Sunday, January 26, 2020
Back to Spago for the Winter Dine in LA Week. 6 of us tonight. Actually sat at the exact same table as we did on the last Dine in LA Week dinner last year. Got to meet Wolfgang Puck. He came to our table and conversed with each of us. Seems a film crew was there. They are doing a documentary on Wolfgang Puck's life.
Started out with a few Amuse Bouches. 4 this year , 6 last year.
Parmigiano, Reggiano Cloud. A marshmallowy concoction rolled in the cheeese. Melt in your mouth one biter
"Terotot"a square "tatertot" with creme fraiche and Kaluga caviar
Maple Macaroon with Applewood smoked bacon and coffee. One of my favorites that they make here.
Tuna Tartar in a Sesame, Miso Tuille Cone. 2 bites. Presentation is everything
First up is Japanese Hamachi, with ginger, Thai basil, crispy rice, Kaffir lime & Kalamansi (Filipino Lime). Extremely flavorful and the fish was raw, sweet and tender
Maine Diver Scallop, fennel, capers, Meyer lemon, pomello and celery hearts. So succulent, Cooked to perfection.
Charred Octopus, pomegranate, mole and pumpkin seed.. Tender and good. But Playground's beat it out.
Hand made Agnolotti pasta with celery root, French black truffles and Mascarpone.. Very tasty and the truffle added the punch to the dish. I had 2 very large slices on my plate. Think I got the most of all at the table. Matter of luck.
Liberty Farms Duck brast, , Savoy cabbage, cipolinni, (onion) juniper and currants.. Needed a tad of salt. But overall a good dish.
Snake River Farms, Wagyu New York steak with Weiser Farms parsnips, black garlic and bone marrow. This was much better than last year. Steak was tender and juicy.
Crottin de Chavignol, (goat cheese) Fuji apple compote, Miele di Castagno,(Chestnut Honey) and Rye. A really nice palate cleaning bite.
Mud Creek Farms grapefruit, smoked yogurt, wild flower honey and lavender.
Spago has a limit on 3 bottles per table that you can bring in.($50 corkage). So a couple were bought off the wine list. I had brought a 2010 Clos Pepe VS that I recorked and took back home. Several bottles did not make it out of the wine bags. I know the Rioja was bought off the list but not sure which ones
2013 Domaine Aimelle et Bernard, Nuits-Saint-George. 1st Cru
Domaine Lejeune, Pommard Les Rugiens. 1st Cru
2008 Pierre Paillard, Le Grand Recolte, Bouzy-Grand Cru
1995 Charles Heidsieck , Blanc de Millenaries
2007 Marquesde Murriette, Rioja.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Friday, January 24, 2020
Chinese New Year Dinner at Arte Cafe
Thursday, January 23, 2019
Odd assortment of dinner guests tonight. Saw a few people that are regulars but a lot of new faces. First clue that this was going to be different was a 3 piece band was setting up right inside the main entrance. Picked out a table as far away as possible. No wine rep tonight. These wines will all be Richard's pick and not over pricey.
Started off with a appetizer plate of Pork Belly, Egg Rolls and Chicken Wing. These are Richard's specialties and all were good. They poured a Cupcake Sparkling Prosecco. Cloying sweet.
Next was a Won Ton soup with bok choy and Shitake mushrooms. Soup was very good and filling. I now have no more room for food. This was a large bowl. A Liquid Light Sauvignon Blanc was the pairing. The wine I would not be able to handle on its own. Way to citrusy for me but it did balance out with the soup.
Third course is a Salt & Pepper Sea Bass on cabbage. Excellent flavors. Took a couple of bites to taste and had them box it up for take out. A Erath Resplendent, Pinot Noir was the choice of wine. Not impressed. Seemed flat.
Main was choice of Duck Breast or Pork Belly. I opted for the Pork Belly with Long Line Noodles and Chinese Broccoli. Never tasted it, boxed it up to take home and have for dinner Friday night. That soup was so filling. A 2017 Intrinsic Red Blend, Malbec & Merlot, was the wine . OK wine but again not impressed. Just didn't have a lot going for it.
