Saturday, April 10, 2010
Eight of us met at our favorite Chinese restaurant - Duong Son BBQ in Westminister. There are two Doung Son's but this one specializes in duck.
Henry surprised us with several new dishes. Patte is a vegetarian but fortunately for us that she only does not eat red meat so we forgot the duck tonight and concentrated on seafood. Henry did order a few meat dishes at the end for us carnivores but by then Patte was full so that worked out well.
Soy Sauce Chicken with Ginger - this was a new dish and the chicken was very moist, tender and the flavor was outstanding.
Fried Calamari
Fried Sea Bass
Asparagus with shrimp - another new dish
Chinese Spinach - another new one, they did not have the pea shoots available tonight
Beef Chou Fan, Cantonese Style with wide soft noodles - another new one
Pork Ribs, Peking Style - a new dish and the sauce was so good - John kept pouring onto his rice - we will definitely do this dish again
Fried Tofu with Seafood Sauce
Beef with Ginger and Chives - a new one again and also excellent
Fresh fruit for dessert
The wines that were brought all good. Even the cheap Spanish White Wine that at stopped at MAWL and bought before dinner. It was on their tasting list Friday and Saturday but since I did the high end tasting I did not taste this particular wine. As I was looking at the list Saturday morning I decided to google up the name of the wine because their was no grape varietals listed. Turned out there was 2 grapes I did not have on my list so before dinner I stopped and bought a bottle.
2006 Four Vines Syrah
2003 Stolpman Estate Syrah, Santa Ynez
2004 Chateau Margene, Pinot Noir
1993 OV Oakford Vineyard, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 McKeon Phillips BPR Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 McKeon Phillips BPR Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 BV Caneros, Napa, Chardonnay
2007 Saxon Brown, Durrell Valley, Sonoma, Chardonnay
2007 Campante, Vina Reboreda, Reberio ( the grapes were, Treixadura, Godello and Palomino)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Easter Sunday Bruch
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Went to my favorite restaurant, Delius, for brunch. $6 for a glass of bubbly of $10 for multiple refills. We know which one I took. I ordered the Monte Cristo sandwich and I will say I was very disappointed . I have ordered this particular sandwich many times before at different restaurants and this was the first time I had it served to me just on bread without an egg wash. The flavor was good but with out it being dipped in egg and fried it lacked a lot. I did google up the name and found out there are different ways of serving the sandwich, depending on the region. And apparently one of the ways is it being served plain.
Next time I go to another dish on the menu and of course the $10 bubbly offer.
Went to my favorite restaurant, Delius, for brunch. $6 for a glass of bubbly of $10 for multiple refills. We know which one I took. I ordered the Monte Cristo sandwich and I will say I was very disappointed . I have ordered this particular sandwich many times before at different restaurants and this was the first time I had it served to me just on bread without an egg wash. The flavor was good but with out it being dipped in egg and fried it lacked a lot. I did google up the name and found out there are different ways of serving the sandwich, depending on the region. And apparently one of the ways is it being served plain.
Next time I go to another dish on the menu and of course the $10 bubbly offer.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Miscellaneous
Have been back to Preveza and the Himilayan Grille several times and had really not posted anything on it. The food is good at both places and they are also very wine corkage friendly.
Worth the visit.
Worth the visit.
Piedmont Wine Dinner
Friday, March 26, 2010
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill hosted a wine dinner tonight. The wines of Piedmont, Italy were featured. It was nice to have dinner with Kevin Butler of the Henry Wine group. It had been a few months since I saw Kevin. He introduced to to the new rep that will be handling the wines of Henry Wine Group in the area. It's always a good thing to get to know the wine rep's.
First Course: Hamachi with Soy Ginger Braised Daikon Root and a Wasabi-Yuzu Aioli, Kaiware. I knew about everything except the Kaiware. I figured it was the dark dots of something on the plate. I will have to research this food item to see what is was. All I know is that to take a slice of Hamachi with the Daikon , hit the Wasabi with it and taste it was an mouth watering experience . It also was a perfect pairing with the 2008 Broglia La Meirana Gavi di Gavi wine.
