Zingerman's Roadhouse Monthly Wine Dinners

[tammylc]

Last week my husband and I attended a special dinner at Zingerman's Roadhouse with our friends E & J. E works for Zingerman's. The dinner was celebrating the cheeses being produced by John Loomis and Zingerman's Creamery. It was a four course dinner, where we tried seven different cheese and eight different wines.

The first course was just cheese, largely unadorned. There were four different cheeses on the plate, with a bunch of roasted grapes in the center and a few pieces of cranberry pecan crispbread. We tasted the cheeses one by one, with the cheesemaker describing the cheese, and the sommelier describing the accompanying wine.

Side note on the sommelier - Eric swore he looked familiar, and eventually we figured out that he was the sommelier at Tribute the two times we were there. Ric can talk about wine forever. And as we found out last night, he writes tasting notes that are awesomely over-the-top and poetic. I will quote a line or two from each of his notes on the wine, because they were one of the things that made everything so fun. Ric's range of wine knowledge is huge, so he must be a little frustrated by the Roadhouse, since they only serve American wines. For last night's tasting, however, he was "allowed" to bring in some imports.

Okay, back to the appetizer. Our first cheese was the Chelsea, and mold ripened goat cheese log in the style of cheeses from the Loire Valley in France. In my own little wine geek moment of the night, I was able to identify the wine we were served as a Chenin Blanc just from the taste. More specifically, it was a dry chenin blanc from Chappellet in Napa Valley (I don't know the vintage). Here's a excerpt from Ric's lengthy note: Imagine a table full of resh breakfast fruit (mango, melon and lime), kissed by an acidity as bright as the sun, touched by mineral flavors like the dew at dawn, a bit of nut and honey, and a splash or two of color from a bouquet of white flower. Great wine, great pairing. I'm not real familiar with chenin blanc, and my tendency would have been to pair a sauvignon blanc with this. We were served one later, however, and it wasn't nearly as good.

Next up, the Manchester. This is a double cream cow's milk round. The wine was a Domaine des Baumard Couteaux du Layon AOC Moulleu, cuvee Carte d'Or. Another chenin blanc, but this one was a sweet botrytised wine, in the same vein as a a Sauternes. Ric's note: Unlike the wines of Sauternes from Bordeaux, the botrytised chenin of the Loire speaks more of fruit than honey, in dignified tones, without textural bombast, nimble upon the tongue and light with in the mouth. Another lovely wine, and a lovely pairing.

The Sharon Hollow cheese is a very fresh cow cheese, hand ladled into rounds. It's simple and creamy, but was delightful with Selene, a sauvignon blanc from Hyde Vineyard of Carneros in Napa Valley. Very much in the style of sb's from the Loire Valley, where the inspiration for the cheeses came from. From the notes: Granny Smith apples and nectarine spill from the glass, riding about a deep and persistent undercurrent of stone and river rock, like water in a stream. I love wines that make me think of licking rocks, so this one was a big hit for me.

The last cheese in the appetizer course was the Bridgewater. It's a double cream spiked with black tellichery peppercorns, and aged 4 to 8 weeks. Intensely spicy with the peppercorns, we were served one of the few wines that could possibly have stood up to that cheese - a sherry-style fortifed wine from Alvear called Carlos VII, an amontillado made entirely from Pedro Ximenez grapes. Ric's amazing note writing is best illustrated by this note, which described exactly what the wine is like. The nose implies butterscotch and caramel, suggesting a sweet syrup the palate will quickly deny. On the tongue salt, like soy, and an iodine tinge, like an Islay scotch or a rush of sea water, rise and rush through the mouth until the flavors of toasted hazelnut develop, lingerly lightly on the protracted finish. A huge, powerful wine, we could smell the nose as soon as they started pouring glasses on the other side of the room. Ric claims is is one of the ultimate cheese wines, and I went back and tasted all the other cheeses with it, and it was a great pairing every time, so I'm inclined to think he's right. Only 200 cases imported into the US, though, so I figure I'm unlike to be able to find a bottle even if I wanted to...

For those keeping track at home, all that writing just takes me up to the end of the appetizer course. Although they were short pours, we did have four wines already, and there are more to come... Ric had quickly pegged our table as the wine geek table, so we got lots of opportunities to chat with him about what we were tasting and what was coming up. When I noted that I'd managed to identify the chenin blanc before I knew what it was, he told me I'd never guess the wine coming up with the next course - and he was right...

