Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Back to Arte Cafe this week for another wine dinner. Tonight's dinner including wine is $45. How Richard does this is mystery to me. 3 of the wines are from the Prisoner Wine Group which Constellation Brands bought out last year.
Tonight's dinner was another huge sold out crowd. Three very large tables with at least 12 to 16 people at each table and the rest of us at the smaller tables. Again they took over the outdoor patio area for dinner.
Started off with a Fresh Summer Salad of mixed greens, apples, pears and berries with toasted almonds. The dressing had nice citrus notes to it. Refreshing but again a real pain to each with all those friesse greens that are so cumbersome to eat. They may look pretty but not when they are hanging out your mouth. No matter how small you cut them is just not happening The wine was a Steorra sparkling which was quite nice. Paired well the that citrus vinaigrette. This wine was not from the Prisoner group. It is made by Joe Wagner and is a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir from the Russian River Valley.
Second course is a Organic Mushroom Risotto with crispy pork belly. Risotto was done right with a nice earthy flavor. Pork belly was crisp and very tender. The wine is a 2014 Cuttings, a blend of 80% cabernet and the balance a mix of petite syrah, syrah and zinfandel. A nice balanced wine with just a hint of spice, dark fruit and a bit of coffee.
Third course served is a Prime New York medallions in a peppercorn sauce with mashed potatoes and corn. Again the beef course is a disappointment. Not much flavor except for the sauce, sliced way too thin. Arte Cafe seems to have an issue with beef. Dinner two weeks ago also had issues with the beef dish. Paired with a 2015 red wine, "The Prisoner". This was Dave Phinneys first wine he made. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, petite syrah, syrah , zinfandel and charbono. Nice blend , loads of berry flavor with some chocolate thrown in.
Dessert is a Cheesecake with fresh fruit and a chocolate covered strawberry. Don't know if this is house made or bought from an outside source. Cheesecake was very smooth and creamy but like a lot of other cheesecakes not anything overly special about it. The wine paired was a 2015 "Blindfold" a blend of chardonnay, roussanne, viognier, grenache blanc, marssane and chenin blanc. Way too many white Rhone grapes for me to enjoy this wine.
A good dinner for the price. Nice wines. But nothing to get me too excited. But a good evening out with good company and that makes my day.
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
June's Monthly Gathering of The Flock
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Today's wine Theme was Greek. Interesting selection of wines along with a couple of bubblies and a dessert wine.
What I found is all the reds tasted alike. Did not find anything that really stood out from the others. The whites were a bit more varied but not by much. Most interesting wine was a "Orange Wine". It was definitely orange. But nothing at all "steller"
Loads of great appetizers and food. Lots of wine and good company. Another beautiful day.
Today's wine Theme was Greek. Interesting selection of wines along with a couple of bubblies and a dessert wine.
What I found is all the reds tasted alike. Did not find anything that really stood out from the others. The whites were a bit more varied but not by much. Most interesting wine was a "Orange Wine". It was definitely orange. But nothing at all "steller"
Loads of great appetizers and food. Lots of wine and good company. Another beautiful day.
2007 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting
Saturday, June 23, 2018
CJ hosted a Cab tasting this evening. 2007 was a stellar year for Napa Cabernets and the evening turned out stellar also.
We dined are a wide variety of appetizers along with filet mignon and lamb chops. f course the star of the show was the wine. I brought a 2009 DeMargerie Grand Cru Champagne to start the soiree. It was a good start to the evening. Ended with Cuvee du Cent Cinquantenaire, Grand Marnier
2007 Clos Du Val, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley
2007 Sbragia, Wall Vineyard, Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley, my second pick
2007 Snowden Reserve, Napa Valley
2007 Chateau Montelena, Calistoga, Napa Valley
2007 Pride, Mountain Vineyards, Napa Valley - my top pick
2007 Karl Lawrence, Reserve, Gary Morisoli Vineyard
CJ hosted a Cab tasting this evening. 2007 was a stellar year for Napa Cabernets and the evening turned out stellar also.
