Margie's Monthly Dinner at Issara

 Saturday,   June 24, 2023

14 of us tonight attending dinner at Issara Thai Restaurant.  We all pre-ordered our food for tonight at the restaurant's request. Made it interesting on how they made and delivered the dishes to the table. Easy dishes came out first and those which took a bit more work were last. People who got served first were finished with their appetizers when the others were just starting to eat. The new owners have changed the way we as a large group can order food. No more large dishes to be shared. Everyone has to have their own individual orders.  So a person has a large portion of a singular food in front of them.  I liked it better when we passed the dishes around and shared equally. Much better variety that way.   I would not like that at other restaurants but at Issara it did work better when we could do that. But new owners, new rules.  Service was good, a bit chaotic because of the number of people at the table but the server did a really good job.

I shared an appetizer plate with CJ. Ate a few things that I knew I could. Vegetable Egg Rolls, Bangkok  Cups and Crab Ragoons. All very tasty.  I ordered the Fried Sole for dinner.  6 very large pieces of sole that was battered and deep fried.  Not greasy at all but the fish was "tough". How can sole be tough ?  I had a very hard time cutting through the piece with a knife.  Took leftovers home.  When I opened the bag at home there was a very distinct "fishy" odor.  Either the oil the fish was fried in had not been changed recently or the fish was "old". Possibly a combination of both. Into the trash it goes. Big waste of money.

Large assortment of wines tonight. I did try a few and what I did drink were good. Drank only reds. Stayed away from the bubblies and whites. Although there were a few whites I would have liked to try. Saw these when I typed up the wine list the next day. 

NV   Roederer Estate, Anderson Valley Brut Sparkling

2004 Joyau De France, Boizel, Champagne

2021 Kim Crawford, Rose France

2019 Sanford, SRH, Chardonnay

2020 Emma Reichart, Germany, Dry Riesling

2020  Stuart Fricke, Gewurztraminer, Home made wine with grapes sourced from Germany (would have liked to tried this one)

2021 Obere Steigen Huber Traisental Markus Hiber, Gruner Veltliner

2021 Viramonte Sauvignon Blanc

2021 Flemiana, Hungary, Gruner Veltliner

2014 Williams Selyem, Central Coast, Pinot Noir - very good

2014 Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir - very good

2017 Denner, Dirt Worshipper Syrah

2019 Twomey, Single Vineyard, Price Hill, Dundee Hills, OR, Pinot Noir - very good

2019 Forgotten Barrel. Santa Ynez Vallet, GSM

2021 Silk & Spice, Portugal Red Blemd - very good

NV   Twin Coyotes, Paso Robles. Moscato

2003 Duet, Creamy Sherry

Lunch at Kamal Palace

 Thursday, June 6, 2023

Decided to try the lunch buffet at Kamal Palace. $16.95 plus $6 corkage.  Had to park in the back where the handicapped parking is and walk up a long incline to the second floor.  I would not call this a desirable for people with mobility issues.  I know some people that would never be able to access the area. 

We got there at 11:30 and the restaurant was over half full already. Mostly chicken and vegetable dishes on the buffet but they recently added lamb shanks to the offering.  I picked and chose my food to avoid heavy spices etc., What I did eat was decent quality for the price. 

My dining companions have no "gut" issues so they really loaded up with all the dishes I wished I could have. Everyone agreed it was worth the money.

We opened two wines.  A Jansz Sparkling from Tasmania which was quite good. I did have a very small pour.  I brought a 2013 Roar, Rosella's Vineyard, Pinot Noir.  Huge disappointment. The wine was a complete dud. Absolutely nothing going for it. Dead on arrival. 

Lunch at Seafood Cove # 1

 May 25, 2023

Just 3 of us today for lunch.  Restaurant was packed for some reason at noon.  Also a big lobster delivery today for the weekend. Saw some really big ones go into the tank.

Started off with the sour spicy soup. A bit too salty and also had a bite to it that wasn't normal. Different chefs have their own versions of this traditional soup.  I had a few spoonfuls but opted not to finish it. Not taking a chance with my gut issues. 