Dessert was strange. I am not Chinese so maybe I did not appreciate it. Sweet Bean, Taro Root and Boba. Like a warm soup. Just could not get into it especially for dessert.
Music was loud but could have been worse. Songs were great, 50's & 60's. Everyone got a red envelope with money inside. Tossed mine into the musicians bucket.. They did give away a few bottles of wine, same as we had tonight. For once I was glad I did not win.
Odd assortment of dinner guests tonight. Saw a few people that are regulars but a lot of new faces. First clue that this was going to be different was a 3 piece band was setting up right inside the main entrance. Picked out a table as far away as possible. No wine rep tonight. These wines will all be Richard's pick and not over pricey.
Started off with a appetizer plate of Pork Belly, Egg Rolls and Chicken Wing. These are Richard's specialties and all were good. They poured a Cupcake Sparkling Prosecco. Cloying sweet.
Next was a Won Ton soup with bok choy and Shitake mushrooms. Soup was very good and filling. I now have no more room for food. This was a large bowl. A Liquid Light Sauvignon Blanc was the pairing. The wine I would not be able to handle on its own. Way to citrusy for me but it did balance out with the soup.
Third course is a Salt & Pepper Sea Bass on cabbage. Excellent flavors. Took a couple of bites to taste and had them box it up for take out. A Erath Resplendent, Pinot Noir was the choice of wine. Not impressed. Seemed flat.
Main was choice of Duck Breast or Pork Belly. I opted for the Pork Belly with Long Line Noodles and Chinese Broccoli. Never tasted it, boxed it up to take home and have for dinner Friday night. That soup was so filling. A 2017 Intrinsic Red Blend, Malbec & Merlot, was the wine . OK wine but again not impressed. Just didn't have a lot going for it.
Dessert was strange. I am not Chinese so maybe I did not appreciate it. Sweet Bean, Taro Root and Boba. Like a warm soup. Just could not get into it especially for dessert.
Music was loud but could have been worse. Songs were great, 50's & 60's. Everyone got a red envelope with money inside. Tossed mine into the musicians bucket.. They did give away a few bottles of wine, same as we had tonight. For once I was glad I did not win.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Farewell to Justin at the Playground
Tuesday, January 22, 2020
Chef Justin Werner who has been with the Playground for 4 years is leaving to start his own. In the John Wayne Airport area and it will be called the Porch and Swing. Anxious to try the new place when it opens. Justin makes the best Risotto and Gnocchi I have ever had including what I had in Italy. The month of February is "Farewell To Justin" in the 2.0 Room and he is in charge of all dinners there. These dinners have been sold out for weeks. 5 of us tonight. www.playgrounddtsa.com
We started out with a cocktail. Vanilla infused vodka, house made apertivo, cranberry cordial. Bright red in color and very festive.
New bread chef, Dakota is his name. Seems requisite for being hired at Playground is beautiful tattoos. He made a brioche roll that was so light and fluffy. Bit of salt on top. Great flavor. Served with house made unsalted butter.
Ride or Die was up next. Salad made with heavy greens, Radicchio for color. Very good dressing.
Burrata Fancier. Fancier is an French almond cake. These were bite size and had house made burrata on top which was toasted and crisped. Yummy.
Albacore with smoked egg vinaigrette and crispy shallots. The vinaigrette was on the creamy side. Albacore was stacked in a round, then topped with the shallots. Loads of flavor.
These dishes were paired with Kofererhof Weingut, Riesling. Good pairing.
Beets, red and yellow with Pistachio tahini, sumo tangerines. Not overly sweet . Beautiful presentation.
Salisfy with hazelnut truffle, miso and onions, Salisfy was breaded and cooked. Sauce was very good.
It has been a long time since I had salsify.
Scallops with fermented tomato water and candied lemon.
Wine with these dishes was a A>D> Beckman, Amphora Pinot Gris. Rose colored. Not my favorite. Frankly did not like at all.
A plate of Gnocchi appeared. Justin is known for this dish. Soft, creamy. Perfect.
