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Archive for Pinot noir

Babykiller Birthday

May06

Like many of us, my friend Matthew likes to celebrate his birthday with Burgundy. In this case, a free-for-all house party with lots of it. NOTE: this group doesn’t have real name, but I call them the Babykillers because they’re mostly younger than me, and because of a tendency to open great wines young (like 2010 DRC!). But hey, after who knows how long in the decanter those young DRCs were pretty awesome.

The birthday boy.

It should be noted that this dinner, like many Babykiller birthdays before it, has an unusual format. Food is casual, and all the when is just popped and self serve with small pours. There are 1.5-2 bottles per person, so there is no huge rush. Even the 1990 Dujac took 2 hours to be finished.

1988 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. 95 points. howed beautifully, but not as well as the last bottle. The wine is light golden honey coloured, with fine mousse and effervescence that’s still alive, although fading. Notes of toasted brioche, hazelnuts and dried fruit on the nose. On the palate the wine is smooth, rich and long, with good, muted fruit and great balance and decent effervescence. Drinking at its peak now.

1999 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 95. The 1999 Salon, tasted from magnum, is the first wine in which fresh, primary fruit flavors are replaced by more mature notes. Lemon oil, light honey and chamomile flesh out in a radiant, expressive Champagne loaded with class. Here it is the wine’s texture and breadth that impress above all else. The 1999 is a fabulous transition to the older wines in this tasting, as it is both youthful and complex.

From my cellar: 1995 Pierre Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 93 points. Quite refined nose and palate with subtle nose of flowers, green fruit and brioche. Fresh and not even slightly premoxed.

1996 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Caillerets. Burghound 91. Exquisite nose of hazelnut and ripe melon with flavors that are not particularly dense but very fine, tight and beautifully detailed with plenty of minerality and outstanding acid/fruit balance. Even though this is young vine fruit, it shows excellent intensity on the long finish.

1999 Domaine d’Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Auxey-Duresses Les Clous. 94 points. This seems to be a mix between the roundness of a Meursault (buttery flavor, texture on the palate) and the minerality of a Puligny (fresh, citrusy scents, length on palate). This one is a knockout, that clearly rivals the grands crus, let it be Chevalier/Batard and the likes. But for a fraction of the price. A knock-out effort by Mme Bize!

2002 Bouchard Aîné et Fils Montrachet. 95 points. A real stunner. We decanted and it had a knockout power.

2004 Domaine Amiot Guy et Fils Montrachet Le Montrachet. 93 points. The aromas are softer and lighter than the ’05, with some slight green notes. Soft palate entry, with a creamy, chunky texture, without quite the complexity of the ’05. Still very rich, offering nice lemon notes coupled with some good minerality. Nice blossoming finish, which really opens up beautifully, and surprisingly considering the palate. Lovely puckering notes linger, but they are particularly graceful. Nice tartness. Really wonderful on the finish.

Lucky to be having more Amiot Monty!


Various cheeses. I always forget how great a pairing cheese and White Burgundy is.

Antipasta.

Caprese.

Panna.

Arugula salad.


2001 Bernard Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Petite Chapelle. Burghound 92. Riper red fruit nose and with excellent finesse and purity of expression as the intense, understated, precise and detailed flavors display outstanding length. I very much like this as it’s harmonious, subtle and dazzlingly pretty.

2010 Finca Allende Rioja Martires. 91 points. Holy oak, vanilla, alcohol batman. Served blind. Thought it was high octane california chardonnay. Yowsers. No me gusta.

From my cellar: 1997 Alain Hudelot-Noellat Romanée St. Vivant. 94 points. Drinking great. Very RSV, round and expressive. Hedonistic.

1997 Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts. VM 93. Deep red-ruby. Precise, floral aromas of red fruits, flowers and minerals; less superripe and perhaps more vineyard-specific than the Boudots. High-pitched, fine and light on its feet. Really impressively delineated and lively. Fruity but with firm underlying backbone. Firmly tannic, pure aftertaste.

1990 Domaine Dujac Echezeaux. Burghound 91. A beautiful and fully mature nose of dark berry fruit, spice and earth with just the initial hints of sous bois leads to round, rich, powerful and still moderately structured medium full flavors underpinned by still firm but softening tannins and excellent length. This is still quite well balanced and displays none of the “fruit/tannin” separation that so many ’90s do today and as such, the ’90 Ech should drink well over the next 20+ years.

agavin 96: a knock out and clear WOTN.

1986 Michel Bonnefond Ruchottes-Chambertin. 88 points. Short.

2006 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant. VM 95. The 2006 Romanée-St. Vivant is backed up by firm veins of mouthwatering salinity and acidity. The characteristic Romanée-St. Vivant perfumed bouquet is very much in evidence, while there is a sense of energy and pure drive that distinguishes it from the Échézeaux. The RSV can be drunk today, but knowing how these wines age, patience will be rewarded as 2006 still isn’t showing all of its cards.

2010 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux. Burghound 94. Exuberant and ripe spicy purple fruit also exhibits distinct floral and warm earth nuances that go on to suffuse the rich and finely detailed medium-bodied flavors that possess excellent underlying tension before terminating in a focused, intense and gorgeously long finish. This is pure silk and lace but the really impressive aspect of this wine is just how much depth it has. A sublime knockout, particularly by the usual standards of this wine.

2006 Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. Burghound 94. Despite being harvested first, this is clearly the ripest wine in the range where the wonderfully dense fruit is highlighted by a background touch of wood that continues onto the refined, pure and concentrated flavors that are supported by dense but fine tannins and flat out terrific length. This is a lovely wine in every respect and while not exactly understated, everything does seem to be in perfect proportion.

agavin: tighter than a witches tit!

Spaghetti with seafood.

Spaghetti al carbonara.

Baked ziti. I haven’t seen that in a while!


My plate.


195x R. López de Heredia Rioja Viña Tondonia. Can’t read the year, but it was good. Very dirty, in that good Rioja way.


1960 Fonseca Porto Vintage. 91 points.


Beard Papa cream puffs, both chocolate and vanilla.

Cookies.

More cookies.


The damage.

Overall another night of great fun and fabulous wines.

Related posts:

  1. BOA Birthday Blitz
  2. Birthday Party, Hedonist Style
  3. Il Grano Birthday
  4. Pistola with a Bang
  5. Sauvage Republique
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Babykillers, Burgundy, Chardonnay, Italian cuisine, Matthew G, Pinot noir, Wine

Sauvage Republique

Apr22

Restaurant: Republique [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Location: 624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036. (310) 362-6115

Date: April 10, 2015

Cuisine: Modern Bistro French

Rating: Nice (loud) space, tasty hip food, great service

_

Back to Republique again? I was just there last night!! Well, it seems in 2014 half the serious wine events are here. Possibly it’s because Sommelier Taylor Parsons is so good. In any case, today is Sauvages annual “Grand Cru Lunch.” How could I resist more great Burgundy?


The building is an interesting fusion of pre-war factory…

The main interior is nearly church-like. It’s been all opened up and looks great, but it’s big, tall, and covered in hard surfaces. That means loud!


Our lunch is in the back half, where is just ever so much less loud. We have this big table in the middle of an even bigger room.


A close up of our table and below our menu:

Flight 0: Whites


2004 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Melville Vineyard. 90 points. This wine is very traditional for this winery. Not huge nose, but fragrance of lite melons and honeysuckle. Straw hue. Cold, it is closed, but as it warms, it starts to open with notes of melon, cream and sweet pineapple– but not acidic. It also has some effervescence, and a clean, Stoney finish. Some vanilla and hay and a little stone fruit.


2010 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. Burghound 94. A reserved yet classic Chablis nose that is ultra-fresh, pure and elegant with the hallmark floral and stone notes of a fine Montée de Tonnerre complement well the rich, dense and impressively well-detailed flavors that culminate in a mineral-inflected and driving finish. A wine of harmony and balance that should age well plus it offers so much Chablis character that this would be almost impossible to miss blind. In sum, one to buy.

agavin: I have 6 bottles of this stuff in my cellar.


2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. Burghound 96. Here too the elegance of the nose is simply stunning with a layered and perfumed aromatic profile trimmed in an almost invisible touch of oak that allows it to ooze Chablis character and in particular, a fine minerality that continues onto the impressively concentrated and palate staining flavors that possess striking precision on the explosively long and bone dry finish. This is a great Les Clos that will make old bones.


The famous bread.

Flight 1:

It should be noted that Sauvage lunches always have the lunch itself arranged into (usually 4) flights of food with wine flights matched by the organizer (in this case, Kirk). They are not blind.


1971 Louis Latour Romanée St. Vivant Les Quatre Journaux. agavin 93. Surprisingly fresh. Lots of fruit. Very mature, but a nice singing finish.


1974 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant. agavin 87. Brown and tired. Tea like. Got a bit better with a few minutes and was enjoyable.


From my cellar: 1985 Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux. agavin 92. Round, mature, and delicious. A very nice well balanced Ech with considerable fruit and power.


1995 Domaine Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin Très Vieilles Vignes. Tanzer 96. Similar deep ruby-red. Pure perfume on the nose: cassis, kirsch, violet, licorice, tobacco, game. Like a rare liqueur whose formula is locked up in the heads of two monks. Great volume and sweetness in the mouth; fruit saturates the entire palate and anything else it can reach. Really extraordinarily concentrated. These grapes were picked with near-14% potential alcohol; the yield, according to Roty, was about 28 hectoliters per hectare, not particularly low for these ancient vines planted in 1881. Fabulous brooding fruit on the finish, along with suave, superripe tannins. Another dimension of concentration and texture.


Rhode Island Black Bass. A perfectly nice bit of fish “juiced” up by the bacon based sauce.

Flight 2:


2001 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin. Burghound 92. A moderately pitched nose that exhibits only traces of secondary nuances also features notes of cool red berry fruit, earth and a hint of the classic Mazis sauvage character that continues onto the delicious, well-detailed and intense middle weight flavors that exude a fine minerality on the mildly austere but not dry finish. There is a bit of unabsorbed wood that is present on the finish though it’s not enough to really detract from the overall sense of harmony. While this could easily be enjoyed now, for my taste there is just enough unresolved structure to warrant allowing this to continue to age for another 5 or so years.


2002 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir West Block. Burghound 90. An expressive nose of violets and ripe black cherry introduces complex, elegant and sweet medium full flavors that coat the palate with ample dry extract, culminating in a sappy, persistent and generous finish underpinned by firm and ripe tannins. This is clearly a ripe effort yet the finish displays only the barest trace of warmth. Lovely stuff and recommended.

agavin: one of the better New World pinots I’ve had, very Burgundian.


2002 Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. Burghound 92-94. Dramatically earthy, spicy and sappy black pinot fruit beautifully frame the dense, intense, superbly complex flavors that are supported by ripe, solid, firm tannins and incredible length. As good as several of the preceding wines are, there is a class and presence here that only the Musigny possesses and this is extremely impressive and built for the long haul.


2004 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Clos Vougeot. Burghound 90-2. This too displays more than a trace of wood with very floral and unusually high-toned red pinot fruit aromas nuanced by hints of iron, underbrush and earth that lead to sweet, round and again unusually supple and forward flavors that are textured, punchy and vibrant and finish with excellent length and precision. While there is a touch of the youthful finishing austerity that a typical Clos de Vougeot often displays, this is more forward and expressive than normal.

agavin: green on the nose, green on the palette. Disgusting really, I couldn’t handle it.


Stinging Nettle Cavatelli. Same pasta as last night, but with an oxtail ragu, cheese, and a bit of bone marrow. This pasta was a “10.” A really rich tasty concoction of goodness.

Flight 3:


1996 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot. Tanzer 92+. Deep, bright red-ruby. Complex, wild aromas of raw crushed blueberry, violet, raw meat and iron. Intense, primal flavors of crunchy berries and powdered stone. Integrated acidity gives the fruit an urgent quality. Quite powerfully structured for aging. Very long and bright on the back end, with tannins nicely supported by extract.


1996 Domaine Robert Jayer-Gilles Echezeaux du Dessus. Tanzer 93+. Deep, bright ruby-red. Explosive nose combines dark berries, kirsch, violet, spice and smoked meat. Sweet, sappy and large-scaled, but with great delineation of flavor for a wine of this size. Like a solid today, and quite backward. Finishes with substantial but silky tannins and a whiplash of fruit. Along with the example from Emmanuel Rouget, this is as impressive an Echezeaux as I’ve tasted from 1996.


2001 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart. Burghound 95. I have been in love with this wine since I first encountered it in barrel and it seems only to have gotten better and better. An elegant, pure and refined nose of earth, coffee, spice and intensely perfumed black cherries combine with focused, tautly muscular, remarkably complex and precise full-bodied, sweet and palate staining flavors that seem to go on and on. But the quality that impresses me the most is the dazzling combination of finesse and power, all wrapped in a finish of near perfect harmony and balance. This should be capable of aging well for at least two decades. A great wine that is not as dense or monumental as the ’05 but this is finer. Multiple, and consistent, notes.


2000 Dominique Laurent Bonnes Mares. Tanzer 92-5. Ruby-red. Confectionery aromas of tiny wild fruits, minerals and smoke; the Chambolle character dominates today, whereas last year the ’99 Bonnes-Mares was more Morey. Sappy, sweet and quite refined; an extremely pure wine that already exudes compelling inner-mouth perfume. Finishes with firm tannins and superb fruit intensity and persistence. Tasted from only 100% new oak, as this wine had not yet been racked into a second new barrel. A wine of extravagant sweetness, and the best in the cave on this day.


Sonoma Duck Leg Confit. A rather perfect and meaty duck leg with a great sauce, over a bit of nice oatmeal with some blueberries. A stunning wine pairing too.

Flight 4:


1990 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes. Burghound 91. The classic truffle-infused Ruchottes nose is missing though the usual game, subtle earth and spice notes are present with remarkably rich, full, broad-scaled flavors that offer lovely balance and fine length. Many ’90s are overly ripe and over the top but this remains balanced and really quite pure and understated if not particularly dense. In sum, this is an attractive and satisfying effort that is just now coming into its own.


