Saturday, September 8, 2018
This was Margie's pick for her September dinner. www.fuegolongbeach.com. We have been here several times before. Always seems to be a change in management so it does become difficult for Margie to have continuity in a relationship with staff. When we got to the restaurant they had us set up at a table that was angled away from the view and in the sun. So what is the point of sitting outside if there is no view. And wine bottles in the sun is a real no no. The staff finally set up another table which was better but not nearly as inviting as the tables we have had in the past.
Weather was perfect for dining al freso. It had been warm during the day but was perfect for the evening.
In order to get a good price it is almost a prix fixe menu. Choice of soup or salad. 3 choices for a main and 2 choices for dessert.. This was set up as $50 per person plus tax and mandatory 18% gratuity for larger groups.
Chips, salsa, bread and butter were in abundance on the table. I refrained from any of it so I would not fill up before dinner.
I selected the salad which was greens with chili dusted pecans, goat cheese, heirloom tomatoes and cilantro (which I do not eat). Fuji apples and a creamy chipotle dressing. Salad was good but half way through eating they are bringing out the mains. It was like they were trying to rush you through dinner. The restaurant was not that busy and a lot of empty tables so I have no reason why the big rush.
I picked the salmon for my main by default. The other choices were chicken which I very rarely order in restaurants. I eat too much at home and for lunches. And flank steak which I am not a big fan of.
The salmon was OK - I don't know if it was wild caught but I would guess it was farm raised. It was moist for the most part, a tad dry in some areas. Quinotto, arugula , citrus zest, roasted almonds ( never saw them) dried cherries (one) parsley, zathar, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and lemon aioli (did not taste the aioli at all) . The dish was OK but nothing to write home about.
Dessert was the saving grace. I chose the Chocolate Trio, rounds of bitter sweet chocolate, milk and white chocolate, stacked with granache icing and raspberry sauce. This was very good.
The food here at Fuego is a take on South American cuisine. For the most part I have been happy with prior selections. Just did not do much for me this year
We had an odd selection of wines. I brought a 2012 Loring, Garys Vineyard, Pinot Noir which was showing OK, not great like I thought it should be. And a 2014 Tercero, Verbiage Blanc which was a white Rhonde blend. Normally I am not into white rhone grapes but Larry made a really nice wine. It went well with the salad and the salmon. I also had a 2011 Clos Pepe, Sparkling Brut Rose of Pinot Noir but it was about 6 months past prime. I had the waiter dump it.
2013 Frank Family, Carneros, Pinot Noir - nice on the light side as most Carneros Pinots are
2012 Carol Shelton, Zinfandel - new winery for me - ok wine
2012 Terra Noble, Chile Cabernet Sauvignon - can't remember if I tasted this or not
NV Bonaval, Spain, Cava Brut - a nice sparkling, light and refreshing
2017 Longoria, Clover Creek Vineyard, Albarino - this wine was very good - you can never go wrong with a Longoria Albarino.
2011 Tablas Creek, Espitit de Tables - did not taste
2014 Cowhorn, Marsanne/Rousenne blend - did not taste
2015 Mi Jueno, Chardonnay - too much butter
2015 Ken Brown, Sanford & Benedict, Pinot Noir - very good wine but Ken Browns wine always are
NV, 14 Hands, Columbia Valley Brut Rose - again a nice light refreshing sparking
2015 Brooks, Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir - typical light Pinot
2016 Cakebread, Napa, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Monday, September 3, 2018
Lunch at Seafood Palace
Monday, September 3, 2018
Busy day today at the Seafood Palace. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com. Holiday lunch crowd. Only 4 of us today but we had a really obscene time.
Started out with the spicy sour soup. Not much spice today. Must be a different chef.
A dish of sautéed white fish with garlic green beans was our first selection. White fish was very succulent and just the right amount of garlic on the beans.
Next we had garlic scallops. Lightly breaded and deep fried. Scallops were cooked perfectly.
Henrys favorite dish, fat noodles with beef and vegetables. Always a hit
New dish for us at the Seafood Palace. Orange beef. Nice tender pieces of fried beef with orange peel. I really liked this dish. Just the right amount of orange flavor. We will be ordering this again.
