Saturday, January 16, 2016
The dynamic trio rented out Delius restaurant for the evening. Quite a feat on a Saturday night. This was in celebration of their "commitment" to each other. Otherwise a wedding reception with no wedding per say. Approx 100 people. Open bar. Choice of 3 different cocktails, The Hugh, The Mark and The Kurt. 2 wine bars set up and beer available also.
Large table set up in the prixe fixe room and loaded with cheeses etc., and two very large cakes. One pineapple and the other chocolate. Both were exceptionally good. And the waiters passing around at least a dozen different kinds of appetizers.
Hugh did the saber opening of the champagne. Dave made him do it in the parking area just in case. But it went off without a hitch.
This was a very memorable and fun evening. Good food, drinks and great people.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Monday, January 11, 2016
Dim Sum with the boys
Monday. January 11, 2016
Six today for Dim Sum. A very excellent selection of wines. Not one would I turn down.
2012 Baker & Brain, Gruner Veltliner
2010 Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Reserve
2008 Stolpman, Rubens Block, Syrah
NV, Segura Viudas, Cava
2007 Krupp Brothers, Verasion - excellent
1998 Bonnlzeaux. (Dessert Wine) - outstanding
2007 Brown Estate, Chaos Theory, Napa
We stated out with the sour, hot, spicy soup. This soup is a given for us. Then onto another given, salt and pepper calamari. A few things off the cart, shrimp dumplings, shu mai pork, minced shrimp in seaweed and fried.
Then onto stir fried lobster with special sauce. Pain to eat since my right thumb still does not want to cooperate. Chinese greens.
Then a new dish - Singapore Stir Fry - rice noodles, shrimp, pork, vegetables and curry. Really a good dish
Last dish was filet of beef French Style. Always a winner.
Topped it off with egg custard tarts for dessert.
A nice Monday with good friends, good food and excellent wines.
Six today for Dim Sum. A very excellent selection of wines. Not one would I turn down.
2012 Baker & Brain, Gruner Veltliner
2010 Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Reserve
2008 Stolpman, Rubens Block, Syrah
NV, Segura Viudas, Cava
2007 Krupp Brothers, Verasion - excellent
1998 Bonnlzeaux. (Dessert Wine) - outstanding
2007 Brown Estate, Chaos Theory, Napa
We stated out with the sour, hot, spicy soup. This soup is a given for us. Then onto another given, salt and pepper calamari. A few things off the cart, shrimp dumplings, shu mai pork, minced shrimp in seaweed and fried.
Then onto stir fried lobster with special sauce. Pain to eat since my right thumb still does not want to cooperate. Chinese greens.
Then a new dish - Singapore Stir Fry - rice noodles, shrimp, pork, vegetables and curry. Really a good dish
Last dish was filet of beef French Style. Always a winner.
Topped it off with egg custard tarts for dessert.
A nice Monday with good friends, good food and excellent wines.
India Grille
Saturday, January 9, 2016
15 tonight for Margie's monthly get together. A few of us did a recon a few months back to pick out the menu.I was not wild about the seating but it is what it is when you have a large group. My thumb is still aching and non usable so I am still not in the best of moods. Plus I woke up at 2:00 am really sick and had that mess to clean up.
We started out with Onion Bhaji - sweet onions battered in spices and garbanzo bean flour and deep fried. Very good
Yellow Dal Soup - lentils with potatoes and peas. Decent but I am not a lentil fan so don't go by my taste Then some Yellow Paratha, wheat bread stuffed with potatoes and peas. A tad too spicy for me.
Main dishes were Seekh Kabab - Minced, ground lamb rolled into logs and grilled, came with sauteed onions and bell peppers. Chicken Chau Chau - pan fried noodles with chicken and vegetables. Vegetable Korma - Mixed vegetables in a creamy cashew curry sauce - Always a good one for me. Garlic Naan. Basmati rice. Bengan Bharta - roasted, pureed eggplant with spices and a cream sauce - Very good. Chicken Tikka - tandoori roasted white meat chicken in a mild sauce - another standard that is always good.
