Thursday, October 27, 2016
Another wine dinner at Utopia. www.utopiarestaurant.net This time it is with a winery in Argentina. Dona Paula from the Mendoza area. An interesting collection of guests tonight. One woman even had the gaucho hat and split skirt on. Big earrings - looked very Argentinian.
Ended up having 3 glasses of Chardonnay before our first course arrived. Utopia has never been known for fast service. But you learn to deal with it. A 2015 Chardonnay - I would have thought it was from California with the oak - it had seen about 30% oak but that is about 25% too much for me. Nice slight green apple, touch of tropical fruit. Did pair well with the Ceviche de Mariscos. Not much ceviche but lots of lettuce and ridiccio.
Second course was a Wild Mushroom Ravioli with a sundried tomato cream sauce. This was a very nice dish. Good flavors. Wine was a 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon. Light tannins, decent fruit but way to young. Don't think this is a wine for cellaring but at $12 a bottle it was OK for dinner.
Main course served a a pair of Grilled Lamb Chops with caramelized onions and garlic, goat cheese and roasted pine nuts. Good flavors. Naturally the chops were overcooked by my standards. And unfortunately the mashed potatoes were luke warm. paired with a 2015 Malbec. Again way too young but the better wine of the evening. Selling for $11 per bottle.
Dessert was Utopia's standard Tiramisu which they make themselves. Always very good . A glass of Croft Distinction Port accompanied the Tiramisu. Decent port.
Utopia's food is always decent, some things better than others. But at $55 for a wine dinner it is always a bargain. They are generous on their pours. Service is always up and down depending on which waiter you get that night. But it always takes awhile to get through these dinners. Starts at 7:00 pm and I got home at 10:30 pm.
Friday, October 28, 2016
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Chianina on Tuesday
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Chianina , www.chianina.com, several weeks ago advertised a "special wine dinner", so we signed up for it not knowing what the winery was. Then we could find no information on it. The 3 of us decided to keep the reservation and find out what was going on. Seems they decided not to do the dinner because of some kind of distribution problem but they neglected to let anyone know. Even the waitstaff. Our waiter thought he was serving at a wine dinner and when he arrived at work he was then told that no "special" wine dinner was being held. Sure seems like a breakdown in management.
Bob brought a 2004 Chimney Rock, Stags Leap District, Cabernet just in case. They comped us the $25 corkage fee because of the screw up. Wine was nice had to open up after being decanted. Took about an hour.
I ordered off the Chef's Table menu at $50 for 3 courses. Had the Duck Liver Agnolotte with Asian pear, quince and persimmon sauce for the appetizer. Very rich and very good. The sauce was outstanding
The main course I selected the Branzino with fennel, olive and saffron glaze. Moist and the skin on the fish was nice and crispy. This is a fish that is very similar to sea bass. Moist and succulent. And again another outstanding sauce.
Dessert was a Toffee cake with caramel - rich but not too sweet. A good choice
They also served us a couple of amuse bouche's . Crab wrapped in a very thin slice of Asian pear and a saffron rice chip with diced, fried pig ear and a Thai aoili.
One other person ordered off the Chef's Table menu. But they choose the wild mushroom appetizer, the steak and the chocolate stout cake. Everyone was pleased with the food dishes.
They had the Salted Honey rolls along with a Seasame Crusted Sourdough roll. I still like the rye rolls better. My favorites are the Salted Honey and the Rye. We ate a couple of baskets of these tonight.
Ran into Randy Kemner from Wine Country - he was being wines and dined by some wine distributors.
Massimo told me that my friend Susan who is a independent wine distributor was seeing him on Wednesday. Told him to buy lots of wine from her.
Enjoyable evening, great food, good wine and very good friends - life is good - may be short but enjoy it as best as you can while you can. No one knows the future.
Chianina , www.chianina.com, several weeks ago advertised a "special wine dinner", so we signed up for it not knowing what the winery was. Then we could find no information on it. The 3 of us decided to keep the reservation and find out what was going on. Seems they decided not to do the dinner because of some kind of distribution problem but they neglected to let anyone know. Even the waitstaff. Our waiter thought he was serving at a wine dinner and when he arrived at work he was then told that no "special" wine dinner was being held. Sure seems like a breakdown in management.