The next course was another cheese, but this time in a slightly more adorned fashion. The Little Napolean is a lightly aged mold ripened goat cheese round. A little more oomph than a fresh goat cheese, but still light and fresh tasting. 3 small wedges of the cheese were placed on top of some raw honey sprinkled with freshly crushed peppercorns. To the left were some homemade fig preserves, and on the right, a mango chutney. This was one of the best things I have eaten in a long time. Goat cheese and figs are classic. The honey and cheese was incredible. I've had many dishes where special sea salt sprinkled on top just set the dish apart - in this case, that role was played by the black pepper, which just pushed everything up a notch. And the whole thing was just brought to perfection by a rare and unusual wine. I'd never even heard of the grape variety, Petit Manseng. The wine was a Pacherenc du Vic Bihl Brumaire Novembere 1999. This is a late harvest wine, so quite sweet. With flavors of quince and apricot and honey, it just did extraordinary things with all the components of the dish. From Ric's notes: Consider it a stroll through the yellowed world of fall: vanilla scents stir the air, wet leaves sing underfoot, tree fruits mature sweetly in the orchard along the path, and the breeze blows warm with but a suggestion of the cold to come. Elegant, alluring and complex, it is both mysterious and magical but equally well-spoken, well-dressed and polite. Less than 100 cases are imported to the US.

Our main course was a Niman Ranch free-range hanger steak broiled with the Detroit St. Brick. This cheese is a goat's milk cheese with green peppercorns. The steak was served with pureerd celeriac and a few brussels sprouts. Nicely rare, good meaty flavor, great combo with the cheese. This was the course where our chatting up the sommelier really made a difference. We'd been talking about the difference age makes to a wine, as I was saying that I really wanted to figure out how to show that to Wine Club. So for this course, Ric brought out extra glasses *just for our table* and an extra bottle of wine for us to try. The wine for this course was the Brandlin Vineyard Zinfandel 1997. Ric says: Consider this a wine time has tamed. Though the flavors are still big and brambly, the tannins have sewn themselves into silk, and the fuit has lost the exuberant boysenberry holler of its youth, achieving the deep and pleasing resonance of a truffled maturity. Up against this, Ric gave us a 2003 Ridge Zinfandel. It wasn't a perfect match, as the two wines come from different regions and have different characteristics, but it was still interesting to see how they played off of one another and what differences age made. The Brandlin was by far the bigger and fuller of the two wines and the flavors were notably more knitted together. I seem to like somewhat lighter wines, so I actually had a slight preference for the Ridge, but they were both great.

Finally, we closed with a Cream Cheese Mousse served with candied orange, brandied mince meat and a praline cookie. The mousse itself was strangely rubbery, I thought, but the accompaniments were great. And once again, we were served a wine that just made it all even better. The Henriques and Henriques 10-Year Old Malmsey of the Broadbent Madiera collection had enough acidity to temper the richness of the cream cheese mousse, and a spicy, raisiny flavor that echoed the mince meat and orange. From Ric's notes (proving he's not just about the poetry, but informative too): Although nearly a forgotten spirit in the modern lexicon, Madeira as once the dominate wine in colonial America... The colonies were so enamored of Madeira, women of the Southern gentry wore it behind their ears as perfume.

Between the great food and the great wine, I was definitely in good spirits at the end of the meal. And what a bargain! The dinner itself was just $35 - heck, I can't get out of Zingerman's Roadhouse for that amount of money for just a regular dinner. And this amazing, best-I've-ever-had, wine pairing - well, that cost the princely sum of $19.

Zingerman's Roadhouse does these dinners monthly - I think I'll have to start making them a regular event.

Edited to correct the spelling of Ric's name.

Edited December 14, 2005 by tammylc (log)

[tammylc]

BTW, here's the Roadhouse upcoming event schedule:

http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/content...s/events_05.php

The next monthly special dinner is January 17th, and they're also doing a bunch of special things for the holidays.

[Alex]

Thanks for a great report, Tammy. And what a price! Wish I lived just a little closer to Ann Arbor...

So tell us -- are you going to start dabbing Madeira behind your ears?

[moosnsqrl]

Thanks for a great report, Tammy. And what a price! Wish I lived just a little closer to Ann Arbor...

So tell us -- are you going to start dabbing Madeira behind your ears?

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Don't know about Tammy but I think I'll stick with my tried-and-true Herradura

[tammylc]

There's another special dinner coming up this Monday. Here's the details:

Discover our "Mojo" - Baby, Yeah!

February 6, 2006 at 6pm

Bo Burlingham has written a new book - a book about companies with "Mojo" - the corporate equivalent of charisma in you and me.  The book, titled Small Giants Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big is a study of 14 companies in varying fields and industries that have chosen to reject the pressure of endless growth and focus on more satisfying goals.  Goals like being great at what they do, giving excellent customer service, personally committing to their employees, and even contributing to their communities. Those companies include: Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco, Righteous Babe Records: the record company founded by singer Ani DiFranco, Union Square Hospitality Group in New York City, and Zingerman's Community of Businesses in Ann Arbor.

To celebrate the release of his new book, Zingerman's Roadhouse will host Bo in a book-signing and celebration dinner on Monday, February 6, 2006 at 6pm. Burlingham will be sharing stories and insights from his book - and signing your very own copy, of course!  Chef Alex has created a menu inspired by Small Giants from the book and highlighting local producers.  Ric Jewell is crafting a wine list carefully selected to feature the small giants of the wine-producing world.  "But naturally," he says, "we will be taking a short detour from wine, and tasting a really great brew from the Anchor Brewing Company in CA."

