Italian Dinner at Arte Cafe

 July 30, 2026

Theme tonight was Italian.  Wines from several vineyards. Six of us dining in main area. Too noisy. Prefer the side area. Acoustics are better. Will have to ask for a table in quiet area next reservation.

I normally do not eat the bread served at the beginning but yielded tonight. Don't know what style the bread was but it was exceptionally good. Could have eaten the entire basket and not shared

Started off with a Caprese Salad, Heirloom Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella,  Fresh Basil and Olive Oil. Gave my plate away because of the tomatoes. Way too much acid for me right now.  Wine paired was a 2024 Tomasi, Lugana.  Wine was good which I did not give away. 

Next was a Smoked Salmon Capaccio, Fried capers, Herbs, Red Onion, Dijon Mustard and Cheese. Served with a couple of slices of a baguette. Never would have thought to have Dijon mustard with salmon but it worked out very well. Ate every bite. A 2024 Santa Margarita, Eterna White Blend wine was paired. Nice pairing.

Second course is a Wagyu Bolognese, Linguine Pasta with Cabernet reduction. Flavor was good but I felt it was a bit dry. Paired with a 2021 Volpaia, Chianti, Classico Riserva.

Main was a Slow Braised Lamb Shank, Crushed Tomatoes, Pancetta, Garlic and Fresh Rosmary. Meat was very tender and flavorful.  Wine is a 2020 Tenuta Sette, Cieli Indaco, Toscana Rosso. 

Dessert is a Panna Cotta with Strawberry Sauce. Served with a cocktail. French 76 made with Vodka. 

Dinner at Nirvana

 July 16, 2026

Stopped at Nirvana restaurant in Laguna Beach before attending the Pageant of The Masters. Seems to be a semi "healthy style" restaurant.  Food was very good. Very busy.

I had the Grilled Artichoke Hearts with a non-GMO Baguette with organic butter. Bread is all cooked on site.   Companion had the Short Rib Ravioli which they said was very good also. Shared a bottle of 2022 Brewer-Clifton, SRH, Pinot Noir. Food and wine both were a hit. 

A nice small place, perfect before the pageant which was just a few blocks away.

Retro Dinner at Damons

June 20, 2026

Dinner tonight at Damon's in Glendale. Restaurant opened in 1937. Decor is Polynesian which was popular back then. Looks like nothing has changed. Packed house and table turnover was ongoing. Seems to be a very popular place. A bit noisy but tolerable.

I ordered the mixed meat plate. Ribs, Pulled Pork and Brisket. Came with sides of Mac n' Cheese and Cole Slaw. Huge portion. Got two more meals out of the leftovers.  Everything was very good. 

Most of the others at the table ordered Steak or Prime Rib. Lots of Twice Baked Potatoes which you do not see on menus anymore. All said their food was excellent. Dessert was the 10 Layer Chocolate Cake. 

Big assortment of wines. Have no idea which ones I tasted.  It was a bit chaotic at the table. But made for a festive evening.

NV    Avissi, Proseco

NV    Lancelot-Rayer Grand Cru Champagne

20245 Sea Smoke, Botella, Pinot Noir

20223 Perlato del Basco. Toscana Vermentino

2016 Conn Creek, Mt. Veeder. Cabernet Sauvignon

2022 Nyers, Carneros, Chardonnay

2021 Neyers, Vista Norte, Zinfandel

2022 Neyers, Sage Canyon, Red Blend

Appetizer Night at Masala Waves

 Saturday, June 6, 2026

Masala Waves Restaurant

Large group tonight at Masala Waves Indian and Nepalese Restaurant. 12 people seated at a long, narrow table with tight seating. Which became a slight issue doing dinner. With all the wine bottles and wine glasses lined up it wasn't conducive for sending the bottles back and forth. You then had the tendency to drink what was closet to you. A few bottles did make it back and forth. It also made it so the only ones who could easily get out of their chairs and walk around were people on the ends. Closeness in this case made the wine in front of you much fonder and your right next door and right across dinning companions your best friends for dinner. There were eight appetizers dishes pre-selected for the evening. All were very good. It was a good gathering of people, food and wine