Bob brought a 2004 Chimney Rock, Stags Leap District, Cabernet just in case. They comped us the $25 corkage fee because of the screw up. Wine was nice had to open up after being decanted. Took about an hour.
I ordered off the Chef's Table menu at $50 for 3 courses. Had the Duck Liver Agnolotte with Asian pear, quince and persimmon sauce for the appetizer. Very rich and very good. The sauce was outstanding
The main course I selected the Branzino with fennel, olive and saffron glaze. Moist and the skin on the fish was nice and crispy. This is a fish that is very similar to sea bass. Moist and succulent. And again another outstanding sauce.
Dessert was a Toffee cake with caramel - rich but not too sweet. A good choice
They also served us a couple of amuse bouche's . Crab wrapped in a very thin slice of Asian pear and a saffron rice chip with diced, fried pig ear and a Thai aoili.
One other person ordered off the Chef's Table menu. But they choose the wild mushroom appetizer, the steak and the chocolate stout cake. Everyone was pleased with the food dishes.
They had the Salted Honey rolls along with a Seasame Crusted Sourdough roll. I still like the rye rolls better. My favorites are the Salted Honey and the Rye. We ate a couple of baskets of these tonight.
Ran into Randy Kemner from Wine Country - he was being wines and dined by some wine distributors.
Massimo told me that my friend Susan who is a independent wine distributor was seeing him on Wednesday. Told him to buy lots of wine from her.
Enjoyable evening, great food, good wine and very good friends - life is good - may be short but enjoy it as best as you can while you can. No one knows the future.
October wino's
Sunday, October 23, 2016
The monthly gathering of the flock - Washington State Wines plus a Luau. Seemed like we were in Hawaii - slight drizzle all day - only problem was the clouds did not go away and the sun did not come put as it does in the Islands.
27 wines on the table today. I tasted all the reds and half the whites. Way too many - you get palate fatigue after a bit. The 1994 Columbia Crest Cab was dead and beyond revival. The 1996 Woodward was better than I expected for being that old. For the rest of the wines they were all decent but nothing was outstanding. A few better than the others but nothing I am hot to go out and buy.
Food was supposed to be Hawaiian - 3 of us brought Poke so that was overkill. When Oliver brought ribs in everyone made a beeline for that. The Coconut shrimp disappeared fast.
Main dishes were catered by a local Hawaiian themed restaurant. I did have some of the bacon/rice which was good and some Teriyaki beef which was nice and moist and had good flavor. I passed on the chicken as I find that is usually dry sitting on a buffet table unless there is a sauce that it is in.
No one has signed up to host in November - that means we go through the entire holiday season with no tastings until January. A few people never pull their own weight in groups and ours is no exception.
The monthly gathering of the flock - Washington State Wines plus a Luau. Seemed like we were in Hawaii - slight drizzle all day - only problem was the clouds did not go away and the sun did not come put as it does in the Islands.
27 wines on the table today. I tasted all the reds and half the whites. Way too many - you get palate fatigue after a bit. The 1994 Columbia Crest Cab was dead and beyond revival. The 1996 Woodward was better than I expected for being that old. For the rest of the wines they were all decent but nothing was outstanding. A few better than the others but nothing I am hot to go out and buy.
Food was supposed to be Hawaiian - 3 of us brought Poke so that was overkill. When Oliver brought ribs in everyone made a beeline for that. The Coconut shrimp disappeared fast.
Main dishes were catered by a local Hawaiian themed restaurant. I did have some of the bacon/rice which was good and some Teriyaki beef which was nice and moist and had good flavor. I passed on the chicken as I find that is usually dry sitting on a buffet table unless there is a sauce that it is in.
No one has signed up to host in November - that means we go through the entire holiday season with no tastings until January. A few people never pull their own weight in groups and ours is no exception.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Trail Marker Dinner at The Playground 2.0 room
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Had not heard or Trail Marker before so we decided to give it a try. We knew the food was going to be good so why not. The owner, winemaker was Drew Huffine. He had been with Kosta Browne and Copain among others before. For the most part the wines were good but the Pinot Noir was something else. I have never tasted a Pinot like that. Would have never guessed it as a Pinot if I had not been told. Took a couple of sips and left it. All of us left the wine sit. Not good.