We dined are a wide variety of appetizers along with filet mignon and lamb chops. f course the star of the show was the wine. I brought a 2009 DeMargerie Grand Cru Champagne to start the soiree. It was a good start to the evening. Ended with Cuvee du Cent Cinquantenaire, Grand Marnier
2007 Clos Du Val, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley
2007 Sbragia, Wall Vineyard, Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley, my second pick
2007 Snowden Reserve, Napa Valley
2007 Chateau Montelena, Calistoga, Napa Valley
2007 Pride, Mountain Vineyards, Napa Valley - my top pick
2007 Karl Lawrence, Reserve, Gary Morisoli Vineyard
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Italian Wine Dinner at Franco's
Wednesday. June 20, 2018
Big turnout tonight for the first wine dinner that Franco's in Cypress has hosted in about two years. Hopefully they will have more soon. www.francositalianrestaurant.com. Good to see Alex, Elizabeth (mama) and Franco (papa) again.
We started out with baskets of french bread and focacia bread. House made. You just pig out on the focacia it is so good. Along with healthy pours of a 2015 Guadalmare Vermentio. Light, mineraly, well balanced, not too mush acidity. Nice wine. Served with a bowl of Vichyssoise, chilled leek and potato soup infused with fresh cream. Excellent soup, smooth and creamy.
Second course is a Beet and Pear Carpaccio. Paper thin sliced pear and beet sprinkled with sharp Gorgonzola and mint. Interesting concept. Pears and beets are spiraled on the plate making a very pretty presentation and flavor was spot on. Paired with a 2015 Rose Ceppaiano. Blend of Sangiovese and Syrah. I really liked this wine (bought some) It had some depth to it. Not a light Rose, a bit on the dry side. I think this would be a perfect wine with salmon.
Entree is a Seabass , pan seared and topped with slow braised organic cherry tomatoes. Fish was cooked perfectly. I even ate some of the tomatoes because they were cooked and not acidic. A 2013 Santa Lucia Toscana (Ciligielo, Sangiovese blend) was poured. Surprisingly it went well with the fish. Probably because of the tomatoes.
Dessert is a Limoncello and Marscapone Blueberry parfait with soaked lady fingers. Nice, light dessert, A perfect ending to a very nice dinner. They served a Parolvini Moscato with the dessert. Not too sweet
Ciro the wine importer did a great job on the pairing with the food. But he usually does. Susan the rep added a bottle of Mudita cabernet for us to try. It is from the Atlas Peak area. I was not overly impressed with this wine. Did nothing for me.
At the end of the dinner I asked Ciro to sing for us. He has a beautiful voice and songs in Italian always have an extra charm to them. Then Alex sang his song, they did a duet and finally a guest got up and joined them . It was a rocking ending to a nice dinner. Looking forward to the "Summer" Series of wine dinners.
Big turnout tonight for the first wine dinner that Franco's in Cypress has hosted in about two years. Hopefully they will have more soon. www.francositalianrestaurant.com. Good to see Alex, Elizabeth (mama) and Franco (papa) again.
We started out with baskets of french bread and focacia bread. House made. You just pig out on the focacia it is so good. Along with healthy pours of a 2015 Guadalmare Vermentio. Light, mineraly, well balanced, not too mush acidity. Nice wine. Served with a bowl of Vichyssoise, chilled leek and potato soup infused with fresh cream. Excellent soup, smooth and creamy.
Second course is a Beet and Pear Carpaccio. Paper thin sliced pear and beet sprinkled with sharp Gorgonzola and mint. Interesting concept. Pears and beets are spiraled on the plate making a very pretty presentation and flavor was spot on. Paired with a 2015 Rose Ceppaiano. Blend of Sangiovese and Syrah. I really liked this wine (bought some) It had some depth to it. Not a light Rose, a bit on the dry side. I think this would be a perfect wine with salmon.
Entree is a Seabass , pan seared and topped with slow braised organic cherry tomatoes. Fish was cooked perfectly. I even ate some of the tomatoes because they were cooked and not acidic. A 2013 Santa Lucia Toscana (Ciligielo, Sangiovese blend) was poured. Surprisingly it went well with the fish. Probably because of the tomatoes.
