fancy dinners out
we had two fancy food and wine pairings out this week
first was Thursday night at a local restaurant "red wing" with pairings by the local distributor "southern Food and wines"
Reception wine
Seaglass Riesling
OK. not particularly memorable
Pear and Gorgonzola Salad
With a Balsamic Spritz
Paired with Angove Nine Vines Grenache Shiraz Rose
not enough balsamic spritz on the salad, but an OK pairing
Butternut Squash Ravioli with an Amaretto Creme Sauce
Served with Joel Gott Chardonnay
the wine was too lemony for the sweetness in the squash Ravioli; I would order it another time with the Riesling served as the reception wine
Grilled Duck Breast with a Balsamic Cranberry reduction
Fresh Green Beans
Accompanied by Jargon Pinot Noir
the beans did not seem to go well with the rest, though the wine matched the duck well in my opinion
Cider Citrus Pork Tenderloin
Roasted Potato Medley
Served with Napa Cellars Merlot
good match
Baked Apple Cranberry Crisp
With Montevina Terra d'Oro Moscato
what's not to like about a Moscato?
good meal for the price; about $45 a person
tonight on the other hand...
Todd English's bluezoo
hosted by Todd English and Kathy Benzinger
(I must start by saying we went to the wine dinner at Benzinger Sat Labor Day weekend 2010 in Sonoma, and I found out about this opportunity there, and Kathy remembered me there from a previous wine tasting Tony and I had done at a previous Disney Food and Wine Festival)
(Kathy saw me as we were waiting in the bar seating area and remembered me)
reception: wines or blueberry vodka martinis(Tony, Terri and I all chose the martini) with various appetisers:
Buffalo chicken with blue cheese sauce(several sauces were in [plastic bulbs with the appetizers speared onto them)
scallops with truffled caviar in lemon garlic vinegrette (winner for me)
Bacon wrapped scallops with some sauce (bulb)
barbecue pork with pork rind(plated)
bay scallops with sauce (plated)
(wish I'd taken better notes - there were more apetizers)
amuse
crispy oyster...
rockefeller flavors
benzinger, "sangiocomo", chardonnay,
carneros
2 oyster bits(PEI oysters, fried) with a deconstructed rockefeller sauce
1st
hawaiian yellowfin tuna...
yuzu, daishi noodles, avocado
benzinger, "signaterra", "casey's block", sauvignon blanc,
mendocino county
3 small tuna blocks, avocado sauce dots, yuzu foam on tuna, 1 noodle
2nd
pumpkin agnolotti...
nantucket bay scallops, sage
benzinger, merlot, sonoma county
best served course up to that point, though the scallop and
truffled caviar appetizer was still in my memory - the tiny sauced slightly sweet pumpkin filled raviollis and tiny scallops were a surprisingly wonderful match for the lighter merlot
3rd
wild striped bass...
parsley root, crispy farro
benzinger, "signaterra"' "bella luna", pinot noir,
russian river valley
a heartier course, had other root vegetables in the veg portion, good match
4th
wagyu tenderloin...
artichoke and porcini ragout, macaire potato
benzinger, "signaterra"' 3 blocks, red blend
sonoma valley
what's not to like - great beef served at the right temp, mushrooms and potato casserole, and a red with it
(I think this is where Todd English arrived at our table at my request to get a chance to meet him)
5th
brilliat savarin...
acacia honey brulee, concord grape, brioche
benzinger, "tribute"' bordeaux blend,
sonoma mountain
cheese course
6th
"chocolate melange"
by Chef Laurent Branlard
"first press" cocktail
4 different chocolate presentations - a truffle, an ice cream, a homemade marshmallow with dark chocolate shavings, and a layered thing with chocolate sheets between chocolate creme - the "cocktail" was first press fresh grape juice from this year served in egg shaped solid ice eggs broken with a wooden hammer at table
first was Thursday night at a local restaurant "red wing" with pairings by the local distributor "southern Food and wines"
Reception wine
Seaglass Riesling
OK. not particularly memorable
Pear and Gorgonzola Salad
With a Balsamic Spritz
Paired with Angove Nine Vines Grenache Shiraz Rose
not enough balsamic spritz on the salad, but an OK pairing
Butternut Squash Ravioli with an Amaretto Creme Sauce
Served with Joel Gott Chardonnay
the wine was too lemony for the sweetness in the squash Ravioli; I would order it another time with the Riesling served as the reception wine
Grilled Duck Breast with a Balsamic Cranberry reduction
Fresh Green Beans
Accompanied by Jargon Pinot Noir
the beans did not seem to go well with the rest, though the wine matched the duck well in my opinion
Cider Citrus Pork Tenderloin
Roasted Potato Medley
Served with Napa Cellars Merlot
good match
Baked Apple Cranberry Crisp
With Montevina Terra d'Oro Moscato
what's not to like about a Moscato?
good meal for the price; about $45 a person
tonight on the other hand...
Todd English's bluezoo
hosted by Todd English and Kathy Benzinger
(I must start by saying we went to the wine dinner at Benzinger Sat Labor Day weekend 2010 in Sonoma, and I found out about this opportunity there, and Kathy remembered me there from a previous wine tasting Tony and I had done at a previous Disney Food and Wine Festival)
(Kathy saw me as we were waiting in the bar seating area and remembered me)
reception: wines or blueberry vodka martinis(Tony, Terri and I all chose the martini) with various appetisers:
Buffalo chicken with blue cheese sauce(several sauces were in [plastic bulbs with the appetizers speared onto them)
scallops with truffled caviar in lemon garlic vinegrette (winner for me)
Bacon wrapped scallops with some sauce (bulb)
barbecue pork with pork rind(plated)
bay scallops with sauce (plated)
(wish I'd taken better notes - there were more apetizers)
amuse
crispy oyster...
rockefeller flavors
benzinger, "sangiocomo", chardonnay,
carneros
2 oyster bits(PEI oysters, fried) with a deconstructed rockefeller sauce
1st
hawaiian yellowfin tuna...
yuzu, daishi noodles, avocado
benzinger, "signaterra", "casey's block", sauvignon blanc,
mendocino county
3 small tuna blocks, avocado sauce dots, yuzu foam on tuna, 1 noodle
2nd
pumpkin agnolotti...
nantucket bay scallops, sage
benzinger, merlot, sonoma county
best served course up to that point, though the scallop and
truffled caviar appetizer was still in my memory - the tiny sauced slightly sweet pumpkin filled raviollis and tiny scallops were a surprisingly wonderful match for the lighter merlot
3rd
wild striped bass...
parsley root, crispy farro
benzinger, "signaterra"' "bella luna", pinot noir,
russian river valley
a heartier course, had other root vegetables in the veg portion, good match
4th
wagyu tenderloin...
artichoke and porcini ragout, macaire potato
benzinger, "signaterra"' 3 blocks, red blend
sonoma valley
what's not to like - great beef served at the right temp, mushrooms and potato casserole, and a red with it
(I think this is where Todd English arrived at our table at my request to get a chance to meet him)
5th
brilliat savarin...
acacia honey brulee, concord grape, brioche
benzinger, "tribute"' bordeaux blend,
sonoma mountain
cheese course
6th
"chocolate melange"
by Chef Laurent Branlard
"first press" cocktail
4 different chocolate presentations - a truffle, an ice cream, a homemade marshmallow with dark chocolate shavings, and a layered thing with chocolate sheets between chocolate creme - the "cocktail" was first press fresh grape juice from this year served in egg shaped solid ice eggs broken with a wooden hammer at table