Monday, May 27, 2019
Since it was a holiday today and others did not work we got together for lunch at the Diamond Palace in Westminister. They are still adding more bling to the place. The smaller dining area now has a small stage and small dance floor. Obviously catering to the party crowd. The ambiance is great. We found some of the food dishes are not the quality as it used to me. Others are still quite good. New owners and new chefs.
Started out with an Egg Drop soup that needed white pepper which we applied liberally. Then a plate of Salt & Pepper Calamari. Big disappointment. Could not taste the salt or pepper and the calamari was not tender. This dish is not what we have had in the past.
Then on to stir fried beef with baby bok choy with fat noodles. This dish had good flavor, meat was tender. This is a regular for us to order.
Sauteed scallops with snow peas was a good selection. A bit bland but the scallops were tender and cooked perfectly.
Next was Orange Peel Beef. It had a light bite to it. Not quite as good as before but still a good dish. Meat was tender and had a nice glaze to it.
Wines were on the excellent side today. I brought a 2010 Roar, Sierra Mar, Pinot Noir which was showing really well. I decanted it for about 90 minutes before leaving for lunch.
A 2010 Roar, Garys Vineyard, Syrah. Took quite a bit of time to open up. That is the value of decanting before. It was more than two thirds through the meal before it opened.
2014 Domaine Schlumberger, Riesling, Grand Cru was excellent.
A Pere & Fils, Launois , Grand Cru Champagne, Mesnir Sur Oger Reserve rounded out the selections. Excellent wine and the bottle was emptied quickly.
Another nice lunch with the boys. Four of us today. The fifth could not make it. It has been awhile since the entire group was together.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Arte Cafe and Guest Chef
Saturday, May 25, 2019
An unusual night for Arte Cafe to host a wine dinner. Holiday weekend but the dinner was well attended. The main dining area was crammed and tight. Richard had a guest chef come in . He was from Ten Ten Restaurant. There is one in Cerritos and one in Artesia. Which place he came from is unknown to me.
We started out with House made Pot Stickers. Nice flavor. I was not taken with a vinegar sauce for dipping. But the stickers themselves had good flavor. I found the dough to be a bit on the "tough" side. My friend Henry's pot stickers are far better. A 2017 Tenet "Le Fervent" Rose, Rhone. France was the wine choice. Not a big fan of this wine
Next is a Carmelized Shrimp and Walnut. Very good shrimp, fresh and cooked perfectly.. A 2016 Eroica, Riesling, WA. is the selection., This was a very nice dry Riesling. Paired well with the shrimp.
Third course is an Egg Soup with white corn and fresh crabmeat. Needed a bit of salt to enhance it. But it was a nice thick soup with good flavors A 2015 Caymus Conundrum wine was poured. I have never been a fan of this wine. A blend of white grapes but it just doesn't knock by socks off.
Fourth dish is a Stir Fried White Fish with back bean sauce along with a Chicken Chow Mein. Fish was good. Fresh and moist with a subtle flavor. The black bean sauce really enhanced the flavors. The Chow Mein was mostly noodles. Not an inspiring dish. A 2016 Erath, Pinot Noir, Oregon. Good wine, typical Oregon Pinot, light and well balanced.
Last main dish is a Stir Fried Pepper Filet Mignon Beef with onion. Small pieces of beef with a nice bite to them. Tender and good flavors. Paired with a 2016 "The Convert" red blend, WA., A blend of Syrah, Merlot, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Cinsult, Mouvedre and Viognier. Bright wine, nicely balanced. hint of pepper and spic. My favorite wine along with the Riesling tonight.
Dessert is Cocoa Dusted Truffles with fresh raspberries. A 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was the selection. OK pairing but not stellar. Truffles were good and the fresh raspberries were a nice final bite.
A good dinner for Arte Cafe. Not great as some as the others but a good showing. Food was good but nothing was outstanding. Typical Chinese dishes that numerous restaurants serve. But the price was right at $49. And two people at the table won bottles of wine in the raffle. Fun evening.
An unusual night for Arte Cafe to host a wine dinner. Holiday weekend but the dinner was well attended. The main dining area was crammed and tight. Richard had a guest chef come in . He was from Ten Ten Restaurant. There is one in Cerritos and one in Artesia. Which place he came from is unknown to me.
We started out with House made Pot Stickers. Nice flavor. I was not taken with a vinegar sauce for dipping. But the stickers themselves had good flavor. I found the dough to be a bit on the "tough" side. My friend Henry's pot stickers are far better. A 2017 Tenet "Le Fervent" Rose, Rhone. France was the wine choice. Not a big fan of this wine
Next is a Carmelized Shrimp and Walnut. Very good shrimp, fresh and cooked perfectly.. A 2016 Eroica, Riesling, WA. is the selection., This was a very nice dry Riesling. Paired well with the shrimp.
Third course is an Egg Soup with white corn and fresh crabmeat. Needed a bit of salt to enhance it. But it was a nice thick soup with good flavors A 2015 Caymus Conundrum wine was poured. I have never been a fan of this wine. A blend of white grapes but it just doesn't knock by socks off.
Fourth dish is a Stir Fried White Fish with back bean sauce along with a Chicken Chow Mein. Fish was good. Fresh and moist with a subtle flavor. The black bean sauce really enhanced the flavors. The Chow Mein was mostly noodles. Not an inspiring dish. A 2016 Erath, Pinot Noir, Oregon. Good wine, typical Oregon Pinot, light and well balanced.
Last main dish is a Stir Fried Pepper Filet Mignon Beef with onion. Small pieces of beef with a nice bite to them. Tender and good flavors. Paired with a 2016 "The Convert" red blend, WA., A blend of Syrah, Merlot, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Cinsult, Mouvedre and Viognier. Bright wine, nicely balanced. hint of pepper and spic. My favorite wine along with the Riesling tonight.