Celery root cake, roasted apples and house made apple butter. Apples were sweet and tart at the same time. Loads of flavor.
Octopus that had been marinated overnight then grilled. Perfect. Sweet and tender. Cauliflower heart. Not the florets but the stemy part. Did not realize how good that part of the vegetable is.
A 2016 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico was the wine selection .
Marble potato, short rib confit. I did find this dish way to salty for me.
Wagyu outside skirt steak. Extremely tender, good flavor.
Wine was a 2014 Paradign, Oakville, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon.. Pleasant wine. Went well with the meat.
Desserts were a Pineapple, Lychee ice cream. Sunchoke cake, semi fredo, sunchoke chips and hazelnut chocolate sauce. A Macaroon ice cream sandwich. .
Dessert wine was a Amara , Amaro D'Arancia Rossa. A Sicilian liqueur. Off setting flavor. Took two sips and that was it.
Chef Justin Werner who has been with the Playground for 4 years is leaving to start his own. In the John Wayne Airport area and it will be called the Porch and Swing. Anxious to try the new place when it opens. Justin makes the best Risotto and Gnocchi I have ever had including what I had in Italy. The month of February is "Farewell To Justin" in the 2.0 Room and he is in charge of all dinners there. These dinners have been sold out for weeks. 5 of us tonight. www.playgrounddtsa.com
We started out with a cocktail. Vanilla infused vodka, house made apertivo, cranberry cordial. Bright red in color and very festive.
New bread chef, Dakota is his name. Seems requisite for being hired at Playground is beautiful tattoos. He made a brioche roll that was so light and fluffy. Bit of salt on top. Great flavor. Served with house made unsalted butter.
Ride or Die was up next. Salad made with heavy greens, Radicchio for color. Very good dressing.
Burrata Fancier. Fancier is an French almond cake. These were bite size and had house made burrata on top which was toasted and crisped. Yummy.
Albacore with smoked egg vinaigrette and crispy shallots. The vinaigrette was on the creamy side. Albacore was stacked in a round, then topped with the shallots. Loads of flavor.
These dishes were paired with Kofererhof Weingut, Riesling. Good pairing.
Beets, red and yellow with Pistachio tahini, sumo tangerines. Not overly sweet . Beautiful presentation.
Salisfy with hazelnut truffle, miso and onions, Salisfy was breaded and cooked. Sauce was very good.
It has been a long time since I had salsify.
Scallops with fermented tomato water and candied lemon.
Wine with these dishes was a A>D> Beckman, Amphora Pinot Gris. Rose colored. Not my favorite. Frankly did not like at all.
A plate of Gnocchi appeared. Justin is known for this dish. Soft, creamy. Perfect.
Celery root cake, roasted apples and house made apple butter. Apples were sweet and tart at the same time. Loads of flavor.
Octopus that had been marinated overnight then grilled. Perfect. Sweet and tender. Cauliflower heart. Not the florets but the stemy part. Did not realize how good that part of the vegetable is.
A 2016 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico was the wine selection .
Marble potato, short rib confit. I did find this dish way to salty for me.
Wagyu outside skirt steak. Extremely tender, good flavor.
Wine was a 2014 Paradign, Oakville, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon.. Pleasant wine. Went well with the meat.
Desserts were a Pineapple, Lychee ice cream. Sunchoke cake, semi fredo, sunchoke chips and hazelnut chocolate sauce. A Macaroon ice cream sandwich. .
Dessert wine was a Amara , Amaro D'Arancia Rossa. A Sicilian liqueur. Off setting flavor. Took two sips and that was it.
Providence Restaurant - Dine in LA Week
Monday, January 20, 2020
Dine in LA Week has started so I can patronize a few restaurants that are normally out of budget. We picked Providence for Monday because of the no corkage policy on that day. Other days corkage is $50 per bottle. www.providencela.com. Six of us tonight in the back room in front of the wine cellar.
Started out with a small glass of mushroom and mussel soup. Just a few sips. Interesting aroma and flavor. Just enough to whet the appetite for what is coming next.
