Sunday, May 28, 2017
This months get together's theme was CA Central Coast Syrah and Champagne. We all know Oliver is partial to Syrahs and his wife Lisa is partial to Champagnes so this was no surprise. The day was perfect and sitting by the pool next to the golf course was ideal.
Interesting selection of wines. All the champagnes were good. Did like the Tattinger La Francaise and the J.Lassalle Chigney-Les-Roses. There were two Zaca Mesa Black Bear Syrahs. A 2000 which was over the hill but still drinkable and a 2004 which was much better. A 1997 Midnight Cellars showed what an old wine is but it was still good.
The host made grilled Tri Tip. I felt I was lucky to find a piece that still had a bit of pink on it. Oliver likes well done meat and I am the opposite as I like mine just this side of dead.
But it was a good tasting and the ambiance was great. Can't beat SoCal weather.
Monday, June 19, 2017
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Breakfast for Dinner at The Playground
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
The Playgound restaurant in downtown Santa Ana decided to do another breakfast dinner. I had done one there last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. www.playgrounddtsa.com, This was held in the 2.0 room that holds 18 people. Everything is cooked and plated in front of you. Went with 4 others and had a great time. 13 courses paired with wine. I loved every dish except one. The Pea Tendril Fritatta. I like pea tendrils and order them in Asian restaurants but for some reason the taste in the Fritatta turned me off.
Started off with "Bryan Voltaggio" biscuits and gravy. Thin biscuit with holes to absorb the wild mushroom gravy. and a bellini. Apricot and vanilla bellini made with Absinthe wash and Champlou Vouvray Brut. Quite tasty and refreshing. Gravy was decadent.
Cured ocean trout, smoked egg aioli, spicy bagel chips. Devoured the trout (similar to salmon) and the aioli was a perfect match This and a Sourdough pancake with ricotta and peas was paired with a 2016 Jolie-Laide, Rorick Heritage Vineyard Pinot Gris. Again the pancake was excellent. I have a hard time finding fault in any dish they Playground males. But it does happen at times.
Red and yellow beets with a maple yogurt, granola and frisee. Their take on yogurt with fruit. Beets were sweet and the maple yogurt was to die for.
Doushy hash browns with creme fraiche. Shredded potatoes, deep fried and then molded into a "rectangle" and fried again.
A 2015 Cruse Wine Co, Rorick Hertitage Vineyard Chardonnay was poured. So with several dishes I went went back and forth between the Pinot Gris and the Chardonnay.
Grilled slab bacon, adult apple sauce. Had a punch to it and you can never go wrong with bacon.
Next was my "do not like" dish. A pea tendril fritatta. Just could not get into it.
White cheddar grits, (really decadent) with smoked tomato butter and shrimp with cornbread crumble. Taste was really "up there". One of my favorites of the evening.
A 2016 Arnot-Roberst, North Coast Trousseau Noir was served along with a 2004 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonto. Both red wines to finish out the dinner.
Chicken Chillaquilles were some of the best I have ever had.
Steak and Eggs was served. Thin slices of Wagu beef, egg, Blumental cheese and a Chimmichurri sauce. A bit of a bite but so good.
A plate of jumbo grilled asparagus with a dynamite Hollandaise sauce.
Desserts were Brulled grapefuit with whipped cream and a French toast, vanilla ice cream, banana, caramel, white chocolate and macadamian nut concoction. What can I say. The bread was house made, the grapefuit was like candy.
A Domaine Dupont, Cuvee Colette, traditional method Cider was paired .
Dinner was excellent. A couple of the wines were not to my taste but you go with the flow. Everything is house made. They do not use "packaged" items. Dishes are set up for 3 people to share. You never get shorted because you take smaller portions. There is a lot of food and toward the end of the meal you are full. And you can take the leftovers home which makes it nice.
Looking forward to a new "theme" in a couple of weeks - Hugh Brow White Trash Food. I have my ticket for that already
The Playgound restaurant in downtown Santa Ana decided to do another breakfast dinner. I had done one there last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. www.playgrounddtsa.com, This was held in the 2.0 room that holds 18 people. Everything is cooked and plated in front of you. Went with 4 others and had a great time. 13 courses paired with wine. I loved every dish except one. The Pea Tendril Fritatta. I like pea tendrils and order them in Asian restaurants but for some reason the taste in the Fritatta turned me off.
