Saturday. April 25, 2015
Delius, www.deliusrestaurant.com, hosted a Talley Vineyards wine dinner this evening. Brian Harley from the distributor was in attendance. Talley is in the Arroyo Grande area of the Edna Valley. They are at the far end of the valley and have a panoramic view sitting high on the hill. They have their estate wines, Talley and their second label, Bishop's Peak. One of their vineyards is the Rincon Vineyard. I like the grapes that come from there and do buy wine from several producers that source from that vineyard.
We started out with a Citrus Watercress Salad, whipped goat cheese, pickled pearl onions and pancetta. Great flavors, the whipped cheese made a really good dressing. BUT why do I have to have stems sticking out of my mouth. When the stems are left on, and I am not a fan of a salad that I have to use a knife on, they becomes like "sticks". There is no way you could eat this salad gracefully. Serve it at home when you can use your fingers to shove the food in your mouth. I cut off the stems of greens when I do a salad and I also keep the pieces of the greens small enough that I don't have to use a knife. Wine poured was a 2013 Bishop's Peak Sauvignon Blanc. A decent pairing but a little off. Salads are a real pain to pair wines with. I would say this was a 85 to 90% compliment.
Second course served was a Sauteed Monkfish, pommes puree and braised greens. Mu favorite dish of the night. I am a big fan of Monkfish, one of the ugliest fishes ever seen. Actually "gruesome" would be a good description. The greens were slightly bitter so I am assuming either, collard greens, kale or dandelion. The wine was a 2012 Talley Chardonnay. A nice clean, crisp wine and paired nicely with the fish
Third course was a Roasted Quail, mushroom pecan risotto, white asparagus with balsamic reduction. Everything on the plate was very good. Quail is quail but the risotto was different and very good. A 2013 Talley Pinot Noir was poured. Good but young. Bright cherry, light tannins but paired well with the food.
Main course came out, Grilled Hangar Steak with celery root puree, roasted farm carrots, cippolini onions, peppercorn demi. Steak was cooked perfectly for me, rare. All the items were good. A nice solid dish. Wine poured was a 2013 Bishop's Peak Elevation. Best wine of the evening. A blend of Cab, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. I asked about the alcohol level. I said I thought it was between 13.8 and 14%. Turned out to be 13.9%.
Dessert was served. Strawberry Pot de Creme, Basil Ice Cream and Rosemary/Dandelion cookies. The basil ice cream was different and very good, I am not a huge fan of basil but it worked perfectly. You could get a slight taste of lemon from the Pot de Creme. A 2012 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc was a surprise wine. Brian had some in his cellar and brought it tonight. A good pairing with the dessert. Went especially well with the cookies.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
April's Wino Gathering
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Today a few die hard's gathered for our monthly meeting of the wino's. Seems just about everyone was out of town today. Maui, San Antonio, Solvang, Europe.. This was not one of the smallest groups we've had but close to it.
The theme today was Wines from Italy with a request from the host to try and bring some off the wall varietals. I would say that Vitouska, Cesanese and Turbiana are off the wall. I did pick up another varietal to add to my list. Up to 444 varietals.
So another gathering down and looking forward to next month when everyone is back in town.
Today a few die hard's gathered for our monthly meeting of the wino's. Seems just about everyone was out of town today. Maui, San Antonio, Solvang, Europe.. This was not one of the smallest groups we've had but close to it.
The theme today was Wines from Italy with a request from the host to try and bring some off the wall varietals. I would say that Vitouska, Cesanese and Turbiana are off the wall. I did pick up another varietal to add to my list. Up to 444 varietals.
So another gathering down and looking forward to next month when everyone is back in town.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Ritter's
Wednesday. April 16, 2015.
A friend had read about this restaurant and wanted to try it. www.rittersskc.com. Cajun style cooking. Looked it up on Yelp and the reviews were good. But it was downtown Huntington Beach which I avoid as much as possible. Parking is so bad. I did park in the parking structure in the next block but I really find it a pain to hassle parking.
Restaurant was very noisy - no acoustics at all. Mixed crowd of people. Metal chairs that really made a scrapping sound when someone moved on the hard tile floor.
Food was decent. My dish was good. House Pan Roast with Seafood. A tomato cream creole sauce with seafood and rice. Someone order a fried catfish PO'Boy sandwich. Said it was good but it was large and a mess to eat. The other dish ordered was shrimp scampi. Not enough garlic, the butter sauce tasted watery. Shrimp were slightly overcooked.
Maybe this place does better with the Jambalaya, Gumbo and Etouffe. I would try it again if I was in the area but would not make a special trip.
