docsconz

Over the weekend I participated in a Silver Oak Winemaker's dinner at Friends Lake Inn in Chestertown, N.Y. The Inn is one of the finest, if not the finest, restaurants in upstate N.Y. for combining good food with a top-notch wine program. This was their third Silver Oak dinner and the third I have attended. The overriding impression I had of the wines is that they were all thin and almost watery, albeit pleasant drinking with the paired courses. In detail: Amuse' : Braised short rib ravioli with a veal reduction and coconut froth served with 2000 Twomey Merlot. The ravioli was tasty, although it required additional seasoning. The merlot, a new venture for SO ws smooth with a bit of a chocolate underpinning. It ws a nice wine and one of the better ones of the evening. 1st Course : pan-seared foie gras with 1998 Alexander Valley CS . See here for discussion on the pairing.. 2nd Course : Clove Scented Lamb shoulder with caramelized sweet potato plank with a 1999 Alexander Valley CS . The lamb shoulder was excellent. On its' own merits the '99 had more body than the '98 Alexander valley, although it was still pretty thin. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant enough wine to quaff along with the food. Entree : Pink and Sechuan peppercorn encrusted venison chop with chocolate demi-glace along with 1998 and 1999 Napa Valley CS . The '99 Napa was head and shoulders above the '98, but still "weak" for Silver Oak. Cheese Course Fontina and Drunken Goat Cheeses along with 1996 Alexander Valley CS . This was the wine of the evening. It had some body along with nuances of cherry and berry fruit. I didn't add a lot of impression detail to the wine descriptions because I couldn't detect much. The wines certainly weren't bad. They were pleasant enough, but they all lacked distinctive personality. there was nothing unique about them (other than being such "light" California cabs ). I didn't even finish any of my glasses. This was very different from my previous Silver Oak dinner experience, where the wines would practically reach out of the glass, grab onto my lips and pull itself up to my mouth in order to pour itself down my throat. The '99 Napa was being offered for $100/bottle and the '99 Alexander for $60/bottle, both pre-release. I respectfully declined purchase at those prices. For $20 or $30 per bottle, they might be interesting.

I saw Cesaria Evora at SPAC a few years ago. She is not the greatest live performer, although she does have a magical voice. I think it would probably be worth seeing her if the price is not too steep. Her band was pretty good.

Cacao Barry Cuba has been mentioned in a number of posts. It is not bad, however, their Tanzanie is delicious and much more distinctive. I'm surprised that I have not seen either Michel Cluizel or Dolfin mentioned. Both are exquisite, especially the Cluizel.

Best wishes, David. It is an exciting time. Don't forget to take some time to enjoy the new baby when he/she arrives. They grow so quickly. I have not yet been to Globe, but I find your work at Rosalie to be thrilling. I've been therer twice and your hospitality has been wonderful both times. I live in New York, but love to get to Montreal when I can. Your restaurants are definately at the top end of my list. Montreal is such an exciting culinary destination right now between Rosalie, Les Chevres, Toque (I wish I could have been at that dinner!), Chez L'Epicier and others I have not yet been to, but am really looking forward to. The food markets are also wonderful, especially at this time of year and into the fall. The work is long and difficult. I don't know how you and others of your ilk do it. Hopefully, it helps to know that it is appreciated, at least by some.

Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne has a nice pre-theater prix fixe.

My most recent experience at Coyote Cafe in January was absolutely awful. It used to be good. I can't recommend it now.

I guess I haven't had a cooked oyster that I've really enjoyed either, although I love them raw.

The only restaurant you mentioned that I have dined at is the one at The Grand Hotel Timeo. While it wasn't bad, it was the only disappointing meal of my entire 17 day trip. The hotel itself is fantastic. The restaurant wa beautiful with refined service, but I found the food to be no better than ordinary.

About the only "routine" food I do not generally like is eggplant. While I do not go out of my way to order it, I am now at the point where I can eat it and actually enjoy it if it is well prepared. I would not order brain, eyes or tripe, although I would eat them if served by a restaurant or chef I trusted to do a good job with them. I will not eat insects. In general, I will try almost anything if I trust the integrity of the chef/cook/restaurant.

Doc, if you want to get from point B (second paragraph) to point A (first paragraph), don't you have to make the argument that peer-reviewed scientific journals are not supporting what Planck says? I'm not saying we chased down references on everything she said -- we simply don't have the staffing for that, and so we rely on our authors to do their homework -- but she's not making this stuff up. She's getting it from scientific sources. Those sources may very well be wrong, but they are most likely peer-reviewed. At least, when I did some checking, I was able to find tons of references to scientific journals. Peer-review is overrated anyway: it's only as good as one's peers. I agree that scientific peer review is not a reaonable objective for eGullet. I stated that I wan't advocating it. My main point was that everything should be taken with a grain of salt (except by hypertensives with renal issues ). That being said, there is often a big difference between what a peer-reviewed study published in a respected and reputable scientific journal (not all are) concludes and what is extrapolated from it by others. Most scientific studies today explore very narrow parameters and draw very specific conclusions based on those specific parameters. Anything beyond that is pure speculation from a scientific point of view since the variables generally change. Speculation is fun, but it may or may not be valid. We see this all the time with nutritional health information. That is one reason why there are so many competing claims about what may or may not be good or bad for one's health. This is an extremely complex question, that at this point can only be addressed in generalities. It is conceivable that soy products in general may have adverse effects on one population and have beneficial effects on another depending on the other variables. It is also conceivable and likely that there is variation within a population and that what may be bad for most is good for some. Occassionally, however, there is overwhelming weight as to the general effects of a particular substance on a population - cigarettes, for example that while not necessarily having the same effect on every individual, has such a high probability of an effect that it makes sense to adhere to the general advice regarding it. My approach is anything in moderation.