A bed of ice with spicy lobster, turnip and pickled radish in a wonton type wrapper. The pickling won the fight with the lobster. Big clash of flavors. The only negative the entire evening.
Steelhead trout, trout roe on a small cracker. A one bite wonder.
Smoked black cod on a blini type cracker. A tiny pea set on top
Wagu Fielle - a thin slice of wagu beef rolled to resemble a cigar. Served in a cigar box. This is a staple of Providence. Beautiful flavors and the presentation is always a hit.
Since the menu was prix fixe there were a couple of choices. On the starter the choice was Tai Snapper or Nancys Down East Sea Scallops with turnip and miso for a $15 supplemental charge. I opted for the Snapper with tangerine, fattalii ( a citrusy chili pepper). Excellent flavors. I was happy.
Everyone got a dish of Vermillion Rock Fish with Tahitian squash and chorizo. Everything is cooked perfectly.
Next we got to chose from is Quinautt River steel head trout with Sunchokes and fine herbs or Liberty Farms duck, blood orange, kalamata and Treviso (Italian Chichory). I choose the duck. Again everything is perfect. They also had a supplement of a5 Wagu beef with roasted cabbage and aceto balsamic at a $40 upcharge.
There were a couple of add ons that a few others ordered. Risotto with Perigold Black Truffles and Raw Oysters on the half shell.
Dessert was a Forest Floor, Porcini Mushroom ice cream with hazelnut. Also a Chocolate Log with Porcini Mushroom and Hazelnut ice cream. Odd flavor , interesting and very good.
All the food was prepared perfectly, presentation is way beyond what you would ever expect. Service is impeccable and top notch. You pay for it but it is worth it.
I brought 1 2010, Roar, Garys Vineyard, Pinot Noir - other wines were:
2007 Comtes de Champagne, Grand Cru, Blanc de Blanc
1999 Billecart-Salmon, Cuvee Nicolas, Brut
2012 Pierre Peters, Cuvee Special, Blanc de Blanc
2007 Saint Cosme, Cote-Rotie
2009 Clos Pepe. Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir
Dine in LA Week has started so I can patronize a few restaurants that are normally out of budget. We picked Providence for Monday because of the no corkage policy on that day. Other days corkage is $50 per bottle. www.providencela.com. Six of us tonight in the back room in front of the wine cellar.
Started out with a small glass of mushroom and mussel soup. Just a few sips. Interesting aroma and flavor. Just enough to whet the appetite for what is coming next.
A bed of ice with spicy lobster, turnip and pickled radish in a wonton type wrapper. The pickling won the fight with the lobster. Big clash of flavors. The only negative the entire evening.
Steelhead trout, trout roe on a small cracker. A one bite wonder.
Smoked black cod on a blini type cracker. A tiny pea set on top
Wagu Fielle - a thin slice of wagu beef rolled to resemble a cigar. Served in a cigar box. This is a staple of Providence. Beautiful flavors and the presentation is always a hit.
Since the menu was prix fixe there were a couple of choices. On the starter the choice was Tai Snapper or Nancys Down East Sea Scallops with turnip and miso for a $15 supplemental charge. I opted for the Snapper with tangerine, fattalii ( a citrusy chili pepper). Excellent flavors. I was happy.
Everyone got a dish of Vermillion Rock Fish with Tahitian squash and chorizo. Everything is cooked perfectly.
Next we got to chose from is Quinautt River steel head trout with Sunchokes and fine herbs or Liberty Farms duck, blood orange, kalamata and Treviso (Italian Chichory). I choose the duck. Again everything is perfect. They also had a supplement of a5 Wagu beef with roasted cabbage and aceto balsamic at a $40 upcharge.
There were a couple of add ons that a few others ordered. Risotto with Perigold Black Truffles and Raw Oysters on the half shell.
Dessert was a Forest Floor, Porcini Mushroom ice cream with hazelnut. Also a Chocolate Log with Porcini Mushroom and Hazelnut ice cream. Odd flavor , interesting and very good.
