Margie's Holiday Dinner at Le Chateau Garden Bistro

Saturday, December 4, 2021 

A bit of a drive, accident on freeway, missed the sign for the hotel, had to back track but eventually I made it. And a few minutes early. 9 of us tonight for the yearly holiday dinner. This was at the Ayres Hotel on Bristol in Costa Mesa near the Newport border Everyone else was spending the night and having Sunday brunch in the morning.  I made it home in 25 minutes by taking the coast route.

A limited menu. Surprised there were no lamb or pork dishes listed.  I started out with the French Onion Soup. It was OK but I have had so much better. It seemed to lack that deep onion flavor and rich broth. For a French themed restaurant.  I was expecting much more. 

My main was Sea Bass over Ratatouille. Fish was good, nice size portion. Ther ratatouille was good. Carrots, squash, tomatoes, onions, tomatoes and 18 little potatoes. Overkill on the spuds.

Dessert was Tismisu cake.  This was good, not overly sweet but light. 

Best thing on the table was the breadbasket with butter and tapenade.  Normally I do not eat the bread and rolls served because I will OD on them and then not want my meal. This bread was very good. A bit on the rustic style.  Tapenade was very good. Made with green olives. I could have had bread, butter, tapenade and wine and been a very happy camper.

I brought a 2011 Clos Pepe, Sta Rita Hills, Pinot Noir VS. Drinking exceptionally well. Very soft on the palate, velvety and lush. Nice dark cherry. A light spice. Personally, I thought it was the best wine on the table.

Other wines were:

2016 Sanford, Block 6, Pinot Noir

2014 Ken Brown, SBC, Watch Hill Vineyard, Syrah

2015 Saxum, Paso Robles, Willow Creek District, Broken Stones, a blend of syrah, mouvedre, grenache, petite syrah, roussanne and viognier.

2019 Puligny-Montrachet-Vielle Vignes, Grand Vin De Bourgogne

NV   Laherte Freres, Extra Brut, Champagne

2016 Bergstrom, Shea Vineyards, Pinot Noir

2014 Champagne de Venoce, Blanc de Blanc, Grand Vindes Princes

2019 Shafer, Chardonnay

2017 Freemark Abbey, Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Sbragia, Merlot

2017 Beetlejuice, Cabernet Sauvignon

Penfold's Wine Dinner at Arte Cafe

 Monday, November 22, 2021

I was surprised how many people showed up on a Monday night for a wine dinner. Especially Thanksgiving week.  Not completely sold out but a very good size group at Arte Cafe in Cerritos.  Penfold wines from Australia and CA were featured. The wine reps name was Scott and interestingly he was from England not Australia. Penfold's started in Australia in 1844. 

Did learn that the number on the label indicates what variety of grapes and where it is grown. I will have to research this more because I really can't remember what went where. An 8 is Shiraz driven and a 7 is Cabernet driven

We started out with a very large grilled Prawn over a spaghetti squash salad with a Thai basil cream vinaigrette. Excellent flavors. That basil cream was exceptionally good.  Paired with a 2018 Penfold Max's south Australia Chardonnay. $20.   A bit oaky but not buttery. It did pair very well with the salad.

Our appetizer was crispy pork belly with a plum and red wine reduction over a bed of spinach.  Pork belly was a bit too greasy for me. I am finding as I get older, I have less tolerance for certain things. It was good pork belly but I always compare to Louise's dish at Delius. She made the best pork belly I have ever had.  Maybe not a fair comparison, two different chefs and two different cooking methods. A 2018 Penfold Bin 600 California Cabernet-Shriaz blend.  $45.  Scott said coming from the Alex Trebeck property. I really liked this wine and since we were offered a really nice discount, I bought 3 bottles of it.

Our entree is an Aussie Shepherd's pie. Great flaxy crust. A bit of a bite to the ingredients. Paired with a 2018 Bin 28 Barossa Valley Shiraz. $30.  A good combination.

The main is a Grilled lamb with garlicky Swiss chard and spiced couscous. Lamb was looked perfectly. The Swiss chard was really garlicky and the couscous had a real bite to it. Very nice composed dish. Wine was supposed to be a 2018 Bin 389 Cabernet-Shiraz, $55 but the warehouse shipped the wrong wine.  Instead, we were served the 2019 Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon, $75. Cellars in 50% American oak and 50% French Oak. Excellent wine. 

Dessert is a Sticky fig and pecan pudding cake with toffee sauce. Decadent. Served with a scoop of Pistachio ice cream. A NV Penfold's Club Tawny Port, $13 was selected. Not overly sweet. Nice pairing but basically, I am not a sweet on sweet person. A bit much for me. But I did devour the dessert. 

