Saturday, May 8, 2010
Attended a fund raising dinner this evening hosted by friends. This was called "Moveable Feast" and was conceived to raise funds for the LA Mission. You host a dinner at your home and everyone who attends gives a donation to the Mission. Our hosts made it a "Cinco De Mayo" celebration with a Mexican style dinner. "Cinco De Mayo " is an American tradition in the Mexican community. This is a holiday that is not celebrated in Mexico at all. The food was very good and in abundance. Lots of appetizers to start with then chicken fajitas with the accompaniments for dinner. Sangria and margaritas were poured. A representative form the Mission was there also and gave us a lot of information on how the Mission is funded and run. A very worthy cause. A nice sum of money was raised and all in attendance had a good time. The wine bottles that everyone brought came out at the end of the evening. A nice evening.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Zaca Mesa Wine Dinner
Friday, April 30, 2010
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill, http://www.deliusrestaurant.com/, hosted a wine dinner with the wines of Zaca Mesa featured. Edgar from the Henry Wine Group and Jessica Simmons with Zaca Mesa were seated at the table. This was a sold out dinner with a waiting list. I have never been a big Zaca Mesa fan but have heard that in the past few years they have upped their game. The two white wines that were poured tonight were my favorites of the four wines. The reds were good but I think I was expecting more.
First Course: Crispy Pork Cheeks, Grilled Watermelon, Black Radish, Scallions and a Balsamic Honey Glaze. This turned out to be my favorite dish tonight. The pork cheeks were fork tender and the glaze was excellent. It paired perfectly with the 2008 Zaca Mesa Viognier.
Second Course: Duck Proscuitto, Hearts of Palm, Manchego and Shallot Vinaigrette. The Chef de Cuisine, Daniel has been working of perfecting a duck proscuitto and I think he has succeeded. This was a very good, interesting dish and the wine served with it was a 2008 Zaca Mesa Chardonnay. Clean, Chablis like wine. Again a very good pairing.
Third Course: Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, Mushroom Consomme and Micro Arugula. Again a tasty dish but the aruglua could have been left out . Paired with a 2006 Zaca mesa "Z" Cuvee. A blend of Grenanche, Syrah, Mouvedre, Cinsult. The wine was ok. Not my favorite but others seemed to like it more than I did. It did pair well with the food.
Fourth Course: Pistachio Crusted Lamb Loin, Roasted Pearl Onion-Fennel Cous Cous with a Rosemary Demi-Glace. The lamb was cooked perfectly for me, nice and pink. The Cous Cous had great flavor but I found several grains that needed to be cooked a little longer. But that was my only complaint of the evening so it was minor. The wine was a 2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah. It was an good wine but not what I would consider a "really good" syrah. Again a lot of people really liked this wine. Also a good pairing. You can buy this wine at Costco right now at about $4 less than the winery price.
Dessert: Lemon Canele, Caramelized Oranges, Vanilla Foam and a Lemon Tuile. Interesting flavors, not too sweet and a good ending for the dinner.
Another good dinner at my favorite restaurant and I am expecting that the Hartford Court dinner next month will be just as good. I am never disappointed.
Delius Restaurant in Signal Hill, http://www.deliusrestaurant.com/, hosted a wine dinner with the wines of Zaca Mesa featured. Edgar from the Henry Wine Group and Jessica Simmons with Zaca Mesa were seated at the table. This was a sold out dinner with a waiting list. I have never been a big Zaca Mesa fan but have heard that in the past few years they have upped their game. The two white wines that were poured tonight were my favorites of the four wines. The reds were good but I think I was expecting more.
First Course: Crispy Pork Cheeks, Grilled Watermelon, Black Radish, Scallions and a Balsamic Honey Glaze. This turned out to be my favorite dish tonight. The pork cheeks were fork tender and the glaze was excellent. It paired perfectly with the 2008 Zaca Mesa Viognier.