Dessert is a Limoncello and Marscapone Blueberry parfait with soaked lady fingers. Nice, light dessert, A perfect ending to a very nice dinner. They served a Parolvini Moscato with the dessert. Not too sweet
Ciro the wine importer did a great job on the pairing with the food. But he usually does. Susan the rep added a bottle of Mudita cabernet for us to try. It is from the Atlas Peak area. I was not overly impressed with this wine. Did nothing for me.
At the end of the dinner I asked Ciro to sing for us. He has a beautiful voice and songs in Italian always have an extra charm to them. Then Alex sang his song, they did a duet and finally a guest got up and joined them . It was a rocking ending to a nice dinner. Looking forward to the "Summer" Series of wine dinners.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Stolpman Wine Dinner at Taste
Tuesday. June 19, 2018
Good dinner, good wines, fiasco with reservations. I made my reservations at Taste several months ago for this wine dinner. www.taste-wbk.com. Made it for 3 people. Maria made reservations within a few days also. Asked for her party of 2 to sit with me. I even checked about a month later and asked them to make sure that the 5 of us would be sitting together. Another couple made reservations two weeks ago and asked to sit with me. So what does the restaurant do. Has us at a table next to the wall (I really dislike this particular table), that seats 6. Maria's reservation is not connected to mine for whatever reason. This dinner is sold out and its crowded So 5 of us are at this crappy table, Maria and Tim are at a table for 2. This is not what we were looking forward to and this is not what we expected making reservations far ahead of time and double checking on them. Someone really dropped the ball on this one.
Taste is a very small restaurant that seats approximately 30 to 34 people. Last night I knew 15 of the people dining there along with the wine rep Wes and Peter Stolpman.
We started out with a Tea Smoked Lamb Loin, blistered Calliope Eggplant, and garlic soy sauce. This dish was over the moon. Meat was exceedingly tender and the smoke flavor was spot on. A couple behind us do not eat certain meats so the restaurant substituted mushrooms. They said is was really good and I think it probably was. I can see the smoke on the mushrooms. Paired with a 2015 Ballard Canyon Sangiovese that will not be released until October. Excellent food and wine.
Second course was Red Cooked Pork Belly with sticky rice, scallions and Szechaun peppercorns. Pork was cooked perfectly with just the right amount top cap fat. Meat was succulent and very tender. Again a great dish. Wine was a 2011 Ballard Canyon Petite Syrah. I do like Petite Syrah and this wine paired well with the pork belly.
Next dish is a Asian-Style Black Cod, garlic, ginger, chilies, lime, spring onions and soft herb salad. This dish had a bite to it. Cod was moist and cooked as it should be. Lots of flavors in this dish. A new wine for me was poured, a 2016 "The Street" SLO, Riesling. As many years that I have bought Stolpman wines I never knew they made a Riesling. Apparently very small production and sold to the Michael Mina restaurant group. Wine was not overly sweet but had a rich flavor to it. Killed to spiciness of the dish. I liked this wine enough to buy 4 bottles of it.
Fourth course is a Lo Mein Noodle Stir Fry with local summer tomatoes, farm eggs, purple basil and cilantro. Not only am I not a fan of basil, cilantro and don't particularly care for fresh tomatoes the noddles were over cooked and on the soft , mushy side. Big disappointment. Paired with a 2012 Kimsey Vineyard Grenache. This wine is made from grapes that were grown, harvested and made into wine by Ruben Solorzano the vineyard manager and supervisor. Tom Stolpman gave his foreman 4 acres of the vineyard for his own use. Wine was very good.
Ruben is the product of an immigrants dream. Came from Mexico with his wife, Tom Stolpman gave him a job, sponsored them. After awhile Rueben became manager and branched out to take care of a few other properties. He now has his own vineyard management company, employs 1,200 people and still lives in his own house on the Stolpman property in Ballard Canyon and still manages the Stolpman Vineyards. A very loyal person.
Dessert is Honey Poached Plums, almond cookie crumble and Star Anise ice cream along with a fortune cookie. Strange how all of our fortunes ended up with the words "in bed". Nice light dessert. Not overly sweet and surprisingly went well with the 2012 Ballard Canyon Estate Syrah.