Margie's Dinner at Fish In A Bottle

 Saturday, November 6, 2021

12 of us tonight for Margie's monthly wine dinner. This time at Fish In A Bottle restaurant. Menu was massive. Lots of Sushi and Sashimi to choose from along with complete dinners.   

I started out with a Seaweed Salad. Unfortunately more assorted greens than seaweed. OK flavor but nothing that I would order again here. 

Split a couple of appetizers with CJ. The Togarashi Fries were very good and the Vegetable Tempura was also. Large pieces of vegetables and very light coating. Good choices. Those could have been my entire meal. 

I ordered the Baby Lobster Baked Roll. Good flavors and a nice size portion.  I was struggling to eat the last two pieces.  No dessert for me tonight. 

Wines were interesting.  I brought a Fred # 8, Sparkling Red wine from the Slovak Republic. Bottle cap on wine but when opened not a lot of fizz. I bought this wine because I wanted the grape to add to my list of wine grapes tasted. On the dry side but as I drank it it grew on me.  Different but pleasant . But when I brought the bottle ack home I put in the refrigerator on it's side with a closure.  I forgot it was a "sparkling" because it really didn't taste that way. In the morning I opened the refrigerator and the closure had blown off and I had red sparking sprayed all over the inside. Had to take everything out and dismantle all the shelves and drawers and do a massive cleaning.  My fault for being an air head and spacing out. 

NV De Margerie, Grand Cru Sparking Rose -  good champagne

2017 Goldeneye, Anderson Valley, Pinot Noir - good

2020 J.Lohr, Grenache Rose - do not remember if I tasted this wine

2012 Loring, Rosella's Vineyard, Pinot Noir - Brain's wine are always good

2010 Dehlinger, Russian River, Chardonnay - did not taste

2020 Patricia Green Cellars, Helen Dusschee, Tempranillo Rose - good

2017 Foley, Sta Rita Hills, Bar Lazy Ranch, Pinot Noir - did not taste

2017 Pomar Jumction Winery, Cotes De Pomar Blanc - good

2017 Cadre, Edna Valley, Ode to Pearls, Sparkling Albarino - interesting

2020 Scar of The Sea, SLO, Sparking Rose of Pinot Noir - can't remember much about it

2009 Corton-Charlemagne, Louis Latour, Grand Cru, Grand Vin De Bourgogne - did not taste

2007 Peay, Scallop Shelf, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir - excellent wine

2016 Chappellet, Pritchard Hill Vineyard, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon - very good but way to big for sushi. This should be saved for a big meaty food dish

Nice dinner, good dining companions. Good wines and food.  Now if only the restaurant would clean their filthy entrance and exist doors

Beaulieu Vineyard at Arte Cafe

 Thursday, November 4, 2021

I have missed the last 2 wine dinners at Arte Cafe due to conflicts. Heard from various people that those dinners were OK but not great. Issues with the quality of the  food.  Was wondering how tonight's dinner would be. Turned out to be very good with only one very minor complaint. Inside dining area was full and most of the patio area was filled in spite of the chilly weather. But there was that large fireplace and heaters.  BV's wine rep Billy was there. Very personable.

We started out with Pacific Shrimp Cocktail.  Two very large shrimp sitting in a glass of ceviche of Roma tomatoes, avocado, cucumber and celery. Topped with an orchid.  Shrimp were perfect. The ceviche is too acid for me so I had very little of it. What I did taste was good.  Wine was a 2019 BV Carneros, Napa Valley, Chardonnay. A bit oaky but went very well with the cocktail. 

Next was a salad with salmon. Romaine, apples, pears, bacon, pecans, cranberry and Feta cheese with a Mandarin vinaigrette. Excellent. Salmon was moist and cooked perfectly. The flavors played off of each other. Paired with a 2017 BV Napa Valley Merlot. A strange pairing was it worked perfectly. I was very pleasantly surprised.  Wine rep, Billy explained because of the nuts, bacon and feta cheese the salad could handle the red wine. I would have never thought. 

Pork medallions with wild mushroom and leek risotto, drizzled with Rosemary au jus was our third dish. Great flavors again.  Pork cooked perfectly, Moist, succulent and pink. My only complaint of the entire night would be the risotto needed just a tiny  pinch of salt. Paired with a 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet. Another very nice wine.

Last dish is a New York strip steak with a maple wine reduction sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. Steak was cooked more medium than rare but it was still pink inside and moist. A 2018 BV Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine choice. A very good wine and nice pairing.

Dessert was house made apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Not too sweet and a good ending to a very good meal. 

