Monday, May 28, 2018
Since this was a holiday CJ had it off work so we met at Seafood Palace in Westminister for lunch. They are no longer doing Dim Sum which we all find is strange. We are wondering how long the restaurant will stay in business. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com. Something seems off about the whole situation. First the Dim Sum cooks were on vacation. Now they are no longer there. This after a new menu for Dim Sum was posted on Facebook several months back.
New lunch menu was presented so we all picked out one dish for the table. Started out with a bowl of Egg Drop soup. Good but bland compared to the spicy soup we are used to .But it is complimentary so can't complain too much
I picked out the Garlic Shrimp which were very good. Shrimp were exceptionally fresh. Loads of garlic. We devoured this dish.
CJ picked the Clams with Basil. Again a very good dish but I am not a big basil fan. I find it off putting. A very little goes a very long way. But the clams very very fresh and succulent.
Steve's selection was Beef with Chinese Broccoli. This dish is a regular for us. But for some reason the beef wasn't as flavorful and tender as we have had before.
Henry's choice was the Fat Noodles with Pepper Beef. Love fat noodles but again the beef wasn't up to what we are used to.
Maybe a different chef or a change in the cut and possibly the quality of the beef. Subtle signs of issues within the management/ownership. Will see what happens on our next visit.
No desserts on the lunch menu so no more egg tarts.
A nice selection of wines today. 2017 La Louie Sancerre Rose which paired very well with the seafood. 2009 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 2013 Kivel Stadt, Fathers Watch, Sonoma, a red Rhone style blend and a 2014 Estancia GSM. All good wine today.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Friday, May 25, 2018
Southern Hemisphere Wine Dinner at Chianina
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Interesting dinner tonight at Chianina. www.chianina.com All wines were brought in from Southern Hemisphere wine shop in Hunting.ton Beach. 5 different wineries, 3 different areas.
We started out with a Hamachi Crudo, aji amarillo, which is a Peruvian chili, avocado, tomato and snap peas with a yellow tomato juice. Very good flavors. The snap peas were cut in sections with the tiny peas exposed. Different. The wine paired was a 2017 Casas del Bosque "Pequenas Producciones" (small production) Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca, Chile. I really liked this wine. Soft without the harsh New Zealand and California style. One of my favorite wines of the evening.
Second Course: Pork Stuffed Caramelle Pasta, English peas, braised leeks. This dish was good but the least favorite of the evening. I just didn't find a "wow" factor in it. A 2014 David Finlayson "Camino Africano" Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Big, bold cab franc. It did pair well with the pasta.
Third Course: Roasted Duck Breast, Maitake mushrooms, black lentils, picked cherry. Decent flavor but lacked seasoning and we all agreed that the duck at 4th and Olive last week was much better. Paired with a 2014 Casas del Bosque "Gran Bosque" Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile. For a Cabernet this was a good wine. Cabs are not my favorite wines so I guess I am not a good reference.
Fourth Course: 56 Hour Chianina Shortrib, raclette and potato croquette, shallot confit and brocollini. Meat was very tender but like the duck seemed to lack seasoning. Paired with a 2011 Luddite, Shiraz, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Good wine. Bold flavors, a bit of pepper. Good pairing.
Dessert consisted of a Chocolate Ganche, dulce de leche and raspberries. Not too heavy or too sweet. A nice ending for the dinner. The wine was another issue. A NV Bleasedale sparkling Shiraz, Langhorne Creek, Australia. Great label with a picture of "Uncle Dick" on it who looked like they took a homeless old man off the street and photographed him. Wine was just too sweet for me. Actually none of us finished it.
All of us agreed that dinner was a bit of a disappointment. Not up to Chianina's standards. Needed seasoning and something else. Wines were OK, but I don't think the best representation of the countries they were sourced from. But with Chianina's track record I guess we can have a "not up the standard" dinner once in awhile. Have no idea why. Maybe new help in the kitchen. Who knows. But the dinner was not sold out. Masimo and Miichael Dene were not around. Maybe they knew.