Second Course: Vichyssoise (cold) with Candied Brussel Sprout Leaves, Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette. What can I say. Everyone agreed that this was a superb dish. Also a great pairing with the 2007 Masanta Dolcetto Langhe. I'm not a big Dolcetto fan but this was a great combination.
Third Course: Potato-Herb Crusted Trout with Warm Root Vegetable. This dish was a big disappointment. The flavors were wonderful but the trout was really strong which detracted from the entire dish. It is not to often that I have a dish from Delius that disappoints me. The wine served was a 2007 Borgogno Barbera d'Alba.
Fourth Course: Pan Roasted Duck Breast, Duck Prosciutto Risotto, Radicchio, Pearl Onions, Blackberry-Honey Glaze. This was a big winner. The duck was cooked to perfection and all the flavors just seemed to come together like you always hope for. This was served with a 2005 Paolo Scavino Barolo. Perfect pairing.
Fifth Course: Blueberry-Mascarpone Gelato with Meyer Lemon Confit and a Roasted Pistachio Tuile. Just the right flavors and size to end the meal.
Delius' new Chef de Cuisine likes to add an Asian flair to his dishes and it seems to be working quite well. All the dishes were executed well, the wines were paired very well and if it had not been for a too strong fish flavor to the trout it would have been a perfect meal. Everyone was talking about how good everything was. Yes, the wine dinners here are not cheap but what you get and the quality makes up for it. We all like a bargain but we also have to set our standards lower to get the bargain price. Of course some peoples palates don't seem to care what the food is like as long as its cheap. These people seem to have the same palate in wines..
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill hosted a wine dinner tonight. The wines of Piedmont, Italy were featured. It was nice to have dinner with Kevin Butler of the Henry Wine group. It had been a few months since I saw Kevin. He introduced to to the new rep that will be handling the wines of Henry Wine Group in the area. It's always a good thing to get to know the wine rep's.
First Course: Hamachi with Soy Ginger Braised Daikon Root and a Wasabi-Yuzu Aioli, Kaiware. I knew about everything except the Kaiware. I figured it was the dark dots of something on the plate. I will have to research this food item to see what is was. All I know is that to take a slice of Hamachi with the Daikon , hit the Wasabi with it and taste it was an mouth watering experience . It also was a perfect pairing with the 2008 Broglia La Meirana Gavi di Gavi wine.
Second Course: Vichyssoise (cold) with Candied Brussel Sprout Leaves, Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette. What can I say. Everyone agreed that this was a superb dish. Also a great pairing with the 2007 Masanta Dolcetto Langhe. I'm not a big Dolcetto fan but this was a great combination.
Third Course: Potato-Herb Crusted Trout with Warm Root Vegetable. This dish was a big disappointment. The flavors were wonderful but the trout was really strong which detracted from the entire dish. It is not to often that I have a dish from Delius that disappoints me. The wine served was a 2007 Borgogno Barbera d'Alba.
Fourth Course: Pan Roasted Duck Breast, Duck Prosciutto Risotto, Radicchio, Pearl Onions, Blackberry-Honey Glaze. This was a big winner. The duck was cooked to perfection and all the flavors just seemed to come together like you always hope for. This was served with a 2005 Paolo Scavino Barolo. Perfect pairing.
Fifth Course: Blueberry-Mascarpone Gelato with Meyer Lemon Confit and a Roasted Pistachio Tuile. Just the right flavors and size to end the meal.
Delius' new Chef de Cuisine likes to add an Asian flair to his dishes and it seems to be working quite well. All the dishes were executed well, the wines were paired very well and if it had not been for a too strong fish flavor to the trout it would have been a perfect meal. Everyone was talking about how good everything was. Yes, the wine dinners here are not cheap but what you get and the quality makes up for it. We all like a bargain but we also have to set our standards lower to get the bargain price. Of course some peoples palates don't seem to care what the food is like as long as its cheap. These people seem to have the same palate in wines..
