Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Yes we did manage to get one more dinner in. Table of eight tonight. I prefer six people but sometimes the invite list grows.
Seafood Palace was busy tonight so we were at a smaller table. We always try to get a larger table because of all our wines and extra wine glasses we bring. The wine and food gets put on the turntable so at times its quite a load.
John had this week off of work so he got to join us. He was happy.
We started out with the sweet-sour soup. Unfortunately it was luke warm which Henry was not happy about. I think he had a few words with the management.
Next two dishes came out. Salt & Pepper Calamari and Beef with Chinese Broccoli. Both standards with us. Always good. Then the deep fried Tofu and Shrimp with Bok Choy and Fat Noodles.
Mark & Erin were in the group. Erin doesn't eat meat. Mark is allergic to shellfish. This was not known to us ahead of time. So naturally next was Lobster and Noodles and Cooked Oysters with Ginger & Scallions.
Last two dishes were Spicy Pork Strips with Fish Sauce and Kung Pao Chicken. Best Kung Pao around. By this time I am stuffed. Just ate a very small portion of each.
A good selection of wines were on the table.
NV Graham Beck Brut, South Africa
NV Chateau de Pampelone Cotes de Provence ( excellent with the oysters)
2005 Niner Fog Catcher, Paso Robles, Red Blend
2008 Arnot Roberts, Santa Cruz, Cabernet ( great wine after it opened up)
2008 McKeon-Phillips, Santa Maria BPR Cabernet
2009 Sea Smoke Ten, Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir
2010 Denner, Teresa Vineyard, Paso Robles White Rhone Blend
2010 Longoria Albarino
Duong Son opens up Friday. It will be next month before we have a dinner there. Need to let them get their legs under them first. So who knows we may be back to the Seafood Palace again soon.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Seafood Palace
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Last dinner here I thought would be the last one but Duong Son still has not opened. Supposed to be this week but we are still waiting.
There was 7 of us tonight. Terry & Cora were there in spite of the fact that Cora cannot eat much because of the effects of her chemo and her liver cancer. She put up a great front. Wants to see everyone and say her good byes. I hope when it is my time I can be as gracious.
As usual we had the salt & pepper calamari. Best calamari around. Followed by Manila clams in black bean & jalapeno sauce. Excellent dish.
Pekin duck, Beef with greens, garlic green beans and a spicy soup. Cora had requested the sauteed lobster with noodles. Good as always. Dinner was followed by a Mango pudding.
CJ & I both brought sparklings. I brought a Francois Chidaine Mount Louis Sur Loire and CJ brought a Louis Bouillet Brut Rose of Pinot. They were empty by time we got finished.
I also brought a 2004 Clos Pepe VS Pinot Noir. A 2006 Clos Pepe Pinot, 2004 McKeon-Phillips BPR Cabernet, NV Stella Rosso, 2005 Testarossa Fritschen Russian River Pinot Noir and a 2005 Levendi Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Cabernet rounded out the selection.
CJ was disappointed in his Testarossa Pinot. Good nose, great front palate but then it went nowhere . Fell off fast. For the price of Testarossa wines this should not happen. I tasted all the wines except the Stella Rossa. Not my style at all. All were excellent. Impressed with the Levendi that Terry brought. If I had been at home with this wine I would have drank more.
Since John has next week off work we are going to try and schedule another dinner right after Christmas so he can join us. Don't know if it will be Seafood Palace or the new Doung Son. Looking forward to it in a big way. Can never have too much good Chinese food along with good wine and great company.
Last dinner here I thought would be the last one but Duong Son still has not opened. Supposed to be this week but we are still waiting.
There was 7 of us tonight. Terry & Cora were there in spite of the fact that Cora cannot eat much because of the effects of her chemo and her liver cancer. She put up a great front. Wants to see everyone and say her good byes. I hope when it is my time I can be as gracious.
As usual we had the salt & pepper calamari. Best calamari around. Followed by Manila clams in black bean & jalapeno sauce. Excellent dish.
