Margie's Monthly Dinner at The Red Table

 Saturday, April 10, 2021

Margie was able to get seating for 15 of us tonight at The Red Table in Huntington Beach. Outdoors, a bit cool but we were up against a wall which really helped. Not like last month at Kings Fish House when we were right along side the street. 

We had heaters and the wall. Since there was 15 of us there were 3 tables of 4 and a table of 3. The 3 all being single.  No issue with that but I had a big issue that the table for 3 was at the very end of the line of tables. We were really a bit isolated from the others. I felt a bit isolated and rejected. If the table for 3 was in between 2 tables of 4 we would have felt like we were part of the group. Yes some people did come down with their wines to share but somehow it just did not seem like we belonged. I wonder if we were 13 people with 1 single where that single would have been seated. At a table for 1 at the end ?  The tables were for 4 people. That is what the restaurant had outside so it was a situation that was not under anyone's control except for the restaurant. Nice to have 15 people but I really would have preferred to be inside at the Red Table in the middle with 11 or 12 people. 

CJ and I decided ahead of time to share appetizers for dinner. We have Roasted Brussel Sprouts with French Fried Onion Rings, Roasted Beets, Crispy Calamari Rings, Meatball Sliders and Garlic French Fries. Most were very good. I would not order the Calamari again. Too rubbery and the meatball slider had  an off putting taste to me. Fries and beets were great. 

I brought a 2012 Grassini, Articondo, from Happy Canyon AVA. Blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot, Big wine. I decanted it for about 2 hours after opening. It was still very tight at dinner and did not begin to open up for at least another hour at dinner.  Probably be really good tomorrow. But a very good wine. Other wines brought were:

2011 Walter Hanzell, South Slope Vineyard, RRV, Pinot Noir - very good

2018 St, Supery, Napa valley, Sauvignon Blanc.  Not to acidic.

2014 Sanglier, Boars Camp, Sonoma, GSM,  did not taste

2016 Wrath,  Sansaba Vineyard, Monterey, Chardonnay - did not taste

2015 High Dive, Napa Valley, Red Blend - did not taste

NV   Marquis de la Mysteriale, Champagne - very good , yeasty

2017 Brewer-Clifton. Sta Rita Hills, Chardonnay - bit oaky

2015 Scott Paul, La Paulee, Willamette Valley, Oregon, Pinot Noir - very good

NV   Scharffenberger, Methode Traditionale, Sparkling - did not taste

2018 Latah Creek, Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste

2018 Williams Seylem, Olivet Lane Vineyard, Pinot Noir - good but way to young

2018 Wild Think,  Mendocino County. Rendevous Rose, Sparkling - OK but not to my liking

NV   Monopole Bue Top, Brut Champagne - good

2018 Eden Ridge. Mendocino County, Barrel Select, Chardonnay - did not taste

2018 Courtney Benham, Cabernet Sauvignon - did no taste.

Lunch at The Diamond Seafood Palace with the Boys

 Thursday, April 8, 2021

Been a long time since we got together for lunch. Just 3 of us today. So only 3 wines.  A NV Gruet Cuvee 89 Rose sparkling, a 2011 Clos Pepe VS Pinot Noir and a 2018 Martin Ray Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

Very limited menu due to the effects of Covid had the dining scene. Most restaurants are like this. anymore. They cannot afford to keep a big inventory of fresh food because of such a decline in diners. 

We had 3 dishes, A French Style Beef Filet with onions, lettuce and tomatoes. Beef was very tender and seasoned well.

Kung Pao Fish Filet with Squid. Good flavor but not much "kung  pao".

House Special Chicken with salted fish, stir fried thin rice noodles and scallions. Interesting flavors. I did like it.

Nice to get together again. Hoping to do it next week also. It has been too long.

Whispering Angel Rose Wine dinner at Arte Cafe

 Tuesday April 6, 2021

New winery for me. Never heard of them but that is nothing new. From Provence, France.  Small crowd tonight. Maybe 25 people at the most. 

We started out with a Moet and Chandon Imperial rose. We were fortunate to get a pour. Some people did not. Seems the wine rep, Alex,  only brought a couple of bottles.  We finished our glass before the first course arrived. No seconds here. 

First course is a Crab  and Cheese Rangoon. Very tasty. They did our the second wine with this course as well as the second course. The Palm Rose, blend of Grenache, Vermentino and Shiraz. Not to my liking. Had an odd metallic after taste on the back palate.

Second course is a Ahi Carpaccio with Ponzu, Crispy Onion and Arugula. Clean, fresh dish. Loads of flavor. Same wine as before.