March Gathering of The Flock
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Today's gathering of the winos was held in Santa Monica. A 45 minute trip took 2 hours because of the road closures due to the LA Marathon. At least we were not the only ones running late. Even those driving the surface streets from the southbay area were late.
It was a small group this month but it turned out to be a right balance for appetizers, side dishes and desserts. Sometimes we get all desserts or no desserts.
The theme today was Petite Syrah-Durif and French White Rhones. There were several wines that stood out but 2 of the ones that stood out for me was the 1998 Fieldstone, Staten Family Reserve, Petite Syrah and the 2005 Meeker, Dibble Vineyard Petite Syrah.
The ride home took 45 minutes. What a relief.
Today's gathering of the winos was held in Santa Monica. A 45 minute trip took 2 hours because of the road closures due to the LA Marathon. At least we were not the only ones running late. Even those driving the surface streets from the southbay area were late.
It was a small group this month but it turned out to be a right balance for appetizers, side dishes and desserts. Sometimes we get all desserts or no desserts.
The theme today was Petite Syrah-Durif and French White Rhones. There were several wines that stood out but 2 of the ones that stood out for me was the 1998 Fieldstone, Staten Family Reserve, Petite Syrah and the 2005 Meeker, Dibble Vineyard Petite Syrah.
The ride home took 45 minutes. What a relief.
March Wine & Dine
Saturday, March 20, 2010
The monthly Wine & Dine tonight was at Dunerea Restaurant in Anaheim. It is Romanian and we have dined there several times in the past few years. I did not attend as I was still coming off the effects of my trip to Italy. The menu that was sent out showed a few new dishes that I would have liked to try. Maybe next year
The monthly Wine & Dine tonight was at Dunerea Restaurant in Anaheim. It is Romanian and we have dined there several times in the past few years. I did not attend as I was still coming off the effects of my trip to Italy. The menu that was sent out showed a few new dishes that I would have liked to try. Maybe next year
Trip To Italy
March 2010
Spent 9 days touring Italy. This was my first trip to Europe and it was a great experience. The Euro (money) was easy to understand and even ordering from the menus was no problem. Most people spoke enough English to understand.
I was taken back with the graffiti. I always thought it was prevalent in the US but apparently not. It was disheartening to see the damage that it had done to the old buildings. Even Venice had graffiti on the walls.
When I visited the east coast of the US and went to Boston, Washington DC etc., I was surprised at how old some of the preserved buildings were and the contents were still intact. Growing up in California the oldest thing we have are the missions and some Indian ruins. I tried to prepare myself for Italy but it still was overwhelming to see how old everything was and still in daily use.
I found the food very good especially when you get away from the tourist area's. Their cheese is to die for. All the wines I had were good. Some were ordered by the bottle and some were the house wines by the liter. Gelato was so much better than what I have had in the US. Probably because it is prepared in small batches and not mass produced.
A couple of highlights were the dinner we had at Fattoria Il Poggio in Lucca (Tuscany). The boar sausage, pork ribs and chicken were cooked and smoked over Chestnut wood. So good. They did a wine tatsing for us of their Montecarlo wines. Had a singer . People got up and danced. It was a really fun time.
Also had a fabulous sandwich in a town called Rapallo which is where we were catching the boat to Portofino. 4 of us went off the beaten path by several blocks and found a enoteca-wine bar ,Cantine d'Italia, that served sandwiches made with foccacia bread. The lady behind the counter and the owner did not speak English but a local customer in the store at that time did and he helped us order and pick out a bottle of wine. That sandwich was the best sandwich I have ever had. Period. It was so good with pancetta , mozzarella on foccacia with sundried tomatoes , then grilled. They even made us a plate of pasta with fresh made pesto (at no charge) and then they gave us extra sandwiches to take on the boat.
Spent 9 days touring Italy. This was my first trip to Europe and it was a great experience. The Euro (money) was easy to understand and even ordering from the menus was no problem. Most people spoke enough English to understand.