Interesting dinner tonight at Chianina. www.chianina.com All wines were brought in from Southern Hemisphere wine shop in Hunting.ton Beach. 5 different wineries, 3 different areas.
We started out with a Hamachi Crudo, aji amarillo, which is a Peruvian chili, avocado, tomato and snap peas with a yellow tomato juice. Very good flavors. The snap peas were cut in sections with the tiny peas exposed. Different. The wine paired was a 2017 Casas del Bosque "Pequenas Producciones" (small production) Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca, Chile. I really liked this wine. Soft without the harsh New Zealand and California style. One of my favorite wines of the evening.
Second Course: Pork Stuffed Caramelle Pasta, English peas, braised leeks. This dish was good but the least favorite of the evening. I just didn't find a "wow" factor in it. A 2014 David Finlayson "Camino Africano" Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Big, bold cab franc. It did pair well with the pasta.
Third Course: Roasted Duck Breast, Maitake mushrooms, black lentils, picked cherry. Decent flavor but lacked seasoning and we all agreed that the duck at 4th and Olive last week was much better. Paired with a 2014 Casas del Bosque "Gran Bosque" Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile. For a Cabernet this was a good wine. Cabs are not my favorite wines so I guess I am not a good reference.
Fourth Course: 56 Hour Chianina Shortrib, raclette and potato croquette, shallot confit and brocollini. Meat was very tender but like the duck seemed to lack seasoning. Paired with a 2011 Luddite, Shiraz, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Good wine. Bold flavors, a bit of pepper. Good pairing.
Dessert consisted of a Chocolate Ganche, dulce de leche and raspberries. Not too heavy or too sweet. A nice ending for the dinner. The wine was another issue. A NV Bleasedale sparkling Shiraz, Langhorne Creek, Australia. Great label with a picture of "Uncle Dick" on it who looked like they took a homeless old man off the street and photographed him. Wine was just too sweet for me. Actually none of us finished it.
All of us agreed that dinner was a bit of a disappointment. Not up to Chianina's standards. Needed seasoning and something else. Wines were OK, but I don't think the best representation of the countries they were sourced from. But with Chianina's track record I guess we can have a "not up the standard" dinner once in awhile. Have no idea why. Maybe new help in the kitchen. Who knows. But the dinner was not sold out. Masimo and Miichael Dene were not around. Maybe they knew.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Road Trip
May 18 to 21, 2018
Lest at 9:30 am Friday from Huntington Beach. Traveling to the Edna Valley, outside of Pismo Beach. Margie's annual wine tasting road trip. Gased up in Pismo before heading inland. 5 gallons of gas that meant 38.5 mpg. Not bad.
Eleven of us meeting at Baileyana for a tasting at 3:00. Nice cheese plate, decent wines but nothing spectacular. They seem to be short staffed for as many people as were there. Sun is out but so is the wind. Glad I have a warm jacket with me.
Checked in at the San Luis Bay Resort in Avila Beach. The place is a zoo right now. This resort is getting more popular every year. Looks like something is going to going on this weekend at the golf course next store. Tents are set up along with a stage. Cleaned up and off to the Quarterdeck in Grover Beach for dinner. Restaurant was busy. I have not eaten here before so it will be a new experience.
I ordered the halibut on the light dinner menu. After the cheese and crackers at the winery I do not need big portions tonight. Several people brought bottles of wine but I opted out. We have a weekend of wine tasting so a martini is in order. Purple Rain martini and it was good. On my dinner the halibut was good but not great. The vegetables were too aldente for me and had no flavor. Expected more from the reviews on Yelp.
Saturday morning up and out the door. Meeting at 11:00 at Talley Winery at the far end of the valley. I opted out of the limo ride the others are taking. I know the area well and also can be far more flexible on the timing by driving myself. We have a private room for tasting. Several of the wines were good. I did opt to buy a higher end Pinot since they waived the tasting fee if you bought something. This was a good tasting and informative.
