Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Last wine dinner of the year tonight. Restaurant is packed, large crowd and tables put everywhere. I have never seen so many people here for a wine dinner. Napa Valley & Bordeaux comparison. 12 wines, 6 courses and dessert. At the price of $69, Biggest bargain of the year. All wines were good but I and the people I was with all agreed that Bordeaux had the edge. Some of the pairings left a little to be desired. Don't know who did the selections but they missed the mark on several pairings.
Assorted cheeses paired with Scattered Peaks, Napa Valley and 2015 Chateau Blaignan, Medoc. 3 cheeses, one a smoked gouda that did not pair with the wines.
Herb Meatball with Truffle oil, bok choy and slivers of yellow and red pepper. Large meatball but mine was under cooked. I could not taste the truffle oil but I could get a real hint of chile. I wondered if someone in the kitchen grabbed the wrong oil.. A very definite bite . The two wines were St Supery, Rutherford and 2014 Chateau Dufort-Vivens, Margaux.
Roasted root vegetable salad with greens, oregano and sage. Baby root vegetables were very good but I felt that if we had a plate of just the vegetables and it was warm it would have paired much better with the wine. Nevers, Left Bank Red and 2015 Chateau Malmaison, Moulis-en-Medoc.
Beef broth with beef, chives and sour cream. This was a winner. Simple but effective in flavor. 2016 Hall, St. Helena and 2014 Chapelle de Meynay, St. Estephe.
Petite Filet with asparagus and Roquefort cheese , balsamic reduction. Cooked perfectly Reduction had loads of flavor. 2016 Whitehall Lane, St, Helena and 2017 Chateau Mongravey, Margaux.
Grilled Rib Eye with diced Yukon potatoes, green beans and a Bordelaise sauce. Again meat was cooked perfectly. Richard has upped his game in cooking beef. Always been a fabulous seafood, lamb, duck cook but had a tendency to over cook beef. 2015 Clos du Val, Stags Leap and 2015 Chateau Clarke, Listrac-Medoc.
Dessert was a chocolate mousse with macaroons.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Bubbles and Bites at Gelsons
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
First time going to the expanded wine bar at Gelsons market. www.gelsons.com. Have not been in this grocery store in years. Wine/Beer bar sits 10 at the higher level and has a low set up for 2 because of ADA requirements. This was a Champagne tasting on the medium to higher scale. Bottles were available for purchase, which many people did, but I found the "special tonight prices" to be on the high side. The Clicquot Yellow Label special price was $55. Regular price was listed at $65 - I know several places that it can be purchased anytime in the $43 to $45 range. But Gelsons is a high end market and prices reflect that.
We were served a plate that had 4 cheeses and 4 proteins. Each set was to go with a particular wine. All the pairings worked well together
First in the line up was Veuve Clicquot Yellow Brut along with Campofrio Jamon Serrano Spanish Ham and Brillat Savarin (triple Brie) cheese.
Veuve Clicquot Rose with Les Trois Petits Cochons Duck Mousse and Emmi Gruyere Cheese.
Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial with Creminelli Varzi Salami and La Tur Mixed- Milked Cheese (slightly funky)
Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Rose with Les Trois Petits Cochons Duck Confit and Red Cow Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (too much hard rind that was uneatable)
Ruinart Blanc de Blanc with Lobster Salad Slider.
Ruinart Rose with Chocolate Covered Strawberry (huge).
I preferred the Ruinart Blanc de Blanc. All the wines were very good but that one was my favorite of the evening.
The wine bar is a nice set up. You can have lunch there and order a glass or wine or beer (tap). Great if you live in the neighborhood.
First time going to the expanded wine bar at Gelsons market. www.gelsons.com. Have not been in this grocery store in years. Wine/Beer bar sits 10 at the higher level and has a low set up for 2 because of ADA requirements. This was a Champagne tasting on the medium to higher scale. Bottles were available for purchase, which many people did, but I found the "special tonight prices" to be on the high side. The Clicquot Yellow Label special price was $55. Regular price was listed at $65 - I know several places that it can be purchased anytime in the $43 to $45 range. But Gelsons is a high end market and prices reflect that.