Next was a Korean BBQ Lamb Tacos with Sesame, Asian Slaw and Pickled Onions. Great flavors but needed a bit of a sauce, Tad on the dry side. Paired with a Whispering Angel Rose, 10 year old vines. This wine I did like. Soft fruit flavors, a bit on the dry spectrum which I like. 

Fourth Course is a Roasted Duck with Hoisin Sauce and Black Bean Puree. Way too much black bean. Half would have been adequate. It took away from the crispy skin on the duck. Wine was The Rock Angel Rose.. 15 year old vines. I did like this wine also. Had body to it without being too over heavy.

Dessert is a Poached Asian Pear with Creme Fraiche and Macadamia Nuts. Light, refreshing. They served this with a cocktail of The Palm Rose, Jasmine Liqueur. Bitters and a Edible Orchid for flash. 

I would have bought a few bottles but they did not have any order sheets available. Seems like something is very off tonight. Not the usual super efficient Arte Cafe as usual.

Road Trip To Temecula

 Saturday, April 3, 2021

3 of us on this trip. Hired a car and driver to take us to Temecula for wine tasting. The driver came with a SUV which had a very high running board. Made it very difficult for me to get in because of my bout with Sciatica. May be a long trip.

We arrived in Temecula about 10:30 am . First tasting was at 11:00. I had not been here in over 15 years. Huge buildings housing the wineries. Looked more like sets for Hollywood. Not sure if I like it. If fact I really disliked it. 

First stop was Doffo winery. Big motorcycle collection. If you are a bike nut this would be right up you alley.  We had a flight of 4 wines. Decent wines but not putting out any money for them.

We were scheduled for lunch and tasting at Avensole.  Went inside for lunch first. It took 2-1/2 hour's so we had to forget the tasting. There was wine at the table for lunch. Tasted decent. Food was very good. We started out with an appetizer of oven roasted Brie cheese with a fruit compote. It was very good, Then a pizza style flatbread which also was very good. At this point I am full and I still have an Ahi burger coming. Burger got packed to go. Ate it the next day and it also was very good. If I would come to Temecula again I would probably eat here. 

We had a 3:00 appointment at Wiens for a Cellar Room tastings. This was held outdoors in a private patio setting. Best wines of the day but so over priced. $115 for a Cabernet Sauvignon from Temecula. I don't think so. Wine was good but should have been in the $45 range. 

On the way out we stopped at Akash. Their tasting stopped at 5:00 but we got a bottle and sat outside. They had a DJ playing music. I was not overly impressed with the wine.

Temecula is not for serious wine drinkers. It is playing to the party buses, birthday girls, bachelor and bachelorette parties etc., Loaded with wannabe's.  I am sure there are exceptions to the wineries. and probably a few really good ones, Wiens being one of them. But on the whole it is party time. Probably be another few years before I am back. 

Duckhorn Wine Dinner at Arte Cafe

 Friday, March 26, 2021

Almost a full house tonight. Not sure about the six feet apart table rule being adhered to . The tables themselves were but by time you o\put a chair and a person it left a lot to interpretation.  But not nearly as jam packed as the dining room normally is. We opted to sit outside on the patio.  Said hello to eight people I knew that were attending also.

Started out with Pan Seared Diver Scallops with a caper beurre blanc sauce and baby bok choy. As usual Richard had cooked the scallops to perfection.   Served with a 2019 Duckhorn, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc. Wine was a good pairing. The wine was not overly acidic and had a nice slight creamy texture to it.

Second course is a shaved pear and goat cheese salad with a chardonnay and Dijon vinaigrette. My salad was prefect. Had at least 10 slices of cherry tomato. and was dressed well. My two dining companions had no tomatoes and no dressing. They did bring out bowls of dressing I did notice that a few other tables had the same issue. Apparently a big  screw up in the kitchen. Salad was very good. But the wine, Oh My. A 2019 Duckhorn, Napa Valley, Chardonnay.  So oaky and buttery. A typical California style Chardonnay which I really dislike.  Sherry and I both gave Douglas our wine. We were able to get another pour of the Sau Blanc but it really did not pair well with the salad. 

Next was a Duck Breast with cherries and Port sauce over a round of crispy polenta and roasted turnips. My duck was cooked a tad to much for me but had great flavor. I prefer my meats to be more red than dark pink.  Paired with a 2018 Duckhorn, Napa Valley, Merlot. Good pairing. Wine was good. Not a big Merlot fan but this wine held its own. Was told that it received a 94 rating. 

