Pacific Northwest wine, beer and food ramblings

Pots of bistro gold at the ends of Rogers Pass - Part 2

2012-01-15T22:11:00.000-08:00

(Part 1 is here)

The next night, after a tortuous, snowy Rogers Pass crossing, we stumbled late into Whitetooth Bistro in Golden. The feel was more hip Vancouver than rail-town Golden, with a sleek, broody modern interior and endearing, informative ski bum staff.

A good sized dish of sauteed harissa calamari with chunks of chorizo and fingerlings was just what the doctor ordered after a long ski day and a 4 hour roadslog. Tender calamari and a rich, spicy sauce with a hint of heat was an impressive starter, easily enough for two.

Mains was a complicated affair, my brain paralyzed like bugs in a spider's web, as I basically wanted to try everything on the menu. Jan just wanted the slowly braised duck leg, which arrived resting on pearl barley and a spicy, seductive reduction. I eventually settled on wild sockeye salmon, atop beans slowly cooked with slivers of smoked pork belly. Both hit the perfect bistro food spot, and I think it began with G.

For quality dining, thoughtfully produced and skillfully delivered, Woolsey Creek and Whitetooth Bistro deliver big city quality food at very respectable prices. Don't miss these two pots of culinary gold if you find yourself at the ends of Rogers Pass.

Pots of bistro gold at the ends of Rogers Pass - Part 1

2012-01-06T21:58:00.000-08:00

Revelstoke and Golden are separated by the gnarly Rogers Pass, where jagged peaks, glaciers and prodigious snowfalls make travel in winter as unpredictable as episodes of Portlandia. While surrounded by soaring peaks and dense forests, neither town would be much of a destination without their local ski hills - both of which are rather epic. And with a little exploration, both hold culinary delights for the hungry skier to sample.

In Revelstoke, the Woolsey Creek Bistro is a little gem. A quaint, wooden corner cottage with quirky decor, friendly staff and a menu based on local products, all sustainably produced. From an imaginative menu, we chose starters of monster-sized fish cake and venison carpaccio, and both were simply scrumptious.

For mains, tenderly roasted cardamon chicken was of the highest, succulent quality, and beef short ribs with garlic mash and caramelized onions was the perfect dish after a big powder day at Revelstoke. Add a bottle of the very understated Jackson-Triggs Shiraz, and you have a combination made in moderately mature, somewhat foodie, advanced skier heaven (i.e. me).

Dessert was a tasty, if denser than expected affair of flourless dark chocolate truffle cake, which made any remaining appetite evaporate as quickly as Michele Bachmann followers after Iowa.

This was our last night in Revelstoke, and a after skiing we were heading to Golden, where another terribly delicious restaurant lay in wait. See part 2 here.

Peter Lehmann 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

2012-01-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

A wine buying strategy I learned long ago was to buy good value, mainstream wines from top vintages and stash them away to hopefully deliver their potential. In my experience, it brings success with a ratio approximating Manchester City's winning rate so far this season, so is usually pretty sound. And is unbeatable in terms of value for money.

2002 was a cool Barossa vintage, and it suited Cabernet perfectly. Along with the many I bought during a visit there in 2004, I added a few of the Peter Lehmann from my local bottle shop. It was drinking very well young, and showed promise to age nicely. And for $15 a bottle, t'was a bargain.

Xmas seemed a good time to try out my last bottle, and it was worthy of the celebration of the season. A beautifully mature, elegant wine emerged, the vinous equivalent of Meryl Streep. A layer-cake of chocolate, blackcurrant, hints of mint and cedar, and a lingering, enticing finish that was far too easy to drink. I now wish I'd bought more. Especially for fifteen bucks.

Argyle 2006 Knudsen Brut

2011-12-24T21:53:00.000-08:00

Let's be honest. American fizzies are pretty average. Mostly bland, ill-defined, and well, simply bubbly. There is one exception though, and that's the wonders that come from Argyle Vineyards in the Willamette Valley, Oregon.

They actually make better methode champenoise than this little number, but frankly, the 2006 Knudsen is so good, who cares. An 80-20% pinot/chardonnay blend, it approaches with fresh bready yeasty aromas on the nose, strikes with apples and clove in the mouth, and finishes with length and acidity reminiscent of a Champagne 5 times the price.

What explains this anomalous winery, one that stands out far above its peers? Well. I could mention a certain Brian Croser, an Argyle founder, and pioneer of Australian wine produced through the superb Petaluma winery. Maybe that's too parochial. But really, like I said earlier, who cares, I'll just keep drinking this fabulous Oregon sparkling.

Merry Xmas ;)

Elk Cove 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

2011-11-16T19:35:00.001-08:00

Based on a recent Willamette Valley wine tasting trip, I can confirm that the 2009 Pinot Noir are good, and in places magnificent. But my major discovery of the weekend was that this vintage has created some wonderful, entry level wines that are perfect for drinking now while we wait for our 2006;s and 2008's to show their true colors. Priced in the low $20 range, these are complete bargains.

One of the best I tasted was the Elk Cove Willamette Valley 2009. This is a dense, dark cherry and chocolate number, infused with spice, subtle coconut oak, and body and length that an NBL player would be proud of. It might taste better in a year or 3, but it tastes so good now, who cares. Like quality GOP competition for Mitt Romney, it's hard to find Oregon Pinot of this quality at a decent price.

An accidental discovery was that this wine is a perfect food match for Jan's home-made, fresh lamingtons. Lightly Coated in dark chocolate and coconut, fluffy but not overly sweet, I can think of
little better to sip while indulging in this eclectic Aussie creation.

Jackson Triggs 2010 Viogner

2011-10-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

The best things in life usually revolve around balance. Great rugby teams have a balance between forwards and backs. Well governed countries balance political forces from left and right. The best comedy often revolves around a balance of a straight and funny person. Thinking about it, so does politics ...

It's certainly true of wine. And especially of many white wines from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. On a recent visit up there, a Jackson-Triggs Silver Series 2010 Viognier was part of the booty that we brought back to Washington State for our winter white wine supplies. Washington Viognier's tend towards a little flabbiness and lack precision (though there are exceptions), but this one is crafted beautifully to balance the acidity and the virtually imperceptible residual sugar. Typical varietal notes along the lines of orange peel, blossom and citrus dominate before a finish that lingers as long as a Bruce Springsteen show. Drink young and drink often.

Taurasi - a wine I'd never heard of, but am now glad I have

2011-10-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

Taurasi. Yep, it's a new wine to me too, from the Campania region of Italy, composed mainly of the Aglianico grape. Known as the premier region from this rustic area of Italy, Taurasi is a style I've been exploring deeply in the last few days. Early tastes of 4-6 year old examples revealed enough for me to splash out on a 1997 Reserva from Mastroberardino, reputedly the best producer around. I thought that might be a good barometer of Taurasi's 'Barolo of the South' reputation.

It was certainly a good move. Like store keepers in Naples in the mornings, it was pretty unresponsive on opening, closed, tight, still seemingly in a slumber. After a couple of hours though, deep savory berry flavors had emerged, sat in a complex soup of earthy, sagey smokiness. Still powerful, but balanced with engineered precision, I suspect it was showing middle age maturity, and still had many characteristics to reveal.

I think I might have a dig around for some Taurasi on Wine Exchange sometime. I can't afford top Barolos, but this might just be an alternative that can add some intrigue to the cellar.

Spinasse, Seattle

2011-09-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's weird. Spinasse is probably my favorite restaurant in Seattle. But after multiple visits, I've always failed to blog about it. Some may think that a good thing, but it's time to rectify the situation, methinks. A recent visit with our Sydney friends, The Smiths (unrelated to Morrisey), revealed an expanded dining room, a lively albeit less cosy atmosphere, and the same old exquisite food.

Like delicate carrot ravioli ...

Perfectly al dente gnocchi with rich ragout and goat cheese ...

The signature angel hair-ish pasta ...

And rabbit meatballs, with rich and intriguing flavors, and a light, almost airy texture. I've never had rabbit like it. Although I don't think the hipster waiter was impressed when I asked for bunny balls ;)

I also love the virtually exclusive Italian wine list. Extensive research on previous visits has never revealed even an average wine, and a reasonably priced Gavi and Barbara slid down easily with food it was designed to be consumed with. It's an exciting list to check out.

Spinasse feels a little like it has grown up since our last visit. No longer the tiny, intimate storefront-like bistro where we fought for front row seats at the bar to be overlooking the kitchen. Like Bjork's ever-changing musical genres, it's not better or worse, just different. Luckily, there seems to be one constant, the food, and that'll keep drawing in the crowds for a very long time.

My new favorite beer - Roslyn Dark Lager

2011-08-27T10:27:00.001-07:00

The Dark Lager from the Roslyn Brewing Company takes me travelling back to a past when dark mild was widely available in Northern England, and the malty, low alcohol beer was my first choice. Thwaites. Boddingtons. Tetleys. Sam Smiths. All great beers, but ones that mostly faded into the dust of time.

Certainly this is an atypical Pacific Northwest brew, lacking the Mike Tyson-like, hop-driven punch that is so prominent in the local beers. But I find it delicious indeed. One for sipping on a warm, relaxing summer evening, appreciating the smooth, dark roasted malt and mild mocha flavors. Chillaxation in a bottle.

Brokenwood 2009 Indigo Chardonnay

2011-07-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

There's some quality local chardonnays from Washington State, but few reach the heights of this offering from one of my favorite producers, Brokenwood. A Hunter Valley winery, but the cool climate Beechworth (Victoria) fruit brings elegance and quality that that is as occasional as sunshine in England from Hunter Valley grapes.

As lean as an Ethiopian marathon runner, as balanced as an Olympic gymnast, and packed with flavors of peach and lemon in harmonious partnership with gentle French oak, this bottle seemed to empty quicker than most. It might have had something to do with a warm summer evening and some grilled Copper River sockeye, but I suspect the conditions were actually incidental to the rate of consumption. Quite simply, Aussie nectar!

Zerba Cellars 2009 Semillon and Lost River 2004 cabernet

2011-07-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

Zerba Cellars has been getting a lot of good press recently. I'm glad to announce we discovered their location (and wine) on the Oregon side of Walla Walla well before the wine press hordes, and have been quietly sipping their product for a good four years. They are undoubtedly a versatile and high quality producer, and on tasting their 2009 Semillon recently, I think they are now firmly established amongst Washington's (Oregon's?) best Semillon producers. This was a perfect summer evening wine to serve with plump, grilled scallops cooked around a campfire. Lemony and zingy, with length and body from oak fermentation, and fine acidity, it's a very food-friendly wine. And like an Arcade Fire album, there's enough complexity here to maintain intrigue for a good three or four years. Really lovely wine.

An honorable mention should also go to Lost River's 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. Discovering Lost River in Winthrop a few years ago was as surprising as finding an a Scotsman who doesn't like to fight. Since then, the quality of their wines has been consistent on every visit. This particular drop was a gracefully aging Cabernet, developing earthiness and layers of dried fruit, olive and herbs on it's impressive medium-bodied frame. Add a chunky, medium rare grain fed steak, and literally, there were two very happy campers.

Aussie Shiraz - a 3 region taste-off

2011-05-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

Finally it's time to reap the benefits of some serious wine purchasing in Australia before we moved to Washington State. Lots of our wine is now reaching that 8-10 year old range, a perfect time to start sampling, I reckon. A little search of the racks popped up a few nice surprises, and the idea of a 3 region Shiraz challenge was hatched. A classic dense, rich Barossa Valley; a medium bodied, distinctive Hunter Valley; and a peppery cool climate Canberra region.

Here's the verdict:

Grant Burge Miamba 2003 - Good length, intensity, prominent tannins, spice and fruit. Its genesis from the warm Barossa sun obvious, it has the power of the All Blacks front row, and promise of more to come. This is classic 'Aussie Shiraz'.

Keith Tulloch Kester 2002 - Overtly Hunter Valley and like a visit to a rural S&M club, redolent of leather, earth, smoke and spice, along with soft, fruit cake overtones. Again, this one is by no means tired, with subtle tannins making me think of lamb shanks. I have at least one more of these, and it won't be opened for a year or 3.
Brindabella Hills 2003 Shiraz- Round, gentle tannins, violet and chocolate, seamless on the palate and medium bodied, this could almost be a Washington State Syrah. It shouts cool climate like Donald Trump shouts 'all about me'. A delicious drop, one which I suspect will gather complexity and intrigue over the medium term (unfortunately I'll never find out - this was my last one).
Yep, there's some variety indeed in 'Aussie Shiraz'. The next investigations will likely bring Margaret River and Coonawarra into the fold. A tough assignment for which much prep will be needed ;)

Bistro at the Inn at Sandcreek, Sandpoint

2011-04-12T20:18:00.001-07:00

Everyone loves a good comeback. Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man. Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France. Bald eagles in the wild. There's something satisfying about seeing someone/thing overcome adversity. It perks the warm and fuzzies inside of everyone.

Back in 2008, I was a big fan of the Sandcreek Grill in Sandpoint. But hard economic times took their toll, I guess, and it closed soon after. So it was no surprise that enthusiasm filled my loins when the 'Open' sign was spyed earlier this winter. Now known by the 'not exactly roll off the tongue' moniker of the Bistro at the Inn at Sandcreek, tempting dishes on the menu in the front window drew us in at the first opportunity. Two visits later, much good food has been consumed. It's safe to say, we have a comeback.

Seasonal, locally sourced ingredients spur many of the dishes on a menu full of intrigue, and this attention to raw materials seems to shine through in the quality of the food. Our first visit saw selections of quail, rabbit confit, short ribs, arctic char and a wagyu beef burger. Like Charlie Sheen after a night on the coke, memories of details are vague, but we left looking forward to the next weekend in Sandpoint.

We didn't have to wait long, luckily. Schweitzer's excellent snow and Spring season pass was all it took to drag snow addicts like us back to the Idaho panhandle. On a quiet Friday night (are there other kinds in Sandpoint in winter?), duck confit pancakes and a baby arugula salad, laced with toasted hazelnuts, chévre, and dried cherries got us started. I'm not sure how local the duck was - there are many in the creek out the back, and this is Idaho - but it's robust flavors, offset by the charming salad, dressed as scantily as a San Tropez sunbather, made for an excellent pair of dishes to share.

Duck returned for the next course, pink cooked slices of breast this time, with a rich celeriac puree. Add a glass of pinot noir from the short but decent 'by the glass' wine list, and Jan was a satisfied customer. A generous chunk of wild halibut atop a seasonable vegetable ragout adorned my plate. It's hard not to like an aromatic composition of halibut and leeks, gently seasoned and skillfully cooked. The glass of 2009 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc didn't exactly hurt the situation either ;)

I've always wanted to get up to Sandpoint in summer, camp across the lake and cycle into town for dinner on a balmy, calm evening. Now I have another reason to try to make this plan a reality. Welcome back, Sandcreek Bistro, or what ever the name is. Sandpoint's dining options have improved again.

Smokeblossom, Wenatchee

2011-03-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

As Mission Ridge season pass holders, we get to Wenatchee a fair bit. For years we've relied on McGlinns for decent pizzas and good beer, Iwa Sushi for respectable Japanese food and very respectably priced good wine, and, well, not a lot else. And we have tried other venues, believe me. Recently though, thanks to Urban Spoon, we discovered Smokeblossom. Visits to Wenatchee haven't been the same since.

A bit like attendance at a Tea Party rally, there are some pre-conditions that should probably be observed. Basically, if you like smoke and spice permeating your food, this is a place for you. Start with the tapas, perhaps the stacked swimmers of yellowfin tuna, crab, shrimp, smoky tomato, with the richness offset by a laser-like lime and chili. A really delicious dish.

Next, you could try the crab cakes. Lightly pan fried, stuffed with blue crab and sitting on a smoky, chili aoili. The richness offset by a mostly watermelon, fruity, acidic companion. You might be noticing a theme here ...

It's not all about fish, as the beef tostaditas demonstrate. There's smoked chilies in here, along with superbly cooked slices of beef tenderloin perched on tortillas, and topped with some vaguely creamy avocado-y composition. Add a glass of fine Oregon pinot and a heavenly experience is guaranteed.

We've sampled several of the main dishes, with the eclectic paella interpretation being my favorite so far. Smoked chicken, clams, juicy shrimp and a spicy rice don't exactly create a classic Spanish version of the dish, but this didn't stop our table demolishing it like a bunch of ski bums on a powder day.

Other dishes, such as the shell game carbonara and the dangerously thermal penne rigate were respectable, but like Charlie Sheen, a little unbalanced and overdone. The highly tempting short ribs and yellowfin haven't survived until 7.30-ish when we usually arrive, so maybe we need to rock up earlier next time to get a wider appreciation of the menu.

We're off to Mission again soon, and Smokeblossom is as strong an attraction as the great skiing this season. The exciting food, relaxed, professional service and cool, city-like atmosphere is everything Wenatchee isn't. This is a restaurant that could happily survive in Belltown, and would be full every night. Belltown quality at Wenatchee prices is really quite a deal. One I certainly can't resist.

Oishii Sushi, Sandpoint

2011-01-14T23:03:00.000-08:00

I used to have a bit of a fear of eating raw fish a few hundred miles from the ocean. This was deeply rooted in a visit to Denver, Colorado, in the late 90's. A highly rated downtown Japanese served a blend of Tex Mex, dense tempura and a distinctly dangerous sushi rolls interpretation, collectively more for avoiding than eating. It was grim stuff.

In the intervening years, Western ski town Japanese restaurants have slowly diminished my fears. I've had excellent raw stuff in rolls and sashimi in Whitefish and Bozeman (Montana), Jackson Hole (Wyoming), Fernie (BC), Ketchum (Idaho), Bend (Oregon), and probably other places I forget. I dunno how they keep the fish so fresh tasting, but they do. Refrigeration and fast flights, I guess. Whatever, I'm not scared now.

Oishii in Sandpoint is another to add to this list. Darn good raw fish, tuna poke, beautifully prepared sushi rolls, and a fun bar/restaurant place to hang out. Next time we're in Sandpoint, a return visit will be a no-brainer.

MickDuffs Brewing Company, Sandpoint

2011-01-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

Brew pubs in ski towns are fine things. Especially when the beer is as tasty as MickDuffs in Sandpoint. We rolled in on a quiet early January Friday night, grabbed a table and hit the sampler tray. Sampler trays are my favorite on a first visit to a microbrewery, and this one, comprising 7 ales, was a worthy selection.

I loved the floral, mildly hoppy Lake Paddler Pale Ale and the Strom Hammer IPA, a much more balanced rendition than many, but filled with citrus flavors. The Tipsy Toehead Blonde deserves an honorable mention too. Like a Superbowl winning team, there were no real weaknesses in the line-up. Overall, well worth a visit for some interesting beers.