The Small Giants Dinner Menu:

APPETIZERS

Lobster shepherd's pie

Crostini with smashed shelling beans, giblet-mushroom sauce, & greens

Hot garlic potato chips

Crispy artichoke hears with antique parmesan

SOUP

Black lentil & sweet red pepper soup

SALAD

Onion, apple, & Rogue River Blue cheese tart with baby greens & walnuts

ENTRÉES

Chicken braised with figs & honey

Or

Fideus with wild mushrooms & peas

SIDES

Polenta hash

Sweet potato mash with cider balsamico

Bucatini with Iowa pancetta

Braised kale

BREAD

Parker house rolls from the Zingerman's Bakehouse

DESSERT

New York cheese cake from the Zingerman's Bakehouse

The Important Details:

Small Giants Dinner with Bo Burlingham

Monday February 6, 2006

6pm - Book Signing, 7pm - Dinner

$35 per person for dinner, $19 additional to add wine pairings

Books will be available for $24.95 - and a FREE AUTOGRAPH!!!

Call us at 734-663-3663 to Save your Spot!

I can't stress enough what a great value this is for the money. I'll be there - maybe I'll see some of you!

[ulterior epicure]

oooo - fideus - i've not had this in quite a while. what a novelty!! 'bucatini with iowa pancetta' - iowa pancetta? itally-meets-midwest!!

[tammylc]

Monday night's dinner was a great time! Bo Burlingham was an interesting and engaging speaker. The food was great, as expected. Ric tied his wine choices into the theme of the book by giving us a selection of really unique wines that are only made in one place in the world. And that have a certain amount of "mojo" for one reason for another. We're all pretty sure that these five wines have probably never been at the same table at the same time before!

When I got there, Ric remembered me from last time and thanked me for the kind comments I made earlier in this thread. Turns out he's an eGullet lurker (Hi Ric!). He also said he'd had me in mind when he was picking wines for tonight's dinner, and was really glad that I was there. Which I'm sure was just him being a gracious host, but was very sweet of him to say!

APPETIZERS

Lobster shepherd's pie

Crostini with smashed shelling beans, giblet-mushroom sauce, & greens

Hot garlic potato chips

Crispy artichoke hears with antique Wisconsin parmesan

Wine: Retsina, Kechribari, Domaine Kechris, Thessaloniki, Greece NV

At least one of the appetizers (the lobster shepard's pie) is a recipe from Union Square Cafe (the Union Square restaurant group is one of the companies profiled in the book). It was great. My favorite thing had to be the garlic potato chips. They weren't especially hot (the trials of serving 80 people at once) but they were incredibly yummy. I'd never had Retsina before, and was a little afraid, what with all the tales of Pinesol, etc. This one, however, was a lovely exception. Ric didn't write out his tasting notes for us this time, but the way he described the wine was right on. Think, he said, of someone deciding to make a lemon-almond-rosemary gelato, but accidently switching the ratios of lemon and rosemary, so you got about 3 times the rosemary you were expecting. Yep, pretty much. A nice acid opening, a hit of almond extract or marzipan in the middle, and then a piney finish.

SOUP

Black lentil & sweet red pepper soup

Wine: Barleywine, Old Foghorn Ale, Anchor Steam Brewing Company, San Francisco, CA

Deep black soup, heavily seasoned with black pepper, with a red pepper swirl to brighten things up. It was tasty, but the portion was too big, with all the other food on the menu. The Barleywine is actually a beer, of course, but as Anchor Steam Brewing Company is also in the book, it seemed a given. I'm not a beer drinker, but I did try it several times and still couldn't come around to it. Too bitter for me.

SALAD

Onion, apple, & Rogue River Blue cheese tart with baby greens & walnuts

Wine: Vin Jaune de Chateau-Chalon, Reserve Catherine de Rye, Domaine Henri Maire, Chateau-Chalon, Arbois, France 1986

In a great coincidence, I'd just been reading about Vin Jaune in an eGullet thread mere days before the dinner. I've heard about these wines before, but had never had a chance to try them, so I was pretty excited. Despite all the warnings that most people don't like this wine until their 3rd or 4th try (if ever), everyone at our table liked it right off the bat. And it was a great combination with the lightly dressed salad topped with walnuts and a heartly slice of the blue cheese tart. (For those unfamiliar with Vin Jaune, they are an unusually made oxidized wine. The flavor was simliar to a sherry, and it reminded us a lot of the Alvear Carlos VII Amontillado we had at the last dinner.)

ENTRÉES

Chicken braised with figs & Michigan Wildflower honey

SIDES

Cornmeal hash

Sweet potato mash with Quebec cider balsamic vinegar

Spaghetini all'amatriciana Iowa pancetta

Braised kale

Wine: Amarone della Valpicella Classico DOC, Vaio Armaron, Serege Aligheiri, Agricola Masi, Veneto Italy, 1999

The chicken was fine, but didn't really excite me. An interesting variety of sides, though they felt pretty disconnected from each other. The cornmeal hash was a take off on another Union Square Cafe recipe. The sweet potato mash was sweet and flavorful with a definite touch of je ne sais quoi - presumably the vinegar. Iowa pancetta was crispy and tasty. And the braised kale was meltingly good. At 15.5%, the Amarone was a monster of a wine, and while one of my tablemates loved it, it just didn't float my boat. Interesting to try, though.

