  the other flavors for me. I am finding for me personally a little Basil, Cilantro, Lemongrass and Ginger go a very long way. I know others really like these flavors but I want very small does of them. I  like Asian cuisines and they all seem to use these flavors heavily so I have to adjust.

Siam Apple Catfish was next. Fried Catfish with a Lime Juice of Apple Slivers, Onions, Garlic and
Chilies. This has always been one of my favorite dishes at Nayada, But tonight it really fell off. The catfish itself was on the dry side. The coating was a bit to hard. It had been overcooked. Perhaps the kitchen was too busy. And for some reason the apples slivers just didn't seem to come through.

Next was a platter of Green Curry Chicken made with Coconut Milk, Eggplant, Bell Pepper and Basil Leaves. Had a few pieces of the chicken. The curry had really nice flavor.

Garlic Pepper Beef was the next dish. Stir Fried Beef with Garlic, Ground Black Pepper in an Oyster and Mushroom Sauce. Good flavors, Beef was tender

Last up for the evening was Pork Kai Kua Noodles. Flat Noodles, stir fried with Pork, Green Onions, Eggplant, Bean Sprouts, Peanuts, Egg and Thai Style Oyster and Mushroom Sauce. Very good flavors.

Wines were a real mixed bag.

2014 Stolpman Carbonic Sangiovese - a good bet for spicy foods

2013 Tercero Outlier (dry Gewurztraminer) - another wine that goes with with Thai

2010 Francois Chidaine, Rose of Pinot Noir - this wine is always good, the  best Rose on the table

2011 Evening Land Chardonnay - did not taste

2011 Ken Brown, Santa Barbara County, Pinot Noir - always a winner

NV Cremant D'Alsace, Albrecht Tradition - nice pleasing bubbly

2015 Romana Rose, Sancerre, 100% Pinot Noir - was not to my taste

NV Tattinger, Brut Reserve, Champagne -  good bubbly

2014 Louis Jadot,   Beaujolias,  Villages - did not taste - I am not a Gamay grape fan

2013 Lincourt, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Blanc - did not taste

2015 Halter Ranch, Rose - Cloying sweet strawberry flavor 

2013 Williams Selyem, Pinot Noir ( the vineyard did not get written down) - can't go wrong with a WS

2013 Dr. Konstantin Frank, Rkatsitelli  - very good wine, went well with the food

2014 Kaena, Granache Rose - did not taste

2012 Melville Block , Pinot Noir - Excellent wine

2013 Bridgeman, Rielsing - did not taste

2014 Kung Fu Girl Riesling  -  have had this wine at restaurants numerous times - a good wine for $10





Wednesday, April 6, 2016

The Breakfast Club at The Playground

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Breakfast for dinner ?  I always used to make waffles for dinner when my sons were young so the theme intrigued me. So off to the Playground 2.0 room for the second week in a row. www.playgrounddtsa.com, 
Dinner was sold out.  12 different dishes on the menu tonight. You never know what you will be getting until the plate is put down in front of you. You watch them cook  and plate but until then there is no clue of what is coming.

We started out with a  drink made with Breton Vouvray Brut, Pampel Mousse ( a grapefruit liqueur) orange and lemon. Quite refreshing. First offering was a Biscuit with quail gravy. Same biscuit we had last week and just as good. This was followed by a Blini  with Siberian Sturgeon Caviar, whipped creme fraiche and chopped chives. A very nice way to start dinner. Caviar always has its place.

A  glass of 2008 Kruger-Rumpt Riesling was poured to accompany a plate of Cured Tasmanian Ocean Trout, Smoked Egg Aioli, Grapefruit, Avocado and Frisee.  Needless to say I am very happy right now.

A Scallion pancake  showed up with Iberico de Bellota Bacon, Hollandaise made with sherry vinegar. So good.

Doushy Hash Brown, made with lamb fat, Adult Apple Sauce (Cayenne, dried Chipotle powder) and Creme Fraiche was served next. We also had a new wine. A 2009 JJ Prium Spatlese Riesling. Good combination. This definitely was not your McDonald's hashbrown.

A plate of Cheesy Grits, Chipolte Adobo Shrimp. Pan Roasted Mushrooms, Shallots, Sweet Dried Corn. We are really on a roll. The flavors are so good.

The old "Toad In A Hole" Playground version was the next dish to look forward to. House made Brioche with Quail Egg, Spicy Tomato Jam made with Fresno Chiles. The flavor of the jam was outstanding And the 2009 Weingut Joseph Spitzers 101 Riesling was a perfect wine to go with the spicy flavors.

A dish that I would not have considered "breakfast" was plated. A PLT - Pork Belly Lettuce Wrap with Fresh Tomato, Red Onions, Stewed Chilies, Sherry Vinegar with  a dash of sugar and a Onion Tomato Jam. These chefs are very talented young  people and they have a no holds barred attitude and are willing to go way out of the box. It really shows in their innovation and flavors.

A "Johnny Cake" was next. Cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet, Crispy Wagu Beef Tongue with Piquillo Piperade, Carmelized Onions, Pickled Mustard Seed and Toasted Hazelnuts. The food just keeps coming and getting better.

A house made Grilled Chorizo, Masa Gnocchi, Smoked Potatoes with Oaxaca Cream with Charred Paquito was to die for. By this time I am so full I have to force myself to keep going. Do not want to miss out on anything that they are putting in front of us tonight.

A 2013 Bedrock, Evangelho, Hertitage Red, A blend a many different red grapes was out next pour. Interesting flavors. The Zin was really predominate. This was followed by a 2007 R. Lopez de Heredia, Vina Tondonia "Vina Cubillo", Crianza Rioja. 

A refreshing bowl of Strawberries,  Blueberrries,  Blackberries, Yogurt, Granola and a Meringue Cookie was welcome after all the rich, heavy flavors. But they did not stop there. This was followed by a French Toast Strusel, Sliced Banana, House made Vanilla Ice Cream, A Chocolate Choquette. A Maple Choquette and drizzled with an Aged Maple Syrup.

Last drink of the evening was a very sweet Sparking Red that I did not finish. It was so cloyingly sweet that I could not handle it.

A beautiful dinner, with exceptional flavors and very innovative ideas. Who would have thought breakfast could be so good.






Friday, April 1, 2016

Birthday Party at Buon Gusto

Thursday. March 31, 2016

9 of us tonight to celebrate an old geezers birthday . These are not high end wine people so I had my bottle of 2009 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir to save me. No corkage at Buon Gusto. Personally I would have been embarrassed to bring some of the wine that these people brought. They would have been better off buying wine off the menu. But this a really "cheap" crowd.

The food is decent.  But the portions are huge. I took home enough of of my Seafood Fettuccine  to have two  more meals. Their house salads are good. Greens are exceptionally crisp. Their appetizers are winners.

Place is always busy and very noisy. But you do have a fun time here. Parking can sometimes be a hassle. But it always seems to work out.