Food was a bit more Seattle Seahawks in its predictablilty (i.e. not). A rare, peppery ahi tuna appetizer was a gem. The Blue Pub sirloin was decent cow, well cooked to a tender juiciness, and the stringy, crispy fries were as good as they should be in the 'Famous Potatoes' state. The coho salmon slid down well too, but basketball hoop sized onion rings were kind of overwhelming and really quite an odd accompaniment.

We washed all this down with a pint of IPA and Jan's favorite, a deeply flavored, dry, dark cider from Spire. The cider was so good, even I was tempted to have another!

Celilo, Hood River

2010-11-26T16:36:00.001-08:00

Like a tasteful episode of Family Guy, it's a rare occurrence when we don't eat in Brian's Pourhouse in Hood River. But it does happen, and Celilo's tempting menu was the catalyst on a damp Friday night on the eve of a new ski season. Not bad for November 19th ;)

Based on this experience, Brian's may have some serious competition. A modern, spacious restaurant and bar welcomed us from the soggy outdoors. Not overly casual nor drearily formal, Celilo treads that fine line between fine dining and a place to hang out for a beer and a relaxing bite to eat.

For appetizers, my mussels were decent if unspectacular, but Jan's scallops, floating atop a light parsnip puree, showed all the signs of skilled, careful cooking and quality produce.

Growing up in working class Northern England, I've always been drawn to a slice or two of pigeon, mostly as they were the ubiquitous pest of my youth. Then I discovered how wonderfully 'squab' could be cooked in the fine restaurants of Sydney. Celilo's version, a sliver of breast and leg with kale and lentils, and no lead shot, was more Sydney than Manchester quality. I'd come back for this dish alone.

Antipodeans love lamb, and this medley of loin, shoulder and sausage made Jan feel right at home.

The old formula of fresh local produce and sensibly restrained preparation makes Celilo an attractive place to visit. Choosing somewhere to eat in Hood River was never too easy, but after this visit it just got a little bit harder for us.

Fenouil, Portland

2010-11-14T21:59:00.000-08:00

Like David Beckham playing chess or Russ Limbaugh in a gay sauna, Fenouil is an odd discovery. A somewhat palatial interior seems at odds with the modern-industrial ambiance that pervades the Pearl District. No patched up old warehouse here. This is more Loire Valley than Portland. We expected something fancy, but even so, this was a surprise.

Second surprise. Not a full restaurant on a Friday at 8pm. Busy certainly, but a good third of the tables were empty. As we soon discovered, this is a restaurant that needs a crowd to create some atmosphere, but on this Friday night, Fenouil was as sedate as a wine tasting before an AA meeting .

Third surprise - Nantucket Bay scallops. Slivers of gorgeously sweet, barely cooked scallops with white truffle that were quite divine. Definitely a new and worthy experience.

Fourth surprise, Totten Inlet mussels served sans shells. Never seen that before. The naked plump mussels were piled up in a little bowl of smokey paprika-y broth, and partnered with chunks of powerful merguez sausage. Not a subtle dish, but Colbert-esq in being hard to dislike.

The quality of ahi tuna and duck in Oregon is rarely a source of incredulity. Finding a kitchen that is sufficiently respectful to simply let the produce be the centerpiece can be a challenge, but not here. Dark, dense, velvety ahi was barely seasoned and seared, and duck breast medallions were just cooked through and served with golden beets and tiny onions. The tuna especially was a quite exceptional dish.

A final salty surprise awaited us for dessert. A dense, dark block of chocolate torte with seriously salted nutella ice cream that was, for me at least, a taste bud challenge. By the end, I think I was won over by the super sweet, salty combo, which seemed to oddly balance each other in a way that Hannity and Colmes never did.

So - the verdict? A couple of exceptional dishes, nothing that missed the mark, and there were several others on the menu I'd love to try. Service was top quality, friendly, "there when you needed something, and not when you didn't". But for some reason, maybe the space that exudes formality, maybe the lack of atmosphere, I didn't walk out craving to instantly return. It simply didn't resonate with me on this occasion. Of course, I'd be more than willing to try again, as these folks can certainly cook!

Wine O'Clock, Prosser

2010-11-03T06:39:00.000-07:00

Since I first visited Prosser a decade or so ago, it's undergone a transformation that Lady Gaga would be proud of. A decidedly dull farming town has seen the addition of the excellent Vintners Village, new restaurants and brew pubs. It's still nowhere near a Walla Walla-style destination yet, but at least the trajectory is very strong. We go tasting there a lot more now.

The last few of those visits have involved lunch at Wine O'Clock. Operated by those fine purveyors of Syrah, the Bunnells, and situated right in the middle of the Vintners Village, Wine O'Clock is not a difficult choice of lunch venue to make. The bright, airy, cottage-like restaurant radiates a blend of a country-chic designer home and modern wine bar, with ample space for a smattering of tables. On a sunny Sunday lunch time in fall, it's a relaxed lunch in a half-full dining room.

The menu is short, showcasing salads, pizzas and soups, with a couple of more substantial items. My warm seafood salad has plump, pan-seared scallops and chunks of rockfish, along with a greens dressed as lightly as the local desert rainfall. Delicious.

Pizza are popular, and rightly so. Thin, juicy crusts are the base of any good pizza, and these eclectic beasts are built on extremely tasty foundations. Pear and cheddar, bacon, blue cheese, all applied in various combinations with monastic-style restraint, create the perfect lunch pizza.

Wine O'Clock in itself is worth the 30 minute drive from the Tri-cities. The food delights, is simple and cleverly executed, and isn't exactly tough on the wallet. The surouding wineries can be though if you're not careful ;)

Barrister 2005 Cabernet Franc

2010-10-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

I vividly remember the big hullabaloo about Barrister's 2005 Cab Franc at the 2007 Tricities Wine Show. It won a 'best of class', and we missed out on tasting it in the resulting frenzy of over-dressed drunkards that deluged their stand on the announcement. So soon after I bought a few bottles, opened one, and was impressed by the silky texture and sweet fruit. Nice wine, but would it last, or turn into a jammy, bloated monster that tastes good for one sip before your taste buds are shocked into submission? Like a hot date with Paris Hilton, great in theory and anticipation, and then she starts to talk ...

With dinner planned at Fat Olives in Richland (BYOB, $2.50 per person corkage = bargain), we decided it was time to answer this question. We ordered red wine friendly food, a succulent steak and tender pork shanks in a spicy olive sauce (both of which were delicious), and started quaffing.

The good news - this is still a totally fabulous wine. A bit like walking around a corner in Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time, it is the structure that stands out. Seamless, streamlined and built on fine grained tannins and lingering acid. Emulating Jan and myself at a friend's party the following night, the fruit turns up a little late, but lingers for a considerable time (in our case, longer than anyone expected!). A wine worthy of its accolades, for sure. I need to check out the more recent vintages now.

Lunch @ Yum Yum Eatery, Hardy's Bay

2010-10-02T15:42:00.003-07:00

It's over 15 years since we first spent a weekend at Killcare and Hardy's Bay. Back then, there was an old fashioned beach cafe, an RSL with a dodgy Chinese restaurant, and er, ..., that's it. Wind forward to now, and there's at least 5 gastronomic temptations within 1km of the village. It was a tricky decision therefore, but for a casual Friday lunch, we settled on Yum Yum Eatery, with its bay front setting and good rap in the latest Sydney Good Food Guide.

Time doesn't permit a long and involved dining description. In the spirit of a venue so beautiful as Hardy's Bay, I'll let the pictures tell the story. Of food as fresh as the Brisbane Waters breeze, of flavors with the clarity of the Pacific Ocean, and of a simplicity that a lifestyle nestled on this beautiful coastal peninsula must surely foster. It's a place I'd return frequently for good quality, bistro-style food.

I ordered Atlantic salmon with gnocchi. It was a fine thing.

Katie's roast chicken with corn polenta disappeared as rapidly as you'd expect with a teenager's appetite.

Prawn linguine and gnocchi were crowd pleasers too. The prawns were big, juicy and totally delicious.

The star dessert was a dark chocolate cake. There was nearly spoon fights over this.

The only thing that let lunch down was the cloudy, grey weather. Ah well, sometimes you can't have everything ...

Sean's Panorama, Bondi Beach

2010-09-27T01:29:00.000-07:00

Just like why anyone drinks alcohol free beer, I've no idea why in 15 years of living in Sydney, I never went to Sean's Panaroma at Bondi Beach. It didn't take long to remedy the situation on this trip though. Within 5 hours of landing at Kingsford-Smith Airport after flying across the Pacific, we were walking along the Bondi promenade with a noon Sunday lunch booking.

Sean's is as widely reviewed as the Bondi life saver's in speedos, so I won't delve into enormous detail here (on either subject!). But here's a quick pictorial summary.

It was basically a totally delicious lunch. Jan's starter of lightly fried calamari in ink was spectacular in form and flavor. A stunning way to start.

The fresh, mega-fat asparagus, and pasta with beans and feta were solid dishes too. It was rapidly becoming obvious that freshness was a driving factor in the food.

Mains brought more deliciousness. Duck with golden beets, mahi mahi with shaved fennel and probably the best of all, the (not pictured) pork rubbed with star anise.

We did the gamut of desserts too. Blood orange 4 ways took the biscuit (sic)!

Throw in beautiful views of the beach, casual, supremely efficient service, and fine people watching potential, and on a beautiful sunny spring afternoon, it's hard to think of many better places to be.

Even with jet lag.

Annual visit to Taverna Tagaris, Richland

2010-09-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

After our recent sojourn to Saffron, we felt obliged to return to Taverna Tagaris and see how Saffron's origins were faring. The short version of this blog entry - a good move. The best dinner we've had in the Tri-cities, and good enough to bring a bring a smirk of satisfaction to a hardened Seattle foodie. Read on for a slightly longer version ....

As the six regular readers of this blog will know, my relationship with Tagaris is like that of Seahawks fans with Qwest Field. It's a great place to visit, but the fare that you get served up when you're there is highly unpredictable and often not worth the money. Pushing football analogies past their welcome, this dinner was the equivalent of the Hawks season opening thrashing of the 49-ers. Not a perfect performance, but well worth the visit.

Here's the post-dinner analysis:

Strengths
Venue - Tagaris is a great dining space. We sat at the small bar near the kitchen, watching flat breads being flattened. It was very pleasant.

Service - Maybe our more casual location brought out the best in our servers. They were chilled, funny and perfectly professional.
Beef carpaccio - This selection from the specials list was 7 bucks worth of bargain raw beef. Minimal dressing, like the SeaGals, and slivers of black olive merely accentuated the quality of the cow. Delicious.

Bison and beans - This was Saffron-quality food. A gamy, juicy, chargrilled bison steak sat atop a superb white bean-filled succotash. With lardon-enhanced depth of flavor, these were killer beans indeed.

The goat cheese(cake) - This epitomized the kind of food I'd expect at Tagaris. Built upon the delectable goat cheeses from Monteillet Fromagerie in nearby-ish Dayton, and served with fresh berries and crumbs of Graham cracker.

Worthy mentions go to the Gambas al Ajillo, succelent shrimps swimming in a spicy garlic sauce that could've been served in a restaurant in Barcelona. And the sour apple Martini. A drink Jan searches out regularly but rarely finds as well executed as this.

Room for Improvement
Pork Roulade - This tasted like it had been sat in the oven for 5 minutes too long. Maybe 10. The pork was dry, the root vegetable stuffing overcooked. The accompanying pile of Fontina (cheese) mash was food fit for defensive lineman bulking up in the pre-season. It was tasty, but left our appetites as battered as an ineffective offensive line.

The wine - Ok, so it's not bad. It's just not as good as most places in the Columbia Valley where the wines are invariably play-off contenders. My glass of Sauvignon Blanc had a lovely gooseberry, minerally nose, but was let down by a somewhat disjointed palate and structure. The Sangiovese was respectable, but for $13 a glass, it should be more than that. Jan's Rose was simply and fruity, and actually good value at $6 a glass. It really is time to recruit some outsiders. I ended up drinking Snipes beer.

On the evidence of this visit, Tagaris' food is finally living up to the promise of the venue. I really hope the wine will follow a similar upward trajectory. But the bison and beans tastes great with Snipes beer too ;)

Saffron, Walla Walla

2010-08-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

It's about 9pm on a Saturday night. We're sat in Saffron, chilaxing between courses with a glass of Spanish red, and quietly absorbing an atmosphere reminiscent of a bunch of winemakers celebrating their Saturday cellar door sales (er ... wait a minute!). Every table is taken, the outside patio is full - this is a very popular and lively joint.

"If only we had a place like this in Tri-cities", I bemoan. "I'd be there every week. This is a high quality Seattle-standard dining experience". Without hesitation, Jan remarked "It's because Walla Walla caters for Seattle, and the Tri-cities caters for the Tri-cities". Like a John Stewart punch line, a complex situation had been encapsulated in a crisp, simple one-liner. It's so obvious when you know the answer.

On the evidence of this visit (and there will be more), Saffron is darn fine restaurant. A 'small plate' of baby octopus, cooked the way Rick Stein intended, set the standard for the evening. Spicy chick peas with mint, cilantro, and preserved lemons formed a North African-inspired base for the chargrilled cephalopods. This was food that set the taste buds alight with intriguing flavors and flare.

Rabbit Paella was a first for me. I love good bunny, and I adore good paella. Perfectly executed, this dish was my equivalent of a night spent drinking Dead Guy and listening to Springsteen turned up to 11 (i.e. awesome). The paella was more tomato-y than I'm used to, but the flavors, emboldened by slices of ham hock, were sensational. Topped with clams, infused with wild mushrooms, and cooked with an undoubted measure of skill. This is my kind of food.

Jan's choice of lamb loin didn't quite hit the paella-defined heights, but like Andy Murray playing Roger Federer, it was worthy of being on the same table. Harissa infused the pink, seared lamb, and crumbs of sprinkled feta added a salty contrast to the spiciness. This is food my mother couldn't make.

Portion sizes were sensible, leaving us space for a slice of home made chocolate-ricotta cake. So light, so delicious, and so superbly suited to a couple of weird Italian dessert wines we sampled by the glass. Saffron has that kind of wine list. It tempts with new experiences, offering more European wines that locals. Now I reckon that's a brave move for a restaurant in the heart of Walla Walla. But a good one, too. Washington wine is great, but it's not always the best match for what you're eating.

I of course discovered the beautiful irony of this blog post when a work colleague pointed out that Saffron's owners moved to Walla Walla from Taverna Tagaris in the Tri-cities!! It happened about 4 years ago, just about the time we arrived here, so we likely only experienced their menu influence, not cooking.

Totally our loss here locally of course, but at least they stayed reasonably nearby. And now we can gnaw on their wonderful food without having Tagaris's very mediocre wine forced upon us by wait staff who insist on telling us their names and rush food to us as if our lives depended on vacating the table within an hour of arrival. Choice, anonymity and time to relax are really good things sometimes. And are all widely available in Saffron and other fine Walla Walla establishments. I wish it wasn't necesary, but it's well worth the drive.

Katya's Bistro, Richland

2010-08-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

We haven't been to Katya's for ages. This is kinda weird, as we live within a drunken skunk's staggering distance of the restaurant. I put it down to the many enjoyable wine dinners we went to a year or so ago. Regardless, the situation needed remedying, and a sumptuously warm Friday night provided the perfect opportunity to wander along the river in Katya's direction.

The prime seating on the balcony was all taken, so we headed into the dimly lit restaurant to select a table. A headlamp might have helped - it is a tad dark in there - but once equipped with bat vision glasses, the menu and wine list offered a plethora of temptation. I don't know of a better wine list in the Tri-cities, full of excellent, cleverly selected wines at good price points. Again weirdly though, we BYOB-ed a fine 2004 Cristom Jessie Vineyard Pinot Noir. I blame those well-documented Friday 13th pinot noir urges, and the fact that $15 corkage is a helluva lot less than a similar quality pinot on the wine list. And $15 corkage is a reasonable deal in my book.

Anyway, to the food. My Penn Cove mussels in white wine were a revelation. I've had better in some of Seattle's great restaurants, but not much. The broth, with it's light, herby balance, transported me to back to long summer vacations in France (Note to other restaurants - creme is not required!). We both dipped bread like hobos dumpster-diving at Pizza Hut until the the bowl was dry. The sauteed baby calamari, again swimming in a light, flavorsome broth, served with a marinara dipping sauce, was respectable too. It's good to see tentacles east of the Cascades.

Alaskan salmon and Oregon Pinot Noir is rarely a bad combination. The good sized chunk of salmon, as requested, was pink and juicy inside. The accompanying potato cakes were delicious, providing pleasantly contrasting textures of delicate salmon and crunchy grated spuds, with a subtle dose of Parmesan. Like Charlie Sheen and cocaine, they were made for each other.

Jan's lamb was even better. Wisely using Antipodean beasts (we're biased!), the juicy chops were splendidly succulent and nicely seasoned. Neither dish really needed an end of corn and a few slithers of vegetables, which did little for presentation or taste. That's a minor quibble though.

Dessert promised much, but like Matt Hasselbeck, was short on delivery. The grilled nectarines were a tad too firm and unripe, not sweet and juicy as expected. But never fear, the wine list came to the rescue - a couple of decadent glasses of ice wine certainly dulled the disappointment.

There's much to like about Katya's. The food is as good as anywhere in Richland, and the wine list is killer good. The service is generally informative and non-intrusive, which I like, and the atmosphere is quiet, comfortable and relaxed.

Perhaps though, too quiet. Katya's suffers from that common Tricities malaise - by 8.30pm you feel like you could have your own vision quest in the restaurant, with only the staff watching over you. I'm not sure what can be done about that. But go to Walla Walla, and eat at Saffron or T. Maccarone's, which buzz with crowds from open to close most evenings. They cram people in to small dining rooms, are light, airy and informal, and push the boundaries a little food wise with both presentation and dishes.

On the food front, Katya's is not far off with some dishes taste-wise - the lamb and mussels were really excellent on this visit. There's a long way to go though to create that indefinable excitement quota, which would certainly at least get us dressing up in our skunk outfits and staggering to the restaurant very regularly indeed ;)

Lola, Seattle

2010-07-08T21:29:00.002-07:00

Tom Douglas was one of the contributors responsible for saving Seattle's excellent 4th of July fireworks display at Lake Union. It only seemed appropriate then, that as a display of gratitude, we should eat at one of his restaurants. Lola looked interesting, so along we went.