Normally I either write the name of the wines down but last dinner when Justin gave me the menu the wines were listed so I did not bother this time. Alas no wines listed. And I really can't remember . One was a good Rose, then a white and three reds. But anything else leaves my brain because I thought I did not have to write anything down. Only the beer that was served with the dessert. It was a Beachwood Robusta Ryhme. Dark and good.
We started out with a Foie Gras pate terrine with warm , toasted Apricot bread. I could have had this and nothing else. They even brought me a second serving which they do not do. This was the first of 11 courses.
A dish with Humboldt Fog cheese, Masculine greens, brown butter baby beets and crushed hazelnut cookies was next. Hard not to overeat.
3rd dish was a Tomme De Savoie and wild mushroom croque monsuier. Almost like a flatbread with this fabulous cheese and mushrooms. Another winner.
White asparagus, citrus supreme, pickled shallot and baby brioche crouton. very interesting combination of flavors and they went well together.
Wagu steak tartare with frites and hollandaise sauce. A whole new way to eat french fries. Unbelievably good.
Haricot Verts Almandine. Excellent flavor
Number 7 was a Haibut Cheeks Grenobloise. So sweet and tender
Celery Root and apple remoulade, dried cranberries, candided walnut crunch. Cool and refreshing and they gave me a box of this to take home.
Duck confit, pork belly beans, breadcrumbs, choucrute. Excellent flavor, a bit salty. Too bad I am stuffed and could not enjoy more of this.
Last was 2 desserts, A Proper Macaron - two macarons with a whipped cream mixture sandwiched together. Good flavor but I am not a fan of macaroons. Way too sweet for me. Also had a chocolate mousse which I devoured.
Another very good dinner at the Playground 21.0 Room. seats 18 people at a long bar. Easy to make conversation with people sitting next to year but everyone else is a shouting match. Interaction with the cooks and chef is a real treat. They are all fun and personable
Time to get the calendar out and see what looks good for my next dinner there.
I am always amazed at how good the food is on these special dinners. So innovative. Not for people who have dining or food issues but for the rest of us gluttons it is divine.
Had not heard or Trail Marker before so we decided to give it a try. We knew the food was going to be good so why not. The owner, winemaker was Drew Huffine. He had been with Kosta Browne and Copain among others before. For the most part the wines were good but the Pinot Noir was something else. I have never tasted a Pinot like that. Would have never guessed it as a Pinot if I had not been told. Took a couple of sips and left it. All of us left the wine sit. Not good.
Normally I either write the name of the wines down but last dinner when Justin gave me the menu the wines were listed so I did not bother this time. Alas no wines listed. And I really can't remember . One was a good Rose, then a white and three reds. But anything else leaves my brain because I thought I did not have to write anything down. Only the beer that was served with the dessert. It was a Beachwood Robusta Ryhme. Dark and good.
We started out with a Foie Gras pate terrine with warm , toasted Apricot bread. I could have had this and nothing else. They even brought me a second serving which they do not do. This was the first of 11 courses.
A dish with Humboldt Fog cheese, Masculine greens, brown butter baby beets and crushed hazelnut cookies was next. Hard not to overeat.
3rd dish was a Tomme De Savoie and wild mushroom croque monsuier. Almost like a flatbread with this fabulous cheese and mushrooms. Another winner.
White asparagus, citrus supreme, pickled shallot and baby brioche crouton. very interesting combination of flavors and they went well together.
Wagu steak tartare with frites and hollandaise sauce. A whole new way to eat french fries. Unbelievably good.
Haricot Verts Almandine. Excellent flavor
Number 7 was a Haibut Cheeks Grenobloise. So sweet and tender
Celery Root and apple remoulade, dried cranberries, candided walnut crunch. Cool and refreshing and they gave me a box of this to take home.
Duck confit, pork belly beans, breadcrumbs, choucrute. Excellent flavor, a bit salty. Too bad I am stuffed and could not enjoy more of this.
Last was 2 desserts, A Proper Macaron - two macarons with a whipped cream mixture sandwiched together. Good flavor but I am not a fan of macaroons. Way too sweet for me. Also had a chocolate mousse which I devoured.
Another very good dinner at the Playground 21.0 Room. seats 18 people at a long bar. Easy to make conversation with people sitting next to year but everyone else is a shouting match. Interaction with the cooks and chef is a real treat. They are all fun and personable
Time to get the calendar out and see what looks good for my next dinner there.