Dessert is Cocoa Dusted Truffles with fresh raspberries. A 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was the selection. OK pairing but not stellar. Truffles were good and the fresh raspberries were a nice final bite.
A good dinner for Arte Cafe. Not great as some as the others but a good showing. Food was good but nothing was outstanding. Typical Chinese dishes that numerous restaurants serve. But the price was right at $49. And two people at the table won bottles of wine in the raffle. Fun evening.
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Paul Hobbs Wines at Michaels on Nalpes
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Four of us tonight at Michaels. www.michaelsonnaples.com. Menu looked really good and Paul Hobbs wines are good but a bit pricey.
Started out with a Cold poached shrimp "salad", celery, pickled mustard seeds and greens. Not a fan of these greens but the vinaigrette was good and the shrimp was cooked as it should be. Wine served is a 2016 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley. $40. Small amount of oak on the nose much much more in the wine. Gave most of this wine to someone else at the table.
Second course is a Roasted California Wild King Salmon with sunchoke puree and trumpet mushrooms. Salmon was excellent. Cooked perfectly. Paired with a 2017 Chardonnay, Richard Dinner Vineyard. $68. Not as much oak on this wine so I did finish it myself. It was a good chardonnay and paired very well with the salmon. I would never buy for myself but if you like a bit of oak it was a good wine for you.
Next was Garganelli, hand rolled pasta, Strauss Farm Veal, soffritto. Soffritto was good but not enough for the amount of pasta. Pasta was then on the dry side and had no flavor. Not impressed. Wine is a 2016 Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir. $42. Nice pinot, balanced.A bit big on the fruit but not overly. Since it is a coastal wine a bit more restrained.
Fourth course is a Roasted Squab Breast, cherry mostarda, and Venere (black) rice. Squab was excellent. Cooked perfectly. Mostrada had a nice tang to it. A 2017 Hyde Vineyards, Carneros, Pinot Noir. $75. Much bigger wine than the last. Heavy black fruits. Tannins were more pronounced in this pinot. Not quite a fruit bomb but close to it.
Main dish is a Grilled Aspen Ridge ribeye cap, potato and black truffle gratin with charred leeks. Great piece of meat. Cooked exactly as I like it. Red. Paired with a 2015 Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon. If you are cab fan this would be the wine for you.
Dessert is a Pineapple Fritter and a Almond Cake. Fritter was very good. Almond cake is always on the dry side. Ok but I would have rather had 2 fritters.
We also had the "opportunity" to taste the 2015 Beckstoffer, Dr, Crane Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon. $ 201. Did not partake in the "opportunity". 1 oz, $15, 3 oz $34 and 6 oz. $90.
Good dinner. A few hiccups for me. But then I always seem to find the "hiccups".
Four of us tonight at Michaels. www.michaelsonnaples.com. Menu looked really good and Paul Hobbs wines are good but a bit pricey.
Started out with a Cold poached shrimp "salad", celery, pickled mustard seeds and greens. Not a fan of these greens but the vinaigrette was good and the shrimp was cooked as it should be. Wine served is a 2016 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley. $40. Small amount of oak on the nose much much more in the wine. Gave most of this wine to someone else at the table.
Second course is a Roasted California Wild King Salmon with sunchoke puree and trumpet mushrooms. Salmon was excellent. Cooked perfectly. Paired with a 2017 Chardonnay, Richard Dinner Vineyard. $68. Not as much oak on this wine so I did finish it myself. It was a good chardonnay and paired very well with the salmon. I would never buy for myself but if you like a bit of oak it was a good wine for you.
Next was Garganelli, hand rolled pasta, Strauss Farm Veal, soffritto. Soffritto was good but not enough for the amount of pasta. Pasta was then on the dry side and had no flavor. Not impressed. Wine is a 2016 Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir. $42. Nice pinot, balanced.A bit big on the fruit but not overly. Since it is a coastal wine a bit more restrained.
Fourth course is a Roasted Squab Breast, cherry mostarda, and Venere (black) rice. Squab was excellent. Cooked perfectly. Mostrada had a nice tang to it. A 2017 Hyde Vineyards, Carneros, Pinot Noir. $75. Much bigger wine than the last. Heavy black fruits. Tannins were more pronounced in this pinot. Not quite a fruit bomb but close to it.
Main dish is a Grilled Aspen Ridge ribeye cap, potato and black truffle gratin with charred leeks. Great piece of meat. Cooked exactly as I like it. Red. Paired with a 2015 Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon. If you are cab fan this would be the wine for you.
Dessert is a Pineapple Fritter and a Almond Cake. Fritter was very good. Almond cake is always on the dry side. Ok but I would have rather had 2 fritters.
We also had the "opportunity" to taste the 2015 Beckstoffer, Dr, Crane Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon. $ 201. Did not partake in the "opportunity". 1 oz, $15, 3 oz $34 and 6 oz. $90.
Good dinner. A few hiccups for me. But then I always seem to find the "hiccups".
Road Trip to Lompoc and the Sta Rita Wine Trail
Saturday, May 18 to Monday, May 20, 2019
First tasting was scheduled for 11:00 AM on Saturday. Left the Casa about 7:30 and arrived in Buellton at 10:10. Good driving conditions and averaged 40 MPH. Met the group at Ken Brown private tasting room at 11:00.
Ken Brown was our host and we tasted numerous wines. Do like his wines. Had a nice "lecture" from the man himself. Bought a couple of bottles of his 2014 Radian Pinot Noir.
Leaving Ken Brown the group headed for Pence Winery which I refuse to set on his property. So headed off to Solvang to the Jules Haus to check on Christmas ornaments. Had lunch at Osteria Grappolo which has been opened for about 2 weeks. Their larger restaurant is in Santa Ynez. Ordered a Risotto al Ragu which was excellent. But the portion was huge. I made the suggestion that they serve a smaller version for lunch.