They do have a very small wine and beer menu which is new to the restaurant. Wines are cheap. I bought a bottle of Riesling for $20. It was passable. Corkage was $20 which is way too high for a place like this with a very poor wine menu.
I can see why this place would become crowded towards the weekend. Younger crowd who does not mind shouting to be heard. Large portions. OK food and a big change from burgers.
A friend had read about this restaurant and wanted to try it. www.rittersskc.com. Cajun style cooking. Looked it up on Yelp and the reviews were good. But it was downtown Huntington Beach which I avoid as much as possible. Parking is so bad. I did park in the parking structure in the next block but I really find it a pain to hassle parking.
Restaurant was very noisy - no acoustics at all. Mixed crowd of people. Metal chairs that really made a scrapping sound when someone moved on the hard tile floor.
Food was decent. My dish was good. House Pan Roast with Seafood. A tomato cream creole sauce with seafood and rice. Someone order a fried catfish PO'Boy sandwich. Said it was good but it was large and a mess to eat. The other dish ordered was shrimp scampi. Not enough garlic, the butter sauce tasted watery. Shrimp were slightly overcooked.
Maybe this place does better with the Jambalaya, Gumbo and Etouffe. I would try it again if I was in the area but would not make a special trip.
They do have a very small wine and beer menu which is new to the restaurant. Wines are cheap. I bought a bottle of Riesling for $20. It was passable. Corkage was $20 which is way too high for a place like this with a very poor wine menu.
I can see why this place would become crowded towards the weekend. Younger crowd who does not mind shouting to be heard. Large portions. OK food and a big change from burgers.
Pinot and Swine at Chianina
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Chianina, www.chianina.com, in Naples decided to start a Tuesday "special". Every Tuesday will feature a wine with a food dish that compliments it. This first week was Pinot with Swine. 25% off any bottle of Pinot and the dish was house made pork sausage with sauteed dandelion greens and mashed potatoes.
There were 3 of us tonight and I did have the "special" dish . The others ordered short ribs and scallops. My pork sausage was excellent. very moist, not overly saturated with spices and really tasted good. The restaurant considered this dish an appetizer portion but for me it was all I needed. After all they did have those great salted honey and rye rolls. I did taste the short ribs and they also were excellent. Good flavor and extremely tender.
We ordered a bottle of Pinot. First choice was the Walt, Clos Pepe, Pinot Noir which they were out of. The manager recommended the 2013 Lando Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir, www.landowines.com, which turned out to be a good choice. This wine have good structure, complexity and just the amount of forward fruit. After decanting it really opened up.
So an enjoyable evening with friends, good food and good wine. Looking forward to next Tuesday to see what they come up with.
Chianina, www.chianina.com, in Naples decided to start a Tuesday "special". Every Tuesday will feature a wine with a food dish that compliments it. This first week was Pinot with Swine. 25% off any bottle of Pinot and the dish was house made pork sausage with sauteed dandelion greens and mashed potatoes.
There were 3 of us tonight and I did have the "special" dish . The others ordered short ribs and scallops. My pork sausage was excellent. very moist, not overly saturated with spices and really tasted good. The restaurant considered this dish an appetizer portion but for me it was all I needed. After all they did have those great salted honey and rye rolls. I did taste the short ribs and they also were excellent. Good flavor and extremely tender.
We ordered a bottle of Pinot. First choice was the Walt, Clos Pepe, Pinot Noir which they were out of. The manager recommended the 2013 Lando Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir, www.landowines.com, which turned out to be a good choice. This wine have good structure, complexity and just the amount of forward fruit. After decanting it really opened up.
So an enjoyable evening with friends, good food and good wine. Looking forward to next Tuesday to see what they come up with.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Seafood Place on Saturday Night
Saturday, April 11, 2015
16 of us tonight for Margie's April Wine Activity. Two round tables of 8. Had to have the "lazy susan" to access the food and wine. First time we have had name place cards for seating, Worked out well. Because of the singles in the group the seating had to be thought of ahead of time so as not to split the couples up.
Henry did the menu and all the ordering tonight. Best way to handle this dinner since he knows all the ins and outs of the restaurant.
Started out with traditional egg rolls and then shrimp wrapped in seaweed and fried. First time we have had the egg rolls here. Good, light and not greasy. Then a platter of Salt and Pepper Calamari - one of my favorite dishes here. The calamari is sweet and tender and the breading is perfect. I do not order this dish anyplace else because no one does it like the Seafood Palace.
Large platter of Peking Duck arrived. Always impressive and great flavor. Found Marc chewing on the head. Sweetest meat is on the head.