Pekin duck, Beef with greens, garlic green beans and a spicy soup. Cora had requested the sauteed lobster with noodles. Good as always. Dinner was followed by a Mango pudding.
CJ & I both brought sparklings. I brought a Francois Chidaine Mount Louis Sur Loire and CJ brought a Louis Bouillet Brut Rose of Pinot. They were empty by time we got finished.
I also brought a 2004 Clos Pepe VS Pinot Noir. A 2006 Clos Pepe Pinot, 2004 McKeon-Phillips BPR Cabernet, NV Stella Rosso, 2005 Testarossa Fritschen Russian River Pinot Noir and a 2005 Levendi Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Cabernet rounded out the selection.
CJ was disappointed in his Testarossa Pinot. Good nose, great front palate but then it went nowhere . Fell off fast. For the price of Testarossa wines this should not happen. I tasted all the wines except the Stella Rossa. Not my style at all. All were excellent. Impressed with the Levendi that Terry brought. If I had been at home with this wine I would have drank more.
Since John has next week off work we are going to try and schedule another dinner right after Christmas so he can join us. Don't know if it will be Seafood Palace or the new Doung Son. Looking forward to it in a big way. Can never have too much good Chinese food along with good wine and great company.
Christmas Open House
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Attended an annual open house today in site of the rain. Getting into the holiday spirit. Lots of nibblies. I brought a 2005 York Petit Verdot. Glad I have a few more bottles of this stashed away.
Stayed longer than I expected so I must have had a good time. Kept the drinking down to bare minimum.
Too many police out this time of the year and with all the budget cuts the cities are really hurting for money. I have a firm belief that the police are writing more tickets than a few years ago. I see them everywhere now
Attended an annual open house today in site of the rain. Getting into the holiday spirit. Lots of nibblies. I brought a 2005 York Petit Verdot. Glad I have a few more bottles of this stashed away.
Stayed longer than I expected so I must have had a good time. Kept the drinking down to bare minimum.
Too many police out this time of the year and with all the budget cuts the cities are really hurting for money. I have a firm belief that the police are writing more tickets than a few years ago. I see them everywhere now
Franco's
Thursday, December 15, 2011
We have not been to Franco's in quite awhile. On a Thursday night the place was full. in spite of the rain. 7 of us gathered for dinner. I did not make any notations about food or wine. I was brain dead from the traffic and the drive from Torrance to Cypress.
I did bring a NV Clos Pepe Sparkling Rose of Pinot which was excellent. Along with a 2004 Stolpman LaCroce. La Croce is my favorite wine that Stolpman makes. A blend of Syrah & Sangiovese. It was the first bottle emptied. Always a good sign that the wine was top notch.
There was Champagne, a French white that Jan & Bob brought back from France, A Brunello, Nebiollo, another Italian red, a Pinot Grigio and a couple more reds on the table.
Bob & I ordered the lamb shank and neither of us were disappointed. Margie had the pork chop, Paul the Flounder, Jan had Salmon, Steve had the Steak Diane and I cannot remember what John ordered. We all ate hearty. The food at Franco's is really good. Must make a point to get back there soon.
We have not been to Franco's in quite awhile. On a Thursday night the place was full. in spite of the rain. 7 of us gathered for dinner. I did not make any notations about food or wine. I was brain dead from the traffic and the drive from Torrance to Cypress.
I did bring a NV Clos Pepe Sparkling Rose of Pinot which was excellent. Along with a 2004 Stolpman LaCroce. La Croce is my favorite wine that Stolpman makes. A blend of Syrah & Sangiovese. It was the first bottle emptied. Always a good sign that the wine was top notch.
There was Champagne, a French white that Jan & Bob brought back from France, A Brunello, Nebiollo, another Italian red, a Pinot Grigio and a couple more reds on the table.
Bob & I ordered the lamb shank and neither of us were disappointed. Margie had the pork chop, Paul the Flounder, Jan had Salmon, Steve had the Steak Diane and I cannot remember what John ordered. We all ate hearty. The food at Franco's is really good. Must make a point to get back there soon.
