Friday, March 29, 2013
The first of Delius's wine dinners for the year. Tom Rozner from Hartford Court was at the table I was seated at. I just had seen him at the dinner at the Hyatt a few months back.
First Course: Potato Gnocchi, Shredded Pork, Marinated Green Apple Celery Cilantro Salad. Interesting dish. The Gnocchi was quite large and stuffed with the pork. Good flavor They poured a 2011 Russian River Chardonnay with this dish and another bonus wine , a 2010 Stone Cote (Durell Vineyards) Chardonnay. Good pairing.
Second Course: Cherry Smoked Octopus, Mache Salad, Beluga Lentils & Cherry Vinaigrette. Octopus was outstanding. . They poured a 2011 Russian River Pinot Noir with this dish. OK pairing but I still had some Stone Cote Chardonnay left and it was a far superior pairing.
Third Course: Beef Short Rib Ravioli, Pinot reduction and organic mushrooms. This was a big hit also. Really great flavors. They paired this with a 3010 Lands Edge Pinot Noir. Also a 2009 McLeans Block Pinot Noir and a 2009 Far Coast Pinot Noir.
Fourth Course: Cumin & Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb, Chestnut Puree, Swiss Chard. I had the kitchen box this up to take home. I could really not stuff anymore in to me and still had dessert. Ate it the next day and it was very good. The wine served was a 2011 Russian River Zinfandel.
Dessert: Meyer Lemon Tartlette, Strawberry Ice Cream, White Chocolate, Tulle ( shaped like a spoon) Berry Sauce.
Good dinner and decent wines. Hartford Court makes several single vineyards Pinots which I prefer but all in all the wines tonight were good.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Single Malt Scotch at ABC
Thursday, March 28, 2013
ABC Liquor & Wine hosted a Gordon & McPhail single malt scotch tasting tonight. I like good scotch and always enjoy being able to taste without buying a bottle.
Tonight we tasted:
Scapa 2000, 11 year
Bladnock 1993, 17 year
Smiths Glenlivet, 21 year at $170 a bottle
Glenburgie, 10 year
Clynelish 1993, 13 year
McCallan 1990, 21 year at $170 a bottle
Benromach Organic (my least favorite)
Caol Ila 1999, 10 year ( very smokey & peaty)
The one that suited me best was the Scapa 2000. It was only $90 per bottle
ABC Liquor & Wine hosted a Gordon & McPhail single malt scotch tasting tonight. I like good scotch and always enjoy being able to taste without buying a bottle.
Tonight we tasted:
Scapa 2000, 11 year
Bladnock 1993, 17 year
Smiths Glenlivet, 21 year at $170 a bottle
Glenburgie, 10 year
Clynelish 1993, 13 year
McCallan 1990, 21 year at $170 a bottle
Benromach Organic (my least favorite)
Caol Ila 1999, 10 year ( very smokey & peaty)
The one that suited me best was the Scapa 2000. It was only $90 per bottle
Phil Trani's Wine Dinner
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
6 of us gathered tonight to try out Phil Trani's in Long Beach venture in hosting wine dinners.. Apparently he has had 2 others previous but Margie just got onto the mailing list. Wines were provided by Southern Wines & Spirits. I had not seen Dave, the rep for Southern in several years.
I will give the restaurant credit for not holding dinner up for the late attendees.
We started off with a 2011 Markham, Napa, Sauvignon Blanc. It was a decent sau blanc. Paired well with the "Spring mix salad with shrimp". A salad is a salad. The dressing was good and the wine paired nicely with it.
Second course was a pan fried Catalina Sand Dabs with lemon, capers and butter. Again a decent dish but I feel the quality of the sand dabs at the Fish Camp are superior. Wine poured was a 2011 Lucky Country Chardonnay from Australia. A little oaky but did go well the the sauce on the fish.
Next came a Walnut crusted lamb chops and country potatoes. My chops we cooked medium well which for me is way over done. Good flavor and the walnut crust as good. The potatoes were something else. If I had not read the menu I would not have known they were potatoes. Paired with a 2009 Chateau Timberlay Bordeaux Superior Rouge, Good pairing but the wine was "light".
Fourth course was a Flat Iron steak with a reduced cabernet sauce served over cous cous. The streak was cooked perfectly., Had good flavor. They poured a 2010 Canto Lapostolle red blend from Chile.
This to me was he best dish and wine tonight.
Dessert was a Red Velvet Cake and a German Chocolate Cake. A Fizz sparkling wine from Italy accompanied the dessert. Way to sweet for me. Cakes were good but I would have liked a little sauce of some kind drizzled on them .
They had a few prizes to give away. CJ & I both won a bottle of the Fizz along with a insulated wine bag to carry it in. I gave my wine to Margie since she seemed to really like it. But kept the bag. It will be handy for cold wines.