I am always amazed at how good the food is on these special dinners. So innovative. Not for people who have dining or food issues but for the rest of us gluttons it is divine.
Delius Restaurant Annual Passport Wine Tasting
Sunday, October 16, 29016
This has been a main stay with Delius for many years, www.deliusrestaurant.com, I have only missed one of these tasting because the Wino's had scheduled a tasting on the same day. After attending that tasting, I kicked myself for not going to the Passport. Wines would have so much better.
12 regions were represented, 36 wines. Lots of food but it is difficult to eat off a plate when all the tables are taken, so I just nibbled with finger food. One of the waitstaff brought me out finger food from the kitchen and made sure when the passed around trays of appetizers he got to me first.
100 tickets are sold for this event and it was sold out. Out of 100 people I only recognized 2 people that I knew or had seen there before.
Wines for the most part were good. Did not taste all 36 but 2 that stood out were a 2015 Castano Monastrell Rose and a 2012 Poder Nuovo "Therra" Super Tuscan.
This has been a main stay with Delius for many years, www.deliusrestaurant.com, I have only missed one of these tasting because the Wino's had scheduled a tasting on the same day. After attending that tasting, I kicked myself for not going to the Passport. Wines would have so much better.
12 regions were represented, 36 wines. Lots of food but it is difficult to eat off a plate when all the tables are taken, so I just nibbled with finger food. One of the waitstaff brought me out finger food from the kitchen and made sure when the passed around trays of appetizers he got to me first.
100 tickets are sold for this event and it was sold out. Out of 100 people I only recognized 2 people that I knew or had seen there before.
Wines for the most part were good. Did not taste all 36 but 2 that stood out were a 2015 Castano Monastrell Rose and a 2012 Poder Nuovo "Therra" Super Tuscan.
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Deluca Trattoria & Rock Wall Wines
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
The dinner tonight at Deluca , www.delucatrattoria.com, was being hosted by Gourmet Wine Getaways and was featuring Kent Rosenblum, the owner of the winery.
Kent used to own Rosenblum Winery but received an attractive offer for a buyout and took it. He had wanted to retire but after awhile the creative juices started flowing again and he just had to make at least one kind of wine. So Rock Wall Wine Company was formed. I had not seen Kent in many, many years. Good to catch up.
So I took the plunge and drove from work to El Segundo. One hour on surface streets from where I work Normally this is an area I would not go to on a weeknight. Weekends would be doubtful also. Not freeway friendly at all. Met friends who actually live close enough to the restaurant to walk there. Lucky them.
We started out with a "reception" featuring numerous cheeses and Meringhe (which is sauce/jelly). A 2015 Lake County, Sauvignon Blanc was poured. I really liked this wine. Not too mineraly, acidic or grassy. Very pleasant and drinkable. Cheeses were very good. A nice variety.
Dinner started at least 30 minutes late. But with the wine flowing it did not matter. We were served Bruschetta di Branzino all 'Acqua Pazza (crazy water branzino) and a Bocconcini di Filetto con Porcini ( filet mignon with porchini mushroom) . The branzino bruschetta turned out to me the best thing I had that night. Excellent. The beef bruschetta was slightly dry and the meat was a little tough and over cooked for me. The wine was a 2014 Rigg Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon. Excellent wine. Well balanced and complex. Many layers. Was a little young but should cellar for at least 10 years.
Next dish was a Spezzatino di Coniglio con Risotto alle Erbe Aromatic (Gabriella's rabbit stew with aromatic herb risotto). I love rabbit but this was a not a dish I would order again. I have eaten rabbit since I was a child and know what it should be. In fact when I was married we raised rabbits and had the meat on the dinner table at least once a week. Rabbit was dry and the risotto was dry also. Not the creamy way it should be. Flavor were good but it didn't make up for the dryness of the dish. A 2014 Julie's Vineyard, Russian River, Zinfandel was paired with this dish. Big jammy nose and rich flavor. A typical Kent Rosenblum Zin. That is what made him known before. Zinfandel.
Last dish was a Bocconcini di Cinghiale con Pappardelle (Gabriella's wild,boar sauce over pappardelle). Again good flavors but the wild boar sauce was way to salty and the pasta was slightly overcooked. Not too bad put again not al dente. The wine paired was another winner. A 2015 Le Mur De Roche, Napa Valley, Petite Sirah. Another big wine.
