St. Supery Wines at Taste

Sunday, July 16, 2017

First time at this restaurant in Long Beach,  www.taste-wbk.com.   Absolutely no parking which seems to be the thing in Long Beach anymore.  Found a spot a block away, another in our group parked 4 blocks away. Beyond me why the "city fathers" allow this but so be it.

Crowded, no acoustics, loud. I would come back and do another wine dinner here but not sure if this is the spot to come for a quiet dinner. But it seems to be a very popular place at the moment.

Wines were provided by St. Supery in Napa Valley.

We started out with a Heirloom Melon Salad, Lemongrass Sorbet, Thai Basil and Fresno Chilies. Interesting combination. Flavors went well together, the chilies were sliced very thin so you got just a hint of heat. I am not a basil fan of any kind. so it is lost on me.   They served this with a  2016 Oak Free Estate Chardonnay.. Decent wine but I am not over whelmed.

Second course is Grilled Squid, Garden Ratatouille Brunoise, Kaffir Lime Aioli and Shiso Peppers. Loved the Ratatouille and the Aioli. But the squid was so tough I could not get a fork into it. They had taken two pieces of squid and stuffed them with the vegetables. Good idea but it just did not work. The squid may have been tender in the kitchen but by time it reached me it was tough.  Paired with a 2015 Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc. OK wine but too much grapefruit on the palate. It paired with the food OK but not great.

Third course was a Coffee Rubbed Duck Breast, Spiced Pommes Anna, Roasted Plum Puree, Anise Hyssop. This dish was wonderful. Loved the coffee taste on the duck. A winner along with the 2014 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon that was poured. This dish made the meal.

Next was a Lamb Belly Porchetta, Garlic and Herb Lamb Stuffing, Smoked Carrot-Orca, Bean Ragu, Black Pepper Demi Glace. I was looking forward to this dish but this is one that sounded great in the mind and did not pencil out well. I found the lamb porchetta tough. The flavors were very good but flavors only go so far.  The wine also was not to my liking. A 2013 Rutherford  Merlot. It seemed to fall short also.

Dessert was interesting. A Chilled Strawberry Soup, Summer Berries, Tarragon, and Crème Fraiche Ice Cream. Ice cream was very good, I found the berries way to large for the dish, soup was good.  But the wine was awful. A 2015 Rose, made with 5 varieties of red grapes. It was not drinkable and I was not the only one leaving a full glass sitting in front of them.

We talked with the chef afterwards and he admitted a few mistakes on his part. He has really great flavors but some of his ideas just don't pan out.  I will be going back in August for their Tamber Bey wine dinner. Will give them a second chance based on the flavors they develop.