Really Nice!

There's a Web site dedicated to battling the myth. The discussion forum is particularly interesting.

nevermind...

Meatloaf with bacon slices on top.

The most significant news story ever written about wine was just four paragraphs long... "It is amazing that after 30 years, people are still talking about the Paris tasting," says Warren Winiarski, owner of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, which won the red wine category. "Even at this late date, the French still find it too painful to write about." . . . "That is definitely California. It has no nose," one judge said of a 1973 Batard Montrachet from Burgundy. Book about the event from the only journalist who covered the event will be available on September 13, 2005.

Uh uhuhuh.. is that going to be the same Stewart's Meats as in the one in McKenna?? The one with the killer beef jerky?! ← Might very well be. Walked by this afternoon and they're open for business. Cured meats and fresh sausage is all they're selling. And maybe a few other trinkets.

I've heard this too. The hot plate isn't made to stay on for 12 hours at a time. Click here to see my homegrown smoker test. (Photos are at the bottom of the post.) It worked wonderfully. I've since moved into a condo and as they only have one Weber grill and we're not allowed to have our own bbqs or smokers on our decks. I made some alterations and it too worked well. I'll post photos in that same thread and results in a couple of days.

It's a traditional Chinese soup spoon. It holds about one tablespoon. Just pick it up and insert into mouth.

Jared Heber from Seattle is the new sommelier at The French Laundry. Jared Heber has accepted the sommelier position at The French Laundry. He worked at Seattle Cellars for 5 years and has been Assistant Sommelier at Canlis Restaurant (also in Seattle) for the past 2 years. He recently passed his Advanced Sommelier Certification and will be spending the next 2 years preparing for the Master Sommelier Certification test. Jared will be the sommelier as well as assistant buyer at the restaurant.