It was a simple dinner. Starting with grilled quail and smoky, tender octopus. I love octopus, and this was some of the best I've had in Seattle.

Next, two tagines. First, goat. Young goat in fact, dark and meaty. Darn well cooked goat too. Really quite delicious.

And second, pig. Suckling pig. Pale, beautifully tender and infused with harissa-y flavors. Quite simple and superb.

Finally more goat, as in goat cheese turnovers with honey, pistachios and mint. These didn't quite fill me with joy, but deep fried desserts just ain't my gig anyway. Jan finished those with a smile on her face.

Lola's 'Greece meets Morocco meets Pacific Northwest' fusion occupies a distinct niche in Seattle's downtown dining scene. Despite all the fabulous restaurants in the vicinity, I suspect we'll still manage to go back here more often than Lindsay Lohan attends alcohol education classes. The food is very tasty indeed.

Fat Olives, Richland

2010-07-04T17:18:00.000-07:00

Wander in Fat Olives in Richland, and you get an immediate impression of the recent upward trajectory in Tri-City dining. What was once a drab, dreary shack hosting a Thai joint (whose food actually wasn't too bad) has been transformed with vivid colored walls, a small central wine bar, a tiny outdoor patio, and that rarest of virtues around here, tables. Yep, with not a booth in sight. It looks and feels like a restaurant, not a run down diner in the middle of winter at midnight.

I'd heard of the pizza's being the attraction here, but there's much more to the menu than pizza. So much so in fact, we totally failed to order one. Instead, we started with a shared plate of olive tapanade, red pepper humus and a garlic-ricotta spread.

Like most threesomes, one participant gets less attention. This was the fate of the ricotta, which was just a little creamy and bland for me. The star performer was the coarse, grainy humus, which with a sliver of sundried tomato, was tantalizing on the taste buds. The tapanade was almost there too, only suffering from a slightly hefty and unnecessary addition of Parmesan. Those fat (chopped) olives didn't need no cheese. Not that much anyway.

Jan's Antipodean roots drew her to a dish on the short specials list that is even rarer than tables in local restaurants, namely lamb. Eight delicate lamb chops came char-grilled medium as ordered, still succulent and vaguely pink. The accompanying apricot sauce looked like it had been applied following common hamburger garnish techniques. Fortunately though, it was subtle and fruity, enhancing the partnership like Nicole Kidman does with Keith Urban - a unlikely combination that works.

My Catalan fish stew was as pleasing to eat as watching the Spanish football team in the World Cup. Scallops, prawns, hunks of fish and clams swam around in a rich, spicy and flavorsome fishy broth. The polenta cake served with the lamb, that had a texture seemingly modeled on Richland's climate in summer, was however perfect for stew dipping. Such a serendipitous combination was as warmly welcomed by yours as a wrecked whiskey truck at a hobo camp. It did though severely diminish the chances of sampling dessert options. The servings aren't huge, but you won't leave hungry.

The wine list is worthy of comment. Comprising 10-ish local and international reds and whites, available by the glass ($6.50) or bottle ($26) and containing a few interesting options (Zerba Chardonnay is good stuff!). BYOB at $2.50 a person is also an option - one I think we'll be taking up soon as it's a very reasonable deal. Beer drinkers aren't neglected either. The tempting micros selection warmed my cockles ;)

Fat Olives is doing a lot of things right. This was a very enjoyable, relaxed dinner in a friendly, inviting space. We'll be back soon to sample more of their menu. Maybe even the pizzas!

Cheese Louise

2010-06-18T06:56:00.001-07:00

It probably doesn't need to be said, but if you don't like cheese, this is not the place for you. But if you do, Cheese Louise, established last winter by self-confessed 'cheese geeks', is a cool little place to hang out.

Actually, it's not so little. An enticing array of 'gourmet' products, wine and foodie accessories lines the aisles. Only as you work your way to the back of the shop does the selection of cheese and wine become apparent, a veritable treasure trove for turophile exploration. Local cheeses, imported cheeses - get chunks to take home or slithers to eat in the shop.

The beauty of course of a cheese-geek owned establishment is that, well, it's staffed by cheese geeks. Ask them about any of their selection, or what cheese to sample with your wine, and you're guaranteed not to be short of information. These folks know their cheese, and their wine. The 10 or so white and red wines, most available by the glass, won't break the bank, and we've already made a couple of discoveries on our two visits. Like the rest of the setup, the wine list is quirky and interesting.

There's also a short snack menu of cheesey plates and dishes. The grilled cheese is deliciously simple, with quality ham and a hint of chili to spice things up.

The platter contained a slab of magnificent, salty, nutty, aged Californian cheddar, a slice of soft Drunken Goat, and salami, olives, and 3 small, tasty dips and spreads. It's a big plate to share between a few people and a few glasses of wine.

I didn't taste the '12 cheese Mac'nCheese', but 3 serves made their way to our table before, like the BP CEO before Congress, being rapidly devoured by the masses. Next time, maybe, I'll order my own.
I hope Cheese Louise is a pre-cursor to a revolution at the Parkway in Richland. The area is perfectly suited for wine tasting rooms, cafes, cool coffee shop hangouts, restaurants. With some critical mass, we could have a small scale Walla Walla on our doorsteps. I'm probably dreaming, but in the meantime, if you like cheese and wine, Cheese Louise is the place to hit up.

Mezzo Thai, Richland

2010-05-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

Mezzo Thai is so totally 'un-Tricities'. It's a tiny, intimate dining room, where you'll inevitably know all about you neighbor's dining habits by the end of your dinner, and often much more, depending on their topics of conversation. The menu is short and exotic, supplemented by a few blackboard specials. The food is cooked to order, the portions are '1 person sized' (Thai tapas?), and it's at times uncompromisingly spicy. Just like real Thai food. Which, in fact, it is.

Thai food is all about contrast - hot and sour, sweet and salty. At Mezzo Thai, that indescribable Thai cooking alchemy delivers these contrasts in waves of flavor in every mouthful. Take the Haly Toad (weird name, great dish!), for example. Morsels of seafood in a 'dressing' that simultaneously attacks with chili and citrus, and oozes aromas of lemongrass and fish sauce. It's food that makes a statement, and that statement is 'be careful'. But if you can handle the heat, it's a wonderful appetizer.

Not everything is seriously spicy. Jan's red curry chicken was almost a perfect rendition. Not drowned in coconut milk, the chili sits in the background, lingering underneath the complex, smooth red curry sauce. Delicious indeed. My 'drunken beef' also comes with 'diner beware' warnings, but isn't overly deadly. The beef is tender, and the taste captures all the good things about Thai cooking. There's even delicious home made desserts available if you're still hungry. We don't usually get that far though.

We've been to Mezzo Thai quite a few times in the last six months, and my sense is that it gets better each time. Service was a little inconsistent at first, but this hasn't been a problem in the last few months. There's a decent, small selection of beer and wine, the staff are friendly, and the place has a fun, buzzy atmosphere. Hopefully this crazy wet spring will end any day now, and when it does, the outside patio will be the place to be, basking in the early evening sun.

Mezzo Thai has raised the bar for Thai food in this area. It's a little gem indeed.

Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz 2004

2010-05-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

The last weekend in May is a tough one for us to be in the Tricities. In fact, it's tough to be anywhere except Polkolbin in the Hunter Valley at the Brokenwood Graveyard lunch. It's always such a superb day, a veritable orgy of fine wine and food that I'm sure Freddie Mercury would approve of.

The last time we were there in 2006, it was the release for the 2004 Graveyard. An elegant and seamless wine when young, and one the wine maker assured us would improve for many years. So, 6 years old seemed like a good age to test this theory, along with a leg of Australian lamb for Sunday dinner.

I'm happy to report that things are looking good so far. Deep blueberry flavors lead off, followed by layers of spiciness, supple tannins and a soft, generous mouthfeel. This is classic medium-bodied Hunter Shiraz, and at a mere 12.5% alcohol, a real contrast to the high-rev critic-pleasing wines that are so common from South Australia and increasing locally here in Washington. In this respect, the 2004 is more Mary Chapin Carpenter than Lady Ga Ga. It's as refined and intriguing as a night watching Peter Greenaway movies.

A 10 year old 1995 Graveyard is on my 'favorites wines of all time' list. I'm hopeful when I open the next 2004 in around 2 years from now, it might be approaching that level of quality. It's not far off already.

Sakura Chinese/Japanese Restaurant, Richland

2010-05-20T21:46:00.001-07:00

"Wow", I said to Jan as we drove up to Sakura, "The parking lot is full - this is a good a sign. A Tricities restaurant with people in it at 7.15pm on a Wednesday". I was right, it was a good sign. For the patronage of the gym next door. When we walked into Sakura's softly lit Asian-themed dining room, about 10 people littered the spacious interior, all sat around the outside in booths except our lonely-looking friend, MF. She obviously knows I hate booths.

Sakura's menu is an odd mix of Chinese and Japanese food, including sushi from a tiny, 3 seater sushi bar nestled away in the back corner. We ordered a Crazy Roll to share while leafing through the long list of dishes. The only crazy bit was the unnecessary dollop of some tasteless, crazy colored mayonnaise on the top of each piece of sushi, there presumably to drown the taste of the fish inside. With dollop removed, the roll was respectfully tasty. Not great, but perfectly in line with local sushi standards.

I enjoyed a little hot and sour soup while waiting for our main courses, and MF's miso soup was rich and chunk with tofu. In the meantime, Jan's Mongolian beef arrived. Tasty enough to satisfy the average Mongolian, I'm sure, and plentiful enough to feed a small Mongolian village for a day or two. MF's teriyaki salmon comprised two thick fillets, rice and another somewhat nondescript sushi roll. My chicken 'something or other' (I forget the name), a piled up plate of stir fried sliced chicken, crunchy vegetables and deep red spicy sauce was extremely edible. Nothing hot enough to invoke emergency glugs from my bottle of Asahi, but the flavors were generous, leaving me quietly content.

Overall, this was a decent, good value dinner. I doubt I'll be charging to Sakura to satisfy my frequent sushi urges anytime soon, but the the rest of the food hit the mark. And they certainly can't be critized for portion size - we boxed about a 1/3rd of the beef and chicken, and it easily fed both of us the next night. A bit more atmosphere would be welcome, but full marks to the owners for the decor. Sakura actually looks like a restaurant, which is a bonus in these parts.

Verdict: I'd willingly return one day. It's respectable food.

A summer project - Tricities R

2010-05-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

Time to be blunt. In my (humble) opinion, food in the Tricities is in general, well, not very good. Darn average at best. It's Chainsville, WA, with a restaurant market dominated by such 'fine dining' establishments as Olive Garden, Outback Steak House, Tony Roma's, and many others that I'd never dare set foot in again.

Predictable. Bland. Safe. Maybe these attributes describe the culinary desires of many locals? They ain't mine though. I quite liked the food at PF Changs on my solitary visit, but the ritualistic 'chili/mustard/who knows what' performance upfront was so vacuous and annoying, I haven't plucked up the courage to return. I'm not sure I could cope with it again without resorting to at least severe sarcasm which the poor server would be undeserving of. Chain restaurants just ain't for me.

Fortunately. the 'non-chain' sector is somewhat more interesting. There's a surprising and growing smattering of ethnic eateries, not just the obvious Mexican, but Thai, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese, and even a Filipino and Indian. Throw in some pubs and bars, pizza and noodle and BBQ joints, and variety is not an issue.

Quality and ambiance often are though. There's some amazingly bland food served in these places. Often in buffets, which are ubiquitous and offer the perfect recipe for quick dining, cheap prices and food that is guaranteed not to be freshly cooked, soggy, crunched and luke warm! Strangely, there's also some pretty darn tasty food served in establishments that have as much atmosphere and decor as my garage. In fact, many resemble a garage from the outside too, and by 7.30pm usually have as many people as are found in my garage. These are places where an hour long dinner (that's slow around here) sometimes seems like a lifetime.

There are a few shining lights, which I've written about on this blog a few times, places that are always pleasant to visit. Even at these, consistency seems an issue. They hint at, and sometimes deliver quality, big city style food. Other times they're more like most blind dates - the anticipation is great but the substance is sorely lacking.

Anyway, it's summer, and the best time to enjoy the local area. There's some new places in town, some oldies to revisit, and many others that could be sampled. All sounds worthy of a summer project to me. So, my handful of readers, watch this space if you're interested in my musings on the Tricities dining scene. Hopefully a few gems will be unearthed.

Something different and darn tasty - Barnard Griffin 2008 Reserve Grenache

2010-05-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

Pure varietal bottlings of Grenache in Washington State are about as rare as an unbiased opinion on the Glenn Beck show. But if they all tasted like the Barnard Griffin Reserve 2008 Grenache, they'd be more than welcome.

I'd tasted the 2007 of this wine last year, and was not overly impressed. It was light in body and spicy, but not a wine that struck me as anything to write home (or even blog) about. So when I tasted the 2008 in the winery tasting room, my expectations lingered around similar levels to those I have for the Mariners after their start to the 2010 season.

It only took one slug of the 2008 vintage to perk my interest. Delicious raspberry fruit, a touch of smokiness, spice, and much more body and depth than I remember in its predecessor, this was a lovely wine. Like an Olympic gymnast, it was lively, balanced and brimming with short-term promise. And it definitely wasn't Cabernet, Merlot or Syrah - the dominant red wines from Washington. Different indeed, in a very good way.

I left the winery with a few bottles in a box and headed home. One of those has disappeared already, and I bet the others don't see the 2011.

I guess I could buy more ;)

Forgeron Wine Dinner at Katya's Bistro, Richland

2010-05-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

Another Katya's wine dinner I have to miss due a conflicting invite - real bummer, as this sounds a real good one. If you're free Saturday night, this should be a very tasty way to spend an evening.

Join Us for a Winemaker Dinner

Featuring the Wines of Forgeron Cellars

May 22, 2010

6:00 pm

Marie-Eve Gilla, French born and educated winemaker of Forgeron Cellars, will present her outstanding and award winning wines accompanied by Chef Josh Trunnell’s five course dinner

Course 1 Seafood Terrine with Remoulade Sauce

Rich salmon mousseline with scallops & crayfish, poached in court bouillon.

Served chilled with remoulade sauce.

Accompanied by 2007 Chardonnay

Course 2 Spring Vegetable Risotto with Lemon Verbena

Arborio rice with fresh asparagus, tender snap peas, pancetta & pecorino romano cheese.

Scented with lemon verbena-infused grapeseed oil

Accompanied by 2008 Roussanne

Course 3 Lamb Carpaccio en Vol au Vent

Tender lamb loin, seared rare & sliced paper thin (carpaccio-style). Drizzled with syrah-peppercorn glaze.

Served with peppery arugula greens and sweet peppers in a puff pastry (vol au vent) cup

(Carpaccio refers to the 20^th century Italian artist who was fond of using vibrant reds in his paintings)

Accompanied by 2005 Syrah

Course 4 Duck au Vin

Duck hindquarter, braised until fork-tender in a robust sauce flavored with green peppercorn and savory

Served with cambazola mashed potatoes and green beans strascinati (strascinati means ‘dragged’)

Accompanied by 2006 Zinfandel

Course 5 Pear Tartlett with Caramel Sauce

Poached Anjou pear on tender puff pastry with almond frangipane.

Accompanied by 2008 Late Harvest Semillon

The price for the dinner and accompanying wines is $70 per person.

Gratuity & Tax not included

Forgeron Cellar’s wine will be available during this event at winery prices

Make your reservations online or give us a call.

www.katyasbistro.com

Canadian Beer below the 49th - Whistler Brewing Company makes my day

2010-04-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

There's some great beer brewed in British Columbia. Over the nearly 20 years I've been visiting the hockey, snow and beer crazy Province, I've fallen in love with a few of the locals. Black Bear from Kamloops is one, a dark, malty step back in time to English dark mild, inevitably though with more bite. Kootenay Mountain Ale was another. Almost the perfect North American apres ski beer, but one that now seems as extinct as smokers in bars. Or monoskiers not wearing a one piece.

More recently, Tree Brewing in Kelowna has made me search far and wide for their Hop Head IPA, a truly world class, balanced and hoppy brew. Their Porter ain't bad either. Honorable mentions go to many brews from Granville Island, Okanagan Springs (I currently adore their exceptional 1516 Lager), and various microbreweries in Vancouver, Penticton, Revelstoke and no doubt a few other places I forget.

In the last two years though, I've been gravitating towards beers from Whistler Brewing. Their Weissbier is one of, if not the best wheat beer I've had in North America. Their Pale Ale slides down like a mildy hoppy medicine that you know is good for you, and their Lager and obsidian-colored Black Tusk are interesting, well made beers.

I've searched high and low for the brewery on frequent recent visits to Whistler, and always suspected incapacitation from too many 'apres' Kootenay Mountain Ales had foiled my endeavours. Perhaps its the demise of the latter, but when in Whistler last week, I had the truly inspired idea (!) to Google 'Whistler Brewing'. Smart, eh? Only took me 3 years. The results luckily made me feel slightly less dumb, and even more enthusiatsic to return. Let me explain.

First - not so dumb as the beers are mostly brewed in Kamloops. Indeed, a place you are unlikely to serendipitously bump into on a night wandering around the village, as it's about 400km away. Second - enthusiasm, because the brewery has recently returned to Whistler, a little out of town at Function Junction, but hey, we drive past there a lot. It's easy to stop.

And finally, well, I found the Pale Ale in Richland Fred Meyer today. It's tastes great below the 49th Parallel too. I just hope the Weissbier makes the same trek soon.

Araxi at Whistler - still a darn fine thing

2010-04-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

I've banged on before about how good the food at Araxi is, and have no intention of doing it again. Simply, it's a very fine restaurant indeed, and seems to get better on each visit.

Instead, imagine yourself perched at the casual Araxi bar, sampling a fine glass of wine or two, and tucking in to the pictorial feast below ...

Wild chinook shashimi, yuzu soy dressing, frozen apple sauce along with some divine grilled prawns

Roasted local beets, Vancouver Island buffalo mozzarella, truffle vinaigrette

Saltspring Island Cheese Souffle - as light as Paris Hilton's head, and as tasty as the size of her bank account ;)

Smoked BC Sablefish risotto

Lemon tart, creme fraiche ice cream, raspberry coulis, lemon-almond sugar snap

All topped off with a glass of limoncello, of course ;)

Pangaea 2005 and 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

2010-04-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

Living in Washington wine country right now is a bit like choosing a restaurant for dinner in Seattle. You're overwhelmed with choice, and find yourself returning to tried and trusted options simply because you can't make up your mind where to go. It's not that the alternatives will be bad. It's just that what you know already is soooo good.

