Wine Yoda

BNO Year-End: Burgundies, Champagne, and Much More!

2011-12-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

Santa came early to a gathering of wine friends, who humbly name themselves the BNO, aka "Boys' Night Out". Extravagance is not lacking in these gatherings, and sometimes extravaganza, too. Yet, last night's soirée set a new bar. Bottles of Champagne were popped, white Burgundies were poured, a couple of Yquems were emptied, and an obligatory bottle of Port got decapitated. Still, none of these were worthy enough to be the evening's highlight.

I arrived a bit late and so missed the Champagne toast, but I managed a mouth rinse of the 1990 Pommery Cuvée Louis just when dinner was getting started. A rich, yeasty wine that's evolved and quite elegant.

Among the white Burgundies were a pair of Corton-Charlemagne from Louis Latour, its well-known flagship wine. Except for the richer, fatter quality of the 1990, I thought the two overlapped in flavor. The wine's toasty, honeyed, tropical fruit character was more pronounced in the 1990 compared to the 1998.

Leflaive's 1997 Puligny Pucelles showed as always its magic and why, at least in the case of Leflaive, this premier cru vineyard should be classified grand cru. Intensely floral and smokey on the nose, with flavors that are reticent and angular, like a beam of light that multiples many times on the palate. A spectacular vintage for this wine.

The white Burgundy flight was beefed up in the last minute by the addition of a killer 2004 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Vibrant with a youthful sexiness in its fat and luscious fruit.

To accompany the white Burgundies Eric prepared a salad designed to match, a melange of lettuce, avocado and seafood in a citrus dressing. The pairing was as slick as Eric in his tux.

The white Burgundies over, it was time to sneak in the evening's intermezzo, an interloper from the estuaries of the Garonne, a 1978 vintage of the unique dry wine called "Y" or "Ygrec" from one of the most famous wineries in the world, Château d'Yquem. As can be expected, coming from this great Sauternes producer, this is a rich, powerful wine. Toasty and full of honeycomb extract as well as peach, sweet corn, and ginger. An enormous presence in the room.

To tame this beast of a white wine a decadent serving (in my case, servings) of lobster quenelles was offered. I was delirious. I must've mumbled a prayer or something for the Lord to bring me back again to earth, and had to summon all my self-control to stop sipping more "Y" and chowing down more quenelles. Wow! This is the most hedonistic pairing experience ever! Kudos go to both Kevin and Steve for accidentally conspiring to produce this outta this world pairing!

And so finally, with all those preliminaries over, the highlight of the evening got started.

Having five different vintages of Grands Échezeaux spanning almost 40 years is on one hand an unforgettable pleasure and on the other a valuable lesson, especially given four out of the five are from the same producer, DRC. DRC owns more than a third of Grands Échezeaux, a large vineyard with varying nooks and crannies, as this flight showed.

The magnum of Grands Échezeaux in the flight was a 1959 Averys bottling, said to be made from juice purchased from Gustave Gros of Domaine Gros by the highly respected and celebrated Bristol wine merchant, Ronald Avery. Just before our event, this provenance was revealed to Ben and Mayon by none other than the most trustworthy source, John Avery, Ronald's son. Coming from the cellars of Ben and Mayon this '59 was, of course, amazingly youthful. The color was dark, nearly opaque in the center and the scent was clean and fruity. A muscular wine filled with flavors of black cherries and sweet, dark spices like licorice and cinnamon. It's most similar to a Clos de Vougeot, which is what many Grands Échezeaux can taste like, quite understandable given the vineyard is bordered on two sides by Clos de Vougeot. It was almost hands-down the group favorite in the flight. I thought it was remarkable, especially given its unbelievable youthfulness, but a bit too heavy and lacking definition for me.

The other four Grands Échezeaux, all from DRC, have, of course, a striking resemblance to each other, though vintage character and I would guess vineyard conditions during each period weighed in significantly. Suffice it to say the '64 exemplified the singular quality of DRC and the greatness of Grands Échezeaux. In some instances and in the DRC stable specifically, Grands Échezeaux is often compared to another DRC wine, Romanée-Saint-Vivant. Historically, the two DRCs are served together side-by-side. It is interesting how DRC's Grands Échezeaux could share the seductive, feminine qualities of its Romanée-Saint-Vivant even though the two vineyards are so far apart. The answer could be that Musigny, that other famously seductive grand cru often sharing similarities with Romanée-Saint-Vivant, is just above and may have influenced some portions of the Grands Échezeaux vineyard. At any rate, I love the '64, the greatness of the vintage really shows. My notes say, light but intensely colored, very refined, precise, with delicious spicy cherry flavors and a silky texture. In other words, Musigny-like or Romanée-Saint-Vivant-esque in its seductive character.

The '85 DRC Grands Échezeaux is another great wine. It is firm and structured with a richness, concentration, and length that make it taste like an infant next to the '64.

Also another potential legend was the '96 DRC Grands Échezeaux. It shows more structure than fruit, yet the fruit is incredibly refined and precise at such a youthful stage making the wine irresistible and a joy to drink.

The overachieving award in the flight has to go to the '83 DRC Grands Échezeaux as it comes from an irregular vintage unlike the greatness of the other vintages in the flight. True, a hardness was evident in the wine but it's only slight and well compensated for by its glorious floral, spice, and cherry perfume and the intensity and depth of the fruit. This wine is a testament to the consistency of Grands Échezeaux.

Steve's mushroom risotto topped with seared duck breast performed wonders with all these old red Burgundies. A seamless exchange of complimenting flavors and textures between wine and food. A great gift to us and to all these wines, Steve!

A cheese plate at the end came in very handy as there was still much wine left to be sipped.

As Sandy mentioned later, while we were enjoying the Burgundies an unopened bottle quietly stood on the table, patiently waiting for its turn.

It was another Yquem wine, this time the grand vin Sauternes, the 1967 Château d'Yquem. Acknowledged as one of the greatest Yquems ever made, thereby making it one of the greatest wines ever made. I confess a fondness for lighter vintages like the 1994 and 1999, they're very friendly and engaging. The '67 is daunting. Am I worthy enough to appreciate its qualities? A wine as great as this makes me nervous and I feel I might not be up for the challenge. This is very concentrated with a very botrytised nose. The flavor is dense with honeyed fruit and toasted caramel, multilayered and packed to the core. Feel the power. It proved unyielding to me. Next time, perhaps, I can discern it more, especially if given time to sip away.

No BNO gathering is complete without Port at the end, so Kevin usually has the Port tongs nice and hot by the time we finish dinner. This night it was a 1963 Warre's with a Berry Bros Rudd label. I stopped taking notes so my recollection is a bit hazy, but good thing Kevin took good notes:

"Warres (Berry Bros. Original Label) 63. Medium weight, light bricking, medium ruby, incense, boysenberry, elegant, bit of pepper, very very long finish. One of the better 63’s I have had in the last 5 years. Can age forever. (19)

And so another fulfilling year with my BNO brethren is passing by. The consensus is we marked it with the best yet. We are all so blessed and thankful for everyone's friendship and generosity. Hep! Hep!

Chicken Rôti and Chinon

2011-10-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

I was at Olivier's Butchery in Potrero a few weeks ago and couldn't resist picking up the prepared chicken rôti in the cooler. Olivier's gets the chicken from Field to Family in Petaluma. The chicken is a Poulet Bleu (Blue Foot) breed, raised free range and fed a vegetarian diet. I roasted the bird in a dutch over and voila! it was the tastiest chicken I've had in a long, long time!

And as luck would have it, I still had the remains of a 2006 Phlippe Alliet Chinon from a weekend tasting. A bright, earthy pure Cabernet Franc. It was perfect with the chicken rôti.

Pop-Up Café Kick-Off with Feuillet Burgundies and Duck Parts

2011-10-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

I couldn't think of a more thrilling way to debut Vineyard Gate's Pop-Up Café than pairing François Feuillet's elegant red Burgundies with plates of duck parts!

Roving Bay Area food maven, Hector Figueroa, and his partner, Angie, prepared the perfect dishes to bring out the best in the Burgundies. Starters included a Cauliflower Panna Cotta (inspired by French Laundry) that went down deliciously with the aperitif of Eric Bordelet's Poire sparkling cider.

Hector butchered 5 ducks to pair with 6 Burgundies. Not a bad ratio! These confit of duck legs were served with plump, juicy lentils, whose sweetness balanced well with the salty flavor of the confit. The plate was scarfed down quickly with a pair of Feuillet's charming 2007s, the Vosne-Romanée Barreaux and Nuits-St-Georges Aux Thorey.

A risotto of duck gizzards was cooked on the spot--it was a to-die-for match with François Feuillet's four grands crus poured side-by-side: 2006 Clos de la Roche and 2006, 2004, and 2001 Echézeaux.

Bravo Hector! We can't wait for the next event at the Vineyard Gate Pop-Up Café!

A Peak At Anne Gros' 2011 Harvest

2011-09-21T23:54:00.000-07:00

Anne Gros started her 2011 harvest on 30th August, a Tuesday, same day as Domaine Leroy picked all their Richebourg. This was one of the earliest harvests on record in the Cote d'Or. Months earlier the harvest was expected to be even more advanced, until rain and cooler temperatures changed the direction of the season.

At the winery, Anne first brought in her Clos de Vougeot, then her Richebourg the following day. The bunches looked healthy, with hardly any sign of rot. I suspect a sorting was already done in the vineyard. But rot is like a Burgundian's worse nightmare. If the threat is there, once a minimum ripeness is reached, the fruit is brought in. Better to be safe than sorry, especially if one's vineyard holdings are quite small--like Anne Gros'--allowing for no margin of error.

Anne glanced at me while I stood a good distance away watching her and an assistant in the cuverie quietly working with the destemmer. She nodded at me, inviting me to step up on the platform next to her to see what's going on. She was doing a final sort just as the bunches were hurtling towards the destemmer. As I mentioned, the bunches looked really healthy. I chewed on a few berries and they were fleshy and sweet. I said to Anne that the fruit looked good. But she was unimpressed.

Later I found out that out of five tons harvested in the last few days, about 60 kilograms had rot, which was nothing. Maybe another degree or two of potential alcohol would have made her happier. But I doubt it. Burgundians, especially a perfectionist like Anne, are never really satisfied.

At Mission Chinese Food

2011-09-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the day of the Harvest Moon, I decided to check out again Mission Chinese Food. I was feeling Chinese for lunch, but having just returned from a trip to France I preferred something more interesting, rather than the same-old, same-old Chinese eatery.

Certainly, MCF is not a swanky place, in fact it looks just like your typical Chinese joint, which it is--the restaurant's actual name is Lung Shan Restaurant, but seemingly just a cover. MCF operates like an underground layer within this nondescript environ, offering a more adventurous, contemporary, indeed, subversive cuisine that's free from the traditions of Cantones, Shanghainese, Sichuanese, Hunanese or Beijing cooking. And what's risky about the whole operation is that it's not owned by westerners, which would've excused it, but by a Chinese family. They can be ostracized by their compatriots, you know, who want Chinese cuisine to remain the way the last emperor left it.

I ordered one of two items on the menu that is not available for take-out: Taiwan Mussels. The dish is fiery hot, and it did upset my stomach afterwards, as I've been out of practice eating hot stuff lately, but it was delicious nonetheless. I don't mind suffering a little for good food. The black mussels were tossed with hot chili oil and black bean sauce and combined with chunks of braised pork belly, then blended with shishito peppers and garnished with Thai basil. Talk about a dish that borrows heavily from a good swath of the Pacific region! I can tell you the Bundaberg ginger beer came in handy.

A new design feature of the restaurant, of which the owners are apparently very proud of, is the large dragon that hangs from the ceiling. A symbol of luck. And, if I must say, a sure sign that good food is being served.

Wine Ratings

2011-08-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

A recent piece by San Francisco Chronicle Wine Editor, Jon Bonné, on wine ratings prompted me to re-think the subject of wine criticism. My thoughts are pretty simple and short.

I find top wine critics' reviews a form of voyeurism. More often than not the tasting notes convey little, if any, factual information or insights that make a reader smarter and more skilled in discerning the quality of wine. Instead, their notes and ratings seduce and titillate, doing nothing more than create a dependency on their ratings.

Artichokes and Wine

2011-08-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

Artichokes are like the Great Satan of wine pairings. They should be shunned according to any food and wine pairing manual like this recent Food & Wine blog.

I'm not really sure why, but as in many things we follow like sheep anyway, though I confess to a few transgressions, when I innocently forget and a a devilish artichoke or two slips in a dish, while washing it down with my Chablis or Riesling. I would realize the grave error only too late as I'd be on the next course.

Rules are too much work for me, and so I'm really all for discarding rules of food and wine pairings, not for iconoclastic reasons, but because when I'm eating I just don't want to be bothered.

Imagine my liberation, when a godsend, as far as drinking wine with artichokes is concerned, materialized in the form of Garçon chef Arthur Wall's preparation of baby artichokes in his grilled sardines plate. He revealed to me that marinading the artichokes in wine for several hours purifies them, so to speak, forcing them to be wine converts whether they like it or not.

Indeed, Chef Wall's plate of grilled sardines with baby artichokes was perfect with a 2010 Muscadet from Jo Landron of Domaine de la Louvetrie and a 1997 Meursault from Michel Lafarge. And best of all, my dinner didn't have to be disturbed by any food and wine pairing rule.

Pinot Noirs and Memories

2011-07-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

Lenny and I sported a smile as we climbed up the steep hills of Pacific Heights on a bright, shimmering late afternoon just before twilight. Tucked between the mcmansions on the hill's summit is the modest house of our late friend and colleague, John Demergasso. As we knocked on the door our excitement grew.

Bonnie, ever game to entertain her late husband's old friends and drinking comrades allowed us to indulge in one of John's favorite pastimes: wine drinking. I found her in the kitchen still busy finishing the braised beef ribs that will pair with the dozen or so Pinot Noirs and Burgundies everyone brought for the evening.

It was John's birthday and we wanted to make a big show of it. Maybe the hoopla would've unsettled John, I knew him as outwardly restrained, but Hemingway-esque in his pursuits. I think not, he would've glowed in the honesty of our bacchanal.

