Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Eight tonight for a small holiday dinner at the Seafood Palace in Westminister. Traffic was extremely heavy tonight for some reason. Took me over and hour to drive from Torrance to Westminister. Others had the same issue. Glad we had a few bottles of bubbly to take the stress out of the driving.
We started out with Salt and Pepper Calamari. Very tender calamari tonight. Just the right amount of salt. This dish was polished off quickly
Then the big platter of Peking Duck. I just eat the duck, especially the crispy skin. I don't want to fill up on the buns that you are supposed to wrap the duck meat in. Nice moist meat and extra crispy skin.
Our complimentary bowl of spicy soup was set before us. This is always good but tonight for some reason seemed better. That could be the cook or the occasion.
The treat of the evening arrived . Stir fried lobsters with special noodles. Very long , thin, round noodles that absorbed all the juices. Two lobsters tonight and I was surprised I was the last to have the platter in front of me and still managed to get a very large claw.
Last seafood dish of the evening is sauteed shrimp and green beans. Fresh, crispy green beans and succulent shrimp.
Then we had beef french style. Had to have something to go with all the red wines tonight. Very tender beef with just the right amount of seasonings.
Dessert was almond pudding with fruit cocktail. I wonder what would the Chinese have done if America had not managed to concoct a bunch of small pieces of fruit in a syrup and call it "fruit cocktail". Probably would have fresh fruit instead
Interesting selection of wines tonight.
2013 Baehner-Fournier, Vogelzand Vineyard, Happy Canyon, Sauvignon Blanc
2007 Williams Seylem, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir
2014 Stags Leap, Napa Valley, Petite Syrah
2015 Dr.Loosen, Mosel, Blue Slate, Riesling, Kabinett
2013 August Kesseler, Pfalz, Qualitatswin, Dry Riesling
2015 Sanford, Loma Alta, Sta, Rita Hills, Pinot Noir
1998 Flowers, Pisoni Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir
2008 Moet Chandon, France, Grand Vintage, Brut, Champagne
2001 McKeon-Phillips, Santa Barbara County, Leonardo (blend)
NV Domaine Allimant-Laugner, Orschwiller, France, Cremant D'Alsace
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Arte Cafe and Ken Brown Wines
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Sold out house tonight which was a complete turn around from last years dinner. Last year Arte Cafe did not out out any notification of the dinner until 2 days before. This time we had about 10 days notice and it showed. Not an empty table and the tables were crowded together.
We started out with multiple pours of the 2016 Vin Gris Rose which was quite pleasant. Paired well with the Albacore Tartare with citrus vinaigrette. Nice flavor and a really good dish. Fish was solid not mushy.
Next was a Wild Mushroom Cappuccino with truffle oil. Good flavors but this dish was serve cold. It would have really enhanced the flavors it it had been warm. It did not need to be hot but warm would have been nice. The restaurant did this soup a big disfavor . Best wine of the night was paired. A 2015 Voglezang Vineyard, Happy Canyon, Sauvignon Blanc. My style of Sau Blanc. Not over citrus, acidic. Soft mouth feel. Paired well with the dish and also the Vin Gris. I had some left and tried both with the cappuccino.
Third course set in front of us is a Roasted Duck, frisee lettuce and apple salad with lemon salsa. Duck was pink inside which is a plus. I do not eat frisee. I really do not like pieces of food hanging out my mouth and that is what happens with these type of greens. They are not "date night" foods. The apple was great as was the lemon salsa. A 2014 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir was poured. I did not think that this was the best pairing. Went back to the sau blanc and vin gris and both were better choices. Maybe the kitchen thought duck = pinot, but not in a salad. I also was not a fan of this Pinot. Ken Brown makes fabulous Pinots but I think this is a low end one. 6 different vineyards were blended in this. I also look at this type of wine as leftover fruit, lets get rid of it. It had Rio Vista, Lafond, La Encantada, Radian, Buona Terra and Rita's Crown. All good vineyards but I personally didn't think this worked by putting them all together. I thought is dull.
Main course served is a Petite Filet Mignon with roasted garlic, corn and mash potato Filet was tender and flavorful, corn was whole kernel's in a cream sauce. Potatoes were just potatoes. Wine was a 2014 Santa Barbara, Cuvee Syrah. A blend of Thompson and McKinley vineyards with a touch of viognier. Nice wine, nothing spectacular.
Dessert is a Green Tea and ginger ice cream with mixed berries. A refreshing end to the meal.
Dinner was $55 exclusive. Well worth the money. Compared to dinner last week at Utopia at $60 exclusive this was far superior.
Sold out house tonight which was a complete turn around from last years dinner. Last year Arte Cafe did not out out any notification of the dinner until 2 days before. This time we had about 10 days notice and it showed. Not an empty table and the tables were crowded together.
We started out with multiple pours of the 2016 Vin Gris Rose which was quite pleasant. Paired well with the Albacore Tartare with citrus vinaigrette. Nice flavor and a really good dish. Fish was solid not mushy.
Next was a Wild Mushroom Cappuccino with truffle oil. Good flavors but this dish was serve cold. It would have really enhanced the flavors it it had been warm. It did not need to be hot but warm would have been nice. The restaurant did this soup a big disfavor . Best wine of the night was paired. A 2015 Voglezang Vineyard, Happy Canyon, Sauvignon Blanc. My style of Sau Blanc. Not over citrus, acidic. Soft mouth feel. Paired well with the dish and also the Vin Gris. I had some left and tried both with the cappuccino.
Third course set in front of us is a Roasted Duck, frisee lettuce and apple salad with lemon salsa. Duck was pink inside which is a plus. I do not eat frisee. I really do not like pieces of food hanging out my mouth and that is what happens with these type of greens. They are not "date night" foods. The apple was great as was the lemon salsa. A 2014 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir was poured. I did not think that this was the best pairing. Went back to the sau blanc and vin gris and both were better choices. Maybe the kitchen thought duck = pinot, but not in a salad. I also was not a fan of this Pinot. Ken Brown makes fabulous Pinots but I think this is a low end one. 6 different vineyards were blended in this. I also look at this type of wine as leftover fruit, lets get rid of it. It had Rio Vista, Lafond, La Encantada, Radian, Buona Terra and Rita's Crown. All good vineyards but I personally didn't think this worked by putting them all together. I thought is dull.
Main course served is a Petite Filet Mignon with roasted garlic, corn and mash potato Filet was tender and flavorful, corn was whole kernel's in a cream sauce. Potatoes were just potatoes. Wine was a 2014 Santa Barbara, Cuvee Syrah. A blend of Thompson and McKinley vineyards with a touch of viognier. Nice wine, nothing spectacular.
Dessert is a Green Tea and ginger ice cream with mixed berries. A refreshing end to the meal.
Dinner was $55 exclusive. Well worth the money. Compared to dinner last week at Utopia at $60 exclusive this was far superior.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Consilience Wines at Utopia
Thursday, December 7, 2017
We decided to give Utopia one last chance. www.utopiarestaurant.net We were so disappointed in the last wine dinner that we said we would never go back. But after having a regular dinner and we were happy with it when this wine dinner came up we decided to chance it again. But another disappointment.
We started out with a Crab cake with blue cheese and garlic cream sauce. Crab cake was dry, had decent flavor but no moisture at all. Paired with a 2014 Consilience, Santa Barbara Chardonnay. A bit oaky but paired well with the crab
Next was a Grilled Romaine lettuce with goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. They took a half of a Romaine lettuce and grilled it. Made the upper part of the leaves very limp. Not pleasing to the eye at all. Best think about is was the dressing. I ate 2 bites and shoved it aside. The wine was no better a 2015 Consilience Converge Red. A blend of everything in the cellar. Mainly Syrah, Petite Syrah and Sangiovese with 3 or 4 other wines thrown in.
Third course looked great. Lobster ravioli with garlic, red peppers in a brandy cream sauce and topped with grilled shrimp. Difficult to taste the lobster. the pasta was luke warm and the shrimp were over cooked and dry. The wine was no better. A 1024 Consilience, Santa Barbara , Pinot Noir. It sucked. Thin and non-descript.
Best of the evening was dessert. A souffle with Quady's Starboard Batch 88 port style wine.
Perhaps Utopia has a problem with getting the dinners out when they have to cook, plate and serve 40 people at one time. During a regular dinner people come and go so the food orders come in randomly. But they have problems so we will no longer come back.
We decided to give Utopia one last chance. www.utopiarestaurant.net We were so disappointed in the last wine dinner that we said we would never go back. But after having a regular dinner and we were happy with it when this wine dinner came up we decided to chance it again. But another disappointment.
We started out with a Crab cake with blue cheese and garlic cream sauce. Crab cake was dry, had decent flavor but no moisture at all. Paired with a 2014 Consilience, Santa Barbara Chardonnay. A bit oaky but paired well with the crab
Next was a Grilled Romaine lettuce with goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. They took a half of a Romaine lettuce and grilled it. Made the upper part of the leaves very limp. Not pleasing to the eye at all. Best think about is was the dressing. I ate 2 bites and shoved it aside. The wine was no better a 2015 Consilience Converge Red. A blend of everything in the cellar. Mainly Syrah, Petite Syrah and Sangiovese with 3 or 4 other wines thrown in.
Third course looked great. Lobster ravioli with garlic, red peppers in a brandy cream sauce and topped with grilled shrimp. Difficult to taste the lobster. the pasta was luke warm and the shrimp were over cooked and dry. The wine was no better. A 1024 Consilience, Santa Barbara , Pinot Noir. It sucked. Thin and non-descript.
Best of the evening was dessert. A souffle with Quady's Starboard Batch 88 port style wine.
Perhaps Utopia has a problem with getting the dinners out when they have to cook, plate and serve 40 people at one time. During a regular dinner people come and go so the food orders come in randomly. But they have problems so we will no longer come back.
Champagne Fest at Wine House
Sunday, December 3, 2017
115 Champagnes and sparkling's being poured today at the Wine House if Los Angeles. Lots of interesting appetizers. Tried numerous wines. Ranged from $480 a bottle to $18.
I tried the most expensive champagne being poured. A 2006 Salon Brut Blanc de Blancs "LeMesnil Grand Cru - disappointed, expected much more. Maybe it is just too young.
One of the ones I liked the best was a NV Allimant Laugner Cremant d'Alsace Rose at $18.
Tasted 33 out of the 115 - too numerous to list. But a great tasting and glad I had a driver.
115 Champagnes and sparkling's being poured today at the Wine House if Los Angeles. Lots of interesting appetizers. Tried numerous wines. Ranged from $480 a bottle to $18.
I tried the most expensive champagne being poured. A 2006 Salon Brut Blanc de Blancs "LeMesnil Grand Cru - disappointed, expected much more. Maybe it is just too young.
One of the ones I liked the best was a NV Allimant Laugner Cremant d'Alsace Rose at $18.
Tasted 33 out of the 115 - too numerous to list. But a great tasting and glad I had a driver.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Buttonwood Wines at the Comedy and Magic Club
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Gourmet Wine Getaways , www.gourmetwinegetaways.com. hosted dinner tonight the the Comedy Club in Hermosa Beach. 60 people in attendance to have dinner at the Lounge, cooked by Christine Brown (formerly of Restaurant Christine) and wines provided by Karen Steinwachs of Buttonwood Winery.
Got to the venue a bit early so we walked around Hermosa Beach pier. Had not been in this area for a lot of years. The "Lighthouse" was still there. Had the original door an porthole window along with the neon sign. But a big glass window in front now and a classy looking bar. The small stage for the performers was there but the place looked cleaned up from 50 some odd years ago. In the 50's I haunted the place, listening to jazz, seeing numerous big names there that weren't so big at that time. Served my beverage in a "green" glass because I was underage. Nice to see something has survived besides me.
At 6:30 they opened the doors to the Lounge and we were ushered in for dinner. Greeted with a glass of 2016 Buttonwood Estate Sauvignon Blanc. Very nice wine. Not overly grassy nor citrusy. They passed trays of Hors D'Oeuvre's. Prosciutto wrapped papaya, savory mushroom & goat cheese puff pastry and a dill / basil infused shrimp shooter with lemon caper aioli. All very tasty.
After being seated for dinner a large bowl of wild mushroom soup with a mushroom ravioli was served. They had dribbled a herb oil in the soup which made no sense to me. I don't need oil in soup. A 2013 Sta Rita Hills, (Hibbs) Pinot Noir was the wine chosen. A light Pinot but did pair well with the mushrooms.
Next was a roasted rack or pork loin, cauliflower risotto, fennel slaw and a fennel demi glace. Pork was OK, I would have liked it a bit more rare but that is a personal preference. Risotto was good, had a lot of flavor along with the demi glace. Fennel was not over whelming. Best of wine of the night was paired with this dish. a 2014 Estate Cabernet Franc. Very lush wine, velvety on the palate. Hint of chocolate when first tasted
A 2013 Estate Classic Cuvee, bordeaux blend, wine was chosen for the grilled filet mignon, yukon gold scalloped potatoes, grilled asparagus and chimichurri sauce. Wine was good. The beef was medium well which is not my favorite. The potatoes were in a fat pancake form, had very good flavor.. Asparagus had so much oil on it it was inedible. I did not taste the chimichurri because it was sitting in a bed of oil.
Dessert was an olive oil cake with berry compote and blood orange sauce. It needed 3 times as much fruit and sauce to help the cake. What is this fascination with oil tonight ? It is like the chefs that load every dish with micro greens. Less sometimes is more.