In this context, it seems I get a new winery recommendation through the press, Internet or fellow winos every week. Not being outrageously wealthy and unencumbered by work, it's simply impossible to check them all out. We were fortunate then, when ski, wine and salmon smoking buddy John stumbled on Pangaea Winery. Their 2006 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet shone against quality competition in one of our recent blind Cabernet tasting, and we were all keen to discover more about this completely unknown Cowiche producer. So John set out to discover more, and a few weeks later, we had another 2006 and a 2005 to check out.

A second tasting of the 2006 confirmed initial opinions. Pristine. Focused. Structured. Blackberry. Dark chocolate. A little smokey. So many accolades were mentioned before we just got on with drinking this beautiful wine.

As a benchmark (obviously too many scientists in the room), we tasted the Pangaeas against the highly regarded Barnard Griffin 2006 Reserve Cabernet (see here for thoughts on that). In comparison, the Pangaea was more approachable and fruit forward, drinking quite perfectly. I doubt it has the longevity of the Barnard Griffin though, but who cares when a wine tastes as good as this at 4 years old.

The 2005 Pangaea was more Art Garfunkel in comparison to the Paul Simon-like 2006. A pleasant wine, drinking nicely, but without the depth or complexity of its partner. Aromas of dried cherries and raisins dominated, along with soft tannins and a slightly minty finish. Open now and enjoy to the sounds of Bridge over Troubled Waters.

Let's hope the Pangaea 2006 Cabernet is an indication of where Pangaea's wine is going. If this is replicated in the 2007 vintage, I'll be buying a bottle or 6. In the meantime you can get the 2006 online here, or contact the wine maker for more information.

Barnard Griffin 2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

2010-04-05T20:19:00.001-07:00

Recent weekends with the skiing and wino clan have become a bit of a Cabernet-a-thon. The reasons are many and varied, but there's no doubt Washington cabs tend to slide down rather well after spending a day in a state of semi-hypothermia skiing in the Cascades.

Curiosity was the simple reason I pulled out a bottle of Barnard Griffin 2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. My first taste of this muscular wine about 18 months ago was a sensory overload equivalent to a Lady Gaga gig. Massively impressive and powerful now, but one you want to revisit in a year or two to see how it stands the test of time.

At first, not much seemed to have changed when we opened this bottle a couple of weekends ago. The upfront deep dark fruit was almost overwhelming, immersing the subtle cedar, spice and pepper flavors in an inky, dense body. It didn't take long however for the wine to open up, revealing length and elegance along with the shining fruit, dusty tannins and robust acid base. Seemingly more Sarah Mclachlan then Lady Gaga, this is a wine to savor now, or return to with confidence in 10 years to appreciate it's impeccable pedigree.

Chateau Tahbilk 2005 Marsanne

2010-04-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of great Aussie wine that doesn't escape those distant shores (I'm writing this in Bend, Oregon). Except when someone like Jan and me ship it out when we move continents. Chateau Tahbilk Marsanne is one of these. Even in its native land, this wine is as hard to find as a wild platypus, unless you know where to look, or course. Drink young for an lemony, zippy little number that's heavenly with king prawns on a summer beach BBQ. Or hide away and age gently to see how this intriguing wine develops.

The 2005 we've just finished was an exemplary version of the latter. Toasty, citrusy and ever so slightly honeyed, it slips down without hesitation after a huge, exhausting Mt Bachelor powder day. Still possessing the zingy acidic foundation to keep aging for longer, this is a wine that remains high in my list of obscure favorites at bargain basement prices. Long may it remain unknown ;)

Barnard Griffin 2003 Cabernet Franc

2010-03-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you taste a wine and, like a bloodhound on the trail of a kill, within seconds you know it's a good 'un. So you go back for more, to dig deeper into the mysteries of the flavors, and savor the lingering fruity aftermath. Descriptions start flowing in your mind, but before anything crystallizes, the glass is heading back towards your lips for another sample. By this stage, you realize that you don't really care about describing the wine. All you care about is drinking it, it's so good. Before everyone else in the group starts to think the same ...

The Barnard Griffin 2003 Cabernet Franc was one of these wines. It's one I'd overlooked somehow and had managed to remain hidden in the depths of my vaguely disorganized wine racks. I pulled it out quickly when a mini cab franc blind tasting was mooted. I didn't have high hopes against a Walla Walla Vintners 2003 and 2004, and a Northstar 2004.

The three others were pleasant representations of Washington's style for this grape. I though the Northstar shaded the Vintners, but all were nicely mature wines. Supple tannins. Generous fruit, leafy and slightly herbal. I'd have given the Northstar a couple more years to truly reveal it's wares, and be drinking the Vintners right now.

The Barnard Griffin was in a different stratosphere. Shining with adolescent exuberance, this was like walking into the mosh pit at a Green Day gig, only for them to finish a song and be immediately replaced by a haunting sparsely lit Bjork show. Power upfront, followed by depth and complexity that rewarded explorations of the palate. A wine to drink right now, as tannins and acid were suppressed, but one of the best wines I've tasted this winter, undoubtedly.

I'm pretty sure the good folks at Barnard Griffin don't have a Cabernet Franc as part of their fabulous reserve reds portfolio. I enjoy so many of these, maybe it's no bad thing. Still, this freaky oddity from 2003 will live on in my memory for a quite a while indeed.

Brindabella Hills 2005 Riesling

2010-03-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

Intense. Incredible length. One to set the imagination swirling to far flung places.

No, this isn't a movie review of Avatar, or the results of mistakenly taking a couple of Vicodin in the morning, but my thoughts when I opened and tasted the Brindabella Hills 2005 Riesling this weekend. I'd bet a lot of money that this was the first bottle of Brindabella Hills to be drunk in the Silver Valley in Northern Idaho, as wines from the Canberra region of Australia don't exactly fill the wine store shelves in the USA.

We'd bought this one at the winery a few years back, and transported it here to develop gently into this classic example of cool climate Australian Riesling. Canberra Rieslings tend to be a little more full bodied than their Clare/Eden Valley cousins. The Brindabella fitted the genre perfectly, melding the focused limey intensity of South Australia with a juicy tropical mid-palate. With good acidity and the balance of an Olympic gymnast, there's life left in this little beauty, but I fear that may have been my last bottle.

Ah well. Whenever I make it to Canberra next, a drive through the rolling, parched Brindabellas to this fine winery is high on the priority list.

Pangaea Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

2010-03-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

Our recent blind 9 bottle Cabernet tasting was a real cracker, showing off some of the wonders of Columbia Valley Cabernet. Amongst the big names involved, my buddy John slipped in an dark horse, it's identity shielded behind the splendor of a crumpled brown paper bag. Like the crazies indulging in debate about where the President was born, there was much speculation about the origins of 'wine number 4' in the line-up.

There was no doubting it's characteristics though. Stunning deep dark fruit, laced with cassis and spice, and supple tannins telling of an extended life ahead of it. Few of our dedicated wine slurping crew doubted it was in the top three of the wines.

The unveiling brought a surprise on the scale of discovering Tiger Woods had kept his trousers on for a whole tournament in 2009. Pangaea? Who are Pangaea? In fact, how do you pronounce it? In reality, we cared little. It was great stuff, and once the 'serious' part of the evening was over, the bottle's contents disappeared only marginally after the Leonetti.

I'm working on discovering more ...

Leonetti 2002 Cabernet

2010-02-16T22:48:00.000-08:00

Our blind Cabernet tasting on Saturday had a Leonetti 2002 smuggled in. This was a beautiful, bright, elegant wine, with big fruit and maturity just starting to show through it's smoky, silky layers. Really classic Walla Walla wine, and this is a thoroughbred example in all respects.

From our inauspicious group of tasters, opinions were near unanimous that this was the best wine in the collection. Drinking truly wonderfully now if you can resist it, and with the longevity to outlast the Obama administration (even if re-elected), it was hard to fault this little number. I'm glad I haven't opened my bottles of this yet.

And here's proof that we're not wine snobs. Jamie improvising when we ran out of wine glasses ;)

Hogue 2005 Terroir Red Mountain Cabernet

2010-02-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

A bunch of us did a blind tasting of 8 Washington cabs last night. I threw in the Hogue Terrior 2005 Red Mountain Cabernet, as it had recently arrived from their tasting club and I wanted to check it out. In esteemed company (e.g. Leonetti, Fort Walla, Barnard Griffin) one thing initially stood out about this wine - power!! It was an immense, statuesque wine, packing a punch like Mike Tyson on a date. On first taste, I wasn't sure there was much more to it than a tongue-stripping wall of tannin, but after 20 minutes or so, layers of dark fruit and liquorice arrived at the party, bringing beautiful balance and drawing me in to an abyss of earthy complexity. I guess this is what Red Mountain terroir is all about.

This wasn't the best wine I tasted last night (it was close though), but I suspect it could blossom into a stunner in another 3-5 years. I'm ordering more.

Tamarack 2004 Syrah

2010-02-04T21:24:00.000-08:00

Staying on the Washington Syrah theme, another wine highly worthy of mention from the recent bunch is the Tamarack 2004. I enjoyed this as much as the Walla Walla Vintners (they were in same blind tasting), but for very different reasons. The Tamarack was a full bodied but restrained drop, oozing plum and berry flavors that were suppressed by an obvious hint of aging.

Beautifully balanced, eerily complex and as seamless as the party outfits at a nudist camp, this was a wine to drink now. No tricky decisions about whether to keep or not here. Just open and indulge. I thought it went rather well with a little slither or two of Piave personally ;)

Walla Walla Vintners 2004 Syrah

2010-02-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

We've been tasting a number of Washington Syrahs recently, some in blind tasting, some just with dinner. Overall there's been some very high quality wines in typical Washington style, namely ripe, mouthfilling dark fruit, round tannins and a supressed, lingering spiciness. Like a dolphin at Sea World, these are crowd pleasing wines - they're not hard to appreciate.

One that stood out from the crowd was the Walla Walla Vintners 2004. Behind the alluring bright fruit and clove-like spice sat a body of substance, firm but lean, and a finish as long as the road over the Palouse. Washington Syrahs tend to be like most two term US Presidents, on their last legs, after 6 years, but this one was ready for a run at a third term. Another absolutely winner from the boys at Vintners ...

Annual visit to Dahlia Lounge

2010-01-28T21:44:00.000-08:00

Another Aussie visitor, another trip to Dahlia Lounge. That coconut cream pie is getting a bit of a following in Sydney!

Dahlia Lounge isn't up there with my very favorite Seattle dining establishments, but there's no denying its a fine place for dinner. Like watching the Seahawks for the last few seasons, a visit doesn't get my heart racing with pre-dinner excitement. It's a comfortable restaurant in all respects - decor, service, food. On a cool January night this is not a bad thing.

Two appetizers stole the show for the first course. Venison tartare was a new one to us all, but it was a classically constructed pile, with grainy mustard and pickled huckleberries. Very delicious and meaty indeed. The pan seared scallops, served with seriously weird but tasty citrusy stuff, were nearly as good as the venison. A plate of crispy pot stickers were a little heavy handed for my taste, overpowering the black vinegar dipping sauce.

Main courses ranged from buttery black cod, to five spice duck and hunks of Berkshire pork loin. These were certainly better than the Seahawk's last few seasons, but probably would only have made the culinary wild card game. The ham hock-infused broth with black-eyed peas seemed overly rich for the faultless black cod. The generous portions of duck and pig were darn tasty, but for me at least the fireworks were missing.

Then came desserts, and Superbowl standard form was displayed. The triple coconut cream pie is still extraordinary - if you haven't tried it, I simply recommend doing so. The experience defies description. Not far behind is the creme caramel. So light, such a seductive texture, it's truly divine. The pear tart suffered in such esteemed company, but the flaky, buttery pastry, pear and caramel sauce would've shone in most other establishments in town.

It'll probably take another Aussie visitor to trigger our next Dahlia Lounge visit. That won't be a bad thing though. Not every dish sets my taste buds alight with pleasure, but the desserts are the best I've had in Seattle. Other dishes range from fine to fantastic, but throw in an interesting and minimally marked up wine list, excellent, professional service and colorful sculptured paper fish lamps, and for a few hours you can almost imagine the Seahawks making the play-offs next season. Almost.

Tamarack Firehouse Red 2007

2010-01-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of Tamarack wine scattered around the racks. I love visiting their winery, as it feels like visiting an old world bootlegger peddling their wares from a rustic barn, almost exciting and dangerous. The wines are a much safer proposition, of invariably high quality and well priced for the region and quality. One of Walla Walla's best in my humble opinion.

On Saturday night Jan was served the Firehouse Red 2007 as a house wine in a bar at Schweitzer. It made an immediate impression on our collective taste buds - a huge, fruity explosion, velvety mouthfeel, soft round tannins and hint of earthy spice. It could almost of been a Spanish wine.

We'd had a couple of beers previously, so last night I popped in the local Fred Meyer and picked up a bottle for further inspection. This confirmed first impressions ;). Perhaps more obviously cabernet-based, a more solid foundation that would support a few years in the bottle, and a finish much longer than a Brett Favre end of season retirement. Very nice wine indeed.

There's a lot of 'red blends' in Washington State, with many sitting in the $12 to $20 range. The Firehouse sits right in the middle price-wise, but delivers quality in abundance. I've tasted few better.

Katya's Bistro Dunham Cellars Dinner - another shameless plug

2010-01-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

I suspect the folks at Katya's are deliberately organizing some seriously tempting dinners on nights when I can't go. This one sounds a really fine night out. Dunham's wines are always good drops, and sometimes, like the jokes in Scrubs, very spectacular indeed.

I'll have to take consolation from the hopefully deep fresh snow somewhere near Lake Tahoe, and trust the planets align better for me on the next event! Enjoy if you go ...

Join Us for a Winemaker Dinner

Featuring the Wines of Dunham Cellars from Walla Walla

February 6^th, 2010

6:00 pm

Eric Dunham, winemaker Dunham Cellars, will present his outstanding and award winning wines accompanied by Chef Josh Trunnell’s five course dinner

Course 1

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Marinated Goat Cheese, & Fresh Herbs

Accompanied by 2007 Four Legged White (100% Riesling)

Course 2

Mizuna Salad with Grilled Potatoes & Chipotle Vinaigrette

Accompanied by 2005 Syrah

Sorbet Intermezzo

Course 3

Slow-Roasted Pork Loin with Port Wine Sauce & Wild Rice Croquettes

Accompanied by 2006 Trutina

Course 4

Beef Tenderloin Noisettes au Poivre with Duchesse Potatoes

Accompanied by 2006 “Pursued by Bear” Cabernet Sauvignon

Course 5

Peach-Blueberry Galette with Chantilly Cream

Accompanied by 2008 Late Harvest Riesling

The price for the dinner and accompanying wines is $65 per person. Gratuity & Tax not included

Dunham Cellar’s wine will be available during this event at winery prices

We look forward to seeing you at this fun event

Warm Wishes

Jim, Maryna & Chef Josh

Katya's Restaurant & WIne Bar

430 George Washington Way Ste 201

Richland, WA 99352

509-946-7777

509-946-7735 fax

www.katyasbistro.com

Terra Blanca 2001 Reserve Cabernet

2010-01-04T18:59:00.001-08:00

I'm sure everyone has their favorite, and not so favorite wine producers. Sometimes a wine producer's style just sits harmoniously with my taste buds, as at home as a polar bear in the Arctic. Examples in Washington are Walla Walla Vintners, or Barnard Griffin, or Fidelitas. And sometimes they don't. Terra Blanca is one of the latter.

I visit Terra Blanca at least once a year to taste. It's a sumptuous building with expansive views over the paprika colored Horse Heaven Hills. I invariably like some of their whites - the Roussanne and Late Harvest Chenin Blanc spring to mind - but often the reds leave me cold. I sense a certain harshness of style, a rustic edge that potentially bodes well for longevity, but sometimes I don't find the fruit in the mix to convince me.

I obviously did though when I tasted the 2001 Red Mountain Reserve Cabernet at the cellar door 3 or so years back. A bottle has been sat on my racks until 2010, when I figured it'd be worthy of opening. A ski trip to Schweitzer last weekend with a few wino buddies seemed as good an opportunity as any.

9 years in a bottle had certainly produced a very fine drop. This was more a finely tuned marathon-running 40 year old than a flabby, declining 60-ish banker. Razor sharp intensity was accompanied by layers of dried fruit and spice, with a hint of the Cola flavor that sometimes pops out in Washington cabs. I really enjoyed this wine, as did all my educated-palate friends. It sure had a few more years in it.

The great thing about wine is there's nothing better than having your opinions changed. I doubt I'll fall in love with Terra Blanca's range of reds overnight, but if I can find a few more treasures like this, I'll be a happy camper (and customer) indeed.

Shameless plug - Katya's Bistro Bethel Heights/Penner Ash Wine Dinner - Dec 3rd 2009

2009-11-24T21:57:00.000-08:00

This could be a really excellent wine dinner at Katya's in Richland. I really wish I could go, but I am otherwise disposed that evening. Bummer ... I really enjoy these events, and as proof here's a report from one last year that was most enjoyable.

Hopefully the menu and wine options below will tempt a few readers of this blog (ok - I know there's not many!) to go along. If you do, let me know how it goes .... we need more of these in the Tri-cities!

Join us

December 3rd at 6 pm

for a

Wine Pairing Dinner with Oregon Wineries Penner Ash & Bethel Heights

Their outstanding and award winning wines will be accompanied by a five course dinner

Course 1

Crab Stuffed Shrimp

Baked Dungeness crab stuffed shrimp topped with a citrus Beurre blanc

Accompanied by 2008 Bethel Heights Pinot Blanc

Course 2

Seasonal Salad

Fresh mixed greens with dried cranberries, apple slices, red onion and tossed with a Dijon mustard Viognier vinaigrette topped with candied pecans and goat cheese

Accompanied by 2008 Penner Ash Viognier

Course 3

Cedar Plank Salmon

Cedar plank grilled wild Alaska Salmon with Lentils and mustard herb butter

Accompanied by 2007 Bethel Heights Estate Pinot Noir

Course 4

Grilled Duck Breast

Grilled duck breast topped with a cherry port sauce and served with a wild rice medley

Accompanied by 2007 Penner Ash Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Course 5

Kobe Beef Tender

Kobe beef tender medallions topped with a pinot noir sauce and served with fingerling potatoes

Accompanied by 2007 Bethel Heights Casteel Reserve Pinot Noir

Ending

Chocolate Truffle

A surprise wine will also be presented

Make your reservations on line or give us a call. The price for this outstanding event is $65 per person excluding gratuity and taxes.

Bethel Heights & Penner Ash wines will be available at winery prices during this event.

