Saturday, June 8, 2013
This was Margie's Monthly Wine Activity day and we started out at Total Wine for a two hour Malbec Seminar which turned out to include several other varietals from South America. The instructor Mark was new to us and he turned out to be very good. I did learn a couple of things about tasting that I did not know. Always sniff the back of your hand to neutralize and smells before you smell you wine. And it did work. We had a total of 9 wines and all were good. Ranged in price from $12 to $25 with a 10% off for a mix of 6. I held my own and did not buy any but it was hard. I am in the drink some of my wine mode and need to get my cellar down to a reasonable number of bottles. 550 is way too much and I have a hard time keeping track even with a spread sheet.
After the seminar was over we headed a short distance to Raymonds Bristo on Warner near Gothard. www.raymondsbistro@gmail.com, , Again in a small strip mall with ample parking. Since the place was very small they took the tables and ran them down the middle of the room. Made for a very narrow table and with the 14 bottles of wine and all the glasses there really was not much room for food. But we did manage.
A variety of foods were ordered, from steak, seafood to pasta. I had the double pork chop, which was cooked perfectly. Moist and tender, Served with an apple chutney, potatoes and vegetable. The entrees also came with a choice of soup or salad. I choose the mushroom soup which was excellent. This dish was priced at $18 which I felt was very reasonable. Everyone seemed to happy with their choices as I heard no complaints. Someone ordered a tiamisu for dessert and passed it around, It was very good.
Jan brought her laptop and gave us a slide show of 80 of the 2000 pictures she and Bob took on their trip to Argentina and Chile
The wines were numerous and a wide variety. Some I did not get to taste but what I did taste were all good.
NV Bivio Proseco, Italy
NV Nicholas Feuillatte, Brut, France (always good, the champagne of Air France)
2005 Testarossa, Bien Nacido, Pinot Noir (excellent)
2007 PZ ????? (su raine) cannot read what someone wrote on the list
2010 EOS, Roussane, Paso Robles
2010 Young's Sangiovese, Shenandoah Valley
2012 Halter Ranch, Sauvignon Blanc,. Paso Robles
2007 Badge, Pinot Noir (may be Sta Rita Hills)
2008 McKeon-Phillips Malbec Reserve, Paso Robles
2009 Halter Ranch, Ancestor, Estate Reserve, Paso Robles
2011 ????? Grenache Blanc, Santa Ynez (no winery listed)
2010 Clos Pepe Estate, Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills
2010 Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone, Reserve, France
2007 P2, Aubaine Vineyards, Edna Valley
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Issara Thai Restaurant
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Margie, Paul, Terry & I did a recon at the restaurant, www.issarathaicuisine.com, to check out if it would be a good match for Margie's Monthly Wine Activity. Located in a strip mall on Warner near Goldenwest, Parking is ample. The owner David, who is an engineer and his wife , who s a doctor, decided to open a Thai restaurant because they could not find any Thai places that were good in Orange County. They had not heard of Nayada, located in Long Beach just close to the OC border. Place was new and clean and the staff was very accommodating.
We started out with the mixed appetizer plate - Vegetable egg roll, Shrimp rolls, Chicken Stay and Bangkok cups. Terry also ordered a side of Calamari. The egg rolls were very good, the shrimp rolls are like everyone else's, more dough than shrimp which I personally are not partial too, would rather just have the shrimp. The cups had a mixture of chicken and potato salad in them, the satay was very good, the calamari was OK, but not much for the price. What set all these items off was the sauces. Excellent sauces,
We then ordered several dishes.The Crying Tiger steak was OK but did not hold up to Nayada's, it was also not very hot, closer to room temperature. The Crispy Sole with green apple was excellent. moist and good flavor. The Tofu with green beans was interesting. Flavor was good but the amount of very small diced green beans was minuscule. Vegetables are cheap, they should have thrown more into the dish. The Pineapple Rice was very good.
The Roti with yellow curry was good. Not my style of dish but very good flavor.
Paul & Margie have eaten at Issara a few times and have been happy with the food. So Issara will show up on one of the monthly wine activities soon.
We brought several whites wines to go with the food and they all were a good pairing.