Last dish was Honey Walnut Shrimp. Shrimp were very succulent and tender. Nice amount of honey sauce with the candied walnuts. Some of the best Honey Walnut Shrimp around. Large shrimp and loads of sauce.
I brought a 2010 Pisoni, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir. Good wine. Will go several more years. I also brought the leftover bottle of 2014 Tercero Outlier that I took to Nayada Saturday night.
Other wines were a 2016 Lucien Crochet Sancerre. Someone else brought this same wine to Saturday night. It went beautifully with the seafood. 2014 Stolpman, Ballard Canton Estate Syrah. This is the flagship wine of Stolpman Vineyards and always a winner. 2014 Black Stallion, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon. Good wine but I am not familiar with the winery nor am I a Cab fan.
Busy day today at the Seafood Palace. www.seafoodpalacerestaurant.com. Holiday lunch crowd. Only 4 of us today but we had a really obscene time.
Started out with the spicy sour soup. Not much spice today. Must be a different chef.
A dish of sautéed white fish with garlic green beans was our first selection. White fish was very succulent and just the right amount of garlic on the beans.
Next we had garlic scallops. Lightly breaded and deep fried. Scallops were cooked perfectly.
Henrys favorite dish, fat noodles with beef and vegetables. Always a hit
New dish for us at the Seafood Palace. Orange beef. Nice tender pieces of fried beef with orange peel. I really liked this dish. Just the right amount of orange flavor. We will be ordering this again.
Last dish was Honey Walnut Shrimp. Shrimp were very succulent and tender. Nice amount of honey sauce with the candied walnuts. Some of the best Honey Walnut Shrimp around. Large shrimp and loads of sauce.
I brought a 2010 Pisoni, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir. Good wine. Will go several more years. I also brought the leftover bottle of 2014 Tercero Outlier that I took to Nayada Saturday night.
Other wines were a 2016 Lucien Crochet Sancerre. Someone else brought this same wine to Saturday night. It went beautifully with the seafood. 2014 Stolpman, Ballard Canton Estate Syrah. This is the flagship wine of Stolpman Vineyards and always a winner. 2014 Black Stallion, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon. Good wine but I am not familiar with the winery nor am I a Cab fan.
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Nayada Thai Restaurant
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Have not been to Nayada in quite awhile. Seven of us tonight - mixed group. No set menu so it was a free for all in ordering. I just went with the flow. I will say I was disappointed in several of the dishes. Not sure if it was the quality of the food or the dishes selected. I found that I preferred the selection of appetizers over the main dishes and they were not all my favorites either
We started out with Garlic Wings which were very good. and Deep Fried Calamari. These to me were the best of night. The Spring Rolls are all veggies but way too much cucumber and lettuce for me. I had two bites out of mine and left it. Golden Bags which is pastry filled with a pork mixture and deep fried. OK but. Fried tofu - small sticks of tofu deep fried, too small so you did not get the good taste of the tofu. The last three did nothing for me.
Bear in mind there are numerous people ordering the mains.
Crab Fried Rice - I personally though it was awful. I found it dry, no flavor and the crab tasted old to me.
Beef with noodles and vegetables - again not a memorable dish - nothing bad but nothing really good.
Scallops with vegetable - scallops were tender and decent flavor but all these vegetables seem to be coming out of the same pot.
Then there was a dish of "Vegetables" which had way to much "heat" for me. The burn from it lasts way to long. I had one bite and that threw my palate off. And besides we had vegetables with two other dishes.
Apparently there was a dish of yellow curry - it never got to me - I did see it in someone's hands at one time .
I fill up fast at my advance age so I wasn't hungry after the appetizers so having mediocre food didn't make much difference to me. But this dinner was not the best I have had a Nayada. I don't think it was the restaurant as much as the selections people made. Everything was too much alike. And I really missed the deep fried catfish and the Tom Yum Soup. I supposed I could have ordered those dishes but we had enough food that leftovers were taken home.
The wines brought seemed to be all over the place also.