Katya’s Restaurant & Wine Bar

430 Geo. Wash. Way Ste 201

509-946-7777

www.katyasbistro.com

Petaluma Riesling - Memories are made of this ...

2009-11-20T23:23:00.001-08:00

Some wines sit like memories on my tongue. They are recalled as vividly as the first time I saw Genesis, walked along the harbour front at St Tropez, or carved a perfect arc in the snow, gaining velocity as my skis flexed on the ice-cream like surface. They make you crave for more.

Petaluma Riesling is one of these wines. It was around a decade ago that I first encountered the wonders of gently aging Clare Valley Rieslings. Sat in a decent Thai restaurant on Blues Point Rd in North Sydney on a steamy January evening, I uncorked a mid-1990s Petaluma that had sat on my wine racks for a couple of years. The revelation was instant. The intense acidity and limey-ness of youth had been replaced by a toasted, citrus, restrained elegance that lingered like a Jehovah's Witness on your doorstep on a Sunday morning. This wine had no intention of being a casual acquaintance to my taste buds.

Since then Brain Croser has benefited considerably from my purchasing. The odd vintage hasn't aged quite so well, but, well, shit happens sometimes, and it's not like Petaluma Riesling is a $100 bottle. A wine like the 2003 Hanlin Hill I opened tonight makes up for the occasional disappointment. Like Germaine Greer, it delivers intensity and interest in an aging frame, and shouldn't be taken too seriously. This is a beautiful wine to simply sit back and enjoy. I hope I have some more hiding, somewhere.

Amity 2006 Winemaker's Reserve Pinot Noir

2009-11-15T22:23:00.000-08:00

Amity seduced me with the quality of their Gewurtztraminer several years ago. On the back of that, we've visited the rustic Willamette Valley winery a couple of times and learned more about their array of Pinots, a delicious bone dry Riesling, and a few other odd but interesting wines.

So when they emailed me about 25% off the 2006 Winemaker's Reserve Pinot, I had to indulge. We'd bought a few bottles of this very wine on our last visit a year ago, and loved it's silky mouthfeel, robustness and intense, concentrated dark fruit. There's another 6 on the wine racks now, and I think I'm going to enjoy opening these over the next few years. I've still to explore the 2007 Willamette Pinots, but they've received mixed reviews and I won't be buying without tasting. Until I get chance to visit, I think I'll keep snaffling any 2006s I can find. A fine vintage indeed.

Tri-Cities Wine Festival 2009

2009-11-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

Ah, what a difference a venue makes. I doubt I'd have paid $60 to return to the country-hick, dark, cramped, back-to-the-70s Pasco Red Lion. For the show case event of Eastern Washington wine, that venue portrayed everything that is so last century about this area, and in such contrast to the modern, vibrant wine industry. Without a doubt, moving the 2009 Tri-Cities Wine Festival to the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick erased all these misgivings. A shiny, new, almost cavernous room housed the public tasting, professional service breezed through the crowds providing for everyone's needs, and an excellent array of wines were available to sample. This time I felt firmly wedged in the 21st century.

I like these events as they afford an opportunity to try new wineries, as well as getting to sample the latest releases of favorite producers. This year's discoveries included:

Steppe Cellars: The collection comprised a fine 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and an especially elegant 2006 Merlot (they delivered the Gold Medal prize about 9 seconds after we raved about it!), along with a balanced, powerful, spicy 2008 Gewurztraminer and muscular Syrah Rose. A stop in Sunnyside will have to be scheduled soon.

Basalt Cellars: Their creamy, apple and pear 2008 Semillon caught my eye. Another fine example of the quality of Semillon that can be produced in Washington State. Their reds were equally impressive - a 2007 Malbec and the 2006 Syrah and Rim Rock (cab, syrah, merlot) giving us a reason to go to Clarkston next summer.

St Laurent: I vaguely knew of these folks from Malaga (near Wenatchee, I think) from tasting their wine on the Leavenworth Wine Walk. Last night the 3 Wahluke Slope sourced reds shone, with the stellar 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon a true star, just shadowing the 2006 Syrah and Merlot.

Vin Du Lac: This is another producer we vaguely knew from a visit to their beautiful Lake Chelan winery a couple of years back. Their super clean, lean, taste-machine 2008 Lehm Rieling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris are what I want to drink sat in the sun overlooking Lake Chelan, and their 2007 Barrel Select Syrah sat happily in the top few of the reds I tasted last night. The 2007 Barrel Select Merlot wasn't far behind.

Abacela: It's a long way from the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon, so it was a delight to see these wines. I knew their 2008 Albarino was top stuff from various restaurants in Seattle. I didn't know their brooding 2006 Tempranillo was even better. The lighter 2007 Garnacha sat happily in the same company.

I should also complement the organizers for the addition of food vendors this year. Some of the snacks were really delicious, and all were worthy of a sample or two. This contributed immensely to the evening - sure a huge step up from the rubbery cheese of the Red Lion (the cheese was still pretty ordinary, but who cared!)

My only quibble? Get an announcer who can add something to the evening beyond mind bogglingly dull facts, and definitely not with the monotone tenor of a bingo announcer. The evening was fun and the overall vibe excellent, as long as you ignored this tedious background drone (the jacket was a bit of a shocker too - sorry!).

This was a truly excellent night out. Worth every cent. Finally, Eastern Washington has a wine festival that is a true showcase of the region's superb wines. One I wouldn't be embarrassed to drag west-siders and sophisticated city slickers along to. I'm looking forward to next year already!

Hogue 2008 Terroir White Table Wine

2009-11-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

I'm rather partial to quite a lot of Hogue's wines. With the discounts they offer, it made it worthwhile to join their Wine Club, which I did about a year ago. They don't deluge you with wine that costs a fortune, and they send interesting new releases that are always an informative slurp.

The latest package contained the 2008 Terroir White Table Wine (can't find anything about this online). One to drink soon, I reckoned, so I threw it in the fridge and it was destined not to survive past Friday night. I opened it and tasted without really paying attention to the bottle, and was quite amazed by the soft, lean, fruity aromatic wine that hit my taste buds. Another sip and I was guessing chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and something like viognier. Strike the chardonnay and replace with semillon, add some muscat and gewurztraminer, and you have a killer of a white blend.

I loved the balance, the contrast between the lemony semillon and spicy aromatics, all seamlessly progressing through the taste profile on a solid acid foundation. This is the best Washington white blend I've tasted for a long time. Top stuff indeed.

Good pub food in Betws-y-Coed

2009-10-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

Let's be honest, food in the UK when I lived here was pretty dire. Take away some homely traditional dishes, and only stodge and chips and soggy vegetables in multiple inseparable forms was available. Thankfully, things are definitely now different. In London, we had some really imaginative and tasty food at the Duke of Cambridge in Islington. And tonight, our B&B in Betws-y-Coed recommended the Pont-y-Pair pub a few blocks away as 'better than average' pub food. They were right.

We started with meaty, gamy local pigeon terrine and risotto with Welsh 'Red Devil' cheese, to add a little chilli to the creamy sweet potato dish. After a hectic day of sight seeing with no lunch, these were highly satisfying dishes,

Mains comprised a monster lamb shank with killer, succulent and sweet braised carrots and new potatoes, and a half rainbow trout that had been treated well by the chef. All locally sourced ingredients goes without saying.

Add a couple of interesting real ales and cider, and pub food like this gives you somewhere to dine with out having to research options too much. It seems a growing trend in the UK - long may it continue.

The Coconut Kitchen, Abersoch

2009-10-12T01:23:00.000-07:00

On some nights, you just know the food gods have got you on their minds and are smiling in your directions. Sunday was one of these nights. We rolled into Abersoch in North Wales about 8pm, expecting to be lucky to find a chippy open for a take away, and a beer in a deserted pub. The Riverside Pub/Hotel beckoned, so we checked in and headed out to find food in this tiny seaside village.

One the way into town I spotted briefly a restaurant that mentioned Thai food, and had cars outside. This was enough evidence of food to investigate. We walked the 200m along the harbor and discovered the Coconut Kitchen, a small, bright restaurant that was as packed with people as an Alex Ferguson press conference is with whinges. Fortunately, they had a welcoming bar to seat us at, affording excellent views of the dishes and busy kitchen operations.

What followed was a steady, delicious flow of food, characterized by quality ingredients and delicate, spicy broths. Crisp, light fish cakes, plump with chunks of fishy wonders, were enough to quell hunger, really hitting the spot. My sesame-crusted seabass was bathed in some sort of miso-ginger broth, sat on layers of cabbage - it was excellent.

Jan's duck confit raised the quality bar again, with the star anise-infused sweet and sour broth it inhabited being a splendid companion.

A lemon grass and ginger creme brulee rounded out a really unexpectedly good dinner.

Fine Thai-ish food in the wilds ot North West Wales? Weird, but true. It's sure worth the drive from Manchester though.

First Impressions - Mezzo Thai, Richland

2009-09-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

In the now defunct Amici's space, in a great location on the edge of Howard Amon Park in Richland, we have a new Thai venture, Mezzo Thai. Curiously it bills itself as Thai Tapas - I'm still not entirely sure why? A cursory glance at the menu reveals some pretty tempting and traditional fare, so after a few false starts (they still don't sell beer or allow BYOB - weird!), we made it there on Sunday with a few friends.

And basically we liked what we tasted. My drunken beef lived up to its spicy billing, but was beautiful light and full of depth and authentic Thai flavor. Jan's Pad Thai was much better than the normal bland version of this 'Thai-American' staple that is found in many places, again lashed with a healthy though not overpowering dose of chili. Our friends indulged in the Sunday Buffet, and I didn't hear any complaints.

I'm hoping they get that liquor license soon. When they do, we'll be back for a more substantive dinner. And I'm quite looking forward to it.

Voyager Estate 2002 Shiraz - open well in advance!

2009-09-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

I've noticed with a few of my European and older Aussie wines that you get rewarded for a little bit of forward planning. Like an old matron, these aged wines are a little stroppy if not properly introduced to their environment before consumption, and refuse to show their true character.

We had a classic example of this last weekend. I thought I'd take a Voyager Estate Shiraz 2002 to a friend's for dinner, as few folks around here know of the wonders of Margaret River wines (I suspect they all get exported to the UK). Upon opening at lunchtime, it tasted disjoint, with obvious luscious fruit that was unfortunately separated from the body of the wine. So after an hour or two we vacuum corked it, set it aside and opened up a Tulloch Polkobin Dry Red Shiraz 2003, which turned out to be fine, but in need of a few more years (and hence food).

The next night I popped the vacuum cork and re-tasted the Voyager. Ahhh - this was what I was expecting. Delicious blueberry fruit, pepper and spice fully integrated into a backbone with great length and depth. Beautiful wine. What a difference a day makes ...

We re-tested this theory last night with a Katnook 1998 Cabernet, opening at lunchtime, double-decanting and drinking about 8pm. Again it was slightly harsh and rough when opened, but like Sharon Stone after a long wardrobe session, metamorphosized into a stunning aged thing of beauty. A few more years wouldn't have hurt this either. 1998 was a fine year indeed in Coonawarra.

Steamplant Grill/Couer D'Alene Brewery in Spokane

2009-09-07T20:54:00.000-07:00

It's 6pm on a holiday Sunday, and we suddenly figure out that it's only two blocks from the supremely comfortable Montvale Hotel, our home for the night, to the Steamplant Grill, which just happens to host a Couer D'Alene Brewing Company microbrewery. Well, it'd be rude not to visit, really, wouldn't it?

Spokane's past is starkly represented in this part of the downtown, and the two tall smoke stacks seem to tower like guardians of it's industrial heritage. But step inside Steamplant Square and into the Grill, and you're transported forward in time into a massive, spacious interior littered with equipment remaining from it's steamy, grimy days. It's an incredibly impressive renovation, one of the best I've ever seen.

We headed downstairs and perched ourselves at the bar, to be confronted by an intimidatingly long list of microbrews. What can you do but order a tasting selection. They offered them all in 5 oz glasses, and well, I was up for the challenge!

With so much beer to work through, food was needed. We started with some simple but tasty shrimp and vegetable fritters, which were almost 'bhaji' like in texture. Encouraged by these, we ordered something more substantial. I couldn't resist elk chops, which arrived cooked medium rare, tender and melt-in-the-mouth delicious. Jan's love of ribs was reignited by the availability of a still quite massive half order, which she enjoyed immensely. This was basically decent pub food. Perfect with beer and Jan's mojitos.

Of the beers, the restrained, citrusy Rockford Bay IPA was my favorite. The full-bodied Pullman Porter, all espresso and mocha, was fine too. Honorable mentions are due to the ridiculously easy drinking Huckleberry Ale, Centennial Pale Ale and Golden Ale, all worthy of a pint or two. A little less vanilla in the stout and I think I'd have liked that too, which is not something I say regularly about stout!

It's good to find another respectable brew pub in this area. This certainly fits the genre of respectable food, interesting beer and a fun atmosphere that I've grown to love in places like Deschutes, Full Sail, the Whistler Brew House and Elyssian. The Pacific Northwest is littered with such places - for me it's one of the great pleasures of living here.

A weekend at the 2009 Okanagan Wine Festival

2009-08-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

It's hard to resist an annual trip up to Silver Star in British Columbia for the summer wine festival. It's a beautiful setting, a quirky ski village in the mountains, there's good hiking and biking, and invariably some fine wines to sample at the Saturday afternoon tasting.

Like oldies rolling up for dinner at an Old Country Buffet, a decent sized hoard of wine tasters arrived suddenly at the village at 4pm. This was a big crowd, but everyone quickly spreads out around the various stands, making this a much more relaxing tasting than your average indoor free-for-all.

We did a circuit of whites followed by a circuit of reds. Crisp, clean white wines, balanced with luscious fruit and bold acid are becoming the signature of the Okanagan Valley, and there were some spectacular wines to be tasted. Dirty Laundry, a new producer for us, lit up the tastebuds early with their superb WooWoo Vines Gewurztramier and powerful Pinot Gris, both from 2008. In fact Gewurztes of high quality were abundant - Gray Monk 2008 was as good as any, along with an intense Hillside Estate 2008 (an old favorite), Red Rooster's (2008) floral, citrus offering, the spicy, lean, tropical fruit driven Summerhill Platinum 2007, and my favorite, a stunning, racy, complex little 2008 from Thornhaven Estates.

A range of Rieslings of varying styles also impressed. I enjoyed the slightly kerosene-y, rich 8th Generation 2007 Dry Riesling - perfect gumbo wine! Kalala Estate and Ex Nihilo 2007's offered lime and great length, and the stand-out Lang Farm Reserve 2007 added a hint of residual sugar and an alluring complexity, drawing you slowly in with successive tastes just like a series of Lost.

Various Pinot Gris deserve accolades too. Hester Creek, Lake Breeze, Noble Ridge Estate and Summerhill, all 2008s, offered great drinking. This is another grape that is well suited to these sunny, northern climes. Likewise, some beautifully lean chardonnay's, notably the Arrowleaf Solistice 2006, Meyer Family Tribute 2007 and Peller Estates 2007 (I loved this one especially) showed how the winemakers are developing an attractive style, perfectly suited for some wild coho salmon or shell fish.

The array of whites took us a couple of hours to sample (abundant spitting required!). This was a good thing, as where the whites shone, the reds disappointed. In fact there were no reds worth even a minor rave, with the predominant wall of acidity and lack of fruit sending us scurrying to the cheese samples to attempt to save out teeth from almost disolving in a meagre amount of minutes. This was a shame, as there is some fabulous red wine in the Okanagan (visit Jackson Triggs, Sumac Ridge, Mission Hill, and you won't take long to be convinced of this). But none of it was present on this day, I'm afraid.

As 7pm approached, we not-so-discreetly returned to Summerhill's stand to beg a final glass of their Blanc De Noir. This bone dry, bready, crisp fizzy was a perfect ending to a really entertaining and educational tasting, and set me at least up perfectly for the Bulldog Cafe, where my craving for Gado Gado was quickly satisfied!

There was still space in the car on our way home on Sunday, so we stopped off at Dirty Laundry and Thornhaven to test out their full range. No shock, but quite a few of their bottles joined the Jackson-Triggs Sunrock 2006 Shiraz and Cabernets and the case from Wild Goose (their Rieslings, especially the God's Mountain, must be as good as any in North America) that we'd loaded up with on the journey to Silver Star. We declared over 50 bottles at the border, paid our $8 or so duty, and then labored steadily across the scorched channeled scablands of Eastern Washington back to Richland.

A couple of fine Hunter Valley wines

2009-08-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

You don't see many Hunter Valley wines in the USA. They're not South Australia-trendy and mega-ripe, tastebud numbing monsters that appeal to the local wine critics. But we brought over a 100+ Hunter wines when we moved here in 2006, and are slowly working through them as they age. The trick with Hunter wines is, like the stock market, to pick good wines to buy and cellar. Hopefully we have a few aging gracefully on our racks.

The latest pair were opened on a beautiful camping weekend on the flanks of Mt Hood in Oregon. In an idyllic forest setting surrounded by imposing old growth trees, first to be opened was a 2001 Mt Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon. Yep, this is a bit premature for good Hunter semillons, but I reckon it's always a good idea to have a test of the batch to check all is well. This wine was decidely adolescent, with a long future ahead of it. There were hints of a classic toasty, rich Hunter semillon coming through the layers of citrus and fig, but if I'd had my eyes closed, I'd have guessed this alluring wine was 3 years old, not 8. I'll give it another 3 or so before opening more. It turns out this was a top award winner at the 2006 Sydney International Wine Challenge.

The true stunner though was a 1998 Ivanhoe Wines Pressing Shiraz. I've always loved visiting Ivanhoe, as they are steeped in Hunter Valley heritage. Members of the Drayton family, gorgeously welcoming at the cellar door, and with beautifully located estate vineyards behind the tasting room in Polkobin, they produce true regional wines. Most are very drinkable, some are very good, and occasionally some real gems are produced.

This 1998 Pressing Shiraz had snuck away on the wine racks, and I was a little surprised to still have a bottle of a wine I vividly remebered as immense in stature in its youth. 1998 was a great vintage though, so I shouldn't have worried too much. For me, this was what Hunter shiraz is about. Showing incredible elegance, length and balance, there were layers of dark dried fruit and peppery spice, sitting on a foundation of soft tannins that almost camouflaged the gentle acid that promised further development.

The typical leathery Hunter character was just starting to develop, adding intrigue to this wine's incredibly complex profile. Perfect with flank steak on the BBQ, my only regret was that I didn't have another bottle. Fortunately, a couple of 2003's adorn our collection, and like a stolen Van Gogh, these are destined to remain in hiding for a good while.