Started off with "Bryan Voltaggio" biscuits and gravy. Thin biscuit with holes to absorb the wild mushroom gravy. and a bellini. Apricot and vanilla bellini made with Absinthe wash and Champlou Vouvray Brut. Quite tasty and refreshing. Gravy was decadent.
Cured ocean trout, smoked egg aioli, spicy bagel chips. Devoured the trout (similar to salmon) and the aioli was a perfect match This and a Sourdough pancake with ricotta and peas was paired with a 2016 Jolie-Laide, Rorick Heritage Vineyard Pinot Gris. Again the pancake was excellent. I have a hard time finding fault in any dish they Playground males. But it does happen at times.
Red and yellow beets with a maple yogurt, granola and frisee. Their take on yogurt with fruit. Beets were sweet and the maple yogurt was to die for.
Doushy hash browns with creme fraiche. Shredded potatoes, deep fried and then molded into a "rectangle" and fried again.
A 2015 Cruse Wine Co, Rorick Hertitage Vineyard Chardonnay was poured. So with several dishes I went went back and forth between the Pinot Gris and the Chardonnay.
Grilled slab bacon, adult apple sauce. Had a punch to it and you can never go wrong with bacon.
Next was my "do not like" dish. A pea tendril fritatta. Just could not get into it.
White cheddar grits, (really decadent) with smoked tomato butter and shrimp with cornbread crumble. Taste was really "up there". One of my favorites of the evening.
A 2016 Arnot-Roberst, North Coast Trousseau Noir was served along with a 2004 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonto. Both red wines to finish out the dinner.
Chicken Chillaquilles were some of the best I have ever had.
Steak and Eggs was served. Thin slices of Wagu beef, egg, Blumental cheese and a Chimmichurri sauce. A bit of a bite but so good.
A plate of jumbo grilled asparagus with a dynamite Hollandaise sauce.
Desserts were Brulled grapefuit with whipped cream and a French toast, vanilla ice cream, banana, caramel, white chocolate and macadamian nut concoction. What can I say. The bread was house made, the grapefuit was like candy.
A Domaine Dupont, Cuvee Colette, traditional method Cider was paired .
Dinner was excellent. A couple of the wines were not to my taste but you go with the flow. Everything is house made. They do not use "packaged" items. Dishes are set up for 3 people to share. You never get shorted because you take smaller portions. There is a lot of food and toward the end of the meal you are full. And you can take the leftovers home which makes it nice.
Looking forward to a new "theme" in a couple of weeks - Hugh Brow White Trash Food. I have my ticket for that already
Monday, May 22, 2017
Road Trip with Margie
Friday, May 19, 2017
For the month of May, Margie arranged for her "wine activity" a road trip to the San Diego area to visit numerous wineries. It consisted of Escondido, Ramona Valley and for those who stayed on Sunday the Warner Springs and Northern Wine Trail,
I left work at 1:00 pm for an approximate 3 hour trip. 5-1/2 hours later I arrived in Rancho Bernardo. Seems there was a major accident at Oso Parkway on the 405 freeway in the morning and it shut down the entire south bound side. Big rigs, haz mat, the whole works. Needless to say I was exhausted when I arrived and checked in to hotel. I had about 40 minutes before showing up for dinner.
Out first dinner was at Pegasus Café. Family run Greek restaurant. I ordered the lamb shank which seemed to be popular with others at the table. It was very good, lots of flavor and very tender. Vegetables and sauces was excellent. Ate the meat but just could not finish the plate. Hated to see it be taken away but with leftovers not being in the game plan not much else I could do. I did not bring any bottles of wine with me for this trip. I could always order by the glass which I did. Had a glass of a Greek red wine which paired well with the lamb. I did have a pour of a Lancaster Cab that was brought along with an Albarino. But being so exhausted from the ride down I really did not have the energy to get into drinking that evening.
There were a few wines brought by others. 2011 Puma Road Chardonnay, 2015 Turonia Albarino, 2015 Tablas Creek, Patelin de Tablas Rose and a 2009 Lancaster Cabernet Sauvignon.
Saturday morning we boarded a mini bus to take us to 3 wineries. First stop was Hungry Hawk Vineyards in Escondido. Small family run, less that 1,200 cases. I thought thy were the best wines of all we ended up tasting today. We did a barrel tasting of a blueberry wine that they are making into a sparking. You would not think that this was a fruit wine. I would be interested in tasting it once it is bottled. They offered a vineyard tour which a few people did partake in. I just wanted to be inside. 90 degrees today and heat is my enemy.