Dessert was good. a housemade Tiramisu. But the sparkling wine was a big disappointment. 2015 Sparkling Blanc de Blanc. Tasted much more like a sauvignon blanc grape. I did not finish mine. Taste just turned me off.
I think perhaps that since this was their first large banquet style dinner that restaurant held the kitchen may have been overwhelmed getting all the food out at the same time. Quality suffered because of it. It is much different cooking for a banquet style meal for close to 50 people than individual meals during a normal restaurant service. My friends have dined at Deluca numerous times and they agreed that the dinner was not up to Deluca's normal standards. I also had a problem with service. Three times they came and took the used plates away and three times they forgot to give me a clean plate. Everyone else managed but somehow I got "lost in the transfer" somehow. Plus one of the times I had to ask 3 people before I was finally given a replacement. So I think the kitchen and staff were out of the element. Just need some more large dinners to get the hang of it.
But a nice evening, really good wines and a fun time.The prices on the wines were excellent but alas I am trying to pare down and not buy for a year or so. I am less than 500 bottles now so I have made some inroads but not enough to start buying again. Maybe when I get down to 200 bottles I might take a look at it again.
The dinner tonight at Deluca , www.delucatrattoria.com, was being hosted by Gourmet Wine Getaways and was featuring Kent Rosenblum, the owner of the winery.
Kent used to own Rosenblum Winery but received an attractive offer for a buyout and took it. He had wanted to retire but after awhile the creative juices started flowing again and he just had to make at least one kind of wine. So Rock Wall Wine Company was formed. I had not seen Kent in many, many years. Good to catch up.
So I took the plunge and drove from work to El Segundo. One hour on surface streets from where I work Normally this is an area I would not go to on a weeknight. Weekends would be doubtful also. Not freeway friendly at all. Met friends who actually live close enough to the restaurant to walk there. Lucky them.
We started out with a "reception" featuring numerous cheeses and Meringhe (which is sauce/jelly). A 2015 Lake County, Sauvignon Blanc was poured. I really liked this wine. Not too mineraly, acidic or grassy. Very pleasant and drinkable. Cheeses were very good. A nice variety.
Dinner started at least 30 minutes late. But with the wine flowing it did not matter. We were served Bruschetta di Branzino all 'Acqua Pazza (crazy water branzino) and a Bocconcini di Filetto con Porcini ( filet mignon with porchini mushroom) . The branzino bruschetta turned out to me the best thing I had that night. Excellent. The beef bruschetta was slightly dry and the meat was a little tough and over cooked for me. The wine was a 2014 Rigg Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon. Excellent wine. Well balanced and complex. Many layers. Was a little young but should cellar for at least 10 years.
Next dish was a Spezzatino di Coniglio con Risotto alle Erbe Aromatic (Gabriella's rabbit stew with aromatic herb risotto). I love rabbit but this was a not a dish I would order again. I have eaten rabbit since I was a child and know what it should be. In fact when I was married we raised rabbits and had the meat on the dinner table at least once a week. Rabbit was dry and the risotto was dry also. Not the creamy way it should be. Flavor were good but it didn't make up for the dryness of the dish. A 2014 Julie's Vineyard, Russian River, Zinfandel was paired with this dish. Big jammy nose and rich flavor. A typical Kent Rosenblum Zin. That is what made him known before. Zinfandel.
Last dish was a Bocconcini di Cinghiale con Pappardelle (Gabriella's wild,boar sauce over pappardelle). Again good flavors but the wild boar sauce was way to salty and the pasta was slightly overcooked. Not too bad put again not al dente. The wine paired was another winner. A 2015 Le Mur De Roche, Napa Valley, Petite Sirah. Another big wine.
Dessert was good. a housemade Tiramisu. But the sparkling wine was a big disappointment. 2015 Sparkling Blanc de Blanc. Tasted much more like a sauvignon blanc grape. I did not finish mine. Taste just turned me off.