I brought a NV Bernard Bremont, Ambonnay Brut, Grand Cru. It was going downhill. Still barely drinkable. I need to start culling out my older sparklings and whites. I also brought a 2014 Tercero, Outlier, a dry Gerwurztraimer. This wine always pairs well with spicy food.
2016 Lucien Crochet Sancerre - very good
2014 Domaine Schlumberger, Alsace, Grand Cru Riesling - very good
2016 Ried Mohlberg, Austria, Gruner Veltliner - very good
2012 Martinelli, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir - very good
NV Celebration, France, Brut Sparkling - very good
Orlana, Portugal, Rose - not my favorite - way to " strawberry fields forever " sweet for me
2015 Ferrari-Carrano, Siena (red blend) - not impressed
The hit of the evening was a 1992 Bollinger, Grand Annee, Brut Champagne - excellent wine
Have not been to Nayada in quite awhile. Seven of us tonight - mixed group. No set menu so it was a free for all in ordering. I just went with the flow. I will say I was disappointed in several of the dishes. Not sure if it was the quality of the food or the dishes selected. I found that I preferred the selection of appetizers over the main dishes and they were not all my favorites either
We started out with Garlic Wings which were very good. and Deep Fried Calamari. These to me were the best of night. The Spring Rolls are all veggies but way too much cucumber and lettuce for me. I had two bites out of mine and left it. Golden Bags which is pastry filled with a pork mixture and deep fried. OK but. Fried tofu - small sticks of tofu deep fried, too small so you did not get the good taste of the tofu. The last three did nothing for me.
Bear in mind there are numerous people ordering the mains.
Crab Fried Rice - I personally though it was awful. I found it dry, no flavor and the crab tasted old to me.
Beef with noodles and vegetables - again not a memorable dish - nothing bad but nothing really good.
Scallops with vegetable - scallops were tender and decent flavor but all these vegetables seem to be coming out of the same pot.
Then there was a dish of "Vegetables" which had way to much "heat" for me. The burn from it lasts way to long. I had one bite and that threw my palate off. And besides we had vegetables with two other dishes.
Apparently there was a dish of yellow curry - it never got to me - I did see it in someone's hands at one time .
I fill up fast at my advance age so I wasn't hungry after the appetizers so having mediocre food didn't make much difference to me. But this dinner was not the best I have had a Nayada. I don't think it was the restaurant as much as the selections people made. Everything was too much alike. And I really missed the deep fried catfish and the Tom Yum Soup. I supposed I could have ordered those dishes but we had enough food that leftovers were taken home.
The wines brought seemed to be all over the place also.
I brought a NV Bernard Bremont, Ambonnay Brut, Grand Cru. It was going downhill. Still barely drinkable. I need to start culling out my older sparklings and whites. I also brought a 2014 Tercero, Outlier, a dry Gerwurztraimer. This wine always pairs well with spicy food.
2016 Lucien Crochet Sancerre - very good
2014 Domaine Schlumberger, Alsace, Grand Cru Riesling - very good
2016 Ried Mohlberg, Austria, Gruner Veltliner - very good
2012 Martinelli, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir - very good
NV Celebration, France, Brut Sparkling - very good
Orlana, Portugal, Rose - not my favorite - way to " strawberry fields forever " sweet for me
2015 Ferrari-Carrano, Siena (red blend) - not impressed
The hit of the evening was a 1992 Bollinger, Grand Annee, Brut Champagne - excellent wine
Thursday, August 23, 2018
PS
I forgot in my post about Trefethen. They gave all of us a small gift bag that had a stopper and foil cutter in it. There is a card but I did not open and read what it said yet. Nice touch.
Trefethen Wines at Chianina
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
What better way to celebrate my fathers birth, 111 years ago than to have a great wine dinner. He would be proud.
I have missed the last 2 wine dinners at Chianina due to prior commitments. I was surprised at all the new staff. A few hold overs but new people. Way more female wait staff than before. And Michael Dene the owner was no where around. He usually pops in at these wine dinners and makes the rounds. Makes you wonder what is in the air. I have noticed at a couple other dining establishments that there seems to be a big turnover in staff the last few months.
