Margies Monthly Dinner at Derricks on Atlantic

 Saturday, May 8, 2021

15 of us tonight for indoor patio dining at Derricks BBQ. www. derricksonatlantic.com. First time at this particular restaurant and I will probably never go back. I doubt if they last until the end of the year.  Our group was the only people tonight. There was maybe 10 take out orders in a 4 hour period. One cook in the kitchen and one waitstaff. People at one end of the row of tables were almost finished before the people at the other end got their plates. Food very slow coming out of the kitchen. 

Large , interesting menu. Texas style BBQ which is dry rubbed. You add your sauce as you eat. I have relatives in Texas and have had Texas style BBQ before.  Menu looked very good. Maybe some of the other dishes were good but I was not happy with my selection.  I ordered a sampler plate. Out of 5 items I choose 3. Pork Ribs, Brisket and Tri Tip.  My sides were collard greens and bourbon glazed carrots. I will say the sides were very good. My ribs were a bit on the dry side. Not overly.  The Tri Tip was way over cooked. It even looked dry on the plate.  The brisket was cooked decent but lacked flavor.  They gave us small plastic cups with the BBQ sauce in them, Maybe a tablespoon of sauce in each cup. I realize with Covid restrictions they could not put  out bottles of sauce on the table but what is wrong with using a dish like the sides came in for sauce and have it on the plate.  When I reheated the meat the next day at home for dinner I slathered BBQ sauce all over the meat. Made it palatable but it was still dry.  Person next to me order the same sampler plate but got the Tri Tip, which was dry like mine,  Pulled Pork and Meaty Beef Rib. Rib was not meaty. Pulled Pork was good. Such a hit and miss. 

The wines tonight were an interesting collection. I will say I thought they were a better selection than at past dinners.  I know everyone's palate is different but I sometimes wonder why certain people have to bring such mediocre wines. I am surmising that they have mediocre palates. Of course that is what they might think of me. 

I brought a 2011 Stolpman, Santa Yenez Valley LaCroce which is a blend of Sangiovese and Syrah. This is my favorite wine that Stolpman makes. But I was a bit disappointed in tonight's wine. Maybe bottle variation. I have several more bottles. I will try another one in a month or so to check it out.  Good and drinkable but lacked the punch  I expected. I just couldn't get the nuances out of it. Perhaps a bit over the hill but I have had older LaCroce's before and they have been outstanding. 

2015 Brutaco Coro, Medocino Red Blend - good

2014 Tobin James, Paso Robles, 5 Varietal, Red Blend - good

2011 Windsor Oaks, Chalk Hill. Mountain Cuvee, Red Blend - very good

2006 Lancaster Estate, Sophia's Hillside Cuvee, Red Blend - Excellent

2017 Rock Wall, Napa, Henory Vineyard, Block 29, Zinfandel - good

2016 Occidental Road Cellars, RRV, Horseshoe Bend Vineyards, Syrah - did not taste

2017 McClain, Lodi, Dream Keeper, Sparkling - Interesting. sweet on front palate but more citrusy on back palate

2017 Selbach Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr. Mosel, Germany, Riesling. Kabinett - did not taste

2015 Pomar Junction, Paso Robles, El Pomar District, Reserve Zinfandel - did not taste

NV Domaine Carneros by Tattinger, Brut Rose -nice and refreshing

2016 Rombauer, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado Vineyards, Twin Rivers Single Vineyard Zinfandel - did not taste

2019 Rombauer, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste

2019 Curran, Santa Barbara County, Grenache Blanc - always good

2015 Saddleback, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon - did not taste

2009 Domaine Rouge-Bleu Mistral, France, Cotes du Rhone - very good after sitting for over an hour to open up more

2018 Castoro Cellars,  Paso Robles, Whole Rock Vineyards, Temparnillo - did not taste

Lunch With The Boys at Diamond Seafood Palace

 Thursday, April 29, 2021

Must be something in the air. Screw ups the other day at Arte Cafe on their Sanford wine dinner and today at lunch at the Diamond Seafood Palace .  And out waiter was not the brightest light bulb on the string. 

We ordered Kung Pao Fish,  unbreaded - came to the table breaded. Fish was still good but it is much better without the breading. 

Next screwup was the Salt Fish and Chicken  Fried Rice which we ordered with thin rice noodles instead of rice. Dish came out with rice. Henry said he would keep and take home but then reordered the dish with thin noodles. When that dish came out it had loads of noodles but no salt fish and no chicken. Just noodles and vegetables. 

The Diced Filet of Beef was good but not the quality we had a couple of weeks ago. 

The Salt & Pepper Shrimp was good and no screwups. Still had the shell and head on . When shrimp in cooked with the body intact the meat becomes more flavorful. A bit messy to eat but worth it.

Our wines today were an interesting lot. 2018 Raymond, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon. Good but way to young. Needs more years on it.  ]

NV Veuve Cliquot Brut - always a winner. Bottle was emptied really quick.

A 2012 Vosne-Romanee and a 2011 Roar, Rosellas Vineyard, Pinot Noir were both just a bit off when opened. I had decanted the Roar for two hours and the Vosne-Romanee was opened at tableside. They both looked exactly alike in color in the glass. Both had a small halo around the edge and both had an off nose to them.  After about an hour the Roar opened up. Beautiful wine. Another 15 minutes and the Vosne-Romanee opened up. Again a beautiful wine.