Kevin, John's close friend, together with Bonnie spearheaded the get-together with typical bravado. The fireworks came in the presence of a living legend in California winemaking: Josh Jensen. In the early 1970s, fresh from laboring in the grape fields of Burgundy, including a stint at DRC, Jensen pioneered the making of California Pinot Noirs from specific vineyard sites, or lieux-dits. He was determined to discover the holy grail of Pinot Noir in California, and his Burgundian background told him he must plant on limestone soils. So up on the hills of the Gavilan Mountains, in Mt. Harlan, he found his limestone vineyards and started Calera Wine Company.

So there he is, Josh Jensen, my longtime Pinot Noir idol (I have a personally signed copy of his book "Heartbreak Grape" from back in 1993 when it was published) standing in Bonnie's living room, still looking gaunt and hiply attired as always.

Josh brought library selections of his single-vineyard Pinot Noirs that were still drinking fresh and exceeding drinking windows the wine critics foretold. The 2002 Jensen Vineyard, with 14.4% alcohol, shows the richest fruit--luxurious and intact at 9 years and counting. But it was the 2003 Mills Vineyard (14.2% alc.) that surprised me the most, with its assertive tannins giving shape to its still formidable fruit. This kind of tannin structure is truly unique in California Pinot Noirs. Could this Pinot Noir age for another ten years? You betcha!

My favorite of all Calera vineyards is the Selleck--although the Reed on occasion would win me over with its seductive character, alas, it doesn't hold up with age. The 2003 Selleck Vineyard is true to form. The fruit is dense and silky, the tannins are very fine, and, overall, the wine is still somewhat closed. I always find it the most Burgundian of all Calera's Pinot Noirs for its elegance.

Mayon's and Ben's cheese quiche (or is it quiche cheese?) and gougères are always a hit when served in these gatherings. A great starter with the Champagnes, I just have to make sure I don't overload on them!

The 1999 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, the house's tête de cuvée, was drinking well, but I felt it was already softening for a 1999.

Bob: Served a bit too cold for full appreciation. Still evolving in the glass. Pure chardonnay free run. Fresh, citrus flavors, Lemony. Toasty nose. Sweet, but will lose sweetness as it ages. Will age well I think.

Kevin: surprisingly sweet, touch minty, lanolin. Good, but not the toasty, sour spot I expect from The Comte.

The 1999 Dom Perignon was a disappointment. It was losing freshness and appeared to be falling apart. A bad bottle, perhaps?

Bob: Dom Perignon; Nice floral nose, yeast, citrus and lemon flavors, crisp finish.

Kevin: wiff of vanilla, firm and dry, not remotely austere. Not interesting or going anywhere special. Disappointing.

So, thankfully, there was the 1999 Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs. A powerful Champagne, so fresh and intense, with very lovely depth and length to the finish.

Bob: My favorite of the sparkling wines. Toasty, floral nose. Classic champagne nose and feel. Delicious.

Kevin: Late disgorged (2010), very lively for its age, not doubt because of its late disgorgement.dry, classy, very distinct Pinot notes, would love a few of these to stow away.

I threw in a ringer for fun--a recently released California sparkling wine made with 100% Pinot Meunier, disgorged only after over 17 years of cellaring! It was luscious and complex, rising up to the challenge of being served with the the three prestige champers. Yet I demur to the Sparkling Wine's long pretentious name: 1992 Chateau Beaux Hauts "En Tirage" Extra Brut Russian River Sparkling Wine. C'mon, Don (Baumhefner), you need a bitly for that!

Bob: Browning colors, funky nose, but creamy , lush and fruity flavors. Recently disgorged according to Alex. 100% Pinot Menieure. Very nice example of an older sparkling wine. Few California sparkling wines are made to age, but this one was still lively.

The Pinot Noirs were first up at the dinner table. Sadly, the 1997 Williams Selyem Hirsch Vineyard was corked. Folks in the room thought it would've been a beautiful wine.

Bob: Soft , ripe fruit, black cherries, plenty of tannins. Oaky flavors, Well balanced. Complex. Drink now.

The 1997 Williams Selyem Olivet Lane did better. This is a vineyard that WS bottled for several vintages but discontinued. This '97 may have been the last. Good rich fruit that started out simple, and seemed to gain in complexity as it opened more. Josh liked it.

Bob: Oaky nose, ruby color. Ripe fruit, black cherries, minerals. Tannic. A bit short in the finish, but very nice.

The 1996 Rochioli Three Corner Vineyard was planted with Pommard clone in 1974. I find this to have the highest acidity among the bunch of Pinot Noirs, and the fruit didn't wow. I still found it interesting and likable.

Bob: Barnyard nose, rich very ripe cherries, plums, smooth and mouth filling. More powerful and bigger wine than the Rochioli. Wonderful with food.

The 1996 Rochioli Little Hill Block was a lot easier to like. It comes from a privileged site in Rochioli's vineyard, next to the famed West Block and planted with West Block cuttings in 1985. Gorgeous wine, rich and luscious. Well-liked by the group.

Bob: Ruby color, barnyard nose, lots of ripe cherries and raspberries, oaky nose. Lush, smooth and polished. Delicious. More restrained then the 3 Corner Vineyard. Delicious to drink now. Bursting with fruit. Mouth filling. I really enjoyed the Rochioli's. Seemed "young". yet 15 years old. I think the best wine of the night to accompany the food.

Kevin: attractive, cherry, mint, very nice, good varietal flavors.

Unfortunately, there's not much to say about the 1992 Joseph Swan Wolfspierre Vineyard, a Pinot Noir apparently not built for age. It was made by Swan's son-in-law, Rod Berglund, not long after his passing.

Bob: Ripe cherry fruit in the nose, but tart and somewhat thin finish. Nice with the cheeses.

But the 1991 Domaine Drouhin is showing the fine potential of Oregon Pinot Noirs even from such earlier years. Not only was it alive and well, it was also displaying a youthful richness that was really satisfying for me.

Bob: Barnyard nose, ripe cherries in the nose.. Soft tannins. Somewhat thin finish, faded. But enjoyable and easy to drink.

Almost the same thought entered my mind when I drank the 1986 Hanzell Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir. A bit more weight, but coarser than the Drouhin.

Bob: Strawberries, a burgundy like barnyard nose, tart cherries. A bit short in the finish. Reminded me of a burgundy.

Kevin: more burgundy like, warm, earthy, a bit short at the end.

And to finish the domestic Pinot Noir flight, Josh unwrapped a pristine bottle of 1986 Calera Selleck. What a treat! As always this started as firm and tight as a Vosne-Romanée. Coming from one of the worse drought years in California, it had quite a bit of structure and still deeply colored.

Bob: Ripe fruit, cherry, plums, complex nose. Somewhat herbaceous nose. Medium to heavy bodies. Still lots of tannins but plenty of ripe fruit to match. Very nice.

Kevin: nice colour and spry, but not having the tertiary I would have expected. Nice pinot, from Josh's library.

Philippe Naddef's 1985 Mazis-Chambertin is classically hewn; stern, muscular, still densely concentrated, and showing fleshy black fruit flavors.

Bob: Barnyard nose, sour cherries, lots of acid, dense. Evolved in the glass. Will improve. Complex. Very interesting wine.

Kevin: Unfair maybe next to the Mortet, nice fishy Pinot nose, fair amount of oak. Very good wine.

The 1985 Charles Mortet Chambertin was drinking very well. I thought it was quite elegant for a Chambertin especially for the vintage and it should continue to drink well for some time. And though this was already made by Denis Mortet for his father's domaine, it certainly was very different from the opulent, extracted style Denis Mortet did later under his own domaine, after tutelage with Jayer.

Bob: Barnyard nose, rich strawberries . Soft fruit. Complex. Mature. Somewhat softer style than the Mazis. Nice.

Kevin: We drank California first, then went to the Burgs at the end, and this was a show stopper, day and night between very nice Cal Pinot and this level of Burg. Hard to find, Mortet careful wine maker and not much of his stuff around, on releaee, almost DRC cost back in the late 80's, if that means anything.

1971 Faiveley Clos de la Roche was still deeply colored, displaying good vigor and seamless balance. Very pristine, and quite richer than the '85 Mortet Chambertin.

Bob: Classic barnyard nose, rich, cedar and tobacco flavors, complex. Wonderful. Well balanced.

Kevin: fully evolved nose, fragrant, elegant, thought it migh pale next to the Chambolle, but neck to neck supberb, great depth, lovely weight, this is great Burgundy!

The 1971 Chambolle-Musigny Amoureuses of Comte Georges de Vogue is the quintessential Chambolle--sweetly perfumed, silky, curvy, engulfing the senses in its seductive allure. Resistance is futile.

Bob: Wonderful barnyard nose, some browning, Medium tannins. Medium bodied. Good fruit acid balance. Violets. More delicate than the Faiveley. Amazing for a 40 year old burgundy.

Kevin: Great depth, power, subtlety, another great Burgundy, this is what it is all about.Impressive.

For a finale, Kevin opened a ridiculously good 1955 Graham's Port. At this point it was almost time to say goodnight. I badly wanted to stop time for a moment to savor this bottle, and to allow its sensuous pleasures to wash over me.

Bob: A knockout! Sweet nose, nutty. Beautiful purple color. Cherries and chocolate. Soft and velvety, with a smooth finish. Mouth filling. A timeless port. Will last.

Kevin: Fragrant, ethereal, maybe for what it is, the wine of the night, but tough to appreciate it like one would expect given the wines that had already been tasted,--one of the legendary ports of all time says Broadbent and Jancis Robinson. The bouquet was light at first, but towards the end, opened up, has the Graham sweetness with the power of this special vintage. Perfect with cigars at the end, to toast John D.

Thanks to all for the wonderful wines and food, and special thanks to Bonnie for being such a gracious host and cook. It was a real treat learning from Josh. Bob

Thanks to Bonnie for feeding us and welcoming us to her home. I especially appreciated her pointing out to me some of John's favorite mementos which are everywhere in the house--an original bullfighting poster brought back from Spain, a luminous plein air oil of a fly fishing scene, and a powerful pen-and-ink drawing of two prizefighters clinched in deadly combat, a particular favorite of John's. From her stories I tried to piece together a life of John I wish I knew. Sadly, time can be too brief.

And so I'm sure we didn't do enough justice to any of the Pinot Noirs and Burgundies we drank, the way we sprinted through each one over the course of a few hours. If one wants to plumb the depths of each these wines that could take many hours, or a life time. Alas, life doesn't always afford us such luxuries. But like John, we leave something by: memories at least, and some photographs of what happened once, wishing someone would be kind enough to explain ourselves to us.

Small Eats at Yakitori Kokko

2011-04-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

Yakitori and ippin ryori plates at Yakitori Kokko. All washed down by two vibrant Spanish whites: 2009 Rias Baixas DO Albariño "Igrexario de Saiar", Benito Santos and a 2009 Getariako Txakolina DO "Finca Jakue", Talai Berri.

Yakitori Kokko
508 2nd Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94401
650.401.7008

Coppola Family Buys Out Inglenook

2011-04-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

(in this photo, 1960 Inglenook "Cask" Cabernet Sauvignon from Cask F-9 12½% alc)

"No, I buy you out, you don't buy me out.", The Godfather 1972

Francis Ford Coppola has settled all family business this week. First, he announced recruiting Philippe Bascaules, winemaker at Bordeaux first growth estate Château Margaux. A person with suitable gravitas for an impresario like Coppola to replace both Larry Stone as manager and Scott Mcleod as winemaker of his Rutherford-based winery, Rubicon Estate. Per his agreement with Bascaules, Coppola waited until the 2010 Bordeaux en primeur was all but concluded before making the news public.

And secondly in a move even bolder and quite formidable--considering how its stirs up old Napa ghosts--Coppola made it known that he has acquired the Inglenook label, and, henceforth, Rubicon Estate is being rebranded to Inglenook.

Of course, the foundation of Rubicon Estate is Inglenook's Home Vineyard in Rutherford and the old Inglenook winery itself that still houses the mothballed giant redwood casks where the winery's famous "Cask" Cabernet Sauvignons were aged.

Yet, in all the excitement, what's never been mentioned is that the crème de la crème possession of the old Inglenook estate, the Napanook Vineyard, which lies separately in Oakville, will continue to remain outside Coppola's hands. Napanook was the heart of Inglenook, the main source for its famous "Cask" Cabernets. But today, this historic vineyard is part of Dominus Estate, the Napa winery of Bordeaux titan, Christian Moueix.

Moueix acquired Napanook from the heirs of John Daniel, Jr., who ran Inglenook during its greatest period between the 1930s and early 1960s. Daniel was the great-nephew of Inglenook founder, Gustave Niebaum. After Daniel sold off most of the Inglenook holdings, he ordered his daughters on his deathbed never to sell Napanook Vineyard. Alas, the daughters did not persevere in the wine business. They partnered with Moueix, but after some years the partnership broke off and Moueix came out owning Napanook.

Meanwhile, last time I checked Coppola's Rubicon Estate "Cask" Cabernet Sauvignon was being heavily discounted at Costco, side-by-side Inglenook labels. John Daniel must surely be turning in his grave.

Brilliant Friulian Wines of Sant'Elena

2011-03-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

The 19th century Sant'Elena vineyard estate is situated in Friuli by the banks of the Isonzo River in the northeastern corner of Italy bordering Slovenia. It was established before Italy became a republic—during a period when the region was successively occupied by the Hapsburgs, the Venetians, the Austria-Hungarian empire, and the Slavs.

Today, Sant'Elena is a modern wine estate, owned and run by the Nocerino family, famous for introducing the wines of Angelo Gaja, Fontodi, Felsina, Braida, and other top Italian wine producers in the US. A new winery was built and vineyards have been replanted over the past decade. It strives to produce wines that are strongly identified with the region.

For example, Sant'Elena's 2006 "Quantum L'Autoctono" is from 100% Pignolo grapes, a variety indigenous to the region. After harvest the grapes are left to dry for 60 days to concentrate and develop intense flavors. After this process called appassimento and surmaturazione, the grapes are fermented. The wine is aged for three years in new French oak before bottling. Evolving slowly in the glass, this powerful wine offers layers of dark fruits and spices. Robust and elegant, this is the noble red wine of Friuli.