Our last tasting of the day was scheduled at Spear Winery. Had a wine dinner two weeks ago at Bacchus in Pasadena so I was familiar with their wines. Open for appointments only. Beautiful building made from reclaimed barnwood. I was a bit early but they let me in. While waiting for the limo to arrive with the rest of the group I chatted with Kat Galaway, the winemaker for awhile. Good tasting, beautiful surroundings and great views out the massive windows. Bought a couple of bottles of their Gruner Veltliner.
After leaving Spear I checked in at the O'Carins Inn in Lompoc and got ready for dinner. Dinner tonight is at the "Eatery" at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lompoc. We had a private room off the side which I was thankful for. The restaurant was extremely noisy. Seems to be a popular hangout for the young locals. Menu was interesting for a hotel. Laid back, burgers, sandwiches, tacos. I ordered the Jalapeno goat cheese grilled sandwich and Chicken Tortilla soup. Both were good
Up bright and early on Sunday morning. Had breakfast at the hotel and then off the Longoria for our first tasting. Rick was our host for awhile then turned the actual pouring of his wines over to staff. 6 wines and then they threw in an extra. I purchased a "mini" flight of his Blues Cuvee which was supposed to be a 14, 15 & 16. When I unpacked at home there were two 16's and no 15. Mistake on their part but an irritant to me. Don't live close enough to take it back and exchange it. But I will send an e-mail to let them know. Also bought a couple of his sparkling. Made one year and will not be made again. Too bad because I really like it. Rick said it was too labor intensive.
The nest tasting on Sunday was at LaMontagne in the Wine Ghetto. Tasted 11 wines today. Did buy 3 Pinots / This is where we had lunch. Pizza was brought in. After leaving LaMontagne the group headed back to the hotel and I went to find Morretti. They moved from their location. Found them back in the Ghetto. Vince told me they would be moving again in July to Los Olivos. Indicated that the city of Lompoc was not supportive of the wineries.
Dinner tonight is at the Scratch Kitchen in Lompoc. Have eaten there before and food is good. Ordered the Hailbut, ate one small side of it and had them box it up for me. I am still stuffed from lunch. Way to much food today.
Monday I had breakfast at the hotel and got on the road about 8:30. Need to stop in Newbury Park to visit Norman and Traudl before going home. Traudl gave me several cuttings form her Orchid Cactus plants so I will try and start them at home. Problem is they should not be in direct sun and my balcony is. Will have to try and figure a way to shade them.
Got home about 3:30. Averaged 37 MPH coming home. Nice trip but I was really tired by time I got home. Age is catching up with me. Will have to really consider if I want to do Wine & Fire this year.
First tasting was scheduled for 11:00 AM on Saturday. Left the Casa about 7:30 and arrived in Buellton at 10:10. Good driving conditions and averaged 40 MPH. Met the group at Ken Brown private tasting room at 11:00.
Ken Brown was our host and we tasted numerous wines. Do like his wines. Had a nice "lecture" from the man himself. Bought a couple of bottles of his 2014 Radian Pinot Noir.
Leaving Ken Brown the group headed for Pence Winery which I refuse to set on his property. So headed off to Solvang to the Jules Haus to check on Christmas ornaments. Had lunch at Osteria Grappolo which has been opened for about 2 weeks. Their larger restaurant is in Santa Ynez. Ordered a Risotto al Ragu which was excellent. But the portion was huge. I made the suggestion that they serve a smaller version for lunch.
Our last tasting of the day was scheduled at Spear Winery. Had a wine dinner two weeks ago at Bacchus in Pasadena so I was familiar with their wines. Open for appointments only. Beautiful building made from reclaimed barnwood. I was a bit early but they let me in. While waiting for the limo to arrive with the rest of the group I chatted with Kat Galaway, the winemaker for awhile. Good tasting, beautiful surroundings and great views out the massive windows. Bought a couple of bottles of their Gruner Veltliner.
After leaving Spear I checked in at the O'Carins Inn in Lompoc and got ready for dinner. Dinner tonight is at the "Eatery" at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lompoc. We had a private room off the side which I was thankful for. The restaurant was extremely noisy. Seems to be a popular hangout for the young locals. Menu was interesting for a hotel. Laid back, burgers, sandwiches, tacos. I ordered the Jalapeno goat cheese grilled sandwich and Chicken Tortilla soup. Both were good
Up bright and early on Sunday morning. Had breakfast at the hotel and then off the Longoria for our first tasting. Rick was our host for awhile then turned the actual pouring of his wines over to staff. 6 wines and then they threw in an extra. I purchased a "mini" flight of his Blues Cuvee which was supposed to be a 14, 15 & 16. When I unpacked at home there were two 16's and no 15. Mistake on their part but an irritant to me. Don't live close enough to take it back and exchange it. But I will send an e-mail to let them know. Also bought a couple of his sparkling. Made one year and will not be made again. Too bad because I really like it. Rick said it was too labor intensive.
The nest tasting on Sunday was at LaMontagne in the Wine Ghetto. Tasted 11 wines today. Did buy 3 Pinots / This is where we had lunch. Pizza was brought in. After leaving LaMontagne the group headed back to the hotel and I went to find Morretti. They moved from their location. Found them back in the Ghetto. Vince told me they would be moving again in July to Los Olivos. Indicated that the city of Lompoc was not supportive of the wineries.
Dinner tonight is at the Scratch Kitchen in Lompoc. Have eaten there before and food is good. Ordered the Hailbut, ate one small side of it and had them box it up for me. I am still stuffed from lunch. Way to much food today.
Monday I had breakfast at the hotel and got on the road about 8:30. Need to stop in Newbury Park to visit Norman and Traudl before going home. Traudl gave me several cuttings form her Orchid Cactus plants so I will try and start them at home. Problem is they should not be in direct sun and my balcony is. Will have to try and figure a way to shade them.