Fourth course is a double herb crusted lamb chop with spring root vegetable mash and Chinese broccoli.  Again I felt my lamb was a bit over cooked for my palate. But flavors were spot on. A 2017 Duckhorn, Napa valley, Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine choice. A very nice cab, It was about 80% Cabernet grapes and balance were at least 3 other reds among them Cab Franc. 

Dessert was a flourless chocolate cake with icing and raspberry coulis. Rich and decadent.

A few glitches tonight but I will attribute that to the fact that inside dining rooms are now open and the kitchen and wait staff may be a bit rusty due to the long shut down. I am sure by the Whispering Angel Rose wine dinner on the 6th things will be working smoother. 

Outdoor Dinner at The Playground

 Wednesday, Match 17, 2021

An impromptu dinner tonight at the Playground,  www.Playgrounddtsa. com,  Had not been here since Covid started.  Still dining outdoors,  but tables are spaced apart, heaters are going and great company.

Limited menu because of all the issues generated by restaurants having to be closed, open, closed etc., 

Decided to share plates. started off with "Fried Green Beans" with cashews, puffed rice, Thai basil, lime leaf curry. Great flavor. Beans were not overcooked, still had a bit of a bite to them,  curry sauce was excellent.

Next we ordered "Catalan Spinach", spinach, apple, apricot, sunflower seed, pine nut, sultana and lemon. Spinach was bright green, no over cooking here. Wonderful blend of flavors.

For the main "Deep South Congee", congee with Rootbeer glazed Beeler's Pork Cheeks, unicorn grits, fried sweet potato, braised collard greens, buckwheat-sorghum crunch, roasted turnips and ham crispies. I know it sounds weird but the flavors were spot on. The congee was an gray lavender color, odd but good. 

The chef / owner Jason Quinn has a real gift with blending flavors and incorporating "odd" things together. It always amazes me what he comes up with.  I like "different" and he always comes through. 

Two bottles of wine tonight.  A 2011 Clos Pepe, VS Pinot Noir which was showing exceptionally well . A 2010 Chateau D'Aiguilhe, Bordeaux. This wine took a bit to open,  Barnyardy for the first half hour or so before it blew off. Another good wine.

Margie's Monthly Dinner at Kings Fish House

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Back to being able to have outdoor dining for a couple of months now.  Tonight's dinner is at Kings Fish House in Huntington Beach.  Outdoor, open patio area. A bit cool and breezy. I was hoping we would be seated under the awning. Guess with 12 people you can't be too choosy. But I found the tables to be a bit on the small size for all of our wine glasses, bottles etc.,  Had to be careful maneuvering things around.

I started out with 1/2 dozen Oysters. None that I recall having before.  One each of Night Tide, Oishi, Baywater Sweet, James River, Rappahannock and Riptide. Most were on the medium to large size and all had nice salinity to them.

Main dish was grilled Chilean Sea Bass with grilled zucchini and glazed carrots. Fish cooked perfectly and the vegetables were on the crisp side which I like.

Had Creme Brulee for dessert. I did not have any of the bread,  rolls or starches so I could treat myself. 

A large assortment of wines brought tonight. Lots of whites but some varietals I wasn't too sure about with Seafood. Most I did not taste as the varietals were not to my palate.

2018 Hook or Crook, Lodi, Field Blend. and a Cava from Spain, Campo Viejo. The Cava I had a few weeks back at a dinner. A person at out table had found it at Costco. I liked it so went looking.  When I was in the store I stumbled across the Hook or Crook. Great price, bought one bottle to try. Went back a few days later on bought a case. Both bottles had a $5 off  promo going. So at $6 for each it was the bargain of the month.  You can stumble across a deal once in awhile. 

2015 Iron Horse, Ocean Breeze, Blanc de Blanc - nice wine, went well with the oysters as did the Cava

2020 Akash Winery, Parley Vous Rose - OK just not my style of Rose

2017 Brooks Cahiers, Pinot Noir, - nice, light, cool climate wine.

2018 Brander,  Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste

2018 Titus, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste

2018 Carol Shelton, Coquille Blanc, a white Rhone grapes blend - did taste but not my style at all

Lason , Black Label, Brut Champagne - I cannot remember tasting this wine.

Rombauer, Proprietors Select, Chardonnay - did not taste

2014 Sea Smoke, Ten, Pinot Noir - OK wine but not impressed. I think Sea Smoke is a very overrated wine for the price

2017 Foley, Chardonnay - did not taste

2020, Nebbiolo,   home made wine and it was decent

2016 Steinbeck, Viognier - did not taste

2017 Shed Horn, Zinfandel - did not taste

Blandy's 10 year old Maderia - nice touch to end of meal