A decent dinner considering the price. Nothing to really fault them on. The food was good. If I had ordered the lamb chops off the regular menu at a dinner they would have been cooked to my taste. When you have large group in for a "wine dinner" there is a certain amount of give and take.
I would go back and try another dinner. Have been to Phil Trani's before and thought the food was good. This restaurant has a lot of sports memorabilia. Helmets, signed jerseys, drivers suits etc., Phil used to have a place in San Pedro which was the hang out for the Rams and other sports teams. Over he years he collected quite a bit of "stuff". Worth a lot of money nowdays.
6 of us gathered tonight to try out Phil Trani's in Long Beach venture in hosting wine dinners.. Apparently he has had 2 others previous but Margie just got onto the mailing list. Wines were provided by Southern Wines & Spirits. I had not seen Dave, the rep for Southern in several years.
I will give the restaurant credit for not holding dinner up for the late attendees.
We started off with a 2011 Markham, Napa, Sauvignon Blanc. It was a decent sau blanc. Paired well with the "Spring mix salad with shrimp". A salad is a salad. The dressing was good and the wine paired nicely with it.
Second course was a pan fried Catalina Sand Dabs with lemon, capers and butter. Again a decent dish but I feel the quality of the sand dabs at the Fish Camp are superior. Wine poured was a 2011 Lucky Country Chardonnay from Australia. A little oaky but did go well the the sauce on the fish.
Next came a Walnut crusted lamb chops and country potatoes. My chops we cooked medium well which for me is way over done. Good flavor and the walnut crust as good. The potatoes were something else. If I had not read the menu I would not have known they were potatoes. Paired with a 2009 Chateau Timberlay Bordeaux Superior Rouge, Good pairing but the wine was "light".
Fourth course was a Flat Iron steak with a reduced cabernet sauce served over cous cous. The streak was cooked perfectly., Had good flavor. They poured a 2010 Canto Lapostolle red blend from Chile.
This to me was he best dish and wine tonight.
Dessert was a Red Velvet Cake and a German Chocolate Cake. A Fizz sparkling wine from Italy accompanied the dessert. Way to sweet for me. Cakes were good but I would have liked a little sauce of some kind drizzled on them .
They had a few prizes to give away. CJ & I both won a bottle of the Fizz along with a insulated wine bag to carry it in. I gave my wine to Margie since she seemed to really like it. But kept the bag. It will be handy for cold wines.
A decent dinner considering the price. Nothing to really fault them on. The food was good. If I had ordered the lamb chops off the regular menu at a dinner they would have been cooked to my taste. When you have large group in for a "wine dinner" there is a certain amount of give and take.
I would go back and try another dinner. Have been to Phil Trani's before and thought the food was good. This restaurant has a lot of sports memorabilia. Helmets, signed jerseys, drivers suits etc., Phil used to have a place in San Pedro which was the hang out for the Rams and other sports teams. Over he years he collected quite a bit of "stuff". Worth a lot of money nowdays.
Wino's March Gatherimg
Sunday, March 24, 2013
It was Terry's turn to host this month so he opted for a "cellar cleaning". We brought the food and he furnished all the wines. A lot of good food showed up. Most I did not get to taste. I have this thing about walking around with a plate, eating and trying to pour and balance the wine glass, I always go for the finger foods..
We started out with a 1982 Caymus, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon. It was old, and over the hill but still had a lot of fruit on it. Old wines can be interesting. Most people really pass them up because they are into "fresh". But it is unique experience to taste the old ones.
A lot of McKeon Phillips wines were on the table as Terry is a big fan of them. All were good. Ranged from 1999 to 2010
All together there were 31 wines opened. A couple that I did like were the 2004 Notarpanaro red blend from Italy and the 2006 Reignac Bordeaux. There was a 2009 Winzer Dornfelder which was not even close to the Huber Dornfeldere out of the Sta. Rita Hills. One is German and much lighter in the structure and the other is classic Sta Rita Hills big , jammy, wine.
It was Terry's turn to host this month so he opted for a "cellar cleaning". We brought the food and he furnished all the wines. A lot of good food showed up. Most I did not get to taste. I have this thing about walking around with a plate, eating and trying to pour and balance the wine glass, I always go for the finger foods..
We started out with a 1982 Caymus, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon. It was old, and over the hill but still had a lot of fruit on it. Old wines can be interesting. Most people really pass them up because they are into "fresh". But it is unique experience to taste the old ones.