Another unique wine is the 2008 Traminer "Aromatico". This produced from 100% Traminer from vines farmed for low yields. It takes a whole vine to produce just one bottle of this wine. Exotic scents of jasmine and tropical fruits. Intense, richly flavored. Very nice.

But the wine that opened me to the brilliance of Sant'Elena is their 1999 Merlot. At just $15 this is one of the greatest wines values I've come across. As in St.-Emilion, this Merlot was grown on the right bank of the Isonzo River of Friuli, in stony alluvial soils. Crafted with the help of Carlo Ferrini, Italy’s top oenologist. After a decade it has evolved into a refined, mature wine that evokes classic Saint-Emilion flavors of cassis, tea leaf, cigar, and dried berries. A surprising discovery and a real eye-opener to the possibilities in Friuli.

The Rarest Rosé

2011-01-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

(Note: This blog was originally posted on July 12, 2007)

The commune of Riceys in the southern portion of the Champagne region has been producing for centuries tiny quantitites of the world's most rare rosé. Said to be the favorite of Louis XIV, this rosé is so obscure that even in Champagne, let alone in France, few have heard of it. To my knowledge none is exported.

I was visiting Champagne last March and I took my buddy Robert with me. He decided to stick around a little longer after I've finished my appointments to do some R & R and to hunt down a few bottles of Rosé des Riceys. He got lucky as he found a shop that stocked a few bottles. The proprietor was quite impressed when he inquired about it.

So back home Robert and I decided to have a quick bite together one day prior to watching a Giants ballgame. He brought the bottle of Rosé des Riceys, which was, perhaps, the only bottle of this rosé in the country.

We sat at the bar of Coco 500, Loretta Keller's newly renovated hotstpot in the south of Market and ordered a couple of small plates. One was the COCOmole “taco” ($4.00), a refined take on mole made with braised beef cheeks on crisp taco shells. We wiped out the plate in no time. The other dish was a version of the Provence classic, a brandade served with fennel crackers ($6.00). It reminded me how magical salted cod can be. Coco 500 rocks. I wish there's a place like it in the Peninsula.

The Rosé de Riceys is 100% Pinot Noir, made by macerating the fruit until the taste of Riceys is achieved--a procedure that requires not only a skilled winemaker but also someone who knows the precise taste of Riceys.

The rosé has a deep cherry nose, very earthy and Pinot-like, it reminded me of the Pinot Noirs I've had from Alsace. The initial taste was of black cherries, followed by hints of fresh herbs and lavender. It was very delicate and intense on the palate. Substantial for a rosé, and so perfect with our robust small plates.

Coco500
500 Brannan Street
San Francisco, CA
415.543.2222

Safety in Numbers

2011-01-05T00:05:00.000-08:00

I've long believed in the virtues of comparative wine tastings. At Vineyard Gate, over the past 12 years that we've been doing in-store tastings, they have always been done in flights. If a customer approaches the tasting bar wishing to try just a glass, that person is out of luck. And at all wine dinners I put together, every course is accompanied by a flight of two or three wines, sometimes even more. The thing is I know of no better way to assess and appreciate a wine properly than tasting or drinking it with its peers.

Over the Christmas holiday, I relished a FT piece by Jancis Robinson about serving multiple wines for each course. She writes: "I usually serve two different wines with each course since I am incorrigibly curious about wine and I always learn from comparisons."

The article made me smile because less than a fortnight before my buddies and I at our BNO wine group had our year-end get-together. We always grasp for themes in these dinners as it all depends on what bottles each of us would fork over. There's a flurry of ideas exchanged, and a bit of negotiation, especially if we want to pry out a particular bottle from someone's stash. Fortunately, as far as I can remember, something interesting always shakes out.

The evening began with two magnums of Champagne. But I'm rushing a bit because a chilled bottle of 1936 Gonzalez Byass Sherry "Imperial Toledo Vino de Heroes" was poured. I've had this immortal sherry--a special release to commemorate Franco's conquest of Toledo in 1936--a few times before and its pungency and sweetness, its nuttiness and salty tang always perk up my palate. Sherry is terribly overlooked, especially by serious winos.

Okay, back to the Champagnes. The two magnums opened couldn't have been more different. Cedric Bouchard's Brut Blanc de Noirs “Les Ursules”, Roses de Jeanne is a "non-vintage" from a single year of harvest, 2005. It is also a single vineyard--"Les Ursules"--from his parcel in the Aube region and only from a single varietal, Pinot Noir. Bouchard is a tiny recoltant-manipulant (grower-producer), a previously obscure Champagne category that's become fashionable over the last few years. There's nothing fashionable about Bouchard's Champagne as it's quite straightforward as wine can be. Its dominating quality is the underlying wine itself. Round, lush, but not broad. It has understated richness and a demure character. About 400 of these magnums were made.

In contrast, the 1961 Bollinger RD, which was disgorged in 1983, was as broad, powerful, and intense as Champagne can be. It has pronounced herbal minerality, awesome vibrant energy and great length in the finish. I enjoyed another magnum of this Champagne earlier in the year, but this is the fresher and better of the two. Or could it be that it still keeps getting better after all these decades?

There were more than two white Burgundies opened during the evening, but the pair that I focused on were two Meursaults, both from negociant-eleveurs. The 1971 Meursault-Poruzots, Remoissenet Pere et Fils comes from a respected firm, famous for being the metayer of Baron Thenard's parcel in Montrachet for decades. This has matured very well. Big, fat, ripe, oily, and still with a haunting oak scent.

The 2000 Maison Leroy Meursault, a simple village, clearly demonstrated why Leroy's Meursaults are some of the best that money can buy. It's not even close to peak drinking yet, but what glorious richness and depth, with a mouthfilling entry and a laser-focused finish. Leroy's wines may be frightfully expensive, but worth every penny.

We were blessed to have a brilliant caterer in Ashley Arabian, who cooked us a to-die-for duck ragout and a juicy and tender beef fillet with the reds that followed. Two Richebourgs from the same vintage, 1996, went head-to-head, sending us to Burgundy heaven and giving us a quick Burgundy clinic, as well as bolstering my point on comparative tasting.

The 1996 Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur Richebourg in magnum tells you a lot of things about the man behind it, Bernard Gros, the youngest son of Jean Gros and young brother of Michel Gros, who inhereited the Jean Gros estate, and cousin to Anne Gros. Got it? Bernard makes Burgundies that are strong and fruity. He picks late when the fruit is very ripe and packed with sugar, sacrificing some finesse to achieve a broad, voluptuous style. It doesn't always work and his style hasn't endeared him to Burgundy hipsters who fancy a more austere, acidic quality, but I must say his approach works for 1996.

1996 has become a controversial vintage for red Burgundies. Once highly-touted, the wines after over a decade have shown an unforgiving hardness. But Bernard Gros' style works wondrously well with the vintage, offering a wine with softened fruit, mitigated acidity, and exuberant fruity flavors. His 1996 Richebourg sure is luscious and forward, quite easy to enjoy, as opposed to many of the closed-up, hard-hitting wines of the vintage.

The other Richebourg opened was the 1996 Domaine Jean Grivot Richebourg. Etienne Grivot makes Burgundies in the vin de garde style, they take forever to evolve. I do have a passion for his wines. This 1996, even though hard and tight compared to the Gros, draws me in with its aromatic fruit and scents of autumn. And I'm taken by its layered flavors that penetrate the palate. Alas, the wine's structure is still hard and the finish, as the fruit recedes, is not flattering.

Finally, the last pairing for me of the evening, as I didn't stay long after dinner for the Port and Sauternes and other surprises. The deuce was from the 1985 vintage in Bordeaux, one from left bank and the other from the right bank. This was a successful vintage in Bordeaux, a dry year with a big crop. The only thing, or two, that came in the way of total success was that yields on the left bank got a bit out of hand, especially in Pauillac, and many new plantings on the Medoc just came on line, thereby diluting quality to a certain extent.

The 1985 Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, in magnum is one of the top rated wines of the vintage. It showed good density and youthfulness. Its fruit opened up to much cassis flavor and beautiful velvety tannins. But the wine quickly gave way to a pronounced herbal quality--a sign of underdeveloped fruit--that off-kiltered the wine. It became harder to enjoy as it stayed in the glass. Thankfully, Ashley's fillet was there on my plate to help balance the taste in my mouth.

Moving to the right bank of Gironde, where 1985 was more consistently favorable, the Château Pavie, Saint-Emilion, showed none of the problems of the Lynch-Bages. After two decades the wine continues to surprise and impress with its longevity and substance, though it was written off by Parker and other experts a while ago. If you love Bordeaux you would love this wine. It shows a dense yet elegant and seductive flavor of red and black fruits, with more than a hint of chocolate. Its supple fruit is not forceful but persists on the palate with a nice, even quality. And its luscious, juicy quality was a refreshing counterpoint to the beef dish.

And here are the notes of my buddies quoted verbatim. They fill in many of the wines I missed:

Bob: 1936 Imperial Toledo Sherry: Brown, Nutty. Very smooth and well balanced. Still has life. May not fade much in our lifetimes.

Bob: 2005 Cedric Bouchard Champagne, Roses de Jeanne , Magnum 100% Pinot: Pale, tart, very crisp, good fruit. Not much yeast on the nose. More fruit than yeast. No dosage. Very enjoyable.

Kevin: 100% Pinot ! Wow! Spice, cherries smoke, very low dosage-super dry. Lots of mineral, very intense. Great food wine.

Bob: 1961 Bollinger Champagne (Magnum): Wow! Yeasty, Toasty, Golden color. Well balanced. Elegant,. 100 points. Fruit and mint in the nose, pinot nose. Not fading a bit. Disgorged in 1988.

Kevin: One of the wines of the night. Intense spice spearmint –ultrafine, went on and on. Spectacular. I agree, 100 points!

Eric: Gorgeous setting starting with champagne in front of a cheery fire and lovely Christmas tree. The Bollinger was elegant and sophisticated and the Bouchard rich and racy with a long life ahead.

Bob: 2000 Mersault Leroy: Bright appearance, medium body, barnyard and butterscotch in the nose. Crisp, good fruit acid balance. Steely and austere. Delicious. Will last.

Kevin: So focused, like a sleek Ferrari, just buzzing along at high speed and wouldn’t ever know it was going 160! Wonderful now and for another 10!

Bob: 1971 Mersault Porozots: medium body, golden with some browning; barnyard nose, well balanced fruit and acid, Not a grand cru but holds its own with the best. Delicious with the crab. Others' comments: "big, fat, oily" ( I got some of that but it had the acid to keep it in balance).

Eric: 71 Meursault. Unbelievably balanced, fresh, nose of pear, flowers and melon, the fruit was ripe, great depth and length.

Bob: 1989 Corton Charlemagne Latour: Medium body, golden brown; toasty, yeasty,creamy, a rich, powerful wine. Great fruit acid balance. Will last. Delicious with the crab.

Bob: 1996 Richebourg Gros Frere et Souer: Bright red, medium body, barnyard nose, lots of ripe fruit. Finished with softer fruit. Well balanced. Wonderful. Tannins in balance with luscious fruit. Interesting comparison with the Jean Grivot. More fruit, softer. Will age nicely.

Bob: 1996 Richebourg Jean Grivot (Open five hours before pour): Bright red, medium body, barnyard nose, less fruit than the Gros Frere. Tobacco and cedar on the nose. Lean and structured. Some commented on the mineral qualities . Delicious. Nuanced. Will age.

Eric: 96 Richebourg Grivot what a future this has. Nose of soft red fruit, vanilla and hint of tobacco. Amazing length and balance.

Bob: 2002 Copain Hein Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: dark, opaque, heavy body. Soft very ripe fruit, spice. Cherries, plums. Nice with the chanterelles. Not fair to compare it with the red Burgundies. Hard to say where this will be in ten years. Very nice now with the duck ragout.

Bob: 1985 Ch. Pavie: Dark ruby color, heavy bodied, cedar and tobacco on the nose, some oak. rich. medium tannins, well balanced with the fruit, mint, berries, chocolate. Great year for right bank St. Emilions. 70% Merlot, 30% Cab Franc. Very nice with the steak and chanterelles.

Kevin: Loved the Pavie—the Merlot parried nicely with the filet—Wonderful Bordeaux.

Eric: 85 Pavie, yes I did bring it but it was terrific. Classic Bordeaux nose with earth, leather, red fruit and hint of chocolate. Full bodied with plum, cherry, and earthy notes.

Bob: 1985 Lynch Bages (Mag): dark ruby color, opaque, heavy bodied, herbal, vegetable nose, mint, lots of ripe fruit. Tobacco and licorice. Well balanced, A complex wine. Delicious. Finish a bit dry. Great with the chanterelles . Interesting comparison to the Pavie. Preference is a matter of taste. While I liked the Lynch Bages initially, I thought the finish in the Pavie was a bit smoother. Both spectacular wines.

Kevin:I was disappointed with the LB-Even the next day the last bit in the mag still hadn’t opened up. Drying tannins on the finish, will have to see how the 750’s are doing.

Bob: 1995 Araujo (Eisele?) : deep ruby red, medium bodied, oaky, tannins, but nice cherries, dust and leather. A forward wine. Nice with the beef and truffles. Will last.

Kevin: The oak was prominent, but mostly because it was paired with the Bordeaux. I got that mint Eisele is noted for, but late in the taste.

Bob: 1978 Monrachet: The palate cleanser. Wow! Even after 6 powerful reds this knocked my socks off. 100 points in my book. Still bright and lively, yellow golden,Classic toasty, oak, restrained fruit. Very well balanced. A tribute to proper cellaring.

Kevin: 78 Montrachet -Marquis De Laguiche-Drouhin-honeycomb, almond, anise, lime peel, flint, clove, orange marmalade on finish( sorry guys..),, a layer of kink and complexity at end. 90-120 second finish. Ok wine HA, J

Bob: 1997 Ch d'Yquem: Wow! orange brown, perfume, viscous, wonderful nose, powerful , rich, honey, figs,Well balanced. Will age well. 100 points in my book. Powerful stuff.