Second Course: Duck Proscuitto, Hearts of Palm, Manchego and Shallot Vinaigrette. The Chef de Cuisine, Daniel has been working of perfecting a duck proscuitto and I think he has succeeded. This was a very good, interesting dish and the wine served with it was a 2008 Zaca Mesa Chardonnay. Clean, Chablis like wine. Again a very good pairing.
Third Course: Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, Mushroom Consomme and Micro Arugula. Again a tasty dish but the aruglua could have been left out . Paired with a 2006 Zaca mesa "Z" Cuvee. A blend of Grenanche, Syrah, Mouvedre, Cinsult. The wine was ok. Not my favorite but others seemed to like it more than I did. It did pair well with the food.
Fourth Course: Pistachio Crusted Lamb Loin, Roasted Pearl Onion-Fennel Cous Cous with a Rosemary Demi-Glace. The lamb was cooked perfectly for me, nice and pink. The Cous Cous had great flavor but I found several grains that needed to be cooked a little longer. But that was my only complaint of the evening so it was minor. The wine was a 2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah. It was an good wine but not what I would consider a "really good" syrah. Again a lot of people really liked this wine. Also a good pairing. You can buy this wine at Costco right now at about $4 less than the winery price.
Dessert: Lemon Canele, Caramelized Oranges, Vanilla Foam and a Lemon Tuile. Interesting flavors, not too sweet and a good ending for the dinner.
Another good dinner at my favorite restaurant and I am expecting that the Hartford Court dinner next month will be just as good. I am never disappointed.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Dinner at Franco's
Friday, April 23, 2010
Franco's is a small Italian restaurant in Cypress near the racetrack that I have been to several times. The food is always good and a varied menu. It's not all pasta & marinara sauces.
We started out with an appetizer that is not on the menu. You have to ask for it. Shrimp Franco. Shrimp are sauteed in a thick wine sauce that has capers and mushrooms in it. The sauce is one of those that you scrape the plate clean with bread, which I did. Not very "ladylike" but I have never been known for being prim & proper. Down and dirty is more like it. I also have more fun.
There were 6 of us tonight and and 4 different entrees ordered. 3 people ordered the pork loin . One beef fillet, one pasta with chicken and I selected the lamb shank. Everyone seemed to like their selections. I was glad I ordered the lamb as I had brought a bottle of Barbera that paired perfectly with the lamb dish.
The entrees came with a choice of soup or salad. 5 of us selected the soup which was a cream of Italian squash (zucchini). It had a bite to the flavor which was very good and paired well with the bubbly and especially well with a white wine that Terry brought. A 2008 Vallevo, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. That soup and wine were a perfect match.
We had a very good selection of wines tonight.
2005 Franck Bonville Grand Cru, Blanc de Blanc
2008 Vallevo, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
2008 Lancaster, Samantha's Vineyard, Alexander Valley, Sauvignon Blanc
2006 Kistler Cuvee Natalie, Silver Belt Vineyard, Pinot Noir
2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico
2003 Poggio San Polo, Brunello di Montalcino
2001 French Hill, Reserve Barbera, Mokelumne , El Dorado County
2008 Huber, Dornfelder Hafen (Port), Sta Rita Hills - this was served with dark chocolate that had bacon bits in it.
Looking forward to going back to Franco's at the May "Wine & Dine" gathering.
Franco's is a small Italian restaurant in Cypress near the racetrack that I have been to several times. The food is always good and a varied menu. It's not all pasta & marinara sauces.
We started out with an appetizer that is not on the menu. You have to ask for it. Shrimp Franco. Shrimp are sauteed in a thick wine sauce that has capers and mushrooms in it. The sauce is one of those that you scrape the plate clean with bread, which I did. Not very "ladylike" but I have never been known for being prim & proper. Down and dirty is more like it. I also have more fun.