All the food was prepared perfectly, presentation is way beyond what you would ever expect. Service is impeccable and top notch. You pay for it but it is worth it.
I brought 1 2010, Roar, Garys Vineyard, Pinot Noir - other wines were:
2007 Comtes de Champagne, Grand Cru, Blanc de Blanc
1999 Billecart-Salmon, Cuvee Nicolas, Brut
2012 Pierre Peters, Cuvee Special, Blanc de Blanc
2007 Saint Cosme, Cote-Rotie
2009 Clos Pepe. Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir
Monday, January 20, 2020
Terlato Wines at Arte Cafe
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
First wine dinner of the year at Arte Café. All the wines are from Terlato's portfolio. Good evening as one of the five us won a bottle of wine in the raffle. Not only is the food good and the wine dinners are reasonably priced there are the raffle perks.
Started out with a Rigatoni pasta, smoked salmon, cream sauce, Romano cheese and mushrooms Good dish. Hearty for a cold night. Salmon was moist. Paired with a 2018 Terlato Pinot Grigio. Clean, crisp wine
Next is a Grilled shrimp skewer with mango and pineapple salsa and herbed rice. Shrimp are tender and cooked perfectly. The rice, salsa combo was interesting contrast to the shrimp. Wine was a 2017 Sanford, Sta Rita Hills, Chardonnay. Clean chardonnay, just a slight hit of oak. Several of us thought the chardonnay would have been better with the smoked salmon and the Pinot Grigio with the shrimp. We passed this information to the wine rep.
Third course is a Lamb meatball with Harissa, coucous, percorino and rosemary. Excellent dish. The harissa added so much flavor to the lamb. Lamb was moist A 2015 Rutherford Merlot was the wine choice. A good merlot. Not my favorite varietal but this wine made my list
A Braised beef short rib with mild mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, mushroom gravy on polenta was served next. Great flavor, moist and tender. Paired with a 2016 Chimney Rock, Stags Leap District, Cabernet Sauvignon. Another good pairing
Dessert is a Crème Brulee with sliced strawberry and a pour of NV Kracher Beernauslese. The grapes have been infected with "noble rot" hence making them super sweet.
Another good dinner at Arte Cafe. Richard has been bringing his game on quite a bit lately. Looking forward to the Chinese New Years dinner on the 24th.
First wine dinner of the year at Arte Café. All the wines are from Terlato's portfolio. Good evening as one of the five us won a bottle of wine in the raffle. Not only is the food good and the wine dinners are reasonably priced there are the raffle perks.
Started out with a Rigatoni pasta, smoked salmon, cream sauce, Romano cheese and mushrooms Good dish. Hearty for a cold night. Salmon was moist. Paired with a 2018 Terlato Pinot Grigio. Clean, crisp wine
Next is a Grilled shrimp skewer with mango and pineapple salsa and herbed rice. Shrimp are tender and cooked perfectly. The rice, salsa combo was interesting contrast to the shrimp. Wine was a 2017 Sanford, Sta Rita Hills, Chardonnay. Clean chardonnay, just a slight hit of oak. Several of us thought the chardonnay would have been better with the smoked salmon and the Pinot Grigio with the shrimp. We passed this information to the wine rep.
Third course is a Lamb meatball with Harissa, coucous, percorino and rosemary. Excellent dish. The harissa added so much flavor to the lamb. Lamb was moist A 2015 Rutherford Merlot was the wine choice. A good merlot. Not my favorite varietal but this wine made my list
A Braised beef short rib with mild mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, mushroom gravy on polenta was served next. Great flavor, moist and tender. Paired with a 2016 Chimney Rock, Stags Leap District, Cabernet Sauvignon. Another good pairing
Dessert is a Crème Brulee with sliced strawberry and a pour of NV Kracher Beernauslese. The grapes have been infected with "noble rot" hence making them super sweet.
Another good dinner at Arte Cafe. Richard has been bringing his game on quite a bit lately. Looking forward to the Chinese New Years dinner on the 24th.