Kevin: Agreed! Except someone grabbed my glass I swear—I got a 1/2 oz pour. I want the surveillance video

Kevin: 2001 Ch Roumieu Lacosse Sauternes, Barsac: Wow! orange golden, perfume, honey, figs, crisp acid. Concentrated and powerful. Will age well. Amazing wine!

Bob: 1963 Croft Vintage Port: opaque, ruby, wonderful fruit in the nose, A rich masterpiece . Multi dimensional. Even after the d'Yquem and Sauternes it fully satisfied the palate. Color suggests it will last for a long time . 100 points.

Bob: I thought we opened another bottle of port but Kevin swears I am hallucinating. It was delicious . Perhaps it was more of the Croft.(77 kopke)

Kevin: (no, Kevin was hallucinating)

Bob: Ashley outdid herself with the wonderful food. Incredible! I particularly enjoyed the duck ragout and the chanterelles. Perfect for a winter night. We should be evaluating the wonderful food like we do the wines.

Kevin: The crab I went Lady Gaga over.

Clos des Pape's 2008 White Châteauneuf-du-Pape

2010-11-27T17:55:00.000-08:00

White Châteauneuf-du-Pape is that rare white in an ocean of red wines in the southern Rhône. Few producers make it, and the ones that do only devote 10% or less of their production to it.

Clos des Papes, the superstar producer of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, makes only one red and one white Châteauneuf--no special cuvées. Their wines are highly sought-after and can be very hard to find, particularly the white, as it accounts for just 10% of the wines made at the domaine. Out of the 32 hectares of vineyards it farms, just 3 hectares are planted to white grape varietals--Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Bourbolenc, Clairette, and Picpoul.

The last 3 vintages--2007, 2008, and 2009--produced terrific wines for Clos des Papes. And though both 2007 and 2009 get the hype and acclaim, it is the 2008 vintage that produced the most balanced and precise wines for the domaine. One of the keys to the quality of the wines of Clos des Papes is the low yields. Among these last 3 vintages, 2008 had the lowest yield, at 17 hl/ha, while 2009 was 19 hl/ha and 2007 was 25 hl/ha.

The 2008 Clos des Papes white Châteauneuf was vinified in stainless steel and aged in cask for 6 months, with lees stirring, and did not go through malolactic to retain good acidity. A rich wine with amazing depth of flavors and structure, this is capable of aging for over a decade like white Burgundy. It's enjoyable year-round for its freshness and versatility, but particularly great in the fall with rich dishes, especially those with wild mushrooms or truffles.

My Favorite Kitchen Tool

2010-11-24T12:44:00.000-08:00

"Scissors are an underrated kitchen tool", tweeted Chef Daniel Patterson of Coi, and I couldn't agree more.

My kitchen scissors are the Joyce Chen 6.25-in with red handle. I've been using them for the past 20 years to cut whatever needs to be cut in the kitchen--anything from meats to vegetables and packages that need to be opened. I trim poultry skin with it, shear off ligaments and bones, snip off the stems of tomato, parsley, and basil from my kitchen garden, and cut pieces of parchment paper. I make sure these scissors are always handy in my kitchen drawer. And though I've used them constantly for two decades, they've kept their edge without any sharpening.

These Joyce Chen scissors are still being sold for $19.95, but I think I paid much less than that for mine.

Fine Dining at Commis

2010-11-15T02:55:00.000-08:00

Commis is a fine dining place that makes do with less. In that sense it is quite au courant. Foodies may be in a frugal state of mind these days but some still look for a fine dining experience occasionally, though not at French Laundryesque prices. Commis provides the answer.

The $115 nine-course tasting menu I had at Commis delivered the kind of eats that felt almost double that price. How is this possible? The restaurant has a Zen-like economy and simplicity. And most of all Chef James Syhabout’s skill and imagination transform modest ingredients into sublime dishes.

Mr. Syhabout (see-ha-boot) serves up his refined, conceptual cuisine in a spare, gallery-like space. Everything is casual and relaxed. The restaurant's bare walls and plain black-and-white décor—broken only by the blonde wood table-tops and counter—create a contemplative atmosphere that is conducive to the compositions that the kitchen presents.

Each of the dishes is a delicious sketch of a scene. The halibut tartare floats below kelp and sea plant-like flowering coriander. A salad of green tomatoes is a verdant vista with twin upright basil leaves standing like trees in the middle of a garden. The watercress soup appears like a tide pool hemmed by the rocky edges of shaved shiso ice complete with a growth of colorful nasturtiums and sorrel.

My senses are totally engaged by the dishes, and my mind is as well. The experience is like gastronomic meditation.

Mr. Syhabout runs a neat, efficient kitchen. Aside from just two cooks, a pastry chef works alongside him. They operate together harmoniously without fuss and in silence.

Not knowing what menu to expect, I was fortunate that the two wines I brought matched the food marvelously. Both bottles were 1969s kept since release in cold storage. One was a Burgundy, a 1969 Domaine Coron Beaune Clos du Roi 1er Cru. It drank fresh and clear, filled with red fruits and subtle spices, still dense and powerful. But the other bottle qualifies as one of the most amazing wines I've ever drank, a 1969 Beaulieu Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon "Georges de Latour Private Reserve". It had stunning finesse and complexity, and a most surprising delicacy. It was hard to believe this was a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, much less from forty years ago. Its persistence and length was very satisfying. Wine is indeed full of surprises.

Commis Restaurant
3859 Piedmont Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611
510.653.8902

Churrera de la Noche

2010-09-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

I was in La Rioja two years ago and I stayed in Ezcaray, a sleepy village about 40 minutes drive south of Haro, Rioja's wine center. After a late supper of jamon and a glass of the exquisite 2000 La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Reserva I decided to take a stroll in the cold night to explore this compact village a little bit. When I reached a dark empty square surrounded by residential buildings, I was jolted by the sight of a brightly lit churro stand all alone in the deserted square. I couldn't believe what I was seeing--it was like a mirage.

It turns out I happened to be there a bit early, the churrera was just opening and soon the square will be filled by late-night snackers making a beeline for the churro stand. Lucky me was the first in line.

I love churros, or almost any kind of fried dough for that matter. Traditionally it's dunked in hot chocolate but I immensely enjoy it by itself. Costco sells my favorite churro for a buck apiece. I wonder why years ago, when Costco opened their food court, they put churros on the menu. I mean, doughnuts or sugared pretzels would've been a natural. But churros?! Anyway, churros are now ubiquitous in the Bay Area as a result. I would say there's almost a cult following. I guess we can thank Costco for that.

But over in La Rioja on a cold spring night, Costco was the farthest thing from my mind. I stood transfixed on the churrera, patiently waiting for her first churros of the night.

The Summit's Start-Up in The Mission

2010-09-17T01:16:00.000-07:00

San Francisco seems to be getting smaller. The more I go out to the city these days, the more I realize that if it's not in The Mission then it's not really happening at all. The Mission is what defines San Francisco right now: it's the "new" San Francisco.

And in The Mission, you can't get any newer, both literally and conceptually, than the eclectically named The Summit.

So what is The Summit? Well, I went to the private soft launch a few Saturdays ago (public opening is scheduled on Sept. 30) and I walked away still not entirely sure if I got it. Maybe Desi Danganan is just light years ahead that I'm still about a year away from fully comprehending his start-up, er café.

Desi, arms stretched out, in the universal gesture for "I did it!"

So let me take you through what I observed from Desi's quick tour. Essentially, The Summit is part of an integrated café and crib for tech start-ups known as i/o ventures. Okay, you with me? Only in San Francisco, or more pointedly, in The Mission.

The cavernous 780 Valencia space is shared between The Summit (the café) and i/o ventures (the tech start-up incubator business). i/o ventures is the angel funder for The Summit, but curiously I find it hard to tell which of the two is the tail and which is the dog. Just seems a little blurry, especially because of the porous physical layout. Time will tell, I guess, then again, this might be the genius of the project. A vision of a "third place" for everyone, particularly hipster folks.

So when are we going to eat? Enough of the start-up talk and let's turn our attention to the café. Service is cafeteria-style. You walk up to the front counter. Read the wall menu. State your order. Pay. Take the table number handed to you. Settle down on one of the communal tables, sit in the couch in the lounge area, pull a stool at the counter, or just stand around while you wait for your order to be brought to you. At times I felt like being a guest in the living room of a very large house. The minimal decor of concrete floor and wood stain counter and tables create a contemporary, sleek look.

Eddie Lau, the chef, prowled behind the counter, stepping in and out of the enclosed kitchen and the open prep area and drinks bar. There is no gas running in the kitchen so it's fully electric. Desi pointed out that the advantage is that the kitchen cooks cleaner with less smoke and burning odors--very key in this integrated café/office environment, I guess. I asked Eddie if cooking all-electric pose any limitation, and he confidently replied, not at all. Except that he does prep some dishes off-site, like his slow-smoked pastrami. More on this later.

The Summit menu perfectly fits the format. Delicatessen cuisine-inspired, updated with local ingredients and good, honest cooking. Servings are moderate, not heaping, so I got an almost spa-like feel, especially with the tea and chai selection. One thing my friend, Max, noted about the service is that the order is not coursed out--everything comes out together, the salad, soup, sandwich or mains. Maybe he's right, coursing out the order could be a key refinement.

I started with the Summer Corn Soup ($5) that was slurpalicious! Eddie said it was just corn with some dairy. But this is why it's so good!

My Red Pastrami Sandwich ($7.50) was also very good, though the slaw topping was under-seasoned. Eddie slow-cooked the pastrami off-site for 3.5 hours using cherry wood at a downright glacial 130-155 F. My teeth just sank in to it with each bite.

Max opted for the Hot Pork Sandwich ($8) with melted Gruyere on grilled toast. He scarfed it down before I even had a chance to ask him for a taste bite. It did look good, and Max said, indeed.

No alcoholic drinks were on the list but my Iced Lychee Black Tea ($2), perfectly sweetened, was refreshingly delicious! A classic pairing with my pastrami.

Eddie said he's working with Alex Fox (ex-Myth sommelier) on a wine list. I can't wait to see what they'll come up with. Maybe I can nag Eddie and Desi for a Vineyard Gate wine dinner soon.

The Summit
780 Valencia Street (cor. 19th)
San Francisco, CA
(target opening is Sept. 30th)

Pork for All!

2010-09-08T00:07:00.000-07:00

What a neat idea! A friend and his wife, along with their friends, have taken to roasting pig on a patch of open land in the Potrero Hill/Dogpatch neighborhood. What could be more civilized, more God-given, and more liberating than a communal pig cooked on public land? I must say this kind of social networking is more real than hours spent Facebooking.

The La Caja China portable pig roaster cooks a whole pig conveniently. Whether it actually evolved from the Chinese Cuban community, I'm not sure--most likely a tall-tale to lend the contraption a certain exotic mystery, as well as be a conversation piece to while the time away waiting for the pig to cook.

And if you get bored talking about the pig, well, the neighborhood park might just offer bizarre entertainment.

The Best Cookbooks

2010-08-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yet another list of the "best cookbooks" was revealed by the UK's Observer Food Monthly in a suspense-filled two-part series last Friday and Sunday. Numbers 50 to 11 were listed here, and the the top ten finale appeared here.

In any ambitious list like this, what stirs me more is not what are in it, but what were left out. Yet, there were several titles that made me go, "huh?" And there were a few that prompted me to clap my hands, as they are obscure but genius choices.

The ones that made me go "huh?", include (and I only mention the ones I'm familiar with):
46 CATALAN CUISINE Colman Andrews
42 HOW TO EAT Nigella Lawson
25 TRADITIONAL SPANISH COOKING Janet Mendel
17 A PLATTER OF FIGS AND OTHER RECIPES David Tanis
5 ROAST CHICKEN AND OTHER STORIES Simon Hopkinson with Lindsey Bareham
2 FRENCH PROVINCIAL COOKING Elizabeth David
1 THE FRENCH MENU COOKBOOK Richard Olney

And the titles that made me clap my hands at the sheer genius of the selection (again, I include only the books that I've perused):
50 MOMOFUKU David Chang
35 THE RIVER COTTAGE MEAT BOOK Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
26 CLASSIC CHINESE COOKBOOK Yan-kit So
9 SICHUAN COOKERY Fuchsia Dunlop

In the pantheon of cookery literature Elizabeth David has a hallowed place, but I would have chosen Mediterranean Classics, as it contains not one, but three of her best works.

I'm pained to critique the top pick of Richard Olney's The French Menu Cookbook, as I'm an ardent Olney fan. Not only do I have this book, but I have almost a complete library of his books, including Reflexions, Provence: the Beautiful Cookbook, Romanée-Conti, Yquem, and Lulu's Provençal Table (autographed by him). Nevertheless, in terms of impact and gravitas, I would place Fernand Point's Ma Gastronomie and Jacques Pepin's The Art of Cooking Vol. I and II ahead of Olney's

Another favorite that didn't make the cut is Teresa Barrenechea's The Basque Table. A groundbreaking book that was published well before nueva cocina exploded in the food scene. Even Ferran Adrià is a fan of Barrenechea's book.

The Observer list includes quaint titles such as English Food, Action Cookbook, and The Book of Jewish Food. My own personal preference in a category such as this is a small book that's long been a companion in my kitchen: Galing Galing. A collection of traditional Philippine cuisine recipes by the Dazas. My copy is thumb worn, a survivor of many cooking adventures.

Going over the Observer list a few times I can't help but notice Alice Waters' overarching presence, as well as that of her chums. Both David Tanis and Deborah Madison cooked at Chez Panisse. And, of course, the Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook made it to number 11. Waters is also closely associated with Elizabeth David and Richard Olney, and together they formed a kind of cooking clique. Interestingly, a good number, maybe even half, of the cookbooks chosen in the list have authors with ties to one of these three food icons!

Now, I really would like to see Daniel Patterson weigh in on this list.

Benu: The Ink Isn't Even Dry Yet on the Menu

2010-08-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

The most anticipated restaurant opening of the year: Benu opened Aug. 10th, well before its target date of Aug 22nd. The restaurant is already booked solid for the next 8 weeks, says Open Table. So you if you're not lucky enough to score a reservation, mid-October might be your best bet, which may not be a bad thing, as by then any needed tweaks would've been done.

