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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.


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.