We started out with Spinach Dip Naan. This is always a winner. The rest of the dishes did not necessarily come out in order. With such a long table it was hard to keep track. Since there were multiple plates of each food dishes, some started at one end of the table only and a few the waiters brought to both ends. I did take portions off of almost everything. A couple I took a bit of the sauce and tested it then passed. I am still not 100% with my stomach problems so I don't want any issues coming up. I am still being overly cautious. 

Jhoi Momo Veggie - this one dish I skipped.

Loaded Fries with Chicken Tikka Masala - this I skipped just because I personally do not like extra food on my fries. It is a personal thing. Everyone seemed to enjoy them so I assume they were good.

Momo Chili Veggie - was good 

Papadam Shrimp - very good. I could have eaten the entire plate myself.

Tandoori Fish - this is a favorite dish for me. Fish is sweet and loads of flavor.

Tikka Masala Pizza - this dish was ok for me but I personally would not order it - others really dived into it. 

Tikka Masala Wings - another very good dish that I could have eaten the entire plate of it. 

I know I did not get a full list of the wines brought but I think this may be close. Several I did not get to taste so I am not making any comments on any wine. Just the list.

2014 Chateau D'Hanteillan, Haut-Medoc, Cru Bourgeois

2007 Sea Smoke, Sta. Rita Hills, Southing Pinot Noir (Magnum)

NV  Revelation Champagne, Alexandre Le Brun, 100% Petite Meunier 

???? Domaine Roland Schmitt, Alsace, Glintzberg, Gewurztraminer

2010 Maggy Hawk, Anderson Valley, Stormin Estate Vineyard, Pinot Noir

2018 Williams Seylem, Lime Stone Ridge, Chenin Blanc

2007 Hess Collection, Mount Veeder, Napa, 19 Block Cuvee

2018 Lucien Crochet, Sancerre

 NV   Chanoine Freres , Rose Champagne

2011 Williams Seylem, Ferrington Vineyard, Pinot Noir

2009 Clos du Bourg, Domaine Huet, Vouvray

2003 Williams Seylem, Vista Verde, Late Harvest, Gewurztraminer 

Jordan Winery Dinner at Arte Cafe

 Jordan Winery at Arte Cafe

May 7, 2026

Felt like I was Queen of The Court tonight. Four males and me. Restaurant was close to be sold out for tonight's dinner. Wines tonight are all from grapes grown by Jordan. Wine rep from Southern was "Dina" whom I have done loads of wine dinners with over the years. Nice to see her again. 

Starter was a Miso glazed fresh King Salmon with a creamy cauliflower gratin, Salmon was cooked perfectly and the portion size was very generous.  Paired with a 2025 Hanna Sauvignon Blanc. Good pairing.

Next is a Wild Mushroom soup with a fruit and nut crostini cracker. Soup had good flavor but the cracker was large and floating in the soup. It did make for a nice presentation but it took a bit of soaking before you could break in up. Wine was a 2023 Jordan, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay.  I am not a big Chardonnay fan but this one was not over oaked and not too buttery. It was good with the soup but not my style of wine.

Second course is Soy glazed Pork Loin with beet salad, Sonoma goat cheese and aged balsamic. Flavor was very good but I personally would have liked the pork to be a bit rarer. I have no issue with pink pork but so many others do. A nice presentation. Wine paired was a 2022 Hanzell, Sebella, Sonoma Coast, Pinit Noir. Paired well with the food dish.

Main course is Short Ribs with true corn pudding, heirloom tomato and yukon potatoes. Very tender, good flavor. Paired with a 2021 Jordan, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon. Again a nice pairing. 