Then off to Cordiano Winery for lunch. Somehow this establishment really messed up the reservation. Nothing was taken care of ahead of time. No one seemed to know what was going on. Finally the manager showed up and admitted it was his fault. He comped those who had ordered salads and gave us free desserts. They do not have a tasting room here. Seems it is set up as a destination for pizza etc. But the view is beautiful. The wines were not.
Last stop was Turtle Rockridge winery in Ramona. The wines were just OK, the view outstanding, the owner delightful and the entertainment was good. Lots of young people showing up for a "destination event". It was the most enjoyable. It also was staring to cool just a bit and they did have adequate shade.
Dinner tonight was at Le Bistro de Louisa. I was absolutely wined out so I ordered a cocktail which really tasted good. There were two wines brought,( $20 corkage), a 2013 Cake Bread Pinot which I did not taste and a 2009 Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pulliac (Bordeaux). I did taste this wine. Big Cabernet and needed a big piece of red meat for it. I ordered a bowl of onion soup and a Foie Gras Ravioli for dinner. Both very good.
On Sunday morning I left to return home. Made it in 90 minutes. So much nicer than Fridays trip. This adventure was good but I think the heat really did a number on all of us. It was nice to try the wines of the area. I wasn't expecting anything stellar but they were drinkable. On the same line of Temecula style wines. They also bring in fruit from other areas so it is not all estate grown. Interesting to try but this area would not be a destination for me for regular wine tasting.
For the month of May, Margie arranged for her "wine activity" a road trip to the San Diego area to visit numerous wineries. It consisted of Escondido, Ramona Valley and for those who stayed on Sunday the Warner Springs and Northern Wine Trail,
I left work at 1:00 pm for an approximate 3 hour trip. 5-1/2 hours later I arrived in Rancho Bernardo. Seems there was a major accident at Oso Parkway on the 405 freeway in the morning and it shut down the entire south bound side. Big rigs, haz mat, the whole works. Needless to say I was exhausted when I arrived and checked in to hotel. I had about 40 minutes before showing up for dinner.
Out first dinner was at Pegasus Café. Family run Greek restaurant. I ordered the lamb shank which seemed to be popular with others at the table. It was very good, lots of flavor and very tender. Vegetables and sauces was excellent. Ate the meat but just could not finish the plate. Hated to see it be taken away but with leftovers not being in the game plan not much else I could do. I did not bring any bottles of wine with me for this trip. I could always order by the glass which I did. Had a glass of a Greek red wine which paired well with the lamb. I did have a pour of a Lancaster Cab that was brought along with an Albarino. But being so exhausted from the ride down I really did not have the energy to get into drinking that evening.
There were a few wines brought by others. 2011 Puma Road Chardonnay, 2015 Turonia Albarino, 2015 Tablas Creek, Patelin de Tablas Rose and a 2009 Lancaster Cabernet Sauvignon.
Saturday morning we boarded a mini bus to take us to 3 wineries. First stop was Hungry Hawk Vineyards in Escondido. Small family run, less that 1,200 cases. I thought thy were the best wines of all we ended up tasting today. We did a barrel tasting of a blueberry wine that they are making into a sparking. You would not think that this was a fruit wine. I would be interested in tasting it once it is bottled. They offered a vineyard tour which a few people did partake in. I just wanted to be inside. 90 degrees today and heat is my enemy.
Then off to Cordiano Winery for lunch. Somehow this establishment really messed up the reservation. Nothing was taken care of ahead of time. No one seemed to know what was going on. Finally the manager showed up and admitted it was his fault. He comped those who had ordered salads and gave us free desserts. They do not have a tasting room here. Seems it is set up as a destination for pizza etc. But the view is beautiful. The wines were not.
Last stop was Turtle Rockridge winery in Ramona. The wines were just OK, the view outstanding, the owner delightful and the entertainment was good. Lots of young people showing up for a "destination event". It was the most enjoyable. It also was staring to cool just a bit and they did have adequate shade.
Dinner tonight was at Le Bistro de Louisa. I was absolutely wined out so I ordered a cocktail which really tasted good. There were two wines brought,( $20 corkage), a 2013 Cake Bread Pinot which I did not taste and a 2009 Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pulliac (Bordeaux). I did taste this wine. Big Cabernet and needed a big piece of red meat for it. I ordered a bowl of onion soup and a Foie Gras Ravioli for dinner. Both very good.