Aside from the reservations fiasco and the mushy noodles this dinner was a huge success. Looking forward to the Saxon-Brown dinner in August.
Good dinner, good wines, fiasco with reservations. I made my reservations at Taste several months ago for this wine dinner. www.taste-wbk.com. Made it for 3 people. Maria made reservations within a few days also. Asked for her party of 2 to sit with me. I even checked about a month later and asked them to make sure that the 5 of us would be sitting together. Another couple made reservations two weeks ago and asked to sit with me. So what does the restaurant do. Has us at a table next to the wall (I really dislike this particular table), that seats 6. Maria's reservation is not connected to mine for whatever reason. This dinner is sold out and its crowded So 5 of us are at this crappy table, Maria and Tim are at a table for 2. This is not what we were looking forward to and this is not what we expected making reservations far ahead of time and double checking on them. Someone really dropped the ball on this one.
Taste is a very small restaurant that seats approximately 30 to 34 people. Last night I knew 15 of the people dining there along with the wine rep Wes and Peter Stolpman.
We started out with a Tea Smoked Lamb Loin, blistered Calliope Eggplant, and garlic soy sauce. This dish was over the moon. Meat was exceedingly tender and the smoke flavor was spot on. A couple behind us do not eat certain meats so the restaurant substituted mushrooms. They said is was really good and I think it probably was. I can see the smoke on the mushrooms. Paired with a 2015 Ballard Canyon Sangiovese that will not be released until October. Excellent food and wine.
Second course was Red Cooked Pork Belly with sticky rice, scallions and Szechaun peppercorns. Pork was cooked perfectly with just the right amount top cap fat. Meat was succulent and very tender. Again a great dish. Wine was a 2011 Ballard Canyon Petite Syrah. I do like Petite Syrah and this wine paired well with the pork belly.
Next dish is a Asian-Style Black Cod, garlic, ginger, chilies, lime, spring onions and soft herb salad. This dish had a bite to it. Cod was moist and cooked as it should be. Lots of flavors in this dish. A new wine for me was poured, a 2016 "The Street" SLO, Riesling. As many years that I have bought Stolpman wines I never knew they made a Riesling. Apparently very small production and sold to the Michael Mina restaurant group. Wine was not overly sweet but had a rich flavor to it. Killed to spiciness of the dish. I liked this wine enough to buy 4 bottles of it.
Fourth course is a Lo Mein Noodle Stir Fry with local summer tomatoes, farm eggs, purple basil and cilantro. Not only am I not a fan of basil, cilantro and don't particularly care for fresh tomatoes the noddles were over cooked and on the soft , mushy side. Big disappointment. Paired with a 2012 Kimsey Vineyard Grenache. This wine is made from grapes that were grown, harvested and made into wine by Ruben Solorzano the vineyard manager and supervisor. Tom Stolpman gave his foreman 4 acres of the vineyard for his own use. Wine was very good.
Ruben is the product of an immigrants dream. Came from Mexico with his wife, Tom Stolpman gave him a job, sponsored them. After awhile Rueben became manager and branched out to take care of a few other properties. He now has his own vineyard management company, employs 1,200 people and still lives in his own house on the Stolpman property in Ballard Canyon and still manages the Stolpman Vineyards. A very loyal person.
Dessert is Honey Poached Plums, almond cookie crumble and Star Anise ice cream along with a fortune cookie. Strange how all of our fortunes ended up with the words "in bed". Nice light dessert. Not overly sweet and surprisingly went well with the 2012 Ballard Canyon Estate Syrah.
Aside from the reservations fiasco and the mushy noodles this dinner was a huge success. Looking forward to the Saxon-Brown dinner in August.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Robert Mondavi Wines at Arte Cafe
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
I have never seen Arte Cafe sold out like this was tonight. Besides both dining areas the patio had the overflow. Not an empty seat.
Not expecting the higher end wines but at $49 for dinner and wine it is a bargain. Saw people I knew at two other tables.. This becoming a popular place.