DESSERT

New York cheese cake from the Zingerman's Bakehouse

Wine: Vintage blanc, Domaine du Mas Amiel, Maury, Cotes de Roussillon FR 2002

Freshly poured, the wine had a lot of volatile acidity, which fortunately blew off after a few minutes in the glass, revealing some more fruity aromas. Sweet, with pretty good acidity, and unlike anything I'd ever had, this is a White Grenache based wine that comes from a region where almost all the wines made our red, giving it that mojo Ric was looking for. Also, a very unusual bottle for a French wine, with a very stylized modern looking label. It was a good match for the rich but light cheesecake.

A very fun night as always. Next month is a Kentucky theme dinner, where apparently they'll be drinking Bourbons instead of wine, so that should be interesting...

[ulterior epicure]

tammylc,

as always, a reliable source for a great review! sorry i missed out on the fun! couldn't quite make it out there to kerrytown.

cheers.

u.e.

[tammylc]

Last night I attended the Seafood Dinner with Mike Monahan from Monahan's Seafood in Kerrytown. They did this meal last year and it was so popular that they scheduled it for two nights this time (last night and tonight).

The menu:

STARTERS

Bacon and Eggs - Paper thin crispy Iowa ham and Mississippi paddlefish caviar

Crab Match-Sticks - First of the season Florida soft shell legs, tempura-fried and dusted in alea red sea salt and seven peppers

Liver & Onions - Seared monkfish liver and crispy shallot rings

Fish & Chips - Fried smelt and blue potato chips

A Hawaiian "Poke" - Grade "A" Hawaiian tuna marinated in soy, sesame, and kombu

The starters were all served on one very pretty plate. The eggs in the bacon and eggs were pretty much totally overwhelmed by the ham, so if you ate it all in one bite, you missed them entirely. The soft shell crab was fabulous, and was served with a really great tartar sauce. I'd never had monkfish liver before, and I can see why it's often called "foie gras of the sea" - very similar in texture to foie gras, although with a much milder flavor. Fish & Chips was fine, not very exciting. The tuna "poke" was incredible - excellent balance between the marinade ingredients (which also included sesame oil, not listed on the menu). My husband, the sashimi purist, thought that the marinade overwhelmed the fish, but I think the entire meal made him realize that he likes his fish as unadulterated as possible.

The starter was accompanied by three small tastes of Sake, all from the Kiuchi Brewery in Ibaraki Prefecture. From cheapest to most expensive (althoug we were encouraged to taste them the other direction) the were Asamurasaki (red rice sake), Kurahibiki Daiginjo, and a rare vintage sake, the Gekkakow Vintage 2000 Daiginjo Junmai. I'm not a sake fan, but these were the best I've tasted. Although I have struck again, as I was the last time I tasted several sakes, that the sake is like the total opposite of wine - the better a sake is, the less it tastes like anything! Subtle is the word of the day.

SOUP

West Coast Oyster Bisque - Real bisque made from pearl bay oysters, topped with a bit of uni cream, Andrew Quady's sweet vermouth and a tarragon crostini

This was fabulous. The uni cream just pushed it over the top. The wine that accompanied it was also wonderful: Emilio Lustau, Penninsula, Palo Cortado, Jerez de la Frontera SP, NV. Palo Cartado is a sherry that's halfway between the fino and oloroso styles. It was very full and rich and lovely with the soup. The more I taste sherries, the more I realize how much I like them!

SALAD

Lovage & Salmon - Our love affair with wild king salmon continues. Seared otoro of wild king salmon with local lovage and California pinot gris vinaigrette

Although otoro usually refers to a tuna, in this case it was used to described the belly of the salmon. Good flavor, although it was easy to lose the salmon in the strong flavors of the lovage and vinaigrette. There were also some bits of crunchy salmon skin garnishing the salad, and I liked that addition a lot. I also really liked the wine that went with. We had to hold it up against white paper to realize that it was a rose, as the color was the lightest I've ever seen. It was a Rose de Pinot Gris, "Les Rouesses" Domaine des Rouesses, Reuilly, Loire FR, 2004. Ahh, a Loire - that explains why I liked it so much - it's rare for me to come across a Loire wine that I don't like. Nothing makes me happier than high acid mineraly wines. Well, except maybe sherry...

ENTREE

Oak Planked Shad & Shad Roe - Roasted and served on a real oak plank in the Ruritan (yep, it’s the right word) tradition, served with spinach and roasted potatoes

The smell of the roasting oak planks drifted out from the kitchen long before this hit our tables, and nicely played off of the aromas of the Meursault that was served with the shad. (Meursault AOC, Domaine Arnaud Ente, Cote de Beaune, Bourgogne FR, 2000). Ric's note: "Sophisticated and sensual, with a nose of acacia flowers and candied citrus that expands on the palate in the classic French plume de paon, showing pears, peaches, and hazelnut cream." The shad was great, really nice flavor and texture, and perfectly cooked. The roe was... interesting. I understand shad roe has a number of enthusiasts, but it didn't do much for me.