We met at Clairborne and Churchill at 1:00 for a tasting and lunch. My turkey sandwich was good and I opted for the fresh fruit. Again a winery with numerous groups at one time. A bit hectic getting the table out of the sun and adding another table to accommodate us. If you have a reservation for 11 people why do you have a table set for 8 ??? The Riesling and Gewurztraminer were the best wines of this stop. Not much info on the wine or winery. Just sit down, staff put bottles on the table and then the staff walks away.
At 3:00 we were at Wolff Family Winery for our last tasting of the day. I am a fan of this winery. Took home 4 bottles. Again the wind was a big factor in the comfort area. We did have a nice table big enough for us and they did turn on the space heater. Wines are always good here.
We are all meeting tonight at AJ Spurs in Grover Beach for dinner. Loud, noisy and busy. Again I was not overly hungry and also opted out of the wine sharing. Had a Old Fashioned instead. Ordered the veal liver and onions. It was good but again way too much food. If I was home I would take a "doggie bag" but not when I and leaving in a day.
Sunday we had two tastings in Avila Beach which made it very convenient for me. First we went to Sinor-LaValle at noon. Mike Sinor gave us his history in the business. At 1:00 a tamale purveyor set up. One of the best tamales I have had in a long time. After picking up 6 bottles of Mike's 2016 White Label Pinot we are off to the next tasting right down the street.
Second tasting room is Croma . They specialize in Spanish varietals. Nice wines but did not purchase.
Everyone is going to the Custom House at 5:00 for dinner. I opted out, went back and bought 3 more tamales and headed back up the hill to the resort.
Several things on this outing that I came to realize. Being with the same people for three days is a bit much. All nice people except one who over drank, but I needed a break from everything. Two days is max for me. Opted out of the limo was a really good decision on my part. I left the last stop on Saturday way before the rest did which gave me a lot of time to relax before dinner. I like myself and being alone is OK with me. It gives me time to recharge myself. I have no need to be surrounded by people all the time. Last out of town trip Margie hosted we had dinner on Friday night, rode in a limo on Saturday to 3 wineries, had dinner Saturday night and I left on Sunday to come back home. I did not stay and visit more wineries on Sunday. That worked out for me the best. So I learned a lot about my tolerance and intolerance.
Lest at 9:30 am Friday from Huntington Beach. Traveling to the Edna Valley, outside of Pismo Beach. Margie's annual wine tasting road trip. Gased up in Pismo before heading inland. 5 gallons of gas that meant 38.5 mpg. Not bad.
Eleven of us meeting at Baileyana for a tasting at 3:00. Nice cheese plate, decent wines but nothing spectacular. They seem to be short staffed for as many people as were there. Sun is out but so is the wind. Glad I have a warm jacket with me.
Checked in at the San Luis Bay Resort in Avila Beach. The place is a zoo right now. This resort is getting more popular every year. Looks like something is going to going on this weekend at the golf course next store. Tents are set up along with a stage. Cleaned up and off to the Quarterdeck in Grover Beach for dinner. Restaurant was busy. I have not eaten here before so it will be a new experience.
I ordered the halibut on the light dinner menu. After the cheese and crackers at the winery I do not need big portions tonight. Several people brought bottles of wine but I opted out. We have a weekend of wine tasting so a martini is in order. Purple Rain martini and it was good. On my dinner the halibut was good but not great. The vegetables were too aldente for me and had no flavor. Expected more from the reviews on Yelp.
Saturday morning up and out the door. Meeting at 11:00 at Talley Winery at the far end of the valley. I opted out of the limo ride the others are taking. I know the area well and also can be far more flexible on the timing by driving myself. We have a private room for tasting. Several of the wines were good. I did opt to buy a higher end Pinot since they waived the tasting fee if you bought something. This was a good tasting and informative.
We met at Clairborne and Churchill at 1:00 for a tasting and lunch. My turkey sandwich was good and I opted for the fresh fruit. Again a winery with numerous groups at one time. A bit hectic getting the table out of the sun and adding another table to accommodate us. If you have a reservation for 11 people why do you have a table set for 8 ??? The Riesling and Gewurztraminer were the best wines of this stop. Not much info on the wine or winery. Just sit down, staff put bottles on the table and then the staff walks away.