I was disappointed in the food. Several items needed just a pinch of salt and why oh why do we have to have a damm herb infused oil on everything. It tainted the flavors of the food items. It wasn't necessary for the dishes. No one would have missed it and some would be thankful it was not there at all. And all the dishes were very large. It was difficult to "clean your plate". Service was slow because they did not have enough staff when it came time to serve dinner. Since the club had not been hosted wine dinners before , the inexperience showed. Perhaps they learned something and next time they will use that knowledge to put a better foot forward.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Big Red Wine Dinner at Delius
Saturday, November 18, 2017
The annual "Sparkling" dinner at Delius, www.deliusrestaurant.com. has been replaced with the "Big Red" wine dinner. Attendance is up because of the theme. People associate red wine with food more than sparkling wines. Their loss. Unless you have experienced bubblies with every course of a dinner you have no idea how good they can pair.
John Hickey of the Henry Wine Group was my dining companion for the evening. Nice thing about sitting with the rep is you get multiple pours. We started out with a "bubbly". The only non red wine tonight. A Zardetto Prosecco DOC Brut from Italy. A Grilled Baguette with coriander infused triple cream brie and spicy tomato jam accompanied the bubbly. A nice start.
Second course is a Wild Mushroom and Sage Fricassee with wilted arugula, porcini dusted parmesan crisp. Good flavors which surprised me. I just expected less and got more. Paired with a 2016 Forager, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir. New label for me. Small production. Pinot was on the lighter side and paired well with the mushrooms.
Next was a Balsamic Glazed Chicken Liver with charred scallions, apple and bacon compote. This dish surprised me also. It was my favorite of the evening. Flavors were well balanced and the compote added a special nuance to the liver. A 2013 Hook and Ladder Station Ten Red Blend, Russian River was the wine. A blend of Zinfandel, Carignane, Alicante Bouschet, Petite Syrah and Cabernet. Hints of cocoa and cinnamon along with peppery tones.
A Fig Braised Short Rib with sweet potato and gorgonzola gratin and seared kale was the entree. Gratin was excellent and the fig gave the short rib a touch of sweetness,. Meat was tender and full of flavors. Paired with a 2014 Domiane Cabirau Serge and Nicholas, France. A red blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignane. Very nice wine, subtle flavors of spice & pepper. A good pairing.
Dessert was a Mulled Wine Poached Pear with house made cinnamon ice cream and a orange honey drizzle. A nice end to a very good dinner.
Dessert was a Mulled Wine Poached Pear with house made cinnamon ice cream and a orange honey drizzle. A nice end to a very good dinner.
Friday, November 17, 2017
Relief Dinner at Chianina
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Chianina restaurant in Naples, www.chianina.com, hosted a dinner tonight to raise funds for the wine country fire victims. The restaurant donated the food, the staff donated their time and the wineries donated the wine. The $175 I paid for the dinner was 100% tax deduction. Michaels on Naples was doing the same. Both restaurants are owned by Michael Dene.
We started off with a glass or Starmont, Sauvignon Blanc. This is a second label of Merryvale. I really enjoyed this wine. Slightly acidic but with a peach taste.
First course was a Scallop with butternut squash, hazelnut, amarant leaves (beautiful colors) and brown butter. Exquisite. Perfectly paired with a 2014 Grgich Hills, Napa, Chadonnay. Slightly oaked but paired perfect with the scallop.
Next was a Coddled Egg on a bed of leeks with shaved black truffle. Then a potato cream soup was poured around that. Everything about this dish was perfect. But the wine was a 2014 Nickel & Nickle, Napa, Merlot. Did not go with this dish at all. The Chardonnay from the first course was a much better pairing.
Third course is a Roast Chicken Breast, braised thigh, napa cabbage and turnip. I rarely have chicken in a restaurant but this piece of poultry was so perfectly cooked. Moist, juicy and the flesh itself was solid, not stringy like some chicken breasts get. It had a slight hint of salt but you could not say it was salty. A 2011 Sullivan, Napa, Coeur De Vigne, a Bordeaux blend. was the wine selection. This to be was the best wine of the evening.
A Roasted Prime Angus Beef with maitake mushrooms, brussel sprout and bone marrow was the last entree. I had one bite and took the rest home. I was overly stuffed by now as I had two of the salted honey rolls with loads of marscarpone butter. Paired with a 2013 Antica, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon. My least favorite wine. Needed more cellaring.
Dessert was a Poached Pear with a spiced ice cream. Served with a Moscato. A bit too sweet for me.
Again a good dinner at Chianina aside from Marc's rating on politics. They do food here really well. A nice fund raiser and glad to contribute.
Chianina restaurant in Naples, www.chianina.com, hosted a dinner tonight to raise funds for the wine country fire victims. The restaurant donated the food, the staff donated their time and the wineries donated the wine. The $175 I paid for the dinner was 100% tax deduction. Michaels on Naples was doing the same. Both restaurants are owned by Michael Dene.
We started off with a glass or Starmont, Sauvignon Blanc. This is a second label of Merryvale. I really enjoyed this wine. Slightly acidic but with a peach taste.
First course was a Scallop with butternut squash, hazelnut, amarant leaves (beautiful colors) and brown butter. Exquisite. Perfectly paired with a 2014 Grgich Hills, Napa, Chadonnay. Slightly oaked but paired perfect with the scallop.
Next was a Coddled Egg on a bed of leeks with shaved black truffle. Then a potato cream soup was poured around that. Everything about this dish was perfect. But the wine was a 2014 Nickel & Nickle, Napa, Merlot. Did not go with this dish at all. The Chardonnay from the first course was a much better pairing.
Third course is a Roast Chicken Breast, braised thigh, napa cabbage and turnip. I rarely have chicken in a restaurant but this piece of poultry was so perfectly cooked. Moist, juicy and the flesh itself was solid, not stringy like some chicken breasts get. It had a slight hint of salt but you could not say it was salty. A 2011 Sullivan, Napa, Coeur De Vigne, a Bordeaux blend. was the wine selection. This to be was the best wine of the evening.
A Roasted Prime Angus Beef with maitake mushrooms, brussel sprout and bone marrow was the last entree. I had one bite and took the rest home. I was overly stuffed by now as I had two of the salted honey rolls with loads of marscarpone butter. Paired with a 2013 Antica, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon. My least favorite wine. Needed more cellaring.
Dessert was a Poached Pear with a spiced ice cream. Served with a Moscato. A bit too sweet for me.
Again a good dinner at Chianina aside from Marc's rating on politics. They do food here really well. A nice fund raiser and glad to contribute.
Lunch with the Boys
Monday, November 13, 2017
Today we headed to India Grill in Cypress for our monthly lunch. Normally it is Dim Sum but at least once a year we pay homage to CJ's cuisine. All the Indian restaurants seem to do a buffet lunch. Don't get everything on the regular menu but there is a large selection of dishes available.
Since it was buffet we all had our favorites. I found that the Tandori Chicken was much moister than the Chicken Tiki Masala. I had an array of vegetables. Henry o'd on the braised lamb shank. CJ ordered a side of fried onions.
Our wines today were 2011 Kosta Browne, RRV, Pinot Noir, 2016 Vignobles, Lachzteav, Vouvray. 2016 Wachtstetter, Germany, Rose of Pinot Noir, 2011 Zaca Mesa, SYV, Syrah and a 2015 Michael Davis, Lodi, Petite Syrah. I found the rose and the vouvray were the best wines with this spicier food.
We toasted our dear friend Terry, whose anniversary of his death was last Monday the 6 of November. I was out of town so we did not do our monthly lunch on that date. I am sure that Terry would understand.
Timbre Wines at Taste
Monday, November 13, 2017
7 of us tonight for this dinner at Taste. We took half of the communal table. Timbre Wines were being poured. Josh Klapper the winemaker was running quite late due to traffic coming in from Arroyo Grand. There was a memorial service for Seth Kunin, a winemaker, today and everyone who knew Seth was there. Saw pictures of the services and it was a huge crowd.
We started out with a Poached Pear Salad, arugula, frisee, toasted walnuts, blue cheese mousse and a cider vinaigrette. Very good flavors and the blue cheese mousse added the right touch. Paired with a 2016 Sterophonic Riesling.
Second course is a Butter Poached Cod, braised leeks, fingerling potatoes and lemon thyme cream sauce. Again the sauce really made the dish. Cod was moist and cooked perfectly. Wine was a 2014 Lead Vocals Bien Nacidio Chardonnay. Neutral French Oak and paired nicely with the fish.
Next was a Grilled Quail, rosemary & black pepper marinade, sweet potato mash, spinach bacon jus. Excellent dish. Quail was moist and juicy, the marinade gave it the right touch. The mash was smooth and loads of flavor. My favorite dish of the night. Wine paired is a 2013 Headliner Pinot Noir. Light wine, good fruit.
A Forest Mushroom Risotto was served, mushroom truffle reduction, chives and caramelized cippolini onions. Nice earthy tone to this dish. Risotto cooked perfectly. and the 2014 A Cote Pinot Noir was a good choice to pair with this dish.
Dessert was a Marscarpone Cheesecake, vanilla bean poached quine and ginger syrup. A light dessert and the end of a heavy meal
A good dinner with great friends. A nice way to spend a Monday night.
Issara Thai Restaurant
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Margie's monthy dinner venue was held at Issara Thai restaurant in Huntington Beach. www.issarathaicuisine.com. We have been here numerous times in the past years. Food is always good.
We started out with their chicken wings which have a nice sticky coating and a bit of a of a bite. Always a good choice. This year we were treated to their spare ribs. They are cooked for 16 hours and only available for special occasions. Some of the best ribs I have had. Layers of flavor.
Next was beef waterfall, a grilled skirt steak with onion. It is served slightly warm. Then onto red curry duck. This was a big hit last year. but I think it was also better last year. This time it just did not do that much for me. Something was off.
Wok stir fry with shrimp and garlic was set before us. New dish and I would have this one again. Loved all the garlic and the shrimp were exceptionally fresh.
Last two dishes were the crispy sole with apple and silver noodle stir fry. The sole is a staple and always good, fried with a light batter and never oily. The silver noodle dish again was a new one. Interesting. I would try this one again. Not sure what I really thought of it. Flavor was good but texture was an slight issue.
A big array of wines were brought. Since we were broken up into 4 tables of 4 you have to get up and wander to find what wines were on the other tables. I brought a 2014 Tercero Outlier which is a dry Gewurztraminer and goes exceptionally well with Thai cuisine. And a 2010 Seagrape Pinot Noir. Both wines were drinking quite nicely.
2008 McKeon Phillips, Cabernet Franc - excellent
2016 Mandallena, Rose - ok
Beringer, Chardonnay - did not taste
LaCana Albarino - ok
Mumm Napa Cuvee - nice
2012 Tobin James Liquid Love - did not taste but I have had this wine numerous times
2015 Epiphany, Grenache Blanc - don't remember if I tasted it or not
2013 Hermann Wiemer Gewurztraimer - nice
2012 Dead On Chenin Blanc - nice
2013 Domaine Caneros by Tattinger Brut - very good
2014 Lincourt Pinot Noir - not a Lincourt fan
2012 Williams Selyem RRV, Pinot Noir - always good
2014 Raunes Dry Riesling - ok
2011 Chateau Frank, Blanc de Blanc - nice
2014 Coquelicot Riesling - did not taste
Perlato Brut Neirano - It think this may have been a sparkling
Margie's monthy dinner venue was held at Issara Thai restaurant in Huntington Beach. www.issarathaicuisine.com. We have been here numerous times in the past years. Food is always good.
We started out with their chicken wings which have a nice sticky coating and a bit of a of a bite. Always a good choice. This year we were treated to their spare ribs. They are cooked for 16 hours and only available for special occasions. Some of the best ribs I have had. Layers of flavor.
Next was beef waterfall, a grilled skirt steak with onion. It is served slightly warm. Then onto red curry duck. This was a big hit last year. but I think it was also better last year. This time it just did not do that much for me. Something was off.
Wok stir fry with shrimp and garlic was set before us. New dish and I would have this one again. Loved all the garlic and the shrimp were exceptionally fresh.
Last two dishes were the crispy sole with apple and silver noodle stir fry. The sole is a staple and always good, fried with a light batter and never oily. The silver noodle dish again was a new one. Interesting. I would try this one again. Not sure what I really thought of it. Flavor was good but texture was an slight issue.
A big array of wines were brought. Since we were broken up into 4 tables of 4 you have to get up and wander to find what wines were on the other tables. I brought a 2014 Tercero Outlier which is a dry Gewurztraminer and goes exceptionally well with Thai cuisine. And a 2010 Seagrape Pinot Noir. Both wines were drinking quite nicely.
2008 McKeon Phillips, Cabernet Franc - excellent
2016 Mandallena, Rose - ok
Beringer, Chardonnay - did not taste
LaCana Albarino - ok
Mumm Napa Cuvee - nice
2012 Tobin James Liquid Love - did not taste but I have had this wine numerous times
2015 Epiphany, Grenache Blanc - don't remember if I tasted it or not
2013 Hermann Wiemer Gewurztraimer - nice
2012 Dead On Chenin Blanc - nice
2013 Domaine Caneros by Tattinger Brut - very good
2014 Lincourt Pinot Noir - not a Lincourt fan
2012 Williams Selyem RRV, Pinot Noir - always good
2014 Raunes Dry Riesling - ok
2011 Chateau Frank, Blanc de Blanc - nice
2014 Coquelicot Riesling - did not taste
Perlato Brut Neirano - It think this may have been a sparkling
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Another Dim Sum with The Boys
Monday, October 23, 2017
If its Monday that means Dim Sum with the boys at Seafood Palace in Westminister. Mondays are dead days at restaurants so it is never crowded which we like. But sometimes we suffer because the seafood is leftover from the weekend. Henry always asks what is best and fresh. If we went in without Henry they would not be that considerate of us.