Dessert was Kulfi, pistachio Ice Cream with saffron, cardamon and nuts
A very mixed bag of wines tonight:
NV Louis Bouillot. Grand Reserve, Cremant de Bourgone - good
2009 Huber, Sta Rita Hills, Barrel Select, Pinot Noir - excellent , one of the first bottles emptied
2009 Sea Smoke, Sta Rita Hills, Botella, Pinot Noir - gone in a flash
2013 Domaine Weinbach, Riesing Cuvee Laurance - very good
NV Mailly Grand Cru, Brut - good
2012 Albrecht, Pinot Gris - did not tatste
2012 DeRose, Cienega Valley, Zinfandel - did not taste
2011 Stolpman, L'Avion (Roussane) - did not taste
2010 Perry Creek, Fairplay, Zinfandel - did not taste
2012 Two Sisters, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - did not taste
2014 Lincourt, Sta Rita Hills, Gruner Veltliner - did not taste
NV Pommery Reims Brut - excellent
201`2 Fog Crest, Pinot Noir - did not taste
2011 Hillard Bruce, Sta Rita Hills, Sun, Pinot Noir - excellent
2013 Tercero, Outlier (Gewurztraminer) - a favorite wine for me
2013 Melville, Sandys Vineyard, Pinot Noir - did not taste
20143 Hart, Temecula, Arneis - good
2014 Picpoul de Pinet - did not taste
2010 Tobin James, Fat Boy - did not taste
15 tonight for Margie's monthly get together. A few of us did a recon a few months back to pick out the menu.I was not wild about the seating but it is what it is when you have a large group. My thumb is still aching and non usable so I am still not in the best of moods. Plus I woke up at 2:00 am really sick and had that mess to clean up.
We started out with Onion Bhaji - sweet onions battered in spices and garbanzo bean flour and deep fried. Very good
Yellow Dal Soup - lentils with potatoes and peas. Decent but I am not a lentil fan so don't go by my taste Then some Yellow Paratha, wheat bread stuffed with potatoes and peas. A tad too spicy for me.
Main dishes were Seekh Kabab - Minced, ground lamb rolled into logs and grilled, came with sauteed onions and bell peppers. Chicken Chau Chau - pan fried noodles with chicken and vegetables. Vegetable Korma - Mixed vegetables in a creamy cashew curry sauce - Always a good one for me. Garlic Naan. Basmati rice. Bengan Bharta - roasted, pureed eggplant with spices and a cream sauce - Very good. Chicken Tikka - tandoori roasted white meat chicken in a mild sauce - another standard that is always good.
Dessert was Kulfi, pistachio Ice Cream with saffron, cardamon and nuts
A very mixed bag of wines tonight:
NV Louis Bouillot. Grand Reserve, Cremant de Bourgone - good
2009 Huber, Sta Rita Hills, Barrel Select, Pinot Noir - excellent , one of the first bottles emptied
2009 Sea Smoke, Sta Rita Hills, Botella, Pinot Noir - gone in a flash
2013 Domaine Weinbach, Riesing Cuvee Laurance - very good
NV Mailly Grand Cru, Brut - good
2012 Albrecht, Pinot Gris - did not tatste
2012 DeRose, Cienega Valley, Zinfandel - did not taste
2011 Stolpman, L'Avion (Roussane) - did not taste
2010 Perry Creek, Fairplay, Zinfandel - did not taste
2012 Two Sisters, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - did not taste
2014 Lincourt, Sta Rita Hills, Gruner Veltliner - did not taste
NV Pommery Reims Brut - excellent
201`2 Fog Crest, Pinot Noir - did not taste
2011 Hillard Bruce, Sta Rita Hills, Sun, Pinot Noir - excellent
2013 Tercero, Outlier (Gewurztraminer) - a favorite wine for me
2013 Melville, Sandys Vineyard, Pinot Noir - did not taste
20143 Hart, Temecula, Arneis - good
2014 Picpoul de Pinet - did not taste
2010 Tobin James, Fat Boy - did not taste
Holiday Brunch
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Brunch at my house today. Sliced thumb open on the cheese grater. Kitchen sink backed up. Not the best of days for me. This is January 11 and I am just getting around to posting. Did a major job on the thumb.