Another visit to Steelhead Diner, Seattle

2009-07-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it upfront. Since first visiting Steelhead Diner last year, this is about my fourth visit, and the restaurant is firmly cemented as one of my very favorites in Seattle. I love the casual dining at the all-action kitchen or the communal tall tables, the excellent wine list, full of unusual selections, the edgy, slightly chaotic atmosphere, and of course, the food. On recent visits I've been served the best clams I've ever tasted, delicious braised rabbit and perfect halibut. The standard of the food seems uniformly high, and I guess most importantly, like a bear in patch of huckleberries, it matches my tastes perfectly.

I was however terribly disappointed that the clams and chorizo were not on the menu. I was so looking forward to their salty, spicy, zesty flavors. As a compensation then, I had to 'suffer' Totten Inlet mussels, and these were simply sensational. Plump and juicy, they tasted like they'd just been plucked off rocks, steamed and delivered to my table. I didn't know mussels could be this good in the Pacific Northwest - this is comparable to the wonder of fresh green lips in New Zealand. Higher praise cannot be given to a humble bivalvia mollusc!

Jan ordered the crab cake. It is literally crab (meat only) vaguely shaped like a cake, bulging with lumps of gorgeous dungeness crab flesh. Result - hard to beat.

It's also nigh impossible to deviate from the fish theme in Steelhead Diner, so we went with the flow and ordered cat fish and Columbia River salmon. The muddy, lightly fried catfish sat on some grainy hominy and a highly unusual, tangy, spicy sauce - almost like it was infused with Worcestershire. A creamier, smoother hominy blend supported the pink, medium-rare salmon. Adding bing cherries and almonds created a crunchy, fruity concoction that kept the delicious fish in the best of company. Both dishes were perfect examples of Steelhead Diner's style - great ingredients, imaginative but simple combinations of flavors, and first class preparation.

Honorable mention should go to the bottle of 2008 Ponzi Arneis, a wine of great purity and laser-like, focused minerality. This was a truly versatile, fish-friendly wine. It had enough acid to cut through spiciness, and enough fruit to sit comfortably with a hunk of rich salmon.

Every time we wander around Pike Place markets, we discover something exciting and new. But sometimes it's nice to head back to old, familiar territory, where the freshest ingredients combine with interesting and occasionally inspired preparations. It's a combination that is hard to beat.

Dinner at T. Maccarone's, Walla Walla

2009-06-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

I had to keep pinching myself most of the way through dinner at T.Maccarrone's (aka TMacs) in Walla Walla on a balmy Wednesday night recently. Were we really in Eastern Washington? That bastion of server's who tell your their name, ask every 90 seconds how your dinner tastes and attempt to get you out of the restaurant in about the same time it takes to get drive through at the local MacDonald's at 6pm.

We were actually lucky to get a table at just after 6pm, which was the first surprise. The stylish restaurant was buzzing with an all-ages crowd as we were led up the small set of steps to a table in the cosy back corner. Immediately we were immersed in the perpetual action of the restaurant, with a prime view of the food being delivered from the kitchen and the locals lingering over a glass at wine at the small bar. The staff work hard at TMacs, but there's a breezy, friendly efficiency to their work. With a dining room where you quickly get to know your neighbors, it felt like a big city bistro handling the rush of office workers happy that it's a Friday night. That, believe me, is not a common experience in Eastern Washington, this land of huge open spaces, big skies and very sparse people.

The surprises kept coming. We'd never heard of Nicholas Cole Cellars, but were tempted, mostly based on bottle-age, by their 2003 Camille. And those 6 years had definitely made their mark. This was an elegant, beautifully balanced wine with dusty tannins and cedar and fruit that had all the hallmarks of a long life ahead (Some of this wine and several others were purchased at the winery soon after!).

Then the food surprises started rolling out. Shards of rhubarb in a salad? A new one on us, but it worked wonderfully, along with shaved fennel, spring onions, arugula and a refreshing champagne vinaigrette. The beef carpaccio was less divergent from culinary norms, but I really liked the hint of white truffle in the dressing that lifted the dish into the next enjoyment dimension.

Main courses were actually almost conventional - Columbia River salmon, and roast chicken with a mix of seasonal vegetables. Simple, well executed dishes made with an eye to local, in season ingredients. This is really just classic bistro food, and it's a style which I am finding myself increasingly drawn to as restaurants emphasize local produce and focus on freshness and purity of flavor. If only we had a restaurant this good in the Tri-Cities.

It might take us nearly an hour to drive to Walla Walla. And maybe cost a hotel room for the night. But on the basis of several recent visits, and with the discovery of T.Maccarone's funky downtown bistro, I doubt this will the our last little jaunt this summer. Walla Walla might be a small town, but there's more quality food and drinking establishments in it's central 6 or so blocks than the whole of the Richland, Kennewick and Pasco combined. Sad really, but true.

From Seattle to Whistler - some recent taste extravaganzas (Part 2)

2009-06-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

Following on from the last post, here's some more recent experiences from our travels.

It's well worth a visit to Ice Harbor at The Marina, Clover Island in Pasco. A beer sampler platter gives you a good appreciation of the their wares, and few will disappoint. These are medium to full bodied brews with a lot of style and characters. The Tangerine Hefeweizen is a good example - treated clumsily this could be awful, but it isn't. It's refreshing and zingy. My favorites though are their Pale Ale, Red Ale, IPA trio- try them in that order to appreciate the different styles. I wish I could be as complimentary about the food. The burgers are respectable pub fare. But divert from that well-trodden culinary path, and in our experience you could be a little disappointed. Which is a shame, as this is a pleasant bar which promises food a little above the average.

Wasabi Bistro is by no means new territory. We tend to end up there when we're completely confused about where to go in Belltown due to the numerous temptations. It's a reliable, hip and trendy fallback position that, like beer from a microbrewery, rarely disappoints and sometimes excels.

Over multiple visits, we've migrated away somewhat from their 'new school sushi'. It's creative and tasty, but there's a lot of mayonnaise-y stuff used which sometimes seem to overwhelm the other ingredients. So now when we visit, we sit at the sushi bar and graze across the menu while enjoying a bottle of their reasonably priced wine (a Spanish Albarino this visit). There's always sufficient interest in food and wine selections to make for an enjoyable experience.

We (well, I!) started with some briny, silvery local oysters, that slid down impeccably with the Albarino. I love oysters, and these were freshly shucked, clean tasting specimins. Sat in the middle was an icy sake creation, that was an intriguing mix of heat and cold. I ate the oysters, then the ice. Good oysters don't need any embellishments.

Then we indulged in an odd stack of tuna poki, crab salad and avocado served with crunchy lotus root chips. Jan preferred this more than me. The explosive roe and tuna were shiny and fresh and delicious, but something about the combination texturally just didn't quite work for me. I guess I'm just not into smooth, mushy food - porridge is my worst nightmare :(

Next up was a rather surprisingly substantial calamari salad. Nothing out of the ordinary, but a tasty and satisfying dish, especially for hungry customers.

We finished up with butterfish in a sticky, sweet miso sake marinade (misoyaki). The flaky, oily white fish reminded me of black cod, and as the translucent flesh melted away on my taste buds, it left a big smile on my face. This dish wasn't particularly restrained in flavors, almost slipping onto the 'too sweet' side of the ledger, but it certainly demonstrated the deftness of cooking that is commonplace at Wasabi Bistro. Next time we're overwhelmed with choice in Belltown, there's a good chance we'll be back.

The Bearfoot Bistro has long been renowned as one of the best restaurants in Whistler. Visit in May and their '3 courses for $40' deal is verging on the irresistible. In fact, so irresistible we went 3 times over 2 long weekend visits. With a little help from some friends, this meant we pretty much sampled the whole menu!!

Highlights that spring to mind include the chunks of seared albacore tuna with mushroom miso broth ...

the sublime green pea risotto, topped with slivers of delectable truffle pecorino ...

a buffalo short rib, cooked for an incredibly long time, I suspect, until the meat became almost creamy in texture, with a dense, dark, strong gamy flavor. Amazing stuff ...

And in their champagne bar, the duck confit and salmon were breathtakingly good. The lightly (cold?) smoked salmon, in fact, was the best I think I've ever had.

I do wish they'd served the full restaurant menu in their much more casual champagne bar.

The main dining room is beautifully elegant, and has top class service (which becomes nicely relaxed as dinner progresses). But the whole formal feel and live piano music thing seems more 1980's than cool and hip 21st century Whistler. It's probably just me, but I'm over craving this kind of dining experience. Fortunately, I doubt I'd ever get over their food. Some of their creations are simply magical.

From Seattle to Whistler - some recent taste extravaganzas (Part 1)

2009-05-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

It's probably a good thing that I only get around to blogging about a handful of the restaurants we visit, the wines we drink and the beer I slurp (Jan drinks wine/cider only). Still I thought I'd throw together a few short notes on recent experiences, just for the record. So in the order that a darn fine Cloudy Bay 2008 Sauvignon Blanc brings memories to my fingers, here we go:

We had breakfast at T. Maccarone’s in Walla Walla. They call it brunch, but we just did food, no booze. The breakfast potato gratin was absolutely stunning. A staggering satisfying stack of russet potatoes, Italian cheese, panchetta and poached eggs. Jan's slow roasted pork sandwich was pretty tasty too, but in comparison to the spuds, it was like comparing the lyrical quality of Joni Mitchell with the ditties of Brittany Spears. They need decent coffee, but it's a forgivable omission, as on this Sunday morning, most folks were drinking champagne! I want to go back for dinner.

Rockford 2002 Rod and Spur - a cabernet/shiraz blend from the producer of the cult Basket Press Shiraz. We bought this at the winery a few years ago and in 2009 it was consumed during a fine dinner at Whitehouse-Crawford in Walla Walla - one of the highlights of Eastern Washington dining. This was great and rare wine from the cool 2002 Barossa vintage. Basically, elegance in a bottle. A new song title for Sting, perhaps? :)

Whistler Brewing Company Weissbier - this transports me back to skiing in Austria. A beautifully weighted, mysterious and balanced beer, reminiscent of fine Belgium weissbiers, but with its own unique signature. Different but delicious. I will be buying more very soon.

Probably the coolest restaurant we've been to in a few years is How to Cook a Wolf in Queen Anne. Hardly a name designed for the mass market, and it's a good job given the dining room is not much bigger than an average NBL player's shoebox. It's a restaurant that's about style - from staff to decor to food, it's all funky and eclectic. Like slivers of octopus and fingerling potatoes, delicately dressed in olive oil and herbs. Or seared escolar, a slab of oily white fish, gently seasonaed and coaxed into something quite special. And there were pasta shells with peas, and a deeply flavored lamb chop, both accentuated with complex, light broths that complimented rather than overpowered.

With a small, ever-changing 'small plates' menu, short but interesting Italian-focused wine list, and a no reservations policy, this is a place to graze and savor, and then head over the road to the Hilltop Ale House for beer and dessert. Just don't plan on getting to work too early.

Matt's in the Market, Seattle

2009-05-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Walking into Matt's in the Market is such a welcoming experience that you feel like the staff already know your name, just like you think you know the owner's. But the owner is called Dan, not Matt, and the staff really don't know who we are as its our first visit. It's easy to ignore the facts though and go along with the feelings radiated by this cheerful, friendly little restaurant tucked away in Pike Place Market. You even get accompanied to the bathroom by the staff - how friendly is that? :)

The small dining room is 2/3rds full when we arrive at 6.15pm on a Thursday (an early dinner before going to see Leonard Cohen's amazing gig). It's an eclectic crowd, young and old, some business attired, some casually glamorous, some (ie me) casually tatty, all along with a surprising smattering of Jennifer Lopez wannabees with short skirts and huge dangly earrings, perched at the small bar in the corner.

We are seated next to the open kitchen, and order a bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (I forget which - it was typically tasty though) while watching the chefs doing their chef-ly thing. We're perfectly perched to watch the pasta making machine being skillfully driven by the only female member of the cooking crew that evening. It looks so good, Jan settles on her entree before we even see the menu.

The small, tightly focused menu full of Pike Place Market produce doesn't take long to navigate, and an appetizer of chunky, smoky octopus quickly arrives. Oh, how I wish I knew how to cook octopus like this, chargrilled on the outside, and succulently moist within. Freshness is a key element, I suspect. A few simply boiled Yukon Gold potatoes and lime-driven dressing rounded out a very satisfying start to dinner.

It was halibut season, so I ordered it. I was rewarded by a delicious, thick halibut steak served with broad beans, spinach and a gentle, citrus-infused vinaigrette that lifted the dish to way above 'your average halibut dinner' level. I love fresh, perfectly cooked halibut. I loved this dish.

Jan's pasta-prescience manifested itself in several squares of duck confit-stuffed ravioli, floating in a light, spinach infused broth, topped with a little shaved Romano. This took ravioli to heights not seen since our Serafina visit in November, and may even have surpassed the lofty standards of their spinach and ricotta version. Hats off to the kitchen on this one. They do know how to drive that pasta machine.

Due to sensible sized servings and efficient but unobtrusive (and friendly) service, we had space and time for dessert. My mother used to make crackingly good bread puddings, but sorry Mum, this one takes the biscuit. The bread was soaked in coconut milk, which added complexity without overwhelming. The silken slices of bread, crunchy cashews and a little maple ice cream was a sensuous texture-fest, which lasted all too little a time before the bowl was empty.

The formula at Matt's in the Market is simple to figure out. I suspect it goes roughly like this. Go outside restaurant. Purchase fabulously fresh ingredients from Pike Place market providers. Prepare these simply so the produce shines.

On the evidence of this visit, the kitchen knows how to execute this formula with some skill, subtly embellishing flavors rather than intruding on what nature provides. The only bummer is that we now have another restaurant to add to the 'must go back to list' in Seattle. It's a list that only ever seems to grow. A tasty problem to have though.

Thai Taste-off in Bend

2009-05-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

Bend is great little town. The fact that it is near Mt Bachelor makes it an even more attractive town in winter, but with a superb collection of micro-breweries and restaurants, I can take a visit there any time.

A few years ago we fell in love with Toomies in downtown Bend, and their fresh, bold and reasonably genuine Thai food. And then a couple of years ago, Typhoon! came to town. We'd enjoyed visits to Typhoon!'s siblings in Seattle and Portland in the past, and hence the temptation to stray from Toomies and sample the competition was strong. But for a year or more, we resisted!

Last month however, two consecutive Bachelor ski trips, staying in Bend, presented the perfect opportunity. So on the first Saturday, we headed to Typhoon!, and the following weekend, it was back to Toomies. The 'Bend Thai taste-off' was finally going to happen.

In reality, it was a mismatch. Typhoon!, with its slick, dark and moody interior, cheerful staff and inventive menu really looked the part, but unfortunately the food didn't live up to it's billing. The Crying Tiger packed the bite of kitten, and while the beef was good quality, it was much more cooked than this dish requires. The Three Flavored Fish, a benchmark dish in our Thai restaurant travels, suited a 'one flavored dish' moniker much better. It was overly sweet, lacking the tamarind and heat that creates the wonderful confection of sweet and sour that usually accompanies the fish. Nice halibut though. My King's Curry, a dry red curry beef with green beans and the promise of a hefty kick of chili, was missing complexity and excitement, as well as chili. All in all, it was a pleasant dinner, but far from special, and only a vague approximation to genuine Thai food. Redesigned for the local palate, perhaps? Maybe. But it didn't work that well for us.

The following week Toomies delivered as promised. A small group of us shared several main courses, including my benchmark, Jungle Curry beef, a whale-sized piece of shiny halibut, and a pair of seafood stir-fries heavily populated with succulent calamari, salmon and shellfish. Only a Pad Thai disappointed, seeming a little sweet and with little definition of flavor. For all the other dishes, Toomies' trademarks of complexity of flavor, fresh spices and deft cooking shone. While the ingredients aren't always exactly what you'd find in Thailand, the flavors are true to their Thai heritage, albeit with a Pacific Northwest slant. But this is for folks who enjoy genuine Thai food. It's not compromised in any way.

So there you have it. Toomies will remain a staple of our Bend visits, and while I wouldn't rule out a return to Typhoon!, I can't see it happening soon given Bend's culinary competition. Anyway, given the number of diners at each restaurant, Typhoon! won't miss our occasional business, as it's obviously a real hit with the locals. Maybe Toomies is suffering from its familiarity and longevity in comparison to the sexy new-ish kid on the block. The restaurant was busy, but far from full, whereas Typhoon! was turning over tables as quickly as they became available. Toning down the food to suit local tastes is probably a good business strategy - one I hope Toomies never adopts :)

But go see for yourself. I doubt either will disappoint.

A taste of Austrian food and wine

2009-03-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

In late February, we jumped on various planes and trains and ended up in 3 different Austrian ski areas over nearly 3 weeks. The skiing was wonderful (see ski blog), the scenery suitably stunning, and the food and drink darn fine too. Here's a little travel-and-eat-and-drink-alogue, with lots of pictures.

We started in Tschagguns in the Montafon Valley, staying at the delightful Hotel MontafonerHof.
The hotel supplied us with an extensive, tasty buffet breakfast and a five course dinner in the evening. The dishes were sensibly sized, and almost 'gourmet' in their preparation - the kitchen certainly took a lot of care in preparation. Fish, pork, beef and chicken adorned the menu, and there was nothing that was at all disappointing. A fabulous cheese platter was also available, with local blue, washed rind and table cheeses to explore. Desserts were a highlight!

After 2 days in Montafon, we jumped on the train on crystal clear Saturday, and two hours later were in Lech am Arlberg.

In Lech, staying at our cosy little B&B, Hotel Laerchenhof (best carrot juice on earth!), meant we had 7 nights to sample the local cuisine. Lech is full of high quality and expensive hotels, with apparently adventurous dining rooms, and equally adventurous prices. Being ex-Sydneysiders, and now living in the Pacific Northwest, both hot beds of wonderful, cutting edge cuisine, we were more inclined to seek out the traditional, local dishes in the family run restaurants. Places like Schneider's, serving Tyrolean Groestl, pork loin and pepper sauce, and apple strudel with vanilla sauce that was good enough to make your toes curl!

Other favorite small restaurants were Cafe Olympia (recommend the Zanderfilet and dumplings) and the Ilga's in Oberlech, where venison ragout was a rich, dark wonder best consumed with a bottle of local Zweigelt.

We also splashed out one night at Restaurant Fux, which is a very classy pad with modern, minimalist decor and a wine list that would challenge the credit card limit of most average punters. We started with salmon and yellowfin sashimi, that was impressively fresh, especially given we were in a ski resort in the middle of Europe. A tender Iberian pork chop and juicy, respectfully seasoned baby chicken followed. It was fine food indeed. A fine restaurant all around in fact.