We always start out with a few items from the cart then so onto whatever Henry decides is good that day. So Sticky sweet rice with sausage wrapped in lotus leaves, shrimp shu mai and a pork shu mai from the cart
Then onto a new dish. Very thin noodles, almost like string flavored with salted fish, a few greens and then chicken added. Interesting, good flavor but I still prefer "fat noodles".
Our complimentary bowl of sweet sour spicy soup. Better than last months but not as good as several months ago. Different chefs make the same type of soup differently. Mostly by the seasonings. Some are more heavy handed than others.
Beef with Chinese broccoli which is a regular for us. Beef is very tender and goes well with the red wines. Today seemed much more flavorful.
Last dish was salt and pepper prawns. Big prawns cooked with the shells and heads on for the most flavor. This was one of Cora's favorite dishes.
Then our normal egg tarts for dessert.
Our wines today included 3 bubblies. There is a heat wave hitting our area and it is over 100 today.
I brought a Morettei Proseco. Others brought Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace, RH Coutier a Ambonnay Brut, 2012 Abelis Carthago Lui, Tempranillo and a 2011 Zaca Mesa Syrah.
Another Dim Sum for the singles is over. Next month we will do our lunch at India Grille in Los Alamitos/Cypress. Weather is cooling and the Indian food lunch buffet is calling us.
October's Wine Soiree
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Ghoulish Reds and Ghostly Whites was the theme for today's gathering. That meant anything and that is what we got. The host had requested costumes for people and wine bottles along with themed food dishes because of it being the Halloween "season".
So it ended up being half and half of those in attendance. Prizes were given for each category. If you are "into it" it is your type of event. And if you are a non-conformist like me you ignore it. Although I will say that Henry's "wine bottle costume" was great. It was hand made instead of "bought". He used a lime for a head, cut a mouth in and put something red inside to make a tongue. Used screws for eyes, wire for "hair", jade plant for arms and a huge nail at the top of the head that went inside the wine bottle for stability. Looked "frankensteinish" and was quite creative.
We had a really mixed bag of wine but a few stood out. I brought a Sekthaus Raumland Cuvee Marie-Luise Brut which was welcomed on this extremely hot day.
Other notable wines were 1997 Estancia Meritage, 2012 Alpha Omega II and a 2014 Jean Marie Briolird, 1st Cru, Chablis.
Ghoulish Reds and Ghostly Whites was the theme for today's gathering. That meant anything and that is what we got. The host had requested costumes for people and wine bottles along with themed food dishes because of it being the Halloween "season".
So it ended up being half and half of those in attendance. Prizes were given for each category. If you are "into it" it is your type of event. And if you are a non-conformist like me you ignore it. Although I will say that Henry's "wine bottle costume" was great. It was hand made instead of "bought". He used a lime for a head, cut a mouth in and put something red inside to make a tongue. Used screws for eyes, wire for "hair", jade plant for arms and a huge nail at the top of the head that went inside the wine bottle for stability. Looked "frankensteinish" and was quite creative.
We had a really mixed bag of wine but a few stood out. I brought a Sekthaus Raumland Cuvee Marie-Luise Brut which was welcomed on this extremely hot day.
Other notable wines were 1997 Estancia Meritage, 2012 Alpha Omega II and a 2014 Jean Marie Briolird, 1st Cru, Chablis.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Fall Wine Dinner at Arte Cafe
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
I will say this dinner was a lot better than the Spanish dinner last week at the same restaurant. The food was their style of cooking. Chefs should be wary of trying to cook foods that they are unfamiliar with until they practice a lot. www.artecafecerritos.com.
A lot of Cal di Salice sparkling Rose was poured when first seated. It was a nice touch since it had been a very hot day.
Appetizer was a duck liver pate crostini and a duck confit crostini. Both quite good. Paired with a Santa Cristina Pinot Grigio. Not my favorite grape varietal but the "wine nazi"as in a better mood tonight and was pouring very liberally
Second course consisted of roasted red and yellow baby beets, heirloom tomatoes (I question how heirloom) with goat cheese, EVO and aged balsamic. Clean flavors, nice presentation. A 50th Anniversary Chateau St. Michelle Chardonnay was the wine. A good combination and the wine was clean just like I prefer by chard's.
Next was a Erath, " Resplendent", Pinot Noir. Quite good but a little lean. Paired with a Seared rare Pacific Bluefin Tuna, fennel-orange relish and cauliflower/yukon mash. I did like this dish a lot. The tuna was seared just perfect, almost raw. Good flavors and a very good pairing.
Last course was Beef Stroganoff with a 50th Anniversary Chateau St. Michelle Cabernet (magnum). Good wine and good food. Dessert was interesting. A Chef's Aftershift Rootbeer Float made with spiced rum, Jim Beam Honey Infused Ice Cream and "nilla wafer.. We managed to get two of these. They were really tasty and a nice end to a good dinner.
Compared to last week at Arte Cafe for the same price of $49 this dinner so over shadowed last week. Richard needs to stick with what he knows best. Arte Cafe's wine dinners are a bargain. Sometimes the food might be a bit off and sometimes you really have to track down the "wine nazi" but perhaps that is what makes things interesting and not boring. They always give away bottles of wine after dinner. This dinner had the place packed. Every table was taken. 2 large tables of 12 and a table of 8 in our dining area along with the 2's and 4's. The back dining area was filled also.
I will say this dinner was a lot better than the Spanish dinner last week at the same restaurant. The food was their style of cooking. Chefs should be wary of trying to cook foods that they are unfamiliar with until they practice a lot. www.artecafecerritos.com.
A lot of Cal di Salice sparkling Rose was poured when first seated. It was a nice touch since it had been a very hot day.
Appetizer was a duck liver pate crostini and a duck confit crostini. Both quite good. Paired with a Santa Cristina Pinot Grigio. Not my favorite grape varietal but the "wine nazi"as in a better mood tonight and was pouring very liberally
Second course consisted of roasted red and yellow baby beets, heirloom tomatoes (I question how heirloom) with goat cheese, EVO and aged balsamic. Clean flavors, nice presentation. A 50th Anniversary Chateau St. Michelle Chardonnay was the wine. A good combination and the wine was clean just like I prefer by chard's.
Next was a Erath, " Resplendent", Pinot Noir. Quite good but a little lean. Paired with a Seared rare Pacific Bluefin Tuna, fennel-orange relish and cauliflower/yukon mash. I did like this dish a lot. The tuna was seared just perfect, almost raw. Good flavors and a very good pairing.
Last course was Beef Stroganoff with a 50th Anniversary Chateau St. Michelle Cabernet (magnum). Good wine and good food. Dessert was interesting. A Chef's Aftershift Rootbeer Float made with spiced rum, Jim Beam Honey Infused Ice Cream and "nilla wafer.. We managed to get two of these. They were really tasty and a nice end to a good dinner.
Compared to last week at Arte Cafe for the same price of $49 this dinner so over shadowed last week. Richard needs to stick with what he knows best. Arte Cafe's wine dinners are a bargain. Sometimes the food might be a bit off and sometimes you really have to track down the "wine nazi" but perhaps that is what makes things interesting and not boring. They always give away bottles of wine after dinner. This dinner had the place packed. Every table was taken. 2 large tables of 12 and a table of 8 in our dining area along with the 2's and 4's. The back dining area was filled also.
Cheese Addiction
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Margie's monthly wine activity was the "Cheese Addictition", www.cheeseaddiction.com, at Bella Terra. They also have store in Belmont Shore but the parking there is impossible. There were 15 of us so at 2 tables of 12 three of us were seated with other patrons of the store. Nice group we were with and a lot quieter that the other table. We had 11 cheeses and we all brought wine to pair with the cheeses.
I brought a "Hafen" port style Dornfelder and a Sauterne. I found that those two wines just about covered all 11 cheeses. I had 6 glasses in front of me with different wines. I tried them all with the cheeses and for my taste a Roussane, my two wines and a bubbly were the best fit.
After looking at the list of what people brought I had to shake my head and ask" what were they thinking". A couple of my favorite cheeses were a Pave du Marin, Pumpkin Spice Gouda, and Great Ocean Road Cheddar. They had a Feta in Olive Oil that was quite good. The cheese itself was creamy, not dry and salty as Feta usually is.
List of wines this evening are as follows - I did not taste the majority of them due to being split from the group.
2015 Hart, Temecula Zinfandel
NV Roederer, Brut Rose
2015 Penner Ash, Old Vine Riesling
2014 Addendaum, Cab/Syrah blend
2013 Sierra Roble, Cabernet
2012 Monetemar, Pinot Noir
2016 Rombauer, Sauvignon Blanc - not to my taste and did not go well with the cheeses
NV Herman J Wiemer Rose Cuvee - decent wine but limited to what cheeses
2014 Chateau Jalouise Bordeaux
2014 Babcock, Sauvignon Blanc
2007 Sea Smoke, Pinot Noir - good wine but I did not find a cheese I liked it with
NV Monsigny, Brut Champagne - very nice
2016 Pascal Jolivet, Sancerre
2011 Clayhouse. Temp/Cab/Syrah/Tannat - would be better with a hamburger
2013 Two Vintners, Roussane - very good and I was very surprised how it paired with a lot of the cheese
2013 Merriman, Sauvignon Blanc - not a fan
2014 Suber, Dornfelder "Hafen" went well with the drier cheeses
2010 Petit Guiraud, Sauterne - went with everything
Margie's monthly wine activity was the "Cheese Addictition", www.cheeseaddiction.com, at Bella Terra. They also have store in Belmont Shore but the parking there is impossible. There were 15 of us so at 2 tables of 12 three of us were seated with other patrons of the store. Nice group we were with and a lot quieter that the other table. We had 11 cheeses and we all brought wine to pair with the cheeses.
I brought a "Hafen" port style Dornfelder and a Sauterne. I found that those two wines just about covered all 11 cheeses. I had 6 glasses in front of me with different wines. I tried them all with the cheeses and for my taste a Roussane, my two wines and a bubbly were the best fit.
After looking at the list of what people brought I had to shake my head and ask" what were they thinking". A couple of my favorite cheeses were a Pave du Marin, Pumpkin Spice Gouda, and Great Ocean Road Cheddar. They had a Feta in Olive Oil that was quite good. The cheese itself was creamy, not dry and salty as Feta usually is.
List of wines this evening are as follows - I did not taste the majority of them due to being split from the group.
2015 Hart, Temecula Zinfandel
NV Roederer, Brut Rose
2015 Penner Ash, Old Vine Riesling
2014 Addendaum, Cab/Syrah blend
2013 Sierra Roble, Cabernet
2012 Monetemar, Pinot Noir
2016 Rombauer, Sauvignon Blanc - not to my taste and did not go well with the cheeses
NV Herman J Wiemer Rose Cuvee - decent wine but limited to what cheeses
2014 Chateau Jalouise Bordeaux
2014 Babcock, Sauvignon Blanc
2007 Sea Smoke, Pinot Noir - good wine but I did not find a cheese I liked it with
NV Monsigny, Brut Champagne - very nice
2016 Pascal Jolivet, Sancerre
2011 Clayhouse. Temp/Cab/Syrah/Tannat - would be better with a hamburger
2013 Two Vintners, Roussane - very good and I was very surprised how it paired with a lot of the cheese
2013 Merriman, Sauvignon Blanc - not a fan
2014 Suber, Dornfelder "Hafen" went well with the drier cheeses
2010 Petit Guiraud, Sauterne - went with everything
Friday, October 13, 2017
Spanish Wine dinner at Arte Cafe
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Last year Arte Cafe featured Torres wines for a dinner and it was good. This year something happened. But for $49 I really shouldn't complain but I will. Wines were good but the food really fell off . But then again two days after a perfect dinner it might be hard to compete.
Started out with Gazpacho with Chicken Croquette. Good flavor. Croquettes were tasty. A decent dish. Paired with a De Casta Rose.
Bacalo was next - baked cod, steamed peppers, broth, patatas fritats and olive oil. Cod was dry and so salty. Potatoes and peppers had no flavor and were not seasoned. Wine was a Pazo Das Bruzas, Albarino. Again a good wine.
Braised and grilled lamb shank, garlic aioli with grilled root vegetables. The pieces of lamb shank were thin. They took the shank and sliced it. Meat was dry. Vegetables were not grilled. But the wine was good. Celeste Tempranillo Riserva Crianza.
Then on to Paella, or at least something that was supposed to be. Rice that was more like Risotto with some clams. shrimp. mussels and spanish sausage thrown on top. A Salmos Red Blend, Priorat accompanied this dish. At least I had wine to drink.
Best dish of the day arrived - a Flan Valencia with a Torres Orange Side Cat made with Torres Spanish Orange Liqueur.
The evening was fun. Showed everyone how to drink out of a Spanish dodad that you put next to your mouth, lean back and pour from up high. Several people tried it. Lots of wine and Arte Cafe hats were given away. But the place was packed and the noise level tremendously high and then the live music added on top of it. Even yelling across the table did not help the hearing.
Last year Arte Cafe featured Torres wines for a dinner and it was good. This year something happened. But for $49 I really shouldn't complain but I will. Wines were good but the food really fell off . But then again two days after a perfect dinner it might be hard to compete.
Started out with Gazpacho with Chicken Croquette. Good flavor. Croquettes were tasty. A decent dish. Paired with a De Casta Rose.
Bacalo was next - baked cod, steamed peppers, broth, patatas fritats and olive oil. Cod was dry and so salty. Potatoes and peppers had no flavor and were not seasoned. Wine was a Pazo Das Bruzas, Albarino. Again a good wine.