Got home about 3:30. Averaged 37 MPH coming home. Nice trip but I was really tired by time I got home. Age is catching up with me. Will have to really consider if I want to do Wine & Fire this year.
Friday, May 10, 2019
Markham Wine Dinner at Arte Cafe
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Not a big crowd tonight so some reason but those who were in attendance were a lively bunch. Also made the odds better for the door prizes. It will be interesting to see what Dina, the rep from Southern brings for door prizes.
The winemaker from Markham, Kimberlee Nicholls is in the kitchen tonight. Gives Richard a bit of a breather from the kitchen.
Started out with Margarita Shrimp (very large), orange zest, cilantro, red pepper and a bit of tequila in a cocktail glass. The shrimp were very fresh and tender. The "cocktail" was refreshing but I did not drink the entire thing. I am not a mixer of alcohols. A 2016 Markham Sauvignon Blanc was the wine selection. A softer style, not very acidic. A bit of Sauvignon Musque and a tad of Semillon. I liked this style much better than the Groth from the dinner the night before.
Second course is a Lemon and Spinach Risotto with white fish fillet. Risotto had excellent flavor. Creamy with a hint of lemon. Not sure what species of fish this was but it was light, tender and moist with a crispy skin. The skin had loads of flavor in it. Paired with a 2015 Markham Chardonnay. I was not a fan of this wine. Too oaky. I felt that the Sau Blanc went better with the fish. Did not finish the Chard.
Third course is a Braised Pot Roast. Braised in a Markham Merlot wine. Herb crusted cauliflower, yellow squash, zucchini squash, potato, carrot, parsnip and green beans. Very good flavor. At this point I am starting to feel stuffed. After a few bites I have it packed up to go. Afterall there is dessert coming up next. Wine selected was a 2016 Markham Merlot. This wine had a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Very well balanced, big, classic fruit flavors. I am not a big Merlot fan but I would drink this one again.
Dessert was a chocolate cake with a chiffon cream top. Light and good. They served a 2015 Markham Cellar 1879 Blend with it. This wine is a blend of Merlot, Petite Syrah, Syrah, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. An excellent wine but not sure if I would pick this out for a dessert. It was OK with it but not stellar.
Another good dinner at Arte Cafe. These are the bargains of wine dinners. Good and reasonable in price. And always door prizes. Tonight Dina had a very odd selection of wines and copies of Wine Spectator Magazine as prizes. I got a bottle of a Spanish Rosato which will be nice this summer when it warms up. Also got a copy of the magazine but since I subscribe to it I gave it away. Food was good. Was not sure of a couple of the pairings. Several people had the same take on it that I did.
Not a big crowd tonight so some reason but those who were in attendance were a lively bunch. Also made the odds better for the door prizes. It will be interesting to see what Dina, the rep from Southern brings for door prizes.
The winemaker from Markham, Kimberlee Nicholls is in the kitchen tonight. Gives Richard a bit of a breather from the kitchen.
Started out with Margarita Shrimp (very large), orange zest, cilantro, red pepper and a bit of tequila in a cocktail glass. The shrimp were very fresh and tender. The "cocktail" was refreshing but I did not drink the entire thing. I am not a mixer of alcohols. A 2016 Markham Sauvignon Blanc was the wine selection. A softer style, not very acidic. A bit of Sauvignon Musque and a tad of Semillon. I liked this style much better than the Groth from the dinner the night before.
Second course is a Lemon and Spinach Risotto with white fish fillet. Risotto had excellent flavor. Creamy with a hint of lemon. Not sure what species of fish this was but it was light, tender and moist with a crispy skin. The skin had loads of flavor in it. Paired with a 2015 Markham Chardonnay. I was not a fan of this wine. Too oaky. I felt that the Sau Blanc went better with the fish. Did not finish the Chard.
Third course is a Braised Pot Roast. Braised in a Markham Merlot wine. Herb crusted cauliflower, yellow squash, zucchini squash, potato, carrot, parsnip and green beans. Very good flavor. At this point I am starting to feel stuffed. After a few bites I have it packed up to go. Afterall there is dessert coming up next. Wine selected was a 2016 Markham Merlot. This wine had a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Very well balanced, big, classic fruit flavors. I am not a big Merlot fan but I would drink this one again.
Dessert was a chocolate cake with a chiffon cream top. Light and good. They served a 2015 Markham Cellar 1879 Blend with it. This wine is a blend of Merlot, Petite Syrah, Syrah, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. An excellent wine but not sure if I would pick this out for a dessert. It was OK with it but not stellar.
Another good dinner at Arte Cafe. These are the bargains of wine dinners. Good and reasonable in price. And always door prizes. Tonight Dina had a very odd selection of wines and copies of Wine Spectator Magazine as prizes. I got a bottle of a Spanish Rosato which will be nice this summer when it warms up. Also got a copy of the magazine but since I subscribe to it I gave it away. Food was good. Was not sure of a couple of the pairings. Several people had the same take on it that I did.
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Groth Wine Dinner at Chianina
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
First time back at Chianina after the disastrous wine dinner in March. www.chianina.com Happy to report the chef has redeemed himself. There seems to have been numerous changes at the restaurant itself. New floor manager which I like . The person who replaced Jacob was just didn't have it for me. He only hobnobbed with the "elite". Never came around to any of the "lower" tables. Glad he is gone. New manager is Alex and he has a good personality and is very "customer" friendly. He came from a corporate steak house background. My only issue now and probably the "females" will vilify me for it but it just seemed to me that they were a lot of female servers at the restaurant now. Very professional female waitstaff I have no issue with but when I get the "chatty" ones it drives me up the wall. I am paying good money for a high end dinner and I have to stop every 5 minutes because Chatty Cathy keeps stopping by to see how everything is. Please don't interrupt me when I am eating. If something is wrong I will call you over to let you know. The restaurant isn't that big that I can't see you. We're not at Norms or Dennys.
