If it is January then it is time for India Grill

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Time to go back to the India Grill in Los Alamitos.  This is the first of Margie's dinners for the new year.  Big turnout for this dinner. We took up two large tables.

Started out with two appetizers, Vegetables Pokoras and Onion Bhaji.  Both very good. Nice and hot so you could get all the flavors they offered. When these cool down they lose a lot flavor and become limp.

Main entrees included Chicken Tikka Masala which I found the chicken to be way too dry for me. Sauce was a bit thin. Not up to their normal quality.  Shrimp Saag was decent but again the shrimp were a bit over cooked. Two best dishes were the Vegetable Chau Chau and the Lamb Vindaloo.  I wonder perhaps if they have a different chef. Something just was off tonight.  Rounded out with Basmati Rice and Garlic Naan.

Dessert was Kufi which is a Pistachio ice cream with saffron, cardamon  and nuts. CJ who was born in India said he did not think this dish was authentic. Said it tasted too commercial

25 wines for 20 people. I like those odds but with so many wines you can only taste so many. I stuck with mostly sparklings. 

I brought a 2010 Sinor-Lavalle, Aubaine, Pinot Noir which was showing very well and a 2015 Zorah, Voskeat & Garandmark from Armenia. I bought this wines because of the grape varietals. Turned out to be very good. Chenin Blanc style with a very soft peach/pear flavor.

NV   Segura Viudas, Cava - always a good choice
2015 Rascal Pinot Gris - did not taste  (two bottles brought)
2016 Tillman Rose - did not taste
2016 Weins, Reserve Pinot - did not taste
2013 Clairborne & Churchill, Dry Riesling - very good
2015 Derby, Rose - did not taste
2015 Albrecht Riesling -  good
NV   Albrecht Reserve Rose Sparkling - always good
2014 Stags Leap, Karia Vineyard, Chardonnay - did not taste
2015 Penner Ash, Zena Crown, Pinot Noir - did not like, way to young
NV   14 Hands, Columbia Valley Brut - nice
NV   Quartz Reef, Brut - nice
2014 Hermann J. Weiner, Gewurztraminer - did not taste
2016 Castella di Amorosa, Gewurztraimer - did not taste
2014 Dr. Erdener, Riesling Spatlese - good
2015 Bodegas Breca, Grenache de Fuego, Rose - did not taste
2013 Evening Land Pinot Noir - did not taste
2014 Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste
2014 Lando Pinot Noir - nice but again too young
2014 Miraval, Rose - very good
2016 Ponzi Pinot Gris - did not taste
NV   Schramsberg, Blanc de Blanc - again always good