2012 Ponzi, Willamette Valley, Pinot Gris, 2011 Willy Gisselbrecht Gewurztraminer, 2010 Longoria Albarino and for the end of the meal a 2007 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir. The pinot did not hold up to the spicy food but was an excellent way to end the meal.
Margie, Paul, Terry & I did a recon at the restaurant, www.issarathaicuisine.com, to check out if it would be a good match for Margie's Monthly Wine Activity. Located in a strip mall on Warner near Goldenwest, Parking is ample. The owner David, who is an engineer and his wife , who s a doctor, decided to open a Thai restaurant because they could not find any Thai places that were good in Orange County. They had not heard of Nayada, located in Long Beach just close to the OC border. Place was new and clean and the staff was very accommodating.
We started out with the mixed appetizer plate - Vegetable egg roll, Shrimp rolls, Chicken Stay and Bangkok cups. Terry also ordered a side of Calamari. The egg rolls were very good, the shrimp rolls are like everyone else's, more dough than shrimp which I personally are not partial too, would rather just have the shrimp. The cups had a mixture of chicken and potato salad in them, the satay was very good, the calamari was OK, but not much for the price. What set all these items off was the sauces. Excellent sauces,
We then ordered several dishes.The Crying Tiger steak was OK but did not hold up to Nayada's, it was also not very hot, closer to room temperature. The Crispy Sole with green apple was excellent. moist and good flavor. The Tofu with green beans was interesting. Flavor was good but the amount of very small diced green beans was minuscule. Vegetables are cheap, they should have thrown more into the dish. The Pineapple Rice was very good.
The Roti with yellow curry was good. Not my style of dish but very good flavor.
Paul & Margie have eaten at Issara a few times and have been happy with the food. So Issara will show up on one of the monthly wine activities soon.
We brought several whites wines to go with the food and they all were a good pairing.
2012 Ponzi, Willamette Valley, Pinot Gris, 2011 Willy Gisselbrecht Gewurztraminer, 2010 Longoria Albarino and for the end of the meal a 2007 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir. The pinot did not hold up to the spicy food but was an excellent way to end the meal.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Golden Star + 4
Thursday, May 30, 2013
CJ, Terry, Hanry and I met at the Golden Star in Little Saigon for dinner. This place specializes in duck and they did not disappoint us tonight.
The wines we brought were an odd combination, but frankly went well with the dishes we ordered,
Started out with deep fried whole fish. These are very small, less than 2 inches in length, breaded and deep fried. They are so crispy and good. Habit forming.
A half roasted duck was set down, cabbage and carrots along side it. Very fresh, moist and oh so good.
Soup was served next, an odd combination of artichokes, pork ribs, carrots, dates and mushrooms. Really good flavor.
This about the time I start getting filled up.
Fresh sauteed pea shoots showed up. These are very tasty and seasonal.
I am really full now but Henry has two more dishes on his mind.
Shrimp with Maggi sauce. Salty taste to them, stir fried in the wok. Exceptionally good.
Last dish before dessert was fried noodles with shredded pork, Hong Kong style. This dish and the shrimp were new to us.
Before dessert came out, Mr Do, the owner came out with a small plate with 4 slices of what turned out to be duck mandible, the cheeks of the duck. You could tell the shape of the head and the beak. Meat was interesting but I did not think as flavorful as the roasted duck itself. Usually head meat on any animal is sweeter and more tender but this was not the case with the duck. If served again I would certainly eat them but would not go out of my way to order them.
Dessert was fresh cubed cantaloupe, served in a very large martini glass and set up with the rind to look like leaves and the cubed fruit were the flowers.
Also a bowl of green bean tapioca pudding. Their puddings are all served warm and not solidified.
Our wines tonight 2005 McKeon Phillps BPR Caberent Sauvignon, 2005 Niner Fog Catcher, 2011 Francois Chidaine Touraine, Loire, Rose of Pinot and a 2011 Arnot-Roberts, Peter Michael Vineyard, Santa Cruz, Pinot Noir.
CJ, Terry, Hanry and I met at the Golden Star in Little Saigon for dinner. This place specializes in duck and they did not disappoint us tonight.