At 3:00 we were at Wolff Family Winery for our last tasting of the day. I am a fan of this winery. Took home 4 bottles. Again the wind was a big factor in the comfort area. We did have a nice table big enough for us and they did turn on the space heater. Wines are always good here.
We are all meeting tonight at AJ Spurs in Grover Beach for dinner. Loud, noisy and busy. Again I was not overly hungry and also opted out of the wine sharing. Had a Old Fashioned instead. Ordered the veal liver and onions. It was good but again way too much food. If I was home I would take a "doggie bag" but not when I and leaving in a day.
Sunday we had two tastings in Avila Beach which made it very convenient for me. First we went to Sinor-LaValle at noon. Mike Sinor gave us his history in the business. At 1:00 a tamale purveyor set up. One of the best tamales I have had in a long time. After picking up 6 bottles of Mike's 2016 White Label Pinot we are off to the next tasting right down the street.
Second tasting room is Croma . They specialize in Spanish varietals. Nice wines but did not purchase.
Everyone is going to the Custom House at 5:00 for dinner. I opted out, went back and bought 3 more tamales and headed back up the hill to the resort.
Several things on this outing that I came to realize. Being with the same people for three days is a bit much. All nice people except one who over drank, but I needed a break from everything. Two days is max for me. Opted out of the limo was a really good decision on my part. I left the last stop on Saturday way before the rest did which gave me a lot of time to relax before dinner. I like myself and being alone is OK with me. It gives me time to recharge myself. I have no need to be surrounded by people all the time. Last out of town trip Margie hosted we had dinner on Friday night, rode in a limo on Saturday to 3 wineries, had dinner Saturday night and I left on Sunday to come back home. I did not stay and visit more wineries on Sunday. That worked out for me the best. So I learned a lot about my tolerance and intolerance.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Ogier Wines at Fourth & Olive Bistro
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Fourth and Olive Bistro in Long Beach hosted a wine dinner with Ogier wines from Chateauneuf-Du-Pape. 4thandolive.com, The restaurant is owned by two disabled veterans who also employee veterans. They have been written up numerous times in the press for not only for their employment practices but for their good food. Only negative is there is no parking. Located in a high density area with nothing but street parking.They are working with another retail business to use their parking facilities after hours. Hope it comes quickly as I would frequent the restaurant more often.
Francois Miguel, the director general of Maison Ogier was in attendance. Personable person but I have no ear for accents and it was difficult for me to understand most of what he said. So you just smile and nod in agreement. Same method I use in very noisy establishments.
Premier Cours: Baked oysters with bacon and cream. These were excellent and I could have eaten a dozen easily. The pairing was spot on, a 2016 Ogier Cotes du Rhone Blanc "Artesis". Not to sharp but nice mineralality and a soft mouthfeel. Grenache Blanc, Clairette. Bourboulenc, Rossanne, Marssane and Viognier.
Deuxieme Cours: Broccoli soup, sourdough toast and microgreens. Looking at this I had doubts but the flavors were terrific. Roasted broccoli which gave a nutty taste along with a toasted broccoli on top. The toast had a cream style cheese topped with dressed microgreens. Good flavors. I would have the soup again in a heartbeat. A 2016 Ogier Cotes du Rhone Rouge "Artesis" was the wine. Light and paired perfectly. Greanache, Mouvedre, Syrah.
Troisieme Cours: Seared duck breast on top of a farro salad. Duck was cooked correctly and the farro salad was dressing very lightly.. Paired with a 2016 Ogier, Lirac Rouge. Syrah, Grenache. Again an excellent pairing.
Quatrieme Cours: Lamb lollipops, fairytale squash, olive and almond relish. Again the meat was cooked perfectly. The "fairytale" squash is similar to a butternut but seemed a bit lighter in flavor. Wine poured is a 2015 Ogier, Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Blend of grenache, syrah, cinsult.
Cinquiemj cours: Deconstructed Pots de Creme. A nice light sweet touch for the end of the meal.