1990 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. Burghound 89. As long time readers know, I have never thought very highly of this wine and I have had on the order of 3 cases of it without ever finding one that I thought was very good, let alone great. This would include a bottle that was air expressed directly from the domaine so my objections have nothing to do with storage, provenance or shipping. However, the bottle in this tasting displayed the best fruit/acid/tannin balance of any ’90 VV that I’ve yet had and while I would stop well short of according it the accolades that it once received in abundance, it didn’t not display the green finishing tannins and overtly advanced aromas that its predecessors have. In short, a wine of moderate promise and while by no means great, at least acceptable in the context of the extremely high standards of this wine and this vintage.


1995 Domaine Philippe Charlopin-Parizot Clos St. Denis. No reviews. Woah!


1995 Dominique Laurent Romanée St. Vivant. 90 points. Typical pinot noir aroma but sense of inbalance. Hint of barnyard but does blow away. Sour oak juice! Mouth puckering dryness from the acid. Does not resemble my previous RSV experience which was warm. Light bodied and smooth tannins. Spicy with bitter pears, chempaka and granny smith apples. Medium finish.


Cheese.

Finish:


2001 Marc Colin et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. agavin 90. A nice Corton Charlie drinking in a good spot.


Expresso. Needed after a wine lunch.


My notes on the wines.


Chef Walter Manzke pays us a visit.


Wine director / Somm Taylor Parsons handled this event himself and did a superlative job.

Enough wine for a Friday afternoon?

This was probably the best Suavages lunch I’ve attended, and that’s saying a lot as these are very fun events.

While the food wasn’t as extensive as the previous night, our three non-cheese courses were still fabulous. The pasta and duck in particular were killer. I generally like the private room, but this big downstairs space was cavernous and comfortable — although at night it would be too loud. Each course was brought by an army of 6-7 waiters and dropped elegantly in front of us.

As usual Taylor did an amazing job with the wine service. My only regret is that we had just four glasses each and so had to dump the previous flights.

An overall fabulous afternoon.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Kirk juggled the credit cards

Related posts:

  1. Republique of Vosne
  2. Vive la République
  3. Republique of Jadot
  4. Third Republique
  5. Trimbach Republique
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Burgundy, Pinot noir, République, Sauvages, Taylor Parsons, Walter Manzke, Wine

Pistola with a Bang

Jan19

Restaurant: Pistola [1, 2]

Location: 8022 W 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 323.951.9800

Date: January 14, 2015

Cuisine: Italian Steakhouse

Rating: Tasty good

_

Tonight’s dinner is themed around 1990s grand cru Burgundy, both colors. Why exactly we took this to an Italian Steakhouse is anyone’s guess, but that didn’t matter — we had a blast.



1998 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Les Clos Saint-Hilaire. AG 95. Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is a 100% Pinot Noir Champagne made from a small, one hectare plot located on the property in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. The wine is fermented in oak and bottled with no dosage. In only its third release, Le Clos Saint-Hilaire has already established itself as one of the region’s most fascinating wines. Anticipated maturity The 1998 Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire emerges from the glass with an exotic array of intensely perfumed, candied fruit. The wine possesses gorgeous textural richness in a deep, layered expression of Pinot Noir. The mousse remains refined and very elegant all the way through to the deeply satisfying, resonating finish.


The menu. We actually had the chef bring up appetizers, pasta, and dessert, with everyone ordering their entrees.


From my cellar: 1992 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 90. As would be expected from a relatively soft vintage at 18 years of age, this is fully mature with sous bois and truffle notes to the dried apple and rose petal nose. There is good richness but also lovely detail and minerality to the moderately concentrated finish that offer excellent depth and length. I would be drinking this sooner than later because even though it is in no danger of falling apart, it’s clearly time to be drinking up over the next decade.

agavin: doing great for 22+ year old chardonnay


1999 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 92. As de la Morinière suggests, this is a good deal more powerful than the 2000 version but it is not quite as bright or quite as focused. That said, this is a very impressive effort with big, almost massive aromas of earth, ripe green fruits such as apples and pears leading to equally big, powerful flavors that offer great mouthfeel, all of which is underpinned by plenty of minerality and more than adequate buffering acidity. This is extremely long already but this should continue to improve for 7 to 10 years and hold for much longer than that.

agavin: rounder and actually “older” tasting than the 92, but drinking great.


1997 Domaine Marius Delarche Corton-Charlemagne Reserve. 90 points. Really singing and massive.


1969 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. 92 points. Mature Burgundy nose, forrest floor, mushrooms, damp earth. Fresh palate of dark fruits, great minerality, iron with nice acidity. Became sweeter after an hour and kept going. Great bottle.


Meatballs. On a bed of ricotta. Awesome. These were similar to the similarly awesome ones at Gusto.


Insalata Mista.


Steak tartar. Good meat, but didn’t have enough bite for me. Needed more pepper? It had some truffle oil in it.


Crab Crocchetti. Dungeness Crab Cake, scallion pesto.


1996 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot. IWC 92+. Deep, bright red-ruby. Complex, wild aromas of raw crushed blueberry, violet, raw meat and iron. Intense, primal flavors of crunchy berries and powdered stone. Integrated acidity gives the fruit an urgent quality. Quite powerfully structured for aging. Very long and bright on the back end, with tannins nicely supported by extract.

As a note, we did two flights of 3 reds each more or less blind.


1998 Domaine Robert Jayer-Gilles Nuits St. Georges Les Hauts Poirets. IWC 89. Bright ruby-red. Fresh aromas of violet and nuts. Rich, sweet and silky, but also vibrant and shapely. Finishes with sweet tannins and very good length.


1990 Burguet Gilles Gevrey-Chambertin.

agavin: great for old village wine.


Squid Ink Agnolotti. Awesome stuff with a nice sweetness.


Buccatini alla Carbonara. Guanciale, onion, black pepper, egg yolk & pecorino.


Mixed up it’s great stuff.


Buccatini All’Amatriciana. Like a red suace pasta with more flavor.


1995 Domaine Robert Groffier Bonnes Mares. IWC 93. Black raspberry, violet and herbs on the nose. Thick, brooding and very intensely flavored; has a mellow flavor of woodsmoke. Large-scaled and multilayered. Finishes with ripe, chewy tannins. A terrific example of the ’95 vintage at its best.


1993 Daniel Bocquenet Echezeaux. Burghound 88. Very elegant, spicy rich fruit framed robust, intense but edgy flavors that are a bit lean on the moderately long finish. It’s not clear whether this will regain its balance or not with a few years of bottle age but there is no doubting the lovely complexity and solid flavor authority.

agavin: whatever meadows says, our bottle was filled with great wine. Lots of power and elegance.


1995 Louis Latour Corton-Clos de la Vigne au Saint.

agavin: a nice wine but not in the league of its immediate predecessors.


Dry-aged Delmonico steak.


Herb butter.


Rib-eye.

Colorado lamb chops.


Veal Chop Alla Parmigiana. Wow, I’m not a big straight steak fan so this really saved the course for me.


Crispy Tuscan Fries. Not sure what is Tuscan here.


Funghi Misti.


Caramelized Romanesco. With a bit of heat and a little vinegary tang, very nice.


Creamy Polenta. Mild.


Various ice creams.


And sorbets.


Vanilla ice cream, because you can never have too much of that.


Cannoli. My fave.


Tortino (aka Chocolate cake).


The chef brought us out something he was working on.


Grilled bread, prosciutto, foie gras, and uni. Wow, you wouldn’t think all that would work together, but it so does.


Overall, Pistola was really solid. We all thought some of the apps and the pastas were a bit better than the meats and sides (although I enjoyed my chop), but it was a very tasty meal. They treated us like kings too. Our waitress really put up with a lot of wine guy “hassle” and did a good job managing the flights.

Room is very pretty but a little loud with a bar feel (some love that, some don’t). If I were them, my biggest suggestion foodwise would just be to add some more decadent sides like a “gorgonzola gnocchi” and the like. Not really Italian, but then again, I’ve never actually seen a steakhouse in Italy. Not that Italians, particularly Tuscans don’t love steak, but the steakhouse format is an American thing — which is fine.

But this was overall a fabulous evening for a number of reasons. We had eight people all at a round table, which while cramped is great for conversation, and a great mix of guys. Plus we had a nice Burgundy focused theme.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

 

Related posts:

  1. Is that a Pistola in your pocket?
  2. Hedonists at STK again!
  3. Valentino – 2004 Red Burgundy
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  5. Simon Says Melisse
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Burgundy, Champagne, Chardonnay, Foodie Club, Pinot noir, Pistola, Steak, Will C, Wine

Old School Cool

Feb03

Restaurant: The Dal Rae

Location: 9023 E Washington Blvd, Pico Rivera, CA 90660. (562) 949-2444

Date: February 1, 2014

Cuisine: American

Rating: Excellent and extremely old school

_

With the success of our High End Burgundy and High End Bordeaux themed dinners, we Hedonists are experimenting with more ideas. Tonight all the wines are requried to be 99 and 100 point (in some major publication). The setting is The Dal Rae, which is a massively old school mid century classic out in the middle of outer Mongolia (Pico Rivera). I’d never been to Pico Rivera, probably never even heard of it. I still barely know where it is after going — just somewhere in the inland empire.


The place is like a blast out of the 50s. Sinatra could have (or probably did) hang here.


Our big private table.


The menu. Probably hasn’t changed much in 50 years! There are a few nods to the late 20th century, like “Ahi Sashimi on toast.”


2002 Vilmart et Cie Coeur de Cuvee. Parker 94. The 2002 Brut Coeur de Cuvee is absolutely stunning. This young, towering Champagne bursts from the glass with layers of mineral-infused fruit, showing fabulous intensity and purity from start to finish. Hints of tropical, opulent fruit are very nicely tempered by the wine’s underlying structure. Think Montrachet with bubbles. The Coeur de Cuvee is made from 50 year old vines in Les Blanches Voies Hautes. The blend is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Dosage is 8 grams per liter.

Nice champagne.


Pickles on the table. The cucumber has a nice lightly pickled quality.


Bread.


From my cellar: 1996 Chapoutier Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree. Parker 99-100. It is no secret that I adore Chapoutier’s luxury cuvee of white Hermitage called Cuvee L’Oree. Made from 90-year old vines and microscopic yields of 10-12 hectoliters per hectare, this wine flirts with perfection. It is a compelling white Hermitage. Made from 100% Marsanne, it is as rich and multidimensional as the fullest, most massive Montrachet money can buy. It is unctuously textured, yet extraordinarily and beautifully balanced. I suspect it will drink well early in life, and then shut down for a few years. It should last for 4-5 decades. The 1996 possesses some of the most amazing glycerin levels I have ever seen in a dry white wine. In short, this wine must be tasted to be believed.

This is the second time I’ve failed to be impressed with this wine. I’ve had the bottles since release too. Maybe it’s just was Marsanne tastes like, and it was a perfectly nice wine (if a little on the oxidized side), but 100 points? The 1993 Pierre Morey Batard-Montrachet I had the night before totally blew it out of the water.

Crab Cakes (2) . . . Chili, Cilantro Cream Sauce. Lots of good lump blue crab in here, and as such, a surprisingly good crab cake (and I grew up partially in the Maryland Eastern shore).


2008 Marcassin Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard. Parker 100. Utterly perfect, the 2008 Chardonnay Marcassin Estate is a dead-ringer for the 2007, but slightly richer and longer, as hard as that may be to believe. This extraordinary effort is unquestionably the “Chardonnay of the Vintage.” In fact, it may be the “Chardonnay of the Decade.” Brioche, nectarine, citrus and orange blossom notes intermixed with a liqueur of rocks, great acid, phenomenal concentration and staggering length result in a sublime Chardonnay that should drink well for 15+ years.

Parker clearly knows nothing about great Chardonnay. This was a pleasant wine, and good for an American one, and it was intensely floral. But it was also totally lacking any backbone and acidic structure.

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail (5) . . .  Our Own Spicy Cocktail Sauce. Classic and strait-forward.


2008 Native9 Pinot Noir Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard. Parker 91. This is a nicely layered, full-bodied, and textured Pinot Noir, with a dark plum color and a sweet nose of white chocolate, black cherries, pomegranate, fresh mushrooms, and earth. Complex, deep, and layered, this is an impressive Pinot Noir to drink over the next 3-4 years.

This was a bonus bottle. Parker knows even less about Pinot, because this tasted like oak with a bitter unpleasant finish. Ick. Give me a half decent village from Burgundy.

Fried Rock Shrimp . . . Hot Sweet and Sour Sauce. Sort of like what you’d get if Panda Express did popcorn shrimp — but quite tasty nonetheless (although not even slightly spicy).

Teriyaki Tidbits (4) . . . Filet Mignon with Ortega Chile and Monterey Jack Cheese. A little odd and not my thing.


From my cellar: 1986 Leoville-Las Cases. Parker 100. The late Michel Delon always thought that this was the greatest vintage he had produced. We often tasted it side by side with the 1982, because I always preferred the latter vintage. Of course, the two vintages are quite different in style, with the 1986 a monument to classicism, with great tannin, extraordinary delineation, and a huge, full-bodied nose of sweet, ripe cassis fruit intermixed with vanilla, melon, fruitcake, and a multitude of spices. The wine has always been phenomenally concentrated, yet wonderfully fresh and vigorous. The wine still seems young, yet it is hard to believe it is not close to full maturity. It is a great example of Leoville Las Cases, and another compelling reason to take a serious look at the top Cabernet Sauvignon-based Medocs of 1986.

Slick, smooth and mature, this was my second favorite red of the night, but still, I was disappointed. It was an excellent Bordeaux, but it didn’t sing or really have any magic going. The 1982 Lafite I opened in December was vastly better, as the 1985 Margaux I split with one of my best friends over Thanksgiving. The cheapy glass glass didn’t help. I should have put it in one of my Riedels.

Escargots Bourguignonne (6) . . . A French Classic, garlic butter, herbs.


2006 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Vino da Tavola. Parker 97. The 2006 Flaccianello della Pieve is monumental, as it has been since the very beginning. Smoke, black cherries, plums, incense, licorice and tar are some of the many notes that burst from the glass in this powerful wine. The 2006 has fruit and structure to burn. It is going to be an absolutely fabulous wine to follow over the coming years, but patience is key. A huge, explosive finish rounds things out in style.

This gets a 99 from Wine Spectator, so it sneaks in (barely). Still, it was probably my favorite red (along with the 86 Leoville) as it had some character and depth.

Oysters Rockefeller . . . Chopped Bacon, Spinach, Pernod, Parmesanand Hollandaise Sauce. Can we say heavy?


Even more old school, lots of lemon wedges.