We were served a plate that had 4 cheeses and 4 proteins. Each set was to go with a particular wine. All the pairings worked well together
First in the line up was Veuve Clicquot Yellow Brut along with Campofrio Jamon Serrano Spanish Ham and Brillat Savarin (triple Brie) cheese.
Veuve Clicquot Rose with Les Trois Petits Cochons Duck Mousse and Emmi Gruyere Cheese.
Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial with Creminelli Varzi Salami and La Tur Mixed- Milked Cheese (slightly funky)
Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Rose with Les Trois Petits Cochons Duck Confit and Red Cow Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (too much hard rind that was uneatable)
Ruinart Blanc de Blanc with Lobster Salad Slider.
Ruinart Rose with Chocolate Covered Strawberry (huge).
I preferred the Ruinart Blanc de Blanc. All the wines were very good but that one was my favorite of the evening.
The wine bar is a nice set up. You can have lunch there and order a glass or wine or beer (tap). Great if you live in the neighborhood.
Monday, December 9, 2019
Christmas Dinner at The Silver Trumpet
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Silver Trumpet Restaurant at the Avenue of The Arts Hotel
Last dinner of the year arranged by Margie. Beautiful restaurant, Silver Trumpet in Costa Mesa.
www.silvertrumpetrestaurant.com. Hotel was decorated beautifully for the holidays.
We had the choice of regular menu of a prix fixe. Opted for the Prix Fixe. 3 courses and it was more than enough for me. I chose the onion soup which was very good for a starter.
My main was lamb chops which were very flavorful and cooked perfectly along with a medley of vegetables.
For dessert I chose the Tiramisu. Had favor but was the strangest Tiramisu I have had. Round, tall stack with what looked like crushed Oreo cookies.
Wines were an interesting mix. Some never made it to our end of the table so I did not get a chance to taste them. I brought a 2011 Tercero, "The Climb", Petite Syrah and Syrah. Bigger, bold flavors, Soft and elegant on the palate. Went very well with the lamb.
2017 Merry Edwards, RRV, Meredith Estate, Pinot Noir - did not taste
2016 Zosia, Diamond Mountain District, Napa Valley, Red Blend - interesting blend, medium body.
NV Beau Joie, France, Brut Champagne - copper clad bottle, very impressive. Slightly yeasty, a tad acidic, good wine.
2016 The Hilt Vanguard, SBC, Chardonnay. - Very slight oak on the back palate but overall the taste was similar to Chablis.
2012 Saxum, Broken Bones, Syrah blend - Saxum is always big and good. Bold flavors.
2016 Schramsberg, Calistoga, Brut Rose - this wine is always a winner.
2018 Weiussenkirchen Riesling, Austria - Nice, clean Riesling.
2013 Dragonette, MJM, Syrah - did not taste.
2012 Sea Smoke, SRH, Seaport - a port style from Pinot Noir grapes. A bit on the sweet side, not rich in flavor.
2014 Melville, SRH, Syrah - good balance, soft tannins, drinking very well now
2015 Story of the Soil, SM, Pinot Noir- very light in color and taste, light cherry
Silver Trumpet Restaurant at the Avenue of The Arts Hotel
Last dinner of the year arranged by Margie. Beautiful restaurant, Silver Trumpet in Costa Mesa.
www.silvertrumpetrestaurant.com. Hotel was decorated beautifully for the holidays.
We had the choice of regular menu of a prix fixe. Opted for the Prix Fixe. 3 courses and it was more than enough for me. I chose the onion soup which was very good for a starter.
My main was lamb chops which were very flavorful and cooked perfectly along with a medley of vegetables.
For dessert I chose the Tiramisu. Had favor but was the strangest Tiramisu I have had. Round, tall stack with what looked like crushed Oreo cookies.