Had about 25 people in for my annual holiday brunch. This will probably be my last one for a large group. I will leave myself an opening for a small group. Everyone usually brings a small dish and a bottle of wine etc., it still runs me at least $250 plus my time. The thing that really gauls me is people seem more than willing to show up but never reciprocate in return. After numerous years of this I think it's time to shut it down. Just invite those that open their doors to me.
I put out 6 bottles of Louis Bouillot, Cremant de Bourgone. Made 3 egg casserole dishes and had two types of sausages and a spiral sliced ham. There were some interesting side dishes but the desserts were lack luster.
My thumb pounded the entire day. Hard to keep a happy face when you are in pain.
The list of wines brought follows - spelling may be off because I cannot hold a pen properly.
2009 Graham Beck , Breui Zero, Premier Cuvee - excellent
201 BV Rutherford, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon - always a good choice
NV Ctsan Don Reserve, Club Cuvee - do not remember
NV Schramsberg, Blanc de Blanc - gone by time I heard it was on the table
2013 Hartley Ostini, Hitching Post, Cork Dancer, Pinot Noir - good
2007 LeVieille Ferme Cotas du Ventaux, Rouge - good
2012 Truett Hurst, 3 Vineyards, Zinfandel - did not taste
2014 Rockview Reserve, Mendocino, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Gavarint, Elin Grasso, Langhe, Nebbiolo - good
2014 Silverado Vineyards, Miller Ranch, Napa, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste
2010 Halter Ranch Syrah - did not taste
23012 Sin Zin, Alexander Valley, Zinfandel - OK
2009 Tobin James, Reserve, Merlot - did not taste
Brunch at my house today. Sliced thumb open on the cheese grater. Kitchen sink backed up. Not the best of days for me. This is January 11 and I am just getting around to posting. Did a major job on the thumb.
Had about 25 people in for my annual holiday brunch. This will probably be my last one for a large group. I will leave myself an opening for a small group. Everyone usually brings a small dish and a bottle of wine etc., it still runs me at least $250 plus my time. The thing that really gauls me is people seem more than willing to show up but never reciprocate in return. After numerous years of this I think it's time to shut it down. Just invite those that open their doors to me.
I put out 6 bottles of Louis Bouillot, Cremant de Bourgone. Made 3 egg casserole dishes and had two types of sausages and a spiral sliced ham. There were some interesting side dishes but the desserts were lack luster.
My thumb pounded the entire day. Hard to keep a happy face when you are in pain.
The list of wines brought follows - spelling may be off because I cannot hold a pen properly.
2009 Graham Beck , Breui Zero, Premier Cuvee - excellent
201 BV Rutherford, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon - always a good choice
NV Ctsan Don Reserve, Club Cuvee - do not remember
NV Schramsberg, Blanc de Blanc - gone by time I heard it was on the table
2013 Hartley Ostini, Hitching Post, Cork Dancer, Pinot Noir - good
2007 LeVieille Ferme Cotas du Ventaux, Rouge - good
2012 Truett Hurst, 3 Vineyards, Zinfandel - did not taste
2014 Rockview Reserve, Mendocino, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Gavarint, Elin Grasso, Langhe, Nebbiolo - good
2014 Silverado Vineyards, Miller Ranch, Napa, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste
2010 Halter Ranch Syrah - did not taste
23012 Sin Zin, Alexander Valley, Zinfandel - OK
2009 Tobin James, Reserve, Merlot - did not taste
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Arte Cafe & Oakville Wines
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Could not pass this dinner up. Price was so right. $39. Four courses and three wines. Was not expecting it to be over the top and it wasn't. Good and adequate for the price. Arte Cafe in Cerritos was packed for this dinner. www.artecamellia.com, so others wanted a bargain also. 6 tonight for dinner. Knew the wine rep, John from previous dinners around town. Nice to chat with him for a few minutes. He is going to be working on a dinner at Delius next year.