We tried all week to get a table at the Haus Nummer 8, a tiny traditional restaurant near our hotel. Set in a centuries old building with dangerously low ceilings and doors (ok, not dangerous for me, but ...), the menu looked super traditional. And given we couldn't get a table all week, we just had to sit in the bar and drink hefeweizen and the best Weissburgender (local pinot blanc) we tasted all trip.

There was a crazy amount of snow in Lech, and the skiing was quite superb. But by Saturday it was time to move on.

Another two hour bus-train-bus journey saw us arrive in the sunny village of Fiss, set on a small plateau high above the valley below.

A small, traditional farming hamlet transformed by the ski industry, it was a perfect place to stay. There were cows in barns all over town, a quaint old church with an ornate graveyard (a grave for each of the 50 families of the village) and a handful of small restaurants for exploration.

Fiss was the food highlight of the trip. The Dorfalm restaurant was a little beauty, serving hearty dumplings, perfectly sizzled pork and potato salad, and and on our last night, a venison stew to beat all venison stews.
We had discovered last year that the pizzas in southern Austria weren't to be ignored, and luckily Fiss surpassed in this line of cuisine too. The Dolce Vita Italian restaurant was a gem, serving thin, moist pizzas from a wood-fired oven, as well as beef carpaccio dressed in lemon and olive oil, and shining, generous serves of salmon tartare. My calzone was the best I've had outside Italy (that I can remember anyway!).

Both these restaurants were worthy of repeat visits, so we did. On other nights we weren't short of options either, finding tasty local food at very respectable prices (9-13 Euros a main course was the norm in Fiss).

The whole Serfaus-Fiss ski area was notable for the quality of its on-mountain restaurants. Several new, incredibly modern and comfortable self-service restaurants littered the slopes and provided a whole range of tempting options. Smaller, old traditional options were even more numerous, giving a wide choice of lunch options. Completely outstanding everywhere were the desserts. Germknoedel with vanilla sauce might just be my favorite dessert ever. The apple strudels weren't far behind.

These arrays of cakes in the main mountain restaurants tried every afternoon to draw us in.

But we resisted. Somehow. Maybe it was because the apres at the Hexenalm at the bottom of the gondola wasn't too far away. A crazy, fun place. Fine hefeweizen too. I like hefeweizen.

While Austrian wine isn't renowned as the best in Europe, there's some really interesting wines to be sampled. Some of the Gruener Veltliners, the staple white house wine, are highly agreeable, with tropical fruit flavors and solid, attractive minerality. The standout white is Riesling, and there's some beauties to be found. We enjoyed several bone dry, immaculately balanced wines, typically exhibiting citrus or apple, layered on a rich, balanced foundation. Tongue tingling good. The sweet fruit chardonnays were ok, and some of the Pinot Blancs were outstanding, although more variable than the other white varieties.

In terms of reds, we had a surprisingly peppery, lean Shiraz, unmistakably a cool climate wine, but top stuff with pork and pepper sauce. A couple of St Laurents were blueberry, smoky monsters, but very drinkable. Several blends of Cabernet, Zweigelt and St Laurent produced full bodied, very well made wines. And the Zweigelts and Blaufränkisches (Lemberger) were round, velvety, fruity mouth filling wines designed for venison ragout and groestl :)

Saturday noon came around far too quickly, and suddenly it was time to get the taxi-train-plane back to Richland.

A really fabulous holiday. Some of the best skiing for us ever. And I really enjoy the simple, traditional dishes that can be easily found in Austria. The local wines are good stuff too. And hey, with hefeweizen this fine, how can anything be bad!!!

Walla Walla Vintners Merlot 1997-2002 vertical tasting

2009-02-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

My friend Kathy is a bit of a Walla Walla Vintners groupie. Whenever we visit the vineyard with her, we're treated like royalty, even when we get the credit cards out and they help us carry the inevitable two or three cases to the car. On our last visit, one of the owners pulled a rabbit out of the hat - one of the remaining three 6-packs of 1997-2002 Merlots. This was far too tempting to resist, and so we left with a box and hid it away for 6 months until a suitable group of six winos were gathered after a hard day on a ski hill.

Rather tragically, a dodgy cork had worked its wicked way with the 1997, leaving only hints beneath the dominant wet cardboard taste of the luscious fruit that was once there. This was poured in the bath.

The truly spectacular 1998 more than made up for the disappointment of the 97. This was a wonderful aged wine, exhibiting a kaleidoscope of dark fruit, spice and earthy flavors. Soft and supple in the mouth, long and lingering on the finish, there was a fight to get the last drops of this one.

The 1999 was kinda airy, light and simple. Nice berries on the palate, and a pleasant wine, but an earlier death would've probably been wise. The 2000 was far from moribund though. An almost inky texture, with an alluring earthiness, stewed plums, dried blueberries and prominent tannins, this was another excellent example of a balanced, gracefully aging Washington Merlot. The same couldn't really be said of the 2001, which was still a tasty, rich wine like a dark chocolate fruit bar, but with a slightly odd metallic hint and a flabbiness that didn't bode well for the future.

The youngest wine of the lot turned out to be one of the best. The 2002 had it all. Still youthful and zesty, this was a seamless, brooding wine. Layers of flavor revealed themselves in the glass, from cocoa, spice, and lavender to blackberry and plum. This as a fabulous drop, made from a blend of Columbia Valley grapes. Interestingly, my other favorite of this sample, the 1998, was also made from Columbia Valley grapes, whereas all the others were Walla Walla grapes from various vineyards.

This was a highly educational little tasting for us all. It showed just how well Washington Merlot can age, and I suspect also how you have to make sure you keep the good vintages and drink the average ones. But I'd sure like to try that 1998, 2000 and 2002 again in two or three years. Maybe I should just collect the even numbered years :)

Brian's Pourhouse, Hood River

2009-01-21T21:05:00.000-08:00

It's weird how the mind works sometimes. On Saturday night, it suddenly occurred to me that in this decade we'd lived longer in the USA than Australia. An odd piece of trivia, but one I wouldn't have imagined could possibly become true when we first went to Brian's Pourhouse in November 2001. Back then, we'd had a wild day of blizzard skiing at Mt Hood Meadows, and retreated back to Hood River to stay the night. Coincidentally, our hotel was next door to Brian's Pourhouse, so we wandered in, and didn't manage to leave that evening. With a few subtle variances, this same pattern has been repeated many times in the intervening years, and was destined yet again last Friday night.

The formula is simple. Wander in around 7pm, grab a table for dinner, usually with a decent bottle of wine; eat, pay the check, and retreat to the bar for more banter and beers. The cosy, congenial atmosphere and eclectic mix of customers, from ski and windsurfing bums to the local Hood River glitterati, creates a buzzing social melting pot that is nigh impossible to leave until fatigue or too many Ice Axes force you home to bed.

This was our first visit for a year or so, but some perennials were instantly recognizable on the menu. The chili crusted calamari was one of those, and it's hardly changed since that first visit. A sizable plate of calamari, in a light-ish, crunchy batter with ginger soy dipping sauce was simply perfect with a bottle of Elk Cove 2007 Pinot Gris. The marinated ahi napoleon is a more recent menu addition, but my favorite appetizer. It's a delicious concoction of big, square, crispy wontons, layered on top of each other with raw ahi, bean sprouts and an oriental-style salad between layers. Add a little wasabi aoili and you have a dish to savor.

I couldn't resist another old favorite for my main course. The wasabi crusted ahi was the dish that taught me about the quality of ahi in the Pacific Northwest. This time, two barely seared hunks of sushi grade ahi were joined by rather odd but supremely tasty sesame mashed potato egg rolls. Like Hilliary Clinton returning to the White House, it felt good to be back in familiar territory.

I vowed if we went back the next night I'd have the buffalo osso bucco. The buffalo looked like it had been slow cooked for hours, falling apart at the merest touch of a fork. I had to show immense restraint in not raiding Greg's plate. On the girlie side of the table, Jan's numerous prawns sat in a zesty orange saffron broth, which was lifted by hints of fennel. And Kathy went back to basics with a simple, spicy fish tacos.

We eventually paid the check and retreated to the bar for a couple of beers. Sipping Ice Axe, it was a pleasure just soaking up the atmosphere, people watching, and admiring the expensive 'for sale' photos on the walls. Brian's has got the 'Bar and Bistro' routine perfected. Interesting, reasonably priced and well executed food, a decent selection of beers and wine, and an atmosphere that makes you instantly feel welcome.

It was like I'd never been away.

A set of spectacular Sangioveses

2009-01-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

There's something sexy about Italian varietals. Maybe it's the soft, velvety mouthfeel that so many Italian reds exhibit. Or the deep red color and tempting aromas that waft from the glass. Whatever it is, I like it a lot. So when my winobuddy Kathy said she had a crazy urge to open her 2004 Leonetti Sangiovese, how could anyone say no. A few emails later we had a small, select crew and an interesting line-up of four sangios - 3 from Walla Walla and a wild card South Australian - to brown-bag and blind taste in our Kellogg, Idaho hotel room.

And four fine wines they were too. All were drinking superbly, but unanimous opinion split them into two levels quality-wise. First, the Walla Walla Vintners 2004 and Five Star Cellars 2005 were an attractive pair and probably drinking close to their prime. The Vintners was their classic style, exhibiting dried cherry and black olive, supported by powdery tannins. The Five Star tasted more developed, with fruit cake aromas, dark fruit, spice, and great balance, which hinted at some more aging potential if you can avoid drinking it. Delicious wines, but the best was in the other two bottles.

If you had to choose one of the wines to drink on the spot, it would've been the Leonetti. The almost sinfully luscious blackberry fruit, cedar, pepper, all wrapped up in an intense package of firm tannins - it was virtually irresistible. After we'd finished tasting and started drinking, this bottle was empty in a matter of minutes.

There was certainly still life in the Leonetti, but if you had to bet on a wine to keep for 5 years, it'd be the Brokenwood 2004 Mclaren Vale Sangiovese from the famous Rayner Vineyard. Bottle development was starting to dull the primary fruit, creating a melange of dried raisons, tobacco, anise and all sorts of flavors I failed to identify. Perfectly balanced, each sip drew you deeper into the mysterious complexity of this wine. I think I was still trying to work this one out, nose in glass, while the others killed off the Leonetti.

The Leonetti and Brokenwood were two of the best Sangioveses I've tasted from the New World. Luckily there's at a couple of the Brokenwood's left on my racks, so another one of those might pop out in a year or two for testing! In the meantime, it's time to stock up on the best that Washington has to offer.

Tsillan Cellars Wine Dinner at Katya's

2009-01-13T19:43:00.000-08:00

Like Michael Jackson with a bunch of young boys, an Arctic blast had taken hold of the Tri-cities and was refusing to let go. But as I walked along the Columbia River into an evil cold wind, I cared little about frost bite potential or slipping on the ice. It was mid-December, and I was heading to a wine dinner at Katya's Bistro. With wine from Tsillan Cellars, one of the rising stars of the Washington wine scene, and a bunch of mad scientists from work to enjoy dinner with, my frozen ears were the last thing I cared about.

I'd missed the last few wine dinners at Katya's due to work commitments, so it was good to enter the restaurant and see a packed, buzzing room. It was even better when a glass of 'surprise' wine was served while we waited for the rest of the folks to arrive. This had been sorely missing on previous occasions, leaving everyone sat around twiddling their thumbs until the dinner got underway. An aperitif is exactly what's needed to start the evening off on the right foot.

The star of the night was undoubtedly the wine. The 2007 Reserve Gewurztraminer aperitif was as dry as wine comes, lively and with lingering citrus flavors. It wasn't bad, but not a patch on the stunning 2006 Estate Dry Riesling. This was a stunner. Lean and focused, impeccably balanced, it reminded me instantly of lemon sherbet, built on a solid minerally foundation. A great wine for quaffing, or even better, with an oyster or twelve.

The reds followed, first the fruity 2006 Sinistra that openly betrayed it's Italian origins. Soft, sexy and velvety, a terribly easy wine to drink. Then came the blockbusting 2005 Bellissima Rossa. A statuesque Bordeaux blend, offering deep, dark fruit, harmonious oak and a finish as long as the 2008 US election campaign. Cellar this one and enjoy in a few years.

Katya's food offered a fine backdrop for the wine. I enjoyed the scallop and Portabella mushroom immensely with the Riesling. The goose loaf was sure interesting and it's grainy meatiness was well matched with the Sinistra's velvet, fruity mouthfeel. I wasn't 100% convinced by the bison bourgignon with the Bellissima Rosso. The dish was tasty, but the rich sauce seemed to somewhat mask the wine's wonderful fruit.

All in all, a top night was had by all, and for $60 each, the cost was very reasonable. These dinners are coming together nicely. With a lively atmosphere, informative wine maker, decent food and interesting wine, there's a lot to enjoy. I'm looking forward to the 2009 line up.

Update on Taverna Tagaris

2008-12-01T20:23:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while since our last Tagaris visit. While the food has always been mostly respectable, and occasionally darn fine, their home-grown wine simply didn't inspire me to wander along as often as the food and dining space probably warrant.

While we'd heard rumors from reliable sources that the wine was improving, the impetus for this visit was provided by the recent wine festival results which afforded Tagaris considerable acclaim. Two double gold medals in fact. Hence a plan was hatched, and on a cool November Friday evening we wandered in around 6.30pm and were quickly shown to a table in the reasonably busy restaurant. As always, the atmosphere was low key and the crowd the typical Tri-cities mix, ranging from business folks on a big night night out to a mother and daughter indulging in a quick flatbread. We did have a Cruella de Vil lookalike on the table next to us though. She must've got the date for Halloween mixed up.

On to the food. Gambas al Ajillo, 6 delicious shrimps in a spicy chipolte, garlicky sauce were excellent. Really excellent. The Albondegas, pork and lamb meatballs in a green, smoky salsa, didn't quite hit the same highs. Certainly not something to trade your firstborn in return for, but decent meatballs nonetheless. To be honest, I don't think I've ever had meatballs anywhere that I'd rave about, so perhaps I'm a hard meatball marker.

We'd ordered a bottle of the 2006 Mourvedre, one of the aforementioned medal winners. Like meatballs, I've never had a Mourvedre that I'd contemplate poverty to taste, but this was undoudtedly very drinkable wine at a not-too-crazy price. I'd like to give it a year or more to round out and develop further. But fortunately I'd ordered the steak, a chunky grilled tenderloin served with truffle mash and squash. This did what age hadn't had the opportunity to achieve with the wine, bringing out dark cherry, spice and reminders of my occasional close encounters with cigars.

The steak was a top quality (ex-) beast. Cooked as requested, pink in the middle, springy to touch, and melt-in-the mouth perfect to taste. Good enough to bring out my more carnivorous tendencies, for sure. Jan was obviously having the opposite tendencies that night, choosing a simple pumpkin ravioli. Tasty, but by no means inspiring was the verdict. I do however suspect that comparisons with Serafina's wondrous Mezzaluna di Zucca, which we'd had less than a week earlier, were partially the reason for this merely moderately enthusiastic assessment.

We left feeling a bit more warm and fuzzy about Taverna Tagaris. I wish the service was better paced and not 'I'm Freddie and I'll be your server tonight' style annoying and intrusive. The elevation in wine quality instantly makes the restaurant a more appealing place to visit, although I do resent being restricted to only Tagaris wines - they simply don't highligh the region's best. But with the food showing a much more consistent edge (this was my 3rd visit since June with no serious disappointments), I'm starting to feel that we're close to having a restaurant in town that is worth showing off to visitors - for food at least, rather than wine.

Tri-Cities Wine Festival

2008-11-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

After protesting last year over the $60 entrance, we succumbed this year (same price) to the Tri-Cities Wine Festival at the Red Lion in Pasco. It's a real 'Back to the Future' night out. The hotel is very 1980's and the majority of the people very 1950's (yep, we're the young crowd there!). Rather scarily, many feel the need to dress up in their finest attire and parade around, getting slowly inebriated. Some of the sights are worthy of a zombie movie set in the fashion industry. Fortunately the only red stuff they drink is wine.

I'm always a bit ambivalent about this event. There's some good wine, and we always see some fun people there that we know. Two years ago it was incredibly packed, making getting near a spit bucket an implausible act of imagination. And they served nibbles of mostly dreadful mass-production American cheese, basically chunks of fat whose only redeeming quality is to neutralize the acid that from the wine that attacks your teeth.

After reading the paragraphs above, it may come as a surprise to you, dear reader (note singular), that we had a really fun night. It would seem the benefit of the ticket price is to keep down the numbers, especially in these somewhat uncertain economic times. It was easy to get a pour, easy to spit, easy to avoid spilling wine on some 60 year old's $750 skimpy outfit, and easy to get rubbery, tasteless cheese. This set the scene for a fine, quite sedate night of wine exploration.

My hands were too full to take detailed notes, so what follows are just lingering impressions from a few scrawled words, scribbled before another week of work addles my brain. Basically though we sought out new wineries to try, and just fell back on old favorites on occasions when they were too hard to resist.

Two wineries that impressed with their whole selection were from Lake Chelan - Vin du Lac and Tsillan Cellars. The former have been a minor favorite of ours for a while, especially for their focused, lean whites. Last night the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc continued this tradition. They also had a chewy, smoky and powerful 2006 Syrah. These folks know how to make wine.

Tsillan were a new experience, but a darn good one. I liked all their wines, but their 2007 Dry Riesling and the superb 2006 Bellissima Rossa were standouts. A wine tasting trip to Lake Chelan just went up to near the top of the 'must do' list for next year.

Others that impressed were the Stella Fino 2005 Barbara (very Piedmont), 2006 Tagaris Mourvedre (yep, finally, fine wine from Tagaris. I might go eat there again now), Stephenson Cellars 2006 Syrah (one of the best Syrah producers around), Saint Laurent 2007 Riesling (citrus, laser-like intensity), XS Vintners 2004 Reserve (impressive, will last a long time), San Juan Vineyards 2007 Madeline Angevine (weird but delightful), Mount Baker Vineyards Marsanne (soft, true to variety), Northstar 2005 Merlot (lots of muscle and fruit), Lost River 2006 Syrah (dense, smoky, spicy), and the perennially wonderful Columbia Crest 2005 Walter Clore (simply yum!).

So that's what I enjoy best about wine shows like this. Wandering around, seeking out new wines, and seeing where your taste buds take you. Definitely a worthwhile and enjoyable evening.