A few of the wines.


Garlic bred. Could have used a little more garlic punch.


2001 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch. Parker 97-100. While I am not surprised that the 2001 Thorevilos turned out to be perfect, the 2001 Madrona Ranch was more of an eye-opener in that it has become even more extraordinary than I predicted eight years ago. A prodigious wine, with complex notes of subtle barbecue smoke intermixed with blueberry pie, black currant liqueur, acacia flowers, lead pencil shavings, and sweet foresty floor notes, this wine builds incrementally with layer upon layer of fruit, glycerin and concentration. The finish goes well past a minute, and the wine is full-bodied and deep, with wonderfully sweet tannin. It is still an adolescent in terms of its total evolution, but it is irresistible simply because of the flawless nature of the wine and incredible perfume and flavor intensity. Simply amazing! Both of these wines are adolescents, and probably won’t peak for another 5-8 years and keep for 30-40.

I can’t really comment on this assault of new world red individually. Most of them don’t stand out in my memory. All were fairly pleasant (other than 1 that was corked) but they just don’t do it for me.

Hearts of Romaine . . . With Avocado, Maui Onion, Candied Walnuts, Grated Bleu Cheese, Vinaigrette. This one is missing the avocado (I missed the better photo).


2009 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard. Parker 96. Also incredibly concentrated, with burly structure and a mountain of tannin, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard (99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Merlot) delivers a seriously intense array of blackberry and kirsch-styled fruit, licorice, charcoal and spice box on both the nose and palate. Aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak and a big, broad shouldered, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, it possesses a rocking mid-palate and fabulous length on the finish. Really showing the power of its Red Mountain terroir, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age to become civilized and will have decades of evolution.

Mixed Greens or Wedge of Iceberg . . . Choice of Dressing: 1,000 Island, Ranch, French, House, Bleu Cheese, Marinara, or Old Fashioned Grated Bleu Cheese.

I didn’t try this, but I’ve seen better wedges. Actually, I think CPK has a better wedge. Certainly Bouchon does.


2001 Verite La Muse. Parker 100. 2001 was the first truly great vintage for Jess Jackson and Pierre Seillan, and that is evidenced by the utterly perfect 2001 La Muse, a blend of 87% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. Over three-fourths of it came from the Alexander Mountain estate of Jess Jackson, and the rest from Chalk Hill, Knights Valley, and a tiny bit from Bennett Valley. This dense purple-colored effort exhibits notes of licorice, creme de cassis, plum sauce, violets and truffles. Full-bodied with magnificent density, overall equilibrium, stunning purity, sweet but abundant tannin and a fabulous finish, this profound wine remains a baby at age ten. Give it another 5-6 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 35-40+ years. It is very French in style even though one could argue that this level of concentration can only be achieved by a handful of wines from Pomerol and St.-Emilion.

Well, this was bigger, that was for sure.


2008 Verite Le Desir. Parker 100. The fruit for this blend of 61% Cabernet Franc, 31% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec came from Chalk Hill (58%) and Alexander Valley (42%). Pierre Seillan believes the Chalk Hill fruit provides a truffle-like character and the Alexander Valley gives minerality, structure, tannin and intensity. The 2008 will be fascinating to taste next to the 2007 over the next 30+ years. Sweet mulberry, blueberry and blackberry fruit intermixed with notions of black truffles, damp earth and forest floor emerge from this beauty of stunning intensity, purity and texture. The alcohol is 14.4% and the relatively elevated pH is 3.76.

Monster!

Baby Mixed Greens with Fried Goat Cheese . . . Raspberry Vinaigrette.

Like the salad grandmother made, or one of those bags at the supermarket.

Dal Rae Caesar Salad . . . Prepared Table Side, A Classic.


Before tossing.


During.


And the actual Cesar. This was a good Cesar, way butter than most of the bland ones, but it wasn’t up to the standards of Boa’s.


Fixings for baked potatoes. Fat!


2010 Dominus Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 100. Composed of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, the stunning, full-bodied 2010 Dominus boasts an exceptional perfume of hoisin sauce, licorice, underbrush, forest floor, plums, black currants and jammy cherries intertwined with hints of cedar, baking spices and oak. Full-bodied and voluptuously textured, the 2010 is on a slightly faster evolutionary track than the 2009 (somewhat of an anomaly for these two vintages). This exquisite as well as prodigious 2010 can be drunk young, but it should age effortlessly for 20-25 years. Bravo!

Like a young Bordeaux. A VERY VERY young Bordeaux. Still, pretty good.

Dal Rae Famous Pepper Steak. Large Filet Mignon (14 oz).

I had one of these (along with my lobster tail). It was tasty, although the peppers had enough umph to pretty much drown out the meat and did wake me up at 2 in the morning.

Dal Rae Famous Pepper Steak. Prime New York (16 oz) .


2002 Torbreck Run Rig. Parker 99. The 2002 Run Rig (97% Shiraz and 3% Viognier aged in 100% new French oak) represents the essence of old vine Barossa fruit. Extraordinarily opulent and rich, but playing it closer to the vest than the 2001, it gets my nod as one of the most remarkable wines made in either the Southern or Northern Hemisphere. An inky/purple color is accompanied by a sumptuous bouquet of apricots, honeysuckle, black raspberries, blackberries, licorice, and a hint of roasted meats. The wood has been soaked up by the wine’s extraordinary concentration. Fashioned from four sectors of Barossa (Maranaga, Koonunga Hill, Moppa, and Greenock), it spent 30 months in primarily new oak, and was bottled without fining or filtration. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020+.


Duck à l’ Orange being prepared tableside.


Flaming sauce! (one of several tonight)

Duck à l’ Orange . . . Crisp Half Duck, Orange Liquor Flamed, Rice Pilaf.


2005 Alban Vineyards Syrah Lorraine Vineyard. Parker 100. An absolutely monumental wine is the 2005 Syrah Lorraine Vineyard. The finest Syrah John Alban has yet produced, its inky/ruby/purple hue is accompanied by gorgeously sweet aromas of flowers, blueberries, black raspberries, blackberries, and subtle hints of smoky oak, bacon fat, and licorice. In the mouth, the wine is seamlessly constructed with fabulous fruit, brilliant concentration, and virtually perfect balance. Moreover, the finish lingers on the palate for over 60 seconds. It should drink beautifully for 15 or more years.

Prime Dry Aged Tomahawk Ribeye (38oz)… Onion Staws. An amazing steak for those who are hungry.

This picture doesn’t even do justice to this massive steak. It was fully 20-24″ long from the end of the meat to the other end of the bone!


2001 Marquis Philips Shiraz Integrity. Parker 97-99. Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2001 Integrity reveals evolved aromas of black fruit, dried mulberries, prunes, sandalwood, leather and tobacco with some nuances of oolong tea and anise. Ripe, rich and seductive, it has a lively acid line, medium levels of fine tannins and a long finish with layers of kirsch and cherry syrup flavors lingering.

One of the two was also mildly corked, but I can’t remember which.

Double Cut Lamb Chops . . . Herb Crusted with Thyme, Burgundy Garlic Sauce
The Finest Large Eye Colorado Chops.


2002 Marquis Philips Shiraz Integrity. Parker 94-99. Deep garnet-brick colored, the 2002 Integrity is a 100% Shiraz that displays evolved leather and tobacco notes intermingled with some meaty and gamey aromas and nuances of coffee, olives and underbrush. Full bodied, it has a coffee flavors in the mouth, medium levels of velvety tannins, and a medium-high acid backbone. It finishes long with notes of eucalyptus showing through. It is drinking now.

Large Veal Chop . . . Bone in With Morel Mushroom Sauce.

Have a few calories?

Filet Mignon. Large Cut (14 oz) .


2007 Hundred Acre Vineyard Ark. Parker 100. A perfect wine, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard (1,300 – 1,400 cases) from Howell Mountain is one of the great efforts from this high elevation terroir. It offers notes of burning embers, black raspberries, blueberries and flowers, a full-bodied opulence, wonderful intensity, but the wine is not weighty or overripe. Fleshy and voluptuous with terrific floral notes, it should drink well for 15-20 years.

No cheating here. This was the best of the big new worlds. Pretty massive though.

Filet Mignon Petite Cut (10 oz) .

Chilean Seabass Alla Ben . . . Mild White Fish, Our Signature Preparation.


Drawn butter.


A lobster tail added a little seafoody goodness.


Tomatoes.


Garlic mashers. Not bad, but I wish I’d ordered some mac & cheese.


Creamed Corn au gratin.


Sauteed Spinach with Olive Oil and Garlic.


Sautéed Wild Mushrooms.


Yarom with Loren, the owner.


2001 Chateau d’Yquem. Parker 100. There are 10,000 cases of this perfect sweet white Bordeaux. The 2001 Yquem reveals a hint of green in its light gold color. While somewhat reticent aromatically, with airing, it offers up honeyed tropical fruit, orange marmalade, pineapple, sweet creme brulee, and buttered nut-like scents. In the mouth, it is full-bodied with gorgeously refreshing acidity as well as massive concentration and unctuosity. Everything is uplifted and given laser-like focus by refreshing acidity. This large-scaled, youthful Yquem appears set to take its place among the most legendary vintages of the past, and will age effortlessly for 75+ years. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2100+.

Pretty fabulous, even if not in it’s most expressive period. Seriously balanced and nuanced.


More tableside, desserts, including banana flambe.


Look at all that butter.


And sugar.


And it even flames!


Poured over vanilla ice cream.


A nice young Maderia.

Grand Marnier Supreme . . . Chocolate ice cream, raspberry sherbet hand whipped with Grand Marnier. A bit too much Grand Marnier flavor for me.

Overall, this was a fun night. The service at The Dal Rae was pretty over the top. With all the table side stuff and everything. At times we had a veritable army delivering, sometimes 6-8 people. There were about 5 waitresses and although they were clearly not experienced with our level of wine, they tried really hard, doing a pretty good job rounding up glasses and pouring around — even if a lot of the glasses were cheap heavy ones that don’t do 100 pointers any service (they only had limited good ones). Everyone was super friendly and it’s a tough task managing a big table like this, so I’d give them 10/10 for service.

The food is great for what it is, American classic, and it’s fun to see all that old tableside and flaming stuff. It’s not so much my taste (and I should have ordered seafood but I wanted to try the pepper steak because it’s “their thing”). Really, I like my cuisine far more modern (like this!). Still, food like this is almost a lost art and a different “genre”: call it 50s-60s high American done right.

I was a little disappointed in our wines. It’s just a preference thing, but 99-100 points or not, these New World wines just don’t do it for me. I’d take a decent 91-93 Burghound premier cru any day over most of these giant extracted reds. And to hold them up as wine perfection and compare them to the likes of the 1995 Rousseau Clos de Beze I had a couple of weeks ago? It just ain’t even close — but like art, architecture, music, sports teams, or even pretty girls, there are a lot of tastes out there! A modification that might work in the future would be “99 or 100 points, 1999 or older” or better yet, “99 or 100 points, from Europe” (or even better “1999 or older AND from Europe!” 🙂

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Yarom with his 86oz tomahawk! Good thing this isn’t the Great Outdoors

Related posts:

  1. Hedonists at STK again!
  2. Wine on the Beach
  3. Hedonists at Jitlada
  4. Memorial Day Pig
  5. Luminous Lechon Pigout!
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Chapoutier, Chardonnay, Crab cake, hedonists, Marcassin, Pico Rivera, Pico Rivera California, Pinot noir, Steak, The Dal Rae, Wine

Dim Sum is Shanghai #1

Aug14

Restaurant: Shanghai #1 Seafood Village [1, 2, 3]

Location: 250 W Valley Blvd. San Gabriel, CA 91776. (626) 282-1777

Date: August 10, September 3, & November 10 2013 and June 19, 2022 (and more)

Cuisine: Chinese Dim Sum

Rating: Very authentic Shanghai style

_

The San Gabriel Valley is a veritable treasure trove of Asian dining, particularly regional Chinese. Shanghai #1 Seafood Village is the LA branch of a high end Shanghai chain. But today it’s time for dim sum!


The decor is Stark meets Chinatown. Interestingly, as cheesy as it is, it’s fairly authentic.

This time around we have come for dim sum. Yum!


2011 Domaine Collotte Bourgogne Rosé Marsannay. This is one of my go-to roses, as it’s all Pinot Noir from Burgundy. A wonderful sunny weather wine, it paired very nicely with the sweet and sour tones of the Chinese. There were a few rose-haters as usual, but this really is a great wine, bright and full of strawberry flavors.


Delicious pickled radish (probably Daikon). Crunchy, sweet, extremely enjoyable complex flavors.


2010 Servo Suo Prosecco. Very nice.


Special pickled fresh cucumber. Crunchy, with a bit of heat.


Old Shanghai stewed duck in Soy Sauce. Sweet and very smokey/ducky.


Old Shanghai baked spareribs. Amazing Chinese-style ribs.


A different kind of pork rib, almost certainly the same cut as the above BBQ, but steamed. Tasty, but not AS tasty as the BBQ version.


Old Shanghai Smoked fish. Nice smokey tea flavor with a bit of sweet.


Chicken feet with Black Bean Sauce. Eeew!


1974 Beaulieu Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour. Parker 88. The wine’s color revealed amber at the edge, a roasted, herbal, sweet, spicy nose, loosely-knit, jammy fruit, and some hot alcohol in the finish. Lots of coffee and tobacco. Actually, although nearly gone, it was kinda delicious.


Peanut Pork & Chicken Celery Dumpling. Nice and fresh.


Beef ball with Orange Peel Sauce. Like a giant Chinese meatball, but almost tartar (on purpose). Very tasty and interesting.


2011 Prager Riesling Wachstum Bodenstein. A lovely dry riesling with a strong mineral component.


Cold chicken in sweet sauce. Not bad, but def tastes like chicken.


Deep Fried Turnip Pastry.


This is a kind of fried mochi stuffed with meat. Interesting chewy texture and a fairly tasty meat.


Baked chicken bun. The pasty has a light fluffy quality.


Here you can see the chicken, which was tasty, but pork probably would have been even better.


A sort of kung pao tofu (tofu and peanuts with a slightly spicy sauce). It was okay, with an unusual firm texture. I’ll still take a genuine Ma Po Tofu any day.


Shanghai rice cakes. These are pan fried rice cake with scallions and sweet soy. Odd soft texture, but delicious.