Started out with Grilled Scallops with a citrus beure blanc sauce. Scallops cooked to perfection anf the sauce had just the right amount of acidity to it. Paired with a Robert Mondavi, Oakville, Fume Blanc. A bit acidic but well balanced and went well with the sauce.
Second course is a Crab Cake with butter wine sauce. One of the best crab cakes I have ever had. Loads of crab, delicate flavor and not so overcooked that is looked like a grilled cheese sandwich. A Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley, Chardonnay was poured. Oaky for me. Did pair well with the fattiness of the crab and butter. But without food it was not my style. I gave the rest of my wine away. Then the waitstaff refilled my glass. So Douglas got numerous glasses of this wine (about 5)
Third course is a Baked Salmon over a bed of spinach and blueberries. Odd combination but very good. Salmon was moist and cooked perfect. Paired with a Robert Mondavi, Carneros, Pinit Noir, A bit stemy with a vegetative quality to it. Not the best Pinot.
Main course is a Sliced Beef Tenderloin with balsamic vinegar and a red wine reduction. My meat was too over cooked for me. Cindy's was red and prefect. Too much inconsistency in the meat. It also was not the most tender and I thought it lacked flavor. A bed of very under seasoned mashed potatoes and a couple of spears of asparagus completed this dish. Big disappointment after the great seafood dishes. A Robert Mondavi, Oakville, Cabernet Sauvignon was poured. This was an ok wine but nothing to get to excited about,
Dessert was a Banana Cake which was very dense and loaded with flavor. It had a cream cheese frosting and sat in a bed of liquid frosting This cake was just plain good. I really liked the denseness of it. A Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley, Moscato D'oro was selected. Good pairing.
So the dinner had some very high points and a couple of bummers. I did not expect to have the higher end Mondavi wines at this dinner so it was no surprise at the quality. The beef filet was a big let down. But they did pour wine refills, had numerous items for raffling off. And the price tag was really good. The Mondavi name and the low cost is what filled this place to overflowing.
It will be interesting to see what happens in two weeks when they have their "Prisoner" wine dinner. Same distributor as the Mondavi wines.
I have never seen Arte Cafe sold out like this was tonight. Besides both dining areas the patio had the overflow. Not an empty seat.
Not expecting the higher end wines but at $49 for dinner and wine it is a bargain. Saw people I knew at two other tables.. This becoming a popular place.
Started out with Grilled Scallops with a citrus beure blanc sauce. Scallops cooked to perfection anf the sauce had just the right amount of acidity to it. Paired with a Robert Mondavi, Oakville, Fume Blanc. A bit acidic but well balanced and went well with the sauce.
Second course is a Crab Cake with butter wine sauce. One of the best crab cakes I have ever had. Loads of crab, delicate flavor and not so overcooked that is looked like a grilled cheese sandwich. A Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley, Chardonnay was poured. Oaky for me. Did pair well with the fattiness of the crab and butter. But without food it was not my style. I gave the rest of my wine away. Then the waitstaff refilled my glass. So Douglas got numerous glasses of this wine (about 5)
Third course is a Baked Salmon over a bed of spinach and blueberries. Odd combination but very good. Salmon was moist and cooked perfect. Paired with a Robert Mondavi, Carneros, Pinit Noir, A bit stemy with a vegetative quality to it. Not the best Pinot.
Main course is a Sliced Beef Tenderloin with balsamic vinegar and a red wine reduction. My meat was too over cooked for me. Cindy's was red and prefect. Too much inconsistency in the meat. It also was not the most tender and I thought it lacked flavor. A bed of very under seasoned mashed potatoes and a couple of spears of asparagus completed this dish. Big disappointment after the great seafood dishes. A Robert Mondavi, Oakville, Cabernet Sauvignon was poured. This was an ok wine but nothing to get to excited about,
Dessert was a Banana Cake which was very dense and loaded with flavor. It had a cream cheese frosting and sat in a bed of liquid frosting This cake was just plain good. I really liked the denseness of it. A Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley, Moscato D'oro was selected. Good pairing.