3 of us so 3 dishes were ordered. Started off with the Beef and Chinese Broccoli. Beef was flavorful and very tender. Broccoli was cooked just right.

Next was Salt & Pepper fried fish filet. Nice crunchy coating and fish was sweet and very moist. Had a lot of this because I felt I could tolerate it. Laid off the jalapeno peppers. 

Last dish was Chicken Chow Fun.  Chicken was very moist but lacked seasoning. The greens were good but I did not particularly care for this dish. Henry ate a lot of it. 

Sliced oranges for dessert. Their oranges are always juicy and sweet. Much better than the ones in the grocery stores. I did have one slice but because it was citrus I limited myself.

Kitchen seemed a bit off today and that could be from the two very large groups that were seated when we got there at noon.

I had a small pour of each of the 3 wines. Came away from the lunch with no issues. Hopefully I am on the way up and no more downs.

NV Meiomi blend.  This was young and showed it but in a few years it will be drinking nicely.

2010 Sea Smoke Ten, Pinot Noir. Really showing well. Supple, dark fruit, good mouth feel. A very nice wine.

2013 Tercero, Larner Vineyard, Grenache. Drinking nice. Good blend of fruit flavors, medium to long finish. This wine will go a few more years.

 

Dinner at Dan Modern Chinese

 Friday, May 12, 2023

Dan Modern apparently is a chain of Chinese soup dumpling restaurants. The one we went to at 2nd & PCH in Long Beach is to me on the "sterile" side. No ambiance at all. Noisy because of all the hard surfaces and floor to ceiling glass windows.  Have no idea what the other restaurants in the chain are like, but probably very similar. And I found not disabled friendly.  They meet the minimal requirements.  I found it very tight to maneuver my walker between the tables.  They really pack the people in. High turnover of patrons. But the food is good. At least to look at.  I had the Oxtail Noodle Soup which was a bit bland which I had to have right now and a bit oily which I did not need.  But the majority of the dishes were heavy with garlic or onion which are on my taboo list at the moment. The food that my dining companions ate looked very good and they said it was. I was a bit envious. 

Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic. Beautiful color on the beans and they did look crunchy not overly soft which is a good thing.

Beef Roll which was beef and what looked like spinach rolled in a dough and fried,

Noodles with Short Rib. Looked like Soba noodles and everyone said it was really good.

Pan Fried Shrimp and Pork Dumplings. I think that maybe this was the least favorite of all the dishes. No one seemed too excited about them. They looked a bit oily. 

Two orders of Soup Dumplings were served along with lots a finely julienned ginger. 

Wish I could have indulged. Perhaps another time.

CJ brought a bottle to share. I had none at the restaurant but did get a pour at home. A 2008 Sea Smoke, One Barrel, Pinot Noir. It was an excellent wine.

Service was good and accommodating. But all the dishes had come out way before I got my soup. Will probably go back at some time in the future when I can enjoy normal food again.

Lunch With The Boys At Cal-Chilli

 Monday, May 8, 2023

Went to Cali-Chilli for lunch after my dental appointment. Conveniently located a few blocks from my dentist. 3 of us today. Took two bottles of wine because corkage is $20 per.   We always open, serve and provide our own glasses so to us the fee is excessive. But that seems to be the trend now days. Extra money in the pocket of the owner.  If they had decent wine lists I could understand but for the most part their wine lists are mediocre. 

A 2010 Williams Selyem, Sonoma Coast, Pinot Noir was showing nicely.  I brought a NV Alandes, 5th Edition Paradux which is a blend of Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc from Argentina.  Unfortunately for me the wine was very acidic. One glass and I had a bad afternoon.  Gave the bottle to a fellow diner to take home.

We had 3 appetizers for lunch. Servings are quite large for appetizers. 

Fried Calamari and French Green Beans with Lime Aioli. Had this before and it was again very good. 

Cali Quesadilla. Chicken, Melted Cheese, Onions and a Herb Sour Cream. Very good flavors. I pulled all the raw onions off. Another item I am having to avoid.