Not that ex-French-Laundry-Chef-de-Cuisine, Corey Lee, is prone to glitches. It's been well-documented by the food press that he's a pretty exacting dude.

I'm excited to see how this new fine dining space would fly in the face of food trucks and the dozens of casual eateries that have sprouted in the Mission and elsewhere in the Bay Area since the Great Recession started.

Anyway, wish me luck I'll try to get in asap. Meanwhile here's the a la carte menu and the tasting menu.

Benu
22 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco CA 94105
Open for dinner Tues-Sat 5:30pm-10:00pm
415.685.4860 (call 10am-4pm Tues-Sat)

Ben & Jerry

2010-07-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

Collecting wine requires many things--wine knowledge, of course; money, for sure; and enough storage space to make the collection interesting. But these assets wouldn't matter much if one isn't an optimist. Collecting wine is believing that wine will last and taste better with the passage of time, and, above all, that one would live long enough for this experience.

This point was recently demonstrated when two wild optimists I know, Ben and Jerry, organized a wine dinner for Jerry's friends at his home. From their wine cellars, they opened old wines, which I would fondly describe as in a state of optimistic decay.

Bold optimists as they are, what they did takes cojones. Why? Instead of focusing on highly acclaimed vintages, the wine theme was a tribute to the birth years of everyone present. Of course, not everyone's birth year coincided with a great vintage; in fact, about half the people present were born in challenging vintages. Ultimately for Ben and Jerry, optimism in their wines trumps vintage ratings.

During the run-up to the dinner, I noted to both Ben and Jerry the reputation of the vintages they picked out for the wines. I must admit, though I've had nothing but flawless results in the provenance of these wines, I feel uneasy when the vintage is pushed to the edge. 1968 in Bordeaux, 1962 in Germany, and 1950 in the Douro are simply dreadful vintages. What life inhabited these wines had long been snuffed out after decades of delay. Or so one might assume.

Yet, all too often in my experience, good wines from favored sites have shown an infinite capacity to surprise. And I've long observed that wine critics and wine experts frequently get it wrong--a case of hubris and a lack of humility, I would think.

A break in the rainy spring weather allowed a great afternoon start. We immensely enjoyed sipping Champagne on the sunny veranda that offered a picturesque view of the vineyard garden against the bright Santa Clara Valley skyline.

The Bollinger Special Cuvée in magnum, sporting a new label, is a coup de couer from this great Champagne house. I couldn't imagine a more fortuitous start. Electric, full of flavor and yeasty energy, it provided a rousing front act to the 1964 Bollinger RD that followed.

The 1964 Bollinger RD in magnum started life at the time of Madame Lily Bollinger, undoubtedly the most colorful figure in Bollinger's centuries-old history, and, I would think, the one who catapulted the house to greatness. She created the RD (recently disgorged) Champagne in 1961, as well as the house's prestige cuvée Vieille Vignes Françaises Champagne in 1969. Both bottlings are regarded by Champagne enthusiasts as must-haves in practically every vintage they're released.

Champagne ran in Madame Bollinger's veins it seemed. Yet, she's mainly remembered not for her brilliant innovations that made her company successful, but for her famous quote about when to enjoy Champagne:

“I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it—unless I’m thirsty."

From the beginning, the Bollinger RD has defied the dictum that many Champagne enthusiasts cling to, that Champagne must be consumed soon after being disgorged, especially old vintages. Well, this 1964 Bollinger RD was disgorged almost twenty years after its vintage, then aged for close to 30 years post-disgorgement! It was as fresh as the young Bollinger Special Cuvée and was a totally mindblowing Champagne. Flamboyant and more obviously in the RD style than the 1961 we drank last January, yet it's just as elegant and youthful. Expansive and full of vigor. Its bubbles shimmering as they rushed to the surface against a palette of pale gold. An awesome treat!

At the table we got right into business with a couple of old Rhineland marvels. The 1959 Graacher Himmelreich "feine" Auslese, Fuder #13, J. J. Prüm was made prior to the Pradikat system's establishment in 1971. At that time a "feine" designation by a respectable producer such as J.J. Prüm meant a special selection of high quality grapes that were harvested late. 1959 is one the greatest vintages in the Mosel, and the wines have been long-lived. Prüm's Graacher Himmelreich is broader in taste compared to their other prized vineyard, the Weltinger Sonnenuhr. This was just so vibrant and youthful, with layers of flavors that further intensified as it opened up. Beautiful purity, finishing very clean, without a hint of botrytis.

Owned by the Matuschka family since the 12th century, Schloss Vollrads is the oldest existing family-owned winery in the world. This famous estate in the Rheingau has produced many of Germany's greatest Rieslings over the centuries, but the 1962 Schloss Vollrads Auslese comes from a poor vintage for German Rieslings. The cool weather slowed down ripening, producing thin wines lacking substance. It wasn't a complete disaster. Parts of the Rheingau were dry enough for a prolonged hang time, and grapes that were harvested very late produced overachieving wines such as this Auslese. This Riesling was simple, especially next to the 1959, but well formed and still fresh and sweet, with a distinctive rich caramel taste. The finish didn't last long and the wine soon faded in the glass, but it served its purpose well on the table. Impressive for a 1962er!

With the Beef Wellington, two legendary 1958 Napa Cabernet Sauvigons were served--the real deal, the real Napa classics--a Beaulieu Vineyard Napa Cabernet Sauvignon "Private Reserve Georges de Latour" and a Inglenook Napa Cabernet Sauvignon "Cask". Sadly, such exquisite Napa Cabernets have long been extinct, buried and forgotten after the 1970s. It puzzles me why the work of André Tchelistcheff, John Daniel, and George Deuer--the great, pioneering California winemakers behind these wines--are never looked back on by current California winemakers--preferring, instead, to make exaggerated, homogenous wines. Today, Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyard exist as legacy brands.

The 1958 BV Napa Cabernet Sauvignon "Private Reserve Georges de Latour" (12.5% alcohol) is unmistakably Napa with its dark berries and soaring notes of mint and eucalyptus. What purity and freshness for a Cabernet over half a century old! I love the fruit's focus and precision, sharp and edgy, and really quite forceful and intense on the palate. I wouldn't think of this as a finesse wine, though its character is quite refined. It shows no subtlety, but expresses masculine rawness, directness and openness. I can't imagine this wine to come from anywhere but California.

Inglenook's 1958 Cabernet Sauvignon "Cask F-10" (13% alcohol) is Inglenook's famous Cask Cabernet, its flagship wine. Inglenook made its best wines between the 1930s and early 1960s under John Daniel. The heart of the Cask Cabernet was the Napanook Vineyard in Oakville. Later, John Daniel sold all the Inglenook vineyards (the bulk, the Home Vineyard in Rutherford, now belongs to Coppola's Rubicon Estate), except this property as he always wanted to keep it in the family. But after he passed away, his daughters sold the heirloom vineyard to Christian Moueix of Dominus Estate. Moueix, of course, is famous for the Bordeaux estate Pétrus that he has run for decades. And I guess it's only appropriate that he ended up with the vineyard because this 1958 Inglenook Cask Cabernet Sauvignon offered Gironde-like class and finesse. It has that haunting autumnal fragrance and sleek lusciousness. Over half a century has passed and this is still clad in fleshy fruit with generous concentration and length. Only the elite Bordeaux wines achieve such sheer glory, and clearly this Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is in that crowd.

We weren't through with the reds (not counting the Port to follow and a stray bottle of Live Oak Pinot Noir from Livermore, which was never drank). A magnum of 1968 Château Latour, Pauillac was opened to honor Jerry's birth year. 1968 is a forgettable year for claret. None of the first growths did anything really notable. Some say 1967 was worse, yet I had a good '67 Margaux and an outstanding '67 Haut-Brion last year, both from Ben's cellar. Wine has taught me to expect to be surprised always. And so I would add this '68 Latour to my voluminous collection of wine surprises. The fruit was still singing--the deep flavor of currants was distinctive, sweet, and remarkably fresh. Ample and sleek as a first-growth should be. The vaunted l'Enclos vineyard certainly came through for this vintage. What caught my attention was its taste on the finish--the autumnal leaves of the '58 Inglenook Cask! One of wine's surprises is its unexpected affinities.

Last on the agenda was the 1950 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port. From a so-so vintage in the Douro, but houses bold enough to declare a Vintage Port usually produce something better than so-so. Quinta do Noval, one of the great Port houses, has a good reputation in this vintage. Indeed this Port was very satisfying. Light and Tawny-like, with a sweet, fruity freshness and a trailing scent of taffy candy. Though it lacks richness and depth to be classic Vintage Port, I do find this 1950 Quinta do Noval desirable for its winning elegance and remarkable freshness. Ben's impeccable cellar comes up aces as always even in some of the bleakest vintages.

As it turned out, we were not quite done yet after the Port. Jerry surprised everyone with an impromptu tribute to Ben and his wife, Mayon, by opening a magnificent wine from their birth year: a pristine bottle of 1929 Château Filhot, Sauternes. '29, of course, is one of the greatest vintages for Sauternes. For Ben and Mayon, this Sauternes also carried a personal note. They are good friends of Alexandre de Lur-Saluces, whose family previously owned not just Château d'Yquem but also Filhot.

How the Lur-Saluces family came to own Filhot is a bit interesting. During the French Revolution, the Filhot estate was sequestered by the state and the head of the aristocratic Filhot family was guillotined. But not long afterwards, the daughter of Filhot, who happened to be married to a Lur-Saluces, managed to get the Sauternes estate back, thus bringing Château Filhot into the Lur-Saluces fold, which included Yquem, de Fargues, Coutet, and others. After more than a century of ownership, the Lur-Saluces family unloaded Filhot in 1935, when phylloxera ravaged the vines, making it a burden to tend to several wine estates.

So like the great Yquem the '29 Filhot is a Lur-Saluces wine, and it definitely lived up to its pedigree. The color still a bright amber. Intensely botrytised. Rich but just ripe and not so unctuous. Its brightness flashing youthful elegance and highlighting the delicious precision. Caramel, poached pear, and orange liqueur. The flavors linger like fresh flowers. Compare this pristine bottle that Jerry opened (above) to the one below from Château Filhot, and you'll get an idea how unbelievably fresh the former is. The maxim--"there are no great old wines, only great old bottles"--is most true.

Jerry and his buddies have been enjoying each other's company and wines over the past ten years. I'm fortunate to be invited on this occasion. When it was his time to host again, Jerry pulled no punches: he teamed up with Ben. The rest, as they say, is history.

Lunch at Ramen Dojo

2010-06-25T17:46:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, a massive power outage struck in the downtown area of Millbrae around noon. A construction truck backed into an electric post causing high voltage wires to get tangled up, hence knocking out the power for hours. Drats! I had a ton of work to do! But the place was dark, the computers were down, and the alarms were going off. Before stress overcame me, I thought there was only one thing to do. Lunch.

Friends have been telling me about a new ramen place that opened very recently in San Mateo, where the old Santa Ramen used to be. So this opportunity to check it out is like a gift from heaven. If you are a ramen enthusiast like me, you don't head to San Francisco or anywhere else in the Bay Area, except to San Mateo. With ramen outlets like Santa Ramen, Himawari, Izakaya Mai, and others, San Mateo is ground zero for the best ramen around the bay.

Typical of ramen houses, each one has a specialty. I like the Okinawan salt flavor and the wonton ramen of Himawari. Santa Ramen has a cult following because of its fatty stewed pork ramen. Years ago at Kaimuki Grill along El Camino, when Okada-san still owned the place (he also started Ramen Club in Burlingame), I enjoyed the al dente, ramen noodles that he made himself from flour milled in Japan.

This new ramen joint in San Mateo is called Ramen Dojo. To cut to the chase, it's a winner and I can't wait to get back!

The style of ramen here is very different. Obviously, it's spicy, as it says clearly on the front signage this is a spicy noodle house. You can order the optional non-spicy, but why even come to this place then?

I sat at the counter and ordered the garlic and pork flavor--as far as I'm concerned the only option--regular, plain without extras ($8.95). I thought there were plenty enough toppings when the bowl was set in front of me just minutes later.

Immediately I noticed the garnish of fresh red-leaf lettuce, instead of the customary sheet of nori. A healthy touch, I thought, and quite San Francisco. There were also sprigs of spring onions, boiled quail egg (very nice and totally Asian), strands of red pepper, slices of kikurage mushrooms (wood ears), fried whole garlic cloves, and the all important char-siu pork. The char-siu pork here is really special, full of roast pork goodness and without any off smells. Clearly they use high quality pork and barbecue it perfectly. I think this char-siu is what makes this place stand out.

The soup itself is mild in terms of pork taste, which I prefer to the milky, fatty broth; highlighting the char-siu flavor and the intensity of the spice. It is served piping hot. Resting underneath, the noodles are what I noticed last. Again, very distinctive, as they are flat, almost like linguine, and, to my satisfaction, quite al dente. I was told the noodles are ordered from Los Angeles, which has some of the best noodle houses this side of the Pacific.

Good thing I don't have to go to L.A. for a slurp. San Mateo has some notable ramen houses, and Ramen Dojo is definitely one of them.

Ramen Dojo
Japanese Spicy Noodle House
805 South B Street
San Mateo, CA 94401
Mon-Sun lunch and dinner
Closed Tues
650.401.6568

Saké and Small Plates at Izakaya Sozai

2010-05-30T23:27:00.000-07:00

Izakaya Sozai in the Sunset district of San Francisco opened just last February and is already packing it in nightly. On a lark, Amy and I walked in tonight without a reservation, jostled against the waiting crowd and got a table without a wait! It was meant to be.

Bamboo carafe of extra dry saké ($17) served chilled. Excellent start!

We can't resist this pair of yakitori specials. Grilled Pork Jowl with miso paste ($5.50) and Grilled Duck with port wine sauce ($6.50). Very tasty bar food. Gone in seconds

Ritsu Tonkotsu Ramen ($8) with pork belly ($2) and spicy miso ($1.50). Good, but we expected better, so a bit of a letdown.