The wines we brought were an odd combination, but frankly went well with the dishes we ordered,
Started out with deep fried whole fish. These are very small, less than 2 inches in length, breaded and deep fried. They are so crispy and good. Habit forming.
A half roasted duck was set down, cabbage and carrots along side it. Very fresh, moist and oh so good.
Soup was served next, an odd combination of artichokes, pork ribs, carrots, dates and mushrooms. Really good flavor.
This about the time I start getting filled up.
Fresh sauteed pea shoots showed up. These are very tasty and seasonal.
I am really full now but Henry has two more dishes on his mind.
Shrimp with Maggi sauce. Salty taste to them, stir fried in the wok. Exceptionally good.
Last dish before dessert was fried noodles with shredded pork, Hong Kong style. This dish and the shrimp were new to us.
Before dessert came out, Mr Do, the owner came out with a small plate with 4 slices of what turned out to be duck mandible, the cheeks of the duck. You could tell the shape of the head and the beak. Meat was interesting but I did not think as flavorful as the roasted duck itself. Usually head meat on any animal is sweeter and more tender but this was not the case with the duck. If served again I would certainly eat them but would not go out of my way to order them.
Dessert was fresh cubed cantaloupe, served in a very large martini glass and set up with the rind to look like leaves and the cubed fruit were the flowers.
Also a bowl of green bean tapioca pudding. Their puddings are all served warm and not solidified.
Our wines tonight 2005 McKeon Phillps BPR Caberent Sauvignon, 2005 Niner Fog Catcher, 2011 Francois Chidaine Touraine, Loire, Rose of Pinot and a 2011 Arnot-Roberts, Peter Michael Vineyard, Santa Cruz, Pinot Noir.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Hyatt Huntington and Medlock Ames Wines
Friday, May 24, 2013
This was the 4th wine dinner I have attended at the Hyatt. The first were mediocre , the 3rd improved at lot and this 4th one was very good. Small crowd in attendance tonight. We had a table of 8 and there were only 6 other people plus the wine rep and the winemaker. Total of 16. Small turnout probably because no one was familiar with the wines. The winery is based in Sonoma and was new one for me. An organic and holistic winery. The wines are all very good but a little pricey.
We started out the a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc and passed appetizers out on the lawn area of the hotel facing the beach.
Our first course also included another glass of the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc served with Sustainable California Crudo - sliced scallop with red grapefruit slice, micro thinly sliced French Breakfast Radish. Sitting in a sauce of green. Cannot remember what they said it was but it was not to my liking. Others at the table disagreed with me.
Next came Laura Chanel Cabecou Cheese with a tomato, nut tapendae and crostini. Goat cheese aged in olive oil and herbs. Excellent. The chef gave me 2 small containers of the cheese to take home. A 2011 Chardonnay was poured. Too oaky for me but it did pair well with the fattiness of the cheese otherwise I would have been able to drink it.
Third course was a Braised Lamb Ravioli, Cilantro Pistou, English Peas , Pea Puree and Cotija Cheese. Again a very good dish. Loads of flavor. Paired with a 2009 Oldest Vines, Jefferson Clone,. Merlot. Best wine of the night. Well balanced and loads of complexity.
Main course was Roasted Brandt Rib Eye (the very center cut of the ribeye), Ramp Bernaise and Crispy Cippolinis. Steak was cooked perfectly and had good flavor. They poured a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon with this dish. Nice wine but the Merlot was better.
Dessert was a plate with Dried Blueberries, Roasted Marcona Almonds, Dark Chocolate Truffles and Point Reyes Toma Cheese. The wine was a 2009 red blend
This was a very good dinner and wine pairing. Another dinner is being planned for August. Hope they keep up with the good food,
This was the 4th wine dinner I have attended at the Hyatt. The first were mediocre , the 3rd improved at lot and this 4th one was very good. Small crowd in attendance tonight. We had a table of 8 and there were only 6 other people plus the wine rep and the winemaker. Total of 16. Small turnout probably because no one was familiar with the wines. The winery is based in Sonoma and was new one for me. An organic and holistic winery. The wines are all very good but a little pricey.