Braised and grilled lamb shank, garlic aioli with grilled root vegetables. The pieces of lamb shank were thin. They took the shank and sliced it. Meat was dry. Vegetables were not grilled. But the wine was good. Celeste Tempranillo Riserva Crianza.
Then on to Paella, or at least something that was supposed to be. Rice that was more like Risotto with some clams. shrimp. mussels and spanish sausage thrown on top. A Salmos Red Blend, Priorat accompanied this dish. At least I had wine to drink.
Best dish of the day arrived - a Flan Valencia with a Torres Orange Side Cat made with Torres Spanish Orange Liqueur.
The evening was fun. Showed everyone how to drink out of a Spanish dodad that you put next to your mouth, lean back and pour from up high. Several people tried it. Lots of wine and Arte Cafe hats were given away. But the place was packed and the noise level tremendously high and then the live music added on top of it. Even yelling across the table did not help the hearing.
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Swine City at the Playground
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Tonight at the Playground, www.playgrounddtsa.com, is all "swine". No other meat featured. We had a group of 7 tonight. The 2.0 Room was sold out. The have a capacity of 18 people only. You are seated at a long curved bar and all the cooking and plating is done in front of the diners. A lot of interaction with the chefs and staff. This venue is ideal for a single diner. Always someone to talk with .
When we were seated Jason, the head chef and owner was carving a Jamon Iberico de Bellota ham. The most expensive ham available. They run in the high hundreds of dollars to purchase a whole leg. The pig is raised on acorns which gives a tremendous flavor to the meat and fat.
We started out with a cocktail called Queen B. Made with VSOP Cognac, Amaretto, milk with honeynut cheerios that was clarified, honey and lemon. This drink could get very addicting. Not overly sweet but a very refreshing taste to it
First plates up were a house made salted roll with house made butter. So fresh from the oven you had to wait a few minutes to touch it. And a plate of very IDB Secreto, grilled. Otherwise very, very thin slices of the Iberico ham. Melted in you mouth.
A refreshing salad of Arugula, goat cheese, hazelnut, fennel with a orange-sherry vinaigrette. A really good dish. This could have been my entire meal it was so good.
A take on huevos rancheros was next. A dry cured choizo huevos caberos. Loads of flavor, beautiful cooked egg, just perfect to mash into the meat and sauce. This had a bit of a bite to it. Just enough for fantastic flavor but not enough to spoil your palate.
All the pig gets used today. This dish was "Jeff's" logansia stuffed trotter, which is the lower leg, ankle portion of the pig. No feet. Logansia is a Filipino sausage. A side of marinated carrot spirals, green papaya achara , sticky rice and a Filipino egg roll completed this dish. The fat on the inside of the trotter was like butter. Rich but so good. Made a beautiful picture taken with the iphone.
A Taiwanese style fried Sakura pork chop , garlic green beans and corn braised in Tonkotsu ramen broth was the last savory dish served. Everything was super delicious.
A palate cleanser of strawberry sauce with a lemonade sorbet cut the richness of all that pork. Then a baked pear clafoutis with half-semi fredo rounded out the meal Baked in individual cast iron skillets. This was a perfect ending to a perfect meal.
I cannot say enough about the quality of the food and how it is prepped at the Playground. A few items at previous dinners weren't to my specific taste but even those were good if you leaned that way. This dinner was $150 inclusive. All food, alcohol, tax, tip etc. But worth every penny. But this is not the place for people with allergies (altho the do ask). Picky people would not have a good time at the 2.0 Room as they make no accommodations for them. People with allergies or specific tastes should eat at the walk in Playground restaurant and order off the menu.
3 people in our group were new to the restaurant and they raved about the food and the dining experience. I have an idea they will be back.
Wines served tonight were 2012 Scribe, Sonoma, Pinot Noir, 2015 Albert Mann, Grand Cru, Furstewtur, Riesling, 2015 Morgoe Beaujolais, 2014 Anthill, Campbell Ranch, Pinot Noir, 2015 Anthill, Campbell Ranch, Pinot Noir and a 2015 Kinheimer Rosenberg, Riesling Auslese.
Tonight at the Playground, www.playgrounddtsa.com, is all "swine". No other meat featured. We had a group of 7 tonight. The 2.0 Room was sold out. The have a capacity of 18 people only. You are seated at a long curved bar and all the cooking and plating is done in front of the diners. A lot of interaction with the chefs and staff. This venue is ideal for a single diner. Always someone to talk with .
When we were seated Jason, the head chef and owner was carving a Jamon Iberico de Bellota ham. The most expensive ham available. They run in the high hundreds of dollars to purchase a whole leg. The pig is raised on acorns which gives a tremendous flavor to the meat and fat.
We started out with a cocktail called Queen B. Made with VSOP Cognac, Amaretto, milk with honeynut cheerios that was clarified, honey and lemon. This drink could get very addicting. Not overly sweet but a very refreshing taste to it
First plates up were a house made salted roll with house made butter. So fresh from the oven you had to wait a few minutes to touch it. And a plate of very IDB Secreto, grilled. Otherwise very, very thin slices of the Iberico ham. Melted in you mouth.
A refreshing salad of Arugula, goat cheese, hazelnut, fennel with a orange-sherry vinaigrette. A really good dish. This could have been my entire meal it was so good.
A take on huevos rancheros was next. A dry cured choizo huevos caberos. Loads of flavor, beautiful cooked egg, just perfect to mash into the meat and sauce. This had a bit of a bite to it. Just enough for fantastic flavor but not enough to spoil your palate.
All the pig gets used today. This dish was "Jeff's" logansia stuffed trotter, which is the lower leg, ankle portion of the pig. No feet. Logansia is a Filipino sausage. A side of marinated carrot spirals, green papaya achara , sticky rice and a Filipino egg roll completed this dish. The fat on the inside of the trotter was like butter. Rich but so good. Made a beautiful picture taken with the iphone.
A Taiwanese style fried Sakura pork chop , garlic green beans and corn braised in Tonkotsu ramen broth was the last savory dish served. Everything was super delicious.
A palate cleanser of strawberry sauce with a lemonade sorbet cut the richness of all that pork. Then a baked pear clafoutis with half-semi fredo rounded out the meal Baked in individual cast iron skillets. This was a perfect ending to a perfect meal.
I cannot say enough about the quality of the food and how it is prepped at the Playground. A few items at previous dinners weren't to my specific taste but even those were good if you leaned that way. This dinner was $150 inclusive. All food, alcohol, tax, tip etc. But worth every penny. But this is not the place for people with allergies (altho the do ask). Picky people would not have a good time at the 2.0 Room as they make no accommodations for them. People with allergies or specific tastes should eat at the walk in Playground restaurant and order off the menu.
3 people in our group were new to the restaurant and they raved about the food and the dining experience. I have an idea they will be back.
Wines served tonight were 2012 Scribe, Sonoma, Pinot Noir, 2015 Albert Mann, Grand Cru, Furstewtur, Riesling, 2015 Morgoe Beaujolais, 2014 Anthill, Campbell Ranch, Pinot Noir, 2015 Anthill, Campbell Ranch, Pinot Noir and a 2015 Kinheimer Rosenberg, Riesling Auslese.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Beer Dinner with Delius at Timeless Pints
Tuesday, October 3, 3017
Delius restaurant paired up with Timeless Pints Brewing Co., for their Oktoberfest dinner tonight. www.deliusrestaurant.com. www.timelesspints.com..
Started off the evening with a glass of Heferweizen Wheat Ale paired with a Chevre Stuffed Grilled Pear, Savory Garlic and Honey Crisps and a White Balsamic Reduction. The Chevre was whipped with honey and quite tasty. The pear had good flavor. The crisps were thick and clunky and kept falling out of the dish which was a too small of a bowl made of recycled palm fronds. The bottom was not that flat and it rocked as your were trying to cut the pear. I can appreciate trying to use recycled materials instead of just throwaway dishes but test drive them first. The beer was good, my favorite of the day and paired well with the pear.
Next was a Rosemary Infused Pork Belly Lardons, Caramelized Pineapple, Arugula, Endive and Peppercorn Vinaigrette. Flavor was good but we all know my thoughts on these damm greens that have stemey what nots on them. Not date night food when it is constantly sticking out of your mouth when trying to take a bite.. A School's Out Strong Pale Ale was the selection. Nice beer, liked it better than I thought I would and it was a good selection with the salad.
A Curry-Pretzel Crusted Chicken Thigh, Spicy Cauliflower Cous Cous, Roasted Cashew Butter was paired with a Roctober Fest beer. The cauliflower cous cous was good, a different riff. The chicken had good flavor and overall the dish had a lot of flavor. I have a problem with being served chicken when I do beer and wine dinners. I eat enough of it during the week. I don't really want it on a paid dinner. Give me something that I don't get all the time.
The best dish of the day was next. A House Braised Brisket, Celery-Apple Gratin and Salted Potato Curls. The curls looked like wind strewn hair on top of the brisket. I pushed then to the side. The brisket however was great, good flavor, extremely tender. The gratin was good. . But they served it with Taste of Fate Smoked Red IPA. Two things I had against the beer. I don't like smoked beer, scotch or any alcohol and I am not an IPA fan. This wasn't too hoppy but enough that two sips and I was done. If you are a fan of these qualities you probably would have loved it.
Dessert to me was a big disappointment. House Made Chocolate Wafers layered with Sliced Peaches, Raspberry Mascarpone and Blueberry Jam. The Raspberry Marscapone was good, the wafers were strange, seemed soft because of moisture. Just did not entice me at all. The beer was very good. A Blueberry Acai Saison.
It was a fun evening in spite of my idiosyncrasy.
Delius restaurant paired up with Timeless Pints Brewing Co., for their Oktoberfest dinner tonight. www.deliusrestaurant.com. www.timelesspints.com..
Started off the evening with a glass of Heferweizen Wheat Ale paired with a Chevre Stuffed Grilled Pear, Savory Garlic and Honey Crisps and a White Balsamic Reduction. The Chevre was whipped with honey and quite tasty. The pear had good flavor. The crisps were thick and clunky and kept falling out of the dish which was a too small of a bowl made of recycled palm fronds. The bottom was not that flat and it rocked as your were trying to cut the pear. I can appreciate trying to use recycled materials instead of just throwaway dishes but test drive them first. The beer was good, my favorite of the day and paired well with the pear.
Next was a Rosemary Infused Pork Belly Lardons, Caramelized Pineapple, Arugula, Endive and Peppercorn Vinaigrette. Flavor was good but we all know my thoughts on these damm greens that have stemey what nots on them. Not date night food when it is constantly sticking out of your mouth when trying to take a bite.. A School's Out Strong Pale Ale was the selection. Nice beer, liked it better than I thought I would and it was a good selection with the salad.
A Curry-Pretzel Crusted Chicken Thigh, Spicy Cauliflower Cous Cous, Roasted Cashew Butter was paired with a Roctober Fest beer. The cauliflower cous cous was good, a different riff. The chicken had good flavor and overall the dish had a lot of flavor. I have a problem with being served chicken when I do beer and wine dinners. I eat enough of it during the week. I don't really want it on a paid dinner. Give me something that I don't get all the time.
The best dish of the day was next. A House Braised Brisket, Celery-Apple Gratin and Salted Potato Curls. The curls looked like wind strewn hair on top of the brisket. I pushed then to the side. The brisket however was great, good flavor, extremely tender. The gratin was good. . But they served it with Taste of Fate Smoked Red IPA. Two things I had against the beer. I don't like smoked beer, scotch or any alcohol and I am not an IPA fan. This wasn't too hoppy but enough that two sips and I was done. If you are a fan of these qualities you probably would have loved it.
Dessert to me was a big disappointment. House Made Chocolate Wafers layered with Sliced Peaches, Raspberry Mascarpone and Blueberry Jam. The Raspberry Marscapone was good, the wafers were strange, seemed soft because of moisture. Just did not entice me at all. The beer was very good. A Blueberry Acai Saison.
It was a fun evening in spite of my idiosyncrasy.
Thursday, September 28, 2017
ZD Wine Dinner at Chianina
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Another sold out wine dinner for Chianina. www.chianina.com. This dinners wine selection was from ZD Wines in Napa. www.zdwines.com.
We started out with a 2015 Carneros Chardonnay, slightly oaked but paired well with the poached lobster, yukon potatoes, corn and pequillo peppers. This dish was sublime. Rich and flavorful , the peppers added just the amount of spiciness to offset the richness of the lobster.
Second course served was a truffled cavatelli with black truffle, coddled egg and mushroom beurre blanc. Great flavor but I have always had a problem with cavatelli. I always equate it to a heavy , dense gnocchi. I really prefer a pasta that is lighter in texture. The sauce was good but the coddled egg need maybe 30 more seconds of cook time. The white was just a bit too runny. Paired with a 2014 Carneros Pinot Noir. This wine was fruity, balanced and a good choice with the dish.
Next the third course consisted of duck breast, preserved cherry, confit leg and braised turnips. Duck was cooked perfectly, very rich dish. The 2014 Carneros, Founders Reserve Pinot Noir was a bit more balanced that the previous wine.
A 2014 Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon was paired with a charcoal grilled shortrib, honeynut squash, tuscan kale, two ways and a bordelaise sauce. The sort rib was slow cooked for 72 hours, then sous vide before grilling. One of the best tasting shortrib I have had. The kale was sauteed and also fried crisp. Wine was a prefect pairing.
Dessert was a chocolate mousse with raspberry and hazelnuts. Served with a 2008 Muffato, slightly sweet but not too.
We had the option for $80 more to add a pour of XIX Abacus. Retails for $495 a bottle.