Maitake Fritters with truffle salt ($7). Crunchy, rich, perfectly seasoned. Delicious, especially with the dry saké!

Yaki Onigiri ($3). We never fail to order onigiri when we see it on the list, this version is very good, already seasoned and tasty.

Tofu "steak" and Assorted Mushrooms ($7). Served on small sizzling plate. A brilliant concoction. Intense and "meaty".

Interesting restaurant, pretty hip. A Japanese take on the aperitivo habit, though izakayas have been doing it for a while. I'll be back for more. The Sunset corridor is a threat to the Mission scene. All good for sure!

Izakaya Sozai
1500 Irving
San Francisco, CA 94122
415.742.5122
5:30pm - 10pm Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs
5:30pm - 11pm Fri, Sat
Closed - Tues

Barolo Lessons

2010-05-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

We celebrated a good friend's birthday last night with a Piemonte theme at a most Piemontese restaurant in San Francisco, Perbacco Ristorante.

To start, we uncorked a 2004 Spumante Extra Brut from Barolo legend Bruno Giacosa. The all Pinot Nero sparkler was magnificent, bone dry and full, it unfolded with a Chablis-like finesse. This was another side of Giacosa's greatness.

The evening's highlight, though, was a side-by-side treat of Giacomo Borgogno's Barolo Riserva 1958 and 1961. Both were great vintages and drank beautifully. We debated which was better. I initially preferred the '58, it was sweet, rustic, superbly elegant, and altogether just charming. At 52 years-old, one couldn't hope for more. But my fondness for the '61 grew, it was a completely different wine. More muscular, structured, upright, with the fruit showing a youthful brightness. Our sommelier pronounced it, "bello".

I flip-flopped between the two wines. In the end, I thought, no matter how great each wine is, it doesn't have what the other has. But together we had a complete experience! So the moral then is, don't drink just one great Barolo, drink two.

California Cherries

2010-05-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

Today I got very excited to see the first cherries of the season arrive at my local farmers' market in Millbrae. I always look forward to these two women, hardy cherry farmers, park their truck on Saturdays during spring. They don't have a lot of cherry trees so their crops sell out only after about five weeks or so.

The first ones out are the Burlats. Then the Rainiers and Bings follow. The sweet, golden Rainiers are the crowd favorites, but mine are the Bings--big, crunchy, and tart--I guess this reflects the same preference I have in wine, as I go for the crisp, mineral, high-acid Chablis, rather than for the buttery, oaky, sweet Rombauer-type Chardonnay.

After picking up my weekly ration of cherries, I head to my favorite vegetable farmer to grab sugar peas, fresh-cut onions, bokchoy, chinese lettuce, upo, and bunches of lemon grass, cilantro, and kangkong. What supermarket would have all these?!

Heirloom Café: The Mission's New Wine Bistro

2010-05-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

The foodie-driven gentrification of San Francisco's Mission neighborhoods shows no letup. In the past century, it was writers and artists who colonized blighted urban corners at places like Greenwich Village, SoHo, and North Beach. Today, in San Francisco, young, inspired restaurateurs flock to the Mission to open up hipster food joints.

The latest in this parade is Heirloom Café, a project by Matt Straus, a young sommelier from L.A. who cut his teeth at Wilshire and Grace. I was there last night at a closed-door soft opening, and he mentioned that the new 48-seat bistro will open Tuesday, May 11th. What sets off Heirloom from other trendy food establishments in the Mission--Flour + Water, Bar Bambino, Beretta, Delfina--is it's definitely not, yet another Italian joint, but a wine bistro with a cuisine that's decidedly Californian-- fresh, local ingredients that are simply cooked. The menu recalls an Il Cane Rosso or even a Chez Panisse-light, with prices that are very, very reasonable. Apparently, the bistro's model is, whip up some nice, simple food but priced them low and make up the margins with the wines.

The main draw will be Matt's cellar, reportedly numbering over 3,000 bottles and consisting heavily of Burgundy, California, Italian, Loire, and German wines, with vintages stretching back several decades. He told me that it took him the past eight years to put together the collection for his dream restaurant. I didn't have the chance to look at the list of the collection but the regular list is not too shabby, with bottles and by the glass selections of Vineyard Gate faves such as the 2008 Muscadet, Pepiere ($34); 2005 Pouilly-Fuisse "Les Menetrieres", Ferret ($80), 2003 Carema "Etichetta Bianca", Ferrando ($81); and 2008 Coenobium, Monasterio Suore Cistercensi ($39) the luscious "orange" wine by Bea.

And speaking of Bea, Giampiero Bea was with us last night as we tasted his spectacular range of avant-garde wines (more on this in a separate post). Actually, I think us folks in the wine trade where the main crowd.

Curiously, the bistro's corkage policy is slanted: $25/bottle for 2003 vintage and younger, but just $10/bottle for 2002 and older! I may have to bring a few bottles from the old stash to this place. However, there's a two-bottle limit per party. Sigh.

My starter plate of "roasted asparagus, salsa rustica" ($6) was crunchy and tasty, perfect with the 2008 Santa Chiara from Bea. If you're not sure about what to pair with asparagus, I guarantee you an "orange" wine like this from Bea is a perfect match.

My main was a mound of "orechiette, sausage, rapini, yellow eye beans, parmesan" ($7). I love it for the generous portion of well-spiced sausage. It's a meal! I definitely favored the earthier and less lifted 2005, than the 2006, San Valentino from Bea with this dish. The wine is a blend of 70% Sangiovese and 30% Montepulciano and Sagrantino.

Owner Matt Straus and Giampiero Bea. And by the way, that's the plate of "roasted halibut, ramps, English peas, cauliflower puree" in front of Giampiero. It's part of the $25 3-course menu, with matching glasses of wine for the starter and the main.

The kitchen, tidying up after the first night of service.

I like the vibe of this new bistro. Casual and airy. The place, in a corner spot, where Folsom Street and 21st Street meet, has high-ceilings and plenty of room for just 48 seats, but it's definitely a noise chamber, especially if you're at the long table in the middle of the room. Parking is a challenge in this mainly residential neighborhood, but when you do get to the bistro all that is forgotten.

Heirloom Café
2500 Folsom Street (at 21st Street)
San Francisco, CA
Opening for dinner on Tuesday May 11th

Burgundy at the Sixteen Mile House

2010-04-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

During these heady foodie days of hip, purveyor-driven food (Berkshire, Rancho Gordo, La Quercia, Farmstead, Marin Sun, Soul Food, etc.), molecular gastronomy, and small plate cuisine, the local steaks & chops joint is a total relic. Yet, there is something retro-comfort, if not retro-chic, about dining in these disappearing American gut-busting institutions.

One of the Bay Area's classic steaks & chops joints is the Sixteen Mile House. This historic location started out in 1877 as a hotel on the El Camino Real route, then afterwards a stagecoach station for Wells Fargo. Along the stagecoach run from San Francisco, mile houses used to dot El Camino; the surviving Sixteen Mile House was the 16 mile marker from the city.

I'm not sure when the building got converted to a restaurant, but it's been at least a few decades. I first laid eyes on the landmark in the late 1980s when it still had hitching posts on the front curb. About two years ago a local restaurateur took over and remodeled the place to its current glory.

Frankly, I was initially hesitant whether I should feel proud or scared about having this former gambling house and Prohibition-era speakeasy, now throwback restaurant, in our town, just some blocks from the wine store. I'd never set foot on the place. Somehow, the dark, noisy bar in the front room with smokers spilling out on the sidewalk just isn't my scene. When walking past the restaurant at night I usually quicken my pace, fearing either a brawl could break out among redneck patrons or a hairy-chested, tattooed, biker dude might take fancy on me, a scrawny, Asian kid.

But these silly fears proved to be all just my wild imaginings, perhaps from watching too much "Kung Fu" TV series and Quentin Tarantino movies. When I walked in with my bottle of red Burgundy on a recent night, the place was packed with families and polite, middle-aged couples enjoying a drink while listening to a three-piece jazz combo. I found my mates in the cozier dining area in the backroom

We started with plates of fried calamari, pan-friend sand dabs, crab cocktail, and crab cakes. I liked the sand dabs best, a dish that I somewhat regard as a San Francisco specialty, but sadly absent in today's trendy menus.

With these starters I enjoyed a glass of 1971 Remoissenet Pere & Fils Meursault "Cuvée Maurice Chevalier". Its color was deep gold, with a musty smell that gave way to marzipan and almond paste. Though past its prime, it still had good energy left. Soft pears, grapefruit, and creamed corn, still powerful and long.

Amy and I shared a 22-ounce Porterhouse steak with sides of rice pilaf and veggies. In my twenty-something days I put away this slab of beef myself but I'm less Rabelaisian these days. The steak was cooked precisely at medium-rare and attractively cross-marked but I found the taste dull and too chewy. I think the 22-ounce rib-eye sounded better. Anyway, it wasn't bad, but decent at best.

From a little-known négociant house, distant relatives of the more famous Bouchard Pere et Fils, the 1959 Paul Bouchard & Cie Bonnes-Mares had amazingly deep, dark color and a strong funkiness in the nose of metallic notes and onion powder, but in the mouth has nearly opulent black cherries and licorice, fleshy and concentrated with a lasting finish. Red Burgundy never ceases to surprise me!

Simply awesome was the 1995 Domaine Leroy Clos de Vougeot!. This wine exemplified the greatness of this vintage for reds. Magnificent concentration, powerful, and structured. But this Leroy was so well proportioned. Very, very youthful but totally luscious and seductive. I don't know if there's any Clos Vougeot that can exceed or even match a Leroy this good.

Finally, the 1993 Frédéric Esmonin Griottes-Chambertin. Hardly anyone knew the young Frédéric Esmonin at the time this was released, and so this was an obscure label and languished on the shelf. We used to sell it at not much more than $40! This was dark, rich, and powerful, with particularly firm tannins and very good freshness. Still drinking young, I agree with Clive Coates' assessment that this will easily evolve another ten years from today.

We shared a decadent, dark chocolate cake for dessert. I was full but the chocolate was irresistible.

Sixteen Mile House
448 Broadway
Millbrae, CA 94030
Tel 650.697.6118
Closed Monday, lunch Tue-Fri, dinner Tue-Sun

Spoiler Alert! Bordeaux 2009 My First Impression

2010-04-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Bordeaux en primeur campaign has just began. Our earliest offers at Vineyard Gate, very modest $30 and under wines from obscure petits châteaux, have been popular and a few even sold out within hours prompting me to scramble for more. Hopelessly.

So, almost by surprise, the campaign is off to a great start. But this is just the opening salvo of modestly priced, albeit high-scoring wines. I expect it to be a long, drawn-out campaign, a la 2000, when it stretched out all the way to June. Parker's inevitable scores would probably come out by the end of this month or early May.

Early posturings by Bordelais show almost uncontained elation about the quality of the vintage, yet taking pains to avoid any discussions of price. "We speak too much about money nowadays, let's just think about the wine at the moment, let's just try to tell people about how excited we are", said the winemaker for a top classed growth producer. Uh-oh, ka-ching! It's the old, if you have to ask the price...

For such a quality vintage an air of smugness is understandable among the Bordelais, but American wine traders are grumbling of being snubbed, of being treated less than uber class now that Asians, particularly, Chinese, have exhibited a highly disposable bent. But, hey, why whine? For centuries the Bordelais have been traders after all, money runs through their veins.

Anyway, I couldn't go to Bordeaux for the en primeur tasting but one of the negociants flew in about a dozen or so barrel samples to taste for a small group of us yesterday afternoon. I won't beat around the bush, 2009 is a really delicious vintage to taste even from barrel because of the big fruit concentration and ripe tannins.

As can be expected, right bank wines--St.-Emilions, Pomerols, Fronscacs, etc.--are big and very ripe, some are almost ringers for Napa Cabs! I favor the ones with more finesse and firmness like Château Canon and Figeac, but the Beau Sejour Becot is incredibly opulent and full and gorgeous. I'll be pouncing on these wines depending on the price.

But it seems to me the left bank produced the best wines. I'm very impressed with
Saint-Juliens like Leoville-Barton and Beychevelle--the latter probably made its best wine ever, certainly the best I've ever tasted, easily eclipsing its 1982 and 1986. Leoville-Barton appears to be one of the must-haves in this vintage, so seamlessly well-knit, really extraordinary class in this vintage, the best young Leoville-Barton I've ever sipped.

And 2009 is totally superb in the high-rent district of Pauillac as a whole. Pichon Lalande is gorgeous, sexy, and precise. Clerc-Milon should be a great buy, and Haut-Bages Liberal is stunning. I would go long on Pauillac but I'm scared of what the prices might be!

Margaux could be a notch below Pauillac and St. Julien, only in the sense that it doesn't have the concentration of the vintage like the latter two, but I need to taste more to be sure. But I very much like Rauzan-Segla, very Margaux, aromatic, rich, and so well proportioned.

The Graves may tout some of the most opulent wines of the vintage. The usual roasted quality is giving way to very ripe, right-bank like fruit, but with spicy aspects, as in the case of the blockbustery Pape-Clement.

There will be no shortage of very affordable wines--under $50--in this vintage. The only question is, how hefty would the prices be for the top classed growths? Hey, the 2008s are looking better and better!

Burgundy and Pomerol

2010-04-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

Is it conceivable that hate would cease to exist and that Bordeauxheads and Burgheads shall make peace at the table? I admit the thought seems too Biblical. Yet, I snuck this agenda to friends with disparate preferences and made them cough up some precious bottles of wine to test my hypothesis.

I prefaced my call by saying that somewhere the wine critic, Robert Parker, wrote ecstatically that an outstanding Pomerol possessed Grand Cru Burgundy-like opulence. This resonated to the group, and so without much fuss, like we were all on a cloud, as if the peace that surpasseth all understanding had finally come, we headed to a neighborhood prime rib joint bottles in hand.