We started out the a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc and passed appetizers out on the lawn area of the hotel facing the beach.
Our first course also included another glass of the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc served with Sustainable California Crudo - sliced scallop with red grapefruit slice, micro thinly sliced French Breakfast Radish. Sitting in a sauce of green. Cannot remember what they said it was but it was not to my liking. Others at the table disagreed with me.
Next came Laura Chanel Cabecou Cheese with a tomato, nut tapendae and crostini. Goat cheese aged in olive oil and herbs. Excellent. The chef gave me 2 small containers of the cheese to take home. A 2011 Chardonnay was poured. Too oaky for me but it did pair well with the fattiness of the cheese otherwise I would have been able to drink it.
Third course was a Braised Lamb Ravioli, Cilantro Pistou, English Peas , Pea Puree and Cotija Cheese. Again a very good dish. Loads of flavor. Paired with a 2009 Oldest Vines, Jefferson Clone,. Merlot. Best wine of the night. Well balanced and loads of complexity.
Main course was Roasted Brandt Rib Eye (the very center cut of the ribeye), Ramp Bernaise and Crispy Cippolinis. Steak was cooked perfectly and had good flavor. They poured a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon with this dish. Nice wine but the Merlot was better.
Dessert was a plate with Dried Blueberries, Roasted Marcona Almonds, Dark Chocolate Truffles and Point Reyes Toma Cheese. The wine was a 2009 red blend
This was a very good dinner and wine pairing. Another dinner is being planned for August. Hope they keep up with the good food,
Seafood Palace
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Back to the Seafood Palace - when food is good you return a lot.
We started out with a hot/spicy soup. No real name - probably just a lot of leftovers thrown into a pot but it was good. Had two bowls myself.
Next came the crowds favorite, Salt & Pepper Calamari. Always good, very tender and great flavor. They serve it with thinly sliced Jalapeno peppers. Terry took several slices of the pepper, ate them and then a few seconds later was reaching for the water. He turned bright red. I like the flavor they impart but will not eat even a small slice.
Clams with Basil showed up. The broth was excellent. Problem with clams is they sure look like a huge amount of them in the bowl but you just don't seem to get that much meat from them compared to what is leftover in the shell bowl.
Since we had a cab on the table Henry ordered Beef with Chinese Broccoli, Always a winner.
Chef's Special Shrimp was the next dish. We decided that it got its name because no one knows whats in the sauce. We figured it was whatever leftover in the wok. Sauce was great and the shrimp were very meaty and tender.
Last dish was Kang Kung with shredded pork. This vegetable was new to us. It grows near the pods and had a leaf like spinach but the stalks were like ramps. It was quite good
We had a nice selection of wines. When the few of us get together we have a tendency to bring good wines.
2006 Clos Pepe VS Pinot Noir
2008 McKeon-Phillilps BPR Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 McKeon-Phillips BPR Cabernet Sauvigon
2010 Jules Taylor, Marlborough, Savignon Blanc - excellent wine
2006 Rey, Central Coast Mouvedre
Back to the Seafood Palace - when food is good you return a lot.
We started out with a hot/spicy soup. No real name - probably just a lot of leftovers thrown into a pot but it was good. Had two bowls myself.
Next came the crowds favorite, Salt & Pepper Calamari. Always good, very tender and great flavor. They serve it with thinly sliced Jalapeno peppers. Terry took several slices of the pepper, ate them and then a few seconds later was reaching for the water. He turned bright red. I like the flavor they impart but will not eat even a small slice.
Clams with Basil showed up. The broth was excellent. Problem with clams is they sure look like a huge amount of them in the bowl but you just don't seem to get that much meat from them compared to what is leftover in the shell bowl.
Since we had a cab on the table Henry ordered Beef with Chinese Broccoli, Always a winner.
Chef's Special Shrimp was the next dish. We decided that it got its name because no one knows whats in the sauce. We figured it was whatever leftover in the wok. Sauce was great and the shrimp were very meaty and tender.
Last dish was Kang Kung with shredded pork. This vegetable was new to us. It grows near the pods and had a leaf like spinach but the stalks were like ramps. It was quite good
We had a nice selection of wines. When the few of us get together we have a tendency to bring good wines.