DESSERT

A Day at the Beach - Vanilla caviar (tapioca pearls), sea foam and Scharffen Berger cocoa sand

A richer and sweeter dessert than expected, this didn't quite go with the late harvest Riesling from Bel Lago Winery, Leelanau Penninsula MI 2003. Basically tapioca pudding with whip cream and some brown sugar for the sand - if there was cocoa in there anywhere, we couldn't find it. But both the dessert and the wine were good on their own, even if they didn't end up playing so well together.

A fine meal, but I just wasn't as "Oh my god, that was fabulous" as I have been after the other two dinners that I've been to. While I'm more appreciative of elaborate flavors than my hubbie, I do agree with him that the preparations often overwhelmed the flavor of the fish and seafood, which should have been the stars of the show.

Still, it's not enough to put me off of planning to attend next month's dinner with Bill Niman from Niman Ranch (and an all biodynamic wine pairing from some big names in the wine world).

They are serving the same dinner again tonight and probably still have room (we were able to add 3 people to our table at the last minute yesterday), if anything I described sounds like something you'd love to eat!

And many thanks to Jillian for taking the photos!

Edited April 11, 2006 by tammylc (log)

[ulterior epicure]

TammyLC!!

Thanks for posting. I too was able to make it to the Roadhouse's Monahan's Seafood dinner. I'll be posting my thoughts and then reading your notes afterward - it'll make for a great comparison! Look forward to reading!

u.e.

[ulterior epicure]

In the meantime, you can look over the pictures here.

u.e.

[tammylc]

In the meantime, you can look over the pictures here.

u.e.

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Great pics, u.e. Reading the few notes with your flikr pictures, it sounds like you and I are pretty much on the same page. But you must have gotten unlucky with the shad - mine didn't have any nasty gristle at all!

[ulterior epicure]

As tammylc has written, the Monahan's Seafood Dinner took place at the Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor on Monday/Tuesday, April 10/11th. I haven't read her report yet, so I'm excited to compare my tasting notes with hers.

Again, you can see the pictures by clicking here.

We started out with a plate of five starters:

1. "Bacon & Eggs" "Paper thin crispy Iowa ham and Mississippi paddlefish caviar"

The smoky and salty bacon completely masked the flavor of the caviar. There was so little caviar it was nearly a joke. The cream cheese too obscured the texture and flavor of the caviar. A total shame. Each element was very good by itself, but together, it failed to showcase the true gem - the (Mississippi River Valley) caviar.

2. "Liver & Onions" "Seared monkfish liverand crispy shallot rings"

My friend, who had never had ankimo, or monkfish liver, took one bite and sent her portion my way. I agreed with her that it was very livery and offal-like. I have never had monkfish liver seared, and now I suspect I know why. Monkfish liver is very fishy-livery. I believe that the Japanese really are onto something with soaking it in sake before steaming it - au torchon style, if you will and served cold. Didn't really care for this starter, although the tangy balsamic vinegar reduction was sturdy and strong enough to stand up and mitigate the fishy-ferric-tasting liver.

3. "A Hawaiian Poke" "Grade 'A' Hawaiian tuna marinated in soy, sesame, and kombu"

I think this was the winner of the starters for me. The tuna was very fresh and the marinade extremely yet full-flavored, yet well-balanced. Salty from soy sauce, nutty from sesame oil, sea-like from the kombu, and slightly sweet and tangy from a bit of vinegar(?). The scallions also added a great herby savoriness.

4. "Crab Matchsticks" "First of the season Florida soft shell legs, tempura-fried and crusted in Alea red salt from Hawaii and seven peppers."

A single tempura-fried soft shell crab leg with a nugget of crab meat attached at the "thigh" end. This was very good, crispy and wonderfully fresh - although the outside was a tad oily. It sat on a bed of mayonnaisy sauce that contained some herbs and tomato dices. Not terribly ground-breaking.

5. "Fish & Chips" "Fried smelt and blue potato chips."

A single whole de-headed fried smelt lay on a little tuft of blue potato shoe-string fries. The smelt was wonderful. I wished it had been salted a little more. The fish itself was perfectly fried - the inside was just done and wasn't too oily. The meat was at delicate in both texture, and surprisngly, flavor. The blue potato shoe-strings were pretty good, but I had sort of wished they had been been round chips - better yet, a single large chip on which the smelt could have been enjoyed on and with in one single bite.

Soup: "West Coast Oyster Bisque" "Real bisque made from Pearl Bay oysters, tapped with a bit of uni cream, Andrew Quady's Vya sweet vermouth and a tarragon crostini"

The uni cream was very sweet, but actually retained its uni-ness. The bisque was a bit watery and contained only nominal little bits of the oyster. Both my friend and I tasted some winter spices - it turned out to be clove and Bay leaf.