To start on neutral ground, a short bottle of Solera 1847 Gonzalez, Byass Jerez (Sherry) was uncorked. What a complex wine! I had difficulty deciding whether it was somewhat sweet or dry. The layers of caramel, walnut, and pecan were confection-like but there was no real sweetness. It had wonderful fruity freshness, with a hint of woodspice surfacing. The flavors had mouthfilling intensity, long and powerful through the finish. The thought crossed my mind, why even bother with Bordeaux and Burgundy? This old Sherry is clearly in a league of its own!

We started drinking the Burgundies. The 1998 Comte Georges de Vogüe Bonnes-Mares was a powerhouse, not taking long to reveal its treasures. Deeply concentrated, very rich, ripe, extracted black cherry, spice, licorice fruit wrapped in velvety tannins. Muscular and lengthy. Every bit a Bonnes-Mares. I love Roumier, but it seems overrated compared to Vogüe.

Side-by-side with the Vogüe was the 1996 Domaine A.-F. Gros Richebourg. I know the Gros wines can be confusing, this domaine is owned by Anne-Françoise Gros and her husband, François Parent. Anne-Françoise is daughter of the late Jean Gros, whence the main Gros estate emanated. She is the sister of Michel Gros, who inherited the Jean Gros domaine but doesn't own a single Richebourg. Anne-Françoise is a cousin of Anne Gros, who ended up owning much of the Richebourg of the Gros clan.

Back to the 1996 A.-F. Gros Richebourg, this was fresh, high-toned, with dark, tart fruit. Elegant in character, but lacking in Richebourg flamboyance. It does show breed, though it comes out awkward and is not cohesive enough. I hate to generalize, but 1996 Burgundy has fallen short of expectations for me. Let's wait another decade before passing final judgment.

A wine you don't have to wait another decade on is the 1971 Comte Georges de Vogüe Bonnes-Mares. While fully evolved, this was as fresh as a dewdrop and it showed off an ethereal elegance that comes only with time. Would the 1998 be this this excellent in, say 15 years? Possibly. Meanwhile, the scent of this Bonnes-Mares was intoxicating--exuding sweet cherry aromas, floral rose petals, and sage. It was sweet, intense, delicate and pure, mighty as a river, and long-lasting.

So now it was time for the Pomerols. Visitiung Pomerol is indeed like being in Burgundy, as it's a small commune, and the chateaux are modest, if not downright shabby farmhouses as Burgundy's, and their vineyard holdings are tiny, usually no more than a few acres. There is also the similarity that one grape varietal clearly dominates, in this case Merlot, though Cabernet Franc can have a significant presence in some of the wines. Finally, there are parallels with how the wine trade is conducted. Pomerol's center of business is Libourne. Though not medieval-looking as Beaune, Libourne is a small, old, bustling city, where the population lives and the negociants are based, like in Beaune.

The one Pomerol that rivals the iconic Pétrus is Château Lafleur. Lafleur is not so well known even among Bordeaux lovers--the rara avis among Pomerols--I seldom see it in collectors' cellars. Production is nearly half that of Pétrus, about 1,500 cases or so a year, so this severely limits its distribution. Yet, it sells for just a fraction of Pétrus. Lafleur is, indeed, for the discerning Pomerol collector.

The 1976 Château Lafleur, from a very difficult vintage, was impressive, attesting to the estate's greatness. Half Merlot and half Cabernet Franc (the high proportion of Cabernet Franc is unusual for Pomerol) it really reminded me of a well-aged Clos Rougeard from Saumur. Its nose has licorice and mint, some olives, and is very sous-bois. I very much enjoyed the wine's freshness, its display of flesh and power despite its years, and, of course, the length of finish. My empty glass had the haunting smell of decaying leaves.

Finally, it was time for the cult Bordeaux, Pétrus. I felt privileged to be drinking the two 1976 Pomerols side-by-side. The Merlot-driven 1976 Pétrus was equally impressive but clearly different from the Lafleur. The nose is more exotic, with cocoa and vanilla bean aspects and black truffles, layered with menthol, earth and some sous-bois. It's soft-centered, unlike the firmness of the Lafleur, and round and fleshy all around. It doesn't have the definition of the Lafleur but favors those who prefer something less rustic.

When the bottles were all emptied, it was as if we snapped out of a momentary reverie. We slipped back to our Bordeaux and Burgundy habits, flaming one or the other. I was scolded for instigating such heresy of putting Bordeaux and Burgundy together on the table. Hey, maybe it was just a dream after all.

Afternoon in Gratallops

2010-04-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

While in Barcelona a few years ago, my wife and I took an afternoon trip to Gratallops, a mountaintop enclave in the Priorat region of Catalonia famous for its fantastic old-vine Grenache wines.

Rene Barbier Jr. toured us at his family's Clos Mogador estate, then hosted a long lunch at his ultra-modern wine bar restaurant, Irreductibles, in the middle of nowhere in the dusty, remote Priorat mountains. I got to give it to the Spaniards for their boldness in creating such contrasting settings. El Bulli in the Costa Brava is the same way. And so is El Celler de Can Roca, which we visited the next day, situated in the seedy outskirts of Girona.

Cases of Nelin in the Clos Mogador cave. The white from Clos Mogador. This was the first production. A complex and unique blend of mainly Grenache Blanc, with Viognier, Roussanne, Macabeo, and Pinot Noir, the Pinot gives a touch of color to the wine. I took home a bottle, the 2003, the first one to enter the US.

Rene Barbier Jr. checking out a vertical of Clos Mogador before I jump in. Clos Mogador is a Grenache based wine with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Carignan. His father, Rene Barbier, is the pioneer winegrower in Gratallops. He was soon followed by Daphne Glorian of Clos Erasmus and Alvaro Palacios of L'Ermita. Rene Jr. is a meticulous winemaker and never stops studying his craft. When I visited he was experimenting with 20 different oak barrels to see which would produce better results. He told me his vacations are usually spent visiting wineries in other parts of the world to learn new things.

The menu at Irreductibles is a bit unusual, as it's encased in a chicken-wire frame.

The dishes are a modern take on Catalonian and Spanish cuisine with riffs on international cooking

Fredi Torres, the wine guy at Irreductibles. The cellar/wine store is filled with Grenache-based wines from all over the world and, of course, Priorat's top wines like cases of Clos Manyetes

Here I am in the Cims de Porrera section of the wine cellar

And speaking about Cims de Porrera, here is Adria Perez who runs Cims de Porrera and Clos Figueras with his sister, Sara Perez. Unlike Clos Mogador, Cims is a Carignan-based wine from very old Carignan vines (over 100 years-old) growing in the llicorella (slatey) soils of Priorat. The lunch at Irreductibles took almost the whole afternoon (Spaniards love long lunches) so my visit with Adria was short. He's a really cool, animated guy, really fun to be with. I fell in love with his Solanes, made from younger vine (about 45 years-old) Carignan, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. They love to do lots of pigeage here, and I thought the Cims de Porrera Classic was a bit too extracted and opulent for me. The Solanes, on the other hand, was just right.

Note the tabletop resting on the barrels. Adria didn't have a tasting bar to host our tasting at this old, cooperative cellar his family owns, so he went to Ikea the day before to pick up this oak top just for my visit. I was touched. Catalonians are so hospitable.

Irreductibles
Restaurant Vinateria Botega de vins
c. de la font 38
43770 Gratallops
661.356.766

San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants

2010-04-06T12:03:00.001-07:00

I only need one word to review this. Crap! You are so better off consulting either Zagat's or the Michelin Guide.

James Beard Awards Finalists

2010-03-23T23:40:00.000-07:00

So far so good for the Bay Area as it's sending a busload of final nominees to the 2010 James Beard Awards at Lincoln Center in New York City on May 3rd.

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR
Pat Kuleto, Boulevard, Epic, Farallon, Jardinière, Martini House, Nick's Cove & Cottages, and Waterbar, San Francisco

OUTSTANDING CHEF
Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco
Charles Phan, The Slanted Door, San Francisco

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT
Boulevard, San Francisco

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR
Timothy Hollingsworth, The French Laundry, Yountville, CA

BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Flour + Water, San Francisco
Frances, San Francisco
RN74, San Francisco

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF
Nicole Plue, Redd, Yountville, CA

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE
A16, San Francisco
Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Wines, Sebastopol, CA
John Shafer and Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards, Napa, CA

BEST CHEF: PACIFIC
Jeremy Fox, Ubuntu, Napa, CA
David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco

BOOKS BEVERAGE
Been Doon So Long: A Randall Grahm Vinthology

PRINT JOURNALISM NEWSPAPER FOOD SECTION
San Francisco Chronicle

Food Crack

2010-03-04T09:25:00.000-08:00

I'm blissfully addicted to truffle & salt. Ever since a friend gave me this small jar of truffle & salt for my birthday I got hooked. I put it in most of what I eat now: breakfast eggs, pasta of all sorts, soups, steak, and salads.

During the day I dream about what dish I can devise later that night to sprinkle more of this gastronomic dope. I'm sure there's a gazillion uses for it. I really should have it in my pocket at all times just in case. Try it in buttered popcorn while watching a movie, you'd be amazed. And it's a wonderful thing to sneak into a restaurant, the chef may hate me for it, yet I know he'd want some once he tries it. But no! This precious jar contains so little, not enough to share really.

I wouldn't want to pass my dependency on you, but if you're enough of a food fiend already, Amazon pushes it.

Post Tre Bicchieri Dinner at Kuleto's

2010-02-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

After the 2010 Tre Bicchieri Tasting event yesterday, I joined a small group of Italian wine producers represented in the US by Vinifera Imports for dinner at Kuleto's. Everyone was in a satisfied mood as the San Francisco leg of the tour was well attended, with a crowd larger than the version held in New York City last Monday. This despite the number of producers featured dropping to 107 in San Francisco from over 150 in New York.

People in New York were probably wined out after a series of Italian wine and food events there recently. Yet I also feel that during this downturn one of the few bright spots in the Bay Area food and wine scene is Italian-centric gastronomy. I've observed that over the past year or so trendy enotecas, pizzerias, trattorias, and similar joints have opened with pizzaz in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.

But much as I love the modern take, purveyor-driven food, and often bite-size plates at places like Bar Bambino, SPQR, A16, Beretta, Star Belly, and Perbacco I get weary of the cramped, dark, oftentimes canteen-like communal rooms. So what a change of pace at the expansive, well-lit, unhip, throwback atmosphere of Kuleto's, which has been in this off-Union Square spot for over 20 years! I felt like I was in a restaurant again.

Food-wise, the salumi plate is what you'd come here for. Kuleto's has been doing housecured salumi since it started, now of course salumi is very in. The plate has a wonderful selection of coppa (my favorite), soppressata, mortadella, ham, ciccioli, and finocchiona. But I must say the salumi was somewhat marred by the dressing of olives and olive oil. When I order salumi I really just want the salumi, I would rather order salad separately.

With four different wine producers around the table, we drank just two wines and none from one of them. The 2006 Pietracupa Fiano di Avellino from the Campania region was so perfectly matched with the salumi, with its fruity, mineral qualities and intense peppery spice. I must remember to bring in some of this wine to the store.

One of the producers around the table was Graziano Prà. He and his brother, Sergio, make some of the best Soave Classicos. Their unoaked Monte Grande has been awarded Tre Bicchieri eight years in a row!

The tower of Roasted Beets and Arugula Salad topped with seared Skyhill Farms goat cheese from Napa toppled clumsily but was delicious. About half of us ordered it. The plate was big enough to be a vegetarian meal. I noticed that Francesco, sitting next to me couldn't finish his plate.

So who's Francesco? Francesco Ripaccioli is the third generation in his family to run the classic Brunello di Montalcino producer, Canalicchio di Sopra. This is one of the original 12 Brunello producers that existed prior to the creation of the DOC in 1967. Primo Pacenti, Francesco's grandfather, who established the estate, was one of the organizers of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino. Francesco and his siblings are continuing the heritage well, their 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is a 2010 Tre Bicchieri winner.

My plate of Sonoma Duck Breast still tasted okay even though the meat was well-done, therefore a bit tough. Its apricot and grappa sauce was delicious and the side of polenta was decadently creamy and buttery. A lovely touch was the roasted peach on the side.

The 3-liter of 1997 Drei Donà Tenuta la Palazza "Magnificat", a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a single-vineyard within the estate in Emilia-Romagna, was smooth, dark, well evolved, and nicely integrated, with distinctive cassis and olive notes. A dark beauty and quite elegant. Thankfully it was served decanted, so we didn't have to be passing back and forth the 3-liter bottle.

No strangers to producing excellent reds are Stefano Cesari of Brigaldara in Verona and Giorgio Pelissero of Pelissero in Piemonte. Stefano produces beautiful Valpolicella Classico and very fine Amarone, particularly Case Vecie. I have been selling his reasonably priced wines from the outset.

Giorgio makes outstanding Barbaresco, the single-vineyard Vanotu is a standout and the 2006 Barbaresco Vanotu is a Tre Bicchieri winner, though the normale is also impressive. I opened a bottle of the 1997 normale two years ago in a ten-year Barbaresco/Barolo tasting and it stood out in the lineup. But Giorgio bragged to me about how good his Nebbiolo/Barbera blend, Long Now, is. I have to try it soon.

James Beard Awards Semifinalists

2010-02-20T10:08:00.000-08:00

The James Beard Foundation Awards is sort of like the Oscars for the restaurant trade. Every year the foundation honors excellence in restaurants across the country with their coveted Restaurant and Chefs Awards. In passing conversations with various restaurant staffs, I can tell you that the awards create a buzz in the restaurant community.

Back in 2006, how I wished Gerald Hirigoyen won the Best Chef California award--he's done so much for advancing the Bay Area food scene (Vineyard Gate has held wine dinners at both Pastis and Piperade)--but that was won by Suzanne Goin, who's a semi-finalist again, this time for Outstanding Chef (in the country).

A curious note on the awards, RN74 is a Best New Restaurant semi-finalist. The place is plush and the food is exceptional given that it's template is a wine bar. Yet, as its name suggest, its raison d'etre are its awesome wine list and great wine service.

Here are the semi-final picks for the Bay Area.