2006 Clos Pepe VS Pinot Noir
2008 McKeon-Phillilps BPR Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 McKeon-Phillips BPR Cabernet Sauvigon
2010 Jules Taylor, Marlborough, Savignon Blanc - excellent wine
2006 Rey, Central Coast Mouvedre
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Wilmore & Phil Trani's
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Margie's Fun Wine Activity event for May started off a tThe Wilmore, a small wine tasting bar in the Bixby Knolls area.
We had 4 wines and nibblies. A NV Louis Perdrier Champange, Nice wine. The second pour was a 2011 Domaine Mureaux Sancerre. To me this was the best wine of the tasting. Third wine was a 2011 Luli, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir. I found this wine to be relatively weak. Not much going for it. The last one was a 2020 Dragonette "Seven" a blend of 7 Rhone grapes. This also was a good selection.
Ernie, the owner, put out a nice selection of cheeses, salami, olives, etc.
After finishing at The Wilmore we headed down the road to Phil Trani's restaurant. This place has been in business it seems forever. The original one in San Pedro was a hang out for a lot of sports figures and some of the memorabilia is on display in the bar of the restaurant. They have redecorated the restaurant which is good because it was in dire need.
We had a large round table which was nice because of all the glasses and bottles that were on the table. A wide variety of food is available here. Everything from steak to Italian dishes. Several people ordered fish. I had the herb crusted Chilean Sea Bass which was very good. In retrospect I should have ordered it without the herbs. Dinners came with soup or salad. I had the house salad which consisted of romaine lettuce which was very cold and crisp and choice of dressing. Nothing special but because the lettuce was so crisp it was nice. After the salad and the nibblies at the Wilmore I could have stopped eating at this point and been quite satisfied.
Phil Trani's used to have no corkage but had raised it to $10. Margie did talk them into $5 per bottle since we bring out own glasses and open the bottles and basically are self sufficient when it comes to taking care of our wines. We had a good selection of wines.
NV Piper Heidsick , California, Sparkling
2006 Clos Pepe, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir
2003 Thomas Fogarty, Vallega Vineyard, Yountville, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Halter Ranch, Paso Robles, Viognier
NV Veuve Du Vernay, France, Brut Rose
Bret Brothers, Vive-Classe Cimat-La Verchere
2008 Grand Vin de Bourgeone
2010 Argiolas S'elegas, Italy, Nuragus di Cagliari
2009 Argiolas, Perdera, Isola dei Nuragau (blend of 3 Monica grapes)
Margie's Fun Wine Activity event for May started off a tThe Wilmore, a small wine tasting bar in the Bixby Knolls area.
We had 4 wines and nibblies. A NV Louis Perdrier Champange, Nice wine. The second pour was a 2011 Domaine Mureaux Sancerre. To me this was the best wine of the tasting. Third wine was a 2011 Luli, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir. I found this wine to be relatively weak. Not much going for it. The last one was a 2020 Dragonette "Seven" a blend of 7 Rhone grapes. This also was a good selection.
Ernie, the owner, put out a nice selection of cheeses, salami, olives, etc.
After finishing at The Wilmore we headed down the road to Phil Trani's restaurant. This place has been in business it seems forever. The original one in San Pedro was a hang out for a lot of sports figures and some of the memorabilia is on display in the bar of the restaurant. They have redecorated the restaurant which is good because it was in dire need.
We had a large round table which was nice because of all the glasses and bottles that were on the table. A wide variety of food is available here. Everything from steak to Italian dishes. Several people ordered fish. I had the herb crusted Chilean Sea Bass which was very good. In retrospect I should have ordered it without the herbs. Dinners came with soup or salad. I had the house salad which consisted of romaine lettuce which was very cold and crisp and choice of dressing. Nothing special but because the lettuce was so crisp it was nice. After the salad and the nibblies at the Wilmore I could have stopped eating at this point and been quite satisfied.
Phil Trani's used to have no corkage but had raised it to $10. Margie did talk them into $5 per bottle since we bring out own glasses and open the bottles and basically are self sufficient when it comes to taking care of our wines. We had a good selection of wines.