Cauliflower Fritters with a Sambal Aioli. Sambal is a mixture of Garlic Mayonnaise and Sambal oelek which is a chili paste. Another item on my off list at this time. 

Good lunch in spite of my issues. Enjoyed the food and the company. Hope to return soon.

Lunch With The Boys At Seafood Cove # 1

 Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Four of us today for lunch.  Place was empty at noon but by 1:00 it was almost full. And it is a Tuesday, A few live lobsters in the tank after the weekend. Lobster up to $32 per pound. CJ brought a 2010 Clos Pepe VS, Pinot Noir in a magnum bottle. It was excellent. Still having issues so I limited myself to 4 ounces.  Bright medium cherry, supple mouth feel. Good soft tannins. Medium to long on the back palate. Good showing of Clos Pepe.  Wish I could have chanced drinking more. 

Started out with the spicy sour soup which after two spoonful's I had to stop. It was so salty. Like too many cooks adding salt because they didn't think someone else did it. 

Next was Salt and Pepper Fried Fish Filet. Nice tender light white fish with a non-greasy batter. I did eat several pieces of the fish. Left the jalapeno peppers alone. 

Beef Chow Fun , stir fried spicy beef with green beans. Everyone liked this dish but me. Some spice on the meat that I just can't wrap by head around.

Thai Style Seafood Chow Fun. I only had some of the greens and the Thai noodles. Shying away from the sauces for the time being. It did look very good.

Last dish was Peking Style Pork Chop.  Another sauced dish. Did not have any today. I have had this before and really liked it but was afraid to start eating it and overeat because it would taste so good. 

Good lunch and great conversations mostly about old movies, old TV shows and artificial intelligence 

Margie's Monthly Wine Dinner at Prime Cut

 Saturday. April 1, 2023

Prime Cut Steak House

This is a favorite place for dinner with Margie. Food is always good and staff is always very accommodating.  As usual we had the private room. Holds 14 people and it was full.  Wines brought were full also. 21 wines and 13 people drinking. I am still having issues post Covid so no wine for me tonight. I did sniff a few but didn't dare drink. 

For some reason tonight seemed a lot noisier than in the past. Not sure why. Maybe another post Covid issue.  Room looked the same. But there were several "chatty cathy" females having a good time and that did not help the noise level. 

I ordered the Australian Sea Bass sans the sauces.  It came with mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans. For being a bland dinner the fish was very good. Everyone else's plates looked really good with all the sauces and accompaniments. I was a bit envious. 

Have no idea what the wines tasted like. The two 2011 Cabernet Sauvignons were the hit on my end of the table. Interesting comparisons, Australia versus Washington State. I have made no comments of the wines.

NV    Roederer Estate, Anderson Valley, Brut, sparkling

NV   AJ De Margie, Grand Cru Champagne

2008 Le Brun De Neuville, Champagne Millesime

2019 Youngberg Hill, Extended Triage, McMinneville, OR, Sparkling

2022 Abacela, Roseburg, OR, Grenache Blanc

2021 Long Meadow Ranch, Rutherford, Sauvignon Blanc

2021 Abacela, OR, Albarino

2021 Rochioli, RRV< Sauvignon Blanc

2021 Pia De Gates, Blanc, Anna Espeit Cap de Creus

2021 Askerne, Hawkes Bay, Sauvignon Blanc

2006 Stone House, North Coast, CA, Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Patricia Green cellars, Newbery, OR, Ribbon Ridge, Pinot Noir

2011 Molly Ducker, McLaren Valle, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 Doubleback, Walla Walla Valley, WA, Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 Halter Ranch Ancestor, Paso Robles, Red Blend

2012 Denner, Paso Robles, Grand Cru, Grenanche

2018 Col Solare, Red Mountain, WA, Cabernet Sauvignon

2018 Leoness, Temecula, Cinsault

2019 O'Connor, Jelise Vineyard, RRV, Pinoy Noir

2019 Caliza, Paso Robles, Syrah

2019 Lewis Grace, CA, El Dorado, Late Harvest Primitivo