Cakebread Cellars Wine Tasting
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
ABC Fine Wines in Long Beach hosted at Cakebread Cellars tasting this evening, They normally do a higher end tasting every month to 6 weeks. I have been going to the majority of these tastings. The price is a little higher than the weekly events at other wine stores but their quality is always higher. Since I no longer do all these weekends tastings I prefer to spend more to have higher quality .
Tonight's line up was 2009 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Decent wine, better than most California Sau Blancs but I have had better at a lower price. Priced at $32
2010 Napa Valley Chardonnay - a clean wine, nice balance. Again a nice wine but at $46 - sorry Charlie.
2008 Napa Valley Carneros, Reserve Chardonnay, A little oaky for my taste. It did blow off with a little cheese. Again a nice wine but at $70 - No Way Jose.
2009 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. A light Pinot, good balance but too light on the end finish. At $60 - No No Nannette.
2008 Napa Valley Cabernet. I felt this was the weakest wine of the evening and several others agreed with me. $84 - Are you kidding.
2008 Red Hills, Lake County Zinfandel - personally I felt this was the best wine of the evening. Good fruit, balanced, good, clean finish and the price was OK - $32.
We all know that Cakebread Cellars is over priced for what it is. They have a big following. Do I buy - No - but I will drink if someone else puts out the money. For me there is too much good wine out there at decent prices. To pay a higher price your quality better be equal.
ABC Fine Wines in Long Beach hosted at Cakebread Cellars tasting this evening, They normally do a higher end tasting every month to 6 weeks. I have been going to the majority of these tastings. The price is a little higher than the weekly events at other wine stores but their quality is always higher. Since I no longer do all these weekends tastings I prefer to spend more to have higher quality .
Tonight's line up was 2009 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Decent wine, better than most California Sau Blancs but I have had better at a lower price. Priced at $32
2010 Napa Valley Chardonnay - a clean wine, nice balance. Again a nice wine but at $46 - sorry Charlie.
2008 Napa Valley Carneros, Reserve Chardonnay, A little oaky for my taste. It did blow off with a little cheese. Again a nice wine but at $70 - No Way Jose.
2009 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. A light Pinot, good balance but too light on the end finish. At $60 - No No Nannette.
2008 Napa Valley Cabernet. I felt this was the weakest wine of the evening and several others agreed with me. $84 - Are you kidding.
2008 Red Hills, Lake County Zinfandel - personally I felt this was the best wine of the evening. Good fruit, balanced, good, clean finish and the price was OK - $32.
We all know that Cakebread Cellars is over priced for what it is. They have a big following. Do I buy - No - but I will drink if someone else puts out the money. For me there is too much good wine out there at decent prices. To pay a higher price your quality better be equal.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Christmas The California Way
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Attended a party in Huntington Harbour to watch the annual boat parade. Donna lives on a corner lot which means the boats go down the main channel past her place and then come back and turn down another channel in front of her. So we get to see the decorated boats 4 times. Could not ask for a better viewing spot.
They block off entrance to the complex because of the parking problem. Donna and some of her neighbors got together and arranged for a shuttle bus to take us from the shopping center to the complex. Unfortunately the bus was running late. It was supposed to make its first pickup at 6:00 and it was 6:40 before it showed up. Then it did run every ten minutes.
All of the Harbour was decorated to the hilt. They run special sight seeing boats through the channels to view the decorated houses during the holidays. A spectacular sight.
An abundance of food was served along with free flowing drinks of every kind. Bruce, who is the fish buyer for The Fish Company restaurant brought a beautifully decorated slab of salmon. Quite the show piece. It was the talk of the evening. And tasted equally good.
There must have been 70 people in attendance tonight. Huge crowd but we had a lot of outdoor space to hang around in and watch all the beautifully decorated boats.
I did leave right after the parade's completion. I am still fighting this head cold and did not want to get overtired or overly cold. It does get cold living right on the water.