Alfresco Wine Dinner with Chef Louise

 Saturday, October 30, 3021

 Great weather for outdoor dining. A bit cool but no breeze. Dave and Louise invested in outdoor heaters and it made the whole evening very pleasant. These "alfresco" dinners are held in their backyard and limited to 30 people. Lights, umbrellas, candles make for a festive setting. Prix Fixe menu only.  Tonight's dinner had no winemaker in attendance. A Rose and 3 red wines were served. This will be the last dinner until the weather warms up about May.

We started out with a Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula and Toasted Pistachio Dressing. Exceptionally good.  Served with a 2020  Gerard Bertrand "Cotes des Roses", Rose from Languedoc, France. Nice pairing and the bottle had a rose stamped into the bottom of the bottle. Would make a great stamp for cookies.

Second course is a Lentil and Vegetable Soup with Coq Au Vin.  Good flavors. Paired with a 2019 Lapostolle "Cuvee Alexandre" Carmenere from Chile. A really nice wine and good pairing.

Up next is a Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Cipollini Onions and Roasted Squash Puree. Pork was very moist and tender. Louise sears the tenderloin on all sides then wraps in aluminum foil and it continues to cook in the foil. Does not put it in the oven. This something I am going to try because the meat was so moist. The wine is a 2020 Angeline, Mendocino County Pinot Noir. Again a very good pairing.

The entree is Red Wine Braised Short Ribs, Mushroom Farro Risotto and Roasted Yellow Carrots. Short ribs were very good but the farro risotto was outstanding. Served with a Michael Davis "Petite Petit" Petite Syrah from Lodi. Big wine, loads of flavor. Those of us at out table thought the Pinot and Petite Syrah should have been switched with the entree's. We all had wines left in our glasses and switched drinking them with the food. But a nice pairing also.

Dessert is Sticky Toffee Pudding, Salted Cardamom-Caramel Sauce and Warm English Custard.  A nice ending to a very good dinner.

555 East American Steak House

 Saturday, October 2, 2021'

Table of seven for us tonight. 555 was booked solid. No tables sat empty for too long. The outside tent is gone but they do have a parklet set up at the curb. Long Beach is allowing this until some time next year. I think they should make it permanent. This was a almost 4-1/2 hour dinner. Nice not to be pushed out by waitstaff. They never hurry you at 555.   Our waiter Paul was extremely accommodating and gave excellent service. You always have the feeling that 555 is happy to have you dine there and they go  out of their way to show it. 

All the wines tonight were excellent to outstanding. No comments from me on these as they were all great.

Started out with a plate of oysters. Kumamoto from Washington,  Summerstone from Washington and Peach Plum from Massachusetts.  The last two I had not had before. Not as sweet as the Kumamoto but larger. Very good.

We ordered a 29 oz Chateaubriand and an aged New York Shared by almost everyone at the table. Sides of mushrooms and potatoes filled out the plate.

2005 Charles Heidsieck, Rose Millesemes , Rose Brut Champagne

NV   Marc Hebrart, a Mareuil-sur-Ag, , Premiere Cru Brut Champagne

1998 Caymus, Napa Valley, Special Selection, Cabernet Sauvignon

2000 Forman, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Ducru-Be aucaillo, Classe en 1885, Grand Cru, Saint Julien

2005 Saxum, Paso Robles, Booker Vineyard, Syrah/Mouvedre

2014 Dierberg, Sta Rita Hills, Drum Canyon Vineyard, Pinot Noir

2016 Duckhorn, Napa Valley, Cabernet Franc

Lunch With The Boys at Sea Food Cove

 Friday, October 1, 2021

An impromptu lunch today. 3 of us at the Sea Food Cove restaurant. Not too crowded today but a lot of traffic driving over.

Started out with the usual Sweet Sour soup which today had a bit of a bite too it.

Then onto our selections.  Kung Pao Shrimp. Good dish, tender shrimp,  a few hot red chiles, scallions and boiled peanuts.

 Beef Chow Fun . Henrys dish that he says he won't cook at home. Explained that the oil in the wok has to be  super hot and and he doesn't like doing that on his wok. Too dangerous.

Thai Style Beef with Green Beans.  Not only did this dish look good but tasted good also. Green beans were a vibrant color up against the darkness of the beef.

Dessert was a Tapioca with Green Beans and Seaweed. Had a good, interesting flavor to it. Served luke warm and liquidy.

3 of us today so 3 wines on the table.  I brought a 2005 Stolpman,  LaCroce. A blend of syrah and sangiovese. For 16 years old this was a great wine. Looked and tasted like it could go several more years. Big body, dark fruits, soft palate, lush.

2018 Loveblock, Pinot Noit from Central Ortago, New Zealand. A light, bright wine. Was 41 on list of Top 1100 Wines this year.

NV Domaine Allimantlaugner, Cremant D'Alsace Brut. Nice and refreshing on a hot day and also went very well with the Kumg Pao Shrimp.