This is the first wine dinner that I have done at 4 th and Olive. Have eaten there numerous times before. Their tomahawk porkchop is a real winner. They make their own sausages, smoked their bacon. A lot of house made items. An Alsatian style restaurant with a very nice wine list that pairs well with their food.
The real negatives is the parking situation and sometimes the service is slow. At times the food from the kitchen comes out slow. But nothing that would stop me from coming back. Just learn to roll with it. This is a "relaxed" style restaurant, nothing pretentious. Nice bar area. Tables and bar were all hand made by the owners.
Fourth and Olive Bistro in Long Beach hosted a wine dinner with Ogier wines from Chateauneuf-Du-Pape. 4thandolive.com, The restaurant is owned by two disabled veterans who also employee veterans. They have been written up numerous times in the press for not only for their employment practices but for their good food. Only negative is there is no parking. Located in a high density area with nothing but street parking.They are working with another retail business to use their parking facilities after hours. Hope it comes quickly as I would frequent the restaurant more often.
Francois Miguel, the director general of Maison Ogier was in attendance. Personable person but I have no ear for accents and it was difficult for me to understand most of what he said. So you just smile and nod in agreement. Same method I use in very noisy establishments.
Premier Cours: Baked oysters with bacon and cream. These were excellent and I could have eaten a dozen easily. The pairing was spot on, a 2016 Ogier Cotes du Rhone Blanc "Artesis". Not to sharp but nice mineralality and a soft mouthfeel. Grenache Blanc, Clairette. Bourboulenc, Rossanne, Marssane and Viognier.
Deuxieme Cours: Broccoli soup, sourdough toast and microgreens. Looking at this I had doubts but the flavors were terrific. Roasted broccoli which gave a nutty taste along with a toasted broccoli on top. The toast had a cream style cheese topped with dressed microgreens. Good flavors. I would have the soup again in a heartbeat. A 2016 Ogier Cotes du Rhone Rouge "Artesis" was the wine. Light and paired perfectly. Greanache, Mouvedre, Syrah.
Troisieme Cours: Seared duck breast on top of a farro salad. Duck was cooked correctly and the farro salad was dressing very lightly.. Paired with a 2016 Ogier, Lirac Rouge. Syrah, Grenache. Again an excellent pairing.
Quatrieme Cours: Lamb lollipops, fairytale squash, olive and almond relish. Again the meat was cooked perfectly. The "fairytale" squash is similar to a butternut but seemed a bit lighter in flavor. Wine poured is a 2015 Ogier, Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Blend of grenache, syrah, cinsult.
Cinquiemj cours: Deconstructed Pots de Creme. A nice light sweet touch for the end of the meal.
This is the first wine dinner that I have done at 4 th and Olive. Have eaten there numerous times before. Their tomahawk porkchop is a real winner. They make their own sausages, smoked their bacon. A lot of house made items. An Alsatian style restaurant with a very nice wine list that pairs well with their food.
The real negatives is the parking situation and sometimes the service is slow. At times the food from the kitchen comes out slow. But nothing that would stop me from coming back. Just learn to roll with it. This is a "relaxed" style restaurant, nothing pretentious. Nice bar area. Tables and bar were all hand made by the owners.
Friday, May 11, 2018
Torres Wines at Arte Cafe
Thursday, May 10, 2018
This is the third Torres Wine dinner I have done at Arte Cafe in Cerritos. The rep from Spain recognized us when we first sat down and came over. He then brought over the winemaker Xavier Rubires Ferrer to talk with us for awhile. The winery were first owned by Jean Leon who on his 8th stow away try got into the US. Then after working odd jobs he accumulated enough to open a restaurant in Beverly Hills. He founded "La Scala" with his friend James Dean. Upon Jean Leon's death the Torres family bought the winery in Spain.
Arte Cafe was packed tonight. This seems to be a popular winery with the patrons. Live music and a celebration as one of the wine reps birthday was today. Lots of singing, music and noise.