Bowls of Sour and Spicy soup were next. We have had this soup numerous times and it is always good. This was followed by Walnut Shrimp. Shrimp were good size and fresh. Breading was perfect.
Beef French Style with greens. Meat was tender, very flavorful.
Scallops with Snowpeas was next. Again the scallops were light, moist and tender. Cooked perfectly.
Fat noodles with vegetables was the last dish before dessert,
Dessert consisted of oranges, followed by Sticky Rice with Lotus Seed Paste and Sticky Rice with Minced Pork and Vegetables.
Wines were a really mixed assortment. Some wines were really not the best for this type of food. But all got drank. Some more than others. Did not taste all of them - 21 wines is a lot
3 sparklings tonight.
NV Louis Bouillot, Grande Reserve, Cremant de Bourgone, Brut - a nice wine for a reasonable price
2012 Paringa, Sparkling Shiraz, South Australia - I did not have any of this wine - why I don't know - maybe I just did not have enough glasses - only had 4 on the table
NV Graham Beck, South Africa, Chardonnay/Pinot Noir Brut Rose - very good wine
2012 Tercero, Camp 4 Vineyard, Santa Ynez, Grenache Blanc - clean, crisp, not overly acidic and paired well with the seafood - others did not seem to like it as much as I did - brought home half of the bottle
2014 Matura, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc - very, very grassy
2012 Dr. Heidmanns-Bergweiler, Graacher Himmireich, Reisling, Spatlese - did not try this wine, others said it was good
2011 Dumol, Chloe Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay - nice chardonnay - clean, nice mouth feel to it - no vanilla, or those other butter type flavors which I do not like
2012 Koehler, Santa Ynez Valley, Quartette, white wine blend - had a small pour - it was not my type of white so nothing good or bad to say
2012 Pozzuoli, Sauvignon Blanc - I did not pour this wine - I have had it before so felt no need with so many wines on the tables
2011 Hart, Temecula, Roussane - did not taste this - I am not a fan of white Rhone wines so why try something I know I don't like
2009 Road, Pisoni Vineyard, Pinot Noir - I liked this wine which is good since I brought it - well balanced, complex yet very clean - perfect age for drinking - bottle was emptied fast
2008 Clos Pepe, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - very barn yardy on nose and taste - took awhile to blow off - 08 was not the best year in the Sta. Rita Hills
2008 McKeon Phillips, BPR, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste - have some in my cellar
2012 Dumol, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir - clean, well made wine but needs a few years
2009 Delille Cellars, Red Willow Vineyard, Woodenville, WA, Merlot - very big wine, lots of tannins - would be better with heavier meats
2010 Louis Chaxy, Pinot Noir - another wine I did not taste
2009 Clos Pepe, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - one of the better years that the Clos has produced - balanced, just the right amount of fruit showing - had this two nights ago at dinner - good
2010 Chateau Hanteillan, Haut-Medoc - poured a taste then dumped it - I found it to be a "weak" wine - I could not get much out of it - maybe it is way to young yet or maybe just not a good wine for me or maybe it just was "not a good wine"
2006 Anselmann, Trocken Beerenauelese, Ortega, Phalz - remembered the bottle when I spied it in my cellar but for some reason it never made my spreadsheet - this was an outstanding dessert wine - rich but not sweet
There were apparently another French red and a Schamsberg Blanc de Blanc that never got written down. Have no idea what the red was as it was kept on the other table and I never saw it and the Schamsberg never got opened.
16 of us tonight for Margie's April Wine Activity. Two round tables of 8. Had to have the "lazy susan" to access the food and wine. First time we have had name place cards for seating, Worked out well. Because of the singles in the group the seating had to be thought of ahead of time so as not to split the couples up.
Henry did the menu and all the ordering tonight. Best way to handle this dinner since he knows all the ins and outs of the restaurant.
Started out with traditional egg rolls and then shrimp wrapped in seaweed and fried. First time we have had the egg rolls here. Good, light and not greasy. Then a platter of Salt and Pepper Calamari - one of my favorite dishes here. The calamari is sweet and tender and the breading is perfect. I do not order this dish anyplace else because no one does it like the Seafood Palace.
Large platter of Peking Duck arrived. Always impressive and great flavor. Found Marc chewing on the head. Sweetest meat is on the head.
Bowls of Sour and Spicy soup were next. We have had this soup numerous times and it is always good. This was followed by Walnut Shrimp. Shrimp were good size and fresh. Breading was perfect.
Beef French Style with greens. Meat was tender, very flavorful.
Scallops with Snowpeas was next. Again the scallops were light, moist and tender. Cooked perfectly.