Friday, January 10, 2020
Playa Amor
Thursday, January 10, 2020
Playa Amor was listed as one of the top 100 restaurants in the LA Area. www.playamorlb.com. Several in the group had been here before. First for me. We were seated in the area outside the building but had heavy plastic roll covers and outdoor heaters. In spite of the cool night air we were comfortable. I did find the restaurant on the noisy side. Inside and outside areas. A lot of tables and they were all full. The background music was not soft and soothing and a bit to loud for me. When I have a hard time hearing the person right across the table from me because of all the noises then I am for really not so into it.
When I first arrived I went into the bar and sat down. Ordered a house margarita, which was very good. But the bar counter top was full of tiny pieces of chips left behind from the person before me. I had been seated and ordered my drink before someone came and cleaned the area. They were very busy tonight so I can go with it for now.
At dinner we all ordered an item of the "started" menu. Not my thing normally but go with the majority. We had the Mexican Street Corn (off the cob). This was a very tasty dish. Then the Guacamole which one was of the better ones I had tasted.
The salsa was not too hot or spicy. Everyone except me liked it. There was a flavor in it that I could not get into. Maybe the cilantro. Whatever it was was off putting for me.
Charred Octopus had good flavor but I found it a bit chewy. Octopus is difficult to cook correctly. They almost had it but not quite.
Tuna Tartare Tostadas. Good flavor on the tartare but not exceptional. I would like to have this dish sands the tostada shells.
New Mexico Green Hatch Chile Spaghetti. Several people at the table have had this dish before. They all said it was not up to par. I found it very bland and could not get the chile flavor at all. Almost like they forgot to put in the sauce. Just stirred in the cheese.
Pork Belly Nachos. Great flavor. But again we are swarming in tortilla chips. Another dish I wish I could order with the half the chips. Maybe I will try that sometime. Pay for the dish but ask them to only put half the chips in the bowl before adding the pork belly and cheese mixture.
Someone ordered Churros for dessert. They came with a chocolate dipping sauce. I did not try them.
They have a large cocktail menu. Most of us had the house Margaritas. They were good. But the pricing of all the cocktails go from $10 and up. The margarita was served in a upright water glass, loads of ice, several good size pieces of fruit. The liquid to solid ratio was skewered. They are making money on the alcohol, which most restaurants do. But I think this drink should have been in the $6 to $7 range.
In spite of the lukewarm like of Playa Amour tonight I would come back. I would like to try one of the fish dinners. All restaurants have off nights and normally I will give them another try. Probably not much will be done on the noise level. That seems to be the in thing right now in restaurants. Loud loud and louder.
Playa Amor was listed as one of the top 100 restaurants in the LA Area. www.playamorlb.com. Several in the group had been here before. First for me. We were seated in the area outside the building but had heavy plastic roll covers and outdoor heaters. In spite of the cool night air we were comfortable. I did find the restaurant on the noisy side. Inside and outside areas. A lot of tables and they were all full. The background music was not soft and soothing and a bit to loud for me. When I have a hard time hearing the person right across the table from me because of all the noises then I am for really not so into it.
When I first arrived I went into the bar and sat down. Ordered a house margarita, which was very good. But the bar counter top was full of tiny pieces of chips left behind from the person before me. I had been seated and ordered my drink before someone came and cleaned the area. They were very busy tonight so I can go with it for now.
At dinner we all ordered an item of the "started" menu. Not my thing normally but go with the majority. We had the Mexican Street Corn (off the cob). This was a very tasty dish. Then the Guacamole which one was of the better ones I had tasted.
The salsa was not too hot or spicy. Everyone except me liked it. There was a flavor in it that I could not get into. Maybe the cilantro. Whatever it was was off putting for me.
Charred Octopus had good flavor but I found it a bit chewy. Octopus is difficult to cook correctly. They almost had it but not quite.
Tuna Tartare Tostadas. Good flavor on the tartare but not exceptional. I would like to have this dish sands the tostada shells.
New Mexico Green Hatch Chile Spaghetti. Several people at the table have had this dish before. They all said it was not up to par. I found it very bland and could not get the chile flavor at all. Almost like they forgot to put in the sauce. Just stirred in the cheese.