I think perhaps that since this was their first large banquet style dinner that restaurant held the kitchen may have been overwhelmed getting all the food out at the same time. Quality suffered because of it. It is much different cooking for a banquet style meal for close to 50 people than individual meals during a normal restaurant service. My friends have dined at Deluca numerous times and they agreed that the dinner was not up to Deluca's normal standards. I also had a problem with service. Three times they came and took the used plates away and three times they forgot to give me a clean plate. Everyone else managed but somehow I got "lost in the transfer" somehow. Plus one of the times I had to ask 3 people before I was finally given a replacement. So I think the kitchen and staff were out of the element. Just need some more large dinners to get the hang of it.
But a nice evening, really good wines and a fun time.The prices on the wines were excellent but alas I am trying to pare down and not buy for a year or so. I am less than 500 bottles now so I have made some inroads but not enough to start buying again. Maybe when I get down to 200 bottles I might take a look at it again.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Torres Spanish Wines and Arte Cafe
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Torres wines are featured tonight at Arte Cafe in Cerritos, Sold out dinner. Bargain for $59. A lot of people late because of an accident on the 91 freeway so we got off to a late start.
We started out with a Chopped Salad. Heirloom tomatoes, Machego cheese, roasted beets, avocado and sherry vinaigrette. Salad was very good and paired well with the Pazo das Bruxas, Albarino, Rias Baixas.
A bowl of cold Gazpacho was next. Shrimp and avocado, Very spicy. I ate the shrimp and avocado . A couple of spoonfuls of the gazpacho was more than enough for me.Had excellent flavor but I tasted the heated for quite awhile. Not the thing for a wine dinner. A Jean Leon 3055 Rose was paired with this dish. I did like this Rose. Full of flavor. Not whimpy at all. Named after a family member, Jean Leon who owned LaScala restaurant.
Third dish up was a Pulpo y Chorizo. Grilled octopus with Fingerling potatoes, Spanish Chorizo and olive oil. Chorizo was very good. Octopus was a little tough. Most went back to the kitchen. A 5G's Garnacha, Campo de Borja was paired with this dish. A nice wine and paired very well.
A plate of Paella was next. Loaded with clams, mussels, shrimp, chicken and andouille sausage. Good flavors. But I have had better Paella and I have also had worse. Portions of seafood was good. Paired with a Salmos Red Blend, Priorat. My favorite wine if the evening.
Last main dish served was a Solomillo Steak, grilled ribeye with red wine reduction, pisto Machego with patats bravas (mixed veggies, mushrooms, squash, onions). Steak was perfect. Nice char on it and sizzling when it came out.. The surprise wine of the dinner turned out to be a Mas La Plana Cabernet Sauvigon, Penedes. Wine Spectator gave it a 93 rating.. Excellent pairing and very good wine.
Dessert was a Housemade Spanish Flan served with a Brandy Alexander made with Torres 10 Brandy and Torres Spanish Orange Liqueur. Nice touch to the evening.
Question is and not only this restaurant - why do they served one pat of butter for two large rolls.
Dinner was good, wines were good and I won a bottle of wine as a door prize. Good evening.
Torres wines are featured tonight at Arte Cafe in Cerritos, Sold out dinner. Bargain for $59. A lot of people late because of an accident on the 91 freeway so we got off to a late start.
We started out with a Chopped Salad. Heirloom tomatoes, Machego cheese, roasted beets, avocado and sherry vinaigrette. Salad was very good and paired well with the Pazo das Bruxas, Albarino, Rias Baixas.
A bowl of cold Gazpacho was next. Shrimp and avocado, Very spicy. I ate the shrimp and avocado . A couple of spoonfuls of the gazpacho was more than enough for me.Had excellent flavor but I tasted the heated for quite awhile. Not the thing for a wine dinner. A Jean Leon 3055 Rose was paired with this dish. I did like this Rose. Full of flavor. Not whimpy at all. Named after a family member, Jean Leon who owned LaScala restaurant.
Third dish up was a Pulpo y Chorizo. Grilled octopus with Fingerling potatoes, Spanish Chorizo and olive oil. Chorizo was very good. Octopus was a little tough. Most went back to the kitchen. A 5G's Garnacha, Campo de Borja was paired with this dish. A nice wine and paired very well.
A plate of Paella was next. Loaded with clams, mussels, shrimp, chicken and andouille sausage. Good flavors. But I have had better Paella and I have also had worse. Portions of seafood was good. Paired with a Salmos Red Blend, Priorat. My favorite wine if the evening.