A lot of McKeon Phillips wines were on the table as Terry is a big fan of them. All were good. Ranged from 1999 to 2010
All together there were 31 wines opened. A couple that I did like were the 2004 Notarpanaro red blend from Italy and the 2006 Reignac Bordeaux. There was a 2009 Winzer Dornfelder which was not even close to the Huber Dornfeldere out of the Sta. Rita Hills. One is German and much lighter in the structure and the other is classic Sta Rita Hills big , jammy, wine.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Russo's in Naples
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Margie's monthly wine activity today consisted of a wine tasting at the Main St Wine Shop in Seal Beach and dinner at Russo's. I opted to do just the dinner which apparently turned out to be a good decision. Turned out that it took them 45 minutes to get served and this was after a set time reservation had been made. Wines were not that good and they could have done the tasting with the plates of goodies off the menu for less money. Margie was not happy. Doubt if they will see any of us again.
Russo's was another thing. Service was good, food was good and we all got convenient parking which is the best of all.
I did not keep track of what everyone ordered but I started out with the appetizer plate which had Coconut Shrimp, Grilled Artichoke and Rockin Shrimp (shrimp, avocado on a crostini). Followed by a dish of risotto with seafood. Dessert was a cannoli which was very good. I was happy.
I saw many different dishes sitting in front of people. Everyone seemed to like what they ordered.
Wines were good tonight. Not a complaint about any
NV Louis Roederer Brut Prmier Champagne - Reims
NV Bvio Prosecco
2010 Alfio Morieom Selection Kupelwieser Alto Adidge
2009 Amore I Grepppi Bolgheri red wine - Italy
2010 Tenuta Laghiaia Almagesto Vermentino - Colli Du Luna, Italy
2009 San Flippo "Lo Scorno" Rosso di Montalcino - Italy
2009 Calcareous Twisted Sisters Matriarch
2010 Rosso di Montalcino
2004 Williams Selyem Russian River Pinot Noir
2007 Tobin James Silver Reserve Lagrein
2005 McKeon-Phillips BPR Pinot Noir
2006 Sinor-LaValle, Aubaine Vineyards, Pinot Noir
Two of my favorites were the Tobin James Lagrein and the Sinor-LaValle Pinot (which I brought)
Margie's monthly wine activity today consisted of a wine tasting at the Main St Wine Shop in Seal Beach and dinner at Russo's. I opted to do just the dinner which apparently turned out to be a good decision. Turned out that it took them 45 minutes to get served and this was after a set time reservation had been made. Wines were not that good and they could have done the tasting with the plates of goodies off the menu for less money. Margie was not happy. Doubt if they will see any of us again.
Russo's was another thing. Service was good, food was good and we all got convenient parking which is the best of all.
I did not keep track of what everyone ordered but I started out with the appetizer plate which had Coconut Shrimp, Grilled Artichoke and Rockin Shrimp (shrimp, avocado on a crostini). Followed by a dish of risotto with seafood. Dessert was a cannoli which was very good. I was happy.
I saw many different dishes sitting in front of people. Everyone seemed to like what they ordered.
Wines were good tonight. Not a complaint about any
NV Louis Roederer Brut Prmier Champagne - Reims
NV Bvio Prosecco
2010 Alfio Morieom Selection Kupelwieser Alto Adidge
2009 Amore I Grepppi Bolgheri red wine - Italy
2010 Tenuta Laghiaia Almagesto Vermentino - Colli Du Luna, Italy
2009 San Flippo "Lo Scorno" Rosso di Montalcino - Italy
2009 Calcareous Twisted Sisters Matriarch
2010 Rosso di Montalcino
2004 Williams Selyem Russian River Pinot Noir
2007 Tobin James Silver Reserve Lagrein
2005 McKeon-Phillips BPR Pinot Noir
2006 Sinor-LaValle, Aubaine Vineyards, Pinot Noir
Two of my favorites were the Tobin James Lagrein and the Sinor-LaValle Pinot (which I brought)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Raymond's Bristo
Friday, March 22, 2013
Raymonds is a small "bistro" type restaurant on Warner near Gothard in Huntington Beach. Had read reviews on it but did not eat there until tonight. Paul & Margie ate there few weeks ago and liked it. So tonight I met them there for dinner.
Raymond, the owner is very personable. Trying hard to make it in the business.
The place was crowded, in fact a few people came in and left because there was no room left. Service was very good.
I had the Peppercorn Sauced filet with assorted vegetables and mashed potatoes. I had asked for it "rare" but it came out medium. The vegetables were cooked al dente and were good. Better than last night a Villa Nova. The sauce on the steak had great flavor. The steak was tender but not cooked the way I had asked for. I did not make a fuss as I will return and order it again and then I will mention that is was not cooked properly the last time I had it.