I think it is because Burgundy is perhaps the most confusing wine region in the world. While there are a number of well known producers, they tend to be very expensive. While the quality of burgundy, both white and red, may be higher than it has ever been over all, the lack of name rcognition at the mid and lower levels makes it more of a hit or miss proposition. In addition, the very terroir differences that make burgundies so wonderful to the initiated, make it more strange and off-putting to the uninitiated. One last thought is that Burgundy does not have a Robert Parker equivalent in terms of reputation and stature promoting its wines. Parker himself has never been recognized as a Burgundy expert in that his palate tends to reward the big and bold and less so the subtly nuanced. That is probably why he brought Rovani on board, who now does the bulk of the burgundy critique. Rovani is great, but his influence on Burgundy is nowhere near Parker's on Bordeaux, Alsace or the Rhone.

There is nothing subtle about Rosalie. It is a bold restaurant. The food is hearty, extremely flavorful and full of contrasting textures. The room. The room, while not the strong point of the restaurant is also bold in its retro design and the waitstaff is boldly beautiful if occassionally uneven with the actual service. It is not a restaurant of nuance. It is a place of style and great tasting food. The perfect restaurant - no, but one I plan on returning to often when I am in Montreal.

I believe that when a person embellishes and exaggerates to make a point that person begins to lose credibility and the truly valid points begin to pale and are taken less seriously. I believe that the majority of Ms. Plancks points have some degree of validity, however, I have learned that I can't necessarily take what she says at face value. What scientific journals do to try to assure relevance and accuracy is to peer-review articles prior to publication. I am not advocating that for eGullet, but as with anything published anywhere (even a scientific journal), one should approach what one reads with a healthy dose of scepticism, even when written by the "experts".

Check out this Symposium thread that includes a discussion on expectations and restaurant experiences. Click here.

mozzarella and ricotta.

It's called "acquired taste". Good post, Pastrami.

I learned to make arrancini last fall from Anna Tasca Lanza at Regaleali. Her cookbooks are a good recipe source for arrancini, which means "little oranges", because that is what they look like. They are not all that hard to make and a lot of fun for a group. It is easy to do either solo or as a team. As Craig said, you can use left-over risotto or cooked fresh works fine too. My favorite stuffing is a chopped-meat (pork and beef) ragu' with peas and cheese. Mozzarella is a good option. The possibilities are endless. They would go well with a crisp Sicilian white such as Planeta La Segreta Bianca or Regaleali Bianco or leone d"Almerita, all of which incorporate indiginous Sicilian Grapes. The main courses can certainly include a crown roast of pork or pork roast with rosemary and garlic. Major fish in the Sicilian arsenal include tuna, swordfish, sardines and anchovies. Fresh sardines and anchovies may be a problem, but if you can get them fresh grilled sardines are simple and awesome. Other preparations with sardines include beccafico, which is a cooked, rolled sardine stuffed with raisins, bread crumbs, pine nuts, herbs and perhaps cheese. These are subsequently grilled. Tuna and swordfish are served fully cooked. Tuna loin cooked in a tomato sauce with onions, garlic, capers and basil served over pasta (perciatelli or buccatini) is a great dish, although the gravy needs to simmer for a while and as such may not be as "interactive" as you would like. I would second Katie's recommendation of nero d'avola. The grape makes a wonderful wine, reminiscent of zinfandel cum shiraz.

Thanks for the nice report - sounds like a wonderful tasting. Welcome to eGullet!

Where was the tasting held, under whose auspices and what was your connection?

I like to take pictures of the courses serveed to me in a restaurant. It helps preserve the memory for me. I try to not be too intrusive, so I don't use a flash. Unfortunately, the photos don't always come out so well that way, but generally well enough for my purposes. I won't post a photo from a restaurant without at least their verbal permission out of courtesy if nothing else.

Kistler and Pahlmeyer

Good points and good advice.

I agree that the best wine buying strategy is developing a relationship and working with reputable merchants with palates that you understood and even better, those who understand your palate. The latter is harder to find. Because I'm interested in a number of different harder to find wines, I've tried with generally good fortune to cultivate several sources, two relatively local and two from a distance. I guess the other part of my question that may not have been explicit enough is which, if any, of the nationally and internationally recognized "experts" do you look to for guidance re: the more esoteric or more difficult to find wines? Is there a new Parker developing a reputation and weight in the industry? Bill, I agree with you about Parker. His value is with his consistency. If you can relate your palate to his, he is pretty reliable. If you think a wine of a certain type is an 85 and he thinks it is a 95 and vice versa for a similar style wine, it is a fairly good bet that another RP "95" of the same type wine will still be an "85" to you (if your palate is consistent). Of course, one of the greatest difficulties is having a consistent palate with so many factors such as storage, weather, food, company, mood, etc.

My favorite lamb that I can get readily is lamb from right here in upstate NY at 3-Corner Field Farm. I did very much enjoy Kamouraska lamb I had in Montreal. They are very different and very distinctive, the Kamouraska having a stronger lamb flavor. I would very much like to try a presale' lamb, sometime.

Water or wine depending on the dinner and my work schedule.