On Sunday morning I left to return home. Made it in 90 minutes. So much nicer than Fridays trip. This adventure was good but I think the heat really did a number on all of us. It was nice to try the wines of the area. I wasn't expecting anything stellar but they were drinkable. On the same line of Temecula style wines. They also bring in fruit from other areas so it is not all estate grown. Interesting to try but this area would not be a destination for me for regular wine tasting.
Monday, May 15, 2017
If it's Monday then it's Dim Sum at the Seafood Palace
Monday May 15, 2017
It has been a few months since I have joined the boys for Dim Sum. Timing and illness interfered. Five of us today to celebrate CJ's birthday. 39 + and still with us. Lots of pluses.
We started out with a few dishes off the cart. Two we had not had before. Not sure what to call them but they were tasty.
A ground pork and vegetable wrapped in dried tofu. Non descript. Take it or leave it. Also a round of crispy tofu with a mix of fish and meat paste on top. Another non descript.
The came the sticky sweet rice with Chinese sausage wrapped in Lotus leaf and some Shu Mai. Then off to the good stuff.
Bowl of the sweet, sour soup was on the house.
Shrimp with a special egg noodle. Shrimp were fresh and sweet. Sautéed with a very light coating on them. New dish and very good.
Beef with black bean sauce and fat noodles. Lots of red wine today so this was a must dish.
Last dish was deep fried scallops. Very fresh and very good, sweet taste to them, Exceptional flavor.
Finished with the Egg Tarts which is a must have. We get our order in at the beginning so we don't do without.
Wines were bigger today. Fortunately someone brought a bubbly which really helped on the seafood dishes.
2005 McKeon Phillips BPR, Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 McKeon Phillips BPR
2008 Kosta Browne Russian River, Pinot Noir
2013 Firestone, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir
NV Lucien Albrecht, Brut Rose, Cremant d'Alsace
All the wines were good. Nice to try the 05 and 08 BPR side by side. So similar but the 05 held a slight lead.
A fun time with the boys and we will be doing Dim Sum again very soon.
It has been a few months since I have joined the boys for Dim Sum. Timing and illness interfered. Five of us today to celebrate CJ's birthday. 39 + and still with us. Lots of pluses.
We started out with a few dishes off the cart. Two we had not had before. Not sure what to call them but they were tasty.
A ground pork and vegetable wrapped in dried tofu. Non descript. Take it or leave it. Also a round of crispy tofu with a mix of fish and meat paste on top. Another non descript.
The came the sticky sweet rice with Chinese sausage wrapped in Lotus leaf and some Shu Mai. Then off to the good stuff.
Bowl of the sweet, sour soup was on the house.
Shrimp with a special egg noodle. Shrimp were fresh and sweet. Sautéed with a very light coating on them. New dish and very good.
Beef with black bean sauce and fat noodles. Lots of red wine today so this was a must dish.
Last dish was deep fried scallops. Very fresh and very good, sweet taste to them, Exceptional flavor.
Finished with the Egg Tarts which is a must have. We get our order in at the beginning so we don't do without.
Wines were bigger today. Fortunately someone brought a bubbly which really helped on the seafood dishes.
2005 McKeon Phillips BPR, Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 McKeon Phillips BPR
2008 Kosta Browne Russian River, Pinot Noir
2013 Firestone, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir
NV Lucien Albrecht, Brut Rose, Cremant d'Alsace
All the wines were good. Nice to try the 05 and 08 BPR side by side. So similar but the 05 held a slight lead.
A fun time with the boys and we will be doing Dim Sum again very soon.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Waterline Restaurant and Joseph Phelps Wines
Friday, April 28, 2017
The Waterline restaurant at the Balboa Bay Club hosted Joseph Phelps Winery tonight. Unusual to have a wine dinner on a Friday which is usually a busy night for most restaurants. As I was waiting in the lobby area I noticed numerous people heading for the restaurant only to be turned away because of the private dinner. They even closed the bar area to the public.
At 6:00 the doors opened and we were shown our assigned tables and then informed that the reception would be held outdoors. Wasn't too bad in spite of the heavy winds. We walked out and there was no table set up for wine and or glasses. I spied a small table on the far side and snagged two glasses that had been poured and gave them to my dining companions. I went back to get a glass and a younger man poured me a real heavy dose of the 2015 Joseph Phelps Sauvignon Blanc wine. He was seven sheets to the wind. I then found out that is was a private pre-wedding dinner group. No barrier or signs to indicate. Very confusing. No information seemed to be forthcoming on where to get your wine. I assumed later that you went to the bar when you first came in. Absolutely no information or guidance from the staff.