Started out with fresh Bay Scallops, Brie Cheese Raviloi. Bay scallops to me have very little flavor. All the flavor from this dish was the ravioli which was quite good along with the sauce. This would have been standout dish if they would have used sea scallops. Wine selected to go with this dish was a Oakville, Elizabeth Rose, Rose. Blend of Syrah, Grenanche and Cinsault. Mixed reviews at the table. I did not care for this wine. Others did. But we all agreed that it was not the best pairing.
Second course was a Fresh California Stripe Bass with grilled vegetables and Dijon cream sauce. Fish was cooked perfectly. Only complaint was they left the skin on one side and had that side on the bottom of the dish in the sauce. Skin gets very moist this way and is really not tasty. Vegetables were good and the mustard cream sauce was excellent.. A Oakville, Elizabeth Rose, Chardonnay was poured. Clean, crisp wine and went well with the fish. This wine also would have been much better with the scallops.
Main course served was New York Steak, dry cherry and Cabernet jus with mashed potatoes, mushrooms and avocado egg roll. Steak was excellent. Had a good sear to it and lots of flavor. Jus was good but I did not even venture to the egg roll. I noticed several people at the table took one bite and put it down. Paired with a Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine was high in alcohol and to be had a bitter taste.
Dessert was a Berry Souffle with a berry cream sauce. Very good dessert.
Nice, enjoyable inexpensive evening out. Company was good. Food had ups and downs as did the wine but the price was right.
Could not pass this dinner up. Price was so right. $39. Four courses and three wines. Was not expecting it to be over the top and it wasn't. Good and adequate for the price. Arte Cafe in Cerritos was packed for this dinner. www.artecamellia.com, so others wanted a bargain also. 6 tonight for dinner. Knew the wine rep, John from previous dinners around town. Nice to chat with him for a few minutes. He is going to be working on a dinner at Delius next year.
Started out with fresh Bay Scallops, Brie Cheese Raviloi. Bay scallops to me have very little flavor. All the flavor from this dish was the ravioli which was quite good along with the sauce. This would have been standout dish if they would have used sea scallops. Wine selected to go with this dish was a Oakville, Elizabeth Rose, Rose. Blend of Syrah, Grenanche and Cinsault. Mixed reviews at the table. I did not care for this wine. Others did. But we all agreed that it was not the best pairing.
Second course was a Fresh California Stripe Bass with grilled vegetables and Dijon cream sauce. Fish was cooked perfectly. Only complaint was they left the skin on one side and had that side on the bottom of the dish in the sauce. Skin gets very moist this way and is really not tasty. Vegetables were good and the mustard cream sauce was excellent.. A Oakville, Elizabeth Rose, Chardonnay was poured. Clean, crisp wine and went well with the fish. This wine also would have been much better with the scallops.
Main course served was New York Steak, dry cherry and Cabernet jus with mashed potatoes, mushrooms and avocado egg roll. Steak was excellent. Had a good sear to it and lots of flavor. Jus was good but I did not even venture to the egg roll. I noticed several people at the table took one bite and put it down. Paired with a Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine was high in alcohol and to be had a bitter taste.
Dessert was a Berry Souffle with a berry cream sauce. Very good dessert.
Nice, enjoyable inexpensive evening out. Company was good. Food had ups and downs as did the wine but the price was right.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
If It's Monday It's Dim Sum
Monday, December 14, 2015
Six today to partake in Dim Sum. The usual suspects met at the Seafood Palace for lunch. Place was crowded today. A lot of offices having their employee holiday lunches.