So the dinner had some very high points and a couple of bummers. I did not expect to have the higher end Mondavi wines at this dinner so it was no surprise at the quality. The beef filet was a big let down. But they did pour wine refills, had numerous items for raffling off. And the price tag was really good. The Mondavi name and the low cost is what filled this place to overflowing.
It will be interesting to see what happens in two weeks when they have their "Prisoner" wine dinner. Same distributor as the Mondavi wines.
Monday, June 11, 2018
Margie's Monthly Dinner at New Moon Restaurant
Saturday, June 9, 2018
For this months dinner Margie selected a new restaurant in Buena Park. New Moon Chinese Restaurant and Lounge. http:/newmoonresraurants.com. . Apparently there are several of these restaurants around. Near all the hubbub of attractions on Beach Blvd. They share the parking lot with Porto's Bakery which made parking a challenge. Portos is so popular that no matter what size parking area it will be packed all day long.
We were seated in the "Far East Room" in the back area which made for a good view of the constant parade of people into and out of Portos. The restaurant itself is very art deco/modern in a Chinese way. Lots of high ceilings, windows, hard surfaces and bad acoustics. It was a beautiful restaurant , eye catching. It should do well in that location because of the traffic going to and from all the attractions. It appeals to the tourist and younger crowd. Downside is sharing the parking area with the bakery.
There were 11 of us tonight and 16 wines. A wide assortment, some paired well with the food and a few were outsiders.
We started out with strips of fried wonton with a couple of sauces. Did not try the sauces but had a couple pieces of wonton. Slightly oily. Maybe the sauce would have covered it up. Next was a plate of Chicken Potstickers. Not impressed. Not much filling in them and they were not puffed up like potstickers should be. Overcooked on the underside. Again the sauce may have helped.
A salad called "The Original New Moon Chicken Salad" was served. Good flavor, lots of crisp, crunchy cabbage with chicken (not much) and nuts. Unfortunately the dressing seemed to be an after thought to the server. It came out after I had finished my salad. Maybe she should had paid more attention to the food serving instead of counting how many bottles of wine for the corkage fee.
Shrimp with candied glazed walnuts was the next dish,. Shrimp were fresh and cooked as they should be. But very little "sauce" on them or the walnuts. A bit on the dry side.
The best dish of evening was next, Beef with asparagus. Beef was tender and had flavor as did the asparagus. They were cooked in a black bean sauce. This was the winner of the evening.
A Chicken with basil dish was next. I am not a basil fan but the chicken was tender and the snow peas also.
BBQ Pork chow mein - it was the standard chow mein - not too much going for it but I have never thought chow mein was a great dish anyway. I have always put it in the cheap filler category. When we do the "authentic" Chinese dinners with Henry he will occasionally throw in Chow Mein to offset the higher end seafood dishes we have.
We also had Vegetable fried rice along with white rice and brown rice. Again fillers to me. If I had been brought upon rice I would probably have a different take on it. But I had potatoes growing up and still eat a lot of them and they are fillers also.
Dessert was a Fortune cookie dipped in chocolate. Margie did pass around a box of chocolates . She does this at every meal which is a nice touch.
This was an OK restaurant but unless Margie hosts a dinner here again I would not come back. There are a dozen Chinese restaurants available with better food and a cheaper price. To me it was more pedestrian Chinese food that has been adapted to American tastes.
Wines tonight were a big variety:
2013 Lorenzi, Temecula, Cabernet Franc - did not taste
2015 Fallbrook Winery, Chardonnay -did not taste2014 Laetitia, Brut Coguard - nice bubbly
2015 Lando, Russian River, Pinot Noir - always like this wine
2017 Sinor-LaValle, Pinot Gris - nice for a Pinot Gris
2016 Reid Mahlberg, Gruner Veltliner - did not taste
2011 Clos Pepe, Pinot Noir - always a good selection
2016 Stolpman, Combe (Chenin Blanc) - nice
2016 Brookis, Riesling - did not taste
2014 Shafer, Merlot - very good wine
NV Schramsberg, Mirabelle, Brut - this is always a winner
2016 Patricia Green Reserve Pinot Noir - again always good
2016 Dragonette Rose - did not taste
2014 LeCuvier, Malbec - very good
2000 McKeon Phillips, Ceazar - wine was over the hill, still had light fruit but nothing else
2002 Fess Parker, Muscat Cannelli - good
For this months dinner Margie selected a new restaurant in Buena Park. New Moon Chinese Restaurant and Lounge. http:/newmoonresraurants.com. . Apparently there are several of these restaurants around. Near all the hubbub of attractions on Beach Blvd. They share the parking lot with Porto's Bakery which made parking a challenge. Portos is so popular that no matter what size parking area it will be packed all day long.