We started out with a Tagliatelle with Dungeness crab, Meyer lemon and fine herbs. This dish was my favorite of the evening. Loads of flavor, light lemon and the pasta was perfect. Paired beautifully with a 2017 Trefethen, Napa, Dry Rielsing. Just a hint of sweetness. I really liked this wine, Judy thought it was too dry.
Second course is a Tasmanian Ocean Trout with smoked trout rillette and grilled summer squash. Tasmanian ocean trout looks like salmon and has the same consistency in the flesh. The squash was very small "buttons" of yellow and zucchini and a puree of squash poured onto the side of the dish. Flavors blended well. The wine is a 2016 Trefethen, Napa, Chardonnay. My favorite again - too damm oaky for me. The fattiness of the fish did help cut the oak. But again we had to listen to the rep tell us how fabulous butter, vanilla and oak are in Chardonnay. I drank the wine with the food but I would never drink a glass of this by its self.
Next is a Superior Farm Lamb, a piece of loin and a piece of "lamb belly". Top fat and meat underneath like pork belly. It was good. Served with Romano wax beans and Greek yogurt. I had part of this dish and had it packed to go. We have steak coming up and I am starting to fill. A 2015 Trefethen, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon was the selection. A nice cab for a cab. It was a good pairing.
Fourth course is a Filet of Chianina Beef, creamed corn, summer truffle and roasted new potatoes. Perfect piece of beef. I originally thought I would take part of this dish home but decided I needed to savor that meat so I forced myself. So glad I did because the something would be lost in the translation if I reheated this dish. Paired with a 2015 Trefethen, Napa, Dragons Tooth, a bordeaux grape blend. My favorite wine of the evening. Very balanced, velvet on the mouth, dark fruit, low tanins. A very nice drinking wine.
Thankfully the dessert was light and small. A scoop of housed made Apricot sorbet. Very creamy and a light apricot flavor. Perfect ending to the meal.
I outdid myself lately, in 12 days I have had 6 wine dinners and a wine tasting. I can rest for a bit. I will say it was getting to be slightly over whelming. I have had so much rich food that I think a few days of soup is in order. Only one more event in August then we will see what September brings beside dinner at Nayada, Fuego and The Playground.
What better way to celebrate my fathers birth, 111 years ago than to have a great wine dinner. He would be proud.
I have missed the last 2 wine dinners at Chianina due to prior commitments. I was surprised at all the new staff. A few hold overs but new people. Way more female wait staff than before. And Michael Dene the owner was no where around. He usually pops in at these wine dinners and makes the rounds. Makes you wonder what is in the air. I have noticed at a couple other dining establishments that there seems to be a big turnover in staff the last few months.
We started out with a Tagliatelle with Dungeness crab, Meyer lemon and fine herbs. This dish was my favorite of the evening. Loads of flavor, light lemon and the pasta was perfect. Paired beautifully with a 2017 Trefethen, Napa, Dry Rielsing. Just a hint of sweetness. I really liked this wine, Judy thought it was too dry.
Second course is a Tasmanian Ocean Trout with smoked trout rillette and grilled summer squash. Tasmanian ocean trout looks like salmon and has the same consistency in the flesh. The squash was very small "buttons" of yellow and zucchini and a puree of squash poured onto the side of the dish. Flavors blended well. The wine is a 2016 Trefethen, Napa, Chardonnay. My favorite again - too damm oaky for me. The fattiness of the fish did help cut the oak. But again we had to listen to the rep tell us how fabulous butter, vanilla and oak are in Chardonnay. I drank the wine with the food but I would never drink a glass of this by its self.
Next is a Superior Farm Lamb, a piece of loin and a piece of "lamb belly". Top fat and meat underneath like pork belly. It was good. Served with Romano wax beans and Greek yogurt. I had part of this dish and had it packed to go. We have steak coming up and I am starting to fill. A 2015 Trefethen, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon was the selection. A nice cab for a cab. It was a good pairing.