I never saw anyone pouring wine for our group at the beginning. Later the wine rep came by with some bottles. I feel this was very poorly handled. Confusing for something so simple. In the meantime I went inside and asked where I could get a refill (didn't want to invade the wedding party again). One of the staff took me to the bar where I asked for another pour. Someone remarked that there would be plenty of wine at the dinner. My retort was dinner was a long way off and that I do a lot of wine dinners and never have a problem with getting additional pours. A one hour reception with only one pour of wine is not acceptable to me. Either pour more wine or shorten the time to 30 minutes.
Back in the patio area the appetizers were coming out fast. A really good selection. Favorite was the raw oysters with a drop of a caviar. We had a nice conversation with Bill Phelps, the current owner. His father Joseph Phelps founded the winery in the 70's.
At 7:00 we were told to be seated for dinner. After at least ten minutes they got around to pouring a 2014 "Freestone" Chardonnay ($55) . A bit oaky, heavy viscosity, a little buttery. Not my style. But I felt it would pair well with the first course of a Lobster Bisque which showed up at least 15 minutes after the pour. The bowl had the lobster, mussels, caviar and sea beans in it. The staff then came around and poured in the broth. This was a very good soup. Loads of flavor and the seafood was very fresh. And the wine did pair well.
By 8:00 we had only had the soup. Very slow service. The wedding party was seated in the back area with one long table. They did get served first. Which was probably a good idea.
Finally the second course came out. Wild King Salmon, seared with the skin on, morel mushrooms, spring asparagus ( I have never seen such tiny asparagus) and wheat berries. Salmon was good, I felt is was slightly overcooked, I was comparing it to the Scottish salmon that I had a Chianina a few weeks ago, No comparison. Chianina's was far superior. Mushrooms were wonderful. This was a well composed dish. A 2014 "Freestone" Pinot Noir ($55) was the paired wine. I did not like this Pinot. Had an off taste to me.
The main course came out of the kitchen a little quicker. A prime filet of beef crusted with ground coffee, cauliflower (micro), gnocchi (1) and a huckleberry BBQ sauce. An excellent cut of meat. Extremely tender and flavorful. Sauce was very good. I had them box it up to take home as I had reached my saturation point. And there is dessert. Two wines were poured for this course. A 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon ($75) and a 2013 Insignia ($250). I liked the Cab much better especially after it opened up. I was very disappointed in the Insignia. This is their flagship wine and it fell short. Maybe after 6 or 7 years of aging it may improve. I thought it was too simple, too light and lacked good structure. No tannins so I don't know how well it will age.
Dessert came out - a Apple and Marscarpone Mille-Feuille. Green Dragon apples, mascarpone cream, phyllo and apple sorbet. A very nice, light, refreshing dish. I really liked the apple sorbet. They also had a micro thin sliced, dried ( fried or baked) apple as a "sail". That had a nice apple tartness to it. They poured a 2016 "Eisrebe" Late Harvest Scheurebe ($40). This wine was slightly sweet, had good acidity and a nice tart apple underlying taste. Besides the Cab it was the next best wine.
They then presented each of us with a box that held 6 house made candies. Have not tasted them yet but I am assuming they will be very good. I thought that this was a very nice touch to the event.
Food was good, service was good. Ambiance was great. Kitchen was way to slow. A definite lack of information and organization by staff. I will probably do the Far Niente / Nickel and Nickel dinner next month at the Waterline - see if the same things happen. Just because you are a high end resort does not mean you have your ducks in a row.
The Waterline restaurant at the Balboa Bay Club hosted Joseph Phelps Winery tonight. Unusual to have a wine dinner on a Friday which is usually a busy night for most restaurants. As I was waiting in the lobby area I noticed numerous people heading for the restaurant only to be turned away because of the private dinner. They even closed the bar area to the public.
At 6:00 the doors opened and we were shown our assigned tables and then informed that the reception would be held outdoors. Wasn't too bad in spite of the heavy winds. We walked out and there was no table set up for wine and or glasses. I spied a small table on the far side and snagged two glasses that had been poured and gave them to my dining companions. I went back to get a glass and a younger man poured me a real heavy dose of the 2015 Joseph Phelps Sauvignon Blanc wine. He was seven sheets to the wind. I then found out that is was a private pre-wedding dinner group. No barrier or signs to indicate. Very confusing. No information seemed to be forthcoming on where to get your wine. I assumed later that you went to the bar when you first came in. Absolutely no information or guidance from the staff.