Okay, it’s time to eat some crow (well, not literally). After my post, Ken Frank, the chef at La Toque, contacted me about our experience. We exchanged a few e-mails and he suggested that if I’m ever in the neighborhood to try them again. Everyone can have an off night. So after my girlfriend and I made plans to tour Napa at the end of June I sent him an e-mail and he arranged for us to have dinner at La Toque on June 29 at 6 P.M. That day we walked in and Julia (FOH manager) was there to greet us. I introduced myself and she kindly smiled and said, “Oh yes, we’ve been expecting you.” It was at this point that I had an image of being slapped across the side of my face with a slab of meat, but she and everyone else throughout the evening was very gracious. We were one of the first seatings that evening and as we walked into the dining room she asked us if we wanted our usual table. I said sure, and sure enough, she walked us right to the same table we had back on March 30, 2001. To me it's a great forecast when a restaurant not only maintains a database, but also knows how to use it to interact with their guests. Here is the six-course menu from our evening: Here are three shots of the dining room. It’s really quite beautiful. We each had a glass of Louis Roederer N.V. champagne and were presented with our first amuse: Pickled Japanese vegetables It was a nice opener to the evening. It had the tang of a rice wine vinaigrette and the earthiness of black sesame seeds. It was at this point that I realized a major faux pas in my preparation for the evening; I forgot to bring a pen and paper to jot down our notes. I was wearing a new suit and I usually just keep a pen and notepad in it so I don’t have to remember to bring them. Arg! The second amuse was a Pea purée, fiddlehead fern, and white asparagus. I’m finding lately that I really like puréed peas. The creamy texture and the seamingly concentrated flavor that appears can transcend a dish. There's so much you can sneak into it to elevate the palate. The seasoning for this dish was right on the mark. Then came the first course, Seared Artisan Foie Gras and Broiled Black Mission Figs with Toasted Brioche and Sweet Corn and Maine Lobster “Chowda”. Both of these dishes were fantastic. The foie just melted away in my mouth and the lobster had that slow-cooked texture that is so smooth. And the corn in this dish was very sweet and tender. The foie was served with a glass of 1999 Chateau Rieussec Sauternes. As always it was a great match. The lobster, with chanterelle mushrooms, was served with 2002 Saddleback Cellars Pinot Blanc, Oakville. The second course was Local Sand Dab with Pine Nuts, Sultanas, Sunchokes, and Brown Butter and Soft Shell Crab Sautéed with Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic. As the photos show, we started into this without taking the photos first. You know you’re enjoying dinner when the taste buds come before photos. I’m not much of a fish person, but I dug into this and before I knew it there was nothing but the bones left on the plate. The soft shell crab had a light, delicate crunch on the shell and an intense taste. The sand dab was served with a 2001 Long Chardonnay Estate, Napa Valley. The crab was served with 2002 Chablis, Grand Regnard Burgundy, France Next came Ravioli with Braised Berkshire Pork Shanks, Fava Beans, and Truffled Pig Jus and Liberty Farms Duck Breast with Cherries Stewed in Red Wine. I had the ravioli that was filled with tender braised shanks. I love the meaty creamy texture of fava beans and their nutty flavor held up well in this dish. The pig jus was earthy, and wasn’t covered up by the truffle aromatics. It’s an interesting concept, which got me to thinking. Why isn’t pig stock more popular? Anyway, this was a great combination of ingredients. The duck was a perfect match for the wine. I’m not sure what wine was used in the dish, but it matched the Miner’s Family Pinot Noir in a way so seldom seen. Each bite of the dish elevated the wine, and each sip of wine elevated the dish. It was like your taste buds were walking up an endless ladder with each sip or bite taking you up to the next step. I think this is only the third time in my life I’ve experienced this kind of matching. Incredible. The ravioli was served with 2002 Peay Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. The duck breast was served with 2003 Miner Family Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands. We were so taken with this wine that the next day when we were at Dean and Deluca on CA 29 in St. Helena we searched and found it.($52) Only 500 cases were produced, and it’s aged 15 months in 75 percent new French oak. http://www.minerwines.com When we mentioned to the sommelier how impressed we were with the wine he returned a few minutes later with a map of Napa valley with some 75 wineries, their location, and phone number. The other side had a similar map but listed wine shops, lodging, and other restaurants. For the entrée we chose Veal Tenderloin with Morel Spinach Flan and Fresh Alaskan Morels and Bacon Studded Monkfish with Pearl Onions and Red Wine. As much as I love monkfish, I love morels more. The tenderloin was tender and meaty, and the flan added a nice texture foil to the veal and the other morels in the dish. Contrasting textures with complementing flavors. The monkfish and bacon was a great combination. The bacon was larded into the monkfish. The bacon was a thick cut and had a nice aromatic not-in-your-face smokiness to it. I’m guessing that it was made on premises. The veal was served with 2001 Paradigm Merlot Estate, Oakville. Another good pairing. The monkfish was served with 2002 Showket Sangiovese, Oakville. It had notes of strawberry, cranberry and lavender. It’s heavier than the Italian equivalents that I’ve had; it’s a hearty wine that didn’t take a back seat to the richness in the dish. It is blended with 3 percent Cabernet Franc and 1 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. This was another one we made a mental note to remember and also found it at Dean and Deluca. ($34) http://www.showketvineyards.com Chef Frank came to our to table and asked how everything was going. All I could say was it was fantastic! We had a short conversation about the restaurant and the food he was presenting tonight. The menu changes weekly and this was the first night for this menu. My impression is also that he is a real, sensitive, and gentle man. He then asked us what cheeses we would like for our next course and said bleu and goat. I should have asked for small portions. The cheese course was a combination of two bleu cheeses, two goat cheeses, almonds, caramel, figs, and baby nectarines. The saltiness of the cheeses punctuated the end of the savory dishes and the sweetness of the fruit and sauce got us ready for dessert. For dessert Kriste started with a cappuccino. She had a Peach Galette with Marionberries and “Noyau” Ice Cream. Unfortunately a photo is not available as it was gone before I realized it. I guess it was good. I had a Chocolate Hazelnut “Mille Feuille”. This was decadent. Delicate chocolate leaf sheets sandwiched by chocolate hazelnut Bavarian cream à la Napoleon. It was paired with a Yalumba Museum Muscat Victoria, Australia. I don’t know what it is about Australian Muscats and chocolate, but to me there is no better combination for dessert. The service through out the evening was top notch and as professional as any I’ve experienced. The sommelier knew his wines. Everyone was gracious and probably well aware of my previous post; yet in my observation we were treated no differently from the other guests with the exception of Chef Frank coming to our table (and he stopped at other tables on his way back into the kitchen). The restaurant was on the mark as other posters have noted here. I want to thank Chef Frank and his staff for a wonderful experience and we will definitely return in the future.

How's it ageing?

Jared Heber has accepted the sommelier position at The French Laundry. He worked at Seattle Cellars for 5 years and has been Assistant Sommelier at Canlis Restaurant (also in Seattle) for the past 2 years. He recently passed his Advanced Sommelier Certification and will be spending the next 2 years preparing for the Master Sommelier Certification test. Jared will be a Sommelier as well as Assistant Buyer at the restaurant.

Ohhh details, details, details... Excellent clarification, thanks!

THANK GOD!, no one suggested Beppos! Thank you all, you are a class group. Oh, we haven't received our invite yet, make it for 18 or so? What date/time.