2001 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Spätlese. 93 points. Apple, peach and apricot, zest of citrus, ginger, gunmetal and hint of straw. Very ripe and deep. Sweet, but balanced.


House No. 1 Baked BBQ Pork Bun. Wow! They are right about the House No. 1 bit, as these are the best pork buns I’ve ever had.


Shrimp dumpling with chives. Nice.


Squid with shrimp dumpling.


Broccolini. Very nice and not over cooked at all.


2009 Meyer-Fonné Pinot Gris. 90 points. Unfortunately, this bottle was corked.


Stone Hot Pan Fried Rice with Pork. Stunningly good fried rice.


Classic lotus leaf wrapped steamed sticky rice.


But this one has abalone (fresh from Santa Barbara) in it. As usual with this place, a top example of the type.


Special Taro Cake. This was the unanimous “winner” of the “worst dish” vote. I suspect it’s excellent for what it is, but taro is so bland and pasty.

1A4A8242
Har gow (6/19/22). Classic shrimp dumplings.
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Spicy shrimp dumplings (6/19/22). Nice bit of mala inside and squid ink dough.


Some other seafood and green dumpling.


And yet another seafood dumpling!


Steamed veggie bun.


Vegetarian dumpling.


Bean curd with sticky rice. The rice is inside. Very mild and pleasant.


Bean curd with vegetables. Very tasty.


Special Soup Dumpling. Quite the dumpling! Full of shrimp and other goodness in a very pleasant broth.


1974 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa.


Steamed Shanghai Juicy Pork bun. Full of juice and oh so yummy!


Pork and shrimp shu mai.


Shrimp and squid. Sort of a Chinese gefilte fish (plus shrimp).


Pan Fried Shanghai Style Bun. Wow again! These are tremendous.


Shanghai Style Pan Friend Noodles. Not my favorite, as they are sweet and a bit too soy-ish.


Simple pan fried noodles. The kid version.


More chicken feet! Double eeew!


Steamed rice noodle with Beef. Yum. The beef was again sort of medium rare — and very tasty.


Steamed rice noodle with Shrimp and snow pea. Good examples of this type.


Steamed rice noodle with tofu and scallop. Interestingly soft. Kind of soft on soft on soft.


Rice crepe with crab. Wrapped around imitation crab. Pretty good though.


Sweet baked bun filled with taro.


Shanghai sweet cake? Another fried rice ball with a bit of some sweet mild fruit in the center. All about the texture, with a pleasant mild flavor.


Macau Style Baked Egg Custard. Triple wow. Best custard buns I’ve yet had, like creme brûlée.


Mango Pudding. Pleasant, mild, sweet  mango flavor.

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Pineapple buns (6/19/22). Pretty yummy.
Sweet cake. This pound cake is striped with sweet bean paste, which was pretty mild.

Overall, this was another great meal. It’s probably the best dim sum I’ve had in LA, really first rate. Stuff was extremely fresh, cooked to order and not on the carts. Service was good. They did their best to slow down for us (Chinese food is usually a breakneck frenzy). [ NOTE: the above was written in 2013, but by late 2014 I’ve found 2-3 better places (Elite, King Hua, etc), still SH#1 is very good ]

Thoughts in 2022. The dim sum here is solid, but not amazing (there are much better places in the SGV). Dumplings are a bit thick and oversized. But you can also order the Shanghai dishes and it’s a nice room(s), so nothing too wrong with it.

Plus, there is a $15 an hour foot massage place right downstairs (NOTE: closed by 2022).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For more crazy Hedonist meals, click here.


 

Related posts:

  1. Shanghai #1 Seafood Village
  2. Food as Art: Ping Pong
  3. Din Tai Fung Dumpling House
  4. More Modern Dim Sum
  5. Christmas is for Dim Sum
By: agavin
Comments (6)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dim sum, dimsum, dumplings, hedonists, Pinot noir, san Gabriel valley, Shanghai, Shanghai #1 Seafood Village

Phong Dinh – Hedonists go Vietnamese

May28

Restaurant: Phong Dinh [1, 2]

Location: 2643 San Gabriel Blvd Rosemead, CA 91770. (626) 307-8868

Date: May 19, 2013

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Rating: Excellent!

_

The parade of culinary adventures with my Hedonist club continues as we hit the San Gabriel Valley again, this time for some authentic Vietnamese.


The interior is nothing to write home about.


From my cellar: 2011 Domaine Collotte Bourgogne Rosé Marsannay. This is one of my go-to roses, as it’s all Pinot Noir from Burgundy. A wonderful sunny weather wine, it paired very nicely with the sweet and sour tones of the food. There were a few rose-haters as usual, but this really is a great wine, bright and full of strawberry flavors.


Shrimp and pork papaya salad.


1990 Poniatowski Vouvray Moelleux Aigle Blanc. Medium golden color. Rich with glyceral palate feel, pear-like fruit, not too sweet, adequate acidity, and just a touch of sherry on the finish. Holding up very well and a real bargain although it lacks the complexity and zingy acidity that the best wines of this vintage possess. Far from dull though.


Baked catfish.


There are various condiments. Mint and basil.


Veggies.


And these rice paper “pancakes” that are softened in hot water. Not pictured are two kinds of fish sauce and thin rice noodles (you can see them below).


You put this together as you like and do your best to roll into a pancake. It’s scrumptious, absolutely delicious, but messy.


Don’t eat me!


2009 Domaine de la Denante St. Véran.


Crispy squab. Very tasty, almost sweet.


From my cellar: 2005 Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Pèzerolles. Burghound 91-93. This is an extremely stylish wine that combines both elegance and purity with precise, supple and rich flavors underpinned by obvious minerality, all wrapped in penetrating and transparent finish. I very much like this and while it’s not overly dense, the purity and transparency are impressive.


Our leader, Yarom, shot up some pheasant the day before and brought it in for cooking.


Here they are plucked. Yuck!


But tasty enough cooked up in wine sauce almost like a coq au vin! So pheasant au vin!


Someone even found a bit of leftover buckshot!


2006 Flowers Pinot Noir Frances Thompson Vineyard. Burghound 86. An interesting nose of fresh red berry fruit with nuances of cinnamon and clove introduces rich, round, supple and attractively intense flavors that display an unusually sharp acid tang on the short finish. Perhaps this will round out but I have my doubts.


Chicken salad.


2008 Flowers Pinot Noir Andreen-Gale Cuvée Sonoma Coast. Better than the older bottle, with a bit of a bacony vibe.


Sweet and sour crab. Really first class crab. The sauce was fabulous and it was very tender.


Cabbage Chinese style. Pretty tasty too, even for a vegetable.


2003 Clouds Rest Pinot Noir. 92 points. Extremely smooth, with resolved tannins on the palate. Tart, but not too tart cherry flavors. Certainly characteristics of the Sonoma Coast, but not with a ton of minerality. That smoothness sets it apart from some of the stonier Sonoma Coast wines that I’m used to (and like). Very hearty. I also picked up brighter, lighter fruits as I drank more: strawberries and raspberries.


Snails in curry. This spicy coconut curry cream sauce was amazing. You had to suck the meat out of the snails, which was cool, and there was plenty of sauce to drip over rice.


2008 Monte Ducay Cariñena Reserva. 85 points. Ruby, medium body, balanced much better than typical Spanish red in that price range. Medium dry without a trace of the catchy sweetness which is so appealing to less sophisticated wine drinkers. Reminiscent of Cotes-du-Rhone. Goes well with any food except for very delicate fish and sea food. Will never overwhelm, but rather complement most meats.


Crispy deep fried quail. Really tasty.


Chinese broccoli.


2005 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 95+. The 2005 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape, this estate’s strongest vintage since 1998, has put on serious weight since last year. Dense ruby/purple-colored with an exquisite perfume of black raspberries, kirsch, ground pepper, and incense, this full-bodied, powerful, concentrated wine reveals fabulous purity as well as a finish that lasts over 45 seconds. Purchasers of this beauty will need patience.


French style beef. Tender and oh so good.


2006 Glaetzer Amon Ra. Parker 94. Deep garnet, the 2006 Amon-Ra opens with a really earthy, meaty and gamey nose scented of slightly burnt toast, tar, licorice and after a few minutes a little menthol. Full and rich, the palate has dried mulberries and spice flavors alongside very crisp acid, medium levels of chewy tannins before finishing long.


Pork curry. This had a cumin and turmeric thing going on and was delicious.


Coconut gelatin dessert. Cool and refreshing.

There was also a dessert Gewürztraminer that I forgot to photo. Bummer, it was very nice.

Overall, Phong Dinh was really great. Nearly every dish was excellent and some of them (like the fish, quail, and snails) were through the roof delicious.

Afterward, some of us sobered up nearby over a cheap (but good) foot massage and this amazing “Mango Snow Drift.” It’s mango, mango ice cream, and shaved ice drenched in sweetened condensed milk! Such is the Hedonist life!

More crazy Hedonist adventures or
LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Hedonists Noodle over Hoy-Ka
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  5. Hedonists at Dahab
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Burgundy, Fish sauce, hedonists, Phong Dinh, Pinot noir, san Gabriel valley, Vietnam, Vietnamese cuisine, Wine

Hedonists Noodle over Hoy-Ka

Apr11

Restaurant: Hoy-Ka Thai Noodle

Location: 5401 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027

Date: April 8, 2013

Cuisine: Thai

Rating: Really tasty!

_

This Hollywood Thai is in a sketchy neighborhood, but the reasonable price and excellent food more than make up for it. Plus, they have no liquor license and let us bring our own wine with no corkage. Always a plus!

Hedonist regular Penny, who is Thai, did the ordering, which didn’t hurt either.


2009 Jacques Bavard Bourgogne-Aligoté. Chardonnay gets the bulk of the white Burgundy attention. Aligote is a pleasant diversion, a simple wine that nevertheless has multiple layers to savor. The nose is flinty and faintly fruity, with a slight citrus note accented with a bit of peppery spiciness. Noticeably acidic up front, but that sharpness is quickly balanced out with a bit of honeysuckle and just a little bit of creaminess in the finish. Pleasant enough to drink on its own, but this really is at its best as a table wine to complement food. There is a good amount of sapidity (salty flavors).


The Western Sausage served with fresh vegetables: garlic, peanuts, ginger, and cabbage. Very tasty sausage and the garlic was intensely strong.


2011 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett. Aromas of passion fruit and nut oil. The creamy tropical fruits flavors are light, well-balanced and elegant. Certainly fun to drink. IWC 88.


Fried fish balls served with spicy sweet sauce. Interesting chewy texture too.


2011 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese. Elegant aromas of Bing cherry, apple blossom and roasted pine nuts. Sweet and delicate but nonetheless creamy on the palate, with sweet herbs and a touch of vanilla. Lemon curd and slate animate a compelling finish. IWC 90.

Very very nice.


Pork jerky. Deep fried sun dried, marinated pork, served with spicy house sauce.


Chicken larb. Ground chicken with lime juice, onion, ground chili & rice powder.


2002 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Central Coast. Sweet herb and forest floor scents jump from the glass of the dark plum/ruby-tinged 2002 Pinot Noir Coastline Vineyard. Broodingly backward, rich, dense, and promising, its masculine, tannic, stacked and packed personality suggests 2-3 years of bottle age will be beneficial. Parker 91.

Not bad for a new world pinot. Still some oak — too much.


Yum Woosen. Silver noodle with ground pork, shrimp and vegetables seasoned with spicy lemon dressing.

A bit sweet and very very tasty.


Papaya salad. Shredded green papaya, green beans, tomatoes, and dried shrimps, crispy pork, seasoned with lime juice and chili.

A great papaya salad.


2008 Terredora di Paolo Aglianico Campania IGT. The estate’s 2008 Aglianico is a gem of a wine. Wild cherries, dark raspberries, spices, leather and licorice come together beautifully in this medium-bodied red. Floral notes waft out from the glass on the finish. There is nothing fussy here, just a flat out delicious bottle of unoaked Aglianico readers are sure to enjoy. Even better, this is a terrific value. Parker 90.

While not a bad Aglianico, the flavor profile was really off for Thai.


Hoy Ka Noodle. A noodle with ground pork, BBQ pork, pork meatballs, pork loaf and liver.

This soup was superb, one of the best I’ve ever had. Just really good and addictive, with a good bit of heat.


Hoy Ka Noodle. A noodle with ground chicken, sliced chicken, and fish balls.


Noodles with pork in a liver and pigs blood broth! Also super tasty, and much heartier, than the above soups. I liked the first a bit more, but you’d never know this was pig’s blood!


Red curry in coconut milk, sweet basil, bamboo shoots and fresh chili. A great version of the classic.


This Pozzan Merlot was a decent wine, but the big bold flavor profile was stunningly wrong for the food.


Pad See Eiw. Stir fried noodle with Chinese broccoli, egg, black soy sauce, and beef. Yum!


2005 Saxum Booker Vineyard. A blend of 92% Syrah and 8% Grenache, the 2005 Booker Vineyard is the debut vintage of this 400-case cuvee produced from a hillside vineyard situated on the west side of Highway 101. It exhibits plenty of crushed rock, sweet black fruit, and underbrush/forest floor characteristics along with sweet tannin and a structured, muscular personality similar to a northern Rhone. Big and powerful yet precise and well-delineated, it should drink nicely for 10-15 years. The bottled 2005s are all performing well. Parker 94.

This wine was SO BIG that it smashed right through the spice and actually worked!


Crispy Pork Ka Prao. Stir friend crispy pork with chili, basil, green beans, and house special sauce. Like bacon Ka Prao!


Ka Prao pork. Stir fried ground pork with basil, chili, and green beans. Also very tasty with some real heat.


Fried rice with pineapple, shrimp, chicken, and curry. The dominant flavor is yellow curry. Nice finishing dish.

Overall, this place has a great kitchen, and almost every dish was really well executed. The first pork soup in particular was amazing and it’s too bad they’re so far (about 45 minutes) from my house, or it would make an awesome lunch by itself.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Hedonists at Jitlada
  2. Hawaiian Noodle Bar
  3. Hedonists Cook the Goose
  4. Hedonists at Dahab
  5. Hedonists at La Paella
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Fritz Haag, hedonists, Hoy-Ka, Joh. Jos. Prüm, noodles, Pinot noir, pork, Riesling, Thai, Thai cuisine, Thia food, Williams Selyem Winery, Wine

Burgundy at Bouchon – Jadot

Mar13

Restaurant: Bouchon Beverly Hills [1, 2, 3]

Location: 235 NORTH CANON DRIVE | BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210 | 310.271.9910

Date: March 4, 2013

Cuisine: French Bistro

Rating: Good, but expensive

_

Through my recent Burgundy aficionado dinners I was hooked up with a series of winemaker dinners that Wally’s Wine and Spirits throws. These seem to be at Bouchon and feature great wines from a particular winemaker as well as an intimate opportunity to meet the winemaker himself.