Last main dish served was a Solomillo Steak, grilled ribeye with red wine reduction, pisto Machego with patats bravas (mixed veggies, mushrooms, squash, onions). Steak was perfect. Nice char on it and sizzling when it came out.. The surprise wine of the dinner turned out to be a Mas La Plana Cabernet Sauvigon, Penedes. Wine Spectator gave it a 93 rating.. Excellent pairing and very good wine.
Dessert was a Housemade Spanish Flan served with a Brandy Alexander made with Torres 10 Brandy and Torres Spanish Orange Liqueur. Nice touch to the evening.
Question is and not only this restaurant - why do they served one pat of butter for two large rolls.
Dinner was good, wines were good and I won a bottle of wine as a door prize. Good evening.
Baba Ghanouj
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Baba Ghanouj was Margie's selection for dinner this month. www.babaghanoujrestaurant.com . Located in the Bixby Knolls area which is becoming quite the restaurant row. 12 people, 17 bottles of wine. No room on table for food.. With the bottles and all the wine glasses it was a tight squeeze for the food dishes.
We started out with the White Bean Soup which was nice and thick. Lots of garlic. Good flavors.
Baskets of Pita Bread showed up but the Hummus was missing. Seems it ended up being served on the dinner plate and not much of it. And for some reason it did not seem the same as the last time I was at Baba. Something was off.
A couple more appetizers were served. Sauteed Potatoes with garlic, lemon, chioli, cilantro and tahini (the potatoes are a favorite of mine) and a plate of Feta Mix, feta cheese, chopped onion. tomato. fresh oregano and olive oil with pita chips.
The main entrees were served on individual dinner plates. Consisted of Kibbie Sineeya, which is freshly ground beef with cracked wheat and layered with pine nuts. Baked and served with tabbouleh and yogurt sauce. Chicken Shawarma which is thinly sliced grilled chicken with tomato, garlic sauce and hummus. Lamb Shish Kabab, marinated pieces of lamb, charbroiled and served with hummus. And the Basmati Rice.
All the meat to me was dry, the lamb was tough and way over cooked for me and the portion size of all the sauces were very small. Flavors were excellent.
Dessert was dry also, Baklawa (Baklava) just did not have enough syrup on it.
I would have rather paid $5 more and had larger portions of all the sauces and hummus.
Wines were an interesting mix. I tried less than a third of them. Some just plain did not interest me. I did like the Alain Bally Champagne, Miraval Rose, Stolo Gewurztraminer and the Huber Barrel Select Pinot Noir.
Baba Ghanouj was Margie's selection for dinner this month. www.babaghanoujrestaurant.com . Located in the Bixby Knolls area which is becoming quite the restaurant row. 12 people, 17 bottles of wine. No room on table for food.. With the bottles and all the wine glasses it was a tight squeeze for the food dishes.
We started out with the White Bean Soup which was nice and thick. Lots of garlic. Good flavors.
Baskets of Pita Bread showed up but the Hummus was missing. Seems it ended up being served on the dinner plate and not much of it. And for some reason it did not seem the same as the last time I was at Baba. Something was off.
A couple more appetizers were served. Sauteed Potatoes with garlic, lemon, chioli, cilantro and tahini (the potatoes are a favorite of mine) and a plate of Feta Mix, feta cheese, chopped onion. tomato. fresh oregano and olive oil with pita chips.
The main entrees were served on individual dinner plates. Consisted of Kibbie Sineeya, which is freshly ground beef with cracked wheat and layered with pine nuts. Baked and served with tabbouleh and yogurt sauce. Chicken Shawarma which is thinly sliced grilled chicken with tomato, garlic sauce and hummus. Lamb Shish Kabab, marinated pieces of lamb, charbroiled and served with hummus. And the Basmati Rice.
All the meat to me was dry, the lamb was tough and way over cooked for me and the portion size of all the sauces were very small. Flavors were excellent.
Dessert was dry also, Baklawa (Baklava) just did not have enough syrup on it.
I would have rather paid $5 more and had larger portions of all the sauces and hummus.
Wines were an interesting mix. I tried less than a third of them. Some just plain did not interest me. I did like the Alain Bally Champagne, Miraval Rose, Stolo Gewurztraminer and the Huber Barrel Select Pinot Noir.
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