There were 6 of us tonight and and 4 different entrees ordered. 3 people ordered the pork loin . One beef fillet, one pasta with chicken and I selected the lamb shank. Everyone seemed to like their selections. I was glad I ordered the lamb as I had brought a bottle of Barbera that paired perfectly with the lamb dish.
The entrees came with a choice of soup or salad. 5 of us selected the soup which was a cream of Italian squash (zucchini). It had a bite to the flavor which was very good and paired well with the bubbly and especially well with a white wine that Terry brought. A 2008 Vallevo, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. That soup and wine were a perfect match.
We had a very good selection of wines tonight.
2005 Franck Bonville Grand Cru, Blanc de Blanc
2008 Vallevo, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
2008 Lancaster, Samantha's Vineyard, Alexander Valley, Sauvignon Blanc
2006 Kistler Cuvee Natalie, Silver Belt Vineyard, Pinot Noir
2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico
2003 Poggio San Polo, Brunello di Montalcino
2001 French Hill, Reserve Barbera, Mokelumne , El Dorado County
2008 Huber, Dornfelder Hafen (Port), Sta Rita Hills - this was served with dark chocolate that had bacon bits in it.
Looking forward to going back to Franco's at the May "Wine & Dine" gathering.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
April Wine & Dine
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Belacan is a Malaysian restaurant in Redondo Beach and we have been here several times before. 19 of us gathered tonight. CJ started us off the 4 appetizers and then 5 entrees.
Roti Canai - Crispy flat bread with curry dipping sauce - always good
Satey Tofu - Fried Tofu stuffed with vegetables & peanut sauce - a new dish and quite tasty
Crab Rangoon - Crispy wonton pockets filled with crab salad - The sauce they served was way to spicy for me but the wonton's were ok. I'm not sure where the crab was
Lamb Satay - seasoned lamb charcoal grilled on bamboo skewers with peanut sauce - always good and tonight they were cooked correctly. Not dry but very moist
Mamak Mae Goreng - Indian style stir fried yellow egg noodles with chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts, tofu, tomato and eggs in a spicy tamarind sauce - I found it way to spicy for a wine dinner. Even the white wines were having a hard time with this dish. I also thought there was way too much noodle and not enough of the other ingredients. A lot of this dish was left on the platters so I was not the only one that had an opinion
Vegetable fried rice - this was good but plain which made it a good side dish for the other entrees
Daging Kicap Manis - Tender cuts of beef sauteed with onions and red chilies in a sweet thick soy sauce - this dish was very good, the meat was tender and the sauce was tasty
Vegetable Delight Curry - Vegetables and tofu simmered in a rich coconut milk curry gravy - this has never been a dish I liked, I had a few green beans and a mushroom and that was it. I do not like this particular curry, others did.
Belacan Crab - Lightly battered crab , stir fried with dried shrimp and chilies in a a toasted shrimp paste - this was a new dish and I really liked it. I ate more of this than anything else.
Since this is a "Wine & Dine" group, we naturally all bring wine (a bottle per person) which is shared. A mix of white, red & bubblies usually show up so you have a choice of picking out something that you feel would go with a particular dish.
My big problem tonight was the sequence in which the food was brought out. You were going back and forth between the three types of wine on the table. Once I start drinking red wine I do not want to go back to a white or bubbly. I personally thinks it really screws up your palate to jump around between the different dishes and the wines. It should be a progression of light to heavy.
To me the crab should have been served first to go with whites & bubblies, then the first 3 appetizers, then the noodle dish. That takes care of the white & bubbly wine. Then serve the lamb satay which would switch you to red wine and have the balance of the entrees.
Food taste's better with the correct wine , you have a gradual progression of light to heavy and it becomes a better balanced dinner.
That is only my humble opinion.
Next month the "Wine & Dine" group will be off the Franco's Italian Restaurant in Cypress. But I will be dining there next week so I will have two separate posts on this restaurant.