This particular dinner features Jadot, which is a solid traditionalist B+ Burgundy house that I buy very frequently as they offer a wide range of wines from all over Burgundy (150 in total) and very good value. In general, their reds are better than their whites.

With regard to Bouchon. In the last three-four years there’s been a bit of a French Food revival in Southern California, but the emphasis has been on Bistro fare. Of course this is consistent with the post-recession trend toward less formal restaurants anyway. Bouchon is the small-chain spawn for Thomas Keller, the highly acclaimed chef of The French Laundry.


The Beverly Hills space is very pretty. Check out the bar (both raw and booze). Lobsters oversee the diners.


The elegant dining room has a very spacious, even Parisian feel.


For the special wine dinner tonight we have the private room.


And a special (i.e. limited) menu.

Amuses


The non-vintage Brut Reserve offers orange, sweet spice, and yeast aromas. Light to medium-bodied and delicate, this refined wine has floral flavors intermingled with touches of citrus.


Little puff pastries filled with Gruyère cheese.


Country pate with corchicons.


Salmon pate.


Goat cheese and beet tartlet.

 

Flight 1: Whites


The only non-Jadot wine of the evening. The 2007 Mugnier Nuits St. Georges “Clos de la Maréchale” 1er. Burghound 89, “An expressive nose of green apple, white flower and lemon zest aromas trimmed in a deft touch of wood merges into rich, clean and beautifully detailed middle weight flavors that possess a fine sense of underlying tension and punch on the layered and very dry finish that lingers nicely. Lovely and balanced.”


1999 Jadot Meursault Les Genevrieres. Burghound 91, “This just oozes minerality and spice from an expressive, forward nose offering fresh herbs and citrus that continues on to the rich, nicely powerful and generous medium weight flavors and long, intense and detailed finish. While this remains entirely primary, it is sufficiently forward to suggest that it will not need much more time to approach peak drinkability.”


The 1990 Jadot Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres.


2007 Jadot Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 94, “A strikingly complex nose that possess excellent breadth to the ripe, pure and airy aromas of white flower, spice, green apple and subtle pear aromas that complement to perfection the big-bodied, rich and mouth coating flavors built on a base of fine minerality, all wrapped in a sappy and mouth coating finish that oozes dry extract. This is really a lovely effort with a chiseled and driving finale of superb persistence though note that while patience will be required, there is sufficient mid-palate sap that the finishing austerity is not forbidding. A “wow” wine.”


And the same wine, but 1997 Jadot Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 90, “Very expressive, broad and rich aromas of minerals and green apples followed by rich, full, medium weight flavors and excellent acidity in the context of the vintage. This is brighter and more vibrant than most ’97s and though the flavors are quite forward, this should age gracefully for some years to come.”

Truth is, this was younger, fresher, and better than the 2007. Probably the magnum helped.


2002 Jadot Batard-Montrachet. Burghound 93, “This is a huge wine with full-on, expressive aromas of white flowers and fresh citrus extract followed by huge, oily, almost viscous broad and deep flavors that display extremely impressive and fine acid/fruit balance and length that is hard to believe. This is a powerful, precise, almost painfully intense Bâtard that is altogether imposing in its sheer size and power yet it never lapses into heaviness. A genuinely great effort.”

The have good bread here.

Frisée aux Lardons et Oeuf Poché. Frisée lettuce, lardons, poached Jidori egg with bacon vinaigrette & toasted brioche.

Confit de Canard. Duck leg confit, French green lentils, a matignon of root vegetables & red wine vinegar duck jus.

Very tasty. All that duck fat had saturated into the lentils and made them delicious.

 

Flight 2: Reds


1990 Jadot Corton-Pougets. Burghound 92, “A ripe and now mostly secondary nose of earth, spice, leather and hints of animale lead to rich yet elegant flavors underpinned by still noticeable but not hard tannins and a mineral-infused finish that offers admirable length and depth. This is aging beautifully and while ripe, the balance is such that the wine should continue to hold at this level for years though I don’t forsee much if any additional improvement from here. In short, a very successful ’90.”


2000 Jadot Corton-Pougets. Burgound 88-91, “Stylistically closer to the Grèves with even better richness and power though it is not quite as complex and does not deliver the same level of finesse. Somewhat animale in character though not at all rustic. Very fine and quite long and not quite as structured as the other two Corton grands crus.”


2005 Jadot Clos Vougeot. Burghound 92-94, “A reserved and notably ripe earth-infused nose of red and dark berry fruit that possess a subtlesauvage character leads to Cistercian caliber youthfully austere flavors that are big, structured, well muscled and powerful and while not raw, it’s clear that this will need time to settle down and find their center. This is not an elegant wine but the potential is considerable and I especially like the bold character. A wine that will last 3 to 4 decades.”

This was from my cellar, but unfortunately it was way too young. It should be great wine in 10+ years :-).


ad hoc Fried Chicken. Wedge salad with roasted cauliflower & biscuits with gravy.

The best fried chicken I’ve had in years. Really really good! Not exactly light though.


The “light” salad that comes with the chicken.

Steak Frites. Herb roasted, caramelized shallots, maître d’hôtel butter or sauce Béarnaise served with French fries.

 

Flight 3: Reds


1989 Jadot Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots. Very nice, but I couldn’t find any reviews.


And the wine of the evening: the 1990 Jadot Chambertin Clos de Beze.

Parker 96, “It will be interesting to follow the evolution of the 1990 Bonnes Mares, Chambertin-Clos de Beze, and Chambertin. All are magnificent examples of not only the heights red burgundy can achieve, but also of the thrilling quality of the 1990 vintage. The Chambertin-Clos de Beze gets my nod as the wine in the Jadot portfolio that should hit the highest peak in quality and pleasure. It needs at least 5-7 years in the cellar, and has the potential to last for 25 or more years. The color is a saturated dark ruby/purple, and the closed nose offers sweet, jammy aromas framed by noticeable smoky new oak. The magnificent richness, highly structured and delineated style, as well as the explosively rich finish, all make for a show-stopping impression.”

Burghound 91, “From a bottle in the big Chambertin and Clos de Bèze tasting: Somewhat stewed, roasted fruit nose cut with very ripe earth and pungent, very ripe plum/prune notes. The flavors are big, very structured and intense but without sufficient mid-palate sap to completely buffer than and thus this finishes with an edgy, dry, slightly astringent quality. Perfectly good but not better and I found this wine a bit perplexing because the 1990 Clos St. Jacques is a really beautiful effort. 88/2005-12 Note: from a bottle tasted in October of ’04 – While the aromatics are certainly quite ripe, indeed even slightly roasted, this bottle delivered much more youthful, balanced, intense and savory flavors that displayed only a touch of the finishing astringency of the above example. While not destined to be a genuinely great wine, it’s certainly a fine effort.”

Really drinking great tonight (me says).


Selection de Fromages Artisanaux. Selection of artisanal cheeses with honeycomb, candied nuts, cranberry currant campagne & walnut bread.

The bread part.

A very fun evening. I was surprised how good the food was. Not modern or innovative per se (haha) but really very tasty. And there were some great wines plus the interesting opportunity to meet the winemaker and hear his perspective. He was very nice and extremely gracious.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

The tallest and Gaulist gentleman is the new Jadot winemaker!

Related posts:

  1. Bouchon Beverly Hills
  2. Spago – 2005 White Burg part 1!
  3. Never Boaring – Il Grano
By: agavin
Comments (7)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bistro, Bouchon, Burgundy, Chardonnay, Cheese, French Laundry, Jadot, Pinot noir, Southern California, Thomas Keller, Wally's Wine & Spirits, winemaker dinner

Hedonists at STK again!

Feb27

Restaurant: STK [1, 2, 3]

Location: 755 North La Cienega. Los Angeles, CA 90069. 310.659.3900

Date: February 25, 2013

Cuisine: Steakhouse

Rating: Gluttonous fun!

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It’s been six months since we Hedonists last hit STK and so it was time for a return. Being a steakhouse, STK is a great place to pull out all those beefy reds!

The space is chic and modern. Above is the La Cienega entrance.

These look like Glazed Pop’ems, but they’re savory. And that sauce is pretty much a under-spiced chimichurri.

Arnaud Margaine’s NV Brut Premier Cru is gorgeous. White flowers, crushed rocks and green pears literally jump from the glass in this beautifully delineated, energetic Champagne. Vivid, crystalline and beautifully layered, the Premier Cru impresses for its balance and exceptional overall harmony. This is a great effort in its peer group. The Premier Cru is 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, 50% vintage 2009 and the remainder reserve wines back to 2002. I would give the Premier Cru another 6-12 months to be fully expressive post-disgorgement.

“DIVER SCALLOPS.” coriander crust – young coconut – textures of corn.

Burghound 94, “2005 Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru White. A ripe and classic nose of distinctly discreet and reserved green fruit and floral aromas that are airy, pure and lightly spiced merge into intense, precise and penetrating medium full flavors blessed with terrific acid/fruit balance and huge length. This is really a lovely wine that is presently a tightly coiled spring and in need of extended bottle aging to really put on display the superb potential here. An understated stunner of a wine as well as ultra refined and one of the best examples of this appellation in 2005.”

“Seafood tower, medium.” While this was good, it wasn’t exactly towering.

Parker 93, “1996 Domaine Tollot-Beaut et Fils Corton Bressandes. This estate’s Corton-Bressandes is a wine I search out in vintages with good ripeness. It is never huge, muscular, or a blockbuster but can often be sultry, seductive, detailed, and simply lovely. A recently tasted 1990, while at least three years from maturity, was fabulous. The 1996 displays sweet red cherry and Asian spice aromatics as well as a gorgeously refined character filled with candied and delineated cherries. This elegant, sexy, and feminine offering is medium-to-full-bodied, silky-textured, and possesses a long and refreshing finish.”

“BLUE ICEBERG.” smoked bacon – blue cheese – pickled tomato.

Parker 86, “The 1997 VINHA BARROSA VINHA VELHA is a single vineyard wine (hence, says the winery, the “vinha velha” rather than plural for old vines, “vinhas velhas”) maturing, showing a little oxidation, and seems a bit older than it is. That said, and despite some astringency still on the finish, there are some things to like here, as the fruit has opened up. There is a distinctive touch of mint on the finish. The wine’s structure is outliving its fruit, so this seems to me to be a good time to drink it, although it has both the tannin and acidity to hold a good, long while. Drink now-2017.”

From the getgo, this wine had a barnyard funk, which at the beginning was actually pleasant, if rustic. As it sat in the glass the barn intensified in a very horse manure direction until it overwhelmed. Just smelling it made me smile — and called to mind visions of sweaty horses packed into the stables.

“HEARTS OF ROMAINE.” garlic crouton – parmesan lemon dressing.

 

92-94 points, “13.1% ALC, 96% Cabernet, 4% Merlot, 1% Cab Franc – Again this was much like the 1975 and 1979 on the nose with the pungent, sweaty, locker room nose. I knew again that this was the same producer and close in age. This had some notes of sweet fruit on the nose like boysenberry with good viscosity and good balance. The tannins were seamless but the finish brief keeping this my #2 of the night.”

There was a bit of funk, but it was still a very pleasant wine.

“TUNA TARTARE. soy emulsion – avocado – taro chips.”

Parker 95, “When I think back to the top California Cabernet Sauvignon wineries twenty-two years ago (1973), it is shocking to see how many of the finest wineries in 1973 have fallen behind today’s leading Cabernet producers. For example, Beaulieu, Heitz, Inglenook, Mayacamas, and Freemark Abby were undisputed leaders in the early seventies, but in 1995, they have been surpassed by thirty or forty other producers. I can think of only three wineries that were making fabulous Cabernet Sauvignons in 1973 that have continued to produce great wines, with no qualitative slumps through 1995 – Caymus Vineyard, Ridge, and Chateau Montelena. Because Chateau Montelena is “old” by California standards, it is easy to overlook the extraordinary wines produced by Jim Barrett and his son, Bo. Remarkably, there is not a bad vintage of Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon to be found. While hitting the peaks in top years, this winery makes fine Cabernets in vintages where other producers flounder. A recent example of this is the 1989 Estate Cabernet, a superb wine that continues to languish on the shelves of retailers. For that reason, an invitation to a vertical tasting of Chateau Montelena’s estate Cabernet is one of the most exciting tickets in town.”

For a 20 year old Cab, this was very youthful!

“BEEF TARTAR. black truffle – sliced radish – soy caramel.”

Parker 93, “1999 Barolo Brunate/Le Coste—Medium red. As is usually the case, the Brunate/Le Coste takes things up a notch. It presents a deeply mentholated, balsamic nose along with layers of dark fruit, licorice and tar flavors that develop in the glass in a potent style that captures the essence of the vintage. The Brunate/Le Coste is the richer and bigger of the two Barolos here, yet it also shows more elegance in its finer tannins. Still reasonably priced, Rinaldi’s Brunate/Le Coste remains the best traditional Barolo most people have never tasted.”

“Shrimp cocktail.” Classic.

Fresh green tomatoes.

Some oysters on the halfshell.

Just a bit of the chaos.

Probably around 90 points, a pleasant mature shiraz.

Probably a porterhouse or ribeye.

“Bone-in porterhouse.” Have a little beef!

From my cellar, Parker 95, “The great glories of this house are its Cote Roties, of which there are now five separate offerings. The single-vineyard 1994s were singing loudly when I saw them in July. All of them scored significantly higher than they did during the two previous years, which is not unusual as Guigal’s upbringing (elevage) of the wines results in better examples in the bottle than in cask. All three wines flirt with a perfect score. At this tasting, they reminded me of Guigal’s 1982s – opulent, sumptuously-textured, forward, rich, precocious, flattering wines that will drink well throughout their lives. The 1994 Cote Rotie La Mouline possesses extraordinary intensity. A dark ruby/purple color is followed by a penetrating nose of sweet black raspberry fruit intertwined with aromas of coconut and apricots. Jammy black fruits continue on the palate of this full-bodied, silky-textured, sumptuously-styled wine that is glorious to drink – even from barrel. It is an amazing La Mouline that offers all the elegance, suppleness, and sexiness this cru merits. It should drink well upon its release in 1998, and last for 15 more years. Guigal is one of the cellars where the wines always taste better after they are bottled than they do from cask, although as the scores in this segment indicate, some profound wines can be found in the 1994, 1995, and 1996 vintages Chez Guigal.”