Wines were an interesting mix. Some never made it to our end of the table so I did not get a chance to taste them. I brought a 2011 Tercero, "The Climb", Petite Syrah and Syrah. Bigger, bold flavors, Soft and elegant on the palate. Went very well with the lamb.
2017 Merry Edwards, RRV, Meredith Estate, Pinot Noir - did not taste
2016 Zosia, Diamond Mountain District, Napa Valley, Red Blend - interesting blend, medium body.
NV Beau Joie, France, Brut Champagne - copper clad bottle, very impressive. Slightly yeasty, a tad acidic, good wine.
2016 The Hilt Vanguard, SBC, Chardonnay. - Very slight oak on the back palate but overall the taste was similar to Chablis.
2012 Saxum, Broken Bones, Syrah blend - Saxum is always big and good. Bold flavors.
2016 Schramsberg, Calistoga, Brut Rose - this wine is always a winner.
2018 Weiussenkirchen Riesling, Austria - Nice, clean Riesling.
2013 Dragonette, MJM, Syrah - did not taste.
2012 Sea Smoke, SRH, Seaport - a port style from Pinot Noir grapes. A bit on the sweet side, not rich in flavor.
2014 Melville, SRH, Syrah - good balance, soft tannins, drinking very well now
2015 Story of the Soil, SM, Pinot Noir- very light in color and taste, light cherry
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Haewah Dal Korean restaurant
Friday, December 6, 2019
New restaurant in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach. www.haewahdal.com. There were six of us tonight. We all had good opinions of the place. Interior is beautiful, table settings are upscale and the wine glasses are good quality. Service was very good. Food was excellent. But I do think that this will be a short lived restaurant in the place it is at. It is too pricy for the area. The area is "walking". The foot traffic will bypass it because of the pricing. It is a great destination restaurant and would be better suited someplace else.
There were six of us tonight. We all had good opinions of the place.
All of us choose the six course tasting menu at $80 per. plus $20 corkage for each bottle They did give us a few "amuse bouches" along with the six courses.
Started out with a Heirloom tomato marinated in 2 year aged plum juice. The marinating took the acidity out of the tomato. Next we had fried oyster in squid ink with mustard grain aioli And a dish of sweet potato fries, Very thinly sliced and salted. Presentation is everything.
A bowl of Seaweed soup with Kimchi fritter and spinach. Great flavor.
I choose for my tasting menu Diver scallop, mushroom, roasted beets and butternut squash. Scallop cooked perfectly. Flavors were great. This is a three bite dish.
Tuna tartar, trout roe, Korean pea and seaweed cracker. A tasty morsel. Again 3 bites. But with the long gold metal chopsticks it became a few more.
Chilean sea bass with Doenjang marinade (soy bean paste) berry chutney, green beans, Korean black raspberry wine reduction. Again a extremely good dish. This one was about four bites.
3 day processed braised short rib with gingko nut, dikon radish. I was a bit disappointed in this dish. Meat was tender and flavorful but a bit on the dry side.
Lastly came Bansang. Small side dishes served with rice.. Kimchi, spinach and a few other bites. There was sauce that you mix in with the rice along with some shredded vegetables. I ate a couple of the side dishes and left the rest. At this pint I was full. Dishes were small in portion but I was full at this point and we did have dessert coming.
Two desserts were served. Cheesecake ice-cream with raspberry compote and a Red bean gelee with chestnut.
There were four wines tonight6 I brought a champagne from Reims, France. Parker and Co. Fiurst year imported into the US. Bought a six pak at a tasting a few months ago. It was as good as I remembered. Everyone seemed to agree.
2015 Arbe Garbe, Sonoma, blend of bianco, tocai and ribolla gialla..
2016 Mail Road, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir
2017 Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir
New restaurant in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach. www.haewahdal.com. There were six of us tonight. We all had good opinions of the place. Interior is beautiful, table settings are upscale and the wine glasses are good quality. Service was very good. Food was excellent. But I do think that this will be a short lived restaurant in the place it is at. It is too pricy for the area. The area is "walking". The foot traffic will bypass it because of the pricing. It is a great destination restaurant and would be better suited someplace else.