Never be too fast in tossing an off putting wine. Strange things happen.  But both wines were just past prime and glad we opened them now when they were still in a beautiful, drinkable state then later when there would be no hope of salvaging them. 

Sanford Wine Dinner at Arte Cafe

 Friday, April 23, 2021

A big turnout for  dinner tonight. Inside dining area was full and much closer than 6 feet apart for tables. with chairs and people sitting in them. The outside was about half filled.  People are so tired of staying in. Wines were from Sanford Winery. The rep was a chef with Teralto, which is a conglomerate He brought fresh ingredients down from the Santa Barbara area and did the menu.  Unfortunately he and was the only one talking about Sanford and the wines. It was hard to hear what he was saying because he was straddling two areas and so you got maybe one half of the verbiage. 

For some reason everything tonight seems to be bit frenzied. But slow about pouring wine. Just not enough hands to go around.  After dinner was over, Richard the chef/owner was sitting by the kitchen. He normally walks around and talks with people. He made to remark that he was really tired tonight.  Bet he doesn't have someone do a menu for him again. I think the kitchen and staff taken by surprise.  Ambitious menu, more plating details than usual,  and lack of wine reps to help pour. 

First Course is called the "Tail of Two Fish". Dry aged wild caught Ahi and Fresh Ahi, sesame crusted with a Strawberry Balsamic Gastrique and sticky rice. Excellent, fresh, good flavors.  Paired with a Sanford , Sta Rita Hills Rose. 100% Pinot grapes. LaEncanta and Sanford-Benedict vineyards. Decent wine. Not to overly sweet as some Rose's are.

Up next is a "Sashimi Trio". Santa Barbara Spot Prawns, tempura head, dry aged wild caught salmon and fresh wild caught salmon with truffle essence. A lot of plates left the kitchen without the truffle essence. waitstaff had to come to each table and add it. Shows the kitchen is overwhelmed. The tempura head of the prawn was good but the raw body was not to my liking. I have had this issue before is sushi bars. For some reason raw shrimp gets bigger in your mouth as you eat it.  Plating was beautiful.  Wine is a Sanford, Sta Rita Hills, Chardonnay.  A non-oaked wine which I appreciated. For a chardonnay it was good.  This wine was also poured with the third course.

Third course is "A Grazer". Santa Barbara greens with a Ginger-Miso dressings and seared pork loin. Dressing was very good, The greens are nightmare to each because of all the "tentacles". I am not into any "greens" that have lots of small leaves off the stem. Not into the texture and it feels like you have green things hanging out you mouth, Even if you try to cut them into smaller pieces. I know it is the "in thing" but I am not interested in tendrils. The pork tenderloin was OK  but not as good as I can make at home.  Rather bland and a bit dry.

Main course is "Where The Surf and Turf Meet",  Filet Mignon topped with Santa Barbara fresh crab with a Miso butter and a Wasabi mashed Hawaiian purple potato. My filet was cooked perfectly and had good flavor. The crab was shredded. The potato was something new for me. I have had purple potatoes before but done that was "Hawaiian" Interesting color or the plate but it was a potato. Paired with a Sanford, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir. Good wine. Not great. Frankly I am a bit disappointed in the wines tonight. I expected better.

Dessert was more like an appetizer. A piece of toasted Brioche with Santa Barbara Uni. A savory dish. tasted good but not impressed as a "savory dessert".  Paired with a Sanford, Sta Rita Hills, Sparkling Cuvee Brut. OK wine but nothing to rave about. 

 I doubt if Richard will let someone else do a menu again. What should have been a great dinner was slowed down by plating details, time consuming  ambitious menu,  overworked staff and only one wine rep with his friend who helped pour but knew not much about the wine.

The Playground

 Thursday, April 16, 2021

Took off for the Playground in Santa Ana tonight for dinner with a friend, www.playgrounddtsa.com. Outdoor dining again but the weather was cooperative.  Also had the same waitperson that we had last month.  I was also surprised at how busy they were. Which is a very good sign.

We shared plates again. Started off with Grilled Asparagus with garlic, lemon and Parmesan cheese.  Good flavors. Then onto Sweet Potato Tacos. Had no idea what we were getting but sure glad we ordered them.

A  Masienda Tortilla with a roasted baby sweet potato, Salsa Seca (nuts and seeds), Crema, Cilantro,  pickled red onions and lime. This was so good. Flavors were outstanding. So glad we ordered this dish.

Then a plate of Fried Chicken Pot Pie. Croquettes filled with chicken pot pie, deep fried with Black Truffle Zest. These were a 2 to 3 bite delight. Have no idea how a creamy filling gets rolled up and fried but they were delicious. 

Jolie brought a 2019 Kings Carey, Spear Vineyard, Rose, 100% Grenache. James Sparks is the winemaker and this is his label. He also is the winemaker for Liquid Farms. Very nice, dry and light hints of strawberries and fruit. My style of rose. Wine Enthusiast gave this a 91 rating.

I brought a 2014 Tercero, Verbiage Rouge,  blend of  Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre and Cinsault.  Larry Shaffer is the winemaker.  Robert Parker gave it a 93 rating. Showing very well and could go a few more years easily. One of my favorite Tercero wines. 

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.