A regular filet.

Parker 96, “More European in style than some of its siblings, the 2008 exhibits good acidity, more noticeable tannin (but it is extremely young), and plenty of crushed rock, espresso roast and licorice characteristics intermixed with a volcanic minerality. Full-bodied, ripe and opulent, with a closed, formidable personality.”

This was a pretty fabulous, albeit young, Cab.

A different looking filet.

“Bone-in porterhouse.” Have a little beef!

Parker 98, “From a single 9-acre parcel, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard exhibits extraordinary aromas of acacia flowers and violets along with an irrefutable minerality, an abundance of blueberry and blackberry fruit, outstanding texture, full-bodied richness, great depth, and ripe tannin. This Cabernet will benefit from 4-6 years of cellaring, and should evolve for 40 years.”

Powerful and delicious!

“Bone-in filet with lobster and bordelaise.” Certainly a great steak, and bordelaise makes EVERYTHING better.

“Bone-in filet” naked.

“New York strip with salt.”

Parker 93+, “A hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon (800 cases), this is still an outstanding wine, with classic graphite, creme de cassis, blueberry and floral notes all well-presented in the perfumed aromatics of this full-bodied, rich, concentrated wine. It has some noticeable tannins to be resolved and is not as seamless and flawless as the monumental 2007”

I thought this was better than a 93.

Just some of our sides!

“Creamed spinach.”

“Sweet corn pudding.” We took to calling this stuff “corn porn” it was so good. We ordered 5 of them too!

Mushrooms and brussel sprouts.

Some stellar mac & cheese.

“Parmesan truffle fries.”

This is my own personal stem collection!  I don’t like to be rushed. The more I do these wine diners the more I take things into my own hands, like:

1. Bringing my own stems (I didn’t need to here, but I often do).

2. Stealing stems off other tables or from behind the bar. Tonight I looted stems from half the tables in the room. 🙂

3. Opening my own bottles (I travel with several openers). In the bar, I asked for stems and then just opened a bottle and poured.

4. Pouring – of course!

Some very old Sauternes. This was very interesting stuff. A bit flawed perhaps, but entirely, totally, and extremely enjoyable. Like honey wine.

“Sticky bread pudding.” The sauce on this was to die for.

“Banana chocolate torte.”

“CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE. warm baked cookie – vanilla ice cream.” Also pretty spectacular.

The overall evening was spectacular. The place treated us really well with swift and friendly service you hardly noticed. Plus, there was the excellent company and all our amazing wines! As a steakhouse, I find it much like Mastro’s but about 5% worse on average — although there are some different starters and sides, many of which are excellent. It’s also quite a bit cheaper than Mastro’s, and lets us skip the corkage, which is huge! We were out of here for $110 a person, including tax and tip, which is pretty amazing for such an enormous feast at a high end steakhouse.

Our previous STK outing.

For more crazy Foodie Club meals, click.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Hedonists at STK
  2. Hedonists Boil Up Some Crab
  3. Hedonists at Dahab
  4. Hedonists Cook the Goose
  5. Hedonists climb the Peak
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Champagne, Corton-Charlemagne, Dessert, hedonists, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Pinot noir, Premier Cru, Seafood, Steak, Steak House, steak tartare, STK, Wine, Wine tasting descriptors

Never Boaring – Il Grano

Jan25

Restaurant: Il Grano [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: 11359 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. 310.477.7886

Date: January 23, 2013

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Not boaring in the least!

_

As any frequent reader knows, I feast all the time with my Hedonist buddies, and recently, our fearless leader Yarom hunted down his own boar. Yeah, that’s right, here’s the bloody proof.


On the left above is Yarom posing with his boar. On the right is a friend of his, who shot a monster of a male boar. Yarom went for a nice juicy sow because, well, they taste much better. The fellow on the right is probably tough and gamey as hell. And that is the point of this post after all, to talk about food. Namely, the epic feast the above boar turned into. Yarom had her butchered and gave different parts of the meat to different restauranteurs. A big chunk went to Il Grano’s Sal Marino to turn into a spectacular Italian meal.

As usual we Hedonists brought some stellar wines to go along with it.


Ron, the master of bubbly and white brought this. Parker 94+, “The 2002 Brut Coeur de Cuvee is absolutely stunning. This young, towering Champagne bursts from the glass with layers of mineral-infused fruit, showing fabulous intensity and purity from start to finish. Hints of tropical, opulent fruit are very nicely tempered by the wine’s underlying structure. Think Montrachet with bubbles. The Coeur de Cuvee is made from 50 year old vines in Les Blanches Voies Hautes. The blend is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged May 2010.”

Really one of the best champagnes I’ve had in some time.


Our boaring menu for the night.


We sat in the private room at a nice round table. This is the same spot where I hosted my birthday sixth months ago.


Burghound 93-95, “It seemed relatively supple and forward, indeed more or less ready to drink. To be sure, there was no obvious secondary nuances in evidence and still good freshness to the rich, intense and vibrant flavors brimming with minerality on the impressively long finish. Impeccably stored bottles might need another few years to arrive at their peak but absent this bottle being an aberration, I don’t think that opening one today would be infanticide.”


Parker 95, “The 2008 Echezeaux is flat-out great. It is a deep, dark wine graced with exquisite balance, lovely inner perfume and a layered, eternal finish. Here the slightly higher percentage of new oak (70%) gives the wine an additional measure of volume.”

Burghound 92, “A ripe, spicy and relatively elegant aromatic profile presents a fruit array that is primarily red-fruit based. The rich and full-bodied flavors possess ample volume and the tannins are really quite fine but dense and as such, the persistent and solidly well-balanced finish is firm and mildly austere. This will not be an early drinker.”

This was a great wine and just didn’t taste 5 years old, more like 15!


House made mini boar meatballs. These had a wonderful simple flavor: meat, with just a few spices.


From my cellar, Parker 96, “The fabulous 1998 Barolo Falletto del Serralunga reveals intensity and volume. A dark plum color is accompanied by a classic Nebbiolo perfume of rose water, melted tar, truffles, and cherry jam. As the wine sits in the glass, aromas of spice box and cigar smoke also emerge. Full-bodied, dense, and powerfully tannic, yet extremely harmonious.”


House made boar sausage, mozzarella & rapini pizza. Like the ultimate sausage pizza!


Parker 94, “The 2004 Barolo La Serra reveals a generous personality in its dark red fruit with notable depth and richness that carries through to the persistent, sweet finish. With air, floral notes develop to round out this particularly multi-dimensional, full-bodied and beautiful La Serra. 2004 is a great vintage for this wine, which can sometimes be austere.”


Then Sal gets funky, straying from the Italian beat. Boar empanadas! Really yummy.


Parker 96, “Two great back to back vintages are the 1990 and 1989. The more developed 1990 boasts an incredible perfume of hickory wood, coffee, smoked meat, Asian spices, black cherries, and blackberries. Lush, opulent, and full-bodied, it is a fully mature, profound Beaucastel.”

… except, it was corked. Bummer, but it happens.


And boar tacos.


With homemade guacamole and salsa (not pictured).


Parker 99, “Marcassin Estate continues to grow, although still ever so tiny, with just over 20 acres of tightly spaced vineyards on the Sonoma Coast. They also supplement their estate bottlings with purchased fruit from vineyards owned by the Martinelli family which they help manage, the Three Sisters Vineyard for Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir from the Blue Slide Vineyard. Their dominant Chardonnay clones continue to be based on the old Wente clones taken from the Hudson and Hyde Vineyards, and the Mt.Eden clone. The Pinot Noir material is dominated by California heritage clones. Little changes under the firm’s leadership of Helen Turley and her husband John Wetlaufer (now married 42 years), and as someone raised in Maryland, I am proud to say they were schooled at the renowned St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. They have always been committed to the highest quality of wines possible. It is akin to being tutored by a great master to sit down and taste through their series of Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. They added a few wrinkles this time by throwing into the tasting a 2005 Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet, which was completely obliterated by their own Chardonnays, and with the Pinot Noirs, a highly rated grand cru red Burgundy from the 2005 vintage that didn’t fare particularly well either. Their point was that not only are their wines superior (and I would certainly agree with these comparisons), but also that some of the most famous names in Burgundy have more sizzle and snobbery behind them than actual quality. The Pinot Noirs are very complex and need lots of aeration/decanting to strut their stuff. They continue to remind me of grand crus from Morey St.-Denis, especially wines such as Ponsot’s Clos de la Roche because of the following. NOTE: Prices noted are from the winery’s mailing list. These wines sell for 2 to 3 times more in the secondary market.”

I don’t know what Parker is smoking, but this sure shows he doesn’t know Pinot Noir. This was over oaked and my least favorite wine of the night. Not that it was bad, but I just don’t like the new world style of Pinot.

To the right, and much more to my liking, Parker 91, “The 1996 Barbaresco exhibits a dense ruby color as well as a forward nose of cherry liqueur, earth, truffle, mineral, and spicy scents. Rich, full-bodied, and seductive, with its moderate tannin largely concealed by the wine’s wealth of fruit and extract, this gorgeously pure offering gets my nod as the finest Barbaresco produced by Gaja since 1990.”


Then the best “sausage and peppers” I’ve ever had. The meat had this succulent game spiciness.


Parker 99, “The 250-case cuvee of 100% Merlot, the 1999 Redigaffi has an astonishing 36 grams per liter of dry extract, which exceeds most top Pomerols in a great vintage! Unfined and unfiltered, it is as close to perfection as a wine can get. The color is a deep saturated blue/purple. The powerful, pure nose offers smoke, licorice, black cherry, and blackberries. It boasts awesome concentration, a fabulously dense, viscous mid-section, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. This is riveting juice.”


Polenta with boar ragu. This was pretty stunning too with a wonderful soft texture.


Parker 90, “In 2003, we will finally see several releases, including his 1997 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Marie Beurrier. Although this is an outstanding effort from a difficult vintage, Bonneau is used to producing wines that are far better out of bottle than from barrel. This 1997 has gotten better with each year of aging, and from bottle, it is an outstanding example of Chateauneuf du Pape. A heady concoction of kirsch liqueur, licorice, pepper, and ripe black cherry fruit is offered in a rich, full-bodied, surprisingly intense style. The acid is low, the fruit ripe, and the wine plump and juicy. Typical of many Bonneau efforts, it offers notes of smoke, beef blood, earth, figs, and prunes.”

Again Parker misses, as this was a wonderful wine.


And the classic: Pappardelle al Cinghiale. Sal makes this normally and it’s fabulous, but this one might have been extra good.


Parker 95, “If it were not for the prodigious 1996, everyone would be concentrating on getting their hands on a few bottles of the fabulous 1995 Leoville-Las-Cases, which is one of the vintage’s great success stories. The wine boasts an opaque ruby/purple color, and exceptionally pure, beautifully knit aromas of black fruits, minerals, vanillin, and spice. On the attack, it is staggeringly rich, yet displays more noticeable tannin than its younger sibling. Exceptionally ripe cassis fruit, the judicious use of toasty new oak, and a thrilling mineral character intertwined with the high quality of fruit routinely obtained by Las Cases, make this a compelling effort. There is probably nearly as much tannin as in the 1996, but it is not as perfectly sweet as in the 1996. The finish is incredibly long in this classic. Only 35% of the harvest was of sufficient quality for the 1995 Leoville-Las-Cases.”


Boar chops, peal barley, and pea tendrils. Wild boar isn’t the tenderest pork chop you ever tasted, but it does have a great flavor.


Parker 96, “The prodigious 1997 Insignia (83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and 3% Petit-Verdot) lives up to its pre-bottling promise. Tasted on three separate occasions, every bottle has hit the bull’s eye. The color is a saturated thick-looking blue/purple. The nose offers up explosive aromas of jammy black fruits, licorice, Asian spices, vanillin, and cedar. Full-bodied as well as exceptionally pure and impressively endowed, this blockbuster yet surprisingly elegant wine cuts a brilliant swath across the palate. A seamless effort with beautifully integrated acidity, sweet tannin, and alcohol, it is still an infant, but can be drunk with considerable pleasure.”


Then the leg. This reminds me of Jose Andres’ “secreto” which you can see here.


Parker 95, “L’Evangile’s sublime 2005, a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, is the first wine made in their brand new cuverie. Sadly, there are fewer than 3,500 cases of this deep purple-colored offering. A gorgeous nose of meat juices, black raspberries, chocolate, espresso, and notions of truffle oil as well as smoke is followed by a full-bodied Pomerol displaying sweet tannin, a flawless texture, and stunning complexity. While surprisingly showy and forward for a l’Evangile, it will undoubtedly shut down over the next year or so.”


A slice of the leg. Really gamey and tender.


Then some bones for gnawing.


Chef/Owner Sal surveys the carnage.


This wonderful medium old maderira “served” for dessert.


And for dessert itself, this orange tart which was a lovely finish to all the meat.


Check out what we did to the table!

This was another knock down great evening and it was fun to see Sal cook in a different style. He really rose to the occasion and treated the boar right.

Click here for more LA restaurant reviews,
Or for Foodie Club extravaganzas.


Yarom pigs out on some knuckles.


The impressive spread for the evening.

Related posts:

  1. Il Grano Birthday
  2. Il Grano part 2
  3. Il Grano – Only 19 courses?
  4. Tomato Night at Il Grano
  5. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: boar, Chardonnay, Dessert, Foodie Club, hedonists, Il Grano, Nebbiolo, Pinot noir, Sal Marino, Santa Monica California, Wild boar, Wine tasting descriptors

Ultimate Pizza New Years 2012

Jan07

Every few months, and particularly at New Years, we do another round of our Ultimate Homemade Pizzas. If you’re curious about how these components are made look here, otherwise just enjoy the food porn.


This is about half of the arrayed toppings required to make the full range of Ultimate Pizza. It’s not an efficient process.


We open with a little champagne, as it is New Years. The Brut is round and generous in its candied apricots, honey and roasted nuts. The wine offers good length but not as much complexity or personality as I had hoped. 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.