I never saw anyone pouring wine for our group at the beginning. Later the wine rep came by with some bottles. I feel this was very poorly handled. Confusing for something so simple. In the meantime I went inside and asked where I could get a refill (didn't want to invade the wedding party again). One of the staff took me to the bar where I asked for another pour. Someone remarked that there would be plenty of wine at the dinner. My retort was dinner was a long way off and that I do a lot of wine dinners and never have a problem with getting additional pours. A one hour reception with only one pour of wine is not acceptable to me. Either pour more wine or shorten the time to 30 minutes.
Back in the patio area the appetizers were coming out fast. A really good selection. Favorite was the raw oysters with a drop of a caviar. We had a nice conversation with Bill Phelps, the current owner. His father Joseph Phelps founded the winery in the 70's.
At 7:00 we were told to be seated for dinner. After at least ten minutes they got around to pouring a 2014 "Freestone" Chardonnay ($55) . A bit oaky, heavy viscosity, a little buttery. Not my style. But I felt it would pair well with the first course of a Lobster Bisque which showed up at least 15 minutes after the pour. The bowl had the lobster, mussels, caviar and sea beans in it. The staff then came around and poured in the broth. This was a very good soup. Loads of flavor and the seafood was very fresh. And the wine did pair well.
By 8:00 we had only had the soup. Very slow service. The wedding party was seated in the back area with one long table. They did get served first. Which was probably a good idea.
Finally the second course came out. Wild King Salmon, seared with the skin on, morel mushrooms, spring asparagus ( I have never seen such tiny asparagus) and wheat berries. Salmon was good, I felt is was slightly overcooked, I was comparing it to the Scottish salmon that I had a Chianina a few weeks ago, No comparison. Chianina's was far superior. Mushrooms were wonderful. This was a well composed dish. A 2014 "Freestone" Pinot Noir ($55) was the paired wine. I did not like this Pinot. Had an off taste to me.
The main course came out of the kitchen a little quicker. A prime filet of beef crusted with ground coffee, cauliflower (micro), gnocchi (1) and a huckleberry BBQ sauce. An excellent cut of meat. Extremely tender and flavorful. Sauce was very good. I had them box it up to take home as I had reached my saturation point. And there is dessert. Two wines were poured for this course. A 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon ($75) and a 2013 Insignia ($250). I liked the Cab much better especially after it opened up. I was very disappointed in the Insignia. This is their flagship wine and it fell short. Maybe after 6 or 7 years of aging it may improve. I thought it was too simple, too light and lacked good structure. No tannins so I don't know how well it will age.
Dessert came out - a Apple and Marscarpone Mille-Feuille. Green Dragon apples, mascarpone cream, phyllo and apple sorbet. A very nice, light, refreshing dish. I really liked the apple sorbet. They also had a micro thin sliced, dried ( fried or baked) apple as a "sail". That had a nice apple tartness to it. They poured a 2016 "Eisrebe" Late Harvest Scheurebe ($40). This wine was slightly sweet, had good acidity and a nice tart apple underlying taste. Besides the Cab it was the next best wine.
They then presented each of us with a box that held 6 house made candies. Have not tasted them yet but I am assuming they will be very good. I thought that this was a very nice touch to the event.
Food was good, service was good. Ambiance was great. Kitchen was way to slow. A definite lack of information and organization by staff. I will probably do the Far Niente / Nickel and Nickel dinner next month at the Waterline - see if the same things happen. Just because you are a high end resort does not mean you have your ducks in a row.
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Utopia Spring Wine Dinner
Thursday, April 20, 2016
First wine dinner of the year at Utopia in downtown Long Beach. Their dinners are nice, not spectacular but reasonably priced. $55 against $125 that most others charge.
The wines were all private label from a tech firm in the south bay area. A different take and very different bottles.
One problem at Utopia is that they never offer bread or rolls. You have to ask for it. I suppose it does save money.
First course was a warm French brie cheese with spicy mango chutney, crisp bread and thin strips of pickled red peppers. Peppers looked pretty but that was it. Brie and chutney were a nice combination They poured a 2016 "Summer Water" rose. A blend of Grenache and Syrah. Very Provence style. Not too thrilled with it. Strange back palate taste.