A great party and hopefully it will happen again next year. Donna has had health problems for the past few years so no party for awhile.
Attended a party in Huntington Harbour to watch the annual boat parade. Donna lives on a corner lot which means the boats go down the main channel past her place and then come back and turn down another channel in front of her. So we get to see the decorated boats 4 times. Could not ask for a better viewing spot.
They block off entrance to the complex because of the parking problem. Donna and some of her neighbors got together and arranged for a shuttle bus to take us from the shopping center to the complex. Unfortunately the bus was running late. It was supposed to make its first pickup at 6:00 and it was 6:40 before it showed up. Then it did run every ten minutes.
All of the Harbour was decorated to the hilt. They run special sight seeing boats through the channels to view the decorated houses during the holidays. A spectacular sight.
An abundance of food was served along with free flowing drinks of every kind. Bruce, who is the fish buyer for The Fish Company restaurant brought a beautifully decorated slab of salmon. Quite the show piece. It was the talk of the evening. And tasted equally good.
There must have been 70 people in attendance tonight. Huge crowd but we had a lot of outdoor space to hang around in and watch all the beautifully decorated boats.
I did leave right after the parade's completion. I am still fighting this head cold and did not want to get overtired or overly cold. It does get cold living right on the water.
A great party and hopefully it will happen again next year. Donna has had health problems for the past few years so no party for awhile.
Christmas Brunch
Sunday, December 4, 2011
I hosted my annual Christmas Brunch today. About 30 people attended. We lost 5 people at the last minute due to illness and other reasons. But picked up 2 that didn't rsvp until the day before.
I did my usual menu, ham, sausages & peppers, green chile egg & cheese casserole and a gouda cheese & artichoke egg casserole. A lot of great appetizers and desserts were brought to load the table with food. Along with bottles of wine. I put out the "inexpensive" bubbly to make mimosa's etc. Anyone that wants something better brings it themselves.
I did out out a magnum of Chardonnay that I got at a silent auction. Gave it to William and Patte to take home afterwards as it was so oaky I could not handle it. They like oak so they took home the opened bottle. Also put out a "box" wine. A blend of four red varietals that I picked up at Chateau Margene in Paso Robles. Frankly it tasted better at the winery . But I did find after a week sitting on my counter the taste had changed quite a bit. There really should have been no change because it is sealed with no possibility of air getting in. But it did change.
Came down with a nasty head cold just before Thanksgiving so it took it's toll on me. Had to have help from my sons decorating this year. Between the cold and "old age" I found it increasing difficult to get up and down the ladder to decorate. I keep thinking it may be that I should give up doing so much but then I don't want to be bored with life. Or maybe I should just have the knee replacement and get it over with. I am waiting for them to perfect the recovery time.
I hosted my annual Christmas Brunch today. About 30 people attended. We lost 5 people at the last minute due to illness and other reasons. But picked up 2 that didn't rsvp until the day before.
I did my usual menu, ham, sausages & peppers, green chile egg & cheese casserole and a gouda cheese & artichoke egg casserole. A lot of great appetizers and desserts were brought to load the table with food. Along with bottles of wine. I put out the "inexpensive" bubbly to make mimosa's etc. Anyone that wants something better brings it themselves.
I did out out a magnum of Chardonnay that I got at a silent auction. Gave it to William and Patte to take home afterwards as it was so oaky I could not handle it. They like oak so they took home the opened bottle. Also put out a "box" wine. A blend of four red varietals that I picked up at Chateau Margene in Paso Robles. Frankly it tasted better at the winery . But I did find after a week sitting on my counter the taste had changed quite a bit. There really should have been no change because it is sealed with no possibility of air getting in. But it did change.
Came down with a nasty head cold just before Thanksgiving so it took it's toll on me. Had to have help from my sons decorating this year. Between the cold and "old age" I found it increasing difficult to get up and down the ladder to decorate. I keep thinking it may be that I should give up doing so much but then I don't want to be bored with life. Or maybe I should just have the knee replacement and get it over with. I am waiting for them to perfect the recovery time.
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