The first pizza off the line. Traditional fresh tomato sauce, a variety of cheeses including the homemade Crescenza that I made a few days earlier. There are also figs, cilantro, and mushrooms.

The pizza gained a few ingredients between the first photo and baking, including some Marcona almonds and broccoli (pre-sautéed).

One of the most difficult things in custom pizza making is “the transfer.” You have to get the pizza from the kitchen to the oven and back again. If you get it into the oven (here a pizza stone on the gas Viking) without making a mess, it will come off easily. Some keys are using a LOT of flour and cornmeal to “lube” up the surfaces and dry the dough, and also not letting the toppings get too close to the edges.


The finished pizza.


My go-to sweet white. Incorporating fruit principally from Wehlener Nonnenberg, Graacher Himmelreich, and Bernkasteler Johannisbrunnchen, the generic Prum 2011 Riesling Kabinett displays an archetypal Mosel Riesling nose of fresh apple, lemon, and clover allied to faintly cheesy, leesy youthful “stink”; and comes to the palate bright and zippy, with hints of wet stone, and prominent cyanic piquancy of apple pit invigoratingly extending its mouthwateringly juicy, if tart and relatively simple finish.


This is the base for my creme fraiche salmon pizza, which you can find detailed here.


We start in on the red. Parker 94, “The spectacular Bonnes Mares jumps from the glass with aromas of blackberries, cherries, flowers and minerals. It is a massively concentrated, powerful, full-bodied wine packed with stones, wild cherries, red currants, and touches of iron, tar and chocolate for additional complexity. Highly structured and with an exceptionally long finish, it should be cellared for 7-9 years and will hold through 2012. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy in Washington, D.C. in April. The wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Pinot Noir, a fragile varietal, reacts poorly to fining, filtration, and careless bottling techniques, I recommend caution when considering buying a red burgundy based on cask samples. I called it as I tasted it, and hope the bottled wine reflects the quality of the samples I was provided.”

After this there were 5-6 reds that the hectic evening didn’t allow me to photo, most of the Italian.


Here is one of my favorites, my tikka masala pizza. The sauce is tikka masala sauce, then with corn, red onions, feta, mozz balls, almonds, figs.


Here at the station.


My mom’s more classic margarita.


And my newest creation, extremely successful, the “Afghan Special.” The first layer (after a little olive oil) is mint yogurt, then the green is a cilantro pesto-like Afghan sauce, then the red is sweet pepper jelly. The white blobs are ricotta and feta. This was a superb pizza.


A almond pesto based vegie pizza.


And on the right my wife’s favorite, margarita with mushrooms, corn, almonds, and figs.


An awesome artisinal tomato-basil-pesto based pizza. Exotic fresh mushrooms, aged parm, gorgonzola dulce, some other fresh cheeses.


There was a little too much olive oil and it drooled a little, but no biggy. Still delicious.


p

A mushroom pizza.


And another tikka masala pizza, this time with extra mushrooms and cilantro pesto.


After baking.


And with burrata on top, because burrata makes everything better. It really does.


A big veggie and other pizza. It’s important to sauté your veggies before they go on the pizza as the time in the oven is too fast to really cook them.


After baking it looks like Pacman.


And a white pizza, with various cheeses. Those white blocks are my homemade one.


Baked.


And with more burrata and balsamic glaze. Yum!


A mushroom and tomato pizza. I got really interesting mushrooms from the mushroom vendor at the Pacific Palisades Farmer’s market this time, so we have a lot of shroom pizzas.


Baked.


And the final pizza, a pesto, goat cheese, veggie, which we forgot on the grill for an extra 2 minutes, resulting in this extra crispy style. Actually, still quite good.


For dessert, being as it was New Years, I pulled out the seriously big gun. Parker 99, “An extraordinary effort, Yquem’s 1990 is a rich and fabulously superb, sweet wine. This wine also possesses lots of elegance and finesse. The wine’s medium gold color is accompanied by an exceptionally sweet nose of honeyed tropical fruits, peaches, coconut, and apricots. High quality, subtle toasty oak is well-integrated. The wine is massive on the palate, with layers of intensely ripe botrytis-tinged, exceptionally sweet fruit. Surprisingly well-integrated acidity, and a seamless, full-bodied power and richness have created a wine of remarkable harmony and purity. Certainly it is one of the richest Yquems I have ever tasted, with 50-100 years of potential longevity. An awesome Yquem!”


Homemade piebald brownies.


Some Costco cake that despite having about fifty billion ingredients actually tasted decent. It will survive nuclear war.


Viktor Bennes pastries.


And mini Bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. Chocolate and marble.


Red velvet and lemon.


Then to ring in 2013, Le Grande Dame 1990. Parker 95, “I highly recommend the Veuve Clicquot 1990 La Grande Dame. It is exquisitely rich and accessible, yet bursting with potential.”

Happy New Year!

And for more Ultimate Pizza, check out here.

Related posts:

  1. Ultimate Pizza – New Years
  2. Ultimate Pizza 2012
  3. Ultimate Pizza – The Birthday
  4. Ultimate Pizza – Day 3
  5. Ultimate Pizza – The Comeback
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bonnes Mares, Cheese, Cooking, Dessert, Food, New Year, Pinot noir, Pizza, ultimate_pizza, Viking, Wine

Hedonists at Jitlada

Dec07

Restaurant: Jitlada [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 5233 W Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027. (323) 663-3104

Date: December 4, 2012

Cuisine: Thai

Rating: Gut burning great

_

After a three week break, it’s time for the Hedonists to ride again. Actually, they rode several times without me, but who’s counting?

This time we venture out to Jitlada, an outrageously authentic Southern Thai place deep in Thai-town. The joint gets 27 in Zagat! It’s run by Jazz Singsanong with Chef Tui in the kitchen. The menu can be found here.

You know it’s real because they don’t skimp on either the chilies OR the fish sauce.


Parker 94, “The 2002 Chardonnay Martinelli Road Vineyard has a striking minerality with notes of gravel and hot rocks, a steely backbone, huge body, leesy flavors with good acidity, tremendous ripeness, and a singular terroir character. If California were making a Meursault-Perrieres, this might be an example of that style of site-specific wine.”

By most people’s taste this wine was over-the-hill. I personally, didn’t mind it, but I’m used to drinking old white Burgundy’s. It had mellowed into a caramel-coconut kind of vibe.


Much younger and full of crisp acidity. Parker 94+ “Cool, inward and impeccably layered from start to finish, the 2010 Chablis Montee de Tonnerre impresses for its fabulous sense of balance and poise. Slate, crushed rocks, lime and white flowers are woven together in a fabric of unusual class and elegance. All the elements fuse together impeccably here. This is a gorgeous Chablis, but it will require patience. Today the 2010 is quite reticent, but the pedigree is evident.”

Coco Mango Salad. Green mangoes with fresh shrimp, and dry shredded coconut topped with cashews. Yummy, a bit of sweetness, and a coconut flavor that went very well with the older Chardonnay.

A very nice Kabinett with citrus notes and a good bit of richness and complexity.

As we begin a flight of three Rieslings it’s worth mentioning the red/write debate. About half our compatriots aren’t really white wine fans, and prefer to move on to reds. I myself like a harmonious wine/food pairing and find that reds, particularly big reds, clash badly with Asian food. Spicy Thai is even more extreme, as sweeter Riesling is a tremendous pairing to counter the bracing heat. I’ve noticed that those of us who prefer the soft mouth feel grapes (Pinot, Nebbiolo) over the much brazen grapes (Cabernet, Merlot) fall on my side of the divide.


Crispy Papaya Salad. Deep fried peppers, served with tomatoes, green beans, ground peanuts, and our house spicy lime juice sauce with added fresh shrimp. Also very sweet – and delicious.


The aromatically expressive 2000 Riesling bursts with spicy pears. This oily-textured, medium-bodied wine is feminine, refined, and has outstanding balance. It is armed with great depth. This apricot and apple-flavored wine has a long, pure finish.


Mussel soup. Very tasty broth (and mussels). An initial lack of bowls put a slight crimp in the experience :-).


Parker 90-92, “The Burgundian 2003 Pinot Noir Kistler Vineyard shows a low pH style with high acidity, crisp, red currant, cranberry notes with a hint of rose petal and strawberry. It is Burgundian, medium-bodied, pure, and impressive.”

This pinot went as well with the Thai as any red does, at least until the heavy spice kicked in. I enjoyed it, as it could have passed for a half-decent premier cru Burg, which is rare of new world Pinots. They just don’t do it for me, usually being pale shadows of their Burgundian fellows.


Honey duck. This was pretty awesome, and we should have ordered more. The skin was crispy and sweet, the meat succulent.


Parker 2009, “The 2009 Pinot Noir Pastorale Vineyard is all about focus and length. The Pastorale doesn’t quite have the richness of the Quarter Moon, nor the suppleness of the straight Pinot, but it nevertheless impresses for its fabulous overall balance. Bright acidity provides a lively counter to the wine’s highly expressive dark cherries, plums, licorice, mint, tar and sweet herbs.”


Three Flavored Fish. Whole fried seabass flavored with spicy, sweet and lime sauce. This was darn yummy, sweet and spicy both (you can see all those Thai chilies resting on top).


Just so you can get a look at the size. We killed two of these babies!


From my cellar: Parker 96, “The 2000 Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos St.-Urbain reveals awesome aromatic depth to its botrytis, apricot, mineral, and quince-scented nose. This medium to full-bodied wine is hugely concentrated, densely packed with smoke-infused white fruits, and has exceptional balance. A profound effort, it is complex and displays an awe-inspiring finish.”

Now this is a Riesling (and perfect with the spicy dishes). It would have been nice to have an ice bucket!


Jungle curry. Exotic thai curry with god knows what in it. This stuff was HOT and pretty fabulous.


Parker 90, “This outstanding Syrah is realistically priced given its impeccably high quality and character. The opaque ruby/purple-colored 2001 Syrah Napa exhibits a big, full-bodied, smoky bouquet of roasted meats, licorice, black currants, and pepper. Supple-textured and layered, with well-integrated toasty oak in addition to a rich, spicy, concentrated finish, this powerful (15.1% alcohol) red is both voluptuous and silky.”


Spicy chicken. Turmeric-seasoned chicken. Wow was this hot. It had a really great flavor too, but made one reach for the rice, and more rice, and sweet wine, and start wiping the sweat off the top of one’s head!


Parker 95, “An explosion of blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, and exotic floral scents soars from the glass of the spectacular inky/purple-colored 2002 Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard, a vineyard that is proving to be a tremendous source for many different varietals. Although this cuvee possesses 14.9% alcohol, it is well-concealed by the wine’s full body, awesome richness, great purity, and tremendous sense of fruit as well as place. There is a remarkable vigor and intensity, yet it does not taste over the top or heavy.”


Dungeness Crab in Curry Sauce. Crab meat, shrimp & peas sauteed in a red curry paste. This wasn’t AS hot. It was a little hard to get at the succulent grab meat, but the curry was explosively good too. Compare to the Singaporean classic.


Parker 95+, “The 2004 Syrah Piggott Range (from 40-year-old vines) requires 3-4 years of cellaring. This is a powerful, intense Syrah meant for true connoisseurs who have cold cellars as well as enough patience to wait it out. A perfume of crushed rocks, acacia flowers, blackberries, roasted coffee, pepper, spice, bacon fat, and a subtle touch of eucalyptus is followed by a deep, rich, full-bodied wine.”

These are great Syrah’s but the heat of the food swamps them out.


Lamb Curry. Tender lamb in a mild curry with potatoes and carrots. Really yummy. Really yummy.


Dynamite beef. Oh boy, too bad I was “wafer thin mint” full when this came out. In serious physical pain from all the chillies and the amount of food I’d had. This stuff was like pure red pepper beef. Look at all those pepper seeds!


Cool crabs!


Wash down the dynamite with a big swig of sweet wine!


This 2001 Tokaji Aszu (Hungarian dessert wine made in the style of Sauternes) was a great finish. This wine was really drinking nicely.


Papaya fried rice. The owner whipped this up to try and cool us off. It was a sweet carby mixture.


Mango sticky rice with coconut ice cream. Awesome dessert, even though I was so full, I shoved three helpings down the gullet. This was as good a sticky rice as I’ve had.

Jitlada was hands down the best Thai I’ve had in LA. The menu is enormous and full of goodies. All the flavors are great, the meats succulent, and boy is it hot. You could order sweet, or you could order hot, or both. I’ve had hotter food (I’m thinking of a certain Szechuan restaurant in China), but you certainly don’t WANT it hotter than this. And I’m a guy that puts Haberneos in my guacamole.

One of our number summed up the evening as “eating like Pharaohs,” which is about right. Just way way too much food, and no small dose of other good stuff.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for more crazy Foodie Club meals.

Penny from Lotus of Siam on the left, Yarom in the center, and Jazz (Jitlada’s owner) on the right

Related posts:

  1. Hedonists Boil Up Some Crab
  2. Hedonists at Dahab
  3. Hedonists at La Paella
  4. Hedonists at STK
  5. Totoraku – Hedonists Beef Up
By: agavin
Comments (4)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: curry, hedonists, Jitlada, Pinot noir, Riesling, Thai, Wine

Bibou – ThanksGavin 2011 Prequel

Nov24

Restaurant: Bibou BYOB

Location: 1009 South 8th street, Philadelphia PA 19147. 215.965.8290

Date: November 23, 2011

Cuisine: French

Rating: Very good meal

_

And with a blast the ThanksGavin 2011 is off. Canonically, in a tradition developed over the last twenty years, the gavin Thanksgiving weekend is defined by four major meals. The Wednesday night dinner (out somewhere, usually in downtown Philly), the main event on Thursday, the Friday night dinner at my cousin Abbe’s, and the Saturday deli brunch. For this year’s kickoff a downtown intimate French restaurant was chosen.

NOTE: Technically, this is the ThanksGavin/Flitter as my grandparents had two daughters and so they have different married names. But for simplicity I’ll usually just say ThanksGavin.


A light sancerre to begin. Like many Philly restaurants Bibou doesn’t have a liquor license — perfect pour moi — as I can bring without corkage!