PS - The medal winners are listed on Andy Perdue's fine blog. I only skimmed them, but there's a helluva lot of medal winners. - on a quick count 40+ golds and a lot more than 50 silvers and bronzes, maybe more. This may explain why the event was extended until 10pm, and when we left at 9.50pm, there were still a handful of golds to be awarded. It was a bit annoying to have the golds handed out so late, as its always fun to watch the winery folks smile when they win. But really, are so many of these wines worthy of a medal? It'd be interesting to know the percentage of entries that received a gong of some color. It does seem rather high? I know there's some good wine there, but ....

Emerald of Siam, Richland

2008-11-05T21:16:00.000-08:00

I still don't get it. Why everyone in this town eats dinner at 5pm, that is. It's like some weird Inverse Ramadan effect, where the locals are driven to eat in daylight hours only. And winter day light hours at that. And all year around, 12 months a year. Driven by Inverse Ramadan, they pile into restaurants at 5pm, eat at some ferocious pace, and leave by 6.30pm with their take-away box to ... well - I've not figured out that bit either.

Anyway, the Inverse Ramadan effect meant that when we arrived at the Emerald of Siam in Richland's Uptown at about 7.15pm, only one other table was occupied. And these other rebellious late diners left before we'd sipped our first beer.

So we sat by ourselves in the main dining room, which like many Tri-cities restaurants, resembles someone's 1970's living room more than an eating establishment. Luckily it doesn't have booths - a saving grace - but ambiance sure isn't a high point. Still, ambiance isn't high on my list of necessities for good dining. One of my favorite Thai restaurants in Sydney was in a decrepit shopping mall in East Botany, with no English menu, rickety tables, Thai dudes chain smoking and drinking Thai whiskey, and with empty cans of cooking oil scattered liberally around the premises. The food was evilly good though.

A handful of previous visits had revealed that the food at the Emerald could be pretty good, if a little inconsistent and 'Americanized'. They also did a decent version of Gang Pah Moo, aka Jungle Curry, and also my favorite curry on earth. This tamarind-based beauty, when well made, suckers you in with its rich tangy welcome, full of peppercorns, kaffir lime leaves, explosive eggplants and slivers of beef or pork. And once you're drawn in, it slowly, almost imperceptibly warms up the taste buds with each mouthful, induces beads of sweat on the forehead, and by the time your bowl is empty, your mouth is alight with a wonderful melange of chili and spice. Great stuff, but one for true devotees of chili. Whenever I order this in Thailand, universally I get a quizzical look, and am asked 'Are you sure?'. Obviously not typical white man food.

We started with Yum Pla Muek, basically squid with sliced vegetables and a good dose of lemon grass, fish sauce and chili. It was very good. A couple of bits of squid were inedibly rubbery, but that's a minor quibble, as there was a generous amount of tasty chunks for us both to enjoy. The heat level was just right, nothing aggressive, just lurking in the background adding depth and interest to the flavors.

Next came the Gang Pah Moo. I'd requested '3 star' heat, and sure got it, by the bucketful. Fortunately, there was enough interest in the dark, rich sauce and thinly sliced pork and vegetables to balance the heat so you hardly noticed it, like Colmes on the Hannity Show. And like any good Jungle, chili was only one of the many dimensions of flavor. This was certainly a worthy interpretation, much better than on previous visits.

Even more surprising in quality was the Plah Rahd Prik. Two small-ish, flash fried white fish, bathed in a slightly sweet but mostly sour sauce, topped with crisp capsicums, onions and, on tonight's evidence, the ubiquitous garlic and chili. The flesh jumped off the bones into our mouths, accompanied by murmurs of 'yum' and 'ooo', mostly from me. Add Singha beer to this picture, and a worthy little artwork would be in production.

The only remains on our plates were two very bare fish skeletons, but this didn't deter the waitress from asking us if we wanted a box! It must be a reflex reaction in this town, I guess. But on our next visit, if the food is this respectable, there'll be nothing left again to take home. It's sure good to see another local Thai pump out some good, honest, genuine Thai dishes. Along with Phuket in Kennewick, at least there's a some choice now. I hope they keep this standard up.

A weekend in the Willamette Valley - Sunday

2008-10-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Fuelled by a southwest style breakfast in Corvallis, we headed north up Highway 99, and by 11.30am were at Eola Hills and ready to taste. It was a cool morning, and we were the first customers to arrive, which gave us the benefit of the full attention of the highly knowledgeable tasting room staff.

They have a lot of wine here, including 5 or so Pinot Noirs from two vintages. We didn't really expect to try all these, but before we knew it, a line of fresh Riedal glasses were on the tasting bar, and we were sampling our way through the whole range! It was an impressive range too, topped by the monstrous, silky and so tempting 2006 "Wolf Hill" Clone "667" Pinot Noir. I really loved this wine, and it set the expectations high for the rest of the day. The very reasonably priced 2006 Reserve "La creole" Pinot Noir was no slacker either - we'll drink these while waiting for the Wolf Hill to age. In addition, the 2005 "Wolf Hill Dijon Clone" Reserve Chardonnay was a lovely, elegant wine with great length and balance. It tasted better than many a wine that is twice the price - irresistible stuff. That Wolf Hill joint seems to produce some darn fine grapes.

Next stop was the new-ish St Innocent winery. This was quite an improvement from the 'shed in some Salem industrial area' we'd visited 2 years ago. And on that visit, they had virtually no wine.

We had no such bad luck this time. It took a good hour to work our way through a gargantuan wine selection of uniformly high quality. Starting with a pure and spicy 2007 Pinot Gris and an even better 2007 Pinot Blanc, our expectations were high. And then the Pinot Noirs started. 8 of them. All from different vineyards, with different styles from their unique terroir. And all from the 2006 vintage, which we were quickly realizing was a bit of a fine one.

I could ramble on for ages about the quality and nuances of these Pinots. But across the board they exhibited an intensity, purity and balance that was completely seductive. From the approachable but delectable Temperance Hill, to the powerhouse White Rose, these wines set our taste buds alight with their distinctive characters, complexity and sheer funkiness. With a certain inevitability, a couple of cases accompanied us to the car, and no doubt will linger on the wine racks for many a year.

As we were running late, we jettisoned a side trip to visit Cristom and headed north to another old favorite, the rustic cellar door at Amity. And there, the quality continued. Amity make my favorite North American Gewurtztraminer, and the 2006 was no let down. Spicy, bone dry, floral - this is a versatile, food friendly wine extraordinaire. It's makes me hungry just thinking about it.

Then out came the 2006 Pinot Noirs. The Sunnyside Single Vineyard was a dark, brooding, complex wine, with a velvety texture that satisfied now and promised more in the future. In a completely different style, the more fruity but truly delicious Winemakers Reserve left me simply wanting to sit down and drink a glass or two. These wines are not as powerful or overt as many Willamette Pinots - perhaps due to the use of mostly neutral oak - but this simply let's the quality of the fruit speak for itself. And I suspect they'll mature beautifully. Overall, great stuff. And another case+ in the back of the now heavily burdened Vibe.

We had to rush to make it to Argyle much before 4pm, our designated 'hit the road home' time. Arygyle is bubbly central in the Willamette, and undoudtedly one of the the best fizzy makers in the USA (if not the best). And it didn't get much better than the 1998 Extended Triage Brut. This is as good a sparkling wine as I've tasted from Argyle, still fresh and zingy while developing adorable toasty aged characteristics. And they cellar it for a decade for me - what a bargain! I was also enamored by the classy 2000 Knudsen Vineyard Brut, and couldn't resist the 'made for turkey' 2005 Black Brut, an Aussie-inspired juicy sparkling Shiraz. All in all, a very fine collection of beautifully made sparkling wines which are a pleasure to taste.

They do make more than fizzy wines at Arygle too, and I guess it's no shock that we also left with a few bottles of chardonnay and pinot noir. The 2006 Nuthouse Chardonnay was a stunner and my favorite chardy of the weekend. Terrific balance, fruit and well integrated oak, I'd bet on this one developing into a seriously complex wine. I may even get to taste it if I can resist drinking a bottle for a few years. The 2005 Nuthouse Pinot Noir proved irresistible too. A different style to some of the funky, earthy pinots we'd tried earlier in the day, with immense fruit and spice wrapped in a smooth package of velvet. Drink now, drink in a few years. Pricey, but worth it.

We had to put more air in Vibe's tires before we left Dundee and headed back to the Tri-cities. With lingering memories of some truly mesmerizing wine, we survived the 4 hour drive home, and even a fuel stop at Wendy's! I'm still trying to figure out how to load all these odd shaped Pinot bottles onto my wine racks. But it's a problem that needs to be solved, as they'll be staying around for a while.

A weekend in the Willamette Valley - Saturday

2008-10-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

A wine tasting weekend in the Willamette Valley is never a hardship. But when our friend Jenny suggested we head over to Corvallis where she lives and try out some of the wineries around that area, we didn't need asking twice. So, armed with a map, blueberries from the farmers market and an Elvis wig (don't ask!), 7 of us in a hired van headed out on a cool Saturday morning in search of new bottles to taste.

Jenny had a local suggestion that she'd visited before, and in minutes we were in the tasting room at Spindrift Cellars. In hindsight, Spindrift probably had the best selection of wines of the day, with a delicious, lean Pinot Gris, and a ripper of a Pinot Blanc (both 2007), which managed to balance sumptuous fruit with zingy acidity. Throw in an elegant, very 'Oregon' 2006 chardonnay, and the only Pinot Noir (2005 Reserve) we bought in the whole day, and we were off to a very enjoyable start to the day.

We then drove south for a while past Eugene, and tasted our way back up towards Corvallis. Our turnaround point was Chateau Lorane, which had an eclectic collection of well priced wines, some very tasty (I liked the Foch a lot), set in a beautiful isolated location overlooking a small lake. This was yet another pleasant, interesting experience fueled by friendly and informative tasting room staff, and sure contrasted with our nest stop, King Estate.

Set on a hill, the King Estate winery is imposing and spectacular. I really like their wine, but tasting it on this particular Saturday afternoon was nigh impossible. Bus loads of Hells Grannies protected the tasting bar from infidels, staring at folks in amazement who tried to get anywhere near their swilling territory. Risking our lives, we sneaked a quick taste of the small number of wines available for tasting, before retreating to find less stressful tasting pastures. I think I liked the wine, espcially the chardonnay, but was too busy staying out of handbag range to really savor the flavors. One to avoid on a weekend, I suspect.

We finished off the day leasurely tasting at Silvan Ridge, Sweet Cheeks and La Velle. The stand out wines at all these tended to be Rieslings (I prefered the dry style ones), Pinot Gris and Pinot Blancs. The La Velle 2007 Riesling was a soft and balanced thing of beauty (one disappeared with oysters and well cooked sturgeon at Anthony's last night), and is one I may cellar for a few years to see how it develops. The Rieslings and especially the creamy Pinot Gris 2007 grabbed my attention at the supremely located Sweet Cheeks, with it's enchanting view across the green rolling valley below. It was the same story in the stylish tasting room at Silvan Ridge, where Riesling and Pinot Gris took my fancy.

(It should also be noted that nearly everywhere we tasted had reds made from grapes in the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla. Some of these were fine wines indeed, but as tourists from Washington, we saved our pennies for the local wines.)

By the time we headed back to Corvallis, I had a case of white wine along with a couple of reds. Not what I'd expected to buy, I must admit. But these southern extremes of the Willamette Valley are a delight to visit, with their (mostly!) intimate, friendly wineries and well made, typically cool climate white wines. Back in Corvallis we sipped beers, had a good dinner at the terribly trendy Strega, and collapsed contentedly in bed well before midnight! There was, after all, a full day of pinot noir tasting ahead.

Washington v Argentina Malbec tasting

2008-09-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

I must confess, Malbec isn't a grape variety I've tasted in abundance. A few samples have been tasted over the years in Australia, but only in the last two years has Malbec got on my radar due to its emergence in several local wineries. I'd found some of these quite appealing in tasting rooms, and a few were now happily resting on my wine rack. Kathy had an non-overlapping collection, and with a quick purchase of some reputable competition from Argentina off Wine Exchange, we had a line up of 10 Malbecs to explore.

The opening and brown bagging process revealed the inevitable corked bottle, leaving 9, comprising 6 Washington and 3 Argies for a group of 8 of us to sample and rate. My overall observation was that these were all very drinkable wines, if some a little simple. Round tannins, moderate acidity, spice, plum and raspberry flavors predominated. Some seemed to have decent aging potential, other clearly a get-it-down-your-neck style!

Anyway, here's what the collective thought ...

There were few disagreements about the Alto Cedro Ano Cero 2006. With pleasant fruit, a light body, but a short finish, it was a respectable $10 wine. Nothing more.

There was little to choose between the next 3 wines. The Three Rivers 2005, Terra Blanca 2005, and the Au Maurice 2005 all had their fans as well as detractors. I liked the voluptuous, bitter chocolate favors of the Au Maurice, whereas others enjoyed the peppery, bold Terra Blanca and the spicy cherry, grippy tannins and potential ageworthiness of the Three Rivers.

There was also nothing to differentiate the ratings of the next 3 wines. The elegant 2006 Doña Paula Malbec Luján de Cuyo wooed most with its raspberry and spice. Noticeable oak and good balance boded well for reasonable longevity. In contrast, the powerful, decidedly young Barnard Griffin 2006 (my favorite of the night) left a lasting impression with its long, lingering spice and tobacco finish. The Fidelitas 2004 had softened with a little bottle age. Dusty tannins, black cherry, pepper, smoke - there was a lot going on in there.

Clear second favorite of the night was Colome 2006 Estate Calchaqui Valley. No light at all seemed to emanate from this inky black wine, laden with pepper, plum, vanilla and smokey bacon. I wouldn't bet on it being one for the long term, but right now it was sure evaporating from people's glasses pretty quickly. (It got a 92 in Wine Spectator)

But just coming out top of the pile was the Walla Walla Vintners 2005 (my second favorite). In classic Vintners style, this medium-bodied, complex wine showed off wonderful black plum fruit on a solid oaky frame. Powdery tannins, some spice and minerality loitered in the mouth for seemingly an age. Undoubtedly impressive stuff.

So, in our little non-scientific blind taste experiment, it would seem that Washington may have a winner on its hands with Malbec. Producers and volumes are small at the moment, but on the basis of this experience, the state seems to be able to produce wines that stand side-by-side in quality with some respectable representatives from the spiritual home of Malbec in the Southern Hemisphere. It'll be interesting to see what the future holds. But I can predict one thing - I'm off to buy some more of the Barnard Griffin and Walla Walla Vintners new vintage as soon as possible :)

A summer of visits to Amici's in Richland

2008-09-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

At the start of summer, I blogged about one of our local restaurants, Amici's. It's an eminently pleasant place to spend an evening, especially in summer when the patio is open and the weather warm.

We've been back a couple of times since, and enjoyed some respectable quality food. One visit, a juicy steak, served with mushrooms and mash was an excellent choice. The special for the night, the steak was cooked perfectly to my medium rare specification, and was a pretty reasonable quality hunk of meat for the price ($20-ish). Jan had the calamari steak, which again was darn tasty and a well constructed dish. Last week Jan fell back on the penne arrabiata. The pasta was al dente, slivers of pancetta added depth to the flavor, and the chili level was just right. Top stuff. Luckily I had to help out to clear the plate :)

I do like Amici's. It's intimate, friendly, perfectly welcoming of us BYOB-ers, and has a few dishes that rarely fail to provide a decent dining experience. For a local restaurant, it does the trick, and stands in stark contrast to the upmarket chain restaurants that are the staple of the Tri-cities. I still yearn for a change in menu (it's been stable for 2 years now), the occasional seasonable special, and a little more imagination, as I think they'd have the crowds lining up to get a table. Regardless, we'll probably be back one Friday night soon for a calamari and penne, armed with a bottle of sangiovese and hoping for enticing surprises.

Osteria La Spiga, Seattle

2008-09-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

It's not been a great summer in Seattle, but 50 degrees and raining in late August was a less than pleasant state of affairs. We'd decided to wander up Capitol Hill, taking advantage of it being a Monday night, and discover where looked interesting to eat. We wandered past a 'bulging at the seams' Quinns, where an hour wait was expected. Several other local eateries were bursting with people. Obviously Monday night isn't too quiet in Capitol Hill.

Rounding the corner onto 12th, we spied the elegant looking Osteria La Spiga, and decided to see if they had space. Luckily two seats at the end of the bar were available, so we plonked ourselves down, and looked in awe at the magnificent array of wine that lined the wall in front of us. A couple of aperitifs were quickly served, and we began the task of navigating the menu. The wine list in particular, exclusively Italian, was as extensive as I've seen in a good while. And full of intrigue and varietals I didn't know. And well priced. The food was equally tempting. Almost devoid of seafood (an oddity for Seattle), it followed the traditional Italian 3 course structure. So we opted for an antipasti and primo course to share while debating secondi choices.

The Piatto di Bresaola comprised thinly sliced cured beef, along with arugula and shaved Parmigiano, deftly dressed with lemon and dark green extra virgin olive oil. I prefer the Parmigiano a little stronger, but that's a minor quibble. This was a pleasing start indeed. Soon after, a decent sized plate of Gnocchi al Pomodoro arrived. The fluffy balls of gnocchi were as close to perfect as I've had (only surpassed by the wondrous beetroot gnocchi at Il Baretto in Sydney). With crispy wood-fired bread to mop up the rich tomato sauce, the plate was soon rather sparkling.

All this time we'd been chatting with the incredibly informative and friendly bar dude. He seemed to know a fair bit about the wines, and we were keen to try something new. After a few samples, we settled on a 2003 Negroamaro Maime from Puglia. Accurately described by our expert, this was a bold, rounded, spicy, dark fruit number, with soft tannins and a prominent acid backbone. It quickly opened up in the glass, and with a little food to balance the acid, we happily sipped our way through the bottle while we waited for our secondis to arrive.

Jan ordered Galletto Arrosto al Limone, a half game hen, roasted with lemon and pepper, and served with crispy roasted potatoes. The white flesh was as succulent as I could ever imagine, and infused with lemony pepper overtones. It was an inspiringly good dish. On par was my Porchetta. I'm not sure what cut of pork was used, but the meat fell apart with the application of the lightest pressure. Flavors of rosemary, garlic, and sage added depth and intrigue to this gorgeous slice of meat. With two dishes of this quality, we happily took our time, savoring every mouthful and enjoying the food-friendly red wine.

We didn't make dessert, but probably could have (it was a Monday night!). I personally didn't need any more assaults on my taste buds in one night - they were perfectly sated. So we finished the wine and wandered into the the dark, damp night, accompanied by memories of a very fine dinner indeed. Probably our best in Seattle this year.