Pork Belly Nachos. Great flavor. But again we are swarming in tortilla chips. Another dish I wish I could order with the half the chips. Maybe I will try that sometime. Pay for the dish but ask them to only put half the chips in the bowl before adding the pork belly and cheese mixture.
Someone ordered Churros for dessert. They came with a chocolate dipping sauce. I did not try them.
They have a large cocktail menu. Most of us had the house Margaritas. They were good. But the pricing of all the cocktails go from $10 and up. The margarita was served in a upright water glass, loads of ice, several good size pieces of fruit. The liquid to solid ratio was skewered. They are making money on the alcohol, which most restaurants do. But I think this drink should have been in the $6 to $7 range.
In spite of the lukewarm like of Playa Amour tonight I would come back. I would like to try one of the fish dinners. All restaurants have off nights and normally I will give them another try. Probably not much will be done on the noise level. That seems to be the in thing right now in restaurants. Loud loud and louder.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
India Grill
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Margie's first wine dinner of the year. India Grill in Cypress. www.ocindiagrill.com. 12 of us tonight. 4 people had to cancel. There has been a change in ownership. I will say I think the food is better now. Fried foods are not oily like before.
The Papadam with sauces came out. I do not eat this fried bread. It is too dry for me. and lacks flavor. You have to have the sauces to make it palatable.But there was a lot of it for the table
We started out with Vegetables Pokoras and Paneer Pokoras. Both were very good but the Paneer was the best.
Butter Chicken which is chicken in a creamy tomato butter sauce. Mild sauce, chicken was not overcooked.
Shrimp Masala. Shrimp in a butter, tomato, cream sauce. Shrimp were tender.
Lamb Chau Chau. Pan fried noodles with diced lamb and vegetables. A bit of a spicy bite to it. Just the right amount.
Vegetable Korma. Mixed veggies in a creamy cashew curry. I thought it needed a bit more vegetables in it.
Overall the portion of the sauces were too heavy compared to the ingredients. But I do know they count the pieces of protein that are put in the dishes. Cost saving for the restaurant. We had two dishes with a creamy tomato based sauce. Would have liked to have a Saag or Vindaloo for one of them. Esthetically it would have made a better presentation.
We also had, Garlic Naan and Basmati rice. The Naan was good . Rice is rice.
Dessert was Rice Pudding with Cardamom and nuts. It was not a pudding but a soup. Flavor was bland. Needed more cardamom and I never tasted any nuts.
Wines were a real mix tonight. We were at one long table and the wines didn't really transfer from one end to another. Also there was a large wine cooler bucket at the end of the table with wines in them., I personally do not like getting up and wandering around to get a pour of wine. Last night wouldn't have been to bad because I was and the end of the table but when you have people on both sides and you are constantly getting up to look for wine it becomes an issue. Most of those wines could have set on the table and they probably would have been drank by more people. Out of sight out of mind. They would not have warmed up that much and if they did they could then be put back into the bucket for a brief chill.
NV Tattinger, Domiane Carneros, Napa, Sparkling - always good
2016 Fallbrook Winery, 33* North, South Coast, Syrah - was not impressed
2015 Klipson Winery, Arbor Brook Vineyards, Columbia Valley. "Sydney" Semillon - did not taste
2017 J. Rochioli, RRV, South River, Sonoma County, Chardonnay - did not taste
NV Mailly, Grand Cru, Champagne - good
2018 A to Z, Newburg, Oregon, Riesling - did not taste
2018 Sunstone, Santa Ynez Valley, Grenache Rose - did not taste
2012 Tercero, Larner Vineyard, Ballard Canyon, Grenache - showing really well
2000 Chateau St. Jean, Cinq Cepages, Sonoma, Cabernet Sauvignon - for 20 years old a nice wine. I thought wasted on Indian food. Would have been so much better with beef
2016 Buttercream Frosting, Reserve Chardonnay - did not taste
NV Domaine Michelle, Brut, Champagne - did not taste
2018 Bridlewood, Grenache Rose - did not taste
2008 Williams Selyem, eastside Road Neighbors, RRV, Pinot Noir - one of the best wines tonight
2015 Elizabeth Chambers, Russel-Grooters Vineyard, Pinot Noir - OK - but not really taken with it
NV Segura Viudas, Brut, Cava - did not taste
2018 Dr. Konstantin Frank, Finger Lakes, New York, Gruner Veltliner - very good
2011 Trombetta. Gaps Crown, Sonoma, Pinot Noir - another one of the best of the evening
Margie's first wine dinner of the year. India Grill in Cypress. www.ocindiagrill.com. 12 of us tonight. 4 people had to cancel. There has been a change in ownership. I will say I think the food is better now. Fried foods are not oily like before.