Fourth course is a Filet of Chianina Beef, creamed corn, summer truffle and roasted new potatoes. Perfect piece of beef. I originally thought I would take part of this dish home but decided I needed to savor that meat so I forced myself. So glad I did because the something would be lost in the translation if I reheated this dish. Paired with a 2015 Trefethen, Napa, Dragons Tooth, a bordeaux grape blend. My favorite wine of the evening. Very balanced, velvet on the mouth, dark fruit, low tanins. A very nice drinking wine.
Thankfully the dessert was light and small. A scoop of housed made Apricot sorbet. Very creamy and a light apricot flavor. Perfect ending to the meal.
I outdid myself lately, in 12 days I have had 6 wine dinners and a wine tasting. I can rest for a bit. I will say it was getting to be slightly over whelming. I have had so much rich food that I think a few days of soup is in order. Only one more event in August then we will see what September brings beside dinner at Nayada, Fuego and The Playground.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Summer Wine Tasting at Arte Cafe
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Arte Cafe in Cerritos hosted their 16th Annual Summer Wine Tasting today. After doing these tastings numerous times over the years I have seen a big drop off in the number of distributors participating. Looked to me that there were approximately 8 tonight.
The quality of wines are not there either. Mostly lower end in the $10 to $25 range. A few in the $40 to $50 but not many. I was not taken by most of them. Another big drawback is that if you are interested in buying then it is by the case only and that is not a mixed case either. I am not interested in buying a case of any one wine. The rep's kept talking about how much cheaper the pricing was in relation to the store pricing but at the store I can buy one or two bottles and be done with it.
The passed appetizers were very good, spring rolls, deep fried mozzarella sticks, fried tofu cubes, chicken salad on cucumber rounds, cheese stuffed potstickers, chicken on skewers, prime rib on toast rounds. And they were very good about bringing them out of the kitchen regularly.
It was nice weather and the event was held outside so it made for a pleasant evening. Plenty of chairs for sitting and a duo playing music. Approximately 40 wines and food for $35. A bargain.
Arte Cafe in Cerritos hosted their 16th Annual Summer Wine Tasting today. After doing these tastings numerous times over the years I have seen a big drop off in the number of distributors participating. Looked to me that there were approximately 8 tonight.
The quality of wines are not there either. Mostly lower end in the $10 to $25 range. A few in the $40 to $50 but not many. I was not taken by most of them. Another big drawback is that if you are interested in buying then it is by the case only and that is not a mixed case either. I am not interested in buying a case of any one wine. The rep's kept talking about how much cheaper the pricing was in relation to the store pricing but at the store I can buy one or two bottles and be done with it.
The passed appetizers were very good, spring rolls, deep fried mozzarella sticks, fried tofu cubes, chicken salad on cucumber rounds, cheese stuffed potstickers, chicken on skewers, prime rib on toast rounds. And they were very good about bringing them out of the kitchen regularly.
It was nice weather and the event was held outside so it made for a pleasant evening. Plenty of chairs for sitting and a duo playing music. Approximately 40 wines and food for $35. A bargain.
Monday, August 20, 2018
Saxon Brown Wines at Taste in Long Beach
Sunday, August 20, 2018
Sold out dinner at Taste in Long Beach. www.taste-wbk.com. Small restaurant holds maybe 36 people. Saxon Brown is a new winery for me. In the Sonoma area. Jeff the owner, winemaker and jack of all trades was in attendance. The name Saxon Brown came from a female character in a Jack London novel "The Valley of The Moon".
Interesting evening. One person at my table became ill and had to leave. An elderly lady sitting at the family style table slid off her chair/stool and landed on the ground She seemed to have partially pass out. It was hotter than normal tonight inside and I had asked them to crank up the air because of the stale air. Perhaps the stagnant air that was the cause of both incidences.
We started out with a Savory Fig Tart,. goat cheese mousse, toasted hazelnuts, local honey and vanilla vinaigrette. This was damm good. Interesting combination. Paired with a 2012 "Fighting Brothers" Semillon. Good wine, a bit too cold at the beginning but really blossomed as it warmed a bit. A little on the "sweet" side but it was a perfect pairing.