There were six of us tonight. We all had good opinions of the place.
All of us choose the six course tasting menu at $80 per. plus $20 corkage for each bottle They did give us a few "amuse bouches" along with the six courses.
Started out with a Heirloom tomato marinated in 2 year aged plum juice. The marinating took the acidity out of the tomato. Next we had fried oyster in squid ink with mustard grain aioli And a dish of sweet potato fries, Very thinly sliced and salted. Presentation is everything.
A bowl of Seaweed soup with Kimchi fritter and spinach. Great flavor.
I choose for my tasting menu Diver scallop, mushroom, roasted beets and butternut squash. Scallop cooked perfectly. Flavors were great. This is a three bite dish.
Tuna tartar, trout roe, Korean pea and seaweed cracker. A tasty morsel. Again 3 bites. But with the long gold metal chopsticks it became a few more.
Chilean sea bass with Doenjang marinade (soy bean paste) berry chutney, green beans, Korean black raspberry wine reduction. Again a extremely good dish. This one was about four bites.
3 day processed braised short rib with gingko nut, dikon radish. I was a bit disappointed in this dish. Meat was tender and flavorful but a bit on the dry side.
Lastly came Bansang. Small side dishes served with rice.. Kimchi, spinach and a few other bites. There was sauce that you mix in with the rice along with some shredded vegetables. I ate a couple of the side dishes and left the rest. At this pint I was full. Dishes were small in portion but I was full at this point and we did have dessert coming.
Two desserts were served. Cheesecake ice-cream with raspberry compote and a Red bean gelee with chestnut.
There were four wines tonight6 I brought a champagne from Reims, France. Parker and Co. Fiurst year imported into the US. Bought a six pak at a tasting a few months ago. It was as good as I remembered. Everyone seemed to agree.
2015 Arbe Garbe, Sonoma, blend of bianco, tocai and ribolla gialla..
2016 Mail Road, Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Noir
2017 Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Prisoner Wine Dinner at Arte Cafe
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Dinner tonight was sold out. Big crowd in spite of the bad weather. Start time was 6:30 but we did not get a first pour of wine until about 6:40 - staff is running around ragged.
Started out with a Spinach salad with sliced almonds, goat cheese, Dijon vinaigrette and Tempura Shrimp. I did devour this salad. The dressing is what really made it. Paired with a 2016 The Snitch chardonnay. $35. Decent wine, bit oaky but not too much. It also had bit of Roussanne in the blend. Gave it a silky mouthfeel. Tasted like ripe pears.
First course is a Blackened Sea Bass with mushroom risotto. Fish was cooked perfectly. The risotto needed a bit more time cooking. Just a tad. A 2017 Saldo, A Zinfandel, $35, with some Petite Syrah and Syrah in it. Very dark in color and lots of dark fruit flavors. Bit of spice. Soft finish. I did not expect it to pair well with the Sea Bass but surprisingly it did.
Up next is a Roasted Cornish Game Hen (half) glazed with warm apple and pear jam. A bread stuffing and wild rice in the hen. Again the rice was a bit al dente. Good flavors. Served with a 2016 Cuttings, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon. $55. Dark cherry, a bit of cocoa, coffee.
Third course is Prime New York medallions in a peppercorn sauce with mashed potatoes. Excellent flavors, tender, cooked perfectly. Paired with a 2017 Eternally Silenced, Pinot Noir. $50. Grapes were sourced from 5 areas in California. Very good wine. dark fruits, good structure.
Dessert is a Black Forest Cake with a cherry sauce. Good but not outstanding. I found the cake itself was very light.. I prefer denser cakes. A 2017 The Prisoner, $49, (red blend) was the paired wine. I do like this wine. A blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, Syrah and Charbono. Dark cherries, chocolate, fig.