Second course is a arugula and mixed green salad with cherry tomatoes, roasted walnuts, goat cheese and a house made balsamic dressing. Not over dressed which was nice for the wine pairing. A 2015 Field Theory Lodi Albarino, Andrus Island Vineyard. This was a good wine.
Third course is grilled lamb chops with a port reduction sauce, spring vegetables (two small this slices of zucchini) and mashed potatoes. The chops were at least pink in the middle but I doubt if they were more than 5/8" inch thick. Paired with a 2015 Field Theory Paso Robles Blaufrankisch, Pomar Junction Vineyard. I did like this wine. It is a an Austrian grape varietal. Not a heavy red but still had some punch to it.
Dessert is a vanilla ice cream with Trentadue chocolate port. A light dessert which was welcomed.
Amir also gave our table a glass of the port.
When we were seated they waitress asked if we wanted still or sparking water. We opted to the still. It came out in a blue bottle with a screwcap. The meal was prepaid. She brought a bill for $13 for two bottles of water. That is why some people had pitchers of water on their tables. We were never told there was a charge to begin with. Told her next time I would bring my own damm water in and that Michaels and Chianina only charge $2 and they are much higher end restaurants.
Next time I am in Utopia I will talk with Amir about the deception. Do not like that kind of service. I can tell by the dinner that he is trying to hold the prices down and not raise them in spite of everything going up in price. But I would rather pay $60 and have him go back to what the dinners were. Next wine dinner at Utopia is in June.
First wine dinner of the year at Utopia in downtown Long Beach. Their dinners are nice, not spectacular but reasonably priced. $55 against $125 that most others charge.
The wines were all private label from a tech firm in the south bay area. A different take and very different bottles.
One problem at Utopia is that they never offer bread or rolls. You have to ask for it. I suppose it does save money.
First course was a warm French brie cheese with spicy mango chutney, crisp bread and thin strips of pickled red peppers. Peppers looked pretty but that was it. Brie and chutney were a nice combination They poured a 2016 "Summer Water" rose. A blend of Grenache and Syrah. Very Provence style. Not too thrilled with it. Strange back palate taste.
Second course is a arugula and mixed green salad with cherry tomatoes, roasted walnuts, goat cheese and a house made balsamic dressing. Not over dressed which was nice for the wine pairing. A 2015 Field Theory Lodi Albarino, Andrus Island Vineyard. This was a good wine.
Third course is grilled lamb chops with a port reduction sauce, spring vegetables (two small this slices of zucchini) and mashed potatoes. The chops were at least pink in the middle but I doubt if they were more than 5/8" inch thick. Paired with a 2015 Field Theory Paso Robles Blaufrankisch, Pomar Junction Vineyard. I did like this wine. It is a an Austrian grape varietal. Not a heavy red but still had some punch to it.
Dessert is a vanilla ice cream with Trentadue chocolate port. A light dessert which was welcomed.
Amir also gave our table a glass of the port.
When we were seated they waitress asked if we wanted still or sparking water. We opted to the still. It came out in a blue bottle with a screwcap. The meal was prepaid. She brought a bill for $13 for two bottles of water. That is why some people had pitchers of water on their tables. We were never told there was a charge to begin with. Told her next time I would bring my own damm water in and that Michaels and Chianina only charge $2 and they are much higher end restaurants.
Next time I am in Utopia I will talk with Amir about the deception. Do not like that kind of service. I can tell by the dinner that he is trying to hold the prices down and not raise them in spite of everything going up in price. But I would rather pay $60 and have him go back to what the dinners were. Next wine dinner at Utopia is in June.
Antica Wines at Chianina
Tuesday. April 18, 2017
Really looking forward to this dinner. Have been out of the social scene for close to three weeks due to whatever creepy crud that is making its way around the nation. Have not had a taste of wine in that time also.
Chianina in Naples, www.chianina.com, hosted Antica wines tonight which is the US operations of Antinori from Italy. Michaels restaurant hosted a tasting earlier in the day for these wines. Had to work so I could not attend but two of my dining companions went. They did taste wines that were not on tonight's menu.
.
When the basket of bread came out I limited myself to one. A salted honey roll. I could make a meal out of the bread they make here along with the marscapone butter
We started out with a glass of Proseco and an Amuse Bouche not listed on the menu. Chianina is always good about little extras. The trio consisting of braised pork meat on a mini crostini, mini lasagna bite and a foie gras laudron.