The winemaker from Groth, Michael Weis was in attendance. He made a point on a quick check with us on every glass of wine. Also the pours were really good size. Bigger than what we are used to.
We started out with a Hamachi Crudo, avocado, very thinly sliced cucumber, preserved lemon and crispy shallot. Very good hamachi, fresh, subtle and the extremely thin sliced cucumber added a nice crunch to the bite. A 2018 Groth, Sauvignon Blanc was served. A bit to acidic for me and way too citrusy. Not my style. My dining companions liked it.
Second course is a Chitarra Al Nero Di Sepia, baby squid, pickled ramp, English peas. The Chitarra (Guitar String) pasta was made with squid ink. Cooked not quite "al dente". But I think that any softer and it would distract from the flavor of the squid ink.. Excellent dish and paired with a 2016 Groth, Hill View Vineyard Chardonnay. A bit too oaky for me but it was fine with the food. I did not finish this wine.
Up next is the Superior Farm lamb loin and belly with chickpea panelli ( similar to polenta, cut in squares and fried), Medjool date, roasted baby carrot. Yes this was a real baby carrot. Not manufactured. It was the shape of a real carrot and had the top still on. Flavor of lamb was excellent.. Paired with a 2014 Groth Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon served from a magnum. Good wine, well balanced. I did not get the herbaceous notes that I normally do with Groth Cabs.
Main was a Grilled Chianina Striploin steak with spring onion soubise (bechamel sauce with pureed onions), black trumpet mushroom. asparagus and Bernaise. Steak was tender and had good flavor. A touch of salt would have helped a bit to enhance the flavor. Very good dish. A 2014 Groth, Oakville, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon was poured. Big, bold loads of dark fruit. Well balanced but a soft touch to it
Dessert was a dish of Harry's Berries, Strawberries with a rhubarb granita. Not sweet but very refreshing after a heavy meal. They served a glass of Tokay with the dessert.
A good dinner tonight. Hope they keep the trend up. I did let Michael Dene (owner) know that I enjoyed this dinner. If I can complain to him then I can give the compliments also.
First time back at Chianina after the disastrous wine dinner in March. www.chianina.com Happy to report the chef has redeemed himself. There seems to have been numerous changes at the restaurant itself. New floor manager which I like . The person who replaced Jacob was just didn't have it for me. He only hobnobbed with the "elite". Never came around to any of the "lower" tables. Glad he is gone. New manager is Alex and he has a good personality and is very "customer" friendly. He came from a corporate steak house background. My only issue now and probably the "females" will vilify me for it but it just seemed to me that they were a lot of female servers at the restaurant now. Very professional female waitstaff I have no issue with but when I get the "chatty" ones it drives me up the wall. I am paying good money for a high end dinner and I have to stop every 5 minutes because Chatty Cathy keeps stopping by to see how everything is. Please don't interrupt me when I am eating. If something is wrong I will call you over to let you know. The restaurant isn't that big that I can't see you. We're not at Norms or Dennys.
The winemaker from Groth, Michael Weis was in attendance. He made a point on a quick check with us on every glass of wine. Also the pours were really good size. Bigger than what we are used to.
We started out with a Hamachi Crudo, avocado, very thinly sliced cucumber, preserved lemon and crispy shallot. Very good hamachi, fresh, subtle and the extremely thin sliced cucumber added a nice crunch to the bite. A 2018 Groth, Sauvignon Blanc was served. A bit to acidic for me and way too citrusy. Not my style. My dining companions liked it.
Second course is a Chitarra Al Nero Di Sepia, baby squid, pickled ramp, English peas. The Chitarra (Guitar String) pasta was made with squid ink. Cooked not quite "al dente". But I think that any softer and it would distract from the flavor of the squid ink.. Excellent dish and paired with a 2016 Groth, Hill View Vineyard Chardonnay. A bit too oaky for me but it was fine with the food. I did not finish this wine.
Up next is the Superior Farm lamb loin and belly with chickpea panelli ( similar to polenta, cut in squares and fried), Medjool date, roasted baby carrot. Yes this was a real baby carrot. Not manufactured. It was the shape of a real carrot and had the top still on. Flavor of lamb was excellent.. Paired with a 2014 Groth Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon served from a magnum. Good wine, well balanced. I did not get the herbaceous notes that I normally do with Groth Cabs.
Main was a Grilled Chianina Striploin steak with spring onion soubise (bechamel sauce with pureed onions), black trumpet mushroom. asparagus and Bernaise. Steak was tender and had good flavor. A touch of salt would have helped a bit to enhance the flavor. Very good dish. A 2014 Groth, Oakville, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon was poured. Big, bold loads of dark fruit. Well balanced but a soft touch to it
Dessert was a dish of Harry's Berries, Strawberries with a rhubarb granita. Not sweet but very refreshing after a heavy meal. They served a glass of Tokay with the dessert.
A good dinner tonight. Hope they keep the trend up. I did let Michael Dene (owner) know that I enjoyed this dinner. If I can complain to him then I can give the compliments also.
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Ancient Peaks Wine Dinner at Prime Cut Cafe
Friday. May 2, 2019
Car pooled with a few others to Prime Cut in Orange .www.primecutcafe.com. for the Ancient peaks wine dinner. Just saw Mike Sinor a few weeks ago for a wine tasting. Mike is the consulting winemaker for Ancient Peaks. I have bought wine from Mike since the early 2000's. Tonight we will have other reps from the winery. Ancient peaks is in Santa Margarita. Huge cattle ranch in existence since the mid 1800's. The vineyards were planted in 1999.
Our group lucked out when we got to the restaurant. Since they had a 8 party cancellation we were given the private room off the main dining area. Much quieter.