Which is a blending of numerous years of the premium cabernet. The winery does it solera style with adding the new wine to the older vintages in the small barriques. This was to be served with a 2 oz piece of chianina rib eye. I passed on this. Could not justify the added price tag But when I was getting my car from valet I heard someone call my name. Turned around and there was a wine rep I knew. He represented the winery. Asked if I had the Abacus which I told him no, I just could just not justify the price. He informed me that if he had seen me inside the restaurant he would have given me a taste. Sometimes in life timing is everything and tonight my timing was off.
A very good dinner. Presentation was beautiful, food looked and tasted great, wines were good. A very good evening.
Another sold out wine dinner for Chianina. www.chianina.com. This dinners wine selection was from ZD Wines in Napa. www.zdwines.com.
We started out with a 2015 Carneros Chardonnay, slightly oaked but paired well with the poached lobster, yukon potatoes, corn and pequillo peppers. This dish was sublime. Rich and flavorful , the peppers added just the amount of spiciness to offset the richness of the lobster.
Second course served was a truffled cavatelli with black truffle, coddled egg and mushroom beurre blanc. Great flavor but I have always had a problem with cavatelli. I always equate it to a heavy , dense gnocchi. I really prefer a pasta that is lighter in texture. The sauce was good but the coddled egg need maybe 30 more seconds of cook time. The white was just a bit too runny. Paired with a 2014 Carneros Pinot Noir. This wine was fruity, balanced and a good choice with the dish.
Next the third course consisted of duck breast, preserved cherry, confit leg and braised turnips. Duck was cooked perfectly, very rich dish. The 2014 Carneros, Founders Reserve Pinot Noir was a bit more balanced that the previous wine.
A 2014 Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon was paired with a charcoal grilled shortrib, honeynut squash, tuscan kale, two ways and a bordelaise sauce. The sort rib was slow cooked for 72 hours, then sous vide before grilling. One of the best tasting shortrib I have had. The kale was sauteed and also fried crisp. Wine was a prefect pairing.
Dessert was a chocolate mousse with raspberry and hazelnuts. Served with a 2008 Muffato, slightly sweet but not too.
We had the option for $80 more to add a pour of XIX Abacus. Retails for $495 a bottle.
Which is a blending of numerous years of the premium cabernet. The winery does it solera style with adding the new wine to the older vintages in the small barriques. This was to be served with a 2 oz piece of chianina rib eye. I passed on this. Could not justify the added price tag But when I was getting my car from valet I heard someone call my name. Turned around and there was a wine rep I knew. He represented the winery. Asked if I had the Abacus which I told him no, I just could just not justify the price. He informed me that if he had seen me inside the restaurant he would have given me a taste. Sometimes in life timing is everything and tonight my timing was off.
A very good dinner. Presentation was beautiful, food looked and tasted great, wines were good. A very good evening.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
If its Monday then its Dim Sum
Monday. September 25, 2017
Only 4 of us today for our monthly Dim Sum lunch at the Seafood Palace in Westminister. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com. This place seemed deserted today, not many people having lunch. At least we were not bombarded with the cart ladies.
We started out with a birthday toast to Terry who passed away last year. His birthday is Tuesday and we didn't forget. Miss him at our lunches. And of course we solved all the world problems, gossiped about everyone that wasn't there and had our usual rambuncious time. These lunches are always looked forward to. But then next month we may do the lunch buffet at India Grill. Weather is cooling and might be time for some another part of the world.
Two items from the Dim Sum selection. The Sweet Rice with Chinese Sausage wrapped in Lotus leaves and steamed and Shrimp and Pork Shu Mai. Just enough to get our taste buds going.
Then onto the spicy sour soup which today seemed much blander than usual. Probably a different cook Just did not have the zing we are used to. Even added white pepper to it did nothing.
Kung Pao Shrimp was next. Fresh, juicy shrimp with a really good sauce. This we had not had before. This will be a reorder. You can Kung Pao anything. It is the sauce that makes it.
A dish of thin rice noodles with vegetables, pork, shrimp, chicken and anything that was a leftover in the kitchen, stir fried. This dish does nothing for me. Bland and the rice noodles are so light that I feel I am eating wisps of something of nothing. Much rather have fat noodles.
Last dish was beef with scallions. Tender beef but I am not into eating strips of scallions as a vegetable. Would have preferred the dish with green beans, broccoli or asparagus.
Wines were a real mixed selection today but then they usually are. Mixed opinions on what wine was best.
2010 Aixs Mundi, blend of Grenache and I think Syrah.
2009 Lucia, Gary's Vineyard Pinot Noir
2014 Stags Leap, Napa, Petite Syrah
2015 Le Champ des Vignes, Pouilly-Fume
NV Antech, Limoux, Brut Natural Sparkling
Only 4 of us today for our monthly Dim Sum lunch at the Seafood Palace in Westminister. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com. This place seemed deserted today, not many people having lunch. At least we were not bombarded with the cart ladies.
We started out with a birthday toast to Terry who passed away last year. His birthday is Tuesday and we didn't forget. Miss him at our lunches. And of course we solved all the world problems, gossiped about everyone that wasn't there and had our usual rambuncious time. These lunches are always looked forward to. But then next month we may do the lunch buffet at India Grill. Weather is cooling and might be time for some another part of the world.
Two items from the Dim Sum selection. The Sweet Rice with Chinese Sausage wrapped in Lotus leaves and steamed and Shrimp and Pork Shu Mai. Just enough to get our taste buds going.
Then onto the spicy sour soup which today seemed much blander than usual. Probably a different cook Just did not have the zing we are used to. Even added white pepper to it did nothing.
Kung Pao Shrimp was next. Fresh, juicy shrimp with a really good sauce. This we had not had before. This will be a reorder. You can Kung Pao anything. It is the sauce that makes it.
A dish of thin rice noodles with vegetables, pork, shrimp, chicken and anything that was a leftover in the kitchen, stir fried. This dish does nothing for me. Bland and the rice noodles are so light that I feel I am eating wisps of something of nothing. Much rather have fat noodles.
Last dish was beef with scallions. Tender beef but I am not into eating strips of scallions as a vegetable. Would have preferred the dish with green beans, broccoli or asparagus.
Wines were a real mixed selection today but then they usually are. Mixed opinions on what wine was best.
2010 Aixs Mundi, blend of Grenache and I think Syrah.
2009 Lucia, Gary's Vineyard Pinot Noir
2014 Stags Leap, Napa, Petite Syrah
2015 Le Champ des Vignes, Pouilly-Fume
NV Antech, Limoux, Brut Natural Sparkling
Monday, September 18, 2017
Recess Room Update
Monday, September 19, 2017
I reheated some of the "veal dumplings" and added quite a bit of parmesan cheese. Helped quite a bit. Perhaps if the Recess Room had added more cheese it would have more palatable to last night.
I reheated some of the "veal dumplings" and added quite a bit of parmesan cheese. Helped quite a bit. Perhaps if the Recess Room had added more cheese it would have more palatable to last night.
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Recess Room
Sunday. September 17, 2017
The Recess Room in Fountain Valley has been written up in several magazines so it was time to give it a try. www.therecessroom.com . They were busy at 5:30 on a Sunday night. Like most new foodie places it was noisy. Large bar area and plenty of dining tables. Used to be a Coco's restaurant. Good wait staff.
I ordered a cocktail because that list was far more intriguing than the wine list. They also had a very good beer list. Corkage is $15 . I had a "Smoke and Mirrors" libation. Whiskey, maple syrup, angostura, pecan bitters and a stick of cinnamon for decoration. They brought out the drink mixture in a mason jar filled with smoke. Shook the heck out of it and then poured it into a large old fashioned glass with a very large ice cube. Set the glass on a mirror. Hence the name. Gimmicky but the drink was good and I would order it again.
A beet salad was excellent. Red and gold beets, sultana goat cheese, pistachio powder and a sherry agave vinaigrette. Dressing really made the dish. I would order this again.
Next was Spanish octopus, sous vide for 18 hours. Chorizo, potatoes and candied kumquats. Flavors were there but the octopus was dry. I have had better but also worse but I would not order this dish again.
A fried chicken sandwich , brioche bun, cole slaw, white BBQ sauce. Chicken was battered, thin, dry and no flavor. The winner on this dish was the beer battered French fries, They were excellent.
A dish called "Veal Dumplings" was next - not what I was expecting. Small round raviolis, with a tomato sauce, marsala wine, garlic, shallots and crème fraiche. I think the marsala gave this dish an off putting flavor. Something just didn't seem right. A couple of pieces of vey tired looking bread, maybe masquerading as garlic bread did nothing to help this dish. This is on the never again list.
I mentioned to the waiter that the Playground in Santa Ana was a favorite of mine. He indicated that the owners of the Recess Room were trying to be similar. But they have a long way to go. Local Fountain Valley boys, wish them the best but. I will go back and try a few more dishes that I was intrigued by. Lets hope that I have a better experience.
The Recess Room in Fountain Valley has been written up in several magazines so it was time to give it a try. www.therecessroom.com . They were busy at 5:30 on a Sunday night. Like most new foodie places it was noisy. Large bar area and plenty of dining tables. Used to be a Coco's restaurant. Good wait staff.
I ordered a cocktail because that list was far more intriguing than the wine list. They also had a very good beer list. Corkage is $15 . I had a "Smoke and Mirrors" libation. Whiskey, maple syrup, angostura, pecan bitters and a stick of cinnamon for decoration. They brought out the drink mixture in a mason jar filled with smoke. Shook the heck out of it and then poured it into a large old fashioned glass with a very large ice cube. Set the glass on a mirror. Hence the name. Gimmicky but the drink was good and I would order it again.
A beet salad was excellent. Red and gold beets, sultana goat cheese, pistachio powder and a sherry agave vinaigrette. Dressing really made the dish. I would order this again.
Next was Spanish octopus, sous vide for 18 hours. Chorizo, potatoes and candied kumquats. Flavors were there but the octopus was dry. I have had better but also worse but I would not order this dish again.
A fried chicken sandwich , brioche bun, cole slaw, white BBQ sauce. Chicken was battered, thin, dry and no flavor. The winner on this dish was the beer battered French fries, They were excellent.
A dish called "Veal Dumplings" was next - not what I was expecting. Small round raviolis, with a tomato sauce, marsala wine, garlic, shallots and crème fraiche. I think the marsala gave this dish an off putting flavor. Something just didn't seem right. A couple of pieces of vey tired looking bread, maybe masquerading as garlic bread did nothing to help this dish. This is on the never again list.
I mentioned to the waiter that the Playground in Santa Ana was a favorite of mine. He indicated that the owners of the Recess Room were trying to be similar. But they have a long way to go. Local Fountain Valley boys, wish them the best but. I will go back and try a few more dishes that I was intrigued by. Lets hope that I have a better experience.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Beer at Taste
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Los Angeles Ale Works which is located near Space X in Hawthorne poured their libations for a dinner at Taste. www.taste-wbk.com. Dinner was sold out but what I found interesting was that the women in attendance out numbered the men 3 to 1.
We started out with a Lievre Saison, infused with kumquats and calimonte fruits. Interesting and pleasant taste to this beer. Paired with a onion tart which was just two bites but was wonderful, Frankly the best came first at this dinner.
First course looked familiar. Grilled market peach salad, mesclun, fried goat cheese, toasted pecans, shaved fennel and lemon vinaigrette. Almost a duplicate of the salad at the Tamber Bey dinner a few weeks ago. Beer was a Berliner Weisse (sour). called Blume. Did not care for the beer. Not my style.
Second course is a pan seared pacific halibut, summer vegetable-basil stir fry with lemon butter sauce, Halibut was good but slightly over cooked for me. I prefer my fish more moist that what I got. Vegetables were tiny but loads of flavor. The basil stir fry complimented the beer. Lemon Basil Goldilocks, which was a Kolsch infused with lemon basil hand picked that day from Farmlot 59. I did like this beer, again interesting taste with the infusion.
Third course was my least favorite beer. A Space XPA Full Thrust, double IPA. Not and IPA fan and this beer was so hoppy its a wonder it didn't just hop on down the bunny trail. One sip and that was enough for me. The food dish was Carribbean style tacos. grilled jerk chicken, mango salsa, cilantro and house made tortillas. Good flavor but small in size.
Dessert was very good. A Thai iced coffee, baked alaska made with sponge cake, Lord Windsor coffee ice cream and toasted meringue. Coffee beans for the ice cream and the stout were roasted at Lord Windsors on 3rd street in Long Beach. A Long Beach roasted coffee infused oatmeal stout was the beverage of choice. Loved the nose, intense coffee flavor that struck you nose several inches away. Great pairing and my second favorite combination of the night.
Nice evening, good company but this restaurant is so noisy and as the evening wears on you want to find those egg plugs. Adding alcohol to the mix doesn't make it any quieter.
Los Angeles Ale Works which is located near Space X in Hawthorne poured their libations for a dinner at Taste. www.taste-wbk.com. Dinner was sold out but what I found interesting was that the women in attendance out numbered the men 3 to 1.
We started out with a Lievre Saison, infused with kumquats and calimonte fruits. Interesting and pleasant taste to this beer. Paired with a onion tart which was just two bites but was wonderful, Frankly the best came first at this dinner.
First course looked familiar. Grilled market peach salad, mesclun, fried goat cheese, toasted pecans, shaved fennel and lemon vinaigrette. Almost a duplicate of the salad at the Tamber Bey dinner a few weeks ago. Beer was a Berliner Weisse (sour). called Blume. Did not care for the beer. Not my style.