NV Piper Heidsick , California, Sparkling
2006 Clos Pepe, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir
2003 Thomas Fogarty, Vallega Vineyard, Yountville, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Halter Ranch, Paso Robles, Viognier
NV Veuve Du Vernay, France, Brut Rose
Bret Brothers, Vive-Classe Cimat-La Verchere
2008 Grand Vin de Bourgeone
2010 Argiolas S'elegas, Italy, Nuragus di Cagliari
2009 Argiolas, Perdera, Isola dei Nuragau (blend of 3 Monica grapes)
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Andrew Murray Wines & Delius
Friday, May 17, 2013
Sold out dinner tonight at Delius. Andrew Murray was in attendance and pouring his wines. I was seated at the table with Andrew and Kevin Butler of the Henry Wine Group. It had been quite a few months since I have seen Kevin. Another wine geek that knows more about wine than most people.
Andrew was running a little late so they poured us a glass of the newly released Viognier. I am not a big fan of white Rhone wines but this actually went very well with the Sea Bream
First Course: Crispy Skinned Mediterranean Sea Bream, Roasted Marble Potatoes and Roasted Apricots - served with a 2011 RGB (Roussane - Greanche Blanc) - you could really get the Grenache Blanc out of this wine and the Roussane was just a bit player. The fish was excellent, moist, and cooked perfectly, The lightly salted skin had a nice crunch to it.
Second Course: Roasted Fig and Pork Cheeks - full of flavor and tender - Wine paired with this dish was 2011 Esperance. Again a very good pairing.
Third Course: Braised Rabbit, Cassoulet, Squash Blossom Fritters. I love rabbit and wish more restaurants would have it on their menus. The fritters were to die for. Paired with a 2011 Tour les Jours Syrah.
Fourth Course: Rack of Lamb, Blackberry Rosemary Compote, Fava Beans, Creamy Polenta. . Very good dish except that I am not a Fava Bean lover. I ate them but I would not have missed them if they were not on the plate. The polenta was very creamy. Lamb was cooked perfectly for me.. Served with a 2011 Watch Hill Vineyard Syrah. Excellent pairing.
Dessert was an Espresso Panna Cotta, Chocolate Sugar Cookie, Caramel Sauce.
At the end of the meal I was stuffed. Pours of the wine were generous. A bonus wine thrown in. Food was great. Service excellent. And had great conversation with Andrew and Kevin.
Sold out dinner tonight at Delius. Andrew Murray was in attendance and pouring his wines. I was seated at the table with Andrew and Kevin Butler of the Henry Wine Group. It had been quite a few months since I have seen Kevin. Another wine geek that knows more about wine than most people.
Andrew was running a little late so they poured us a glass of the newly released Viognier. I am not a big fan of white Rhone wines but this actually went very well with the Sea Bream
First Course: Crispy Skinned Mediterranean Sea Bream, Roasted Marble Potatoes and Roasted Apricots - served with a 2011 RGB (Roussane - Greanche Blanc) - you could really get the Grenache Blanc out of this wine and the Roussane was just a bit player. The fish was excellent, moist, and cooked perfectly, The lightly salted skin had a nice crunch to it.
Second Course: Roasted Fig and Pork Cheeks - full of flavor and tender - Wine paired with this dish was 2011 Esperance. Again a very good pairing.
Third Course: Braised Rabbit, Cassoulet, Squash Blossom Fritters. I love rabbit and wish more restaurants would have it on their menus. The fritters were to die for. Paired with a 2011 Tour les Jours Syrah.
Fourth Course: Rack of Lamb, Blackberry Rosemary Compote, Fava Beans, Creamy Polenta. . Very good dish except that I am not a Fava Bean lover. I ate them but I would not have missed them if they were not on the plate. The polenta was very creamy. Lamb was cooked perfectly for me.. Served with a 2011 Watch Hill Vineyard Syrah. Excellent pairing.
Dessert was an Espresso Panna Cotta, Chocolate Sugar Cookie, Caramel Sauce.
At the end of the meal I was stuffed. Pours of the wine were generous. A bonus wine thrown in. Food was great. Service excellent. And had great conversation with Andrew and Kevin.
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