Started out with a couple of appys. A salmon mixture on cucumber. This seems to be a favorite of restaurants. Why I don't know. Have not yet met a wine that pairs with cucumbers and the salmon was very fishy. Then some concoction , a crostini with a soft style cheese, slice of apple and a grilled red pepper on top. Actually it had good flavor. I give a score of 3 out of 10. They poured a 2016 Ancient Peaks Sauvignon Blanc. I did like this sau blanc, not too citrusy. A softer style wine.
An Artichoke Encrusted Salmon with fennel and herb salad with minted tomato concasse. Concasse is basically peeled tomatoes, chopped up without the seeds, I suspect farm raised salmon because of the light color. Decent taste. I would give this a 4 out of 10. Paired with a 2016 Ancient peaks Chardonnay. A good chard. Not too much oak for me and the fattiness of the salmon cut that.
Second course is a Tuscan Pot Pie with proscuitto, roasted vegetables and burrata. This dish I really liked. Good flavors, I ate the entire thing with gusto. A 8 out of 10. A 2016 Ancient peaks Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine selection. Dark fruits and a hint of chocolate. A meaty style wine. A really good pairing.
Third course is a Pork Osso Bucco with glazed baby carrots and gorgonzola risotto. Again very good flavors. Score of 7 out of 10. The risotto was excellent.. I don't know why they are called "baby" carrots when they are not. They are small, shaped carrots. These are made from mis-shapened carrots which are machine peeled to a certain conformed size. Thus we have "baby". Growers don't waste anything if they can make more money having people think they are getting "baby". A 2016 Ancient Peaks Zinfandel was poured. A very good wine. Loads of fruit, a touch of pepper.
Next was a Sliced Tenderloin of Beef with mushroom dijon demi-glace and roasted poblano gratin potatoes. Beef was tender and had nice flavor. The potatoes were killer. The demi-glace was excellent. Overall a very good dish. 7 out of 10. One of my favorite wines from Ancient Peaks was poured. The 2016 Renegade. A blend of Syrah, Zinfandel, Malbec, Petite Verdot and Petite Syrah
Dessert is a Callebaut Chocolate Bread Pudding with toasted pecans and macerated berries. Rich and decadent. 8 out of 10. Paired with a 2014 Ancient Peaks Oyster Ridge This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Syrah and Malbec. Excellent wine - excellent dessert - but they did not go well with each other. A big mistake on the pairing.
Dining companions bought a fair amount of wine. There were no discounts because the prices quoted were the same as at the tasting room. They really should have offered a discount. I can work a better deal.
Car pooled with a few others to Prime Cut in Orange .www.primecutcafe.com. for the Ancient peaks wine dinner. Just saw Mike Sinor a few weeks ago for a wine tasting. Mike is the consulting winemaker for Ancient Peaks. I have bought wine from Mike since the early 2000's. Tonight we will have other reps from the winery. Ancient peaks is in Santa Margarita. Huge cattle ranch in existence since the mid 1800's. The vineyards were planted in 1999.
Our group lucked out when we got to the restaurant. Since they had a 8 party cancellation we were given the private room off the main dining area. Much quieter.
Started out with a couple of appys. A salmon mixture on cucumber. This seems to be a favorite of restaurants. Why I don't know. Have not yet met a wine that pairs with cucumbers and the salmon was very fishy. Then some concoction , a crostini with a soft style cheese, slice of apple and a grilled red pepper on top. Actually it had good flavor. I give a score of 3 out of 10. They poured a 2016 Ancient Peaks Sauvignon Blanc. I did like this sau blanc, not too citrusy. A softer style wine.
An Artichoke Encrusted Salmon with fennel and herb salad with minted tomato concasse. Concasse is basically peeled tomatoes, chopped up without the seeds, I suspect farm raised salmon because of the light color. Decent taste. I would give this a 4 out of 10. Paired with a 2016 Ancient peaks Chardonnay. A good chard. Not too much oak for me and the fattiness of the salmon cut that.
Second course is a Tuscan Pot Pie with proscuitto, roasted vegetables and burrata. This dish I really liked. Good flavors, I ate the entire thing with gusto. A 8 out of 10. A 2016 Ancient peaks Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine selection. Dark fruits and a hint of chocolate. A meaty style wine. A really good pairing.
Third course is a Pork Osso Bucco with glazed baby carrots and gorgonzola risotto. Again very good flavors. Score of 7 out of 10. The risotto was excellent.. I don't know why they are called "baby" carrots when they are not. They are small, shaped carrots. These are made from mis-shapened carrots which are machine peeled to a certain conformed size. Thus we have "baby". Growers don't waste anything if they can make more money having people think they are getting "baby". A 2016 Ancient Peaks Zinfandel was poured. A very good wine. Loads of fruit, a touch of pepper.
Next was a Sliced Tenderloin of Beef with mushroom dijon demi-glace and roasted poblano gratin potatoes. Beef was tender and had nice flavor. The potatoes were killer. The demi-glace was excellent. Overall a very good dish. 7 out of 10. One of my favorite wines from Ancient Peaks was poured. The 2016 Renegade. A blend of Syrah, Zinfandel, Malbec, Petite Verdot and Petite Syrah
Dessert is a Callebaut Chocolate Bread Pudding with toasted pecans and macerated berries. Rich and decadent. 8 out of 10. Paired with a 2014 Ancient Peaks Oyster Ridge This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Syrah and Malbec. Excellent wine - excellent dessert - but they did not go well with each other. A big mistake on the pairing.
Dining companions bought a fair amount of wine. There were no discounts because the prices quoted were the same as at the tasting room. They really should have offered a discount. I can work a better deal.