We were seated in the "Far East Room" in the back area which made for a good view of the constant parade of people into and out of Portos. The restaurant itself is very art deco/modern in a Chinese way. Lots of high ceilings, windows, hard surfaces and bad acoustics. It was a beautiful restaurant , eye catching. It should do well in that location because of the traffic going to and from all the attractions. It appeals to the tourist and younger crowd. Downside is sharing the parking area with the bakery.
There were 11 of us tonight and 16 wines. A wide assortment, some paired well with the food and a few were outsiders.
We started out with strips of fried wonton with a couple of sauces. Did not try the sauces but had a couple pieces of wonton. Slightly oily. Maybe the sauce would have covered it up. Next was a plate of Chicken Potstickers. Not impressed. Not much filling in them and they were not puffed up like potstickers should be. Overcooked on the underside. Again the sauce may have helped.
A salad called "The Original New Moon Chicken Salad" was served. Good flavor, lots of crisp, crunchy cabbage with chicken (not much) and nuts. Unfortunately the dressing seemed to be an after thought to the server. It came out after I had finished my salad. Maybe she should had paid more attention to the food serving instead of counting how many bottles of wine for the corkage fee.
Shrimp with candied glazed walnuts was the next dish,. Shrimp were fresh and cooked as they should be. But very little "sauce" on them or the walnuts. A bit on the dry side.
The best dish of evening was next, Beef with asparagus. Beef was tender and had flavor as did the asparagus. They were cooked in a black bean sauce. This was the winner of the evening.
A Chicken with basil dish was next. I am not a basil fan but the chicken was tender and the snow peas also.
BBQ Pork chow mein - it was the standard chow mein - not too much going for it but I have never thought chow mein was a great dish anyway. I have always put it in the cheap filler category. When we do the "authentic" Chinese dinners with Henry he will occasionally throw in Chow Mein to offset the higher end seafood dishes we have.
We also had Vegetable fried rice along with white rice and brown rice. Again fillers to me. If I had been brought upon rice I would probably have a different take on it. But I had potatoes growing up and still eat a lot of them and they are fillers also.
Dessert was a Fortune cookie dipped in chocolate. Margie did pass around a box of chocolates . She does this at every meal which is a nice touch.
This was an OK restaurant but unless Margie hosts a dinner here again I would not come back. There are a dozen Chinese restaurants available with better food and a cheaper price. To me it was more pedestrian Chinese food that has been adapted to American tastes.
Wines tonight were a big variety:
2013 Lorenzi, Temecula, Cabernet Franc - did not taste
2015 Fallbrook Winery, Chardonnay -did not taste2014 Laetitia, Brut Coguard - nice bubbly
2015 Lando, Russian River, Pinot Noir - always like this wine
2017 Sinor-LaValle, Pinot Gris - nice for a Pinot Gris
2016 Reid Mahlberg, Gruner Veltliner - did not taste
2011 Clos Pepe, Pinot Noir - always a good selection
2016 Stolpman, Combe (Chenin Blanc) - nice
2016 Brookis, Riesling - did not taste
2014 Shafer, Merlot - very good wine
NV Schramsberg, Mirabelle, Brut - this is always a winner
2016 Patricia Green Reserve Pinot Noir - again always good
2016 Dragonette Rose - did not taste
2014 LeCuvier, Malbec - very good
2000 McKeon Phillips, Ceazar - wine was over the hill, still had light fruit but nothing else
2002 Fess Parker, Muscat Cannelli - good
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