Salad: "Lovage & Salmon" "Our love affair with wild king salmon continues. Seared o-toro of wild king salmon with local lovage and California pinot gris vinaigrette."

In my opinion, the chef really destroyed the glory of this cut of fatty salmon by cooking it. I think it would have been much better appreciated completely raw or slightly torched or bruleed on the top but left raw otherwise. The lovage was very fresh and celeriac-tasting. The vinaigrette was so sweet and tangy that it overwhelmed the delicate flavors of the fish and herbs. The spicy (very spicy) salmon skin was the perfect crispy foil to the fish meat.

Main Course: "Shad & Shad Roe" "Roasted and served on a real oak plank in the Ruritan tradition, served with spinach and roasted potatoes."

The fish filet was excellently prepared - buttery, silky and barely done inside - showcasing the tender fattiness of the fish. Unfortunately, the filet comes with a huge spine of gristle that was inedible and rather unpleasant. I found the fish a bit under-seasoned and added a dash of sea salt.

My cut of shad roe was entirely fatty and silken-tofu like. Very smoky in flavor - almost like sausage and bacon flavored. My friend's cut of shad roe was much more "well done" - grainy and drier - like lobster corale (or timale).

The roasted potatoes were good, but oily, essentially potato chips, rather than scalloped potatoes - crispy and nicely salted. The spinach were velvety and perfectly sauteed - retaining their emerald green.

Dessert: "A Day at the Beach" "Vanilla 'caviar' (tapioca pearls), sea foam and Scharffen Berger cocoa 'sand.'"

The vanilla tapioca pudding was very very vanilla-y, very good, though a bit congealed into lumps at points. The whipped cream had been spiked with Midori, a melon liquer. The "sand" were little sugar and cocao powder granules - rather mundane and unremarkable - sort of tasted like unflavored cotton candy, to be honest; could hardly detect the chocolate element - at least it got lost amidst the wonderfully prominent vanilla of the pudding, as did the very delicate Midori in the whipped cream.

Edited to add: Upshot of the meal: I thought that the flavors were too strong for the seafood served... or, the seafood was prepared in ways that failed to maximize it's full potential (e.g. the fatty salmon, the monkfish liver, and the caviar (which was served in such a small portion that they might as well have not bothered)). The shad, the crab (matchstick), smelt and the oyster bisque did stand up on their own... the shad being the only outstanding one IMHO. The dessert was a tad inappropriate - too rich and sweet, although I suspect I needed something strong to clear my palate of the strong smoky and full-flavored shad and its roe.

Edited April 13, 2006 by ulterior epicure (log)

[tammylc]

As I said in my earlier comment, we are mostly agreed. However, I quite liked the seared monkfish liver and didn't find it unpleasant or fishy or livery at all. Mine was mild and sweet, not offal-y at all. Odd.

[ulterior epicure]

by the way, i agree with your hubby (as i'm a sashimi purist) that raw fish should be dressed as little as possible. but, i do have to say that i appreciate the hawaiian way of "preserving" and "semi-cooking" their fish in acidic and/or salty marinades... the latin cultures do this very well in their ceviches as well.

u.e.

Edited April 13, 2006 by ulterior epicure (log)

[tammylc]

Oh, u.e. - what night were you there? I'm curious if we were in the same room and just didn't know it. If you were there Monday, I was at the big table by the doorway that was monopolizing Ric all night long.

[ulterior epicure]

tammylc.

in the interest of anonymity, i'd rather not say which night i attended. that being said, supposing that i was there on monday, it's a good thing that you were distracting the house.

u.e.

[artisanbaker]

that's pretty amazing value it seems

[ulterior epicure]

that's pretty amazing value it seems

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... so it seems. While not outrageously overpriced, I did find the value rather so-so. Ingredients were fresh; that was not the problem. The problem was portion. To be sure, I was full when I left, but I could have been happier paying a tad less for what we got. The dessert was obscenely large. The starters miniscule - the caviar was a joke. The main course, however, was the most satisfying and the most appropriately portioned.

The one big criticism I have always had about Zingerman's Roadhouse rang true in this dinner - the excruciating lack of fresh vegetables. I don't know if it's a Midwest meat-o-phile and veg-o-phobe mentality, but I always am longing for a nice big bed of greens as a salad, or at least just a tad more than a couple of sauteed leaves of spinach with my main courses. They have salads, but they're not very big - they're also just a tad on the expensive side.

Once, my friend asked for them to substitute spinach for coleslaw as a side. They did so happily, and imposed a $3.50 surcharge! That's the kind of uncalled for stuff that goes on around the Z'sR that makes me go

u.e.

Edited April 18, 2006 by ulterior epicure (log)

[tammylc]

Last night's Zingerman's dinner guest of honor was Bill Niman from Niman Ranch. It was a good time as usual, with lots of good food and lots of good wine. Too much of both, in truth. Understandably, Chef Alex wanted to highlight the many excellent and varied meats from the Ranch. But that meant two of the courses in the five course meal were smorgasbords of five different offerings on the same plate (plus sides in the case of the entree) and that adds up to a lot of food fast. Especially when all those little bits of food are meat! It's good from the perspective of getting to try lots of different things, but sometimes I long for a little more focus. The first Zing dinner I went to was much simpler in some ways, and remains my favorite.