The Papadam with sauces came out. I do not eat this fried bread. It is too dry for me. and lacks flavor. You have to have the sauces to make it palatable.But there was a lot of it for the table
We started out with Vegetables Pokoras and Paneer Pokoras. Both were very good but the Paneer was the best.
Butter Chicken which is chicken in a creamy tomato butter sauce. Mild sauce, chicken was not overcooked.
Shrimp Masala. Shrimp in a butter, tomato, cream sauce. Shrimp were tender.
Lamb Chau Chau. Pan fried noodles with diced lamb and vegetables. A bit of a spicy bite to it. Just the right amount.
Vegetable Korma. Mixed veggies in a creamy cashew curry. I thought it needed a bit more vegetables in it.
Overall the portion of the sauces were too heavy compared to the ingredients. But I do know they count the pieces of protein that are put in the dishes. Cost saving for the restaurant. We had two dishes with a creamy tomato based sauce. Would have liked to have a Saag or Vindaloo for one of them. Esthetically it would have made a better presentation.
We also had, Garlic Naan and Basmati rice. The Naan was good . Rice is rice.
Dessert was Rice Pudding with Cardamom and nuts. It was not a pudding but a soup. Flavor was bland. Needed more cardamom and I never tasted any nuts.
Wines were a real mix tonight. We were at one long table and the wines didn't really transfer from one end to another. Also there was a large wine cooler bucket at the end of the table with wines in them., I personally do not like getting up and wandering around to get a pour of wine. Last night wouldn't have been to bad because I was and the end of the table but when you have people on both sides and you are constantly getting up to look for wine it becomes an issue. Most of those wines could have set on the table and they probably would have been drank by more people. Out of sight out of mind. They would not have warmed up that much and if they did they could then be put back into the bucket for a brief chill.
NV Tattinger, Domiane Carneros, Napa, Sparkling - always good
2016 Fallbrook Winery, 33* North, South Coast, Syrah - was not impressed
2015 Klipson Winery, Arbor Brook Vineyards, Columbia Valley. "Sydney" Semillon - did not taste
2017 J. Rochioli, RRV, South River, Sonoma County, Chardonnay - did not taste
NV Mailly, Grand Cru, Champagne - good
2018 A to Z, Newburg, Oregon, Riesling - did not taste
2018 Sunstone, Santa Ynez Valley, Grenache Rose - did not taste
2012 Tercero, Larner Vineyard, Ballard Canyon, Grenache - showing really well
2000 Chateau St. Jean, Cinq Cepages, Sonoma, Cabernet Sauvignon - for 20 years old a nice wine. I thought wasted on Indian food. Would have been so much better with beef
2016 Buttercream Frosting, Reserve Chardonnay - did not taste
NV Domaine Michelle, Brut, Champagne - did not taste
2018 Bridlewood, Grenache Rose - did not taste
2008 Williams Selyem, eastside Road Neighbors, RRV, Pinot Noir - one of the best wines tonight
2015 Elizabeth Chambers, Russel-Grooters Vineyard, Pinot Noir - OK - but not really taken with it
NV Segura Viudas, Brut, Cava - did not taste
2018 Dr. Konstantin Frank, Finger Lakes, New York, Gruner Veltliner - very good
2011 Trombetta. Gaps Crown, Sonoma, Pinot Noir - another one of the best of the evening
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