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Petrossian Caviar Tasting at the Playground
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
A different tack for Playground in Santa Ana. www.playgrounddtsa.com. Frederic Petrossian od Petrossian , www.petrossian.com. approached Jason about doing a caviar tasting in the 2.0 Room. Nothing but dinners have ever been done there before. From the results we may see a bit more of these quick impromptu tastings. 18 quests tonight. Full house. I bought the first ticket and was really looking forward to tonight. It did not disappoint me
While we waited to seated they poured Champagne for us outside in the waiting area. A nice touch while we waited for everyone to arrive. We sat down and a plate with 12 small plastic spoons filled with 6 different kinds of caviar was in front of us. Very impressive. They also served us house made blinis with creme fraiche, very crisp house made potato chips and some crispy cheese balls. Everything they served went exceedingly well with the caviar.
These sturgeon fish that they harvest for the roe are "farm" raised. Wild sturgeon are endanger of becoming extinct due to over fishing for the roe. They are raised in huge lakes and it takes several years before they know the sex of the fish. Not a cheap undertaking.
When the roe sack is harvested they do not kill the fish until after harvesting. They put the fish to "sleep" then harvest the roe . If they take the roe when the fish is dead the chemicals that are produced as soon as the sturgeon dies can ruin the roe. A complicated and time consuming effort to bring high end caviar to our plates.
Caviar is the roe of the fish. It can come from trout (orange color) to Paddlefish (black and relatively inexpensive) to Sturgeon which is the royalty of caviar. I have been known to eat caviar right from the tin without anything but champagne.
We started out with "Classic Baika), very small, crispy and a very big fresh ocean taste. It may have been one of the cheapest but I personally like a very saline taste to my caviar. Very dark in color. $65 for 30 grams which is about an ounce. There are 28 grams to an ounce.
"Daurenki" was next. Medium size roe, light brine and almost a very dark green tint to the egg. $77 for 30 grams.
"Classic Shassetra", very small, multi shades of black, light brine. $63 for 30 grams.
"Royal Shassetra", medium size, lighter in color, medium brine. $98 for 30 grams.
"Classic Ossetra", small to medium size, juicy and briny dark with a smoke tinge. $82 for 30 grams.
"Royal Ossetra", medium size, very soft, velvety, light brine. Dark amber with deep jade highlights. Extremely good. $123 for 30 grams.
We were poured 3 types of Champagne. Pierre Gimennel & Fils, Selecton Belles Anniu, 1er Cru, Jean Lallement & Fils, Verzenay, Grand Cru and Geoffrey, Rose de Saignee, Brut, Premier Cru
But I still prefer my caviar with a bit of a crunch.Each one has its place. The softer ones would go well on top of a hollandasie sauce, the crunchier ones on creme fraiche. They all go very well with potato chips.
Frederic mentioned caviar on avocado. That has opened a whole new world for me. This weekend I will experiment with avocado in different forms to see what I like best. I have the avocados and caviar already.
A different tack for Playground in Santa Ana. www.playgrounddtsa.com. Frederic Petrossian od Petrossian , www.petrossian.com. approached Jason about doing a caviar tasting in the 2.0 Room. Nothing but dinners have ever been done there before. From the results we may see a bit more of these quick impromptu tastings. 18 quests tonight. Full house. I bought the first ticket and was really looking forward to tonight. It did not disappoint me
While we waited to seated they poured Champagne for us outside in the waiting area. A nice touch while we waited for everyone to arrive. We sat down and a plate with 12 small plastic spoons filled with 6 different kinds of caviar was in front of us. Very impressive. They also served us house made blinis with creme fraiche, very crisp house made potato chips and some crispy cheese balls. Everything they served went exceedingly well with the caviar.
These sturgeon fish that they harvest for the roe are "farm" raised. Wild sturgeon are endanger of becoming extinct due to over fishing for the roe. They are raised in huge lakes and it takes several years before they know the sex of the fish. Not a cheap undertaking.
When the roe sack is harvested they do not kill the fish until after harvesting. They put the fish to "sleep" then harvest the roe . If they take the roe when the fish is dead the chemicals that are produced as soon as the sturgeon dies can ruin the roe. A complicated and time consuming effort to bring high end caviar to our plates.
Caviar is the roe of the fish. It can come from trout (orange color) to Paddlefish (black and relatively inexpensive) to Sturgeon which is the royalty of caviar. I have been known to eat caviar right from the tin without anything but champagne.
We started out with "Classic Baika), very small, crispy and a very big fresh ocean taste. It may have been one of the cheapest but I personally like a very saline taste to my caviar. Very dark in color. $65 for 30 grams which is about an ounce. There are 28 grams to an ounce.
"Daurenki" was next. Medium size roe, light brine and almost a very dark green tint to the egg. $77 for 30 grams.
"Classic Shassetra", very small, multi shades of black, light brine. $63 for 30 grams.
"Royal Shassetra", medium size, lighter in color, medium brine. $98 for 30 grams.
"Classic Ossetra", small to medium size, juicy and briny dark with a smoke tinge. $82 for 30 grams.
"Royal Ossetra", medium size, very soft, velvety, light brine. Dark amber with deep jade highlights. Extremely good. $123 for 30 grams.
We were poured 3 types of Champagne. Pierre Gimennel & Fils, Selecton Belles Anniu, 1er Cru, Jean Lallement & Fils, Verzenay, Grand Cru and Geoffrey, Rose de Saignee, Brut, Premier Cru
But I still prefer my caviar with a bit of a crunch.Each one has its place. The softer ones would go well on top of a hollandasie sauce, the crunchier ones on creme fraiche. They all go very well with potato chips.
Frederic mentioned caviar on avocado. That has opened a whole new world for me. This weekend I will experiment with avocado in different forms to see what I like best. I have the avocados and caviar already.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Spear Wines at Bacchus Kitchen
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Made the trek up the 605 freeway to Duarte to meet up with Jolie . Then off to Claud & Co., Bacchus Kitchen in Pasadena for a wine dinner . www.bacchuskitchen.com. A big change for me as this dinner is at 1:00 in the afternoon. I liked the concept and Claud said they will do more of these afternoon Sunday dinners. Frees up the restaurant for their regular dinners. All of us at the table agreed that this is a good concept.