The story behind the too much wine is a little different. Ric brought in some really hard to find wines, many imported directly from France, which meant they had to be ordered weeks in advance. When the attendance jumped from its typical 70 to 130, it was too late to order more of the wines, so we had a lot of courses where we were tasting two different wines - overall pours theoretically should have been about the same, but I'll want to drink all of a two 1 1/4 oz pours, where with a 2 1/2 oz pour of a single wine, I'll leave some in the glass. Between that, an extra splash here and there of some favorites, and finishing a couple of my neighbor's glasses, I'm glad I made the responsible choice to leave my car at the restaurant and get a ride home with Elph. Damn, there were some very tasty wines!

My biggest complaint has to be that it's obvious that Ric and Chef Alex aren't really working together on these things. Now, this is mostly just my preference speaking - I know that most people who go to these dinners are there for the food, and just look at the wine pairings as an extra nicety. Me, I really like exploring food and wine together, so I'd prefer meals that highlighted and explored that.

Okay, on to some specifics.

<b>Starters</b>

<img src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1148454776/gallery_7436_2951_17389.jpg" title="" >

Mini Ferber's Experience - a classic from the deli in miniature, pastrami on pumpernickel with scallion cream cheese - delightfully moist and tender

Smoked Pork Cheeks with Local Rhubarb Glaze - my favorite from the starter plate, my notes say "swoonworthy." Intense and smoky.

Mini Corn Dogs - Gourmet corn dog, say no more. An excellent foil for the yellow mustard Zingerman's serves.

Mini Croque Monsieur with Jambon Royal and Baby Swiss - yum

Lamb's Liver and Crispy Shallots - I love fattened duck liver (aka, foie gras) but don't have much experience with liver from lamb or calves. The flavor was interesting - a little bit sweet, earthy and organ-y, but the texture was a turn off - kind of tough, little bit grainy. Didn't help that it was cold by the time I got to it. I don't know enough about liver to say if any of this was a problem with preparation, or if that's just how liver is.

Wine - Andre Ostertag, Domaine Ostertag, Muscat, Fronholz, Alsace, FR, 1999

A fine wine. Didn't knock my socks off, but quite enjoyable. From Ric's notes: <i>This particular wine... is erotic rather than exotic. Shaped by aromas reminiscent of musk with hidden scents of smoked almonds and scorched earth...</i> I swear this must be the only wine tasting note in existence with the words "scorched earth" in it. Certainly the only one with scorched earth AND erotic.

<b>Salad</b>

<img src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1148454776/gallery_7436_2951_32821.jpg" title="" >

Beef Short Ribs with Local Strawberries and Watercress - This odd sounding combination worked surprisingly well. The watercress was dressed with a ginger, soy, sesame vinaigrette, and the whole dish was in perfect balance - bitter watercress, sweet and sharp strawberries, rich and fatty short ribs, salty dressing. Really very nice.

Wines - Lalou Bize-Leroy, Maison Leroy, Maranges 1er Cr, Bourgogne, FR, 1990

Valeria and Augustin Huneeus, Quintessa, Rutherford, Napa Valley CA, 2002

Nice older Burgundy. The first thing everyone at the table noted when comparing the glasses was the difference in color, with the Quintessa a deep dark, and the Burgundy fading to orange-brown at the edges. Good example of the new world/old world divide - the Quintessa was powerful and in your face with big flavors, and the Burgundy was smooth and subtle, with a long and lingering sour cherry finish. Both were very good. Ric didn't get to taste the Lalou before dinner, so no notes on that one, but he did comment to me on how fresh it still tasted. Notes on the Quintessa say: <i>... the character and the color suggesting tannic power will, like an uppercut never seen, arise from the body. But all is so well integrated the wine finishes like velvet, big purple robes...</i>

<b>Entree</b>

Another smorgasbord on a plate...

<img src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1148454776/gallery_7436_2951_36113.jpg" title="" >

Tri-Tip Steak with Adam's Olive Ranch Tapenade - one slice would have been great. But three, on a plate with four other meat offerings and two sides, was a bit excessive... I only ate one, and found the flavor of the meat a little overwhelmed by the tasty tapenade.

Braised Lamb Shank with Roasted Green Chilies - I found this a little overdone and dry, but it was permeated with the green flavor of the chilies, without any of their heat. Interesting.

Chuck Roast with Fresh Morels - no morels on my plate, sadly. But a beautifully tender and flavorful preparation. Really good pot roast, basically.

BBQ Trotters - I went in with an open mind and tried them, but they really did taste like foot. The bbq sauce was good, though.

Braised Pork Belly - Lovely. Fatty, unctuous, intense. My favorite from the plate.

<b>Sides</b>

Red Flint Polenta with Teleme Cheese

Local Asparagus

It was so nice to have some non-meal items!