A lot of white wine showed up today for some reason so we ordered heavy on the seafood
Started out with Steamed Shrimp Dumpling and Pork Shu Mai. Then our complimentary bowl of the hot, sour soup. Glad this came early. The weather is cold and it really tasted extra good today.
White fish with Bok Choy is always winner then another dish with Bok Choy - Shrimp with fat noodles. Lots of vegetables today.
Henry ordered the Stir Fry Lobster with special noodles. We all agreed this dish was better two weeks ago. It was still good but not quite the same. Could be a different cook.
Had to have a beef dish as we had 2 red wines on the table. So Beef with Snow Peas was next.
Dessert was our usual Daan-taat - egg custard tarts.
Wines were interesting.
A Louie Bouillot champagne and a Perrier Joulet champagne to start with.
2014 Chateau La Gordonne, Cotes de Provence, Rose. Nice wine
2011 Tourine Val de Loire, Sauvignon Blanc - excellent with the soup
2010 Alma Rose , Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - Richard Sanford does make good wine
2008 Thorne, Rio Vista Vineyard, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - excellent wine
Six today to partake in Dim Sum. The usual suspects met at the Seafood Palace for lunch. Place was crowded today. A lot of offices having their employee holiday lunches.
A lot of white wine showed up today for some reason so we ordered heavy on the seafood
Started out with Steamed Shrimp Dumpling and Pork Shu Mai. Then our complimentary bowl of the hot, sour soup. Glad this came early. The weather is cold and it really tasted extra good today.
White fish with Bok Choy is always winner then another dish with Bok Choy - Shrimp with fat noodles. Lots of vegetables today.
Henry ordered the Stir Fry Lobster with special noodles. We all agreed this dish was better two weeks ago. It was still good but not quite the same. Could be a different cook.
Had to have a beef dish as we had 2 red wines on the table. So Beef with Snow Peas was next.
Dessert was our usual Daan-taat - egg custard tarts.
Wines were interesting.
A Louie Bouillot champagne and a Perrier Joulet champagne to start with.
2014 Chateau La Gordonne, Cotes de Provence, Rose. Nice wine
2011 Tourine Val de Loire, Sauvignon Blanc - excellent with the soup
2010 Alma Rose , Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - Richard Sanford does make good wine
2008 Thorne, Rio Vista Vineyard, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir - excellent wine
Holiday Dinner at 555
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Fourteen of us tonight for Margie's monthly dinner at the 555 East Steakhouse in Long Beach. www.555east.com. Apparently a change in seating arrangements by the restaurant. We were seated at a long table instead of two round tables. Conversation was limited to those right next to you or straight across the table. I found the restaurant to be very noisy. They were filled to capacity and also had a piano player plunking away on the keys.
I had ordered the small filet with baked potato and mushrooms. Meat did not seem very flavorful as before. It lacked something. You should not have to add sauce to enjoy your meat. Most everyone ordered steak but there were exceptions. I did not keep track of what everyone else ordered. I was not that interested in keeping that many notes. I did keep a list of wines. Most of those I did not taste. In fact I did not know they were on the table until I typed the list up the next day. 14 people, 20 wines. The wines did not move up and down the table well. Too much on the table, between all the glasses, wines and dinner plates it was way to crowded. I would say on the verge of confusion.
I brought a 2005 Stolpman Angeli, Santa Ynez (syrah) . I decanted it for 4 hours and it really helped it to open up. I thought it was excellent and apparently others did also. There was less than 3 ounces left in the bottle when I took it home. I also brought one of my favorite Champagnes. a NV Robert Moncuit, grand Cru, Brut.