Then onto the menu. First course was a roasted scallop, fennel, PEI mussels, fava beans and saffron emulsion. Excellent flavors. A good start. Paired with a 2014 Chardonnay. A little oaky, heavy viscosity. Did pair well with the scallop but not my style of chardonnay.
Next was a spring pea agnolotti with prosciutto, fennel and parmiggiano. Nice that they gave you a spoon to get all the flavors of the broth that was poured onto to the dish tableside. A 2014 Pinot Noir was the selection. It was ok but again not to my taste. Just did not knock my socks off. It was Burgundian style but had a strange back palate taste.
Third course served is a superior farms lamb lion, green garlic, fiddlehead ferns and ramps. Ramps have a garlic taste to them so this dish was my kind of good. Lamb was very tender and had great flavor. Two wines were paired. A 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2004 was best by itself and the 2013 went with the food. Both very nice wines but pricey
Main course consisted of ribeye with roasted mushrooms, yukon gold potato confit and crispy sweetbreads. Perfectly cooked. Very good dish. Paired with a 2012 "Townsend" Cabernet Sauvignon. Best wine of the night but also the most expensive.
Dessert was a pistachio sponge with a preserved bing cherry, candied ginger and ricotta ice cream. Glad I only had one roll at the start of dinner. Portions are always small but the food is always on the rich, decadent side so when you are close to the end you are starting to feel very full. The served a 2013 G & G Soracco with the dessert. Not overly sweet and a nice pairing.
Along came another small plate of tiny cookies. Chianina loves tiny cookies. A lavender maccaron, honey, earl grey tea and meyer lemon cookie and a toffee truffle cookie
A really good dinner again. My taste buds are still off I found out. So hopefully by next week when I do the Joseph Phelps dinner at the Waterline restaurant at the Balboa Bay resort they will be in better shape.
Really looking forward to this dinner. Have been out of the social scene for close to three weeks due to whatever creepy crud that is making its way around the nation. Have not had a taste of wine in that time also.
Chianina in Naples, www.chianina.com, hosted Antica wines tonight which is the US operations of Antinori from Italy. Michaels restaurant hosted a tasting earlier in the day for these wines. Had to work so I could not attend but two of my dining companions went. They did taste wines that were not on tonight's menu.
.
When the basket of bread came out I limited myself to one. A salted honey roll. I could make a meal out of the bread they make here along with the marscapone butter
We started out with a glass of Proseco and an Amuse Bouche not listed on the menu. Chianina is always good about little extras. The trio consisting of braised pork meat on a mini crostini, mini lasagna bite and a foie gras laudron.
Then onto the menu. First course was a roasted scallop, fennel, PEI mussels, fava beans and saffron emulsion. Excellent flavors. A good start. Paired with a 2014 Chardonnay. A little oaky, heavy viscosity. Did pair well with the scallop but not my style of chardonnay.
Next was a spring pea agnolotti with prosciutto, fennel and parmiggiano. Nice that they gave you a spoon to get all the flavors of the broth that was poured onto to the dish tableside. A 2014 Pinot Noir was the selection. It was ok but again not to my taste. Just did not knock my socks off. It was Burgundian style but had a strange back palate taste.
Third course served is a superior farms lamb lion, green garlic, fiddlehead ferns and ramps. Ramps have a garlic taste to them so this dish was my kind of good. Lamb was very tender and had great flavor. Two wines were paired. A 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2004 was best by itself and the 2013 went with the food. Both very nice wines but pricey
Main course consisted of ribeye with roasted mushrooms, yukon gold potato confit and crispy sweetbreads. Perfectly cooked. Very good dish. Paired with a 2012 "Townsend" Cabernet Sauvignon. Best wine of the night but also the most expensive.
Dessert was a pistachio sponge with a preserved bing cherry, candied ginger and ricotta ice cream. Glad I only had one roll at the start of dinner. Portions are always small but the food is always on the rich, decadent side so when you are close to the end you are starting to feel very full. The served a 2013 G & G Soracco with the dessert. Not overly sweet and a nice pairing.
Along came another small plate of tiny cookies. Chianina loves tiny cookies. A lavender maccaron, honey, earl grey tea and meyer lemon cookie and a toffee truffle cookie
A really good dinner again. My taste buds are still off I found out. So hopefully by next week when I do the Joseph Phelps dinner at the Waterline restaurant at the Balboa Bay resort they will be in better shape.
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