Second course is a pan seared pacific halibut, summer vegetable-basil stir fry with lemon butter sauce, Halibut was good but slightly over cooked for me. I prefer my fish more moist that what I got. Vegetables were tiny but loads of flavor. The basil stir fry complimented the beer. Lemon Basil Goldilocks, which was a Kolsch infused with lemon basil hand picked that day from Farmlot 59. I did like this beer, again interesting taste with the infusion.
Third course was my least favorite beer. A Space XPA Full Thrust, double IPA. Not and IPA fan and this beer was so hoppy its a wonder it didn't just hop on down the bunny trail. One sip and that was enough for me. The food dish was Carribbean style tacos. grilled jerk chicken, mango salsa, cilantro and house made tortillas. Good flavor but small in size.
Dessert was very good. A Thai iced coffee, baked alaska made with sponge cake, Lord Windsor coffee ice cream and toasted meringue. Coffee beans for the ice cream and the stout were roasted at Lord Windsors on 3rd street in Long Beach. A Long Beach roasted coffee infused oatmeal stout was the beverage of choice. Loved the nose, intense coffee flavor that struck you nose several inches away. Great pairing and my second favorite combination of the night.
Nice evening, good company but this restaurant is so noisy and as the evening wears on you want to find those egg plugs. Adding alcohol to the mix doesn't make it any quieter.
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Summer Night Dinner at Fuego
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Fuego Restaurant at the Maya Hotel
It was the perfect evening for dinner by the water. Still warm but not the oppressing heat that we have had lately. Fuego is in the Maya Hotel facings the Long Beach harbor. Margie has arranged dinner here for several years now. 15 of us winos tonight. Dinner was a preset menu with a couple of choices for each course. Gets you a better price when it is done this way. Corkage was zero and that is a big plus.
I chose the Chicken Tortilla soup. I find having two spaces in my mouth waiting for implants makes eating lettuce a little dicey. Would not have thought that but that seems to be the way it is. The other choice was a Beet salad which looked really good. The soup was good, full of flavor and not over spicy.
For the main dish I choose the "Lubina", Chilean sea bass with boniato puree (type of tuber like a sweet potato), chipotle Dijon aioli, pan roasted Brussel sprouts and cauliflower. Fish was cooked perfectly, very moist and sweet. This is my favorite fish to eat. The aioli gave it just a bit of heat. The pureed boniato was slightly sweet but did not give any competition to the sea bass. Other choices for the entrée were Chili Rubbed Chicken Breast, Brazilian Style Braised Shortrib and Sofrito Quinotto (all vegetables). All portions were good size. So much so you began to wonder if you could manage to eat dessert.
Desserts were a choice of Bread Pudding or Cheesecake. I opted for the cheesecake and took all but 2 bites home. It was a huge serving. Very good
Lots of wine tonight. Several people brought multiple bottles. Needless to day I did not get a chance to taste but a small portion of what was brought.
I brought a Moretti Proseco. Moretti is in the Sta Rita Hills but imports this wine from Italy. No bite to it, smooth with tiny bubbles. As good as I have had in Italy. I also brought a 2016 Buscador, Grenache Rose. Grapes from the Santa Ynez area. Newer winery. Tasted his offerings at the Wine and Fire a few weeks ago. Several people seemed to be impressed with this selection. Both wines hit the spot for a balmy evening by the water.
The rest of the line up consisted of:
2011 Cinquain, Paso Robles, Reserve Malbec - did not taste
2013 Windstream Santa Lucia Highlands, Sarmneto Vineyard, Chardonnay - did not taste
2015 San Simeon, Monterey, Chardonnay - did not taste
2016 Twomey, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste
2012 Hyde, Carneros, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Stillwaters, Paso Robles, Chardonnay - did not taste
2016 Hungry Hawk, San Diego, Albarino - did not taste but had this wine earlier this year
nv Cava Conde de Carali, Blanc de Blanc Brut, Spain - clean, crisp
2014 Iron Horse, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay - did not taste
2014 Joseph Carr, Paso Robles, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste
2013 Sanford, Santa Barbara, Syrah - did not taste
2015 Dr. Loosen, Blue Slate Riesling Kabinett - did not taste
2004 Wild Coyote, Little Fawn, Zinfandel Port - rich and sweet
2013 Unanime Ovah Vinto Tinto Muscato - clear, slighty sweet
2014 Lando, Sonoma, Pinot Noir - way to young needs time
Nv La Tordera Brunet, Valpobbiadene, Proseco - rough
2012 Jordan, Alexander Valley, Caberent Sauvignon - did not taste
2014 Beringer, Napa Valley, Private Reserve, Chardonnay - did not taste
Fuego Restaurant at the Maya Hotel
It was the perfect evening for dinner by the water. Still warm but not the oppressing heat that we have had lately. Fuego is in the Maya Hotel facings the Long Beach harbor. Margie has arranged dinner here for several years now. 15 of us winos tonight. Dinner was a preset menu with a couple of choices for each course. Gets you a better price when it is done this way. Corkage was zero and that is a big plus.
I chose the Chicken Tortilla soup. I find having two spaces in my mouth waiting for implants makes eating lettuce a little dicey. Would not have thought that but that seems to be the way it is. The other choice was a Beet salad which looked really good. The soup was good, full of flavor and not over spicy.
For the main dish I choose the "Lubina", Chilean sea bass with boniato puree (type of tuber like a sweet potato), chipotle Dijon aioli, pan roasted Brussel sprouts and cauliflower. Fish was cooked perfectly, very moist and sweet. This is my favorite fish to eat. The aioli gave it just a bit of heat. The pureed boniato was slightly sweet but did not give any competition to the sea bass. Other choices for the entrée were Chili Rubbed Chicken Breast, Brazilian Style Braised Shortrib and Sofrito Quinotto (all vegetables). All portions were good size. So much so you began to wonder if you could manage to eat dessert.
Desserts were a choice of Bread Pudding or Cheesecake. I opted for the cheesecake and took all but 2 bites home. It was a huge serving. Very good
Lots of wine tonight. Several people brought multiple bottles. Needless to day I did not get a chance to taste but a small portion of what was brought.
I brought a Moretti Proseco. Moretti is in the Sta Rita Hills but imports this wine from Italy. No bite to it, smooth with tiny bubbles. As good as I have had in Italy. I also brought a 2016 Buscador, Grenache Rose. Grapes from the Santa Ynez area. Newer winery. Tasted his offerings at the Wine and Fire a few weeks ago. Several people seemed to be impressed with this selection. Both wines hit the spot for a balmy evening by the water.
The rest of the line up consisted of:
2011 Cinquain, Paso Robles, Reserve Malbec - did not taste
2013 Windstream Santa Lucia Highlands, Sarmneto Vineyard, Chardonnay - did not taste
2015 San Simeon, Monterey, Chardonnay - did not taste
2016 Twomey, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste
2012 Hyde, Carneros, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Stillwaters, Paso Robles, Chardonnay - did not taste
2016 Hungry Hawk, San Diego, Albarino - did not taste but had this wine earlier this year
nv Cava Conde de Carali, Blanc de Blanc Brut, Spain - clean, crisp
2014 Iron Horse, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay - did not taste
2014 Joseph Carr, Paso Robles, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste
2013 Sanford, Santa Barbara, Syrah - did not taste
2015 Dr. Loosen, Blue Slate Riesling Kabinett - did not taste
2004 Wild Coyote, Little Fawn, Zinfandel Port - rich and sweet
2013 Unanime Ovah Vinto Tinto Muscato - clear, slighty sweet
2014 Lando, Sonoma, Pinot Noir - way to young needs time
Nv La Tordera Brunet, Valpobbiadene, Proseco - rough
2012 Jordan, Alexander Valley, Caberent Sauvignon - did not taste
2014 Beringer, Napa Valley, Private Reserve, Chardonnay - did not taste
Friday, September 1, 2017
Tuscan Wine Dinner at Chianina with the Wine Country
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Randy Kemner from The Wine Country in Signal Hill was the wine host of the evening. All Tuscan wines from different areas in Tuscany. Found the pairings were good with the selected dishes. They did a good job on that area. Chianina was sold out for this dinner. www.chianina.com.
We started out with a Amuse Bouche of marinated tomato in a foie gras creme. One delightful bite.
First course was a Grilled Prawn and Poached Calamari with tomato and olive compote and saffron espuma. To me this was the best dish we will have tonight. Everything on the plate was cooked perfectly and the flavors were spot on. Paired with a 2016 Vernaccia di San Gimignano, La Lestra..
Second course served is a Devils Gulch Rabbit Porchetta, corn puree, black truffle vinaigrette and baby vegetables. The onions, carrots and turnips were so small that it was difficult to get a fork into them, They just kept rolling around as you kept trying to pierce them with the fork. This dish was good but not stellar. Served with a 2014 Rosso di Montalcino, Uccelliera. A bit rustic but paired well with the rabbit.
Third course is a Squab Duo. Braised squab breast with cavatelli. And a roasted squab leg with cranberry bean and baby chard. They mixed up the descriptions of the meat on the menu. The dish with the breast was great. I had a difficult time cutting the meat on the squab leg. The skin was not that crispy and it just was not a happy experience cutting the meat. At home I would have picked it up and ate it. I also was not a fan of the beans. I found them a bit too "rustic" The wine was a 2013 Carmignano, Fattaoria Amba. A good combination.
Fourth course was a Bistecca Alla Florentina, two slices of different cuts of the Chianina beef, with baby yellow squash, roasted mushrooms and a squash blossom. The beef looked beautiful but again I was disappointed in the Chianina beef. I did not think it had that great of flavor and it was too chewy for me. I have had several cuts of this beef at the restaurant and it seems to be a crap shoot of what I am going to get. At times it is flavorful and tender and other times it lacks flavor and is a bit chewy. The wine was the best of the evening. A 2013 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Poliziano.
Dessert was a bit disappointing. An almond sponge cake with roasted plums and honey. Very little flavor to the cake. Plums were good. A 2009 Vin Santo del Chianti, Badis a Coltibuono was served with this dish. Not overly sweet. They did bring out a plate on very mini cookies. They put it in the middle of the table and several of my fellows diners really devoured everything. I did not get to taste one of them.
I did have two of the honey salted rolls at the beginning of dinner and that was my downfall. I fill up on them. But they are so good. They make other restaurants dinner rolls look mediocre. I am a sucker for their marscapone butter. All in all a good dinner but not great. The menu sounded exceptional but it lacked in execution. I have had so many others at Chianina that were over the top that I probably expect that all the time. This dinner was also at least $35 cheaper than the other wine dinners that I have done here.
Randy Kemner from The Wine Country in Signal Hill was the wine host of the evening. All Tuscan wines from different areas in Tuscany. Found the pairings were good with the selected dishes. They did a good job on that area. Chianina was sold out for this dinner. www.chianina.com.
We started out with a Amuse Bouche of marinated tomato in a foie gras creme. One delightful bite.
First course was a Grilled Prawn and Poached Calamari with tomato and olive compote and saffron espuma. To me this was the best dish we will have tonight. Everything on the plate was cooked perfectly and the flavors were spot on. Paired with a 2016 Vernaccia di San Gimignano, La Lestra..
Second course served is a Devils Gulch Rabbit Porchetta, corn puree, black truffle vinaigrette and baby vegetables. The onions, carrots and turnips were so small that it was difficult to get a fork into them, They just kept rolling around as you kept trying to pierce them with the fork. This dish was good but not stellar. Served with a 2014 Rosso di Montalcino, Uccelliera. A bit rustic but paired well with the rabbit.
Third course is a Squab Duo. Braised squab breast with cavatelli. And a roasted squab leg with cranberry bean and baby chard. They mixed up the descriptions of the meat on the menu. The dish with the breast was great. I had a difficult time cutting the meat on the squab leg. The skin was not that crispy and it just was not a happy experience cutting the meat. At home I would have picked it up and ate it. I also was not a fan of the beans. I found them a bit too "rustic" The wine was a 2013 Carmignano, Fattaoria Amba. A good combination.
Fourth course was a Bistecca Alla Florentina, two slices of different cuts of the Chianina beef, with baby yellow squash, roasted mushrooms and a squash blossom. The beef looked beautiful but again I was disappointed in the Chianina beef. I did not think it had that great of flavor and it was too chewy for me. I have had several cuts of this beef at the restaurant and it seems to be a crap shoot of what I am going to get. At times it is flavorful and tender and other times it lacks flavor and is a bit chewy. The wine was the best of the evening. A 2013 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Poliziano.
Dessert was a bit disappointing. An almond sponge cake with roasted plums and honey. Very little flavor to the cake. Plums were good. A 2009 Vin Santo del Chianti, Badis a Coltibuono was served with this dish. Not overly sweet. They did bring out a plate on very mini cookies. They put it in the middle of the table and several of my fellows diners really devoured everything. I did not get to taste one of them.
I did have two of the honey salted rolls at the beginning of dinner and that was my downfall. I fill up on them. But they are so good. They make other restaurants dinner rolls look mediocre. I am a sucker for their marscapone butter. All in all a good dinner but not great. The menu sounded exceptional but it lacked in execution. I have had so many others at Chianina that were over the top that I probably expect that all the time. This dinner was also at least $35 cheaper than the other wine dinners that I have done here.
German Wine Dinner at Delius
Saturday, August 26, 2017
This has been an annual event at Delius for eons. www.deliusrestaurant.com. I almost missed this years because I had put down the wrong date for my high school reunion and thought they were on the same date. Fortunately I am getting old and my mistakes sometimes become helpful. There were 4 people at the singles table along with Alle the wine rep and her SO.
We started out with a glass of 2014 von Buhl, Pfalz, Riesling Sekt Brut. Nice and refreshing, crisp and clean. A nice way to start the evening.