Fat noodles with vegetables was the last dish before dessert,
Dessert consisted of oranges, followed by Sticky Rice with Lotus Seed Paste and Sticky Rice with Minced Pork and Vegetables.
Wines were a really mixed assortment. Some wines were really not the best for this type of food. But all got drank. Some more than others. Did not taste all of them - 21 wines is a lot
3 sparklings tonight.
NV Louis Bouillot, Grande Reserve, Cremant de Bourgone, Brut - a nice wine for a reasonable price
2012 Paringa, Sparkling Shiraz, South Australia - I did not have any of this wine - why I don't know - maybe I just did not have enough glasses - only had 4 on the table
NV Graham Beck, South Africa, Chardonnay/Pinot Noir Brut Rose - very good wine
2012 Tercero, Camp 4 Vineyard, Santa Ynez, Grenache Blanc - clean, crisp, not overly acidic and paired well with the seafood - others did not seem to like it as much as I did - brought home half of the bottle
2014 Matura, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc - very, very grassy
2012 Dr. Heidmanns-Bergweiler, Graacher Himmireich, Reisling, Spatlese - did not try this wine, others said it was good
2011 Dumol, Chloe Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay - nice chardonnay - clean, nice mouth feel to it - no vanilla, or those other butter type flavors which I do not like
2012 Koehler, Santa Ynez Valley, Quartette, white wine blend - had a small pour - it was not my type of white so nothing good or bad to say
2012 Pozzuoli, Sauvignon Blanc - I did not pour this wine - I have had it before so felt no need with so many wines on the tables
2011 Hart, Temecula, Roussane - did not taste this - I am not a fan of white Rhone wines so why try something I know I don't like
2009 Road, Pisoni Vineyard, Pinot Noir - I liked this wine which is good since I brought it - well balanced, complex yet very clean - perfect age for drinking - bottle was emptied fast
2008 Clos Pepe, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - very barn yardy on nose and taste - took awhile to blow off - 08 was not the best year in the Sta. Rita Hills
2008 McKeon Phillips, BPR, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste - have some in my cellar
2012 Dumol, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir - clean, well made wine but needs a few years
2009 Delille Cellars, Red Willow Vineyard, Woodenville, WA, Merlot - very big wine, lots of tannins - would be better with heavier meats
2010 Louis Chaxy, Pinot Noir - another wine I did not taste
2009 Clos Pepe, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - one of the better years that the Clos has produced - balanced, just the right amount of fruit showing - had this two nights ago at dinner - good
2010 Chateau Hanteillan, Haut-Medoc - poured a taste then dumped it - I found it to be a "weak" wine - I could not get much out of it - maybe it is way to young yet or maybe just not a good wine for me or maybe it just was "not a good wine"
2006 Anselmann, Trocken Beerenauelese, Ortega, Phalz - remembered the bottle when I spied it in my cellar but for some reason it never made my spreadsheet - this was an outstanding dessert wine - rich but not sweet
There were apparently another French red and a Schamsberg Blanc de Blanc that never got written down. Have no idea what the red was as it was kept on the other table and I never saw it and the Schamsberg never got opened.
Friday, April 10, 2015
India Grill on Thursday
Thursday April 9, 2015
Seven of us tonight at the India Grill in Cypress. www.ocindiagrill.com, Started out with the mixed appetizer plate. Vegetable Pokoras, Somosas, Chicken and Lamb Tikka. Somosas are great. I felt the Vegetable Pokoras were over fried. Needed to pick them up by your fingers to eat. Hard to get a fork into them. Did not try the meats because they have a tendency to be over dry for me. I like meat cooked rare not well done and also we were having meat dishes at dinner. CJ likes very well done meat. He was ordering so that is what we got.
CJ had them make a dish that is not on the menu. Chile Chicken. Great flavor but too spicy for me. Should have been made mild not medium. Screwed my palate up. This dish would be better with beer not wine.
Regular Basmati rice and Vegetable Biryani rice were set down. We also had Garlic Naan and Onion Kulcha which is a Naan bread with onions in the dough. Good flavor and generous amounts.
A sizzling platter of Tibetin Lamb with onions and other vegetables was brought. Had two pieces. Too dry for me but again good flavor.
Bowls of Nirvana Chicken were next. White meat with a mild cashew curry sauce. The sauces are what really makes the dish. Flavors are excellent.
We rounded out dinner with Shrimp Masala and Saag (spinach) with carrots and cauliflower. Both flavorful and good.
A real mixed bag of wine. A couple of bubblies that really hit the spot. A Bailly-Lapiere Cremant de Borgogne, Rose of Pinot Noir. Written down as a 2014 but it was older than that - probably a 2004 because a discussion was made about it being 9 years old. Had a funky nose and taste but that blew off quickly. We also had a NV Louis Bouillet Rose. Both wines hit the spot when it came to the spicy food.