Spear Winery was pouring today. I am not familiar with Spear but will be doing a tasting there in a few weeks when I go up to the Sta Rita Hills area. Kat Gaffney the winemaker was in attendance along with Ofer Shepher who not only is the owner of Spear but also co-owner of the Life Alert company. Both very nice, personable people.
We started out with appetizers in the main dining area. Bar set up for pouring the 2017 Estate Chardonnay to start us out. Table had various meats, cheeses and nibbles for us to start with while we waited for everyone to arrive.
Dinner was held outside on the side patio area. One long table set up for 18 diners. Glassware sparkled in the sunlight, fresh flowers on the table, a nice setting for our "Sunday Brunch".
First dish was a hot and sour Dungeness crab soup with ginger, shitaki mushrooms, English peas and bamboo shoots. Flavor was excellent if you were a ginger fan, It was overwhelming for me. I am not a ginger fan and this was overload. I could only eat a small amount of the broth, Others devoured it. A 2017 Spear Estate Gruner Veltliner was paired with the soup. A very good airing and the Gruner was an excellent wine. Very small production of it and not every year will it be available.
Next was a Gold & Yellow Kiwi salad with passion fruit, pea shoots, fried panel cheese and a curry vanilla oil. The oil was dynamite in flavor. A 2017 Spear Gnesa Vineyard Chardonnay was the wine selection. A nice clean chard.
Third course is a Smoked Lamb Loin with crispy cheese grits, mustard greens and Nueske bacon lardons. This is an applewood smoked bacon.. Very good flavor The Nueske products are available online. The lamb was cooked perfectly and had a nice light smoke flavor. Grits were creamy and the greens had a nice bitter tang to them, Paired with a 2017 Spear Estate Pinot Noir. Wine was very light, bright fruit and color. Very different from most Sta Rita Hills Pinots. Ofer compared his to Clos Pepe in structure. We had interesting conversation on Clos Ppee and the dynamics that have been happening there.
Up next was a Roulade of skirt steak with nopales and almond mole.. Good flavor but a bit overcooked for me. Not enough red to the meat. Wine paired was a 2017 Spear Estate Syrah. A big syrah, bold flavors that held up to the skirt steak. A nice pairing/
Dessert is a Flan with almond cookie. They poured the 2017 estate Chardonnay with this dish and it paired much better than I thought it would.
A nice afternoon with a friendly group pf people. I like the concept of Sunday afternoon dinner. Since it is a trek for me to get there I appreciate being able to do it in the light of day. Claud indicated he was doing another on June 30, I penciled the date in my planner as did Jolie
Made the trek up the 605 freeway to Duarte to meet up with Jolie . Then off to Claud & Co., Bacchus Kitchen in Pasadena for a wine dinner . www.bacchuskitchen.com. A big change for me as this dinner is at 1:00 in the afternoon. I liked the concept and Claud said they will do more of these afternoon Sunday dinners. Frees up the restaurant for their regular dinners. All of us at the table agreed that this is a good concept.
Spear Winery was pouring today. I am not familiar with Spear but will be doing a tasting there in a few weeks when I go up to the Sta Rita Hills area. Kat Gaffney the winemaker was in attendance along with Ofer Shepher who not only is the owner of Spear but also co-owner of the Life Alert company. Both very nice, personable people.
We started out with appetizers in the main dining area. Bar set up for pouring the 2017 Estate Chardonnay to start us out. Table had various meats, cheeses and nibbles for us to start with while we waited for everyone to arrive.
Dinner was held outside on the side patio area. One long table set up for 18 diners. Glassware sparkled in the sunlight, fresh flowers on the table, a nice setting for our "Sunday Brunch".
First dish was a hot and sour Dungeness crab soup with ginger, shitaki mushrooms, English peas and bamboo shoots. Flavor was excellent if you were a ginger fan, It was overwhelming for me. I am not a ginger fan and this was overload. I could only eat a small amount of the broth, Others devoured it. A 2017 Spear Estate Gruner Veltliner was paired with the soup. A very good airing and the Gruner was an excellent wine. Very small production of it and not every year will it be available.
Next was a Gold & Yellow Kiwi salad with passion fruit, pea shoots, fried panel cheese and a curry vanilla oil. The oil was dynamite in flavor. A 2017 Spear Gnesa Vineyard Chardonnay was the wine selection. A nice clean chard.
Third course is a Smoked Lamb Loin with crispy cheese grits, mustard greens and Nueske bacon lardons. This is an applewood smoked bacon.. Very good flavor The Nueske products are available online. The lamb was cooked perfectly and had a nice light smoke flavor. Grits were creamy and the greens had a nice bitter tang to them, Paired with a 2017 Spear Estate Pinot Noir. Wine was very light, bright fruit and color. Very different from most Sta Rita Hills Pinots. Ofer compared his to Clos Pepe in structure. We had interesting conversation on Clos Ppee and the dynamics that have been happening there.
Up next was a Roulade of skirt steak with nopales and almond mole.. Good flavor but a bit overcooked for me. Not enough red to the meat. Wine paired was a 2017 Spear Estate Syrah. A big syrah, bold flavors that held up to the skirt steak. A nice pairing/
Dessert is a Flan with almond cookie. They poured the 2017 estate Chardonnay with this dish and it paired much better than I thought it would.
A nice afternoon with a friendly group pf people. I like the concept of Sunday afternoon dinner. Since it is a trek for me to get there I appreciate being able to do it in the light of day. Claud indicated he was doing another on June 30, I penciled the date in my planner as did Jolie
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