First course served was a Kumamoto Oyster with Togarashi (Japanese five spice) and cucumber caviar. Very tiny balls of cucumber. A lady at our table had never had an oyster before so we initiated her into the "suck and swallow" club. Paired with a 2015 Wagner Stempel, Rheinhessen, Pinot Blanc. Really like this wine. Second best of the night.
Next is an Avocado Salad with carmelized onions, baby arugula, valanecia ornage supremes, citrus vinaigrette and pumpkin seed dust. Interesting combination and they worked well together. The salad was very good. A 2013 Schnaitmann, Wurttemberg, 3 Star, Sauvignon Blanc was the wine selected. Least wine liked for me. To grassy and acidic. I also thought the Pinot Blanc went well with this dish
Third course was a Chorizo sauteed white tiger shrimp over goat cheese hominy grits, lime oregano foam.. Loads of flavor and the grits were exceptionally good. Paired with a 2013 Schloss Schonborn, Rheingau, Riesling Spatlese Feinherb, Hochheimer Domedchaney. Two sweet for me. Went well with the dish but this is the only wine that I did not finish. I really preferred the Pinot Blanc.
A 2012 Wachtstetter, Wurttemberg, Lemberger Dry "Felix" was poured with the best dish of the night. A fresh ricotta and egg raviolo with slow braised lamb shoulder. The pasta was tender and when you broke into it the egg oozed out. Soft and creamy. The wine and the food were my favorite tonight.
Dessert consisted of a Frog Hollow Farms Cal red peach cobbler with cherry pomegrante ice cream. Nice, light dessert to end a meal.
Dave brought the chef out that was in charge of and cooked this dinner. Mike was his name. They are grooming him to open the new place at the Long Beach Promenade. I really wish they would keep him at the Signal Hill location. Liked his cooking so much better than Kate's. I know Kate tries but I just cannot get into her cooking style and her flavors. It has been numerous months since Patrick left and it reflects into how many dinners I will do at Delius. There are others who feel the same. We have not done a monthly prix fixe dinner in quite awhile due to the change in chefs.
This has been an annual event at Delius for eons. www.deliusrestaurant.com. I almost missed this years because I had put down the wrong date for my high school reunion and thought they were on the same date. Fortunately I am getting old and my mistakes sometimes become helpful. There were 4 people at the singles table along with Alle the wine rep and her SO.
We started out with a glass of 2014 von Buhl, Pfalz, Riesling Sekt Brut. Nice and refreshing, crisp and clean. A nice way to start the evening.
First course served was a Kumamoto Oyster with Togarashi (Japanese five spice) and cucumber caviar. Very tiny balls of cucumber. A lady at our table had never had an oyster before so we initiated her into the "suck and swallow" club. Paired with a 2015 Wagner Stempel, Rheinhessen, Pinot Blanc. Really like this wine. Second best of the night.
Next is an Avocado Salad with carmelized onions, baby arugula, valanecia ornage supremes, citrus vinaigrette and pumpkin seed dust. Interesting combination and they worked well together. The salad was very good. A 2013 Schnaitmann, Wurttemberg, 3 Star, Sauvignon Blanc was the wine selected. Least wine liked for me. To grassy and acidic. I also thought the Pinot Blanc went well with this dish
Third course was a Chorizo sauteed white tiger shrimp over goat cheese hominy grits, lime oregano foam.. Loads of flavor and the grits were exceptionally good. Paired with a 2013 Schloss Schonborn, Rheingau, Riesling Spatlese Feinherb, Hochheimer Domedchaney. Two sweet for me. Went well with the dish but this is the only wine that I did not finish. I really preferred the Pinot Blanc.
A 2012 Wachtstetter, Wurttemberg, Lemberger Dry "Felix" was poured with the best dish of the night. A fresh ricotta and egg raviolo with slow braised lamb shoulder. The pasta was tender and when you broke into it the egg oozed out. Soft and creamy. The wine and the food were my favorite tonight.
Dessert consisted of a Frog Hollow Farms Cal red peach cobbler with cherry pomegrante ice cream. Nice, light dessert to end a meal.
Dave brought the chef out that was in charge of and cooked this dinner. Mike was his name. They are grooming him to open the new place at the Long Beach Promenade. I really wish they would keep him at the Signal Hill location. Liked his cooking so much better than Kate's. I know Kate tries but I just cannot get into her cooking style and her flavors. It has been numerous months since Patrick left and it reflects into how many dinners I will do at Delius. There are others who feel the same. We have not done a monthly prix fixe dinner in quite awhile due to the change in chefs.
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Tamber Bey Wines at Taste
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Met 4 others at Taste in Long Beach for a wine dinner. www.taste-wbk.com. Parking is a real problem in this area. At least I was able to parking in a 30 minute zone and wait until 6:00 to get out of the car. No parking police today. Winery tonight was Tamber Bay in the Napa area. It is a horse farm that makes wine on the side. Dinner was sold out so the restaurant is very noisy.
First course served was a Late Summer Stone Fruit Salad with peaches, figs, pulots, Burrata Cheese and arugula, basil and lemon oil. Nice selection of fruit, all very good and just ripe enough. Paired with a 2016 Lizzy's Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. 50% Acacia wood barrels and 50% stainless steel. Not to my liking. A bit too "new zealandy" for me. $ 32 a bottle.
Nest was a Carmelized Wild Caught Sea Scallops with lime buerre blanc, warm corn and Hatch chiles and cilantro. Excellent dish, scallops cooked perfectly and the corn salad was exceptionally good. A 2016 unoaked Younville Chardonnay was served. It was OK but again not to my palate. $36 a bottle.
Third course is a Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, smoked grits, Earl Grey plum compote. Very good dish. the rub was good and the smoked grits were unusual and very good. Paired with a 2014 Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Coast, Sun Chase Vineyard, Pinot Noir. After a weekend of Sta Rita Hills pinots this was not cutting it for me. $70 a bottle.
Main course is a Tomato and Red Wine Braised Brisket, roasted garlic pommes puree, black pepper glazed carrots. Again a very good dish. Brisket had great flavor and was tender. Paired with a 2013 Rabicano Bordeaux blend. Good wine. Finally found something I liked. $50 a bottle.
Dessert was a Dark Chocolate Roasted Beet Cake with blue cheese ice cream and Italian Saba. Sounds strange but both were good. The cake was not overly sweet and the blue cheese was a very light flavor in the ice cream. They did go really well together The wine poured was a 2014 Yountville, Deux Chevaux Vineyard, Merlot. Best wine of the night. $75 a bottle.
Altogether a very good dinner. But the restaurant still is a very noisy place and the parking is awful. I would do another wine dinner here but it won't become a regular stop on my way home which is too bad because the food is excellent.
Met 4 others at Taste in Long Beach for a wine dinner. www.taste-wbk.com. Parking is a real problem in this area. At least I was able to parking in a 30 minute zone and wait until 6:00 to get out of the car. No parking police today. Winery tonight was Tamber Bay in the Napa area. It is a horse farm that makes wine on the side. Dinner was sold out so the restaurant is very noisy.
First course served was a Late Summer Stone Fruit Salad with peaches, figs, pulots, Burrata Cheese and arugula, basil and lemon oil. Nice selection of fruit, all very good and just ripe enough. Paired with a 2016 Lizzy's Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. 50% Acacia wood barrels and 50% stainless steel. Not to my liking. A bit too "new zealandy" for me. $ 32 a bottle.
Nest was a Carmelized Wild Caught Sea Scallops with lime buerre blanc, warm corn and Hatch chiles and cilantro. Excellent dish, scallops cooked perfectly and the corn salad was exceptionally good. A 2016 unoaked Younville Chardonnay was served. It was OK but again not to my palate. $36 a bottle.
Third course is a Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, smoked grits, Earl Grey plum compote. Very good dish. the rub was good and the smoked grits were unusual and very good. Paired with a 2014 Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Coast, Sun Chase Vineyard, Pinot Noir. After a weekend of Sta Rita Hills pinots this was not cutting it for me. $70 a bottle.
Main course is a Tomato and Red Wine Braised Brisket, roasted garlic pommes puree, black pepper glazed carrots. Again a very good dish. Brisket had great flavor and was tender. Paired with a 2013 Rabicano Bordeaux blend. Good wine. Finally found something I liked. $50 a bottle.
Dessert was a Dark Chocolate Roasted Beet Cake with blue cheese ice cream and Italian Saba. Sounds strange but both were good. The cake was not overly sweet and the blue cheese was a very light flavor in the ice cream. They did go really well together The wine poured was a 2014 Yountville, Deux Chevaux Vineyard, Merlot. Best wine of the night. $75 a bottle.
Altogether a very good dinner. But the restaurant still is a very noisy place and the parking is awful. I would do another wine dinner here but it won't become a regular stop on my way home which is too bad because the food is excellent.
Wine & Fire Weekend
Saturday, August 19 to Monday, August 21, 2017
Left early Saturday morning to make the trek north to the Sta. Rita Hills for the annual Wine & Fire fest. I have been doing this for over 15 years.We made the trip in 2 hours, traffic was light and good driving all the way. Headed down Santa Rosa Road looking for the entrance to this years seminar and lunch at El Jabli vineyards. After going many miles down the road and the numbers are getting higher we decided we must have missed the signage. Turning around on a narrow two lane curvy road is interesting. As we headed back looking at the road numbers we came to the entrance for Alma Rosa. No signage, no balloons, nothing to indicate this was the stop. Asked a field worker where El Jabli vineyards were and he pointed to where he was standing. After pointing up the hill we took off and after cresting the small hill we saw the white tent and the big BBQ rig from Hitching Post.
Had a great seminar on the wineries and vineyards on the Santa Rosa Road area of the Sta. Rita Hills. Last years seminar was on the Route 246 producers. Lunch was good as always. Lots of wine flowing and good talks by the participants. This all was headed by Matt Kellerman from Wine Enthusist magazine.
At 5:00 we at the entrance to the big grand tasting at the La Purisma Mission. Beautiful grounds. They cut back on the amount of tickets available this year and it was a much better venue. Not nearly as crowded and no long lines at the tasting tables. Hope they do this again next year.
Sunday morning after having breakfast at the hotel we were at the door of the Taste of Sta. Rita Hills tasting room when they opened. Left with 6 bottles of a very good Proseco that Antonio Moretti makes. Next was Fiddlehead for a quick tasting before heading down the road. In Buellton we stopped at Buscador. A new place for me . I was impressed with his wines and bought a couple of bottles. I will make it a point to stop in here next time I am in town.
Leaving Buellton we drove into Los Olivos. Tercero's tasting room was packed so we went around the corner to Dragonette. Brandon Gilles was pouring at the seminar. A Pinot from Radiance vineyard which was exceptionally good. Then popped into Stolpman for a quick taste and walked out with 6 bottles of their Rose.
Back to Solvang for dinner at First & Oak. A restaurant in the Mirabelle hotel. Owned by the same person that has the Sky Room in Long beach. I can never remember the name of the winery he owns. Starts with a "C" like Cloqcouiet or something along that order. But do not like the wines at all. The food at dinner was very good but the wines by the glass were all his winery. I would dine there again but would order a bottle of something else and share it at dinner.
Up bright and early to head home. After a brief stop at watch the eclipse we veered off the freeway to visit the Hubers and their new home in Newbury Park. Had a nice vist with Norman and Traudl then off again. Cindy needed to get home by 2:00 to do a webinar for work. About 1:30 I reached for my purse and it was not in the car. I had left it at the Hubers. So we pulled over and found a shady spot so Cindy could d the webinar on her cell phone. At 2:45 we turned around and headed back to Newbury Park.. Traudl made us a dinner to go. A nice sandwhich, fresh blueberries and a homemade brownie.. Norm threw in a couple bottles of wine and Perrier water.
Got back to Cerritos at 6:30. 9-1/2 hours after we left Lompoc. Long day. Went up with the intention of not buying any wines but came home with 17 bottles. I have no will power. But a good trip overall and looking forward to next years festival.
Left early Saturday morning to make the trek north to the Sta. Rita Hills for the annual Wine & Fire fest. I have been doing this for over 15 years.We made the trip in 2 hours, traffic was light and good driving all the way. Headed down Santa Rosa Road looking for the entrance to this years seminar and lunch at El Jabli vineyards. After going many miles down the road and the numbers are getting higher we decided we must have missed the signage. Turning around on a narrow two lane curvy road is interesting. As we headed back looking at the road numbers we came to the entrance for Alma Rosa. No signage, no balloons, nothing to indicate this was the stop. Asked a field worker where El Jabli vineyards were and he pointed to where he was standing. After pointing up the hill we took off and after cresting the small hill we saw the white tent and the big BBQ rig from Hitching Post.
Had a great seminar on the wineries and vineyards on the Santa Rosa Road area of the Sta. Rita Hills. Last years seminar was on the Route 246 producers. Lunch was good as always. Lots of wine flowing and good talks by the participants. This all was headed by Matt Kellerman from Wine Enthusist magazine.
At 5:00 we at the entrance to the big grand tasting at the La Purisma Mission. Beautiful grounds. They cut back on the amount of tickets available this year and it was a much better venue. Not nearly as crowded and no long lines at the tasting tables. Hope they do this again next year.
Sunday morning after having breakfast at the hotel we were at the door of the Taste of Sta. Rita Hills tasting room when they opened. Left with 6 bottles of a very good Proseco that Antonio Moretti makes. Next was Fiddlehead for a quick tasting before heading down the road. In Buellton we stopped at Buscador. A new place for me . I was impressed with his wines and bought a couple of bottles. I will make it a point to stop in here next time I am in town.
