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.