Belacan is a Malaysian restaurant in Redondo Beach and we have been here several times before. 19 of us gathered tonight. CJ started us off the 4 appetizers and then 5 entrees.
Roti Canai - Crispy flat bread with curry dipping sauce - always good
Satey Tofu - Fried Tofu stuffed with vegetables & peanut sauce - a new dish and quite tasty
Crab Rangoon - Crispy wonton pockets filled with crab salad - The sauce they served was way to spicy for me but the wonton's were ok. I'm not sure where the crab was
Lamb Satay - seasoned lamb charcoal grilled on bamboo skewers with peanut sauce - always good and tonight they were cooked correctly. Not dry but very moist
Mamak Mae Goreng - Indian style stir fried yellow egg noodles with chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts, tofu, tomato and eggs in a spicy tamarind sauce - I found it way to spicy for a wine dinner. Even the white wines were having a hard time with this dish. I also thought there was way too much noodle and not enough of the other ingredients. A lot of this dish was left on the platters so I was not the only one that had an opinion
Vegetable fried rice - this was good but plain which made it a good side dish for the other entrees
Daging Kicap Manis - Tender cuts of beef sauteed with onions and red chilies in a sweet thick soy sauce - this dish was very good, the meat was tender and the sauce was tasty
Vegetable Delight Curry - Vegetables and tofu simmered in a rich coconut milk curry gravy - this has never been a dish I liked, I had a few green beans and a mushroom and that was it. I do not like this particular curry, others did.
Belacan Crab - Lightly battered crab , stir fried with dried shrimp and chilies in a a toasted shrimp paste - this was a new dish and I really liked it. I ate more of this than anything else.
Since this is a "Wine & Dine" group, we naturally all bring wine (a bottle per person) which is shared. A mix of white, red & bubblies usually show up so you have a choice of picking out something that you feel would go with a particular dish.
My big problem tonight was the sequence in which the food was brought out. You were going back and forth between the three types of wine on the table. Once I start drinking red wine I do not want to go back to a white or bubbly. I personally thinks it really screws up your palate to jump around between the different dishes and the wines. It should be a progression of light to heavy.
To me the crab should have been served first to go with whites & bubblies, then the first 3 appetizers, then the noodle dish. That takes care of the white & bubbly wine. Then serve the lamb satay which would switch you to red wine and have the balance of the entrees.
Food taste's better with the correct wine , you have a gradual progression of light to heavy and it becomes a better balanced dinner.
That is only my humble opinion.
Next month the "Wine & Dine" group will be off the Franco's Italian Restaurant in Cypress. But I will be dining there next week so I will have two separate posts on this restaurant.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Chinese Again
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Eight of us met at our favorite Chinese restaurant - Duong Son BBQ in Westminister. There are two Doung Son's but this one specializes in duck.
Henry surprised us with several new dishes. Patte is a vegetarian but fortunately for us that she only does not eat red meat so we forgot the duck tonight and concentrated on seafood. Henry did order a few meat dishes at the end for us carnivores but by then Patte was full so that worked out well.
Soy Sauce Chicken with Ginger - this was a new dish and the chicken was very moist, tender and the flavor was outstanding.
Fried Calamari
Fried Sea Bass
Asparagus with shrimp - another new dish
Chinese Spinach - another new one, they did not have the pea shoots available tonight
Beef Chou Fan, Cantonese Style with wide soft noodles - another new one
Pork Ribs, Peking Style - a new dish and the sauce was so good - John kept pouring onto his rice - we will definitely do this dish again
Fried Tofu with Seafood Sauce
Beef with Ginger and Chives - a new one again and also excellent
Fresh fruit for dessert
The wines that were brought all good. Even the cheap Spanish White Wine that at stopped at MAWL and bought before dinner. It was on their tasting list Friday and Saturday but since I did the high end tasting I did not taste this particular wine. As I was looking at the list Saturday morning I decided to google up the name of the wine because their was no grape varietals listed. Turned out there was 2 grapes I did not have on my list so before dinner I stopped and bought a bottle.