Second course is a Shrimp Bisque with Poached Lobster, crispy pancetta, tarragon, Joelle olive oil. Just wish I had a large tureen of this instead of a bowl. A 2012 "Green Acres Hill" Chardonnay was the choice. Way to oaky for me. Not my preference in Chardonnays
Third course is a House Smoked Pork Tenderloin, market plum sauce, Grist & Toll polenta, arugula salad. Removed the rabbit food from the top. Flavors were very good, pork was tender and moist but I like my pork with a pink color inside. The wine was excellent. a 2013 Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir. Best wine of the evening. Balanced, dark cherry and dark fruits, soft tannins, velvety mouth feel.
Next we had a Lamb Shoulder Ragu, pappardelle pasta, tomato-red wine sauce, pearl onions, bacon. Good home cooking style flavors, Pasta was perfect. I had a few bites and had them box it up for me. Will eat the rest for lunch tomorrow. Paired with a 2009 Parmelee-Hill Camp Block Syrah. Nice wine but it didn't knock my socks off.
Dessert was strangely good. A Spiced Chocolate Cake with summer berries, fresh bay leaf ice cream and zinfandel syrup. The chef has a bay leaf tree in his yard and these were fresh from that tree. Way better flavor than those dried things in the stores. An odd combination that worked really well together. A 2013 "Fighting Brothers" Zinfandel was the wine. Went extremely well with the spiced cake.
Another good dinner at Taste. They will not have another wine dinner until the end of the year because of the wine grape harvest coming up. Winemakers are busy at that time of the year. Taste always likes to have the owner or winemaker in attendance. Not just a rep.
Sold out dinner at Taste in Long Beach. www.taste-wbk.com. Small restaurant holds maybe 36 people. Saxon Brown is a new winery for me. In the Sonoma area. Jeff the owner, winemaker and jack of all trades was in attendance. The name Saxon Brown came from a female character in a Jack London novel "The Valley of The Moon".
Interesting evening. One person at my table became ill and had to leave. An elderly lady sitting at the family style table slid off her chair/stool and landed on the ground She seemed to have partially pass out. It was hotter than normal tonight inside and I had asked them to crank up the air because of the stale air. Perhaps the stagnant air that was the cause of both incidences.
We started out with a Savory Fig Tart,. goat cheese mousse, toasted hazelnuts, local honey and vanilla vinaigrette. This was damm good. Interesting combination. Paired with a 2012 "Fighting Brothers" Semillon. Good wine, a bit too cold at the beginning but really blossomed as it warmed a bit. A little on the "sweet" side but it was a perfect pairing.
Second course is a Shrimp Bisque with Poached Lobster, crispy pancetta, tarragon, Joelle olive oil. Just wish I had a large tureen of this instead of a bowl. A 2012 "Green Acres Hill" Chardonnay was the choice. Way to oaky for me. Not my preference in Chardonnays
Third course is a House Smoked Pork Tenderloin, market plum sauce, Grist & Toll polenta, arugula salad. Removed the rabbit food from the top. Flavors were very good, pork was tender and moist but I like my pork with a pink color inside. The wine was excellent. a 2013 Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir. Best wine of the evening. Balanced, dark cherry and dark fruits, soft tannins, velvety mouth feel.
Next we had a Lamb Shoulder Ragu, pappardelle pasta, tomato-red wine sauce, pearl onions, bacon. Good home cooking style flavors, Pasta was perfect. I had a few bites and had them box it up for me. Will eat the rest for lunch tomorrow. Paired with a 2009 Parmelee-Hill Camp Block Syrah. Nice wine but it didn't knock my socks off.
Dessert was strangely good. A Spiced Chocolate Cake with summer berries, fresh bay leaf ice cream and zinfandel syrup. The chef has a bay leaf tree in his yard and these were fresh from that tree. Way better flavor than those dried things in the stores. An odd combination that worked really well together. A 2013 "Fighting Brothers" Zinfandel was the wine. Went extremely well with the spiced cake.
Another good dinner at Taste. They will not have another wine dinner until the end of the year because of the wine grape harvest coming up. Winemakers are busy at that time of the year. Taste always likes to have the owner or winemaker in attendance. Not just a rep.
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