Leaving Buellton we drove into Los Olivos. Tercero's tasting room was packed so we went around the corner to Dragonette. Brandon Gilles was pouring at the seminar. A Pinot from Radiance vineyard which was exceptionally good. Then popped into Stolpman for a quick taste and walked out with 6 bottles of their Rose.
Back to Solvang for dinner at First & Oak. A restaurant in the Mirabelle hotel. Owned by the same person that has the Sky Room in Long beach. I can never remember the name of the winery he owns. Starts with a "C" like Cloqcouiet or something along that order. But do not like the wines at all. The food at dinner was very good but the wines by the glass were all his winery. I would dine there again but would order a bottle of something else and share it at dinner.
Up bright and early to head home. After a brief stop at watch the eclipse we veered off the freeway to visit the Hubers and their new home in Newbury Park. Had a nice vist with Norman and Traudl then off again. Cindy needed to get home by 2:00 to do a webinar for work. About 1:30 I reached for my purse and it was not in the car. I had left it at the Hubers. So we pulled over and found a shady spot so Cindy could d the webinar on her cell phone. At 2:45 we turned around and headed back to Newbury Park.. Traudl made us a dinner to go. A nice sandwhich, fresh blueberries and a homemade brownie.. Norm threw in a couple bottles of wine and Perrier water.
Got back to Cerritos at 6:30. 9-1/2 hours after we left Lompoc. Long day. Went up with the intention of not buying any wines but came home with 17 bottles. I have no will power. But a good trip overall and looking forward to next years festival.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
With The Boys Again
Monday, August 14, 2017
Another Dim Sum with the boys at the Seafood Palace, www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com,. We started out with the normal offerings from the carts, Shrimp Shu Mai, Sweet Rice with Chinese Sausage in Lotus Leaf, and a Soy Bean Wrapped concoction of Pork, Mushrooms and Vegetables. We consider these items appetizers before our main dishes.
Then our complimentary bowl of Sour Spicy Soup. Followed with a platter Beef and Vegetables with Fat Noodles, Salt and Pepper Calamari and Basil Clams. When we reached this state we are ready to stop. A nice Egg Tart for dessert.
We each had a taste of a Fried Radish Cake that Henry ordered to take home to his wife Evan. A light radish flavor, not too much and it was interesting. I would eat it again,
Good selection of wines today. For a $12 each lunch we do drink well.
I brought a 2009 Williams Selyem Russian River Pinot Noir which I decanted for about 90 minutes. Drinking really nicely. A 2012 Stags Leap Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014 Melville Sta. Rita Hills Syrah and a 2011 Touraine, Val de Loire Pinot Noir Rose.
Another Dim Sum with the boys at the Seafood Palace, www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com,. We started out with the normal offerings from the carts, Shrimp Shu Mai, Sweet Rice with Chinese Sausage in Lotus Leaf, and a Soy Bean Wrapped concoction of Pork, Mushrooms and Vegetables. We consider these items appetizers before our main dishes.
Then our complimentary bowl of Sour Spicy Soup. Followed with a platter Beef and Vegetables with Fat Noodles, Salt and Pepper Calamari and Basil Clams. When we reached this state we are ready to stop. A nice Egg Tart for dessert.
We each had a taste of a Fried Radish Cake that Henry ordered to take home to his wife Evan. A light radish flavor, not too much and it was interesting. I would eat it again,
Good selection of wines today. For a $12 each lunch we do drink well.
I brought a 2009 Williams Selyem Russian River Pinot Noir which I decanted for about 90 minutes. Drinking really nicely. A 2012 Stags Leap Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014 Melville Sta. Rita Hills Syrah and a 2011 Touraine, Val de Loire Pinot Noir Rose.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Baci Restaurant
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Margie's choice for dinner this month was Baci in Huntington Beach. www.bacirestaurant.com, Loads of murals on the walls but a bit noisy for me. But when you have 12 people at a long table the noise level does go up. But I was on a far end so I had a least one quiet side.
A variety of foods was order. I started out with a shrimp, artichoke heart, percorino cheese appetizer. It was decent, but the 4 shrimp were very small. But my lamb oso bucco was excellent. Loads of flavor and meat was tender. I think I would have preferred risotto instead of pasta as a side but that is always an after thought. The panna cotta for dessert was good. So a good dinner.
Mixed variety of wines. I brought a 2008 Stolpman LaCroce which is a blend of Sangiovese and Syrah . Decanted it for 3 hours and to me was the best wine on the table. Very well balanced, nice fruit without being too fruity, semi dry with a good mouth feel. I did taste some of the other wines. A few good and a few not. But that is the reality of life.
2011 Pio Cesare, Barolo - good (second favorite)
NV Valdobbiadrene, Brut Prosecco - good
2015 Turley, Sauvignon Blanc - good not to acidic
2015 Francis Ford Coppola, Sophia , Blanc de Blanc - decent
2016 Trump, Monticello, VA, Sauvignon Blanc - I dumped it
2012 Carpineto Vino Nobile de Montepulciano - good
2014 Seal Beach Winery, Estelle Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon did not taste
2003 Chumeia, Barbera - did not taste
2004 Pedroncelli, Sangiovese - sharp mouth feel, it should have been much smoother for a 13 year old wine. - was not impressed
2015 Moretti, Bianchetto - did not taste but I have earlier years of this wine and they have been good
2014 Palmina Dolcetto - did not taste
2013 Tabalas Creek, Full Circle, Pinot Noir - decent
2014 Kosta Browne, SLH, Pinot Noir - good but too young to drink
Margie's choice for dinner this month was Baci in Huntington Beach. www.bacirestaurant.com, Loads of murals on the walls but a bit noisy for me. But when you have 12 people at a long table the noise level does go up. But I was on a far end so I had a least one quiet side.
A variety of foods was order. I started out with a shrimp, artichoke heart, percorino cheese appetizer. It was decent, but the 4 shrimp were very small. But my lamb oso bucco was excellent. Loads of flavor and meat was tender. I think I would have preferred risotto instead of pasta as a side but that is always an after thought. The panna cotta for dessert was good. So a good dinner.
Mixed variety of wines. I brought a 2008 Stolpman LaCroce which is a blend of Sangiovese and Syrah . Decanted it for 3 hours and to me was the best wine on the table. Very well balanced, nice fruit without being too fruity, semi dry with a good mouth feel. I did taste some of the other wines. A few good and a few not. But that is the reality of life.
2011 Pio Cesare, Barolo - good (second favorite)
NV Valdobbiadrene, Brut Prosecco - good
2015 Turley, Sauvignon Blanc - good not to acidic
2015 Francis Ford Coppola, Sophia , Blanc de Blanc - decent
2016 Trump, Monticello, VA, Sauvignon Blanc - I dumped it
2012 Carpineto Vino Nobile de Montepulciano - good
2014 Seal Beach Winery, Estelle Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon did not taste
2003 Chumeia, Barbera - did not taste
2004 Pedroncelli, Sangiovese - sharp mouth feel, it should have been much smoother for a 13 year old wine. - was not impressed
2015 Moretti, Bianchetto - did not taste but I have earlier years of this wine and they have been good
2014 Palmina Dolcetto - did not taste
2013 Tabalas Creek, Full Circle, Pinot Noir - decent
2014 Kosta Browne, SLH, Pinot Noir - good but too young to drink
Thursday, August 10, 2017
The Playground and Steak
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Time to go the the Playground again for their Ultimate Steak dinner which is their bread and butter dinner. www.playgrounddtsa.com, They feature 5 cuts of Wagu beef. 4 cuts from a Wagu beef from a cattle grower in Nebraska which butchers 20 Wagu beef cattle a month and the Playground takes 10 of them. The ribeye at the end of the meal is Grade 5 Wagu beef from Miyazaji, Japan.
Traffic was unusually heavy and it took me and hour and 50 minutes to get there from work. If there was a red light I hit it. Two fire trucks, one accident and one ambulance interfered also.. Walked into the restaurant at 6:10. Fortunately I was not the only late arrival.
A nice sparkling Vouvay was poured which really hit the spot since I was a bit frazzled . We were then served a house made salted brioche roll with house made butter Then onto a salad of mixed greens, pickled cranberries, candied walnuts and a sherry Dijon vinaigrette. The dressing was light and it not cover the flavors of the cranberries and walnuts.
Next a dish of heirloom tomatoes, tahini, nectarines, plums, pistachios and Baller seasame seeds. Loads of flavors and the tomatoes have very little acid to them. Made for a very pleasant dish for me.
The first steak appeared - sirloin, cut in small strips, red just to my liking. This is not the place for people who want their meat cremated. Jason refuses to overcook meat. So if you are a medium to well done person this dinner is not for you.
A bowl of crispy brussel sprouts, carmelized onions was set in front of us. Again a dish with a lot of flavors. The cut of steak with this dish was Flank. Extremely tender. Then a plate of a cut called Picanha was set down. Had never heard of this cut of beef. Apparently it is popular in South America, There is only one cut on a beef and it is approximately 3 lbs, Jason has specific butchering guidelines that he gives to the cattle grower. I found it slightly chewy but that is the way South Americans like their beef.
A plate of "Tater Tubes" appeared. Fried tubes made with potatoes and stuffed with Pommes Puree. I could have eaten a lot of these tasty little morsels.. An outside skirt steak was chosen for the accompaniment.
Next was a dish with corn and some herb mixed in. Not sure what is was as it was not on the menu. But the Miyazaki Ribeye was the meat for this dish. It was so tender and the fat tasted like butter. $115 a pound is what is costs the restaurant.
Dessert was macerated peaches and a Semi Fredo. Good close to a very rich dinner.
We had 5 wines besides the sparkling to go with the dishes. So another dinner bites the dust. Considering how much we get to eat, 5 wines and a sparkling the price is reasonable. I have never been disappointed in the Playground. It is not for everyones taste and budget. But every two months I have to go.
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
10 Year Vertical of Clos Pepe Wines
Saturday, August 5, 2017
I wandered down the freeway to Venice Saturday afternoon for a Clos Pepe wine tasting. The host had told Wes he could invite two extra people so Wes decided on Jolie and I. We were both ecstatic to be the chosen ones. This was a 10 year vertical of wines.
Unfortunately Wes had to cancel at the last minute due to personal issues. But Cameron the host welcomed us with open arms. Andrew who is still with Clos Pepe until the wines runs out was there pouring for us.
I was too difficult to keep notes as space was limited I did remember that the 2001 HTC Chardonnay was interesting Had a sherry quality to it, Caramel and nutty. I liked it enough to try a second pour. And somehow in my notes I may have missed some of the wines. If I find a complete list I will edit this post because there was between 39 and 40 bottles on the table. I do remember that the 2006 Estate Pinot was off.
HTC Chardonnay - 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
BF Chardonnay - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Estate Pinot - 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
VS Pinot - 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
Signature - 2012
Dark Side - 2012
Sparkling - 2010
I wandered down the freeway to Venice Saturday afternoon for a Clos Pepe wine tasting. The host had told Wes he could invite two extra people so Wes decided on Jolie and I. We were both ecstatic to be the chosen ones. This was a 10 year vertical of wines.
Unfortunately Wes had to cancel at the last minute due to personal issues. But Cameron the host welcomed us with open arms. Andrew who is still with Clos Pepe until the wines runs out was there pouring for us.
I was too difficult to keep notes as space was limited I did remember that the 2001 HTC Chardonnay was interesting Had a sherry quality to it, Caramel and nutty. I liked it enough to try a second pour. And somehow in my notes I may have missed some of the wines. If I find a complete list I will edit this post because there was between 39 and 40 bottles on the table. I do remember that the 2006 Estate Pinot was off.
HTC Chardonnay - 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
BF Chardonnay - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Estate Pinot - 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
VS Pinot - 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
Signature - 2012
Dark Side - 2012
Sparkling - 2010
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Dinner at 555 East
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
A few of us decided weeks ago to get together for some good red meat and bring some really good wines we had been wanting to share with others. Seven of us tonight at 555 East Steakhouse. www.555east.com. We met at 6:00 PM except for Stan and Karen who were coming in from Santa Monica. They left their place at 4:15 and arrived about 6:45. That had to be a horrible drive in traffic.
I ordered raw oysters so I would have something delectable with the Champagnes. Kumumoto and Island Paradise were my choices. Most of us ordered steak and Paul had the rack of lamb. 555 East fell short this time. Karens's steak was cooked wrong, Paul's rack of lamb was cold. My Kansas City Strip had too much grizzle on one end. Margie's baked potato had to be sent back because of problems on the inside after it was cut. This is unusual for 555 East.
But service was good and the wines were even better.
I brought a 2006 Sassicia (cab and cab franc) which was so good. I paid $100 for a few years back at a charity event. Looked up the pricing on it and now it averaged out at $268. Which made is a little less than $12 an ounce. I found that really funny to think about how much that taste was costing me. Glad I opened it while it is still vibrant and at the optimum taste level. These wines do go for long years of aging. But at my age I don't have time. Better to enjoy now. and best to enjoy with others who appreciate what they are drinking
All wines were showing well.
2005 BV, Georges Latours, Private Reserve Cabernet brought by CJ.
1995 Chateau Monbousquet Saint-Emilion, (merlot) Grand Cru and a March Hebrart, Premier Cru, Brut brought by Greg.
2014 Lancaster, Samantha's Sauvignon Blanc, 2012 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir and a Pertois-Moriser, Balnc de Blanc brought by Paul and Margie.
1998 d'Arnenberg, The Dead Arm, Shiraz and a 1997 Jones Family Vineyards, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon brought by Stan and Karen.
Hard to pick out a favorite. All were really good. So good food (mostly), great wines and great friends made for a very enjoyable evening
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