Be interesting to see if Richard throws in another wine dinner during the holidays.
Dinner tonight was sold out. Big crowd in spite of the bad weather. Start time was 6:30 but we did not get a first pour of wine until about 6:40 - staff is running around ragged.
Started out with a Spinach salad with sliced almonds, goat cheese, Dijon vinaigrette and Tempura Shrimp. I did devour this salad. The dressing is what really made it. Paired with a 2016 The Snitch chardonnay. $35. Decent wine, bit oaky but not too much. It also had bit of Roussanne in the blend. Gave it a silky mouthfeel. Tasted like ripe pears.
First course is a Blackened Sea Bass with mushroom risotto. Fish was cooked perfectly. The risotto needed a bit more time cooking. Just a tad. A 2017 Saldo, A Zinfandel, $35, with some Petite Syrah and Syrah in it. Very dark in color and lots of dark fruit flavors. Bit of spice. Soft finish. I did not expect it to pair well with the Sea Bass but surprisingly it did.
Up next is a Roasted Cornish Game Hen (half) glazed with warm apple and pear jam. A bread stuffing and wild rice in the hen. Again the rice was a bit al dente. Good flavors. Served with a 2016 Cuttings, Napa, Cabernet Sauvignon. $55. Dark cherry, a bit of cocoa, coffee.
Third course is Prime New York medallions in a peppercorn sauce with mashed potatoes. Excellent flavors, tender, cooked perfectly. Paired with a 2017 Eternally Silenced, Pinot Noir. $50. Grapes were sourced from 5 areas in California. Very good wine. dark fruits, good structure.
Dessert is a Black Forest Cake with a cherry sauce. Good but not outstanding. I found the cake itself was very light.. I prefer denser cakes. A 2017 The Prisoner, $49, (red blend) was the paired wine. I do like this wine. A blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, Syrah and Charbono. Dark cherries, chocolate, fig.
Be interesting to see if Richard throws in another wine dinner during the holidays.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
What Jason Learned in Israel Dinner at the Playground
Tuesday. November 19, 2019
Interesting themed dinner at the Playground tonight. www.playgrounddtsa.com. Jason, owner and chef went to Israel for a wedding. He brought back an array of ideas from that trip. I have been looking forward to this experience tonight. 12 courses and 2 desserts. I was not disappointed.
Our cocktail tonight consisted of Vodka, spiced apple, Suze, (French Bitters) and lemon. Wonderful flavors. The tartness of the lemon with with spices was addicting.
We started out with a trio of "Salatim" (salads).
Shredded carrots with green chile, pickled lemon, amba (mango) and golden raisins. Very slightly sweet with a tiny bite to it.
Shredded beets with tahini and dill. Beets are on the sweet side but this was exceptionally good. Shredding the beets gave it a whole new dimension in texture.
Kohlrabi , radish and green apple, all paper thinned sliced with Israeli sumac and parsley yogurt. Tangy and sweet at the same time.
Two types of fresh house made bread were served. Druze Mountain and pita. Both were some of the best bread I have eaten. These breads were served with two dipping sauces. Hummus with crispy spiced oyster mushrooms, labne (yogurt cheese), dates and pine nuts. And a Tarama made with creme fraiche and smoked cod roe. Both were excellent. I favored the Tarama .
Lentil masbacha made with chick peas and olive oil, green chile, tomatoes, red onion and 7 minute eggs.
Slow baked Hawji ( wild carrot) marinated black cod, harissa yogurt, persimmon, arugula dressed with Sumac. Cod was exceeding tender and the persimmon was very thinly sliced. Perfect dish
Suckling lamb chops, (lamb never had anything but mothers milk) cooked to perfection, red just the way I prefer them and a pom molasses syrup.
Roasted whole cauliflower with cumin tahini, zhoung (cilantro pesto) and almonds Again loaded with flavor.