It's oxidizing. There are two forms of aging: biological where the beverage is closed and allowed to change the elements within it over a long period of time; and physiochemical, which is putting the beverage in direct contact with air and its oxidizing effects. Some wines you want oxidation, such as Madeira, Marsala, or Sherry (or it doesn't hurt as much). With just about all other wines, however, oxidation will diminish the overall effect after being opened two or three days. With distilled spirits oxidation takes much longer. If left opened too long it tends to turn stale.

I wouldn't call these drecks. First and second growths have a 'bar' higher than most of the others in the world. These appear to be from the '60s and '70s and in those years the 'bar' was usually lower; but there was still a 'bar'. I'd consider these wines over many others from other parts of the world during their off years. However, the key in both of these particular wines is: "Signs of past seepage." This is completely independent of the quality of the juice that went into the bottle. I wouldn't touch an '82 Lafite that had signs of past seepage.

sauvignon blanc or a dry riesling.

Not sure about California, but I know Parker and Burgundy do not see eye to eye. Parker is big on Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. Especially if it has the sweetness and thickness of Port. Years ago I bought one Australian Cab based on his high score and found the wine to be sweet and thick. For me it was undrinkable. A very very general stereotype can be summed up as: Reviewers from the New World favor New World wines; reviewers from the Old World favor Old World wines. Of course there will be exceptions. I think most people who have been into wine for at least five years will say they don't trust anyone "across the board". I stopped my subscription to Wine Spectator a few years back. Never have suscribed to Parker. I know Parker and Robinson have a spat going on that has been more entertaining than their reviews of wines. Parker attacks her in his latest Bordeaux book on pages 766-767; and there was some slinging from Robinson and Clive Coats when he reviewed the '03 Pavie with a score of > 95 points (I think). Their reply was something along the lines of anyone who likes this wine ought to have a lobotomy. I look at Decanter.com from time to time. Wine-lovers-page.com has some good insights and wine discussions. I think after five years no one will know your pallet more than you. As for your customers it's probably just as important to know which reviewers they respect and trust as it is to know which wines they like. my 2¢

Did anyone else notice how young the waitstaff was at FL? They hardly appeared to be seasoned veterans. Were they all interns? I didn't see Larry or Milton either, waiters who have both have been there for many years.

How 'bout Keller and Emeril? <ducking and hiding>

I'm going to be in Napa soon as well, but for the first time I'm going to try calling each morning to see if The French Laundry has any openings that evening. Will also be dining at La Toque. Other than that, we're keeping the week open. As for In-and-Out burger, order the burgers animal style and ask for the fries well done.

What's the general concensus when a Napa Valley winery says to call for an appointment for their tasting room? Is it really a requirement? We're taking a well-deserved break next week and will be driving through Napa Valley. On each trip there I like to visit an area that I haven't gone to before. This trip it's going to be the North Silverado Trail: • Calistoga Cellars • Vincent Arroyo Winery • Zahtila Vineyards • On the edge • Silver Rose Cellers • Dutch Henry Winery • Sterling Vineyards • Casa Nuestra Winery and Spring Mountain District: • Barnett Vineyards • Cain Vineyard & Winery • Fife Vineyards • Paloma Vineyard • Pride Mountain Vineyards • Robert Keenan Winery • Schweiger Vineyards • Sherwin Family Vineyards • Spring Mountain Vineyard • Terra Valentine Anyone have experience visiting these places? On the Web sites most say to call for an appointment. Is that a hard-and-fast standing rule or a guideline as in it's a crapshoot and maybe someone will be there. I know I'll have no clue as to what day I'll be in which neighborhood and forget about pinning down a timeframe for any given day. Thanks!

Never? You're eliminating some good Burgundies with that rule, and even a few California wines. I don't like out of balance oak in my wine either, but there are many winemakers who use oak well without overdoing it. ← If you can name a few who use oak conservatively (or in my book, properly ) I'd sure like to know of them. All too often with the chardonnay grape I get overloaded oak wood notes (oak, vanilla, smoke...) that I don't get the subtle notes of the grape. I want it to be subtle. I prefer notes produced by malic acid (green apple, flint/stone, citrus...). I have found that sur lie aging is also preferable. I also like older chardonnays to get some of that nut, mineral, honey-butter, and/or caramel notes that develop through time. Oh, and I like it to be more on the acidic side. Sounds like an ad for match.com. Hmmm.... winematch.com?????

I'll willingly drink chardonnay provided it never saw oak and did not go through malolactic fermentation.

For anyone else who is curious, this is the Wine & Spirit Education Trust based out of the UK.

A trick we use is when the guard isn't around is to fold a paper towel twice and use that against the item you're slicing. It'll snag on the slicer without damage to your finger. It also helps keep a firm grip on the item being sliced.