I brought a 2001 Stolpman La Croce (Sangio & Syrah) which was excellent. Paul & Margie brought a 2010 Monti Guidi Del Carmine Percorino. A white wine that actually went well with my ceasar salad. The wine was a little too cold at first but it really blossomed after a bit of sitting. They also brought a bottle of D'Alfonso-Curran, Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir. Since I had the Testarossa last night I could remember that wine and see the distinct similarities to them, Again all these wines were very good.
We did leave the bottles with Raymond. There was a little in each one.so it was good PR to let the owner have them. He also dids not charge us corkage which was nice. Normally it is $10 oer bottle.
Raymonds is a small "bistro" type restaurant on Warner near Gothard in Huntington Beach. Had read reviews on it but did not eat there until tonight. Paul & Margie ate there few weeks ago and liked it. So tonight I met them there for dinner.
Raymond, the owner is very personable. Trying hard to make it in the business.
The place was crowded, in fact a few people came in and left because there was no room left. Service was very good.
I had the Peppercorn Sauced filet with assorted vegetables and mashed potatoes. I had asked for it "rare" but it came out medium. The vegetables were cooked al dente and were good. Better than last night a Villa Nova. The sauce on the steak had great flavor. The steak was tender but not cooked the way I had asked for. I did not make a fuss as I will return and order it again and then I will mention that is was not cooked properly the last time I had it.
I brought a 2001 Stolpman La Croce (Sangio & Syrah) which was excellent. Paul & Margie brought a 2010 Monti Guidi Del Carmine Percorino. A white wine that actually went well with my ceasar salad. The wine was a little too cold at first but it really blossomed after a bit of sitting. They also brought a bottle of D'Alfonso-Curran, Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir. Since I had the Testarossa last night I could remember that wine and see the distinct similarities to them, Again all these wines were very good.
We did leave the bottles with Raymond. There was a little in each one.so it was good PR to let the owner have them. He also dids not charge us corkage which was nice. Normally it is $10 oer bottle.
Villa Nova and the Closing of Same
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Villa Nova a long time landmark restaurant in Newport Beach is closing after who knows how many years. Owners family did not want to take over running the place so the building along with the prime piece of land with the bay views was sold to the Winery Co restaurant. It will be interesting to see what they do with it. Have an idea that the fine dining with waiters in tuxes will be dropped in favor of a "hip" place for the younger crowd,
Terry, CJ and I attended the last night for a couple of musicians that Terry knows. I got there first and snagged a table. Good thing because by time CJ & Terry arrived the place was packed. Several of Terry's in laws werwe attending. They follow the musicians.
CJ brought a 2006 Testarossa, Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir and Terry brought a 2002 D'Arenberg, The Dead Arm, Shiraz. Both excellent wines. Since this was a last minute invite for me I did not have time to go and get a bottle of wine. But there was more than enough.
Terry & CJ both ordered steaks and I had a house special of thinly sliced filet topped with eggplant, sauce and mozzarella. It was good but not outstanding. The vegetables on the plate were more raw that al dente. Part of the problem could have been that the restaurant is overwhelmed with reservations now. Everyone is trying to get their last meal before it closes next week.
I am not sure how long Villa Nova has been in business but I know it has to be 30 or 40 years. The age of the crowd that frequents the place is about 45 and above. Some of these people have been dining there since it opened. A true institute.
We had a good time listening to the music and people watching. Glad to have had a chance to visit Villa Nova before its death.
Villa Nova a long time landmark restaurant in Newport Beach is closing after who knows how many years. Owners family did not want to take over running the place so the building along with the prime piece of land with the bay views was sold to the Winery Co restaurant. It will be interesting to see what they do with it. Have an idea that the fine dining with waiters in tuxes will be dropped in favor of a "hip" place for the younger crowd,
Terry, CJ and I attended the last night for a couple of musicians that Terry knows. I got there first and snagged a table. Good thing because by time CJ & Terry arrived the place was packed. Several of Terry's in laws werwe attending. They follow the musicians.
CJ brought a 2006 Testarossa, Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir and Terry brought a 2002 D'Arenberg, The Dead Arm, Shiraz. Both excellent wines. Since this was a last minute invite for me I did not have time to go and get a bottle of wine. But there was more than enough.
Terry & CJ both ordered steaks and I had a house special of thinly sliced filet topped with eggplant, sauce and mozzarella. It was good but not outstanding. The vegetables on the plate were more raw that al dente. Part of the problem could have been that the restaurant is overwhelmed with reservations now. Everyone is trying to get their last meal before it closes next week.
I am not sure how long Villa Nova has been in business but I know it has to be 30 or 40 years. The age of the crowd that frequents the place is about 45 and above. Some of these people have been dining there since it opened. A true institute.
We had a good time listening to the music and people watching. Glad to have had a chance to visit Villa Nova before its death.
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