We started out with multiple pours of the Jean Leon Rose 3055. 100% Pinot Noir grapes. Very light. Then the appetizer showed up. Prosciutto with Melon and then multiple pours of the Jean Leon Chardonnay 3055. They ply us with the cheaper wines and when the reds show up the pours are not so numerous but they still give you multiple pours.
First course is a Jean Leon "Original La Scala" chopped salad. Dressing was very good Had Rose and Chardonnay left to pair with this dish.
Second course is a Braised Duck Leg with Cannellini beans and Torres Brandy sauce. Duck had good flavor but I really was turned off by the skin. It was not crisp, just sat there flabby and unappealing. The Cannellini beans were very "al dente". Did not eat mine. Wine with this dish was a 2015 Cinco Granachas. Nice wine , light and went well with the duck.
Next was Albondigas con Patatas bravas. Spanish meatballs of veal and beef, tomato veal sauce, fried potatoes with a roasted tomato Aioli. A very good dish and the wine was the one I liked best for the evening. A 2014 Torres Salmos, Red Blend, Priorat.
Dessert was Miguelitos de Chocolate decadent chocolate mousse sandwiched between puff pastry. Served with Torres Floralis Moscatel Oro. I managed to snag two glasses of this wine
We also were served a piece of birthday cake.
All in all a decent dinner, a few flaws but for the price point I was happy. Lots of wine, festive occasion and at the next table was Clyde who I had not seen in awhile. A good evening.
This is the third Torres Wine dinner I have done at Arte Cafe in Cerritos. The rep from Spain recognized us when we first sat down and came over. He then brought over the winemaker Xavier Rubires Ferrer to talk with us for awhile. The winery were first owned by Jean Leon who on his 8th stow away try got into the US. Then after working odd jobs he accumulated enough to open a restaurant in Beverly Hills. He founded "La Scala" with his friend James Dean. Upon Jean Leon's death the Torres family bought the winery in Spain.
Arte Cafe was packed tonight. This seems to be a popular winery with the patrons. Live music and a celebration as one of the wine reps birthday was today. Lots of singing, music and noise.
We started out with multiple pours of the Jean Leon Rose 3055. 100% Pinot Noir grapes. Very light. Then the appetizer showed up. Prosciutto with Melon and then multiple pours of the Jean Leon Chardonnay 3055. They ply us with the cheaper wines and when the reds show up the pours are not so numerous but they still give you multiple pours.
First course is a Jean Leon "Original La Scala" chopped salad. Dressing was very good Had Rose and Chardonnay left to pair with this dish.
Second course is a Braised Duck Leg with Cannellini beans and Torres Brandy sauce. Duck had good flavor but I really was turned off by the skin. It was not crisp, just sat there flabby and unappealing. The Cannellini beans were very "al dente". Did not eat mine. Wine with this dish was a 2015 Cinco Granachas. Nice wine , light and went well with the duck.
Next was Albondigas con Patatas bravas. Spanish meatballs of veal and beef, tomato veal sauce, fried potatoes with a roasted tomato Aioli. A very good dish and the wine was the one I liked best for the evening. A 2014 Torres Salmos, Red Blend, Priorat.
Dessert was Miguelitos de Chocolate decadent chocolate mousse sandwiched between puff pastry. Served with Torres Floralis Moscatel Oro. I managed to snag two glasses of this wine
We also were served a piece of birthday cake.
All in all a decent dinner, a few flaws but for the price point I was happy. Lots of wine, festive occasion and at the next table was Clyde who I had not seen in awhile. A good evening.
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Dinner at Delius with Tercero Wines
Saturday, April 28, 2918
Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines joined Delius restaurant, www.deliusrestaurant.com. joined us for a wine pairing dinner tonight. Larry had been here several times before. Should be an interesting evening as Delius has a new chef again. This will be either the 5th or 6th chef in the past 12 months.
Started out with a Glazed Oyster Stew, which was excellent. Hope this is an omen. Paired with a 2014 Tercero, Santa Ynez, Grenache Blanc. Wine was perfect with the soup.