Roasted whole baby sweet potatoes, served the the skins on. Open them up and eat with the creme fraiche and gray salt. These potatoes are roasted for hours at 200* and them crisped at a 425* temperature.
Braised Wagu beef skirt steak with carrots and green tahini. Beef was moist and succulent.
Desserts were different. A Malbi (which means stew). It was cooked raspberries with peanuts and a cookie crumble. Not overly sweet but definitely heavy. The other was Knafeh made with buffalo mozzarella, pistachios and saffron syrup. More savory than sweet. Both were good but not what I would order in a restaurant. Neither knocked by socks off. But that is my personal preference.
Wines tonight were:
Tyler, Santa Barbara, Rose
2017 Judean Kills, (Kosher) Tzora Vineyard, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc blend
2017 Penville, Enz Vineyard, Lime Kiln Valley AVA, Monterey, Mouvedre
2018 Arnaud Lambert, Samur Champigny, Terres Rouges, Cabernet Franc
2008 Chateau Musar, Lebanon, Gaston Hochar, Red Wine
2014 Robert Sinsky Vineyard, Los Carneros, Late Harvest, Pinot Gris
Interesting themed dinner at the Playground tonight. www.playgrounddtsa.com. Jason, owner and chef went to Israel for a wedding. He brought back an array of ideas from that trip. I have been looking forward to this experience tonight. 12 courses and 2 desserts. I was not disappointed.
Our cocktail tonight consisted of Vodka, spiced apple, Suze, (French Bitters) and lemon. Wonderful flavors. The tartness of the lemon with with spices was addicting.
We started out with a trio of "Salatim" (salads).
Shredded carrots with green chile, pickled lemon, amba (mango) and golden raisins. Very slightly sweet with a tiny bite to it.
Shredded beets with tahini and dill. Beets are on the sweet side but this was exceptionally good. Shredding the beets gave it a whole new dimension in texture.
Kohlrabi , radish and green apple, all paper thinned sliced with Israeli sumac and parsley yogurt. Tangy and sweet at the same time.
Two types of fresh house made bread were served. Druze Mountain and pita. Both were some of the best bread I have eaten. These breads were served with two dipping sauces. Hummus with crispy spiced oyster mushrooms, labne (yogurt cheese), dates and pine nuts. And a Tarama made with creme fraiche and smoked cod roe. Both were excellent. I favored the Tarama .
Lentil masbacha made with chick peas and olive oil, green chile, tomatoes, red onion and 7 minute eggs.
Slow baked Hawji ( wild carrot) marinated black cod, harissa yogurt, persimmon, arugula dressed with Sumac. Cod was exceeding tender and the persimmon was very thinly sliced. Perfect dish
Suckling lamb chops, (lamb never had anything but mothers milk) cooked to perfection, red just the way I prefer them and a pom molasses syrup.
Roasted whole cauliflower with cumin tahini, zhoung (cilantro pesto) and almonds Again loaded with flavor.
Roasted whole baby sweet potatoes, served the the skins on. Open them up and eat with the creme fraiche and gray salt. These potatoes are roasted for hours at 200* and them crisped at a 425* temperature.
Braised Wagu beef skirt steak with carrots and green tahini. Beef was moist and succulent.
Desserts were different. A Malbi (which means stew). It was cooked raspberries with peanuts and a cookie crumble. Not overly sweet but definitely heavy. The other was Knafeh made with buffalo mozzarella, pistachios and saffron syrup. More savory than sweet. Both were good but not what I would order in a restaurant. Neither knocked by socks off. But that is my personal preference.