Every year I drag out at least a case of wine from my cellar. My favorite opener varietal, real Pinot Noir. the Parker 93. “An assortment of candied cherries explode from the glass of the 2002 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Perrieres. This seductive wine’s character is drenched in black cherry syrup, rocks, and earth. Medium-bodied, it has outstanding depth, concentration, and a long, expressive finish that reveals copious quantities of ripe tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018.”


The menu.


Very nice bread and butter from France.

An uncooked preview of the bone marrow special.


A blockbuster Spanish wine. Parker 94. “The 2007 Valdemuz is 100% Prieto Picudo from vines ranging in age from 100-115 years. For this cuvee 20% whole bunches were utilized with aging for 18 months in new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it offers up a splendid aromatic array of pain grille, graphite, espresso, truffle, black cherry, and blackberry. Dense, ripe, and concentrated, on the palate it is velvety textured and virtually seamless. This lengthy offering will evolve for another 5-7 years and provide big-time pleasure through 2027 if not longer.”


“Foie gras Duo. Foie gras crème brulée & Seared foie gras with caramelized Seckel pear flavored with lavender.” The left hand side was a fairly traditional prep for foie — but excellent with great texture and a nice meaty / slightly spiced flavor to the fruit. The right had good texture, and was nice, but was more like a custard.

“Escargots. Snail ragout, Fava beans and Trumpet Royale mushroom, flavored with tarragon.”


“Half dozen oysters on the halfshell.” From Maine.


“Gravlax. Arctic char gravlax flavored with rosemary & Meyer lemon, Cucumber & apple brunoise, white lentil hummus.”


“Green salad.”


“Soupe de céleri. Celeriac soup, chestnut purée, poached celeriac in Earl Grey tea.” One of those really good lots of creme with a hint of vegetable soups.


Parker gives this a 92, but I’d put it more like at 95-96. “The 1995 Hermitage La Sizeranne is performing even better out of bottle than it did immediately prior to bottling. It is a full-bodied, dense ruby/purple-colored wine with a sweet, smoky, chocolate, cassis, and tar-scented nose, great fruit intensity, full body, a layered texture, sweet tannin, and good grip. It should be cellared for a minimum of 4-5 years, and will keep for 15-20.”


And decanted in the duck.


“Leg of rabbit with parpadelle and butternut squash.”


“Golden Tilefish. Olive oil poached Golden Tilefish, Brussels sprouts, dried cranberry, sweet carrot emulsion.”


“Truite Arc-en-Ciel. Sautéed Rainbow trout, sauerkraut, Romanesco cabbage, pomegranate,  jus de poulet flavored with lemongrass.”


“Bœuf. Sautéed hanger steak with green peppercorn sauce, sautéed Fingerling potatoes, green asparagus.”


“Canard. Long Island Duck breast, Chanterelle mushroom, Yu-choy, purple potato chips, red wine duck jus.” This was good duck, very tender and flavorful.


A blockbuster argentine wine. As good as I’ve had from there. Parker 94. “Flechas de Los Andes’ 2006 Gran Corte spent 17 months in new French oak. It is opaque purple-colored with legs that ooze down the glass. The aromatics are brooding but expressive with notes of pain grille, pencil lead, spice box, lavender, black cherry, and plum. Opulent, with glossy fruit, this dense, rich effort conceals significant underlying structure. This intense, powerful, lengthy wine demands a minimum of 5-7 years of cellaring and will be at its best from 2015 to 2030.”


The dessert menu.


Classic “Creme brûlée, flavored with vanilla and tobacco leaves.”


French press coffee.


“Mimi’s chocolate cake, caramel sauce.”


“Floating Island with homemade praline and goat milk creme anglais.” This was probably the best Floating Island I’ve ever had. The texture was lighter than air with a very nice nutty flavor.


“Fresh quince pie.” A bit of figs on the side.


“Berry ice cream.”


And to finish, some macaroons and meringues. Both very good.

This was a very good meal. Classically French, yet with a slightly updated palette and a deft touch. If you are in Philadelphia I highly recommend.

For more ThanksGavin meals, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Thanksgiving – The Prequel
  2. ThanksGavin in Review
  3. Passover Seder 2011 – day 1
  4. ThanksGavin 2010 Reprise
  5. Thanksgiving – Pork Insanity
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: beef, Dessert, duck, escargot, Foie gras, French Cuisine, Meyer Lemon, Philadelphia, Pinot noir, Restaurant Review, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Wine

Bastide – Chef Number Six

Apr16

Restaurant: Bastide

Location: 8475 Melrose Pl, West Hollywood, CA 90069   323.651.5950

Date: April 14, 2011

Cuisine: Cal French

Rating: Good, but a little uneven.

ANY CHARACTER HERE

For the April Foodie Club meeting, following hot on the heels of the March one, we decided to tackle Bastide. This has always been a curious restaurant. It’s about half outside in a courtyard with a lovely olive tree(s). But this place has gone through more chefs in a few short years, and more good ones, than pretty much any I can think of. I’ve eaten here perhaps seven times, and certainly under at least four, maybe all, of the previous chefs.

I had a spot on ethereal Alain Giraud meal here in 2003, a whacky but great one with Lefebvre (I will never forget “chocolate spaghetti al carbonara,” a dessert with parmesan ice cream and pancetta chunks!), a phenomenal chef table tasting with Manzke, and another great meal with Shoemaker. I wasn’t so impressed with Mahon’s “simpler” (I don’t like simple when it comes to food) menu.

So back I came to try out number six: Sydney Hunter, who has worked at many a LA restaurant, including at least two stints at Bastide under other chefs.

The signature entrance and the courtyard beyond.

The current savory menu. We asked for the “nine course tasting menu.” The dishes were more or less on the menu.

Bastide is one of those rare restaurants that doesn’t allow corkage. Normally I hate this, but they had this gem on the menu at a stunningly low $159. The rest of the list was good and pretty reasonable too.

The 1985 Domaine Leroy Beaune les Pertuisots. I’d gladly paid this at retail. I’d buy two cases. Parker gives it an 88, but he’s so wrong. This wine was drinking at a 96 point level, and in impecable shape — impressive for a 26 year-old burgundy.

“Much has been written about the dynamic Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy. Some of it has been malicious and motivated strictly by insidious jealousy. From time to time I have complained of her pricing structure. Yet there should never be any criticism of her philosophy of what burgundy should be. Her wines are among the noblest and purest expressions of Pinot Noir in Burgundy. They are treated with the care of a pampered child, never filtered, and bottled barrel by barrel. Given the size of her wines and their power and structure, in a cool damp cellar they will last 20 to 25 years. Bize-Leroy thinks 1985 is one of the two best burgundy vintages in the last twenty years, the other being 1978. Given the range of wines I tasted, 44 in all, 16 were exceptional, 21 very good to excellent. Thirty-seven very good to exceptional wines out of 44 is an amazingly high percentage, and I would be proud to own any of them.”

A page on the list, includes our wine.

They have good bread.  I think it used to be more interesting, but the onion focaccia-style bread was very good.

“Asparagus, spring truffles, peas, parmesan, lemon jus, olive oil.”  And over on the side a single seared scallop, and two types of citrus. This was a delicious salad. The citrus and scallop were delightful together, and the main salad itself complex and wonderful. Plus, yummy white truffles.

“Albacore, white turnip soup, fried shallots, ponzu cubes, daikon sprouts.” This was wonderful also, with a very interesting and complex flavor and texture profile. The soup was really good too and the tuna itself sushi grade.

“Hamachi, pickled carrot, orange, sherry vinegar, watercress, cocoa nibs.” This was also amazing. The interplay of citrus, fish, dusted flavors etc was fantastic. The blob in the front was some kind of savory ice cream — also spectacular. The pickled carrots had a nice crunch.

“Spicy octopus salad, cherry tomatoes, chickpea panisse, sardinian pasta, cucumbers, chorizo oil, pineapple.” Another top top dish, arguably the best. The octopus was really tender, and the mix of vegetables really tasty with a very nice textural component.

“Seabream, romesco, baby zucchini, artichokes, tomato confit, lemon sauce.” The fish itself was just fish — good fish, but still fish. The Romesco had a very fine texture, much finer than my own homemade version (SEE HERE), but didn’t have as much of a punch. The artichokes were wonderful and the lemon sauce pretty intense.

EP joked: “The only way to make seabream exciting is to drown it in a strong curry.”

“Steelhead salmon trout, manila clams, parisian potatoes, haricot vert, fennel pollon.” The fish was medium rare, and very soft and flavorful. But the buttery sauce with the little potatoes the real winner.

“Jidori Chicken, potato & celery root gratin, pickled peppers, pea tendrils, Baby corn, pimenton hollandaise sauce.” The chicken was good, but it was after all, chicken. The star of this dish was the potato gratin, which had a bit of a curry flavor (they must have heard EP’s seabream comment). Like potatoes Lyonnaise gone south-east-asian. The little corns made me think of the Tom Hanks movie Big.

“Beef tenderloin, pont neuf potatoes, baby spinach, mushrooms, and beef marrow.” The tenderloin was very good. I didn’t care so much for the potatoes, I like my french fries thinner 🙂 The marrow was tasty, but too gooey fatty for me (not that it wasn’t good marrow, but I was starting to get full and a whole segment of fat…).

“Blood orange sorbet.” Very nice refresher.

After killing 3 bottles of the Burgundy (with 4 people) we ordered this fantastic Sauternes. Parker gave it 95 points, and this time I agree. “The 1990 continues to develop exceptionally well (better than I thought), and now looks to be a worthy rival of the dazzling 1988. The superb aromatics (pineapple, acacia, vanilla, and honey) are followed by a rich, full-bodied, atypically powerful Climens that possesses adequate acidity, high alcohol, and even higher levels of extract and fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2030.”

Just a wonderful wine.

The desdert menu.

“Ricotta fritters, hot chocolate milk, cinnamon ice cream.” The fritter itself was very nicely chewy, and the fruit sauce made it like a little jelly donut. The tiny blog of cinnamon ice cream was tasty too, but tiny. The little milk thing reminded me of the chilled rather than frozen milk shakes I used to get as a kid in the Pennsylvania mountains.

The four of us got this very dinky selection of petit fours to split. They were quite miniature, and we each only got to taste one. I had the macaroon, which was good (for more about macaroons, see here). While tasty, we were disappointed in the number and variety of the desserts. They could have brought more and mixed it up more.

Overall Bastide “take six” got off to a strong start. The wine was fantastic, and the first four courses equally so. But by the time we reached the entrees things slipped from amazing to merely very good. I wanted to be more blown away by the mains — but where was the cheese? — plus while the dessert was yummy they could have done more (at least giving one petit four of each type per person).

Service, by the way, was excellent, no problems there.

Perhaps it’s also that we felt the the tasting menu was just an serial assembly of dishes from the menu. There was something a bit missing from the overall progression. And the cheese. Never forget the cheese.

For other Foodie Club meals, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Bistro LQ – 27 Courses of Trufflumpagus
  2. Fraiche Santa Monica
  3. Food as Art – Takao
  4. Son of Saam – Actually more Bazaar
  5. Quick Eats: Brentwood
By: agavin
Comments (8)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bastide, Beaune, Burgundy wine, Dessert, Drink, Food, Foodie Club, Los Angeles, Pinot noir, Restaurant, Restaurant Review, Salad, side dishes, Sydney Hunter, Truffle (fungus), vegetarian, West Hollywood California, Wine

Dinner Party – It all starts with Cheese

Mar16

Last Friday we hosted a little dinner party. I can’t say it was purely an excuse for more cooking and food photos, but well, here they are. Everything in this meal is made from scratch.

The first course in summary.

Cheese is always a good start. This time I tried a new cheese shop, Andrew’s Cheese Shop. This is closer than my usual haunt, the The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. Andrew’s isn’t as big, but they had plenty of choices, and they were extremely friendly.

I put together a little foursome. Epoisses on the left (gooey washed rind fun), a fantastic goat, Monte Enebro, a nice rich nutty dutch cheese on the left (tasted halfway between a Gouda and Parmesan) and on the bottom, Stichelton, a beautiful rich English blue cheese.

Condiments. Marcona almonds, quince paste (the orange jelly stuff), Spanish olives, and accacia honey from Abruzzo.

The carbohydrates. Traditional french baguette, cranberry nut crisps, and olive oil cracker sticks. All from Andrew’s, and all excellent.

We also made these puff pastries from scratch. Stuffed with egg, cheese, and spinach. Basically little puff-Spanakopita.

What would all that cheese and bread be without some wine?

On the left a fantastic Burgundy, Parker gives it 92, but I’d give it more like a 94. “The 2003 Clos Vougeot explodes from the glass with licorice, dark cherries, and a myriad of spices. A wine of considerable depth, it is packed with suave black fruits immersed in chocolate. Well-structured, ripe, and exceptionally long, it will merit a higher score if its alcoholic warmth is absorbed into the wine with time (something that sometimes occurs with Pinot Noirs). Projected maturity: 2008-2017.”

On the right, earning 90 points (and again I’d give it more), “The 2006 Fonsalette Cotes du Rhone exhibits meaty, herbal, tapenade, pepper, animal fur, and damp earth-like notes. It is soft, round, lush, and best consumed over the next 10+ years.”

For the main course, we went with Salmon en Papillote, adapted from a recipe by non other than Julia Child. All done from scratch.

Sealed in with the juices are julianned vegetables, parsley, basil, garlic. We’ve done this before but tis batch turned out absolutely perfect.

And as the starch, couscous adapted from Houstons (see it HERE). I found a recipe on the web approximating what they do at the restaurant (HERE).

And then salad.

And this delicious but rather un-homogenized walnut vinaigrette (from scratch of course).

Then for dessert, our friend Geo’s Chocolate Ganache tart. He very graciously gave us this recipe after some prying, and it’s a terribly excellent and decadent dessert. Mostly it’s butter, sugar, and 70% cacao chocolate. Oh yes!

Then homemade whipped cream. None of those emulsifying agents. And homemade raspberry sauce (rasberries and sugar thrown in the blender).

And fruit to finish.

Related posts:

  1. Dinner and Drinks at Tavern
  2. Ultimate Pizza – The Birthday
  3. Saturday is for Salt
  4. Lasagne Bolognese Minus the Meat
  5. Quick Eats: Osteria Latini 2
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Abruzzo, Almond, Cheese, Cooking, couscous, Dessert, Dinner Party, Food, Goat Cheese, Gouda, home cooking, Julia Child, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pinot noir, side dishes, Spanakopita, Stichelton, The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, vegetarian
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