The rest of the lineup:
2009 Clos Pepe Estate , Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - showing very well after it opened up a bit - typical Clos Pepe - well balanced
2007 D'Alfonso-Curran, Sanford and Bendict, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - at its optimum now
2010 Saxum, Paso Robles, Broken Stones, blend - excellent wine but I think it still needs a few years
2012 King Estate, Oregon, Pinot Gris - did not taste this wine - I am not a Pinot Gris fan - Greg made a comment about King Estate being one of his favorites in Oregon
2012 Albrecht, Gewurztraminer - spicy and a good wine for the Indian food
2012 Flowers, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir - very good wine - showing well, lush, good mouth feel, well balanced, complex - needs a few years to bloom
2013 Orin Swift Cellars, Napa, Red Wine - blend - very big, too young - needs a few years - would be best with heavy meats like lamb shanks or short ribs - not the best choice for Indian food
Seven of us tonight at the India Grill in Cypress. www.ocindiagrill.com, Started out with the mixed appetizer plate. Vegetable Pokoras, Somosas, Chicken and Lamb Tikka. Somosas are great. I felt the Vegetable Pokoras were over fried. Needed to pick them up by your fingers to eat. Hard to get a fork into them. Did not try the meats because they have a tendency to be over dry for me. I like meat cooked rare not well done and also we were having meat dishes at dinner. CJ likes very well done meat. He was ordering so that is what we got.
CJ had them make a dish that is not on the menu. Chile Chicken. Great flavor but too spicy for me. Should have been made mild not medium. Screwed my palate up. This dish would be better with beer not wine.
Regular Basmati rice and Vegetable Biryani rice were set down. We also had Garlic Naan and Onion Kulcha which is a Naan bread with onions in the dough. Good flavor and generous amounts.
A sizzling platter of Tibetin Lamb with onions and other vegetables was brought. Had two pieces. Too dry for me but again good flavor.
Bowls of Nirvana Chicken were next. White meat with a mild cashew curry sauce. The sauces are what really makes the dish. Flavors are excellent.
We rounded out dinner with Shrimp Masala and Saag (spinach) with carrots and cauliflower. Both flavorful and good.
A real mixed bag of wine. A couple of bubblies that really hit the spot. A Bailly-Lapiere Cremant de Borgogne, Rose of Pinot Noir. Written down as a 2014 but it was older than that - probably a 2004 because a discussion was made about it being 9 years old. Had a funky nose and taste but that blew off quickly. We also had a NV Louis Bouillet Rose. Both wines hit the spot when it came to the spicy food.
The rest of the lineup:
2009 Clos Pepe Estate , Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - showing very well after it opened up a bit - typical Clos Pepe - well balanced
2007 D'Alfonso-Curran, Sanford and Bendict, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - at its optimum now
2010 Saxum, Paso Robles, Broken Stones, blend - excellent wine but I think it still needs a few years
2012 King Estate, Oregon, Pinot Gris - did not taste this wine - I am not a Pinot Gris fan - Greg made a comment about King Estate being one of his favorites in Oregon
2012 Albrecht, Gewurztraminer - spicy and a good wine for the Indian food
2012 Flowers, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir - very good wine - showing well, lush, good mouth feel, well balanced, complex - needs a few years to bloom
2013 Orin Swift Cellars, Napa, Red Wine - blend - very big, too young - needs a few years - would be best with heavy meats like lamb shanks or short ribs - not the best choice for Indian food
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Mojito's
Saturday, April 4, 2015
A glut of Meyer lemons prompted Tim and Maria to host a Lemon Mojito party. Since Meyer lemons are not as acidic they made a delicious Mojito. The rum was infused with mint so it added a nice touch without being overly minty.
Lots a really good food was brought by the guests. Wine flowed. Conversations were good. Tim and Maria's backyard is so inviting with all the trees, shrubs and plants and water feature.
It was a beautiful, relaxing day. Weather was perfect. Could not have asked for nicer people or venue.
A glut of Meyer lemons prompted Tim and Maria to host a Lemon Mojito party. Since Meyer lemons are not as acidic they made a delicious Mojito. The rum was infused with mint so it added a nice touch without being overly minty.
Lots a really good food was brought by the guests. Wine flowed. Conversations were good. Tim and Maria's backyard is so inviting with all the trees, shrubs and plants and water feature.
It was a beautiful, relaxing day. Weather was perfect. Could not have asked for nicer people or venue.
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