I was taken back with the graffiti. I always thought it was prevalent in the US but apparently not. It was disheartening to see the damage that it had done to the old buildings. Even Venice had graffiti on the walls.
When I visited the east coast of the US and went to Boston, Washington DC etc., I was surprised at how old some of the preserved buildings were and the contents were still intact. Growing up in California the oldest thing we have are the missions and some Indian ruins. I tried to prepare myself for Italy but it still was overwhelming to see how old everything was and still in daily use.
I found the food very good especially when you get away from the tourist area's. Their cheese is to die for. All the wines I had were good. Some were ordered by the bottle and some were the house wines by the liter. Gelato was so much better than what I have had in the US. Probably because it is prepared in small batches and not mass produced.
A couple of highlights were the dinner we had at Fattoria Il Poggio in Lucca (Tuscany). The boar sausage, pork ribs and chicken were cooked and smoked over Chestnut wood. So good. They did a wine tatsing for us of their Montecarlo wines. Had a singer . People got up and danced. It was a really fun time.
Also had a fabulous sandwich in a town called Rapallo which is where we were catching the boat to Portofino. 4 of us went off the beaten path by several blocks and found a enoteca-wine bar ,Cantine d'Italia, that served sandwiches made with foccacia bread. The lady behind the counter and the owner did not speak English but a local customer in the store at that time did and he helped us order and pick out a bottle of wine. That sandwich was the best sandwich I have ever had. Period. It was so good with pancetta , mozzarella on foccacia with sundried tomatoes , then grilled. They even made us a plate of pasta with fresh made pesto (at no charge) and then they gave us extra sandwiches to take on the boat.
In Florence , John had asked the tour guide for a good place to eat and he recommended Antico Fattore which was several blocks away from the "tourist" area. I had the best Tuscan bread soup I've ever eaten there. Followed by a plate of cheese tortelleni with a pancetta cream sauce. We had a bottle of Antinori Red table wine.
One of the nights that I did not eat dinner at the hotel I went to a place called E'Gusto's. Off the tourist path. Looked like it should be in West LA. No tourists, all locals. I had a smoked fried cheese and then a veal scallopine with mushrooms. The people I was with had ordered dessert so I had a bite of each one. Really good. Their wine by the liter was good also. Very food friendly wine. And I am sure much better than the hotel dinner being served that night.
One evening on Montecatini I dined at a restaurant called "Capersone" so something like that. Didn't get a card so I'm going by memory. 5 of us that night. I ordered the deep fried stuffed olives and a seafood rissotto. Again a really good dinner. The shrimp in the rissotto was so tender. I do not think I have ever had a shrimp that tender before. I have had shrimp caught just hours before serving but never as tender as was. Again wine by the liter and again good.
We had a wine tasting and tour at Castello d"Albolain Chianti, which is one of the few wineries that is open every day for tasting (Like in California). Most wineries are close to the public and you must have a reservation to get in. I thought one of the labels was familar and asked about it. They make 65,000 cases of that wine and Trader Joe's is one of their biggest customers. Their other wines are made in smaller case numbers so it is not exported. The served us 5 wines and a Grappa. Along with meats and cheeses, bread and olive oil. Maybe we were just hungry and thirsty after the long windy road up to the facility but everyting tasted good. There wasn't anything left on the platters or in the baskets.
The only food that I had that to me was not good was at the hotel we were staying at in Montecatini. It was too westernized and was not good. Their soups were good but everything else was so mediorce. What a waste. We had breakfast there every morning (or a sack breakfast). It got to be a running joke of "what kind of canned peaches" are we having today. The same thing every morning . It did not hold a candle to the breakfast we had on my trip to China 2 years ago.
I would like to go back to Italy but the tour was grueling and very hard on my "old" knees, I think it would be great to rent a car and drive yourself. The highways would be very easy to navigate but in the towns it would get a lot more complicated. If I had a tremendous amount of money I could fly first class and hire a car & driver. That would be the ideal why to go. Maybe someday.
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