Others wines:
1997 Chateau du Terte, Marguax, Grand Cru - just going downhill
2005 Williams Selyem, Bacigalup Vineyard, Zinfandel - one of the best wines on the table
NV J Laurens, tete de Cuvee, Clos des Demnoiselles - did not taste
2011 Lorenzi, Phantom, Temecula - did not taste
NV Veuve Cliquot, A Rems Brut - always a good Champagne for mass production
2011 Saxum, Broken Stones, Paso Robles - did not taste but I would say it still is to young
2012 Rombauer, Propetor R Selection, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Peter Michaels, L'Apes-Midi, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste
2012 Longoria, Syran Vino Dulce - did not taste
2013 Dutton Goldfield, RRV, Pinot Noir - did not taste - sorry to have missed this one
2010 Antinori, Brunello - this was a very good wine - will go several more years easily
2013 Dusty Goose, Willamette Valley, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Prince of Hearts, Napa Red, - did not taste - this wine has shown up at the last 3 functions that I have attended. It was good. I am sure it tasted the same.
2012 Paul Hobbs, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste
2001 Chateau Vieux, Fortin, St. Emilion, Grand Cru - did not taste - sorry to have missed this one
2006 Lindstrom, Stags Leap - going downhill
NV Desert Florus, Late Harvest, Banfi - did not taste
2011 Puma Road, SLH, Pinot Noir - was not impressed
Fourteen of us tonight for Margie's monthly dinner at the 555 East Steakhouse in Long Beach. www.555east.com. Apparently a change in seating arrangements by the restaurant. We were seated at a long table instead of two round tables. Conversation was limited to those right next to you or straight across the table. I found the restaurant to be very noisy. They were filled to capacity and also had a piano player plunking away on the keys.
I had ordered the small filet with baked potato and mushrooms. Meat did not seem very flavorful as before. It lacked something. You should not have to add sauce to enjoy your meat. Most everyone ordered steak but there were exceptions. I did not keep track of what everyone else ordered. I was not that interested in keeping that many notes. I did keep a list of wines. Most of those I did not taste. In fact I did not know they were on the table until I typed the list up the next day. 14 people, 20 wines. The wines did not move up and down the table well. Too much on the table, between all the glasses, wines and dinner plates it was way to crowded. I would say on the verge of confusion.
I brought a 2005 Stolpman Angeli, Santa Ynez (syrah) . I decanted it for 4 hours and it really helped it to open up. I thought it was excellent and apparently others did also. There was less than 3 ounces left in the bottle when I took it home. I also brought one of my favorite Champagnes. a NV Robert Moncuit, grand Cru, Brut.
Others wines:
1997 Chateau du Terte, Marguax, Grand Cru - just going downhill
2005 Williams Selyem, Bacigalup Vineyard, Zinfandel - one of the best wines on the table
NV J Laurens, tete de Cuvee, Clos des Demnoiselles - did not taste
2011 Lorenzi, Phantom, Temecula - did not taste
NV Veuve Cliquot, A Rems Brut - always a good Champagne for mass production
2011 Saxum, Broken Stones, Paso Robles - did not taste but I would say it still is to young
2012 Rombauer, Propetor R Selection, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Peter Michaels, L'Apes-Midi, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste
2012 Longoria, Syran Vino Dulce - did not taste
2013 Dutton Goldfield, RRV, Pinot Noir - did not taste - sorry to have missed this one
2010 Antinori, Brunello - this was a very good wine - will go several more years easily
2013 Dusty Goose, Willamette Valley, Chardonnay - did not taste
2012 Prince of Hearts, Napa Red, - did not taste - this wine has shown up at the last 3 functions that I have attended. It was good. I am sure it tasted the same.
2012 Paul Hobbs, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste
2001 Chateau Vieux, Fortin, St. Emilion, Grand Cru - did not taste - sorry to have missed this one
2006 Lindstrom, Stags Leap - going downhill
NV Desert Florus, Late Harvest, Banfi - did not taste
2011 Puma Road, SLH, Pinot Noir - was not impressed
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