Cleo Update...I talked to Doc Howard, and things are going well for Cleo...blood sugar under control and infection subdued. It looks like she'll be coming home at the end of the week.
The morning sky here is dark and cloudy but, by 10:00AM, the sun has burned that away...another bright and sunny day in the Napa Valley.
I can't help but be excited about lunch today (gee, really?). So many people have spoken so highly about "Redd" that my expectations are very high. At 11:30AM, sharp, I'm seated at the bar looking over the menu. Everything looks good, but understand that I have to limit my choices. I ask if, perhaps, the chef could do a "tasting menu"...doesn't matter what...anything he feels like making. And, of course, he's happy to comply.
So...here's the six-course (seven, with dessert) meal...
#1 Sweet corn soup with chives and chive oil...paired with a local Sauvignon Blanc...outstanding!
#2 A tartare of ahi tuna and some sliced hamachi (fresh from Japan)...with a German Reisling for the tuna and a local semillon for the hamachi...sublimely delicious!
#3 A single Maine sea scallop atop a bed of pureed cauliflower and little bits of roasted cauliflower...paired with a local Viognier...a perfect combination of flavors.
#4 A piece of grilled Perale Sole served with clams and chorizo (a classic Portuguese preparation)...paired with a local Chardonnay...fabulous!
#5 Freshly-made linguine with a creamy sauce including sauteed fresh porcini mushrooms...paired with a local Carneros Pinot Noir...wonderful!
#6 A few slices of prime Sonoma beef with aioli and balsamic-baised onions on one side of the plate...tender braised shortribs with a red wine sauce on the other side...paired with the 2005 Larkmead Cabernet...heaven on a plate!
#7 For dessert, a slice of chocolate/hazelnut ganache. a chocolate/hazelnut "milk shake" and a soop of chocolate sorbet...paird with a glass of Hungarian Tokaj dessert wine and a glass of local "port"...wow!
After all that food, I'm full, but not really "stuffed"...still, I decide to walk through downtown Yountville for a half hour or so before heading off to my wine tastings.
At around 1:45PM or so, I'm at the Flora Springs Winery tasting room. For my neighbor, Spike's, distributor in Michigan, Flora Springs is the "flagship" of their portfolio. A Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, "Italian-style" blend and Meritage later, I've tasted all that I can taste...even from the cute bartender there, Chloe (I'm seeing a pattern here!).
At 3:00PM, I'm at Nickel & Nickel for my final tasting. N & N is part of the Far Niente Winery group. It was set up in the mid-90's to bottle premium "single-vineyard" Cabernet. We get to taste seven of them...and they are all phenomenal wines...deep, dark, rich...packed with flavor. They're also really "pricey", so "self-restraint" is not a problem...I buy two bottles only.
Big lunch + lots of wine = "nap time"! Back to the hotel after a quick stop at Wal Mart...have to get a cheap bicycle and a pair of goggles (the forecast for Burning Man is dusty and sandy).
With a two-hour nap, I'm awake and feeling good...time to head out for dinner! Pizza sounds good, so I head for a place called Azzurro for a wood oven pie. I order the Sicilian (tomatoes, cheese, anchovies, black olives and capers) with a few glasses of a local red blend. Then, up the street to another wine bar, Carpe Diem, for my last two glasses of wine in the Napa Valley...the 16 x 20 Cabernet.
Time for bed...heading back to Ren tomorrow for the weekend...then...Burning Man!
No comments:
Post a Comment