Wine - Michel Chapoutier, Maison Chapoutier, La Bernardine, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone FR, 2003

A perfectly nice wine, but didn't play well to my preferences. Very little fruit, some quietly restrained spice, and (in what was for me the major strike against it) basically no acidity at all. Thank that hot 2003 summer. With all the rich fatty meats on the plate I really wanted some acidity for balance. So I finished off Bill's Burgundy from the previous course, and it was perfect. From the notes: <i>Some pepper and rosemary remains, a memory of the wine, and the Popes, and Chapoutier.</i>

<b>Cheeses</b>

<img src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1148454776/gallery_7436_2951_982.jpg" title="" >

A quartet of tasty American cheeses - Iowa Maytag Blue, Ig Vella Mezzo Secco, Pt. Reyes Blue, and Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk. The only problem was that the plate was laid out poorly, so it was difficult to know whether you were tasting the Pt. Reyes or the Maytag. The Mezzo Secco is a semi aged artisanal montery jack, and it's been one of my favorites for a while. The Red Hawk was a nicely done washed rind cheese that didn't really appeal to me.

Wines - Nicolas Joy, Chateau de la Roche-Aux-Mones, Clos de la Bergerie, Savennieres-Roche-aux-Mones, Loire FR, 2003

Pierrette et Marc Guillemot-Michel, Quintaine, Macon-Village, Bourgogne FR, 2003

Oh, that wacky 2003 summer was showing itself here too! The Nicolas Joy was a 100% chenin blanc wine from the Loire, and I would never in a million years have guessed any of that. It was hugely alcoholic and gingery with a sherry finish. Truly a fascinating one, although one hard to appreciate on it's own, I found, because it was just too big. (Apparently the wine maker advised Ric to decant this 48 hours in advance. He didn't. It would be interesting to see how it would change with that kind of time.) But it was tamed beautifully by the blue cheeses. The Macon-Village was completely different, but also interesting. Having spent no time in oak, it was unexpectedly creamy and full, and just the tiniest bit off-dry. Lots of fruit, good acidity. Eminently drinkable. Notes say (this one's so good you get the whole thing): <i>...a superb and serious wine from the Macon. The flavor are pure, filled with lemon and lime, that purr like a high-performance vehicle spinning down the Autobahn. Classic smoke nuances appear on what should be a relatively lean frame, but the wine, wonderfully un-oaked, remains expressive, even flamboyant.</i>

<b>Dessert</b>

<img src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1148454776/gallery_7436_2951_5845.jpg" title="" >

<img src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1148454776/gallery_7436_2951_9117.jpg" title="" >

Before dinner we had to decide between fruit tart and mincemeat pie for dessert. Real mincemeat, with minced meat in it. I opted for the mincemeat, of course. But as we approached dessert, I was in meat overload mode and beginning to regret my choice. But actually, the mincemeat pie was great. Excellent flaky crust (must have been lard) and a rich spiced fruit filling. I know there was meat in there somewhere, but I couldn't have told you that if I was just tasting it without knowing that in advance.

Wine - Olivier Humbrecht, Domaine Zind Humbrecht, Riesling Vendange Tardive, Clos Windsbuhl, Hunawihr, Alsace FR, 2000

One of my two favorite wines of the night. Beautifully balanced acidity and sweetness, with honey and apricot. Great wine. From the notes: <i>A brilliant gold in color, foreshadowing the brilliant and gorgeous nose of apricot, honey and butterscotch. There are notes of oddly freshly-picked green beans, and clean lemony bed linens. The wine follows through on those aromas with focused flavors, lots of botrytis, and terrific balancing acidity. </i>

All in all a fun night. Good food, good wine, good company. Thanks to Jillian for taking pictures.

[jesteinf]

Wow, looks like you were right in the middle of a meatwave!

[ulterior epicure]

Wow, looks like you were right in the middle of a meatwave!

tammylc... a great report as usual! i've left the a2 area, so i'll have to rely on you for updates and reports!

tell me, what was the motivation behind the cheese course? i see the connection between niman ranch and the mincemeat pie... but the cheese? just curious.

u.e.

[tammylc]

Wow, looks like you were right in the middle of a meatwave!

tell me, what was the motivation behind the cheese course? i see the connection between niman ranch and the mincemeat pie... but the cheese? just curious.

u.e.

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Good question, and I actually have no idea. Probably they're all cheesemakers who have a similar philosophy to Niman Ranch or something? Maybe one of the Zingerman's lurkers on this thread will chime in with an answer.

[tammylc]

Wow, looks like you were right in the middle of a meatwave!

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LOL

Yep. Fortunately I only suffered mild side effects...

[tammylc]

Tonight's Andy Quady dinner was the best of all the dinners I've attended at the Roadhouse. The wine, the food, it was all just stellar. I'll write more about it tomorrow, after I sleep off the pre-dinner cocktail, paired wine with each of five courses, and the post-dinner wine. Oh, and did I mention that nearly all of them were fortified?

Goodnight.