Wines tonight were:
Tyler, Santa Barbara, Rose
2017 Judean Kills, (Kosher) Tzora Vineyard, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc blend
2017 Penville, Enz Vineyard, Lime Kiln Valley AVA, Monterey, Mouvedre
2018 Arnaud Lambert, Samur Champigny, Terres Rouges, Cabernet Franc
2008 Chateau Musar, Lebanon, Gaston Hochar, Red Wine
2014 Robert Sinsky Vineyard, Los Carneros, Late Harvest, Pinot Gris
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Caymus Wines at Arte Cafe
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Arte Café in Cerritos hosted a Caymus wine dinner tonight. Loads of people but not quite sold out. A few empty tables. I have noticed since the price of the wine dinners went up about $10 some of the "regulars" are not attending anymore. Which is OK by me as they seemed more in talking and socializing throughout any talks given by the wine owners / distributors. Made it difficult to hear what was going on if you were sitting close to them.
Started out with a Shaved Pear & Goat Cheese Salad with roasted zucchini, mixed greens and a horseradish vinaigrette. Good flavors. Paired with a Emmolo Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Not to acidic better than most.
Second course is a Thai Curry Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. Excellent . The curry gave it just the right amount of punch. Wine is a Conundrum Rose. Very light wine. Not much to it but it did pair well with the curry.
Next is a Five Spiced Seared Duck Breast with braised greens, crispy parmesan polenta and ripe plum. Duck was a bit over cooked for me and part of the skin was not crispy. Flavor was there and amazingly the cooked plum added the right touch. The parmesan polenta was very good. A Emmolo Napa Valley Merlot was the choice. I am not a big fan of merlot but this was decent.
Main course is a Herb Crusted Roasted Lamb Chop with French lentils and charred Delicata Squash. Lamb was a tad over cooked for my taste. I like to see pink and there was none. The squash was quite good but I have no opinion on the lentils because I just plain do like them. It is a texture thing with me on lentils, lima beans etc., Paired with a Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Good pairing, wine was good.
Dessert consisted of Cinnamon Baked Granny Smith Apple topped with shipped crème fraiche and a pumpkin spice. Fall flavors big time. Wine is a Conundrum Sparkling Rose. I liked the pairing. The lightness of the wine offset the heaviness of the dessert.
These wines tonight are the lower end Caymus wines. But for the $65 price tag you can't expect the real high end wines. Dinner was good, wines were decent and we had a great time. Looking forward to the "Prisoner" wine dinner in a few weeks.
Arte Café in Cerritos hosted a Caymus wine dinner tonight. Loads of people but not quite sold out. A few empty tables. I have noticed since the price of the wine dinners went up about $10 some of the "regulars" are not attending anymore. Which is OK by me as they seemed more in talking and socializing throughout any talks given by the wine owners / distributors. Made it difficult to hear what was going on if you were sitting close to them.
Started out with a Shaved Pear & Goat Cheese Salad with roasted zucchini, mixed greens and a horseradish vinaigrette. Good flavors. Paired with a Emmolo Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Not to acidic better than most.
Second course is a Thai Curry Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. Excellent . The curry gave it just the right amount of punch. Wine is a Conundrum Rose. Very light wine. Not much to it but it did pair well with the curry.
Next is a Five Spiced Seared Duck Breast with braised greens, crispy parmesan polenta and ripe plum. Duck was a bit over cooked for me and part of the skin was not crispy. Flavor was there and amazingly the cooked plum added the right touch. The parmesan polenta was very good. A Emmolo Napa Valley Merlot was the choice. I am not a big fan of merlot but this was decent.
Main course is a Herb Crusted Roasted Lamb Chop with French lentils and charred Delicata Squash. Lamb was a tad over cooked for my taste. I like to see pink and there was none. The squash was quite good but I have no opinion on the lentils because I just plain do like them. It is a texture thing with me on lentils, lima beans etc., Paired with a Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Good pairing, wine was good.
Dessert consisted of Cinnamon Baked Granny Smith Apple topped with shipped crème fraiche and a pumpkin spice. Fall flavors big time. Wine is a Conundrum Sparkling Rose. I liked the pairing. The lightness of the wine offset the heaviness of the dessert.
These wines tonight are the lower end Caymus wines. But for the $65 price tag you can't expect the real high end wines. Dinner was good, wines were decent and we had a great time. Looking forward to the "Prisoner" wine dinner in a few weeks.
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