2006 Four Vines Syrah
2003 Stolpman Estate Syrah, Santa Ynez
2004 Chateau Margene, Pinot Noir
1993 OV Oakford Vineyard, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 McKeon Phillips BPR Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 McKeon Phillips BPR Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 BV Caneros, Napa, Chardonnay
2007 Saxon Brown, Durrell Valley, Sonoma, Chardonnay
2007 Campante, Vina Reboreda, Reberio ( the grapes were, Treixadura, Godello and Palomino)
Eight of us met at our favorite Chinese restaurant - Duong Son BBQ in Westminister. There are two Doung Son's but this one specializes in duck.
Henry surprised us with several new dishes. Patte is a vegetarian but fortunately for us that she only does not eat red meat so we forgot the duck tonight and concentrated on seafood. Henry did order a few meat dishes at the end for us carnivores but by then Patte was full so that worked out well.
Soy Sauce Chicken with Ginger - this was a new dish and the chicken was very moist, tender and the flavor was outstanding.
Fried Calamari
Fried Sea Bass
Asparagus with shrimp - another new dish
Chinese Spinach - another new one, they did not have the pea shoots available tonight
Beef Chou Fan, Cantonese Style with wide soft noodles - another new one
Pork Ribs, Peking Style - a new dish and the sauce was so good - John kept pouring onto his rice - we will definitely do this dish again
Fried Tofu with Seafood Sauce
Beef with Ginger and Chives - a new one again and also excellent
Fresh fruit for dessert
The wines that were brought all good. Even the cheap Spanish White Wine that at stopped at MAWL and bought before dinner. It was on their tasting list Friday and Saturday but since I did the high end tasting I did not taste this particular wine. As I was looking at the list Saturday morning I decided to google up the name of the wine because their was no grape varietals listed. Turned out there was 2 grapes I did not have on my list so before dinner I stopped and bought a bottle.
2006 Four Vines Syrah
2003 Stolpman Estate Syrah, Santa Ynez
2004 Chateau Margene, Pinot Noir
1993 OV Oakford Vineyard, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 McKeon Phillips BPR Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 McKeon Phillips BPR Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 BV Caneros, Napa, Chardonnay
2007 Saxon Brown, Durrell Valley, Sonoma, Chardonnay
2007 Campante, Vina Reboreda, Reberio ( the grapes were, Treixadura, Godello and Palomino)
Easter Sunday Bruch
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Went to my favorite restaurant, Delius, for brunch. $6 for a glass of bubbly of $10 for multiple refills. We know which one I took. I ordered the Monte Cristo sandwich and I will say I was very disappointed . I have ordered this particular sandwich many times before at different restaurants and this was the first time I had it served to me just on bread without an egg wash. The flavor was good but with out it being dipped in egg and fried it lacked a lot. I did google up the name and found out there are different ways of serving the sandwich, depending on the region. And apparently one of the ways is it being served plain.
Next time I go to another dish on the menu and of course the $10 bubbly offer.
Went to my favorite restaurant, Delius, for brunch. $6 for a glass of bubbly of $10 for multiple refills. We know which one I took. I ordered the Monte Cristo sandwich and I will say I was very disappointed . I have ordered this particular sandwich many times before at different restaurants and this was the first time I had it served to me just on bread without an egg wash. The flavor was good but with out it being dipped in egg and fried it lacked a lot. I did google up the name and found out there are different ways of serving the sandwich, depending on the region. And apparently one of the ways is it being served plain.
Next time I go to another dish on the menu and of course the $10 bubbly offer.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Miscellaneous
Have been back to Preveza and the Himilayan Grille several times and had really not posted anything on it. The food is good at both places and they are also very wine corkage friendly.
Worth the visit.
Worth the visit.
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