Second course is a Earth Blend Filed Greens, fancy name for "greens" with a very good Honey Orange Dressing and Brie Croquettes. I have had the croquettes before but these seemed to be cut small and the brie was not soft and stringy. Not what they were before. A 2017 Tercero, Santa Barbara Mouvedre Rose was poured. Again a really nice pairing and I really like this 2017 version of the Rose better than some of the other years bottlings.
Up next was a Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Market Fresh Vegetables. Pork was tender and had good flavor but was so over salted I could feel the grains of salt in my mouth. The grilled carrots had no flavor and were dull and boring. A nice balsamic glaze would have done wonders in taste and appearance. Paired with a 2013 Tercero, Ballard Canyon, Larner Vineyard, Syrah. Another good pairing.
Fourth course is a Roasted Vension Chop, Peppercorn Syrah Reduction and Creamy Wild Mushroom and White Wine Risotto.. The chop was luke warm and cooked "black and blue". Almost raw. Sauce was good. Risotto was a huge disappointment. Very few mushrooms and thick like a blob and under seasoned. I am not a happy camper right now. I took all of this home and ate it the next day for lunch. Everyone at the table meal was just luke warm. No one in the kitchen seems to be on the ball. How this could leave the kitchen like that and how a server cannot feel there is no heat to the plate is beyond me. Larry had two wines for the dish. A 2009 Larner Syrah and a 2013 Larner Syrah. Interesting to see the differences in the years.
Dessert at least was up to par. A Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Boubron Berry Sauce and Brulee Fig.
Everyone at the table was saying how disappointed in the new. Don't think this new chef will cut it. He is vegan to begin with and does not drink or know anything about wine. Dave the owner and Larry did the wine pairings. I sure hope Delius pulls out of whatever is happening with them. I have been patronizing them for 20 years. and this last 18 months have been a real challenge.
Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines joined Delius restaurant, www.deliusrestaurant.com. joined us for a wine pairing dinner tonight. Larry had been here several times before. Should be an interesting evening as Delius has a new chef again. This will be either the 5th or 6th chef in the past 12 months.
Started out with a Glazed Oyster Stew, which was excellent. Hope this is an omen. Paired with a 2014 Tercero, Santa Ynez, Grenache Blanc. Wine was perfect with the soup.
Second course is a Earth Blend Filed Greens, fancy name for "greens" with a very good Honey Orange Dressing and Brie Croquettes. I have had the croquettes before but these seemed to be cut small and the brie was not soft and stringy. Not what they were before. A 2017 Tercero, Santa Barbara Mouvedre Rose was poured. Again a really nice pairing and I really like this 2017 version of the Rose better than some of the other years bottlings.
Up next was a Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Market Fresh Vegetables. Pork was tender and had good flavor but was so over salted I could feel the grains of salt in my mouth. The grilled carrots had no flavor and were dull and boring. A nice balsamic glaze would have done wonders in taste and appearance. Paired with a 2013 Tercero, Ballard Canyon, Larner Vineyard, Syrah. Another good pairing.
Fourth course is a Roasted Vension Chop, Peppercorn Syrah Reduction and Creamy Wild Mushroom and White Wine Risotto.. The chop was luke warm and cooked "black and blue". Almost raw. Sauce was good. Risotto was a huge disappointment. Very few mushrooms and thick like a blob and under seasoned. I am not a happy camper right now. I took all of this home and ate it the next day for lunch. Everyone at the table meal was just luke warm. No one in the kitchen seems to be on the ball. How this could leave the kitchen like that and how a server cannot feel there is no heat to the plate is beyond me. Larry had two wines for the dish. A 2009 Larner Syrah and a 2013 Larner Syrah. Interesting to see the differences in the years.
Dessert at least was up to par. A Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Boubron Berry Sauce and Brulee Fig.
Everyone at the table was saying how disappointed in the new. Don't think this new chef will cut it. He is vegan to begin with and does not drink or know anything about wine. Dave the owner and Larry did the wine pairings. I sure hope Delius pulls out of whatever is happening with them. I have been patronizing them for 20 years. and this last 18 months have been a real challenge.
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