Dessert is a "Classic" Shortcake with Berries. Vert pretty presentation and light. Wine is a 2025 Cline Cellars, Catapult, Petaluma Gap, "Gust" Rose of Pinot Noir. This wine paired was the bummer of the night. I saw so many glasses that were still half full so I was not the only one who did not like the wine and I felt the pairing was way off.  Dina fell down on this one. 

Richard does 2 wine dinners a month. Unfortunately if the next falls on the 4th Thursday I will not be attending as I have commitments for the 4th Thursday every month. Hopeful he will do it on a Wednesday like last month. It is nice to have good wine dinners at a very reasonable price.

Trefethen Wine Dinner at Arte Cafe

Arte Cafe

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Almost a full house tonight for dinner.  Both sides of the room were filled except for two tables. Richard the owner/chef was in an unusually good mood tonight.

Started out with A Creole Style Crab Cake in a Mini Roasted Tomato Soup. Cake and soup had excellent flavors Soup had a slight bite to it but not over whelming. Added some interest.  This dish was paired with a 2024 Trefethen, Oak Knoll, Napa Valley, Dry Riesling. Excellent pairing and the wine was very good. My favorite of the night.

First course is a Carpaccio of Beet, Baby Watercress and Parmesan Cheese.  Beets were sliced paper thin and the Parmesan added an interesting flavor. Wine was a 2023 Trefethen, Oak Knoll, Napa Valley Chardonnay. Again a solid pairing.  Chardonnay was not oaky or buttery. True favors of the grape without additives. 

Next is Duck Confit, Risottino Milanese and Truffle Peelings. Meat was shredded and still very moist. The small bits of truffle added the right touch. A 2023 Oak Knoll, Napa Valley, Cabernet Franc was the wine paired. A very nice pairing.

Main is a Prime Rib with Horseradish Sauce, Red Cabbage, Rosemary Potatoes. Meat was tender and excellent flavor, The horseradish sauce was the perfect touch My plate portion was very large so I traded with one of my dining companions who had received a smaller portion. Worked out well. Paired with a 2022 Trefethen, Oak Knoll, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon. Again an excellent pairing.

Dessert is a Ricotta Cheesecake with Wild Berries, Arte Cafe's dessert wine was a 2024 Michael David, Lodi, Symphony. Symphony is the grape varietal. We did a Michael David wine dinner at Arte Cafe a few  months ago. 

All the food dishes were very good as was all the wines. Dinner turned out to be one of the better ones so far this year. Looking forward to many more.

Dinner at India Restaurant

 India Restaurant

April 18, 2026

Small group of six tonight for a "lamb" themed dinner. It has been awhile since I have dined here. Interesting area with a nickname of "Little India" because of the heavy Indian population that lives in the surrounding residential area.  Loads of restaurants and shops. No need to travel to India it is all right here. 

Started out with Onion Bhaji. Pieces of onion battered and deep fried. Served with a couple of sauces. Not a lot of flavor unless you use the sauces. Indian food is all about the sauces. 

Since the theme was lamb we had 3 dishes that featured that cut of meat. First was Rogan Josh, then Lamb Saag and followed by Lamb Seekh Kabob. All quite good.

A plate of Aloo Mater which is peas and potatoes in a sauce accompanied the dishes. Rounded out with the traditional rice and Garlic Naan.

I topped off my dinner with a bowl of Pistachio Kulfi (ice cream)

Interesting group of wines tonight. They all seemed to pair well with the food dishes even though it was a real mixed bag of varietals.  I brought a 2018 Buttonwood, Santa Ynez Valley, Malbec.

2015 Col di Lamo, DOCG, Brunello di Montalcino.

2020 Rocca di Montegrossi, San Marcellino, Chianti Classico

NV Le Mesnil, Grand Cru, Blanc de Blanc

2005 Chateau Montelena, Calistoga, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2021 Brooks, Amity Hills, Orchard Fold Vineyard, Riesling

2020 Roccodi Montegrassi,  Classico Gran Selection, Chianti

NV Mumm, Sparkling Rose