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR
Michael Dellar, Lark Creek Restaurant Group, San Francisco
Pat Kuleto, Boulevard, Epic, Farallon, Jardinière, Martini House, Nick's Cove & Cottages, and Waterbar, San Francisco
Doug Washington, Anchor & Hope, Salt House, and Town Hall, San Francisco

OUTSTANDING CHEF
Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco
Michael Mina, San Francisco
Charles Phan, The Slanted Door, San Francisco

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT
Bouchon, Yountville, CA
Boulevard, San Francisco
Delfina, San Francisco

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR
Perry Hoffman, Etoile Restaurant at Domaine Chandon, Yountville, CA
Timothy Hollingsworth, The French Laundry, Yountville, CA

BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Flour + Water, San Francisco
Frances, San Francisco
RN74, San Francisco

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF
Deanie Fox, Ubuntu, Napa, CA
Nicole Plue, Redd, Yountville, CA
Michelle Polzine, Range, San Francisco

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE
A16, San Francisco
Acquerello, San Francisco
La Toque, Napa, CA
Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Wines, Sebastopol, CA
Jörg Rupf, St. George Spirits, Alameda, CA
John Shafer and Doug Shafer, Shafer Vineyards, Napa, CA

OUTSTANDING SERVICE
Acquerello, San Francisco

BEST CHEF: PACIFIC
Jeremy Fox, Ubuntu, Napa, CA
Laurence Jossel, Nopa, San Francisco
Loretta Keller, Coco500, San Francisco
David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA
Mourad Lahlou, Aziza, San Francisco
Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco
Richard Reddington, Redd, Yountville, CA
Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco

Feasting at The Kitchen in the Year of the Tiger

2010-02-13T14:02:00.000-08:00

A feast to celebrate Lunar New Year is an occasion I look forward to every year. I believe this biodynamic phenomenon not only brings good karma, or balances the yang with my yin, but is also the best time to gorge on Chinese food and the most opportune moment to drink almost exclusively awesome white wines. Why white wines? Because when it comes down to it, only white wines have the complexity to match up with great Chinese cuisine.

I organized a special banquet for 12 people--a fortuitous number after the 12 animal signs in the lunar calendar--consisting of good friends of Vineyard Gate, at The Kitchen in Millbrae, CA, one of the Bay Area's top Cantonese restaurants, and a bottle's throw from the store.

After a Champagne toast at the store, where I poured the luscious Henriot Blanc Souverain, a blanc de blancs with stunning intensity and refinement, we ambled to the restaurant, suitably imbibed and very hungry.

Our bespoke ten-course menu, which I arranged a week before with the restaurant's manager, Peter Yin, and number one chef, Michael Kam Wo Au, a Grand Master of Chinese Cooking and be-medaled chef in French cooking, was exemplary for its yin-yang, hot-cold balance. Number one chef gave it a thumbs up. Prosperity is ours after the meal.

Cold-Cuts: Jellyfish, Beef Shank, Pigs Trotters, Barbecued Pork, Crispy Pork Belly, Wakame Seaweed Salad

Roast Squab

Sashimi of Geoduck Clam (mirugai) and Spot Prawns

Salt & Pepper Fried Geoduck and Prawn Heads

Shark's Fin Soup with Crabmeat (individually plated)

Pan Fried Sea Bass (individually plated)

The Five-Pound Australian Lobster

Steamed and Wok-Fried Australian Lobster

Sauteed Foie Gras with Mixed Mushrooms

Ribeye Steak with Tofu Cubes in Sesame Sauce Dressing

Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli

A triumph! Friends of Vineyard Gate cheering Chef Michael Kam Wo Au, while Manager Peter Yin looks on

Except for a red Burgundy towards the end, all the wines we paired with the courses were whites. Starting with a rare magnum of 1983 Maudiere Brut Reserve "Millennium" California Sparkling Wine made by Edmond Maudiere and disgorged in 1996. The blend is a mystery. There was a touch of residual sugar to make it more Extra Dry than Brut. Creamy-textured with crisp ripe apples and minerals.

Another magnum of Champagne, the 2002 Franck Bonville Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Grand Cru was crisp, dry, mineral, and elegant. A beauty!

Next was a 1988 Schloss Schonborn Riesling Spatlese Johannisberg Klaus, which was drinking marvelously. Splendid aromatics, sweet on the entry then bright, bitter note that shifts the flavor to drier and more mineral on the finish. Side-by-side, another beautiful Riesling was the 1990 Karthauserhof Riesling Auslese from the historic estate in the Ruwer was still young and fresh, a long way to go for this Auslese but sooo good to drink!

A couple of Zind-Humbrechts followed. The 1998 Clos Windsbuhl Riesling Vendange Tardive was medium sweet, with poached apple and cider hints. Elegant, graceful, perfect acid balance. Interestingly contrasted by the 1991 Goldert Gewurztraminer which was dryish, really luscious tropical fruit and spice flavors. Focus, lengthy finish.

Back to bone dry stuff with the magnificent 2001 Marc Kreydenweiss Pinot Gris Moenchberg. Soft layers of fruit and spice with utmost purity and delicacy. This was followed by a vintage of Alsace's most legendary Riesling, the 2001 Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune. Fully fermented until completely dry this mineral-driven wine has a most efficient, laser-focused delivery. Spare, austere, I shuddered with delight.

Finally, the 1990 Domaine Hubert de Montille Volnay Les Taillepieds was deeply colored (a 1990 after all) with a nose exuding earth and game, but tight, tarty, and taut on the palate with that unforgiving edginess typical of Hubert de Montille's style, and very atypical of the opulence of the vintage, which I think is a good thing as many '90s are fading fast. I don't doubt this wine, another a decade or so of patience then everything will be revealed.

There were two sweeties at the the end that I'm not sure I even tasted in the haze of all the courses and wines. One was the 2007 Jackson-Triggs Niagara Peninsula Vidal Ice Wine, which I wish I could remember given the producer's excellent reputation. The other was the 2005 Seebrich Riesling Eiswein Niersteiner Oelberg from an overachieving Rheinhessen producer that I'm quite familiar with. The vineyard's red slate/clay soils grow fruity, lush Rieslings, and the Eiswein is a speciality of the estate.

Altogher, what a feast! It seems everyone overate which I think is auspicious. I look forward to doing this again with Vineyard Gate friends next year. Meanwhile, Happy Year of the Tiger!

The Kitchen
279 El Camino Real
Millbrae, CA
650.692.9688
Open everyday for lunch and dinner

Roosting at Coi

2010-02-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

It was Coi's turn to roost the Bocuse d'Or USA fundraiser the other night. The dinner menu highlighted American heritage poultry, inspired by the legendary chef Paul Bocuse's love for volaille.

Coi's chef, Daniel Patterson, and Manresa chef, David Kinch, teamed up in the kitchen to cook up alternating courses. It was in a way a sort of mano-a-mano between the two Two-Star Michelin chefs. Though their menu was spa-like restrained, there was subtle razzle dazzle in each of their offerings.

Kinch threw seawater as seasoning in his otherwise straightforward shellfish sashimi. Patterson parried by deconstructing a cheese tart. Kinch elevated his next course by bathing a sauteed trout with a sensual marrow juice. Patterson's riposte was a frivolous take on a farm basket, vegetables on a bed of hay, with pecorino for good measure.

Finally, on the main courses of chicken raised by the Bay Area's Soul Food Farm, Kinch's play on layering of textures anchored by a crisped chicken was exemplary, though I think the brilliance of that dish was really the poured chicken juice or "dashi". Patterson regained form with a gorgeous-looking and truly comforting breast of chicken--a dish that would make Paul Bocuse himself proud.

Daniel Patterson before service.

Firethorn (soda)

Mandarin Sour--satsuma ice, kumquat, angostura bitters

An Elemental Oyster

Inside the oyster, creamy and rich

Shellfish with Radish and Apple, a Seawater of Unripe Tomato--geoduck clam and bay scallops

Bottle of seawater of Unripe Tomato

Beet and Goat Cheese Tart (Broken, Inverted) rye, dill

Steelhead Trout with Onion and Marrow "Tears", Chervil Cream

Winter Pastoral--Young Carrots Roasted in Hay, Radish Powder, Shaved Pecorino

Crispy Chicken and Egg Confit...

A Roasted Chicken "Dashi"

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast--Wild Mushroom Porrdige, Garlic Confit, Wood Sorrel

Parmesan Donuts--Blackpepper, Quince

It's Almost It--Chocolate, Oatmeal, Orange

Firethorn (Jellies)

1981 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia White Gran Reserva. Awesome elegance and versatility. Very deep gold color. Pear skin, paraffin, and cut apple aromas. Intense mineral and dried fruit flavors. Long and gentle finish. It paired beautifully with everything.

1997 Domaine Hubert de Montille Bourgogne Rouge. It's taken over ten years for this overachieving Bourgogne from Hubert's time to show magnificently. Sour cherry, earthy tea aromas, complicated by anise and clove. Rich dark cherry flavors, unbelievable for a humble Bourgogne at ten years. A lovely pairing with two main chicken courses--counterpointing Kinch's "Dashi" sauce and melding naturally with Patterson's wild mushroom porridge.

David Kinch after service.

New Year's Dinner with Ben and Mayon

2010-02-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

The New Year began with a semi-potluck dinner organized by friends, Ben and Mayon, at their home. In the spirit of sharing they handed me a somewhat idiot-proof recipe to follow, a cheese quiche, that I still managed to screw up. To my relief, it was edible and it didn't bother an immortal magnum of Clos de Tart it was paired with. More on this later.

The occasion was ostensibly a chivalrous tribute to the dames in the group. To toast the event, Ben found a few old magnums to uncork from his wine cellar. Given such overwhelming generosity I was relieved the menfolk present didn't break out into a ship's mates shanty of "There's Nothing Like a Dame". So happily the occasion turned out to be some enchanted evening.

I brought the warm-up bubbly--chilled bottles of the 1998 Gaston Chiquet Brut Special Club. This prestige cuvée from one of the best grower-producers in Champagne is drinking exceptionally well now. Happily everyone concurred. Endowed with a rich, full body and luscious flavors, rather on the elegant side, it had pleasing finesse and a heartwarming freshness. Not a bad intro, but what followed next was really the centerpiece wine of the night.

Ben and Mayon have kept magnums of the 1961 Bollinger R.D. since they were disgorged in 1983. Vinified during Madame Elizabeth (Lily) Bollinger's time and disgorged nearly a quarter of a century later during the helm of her nephew, Christian Bizot, these extremely rare magnums have been stored impeccably at a rather chilly constant 49 degrees F and never moved.

This Champagne was pristine and unbelievably fresh given its half-century existence. Bubbles rushed up as I poured the pale liquid into my glass. The magnum may as well have been disgorged on the spot that very night as it was so youthful. This is not a weighty, mouthfilling, blockbuster as the extended lees aging might suggest, but a young dancer. Trim, sinewy, graceful, and certainly multifaceted. Though it was just the first magnum of the night, the awesome R.D. rendered much of everything else at the dinner table anti-climactic.

Yet, onwards to the magnum of 1970 Château Lafite-Rothschild. After multiple decantings this first-growth still started out lazily. The nose was intense, with that Lafite perfume of graphite, violets, and tea leaf, and the flavors were luscious and bright. But the wine felt distinctly short. Meanwhile, I picked clean the ribs of the fattened lamb, which were pan-grilled to perfection. A joyous pairing with the reticent claret.

Three lamb ribs later, the '70 Lafite started to put on a magnificient show--the finish lengthened and sweetened. It was unspeakably elegant. Mayon declared it perfect, and I can't disagree.

For an intermezzo, the 1970 Château Cheval Blanc from Kevin's cellar was piney and full of tea leaf aromas. A big, rich, ripe right-bank first-growth evincing pure fruit flavors. It was backed up by good acidity and strengthened by rich tannins. There is no letup in intensity on the finish. What an impeccable wine! If I can bottle it up again, it would age forever.

My somewhat sweet, savory cheese quiche was easily devoured by the biggest, baddest red Burgundy that ever lived. I swear, I've never had red Burgundy as powerful as this magnum of 1961 Clos de Tart. It flaunts almost SLH-like opulence, unbelievable for a Burgundy, especially a 50 year-old one; yet its freshness of fruit would embarrass a five-year-old Pisoni. Wow! Overripe and almost jammy flavors, yet clean and harmonious and exhibiting a raffish charm. We debated whether this magnum has already reached peak drinking. I doubt it.

A most decadent, syrupy dessert wine was the 1973 Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Sweet Johannisberg Riesling "Edelwein". Freemark Abbey bottles this wine to this day from late-harvest, botrytised Riesling grown in the Carneros. I feel that the acidity has melted away on this wine and I got poached citrus and orange marmalade flavors with a sweetness that was just numbing for me. I was really glad for the tangy Poached Blood Orange dessert that freshened my palate.

With a glorious old Port--a 1963 Cockburn's--and a tasty robusto in hand, I stepped outside into the cold air. My gratitude to Ben and Mayon for such an auspicious start for the New Year. If there is one lesson I learned this evening, it's that magnums are too big to fail.

Comfort Me with Samosas

2010-01-30T10:03:00.000-08:00

I can't remember the very first time I had a samosa--probably in my grad school days, foraging for cheap eats around Central Square and Kenmore Square--but I knew on the first bite I instantly fell in love with it.

Recently I went into a samosa hunt. The samosa at the famous Amber India is good but didn't satisfy me--a little too grand with the chickpeas and pricey for this great humble snack. I heard Vik's Chaat Corner's is the best but the trek to Berkeley is a bit out of the way for me.

Finally, I read about Rajjot Sweets and Snacks deep in suburban Sunnyvale. The eatery was elusive to spot, sitting next to a corner gas station. Normally, I don't associate the two together. Thank God for the large window signage, "Fresh Indian Fast Food", I found the place after criscrossing half of Sunnyvale.

As soon as I walked in I knew this place would have great samosa. On the wall menu above the counter it said "Samosa order $.60 each". Proper samosa should be less than a buck. I ordered a bunch and ate one there together with my lunch plate of chicken curry and basmati rice with slivers of red onion, all washed down by refreshing mangolassi in a clear plastic cup. I must say, lunching in plastic and styrofoam ware has a certain je ne sais quoi. Everything was fantastic! I spent about $10 for the whole thing, including my precious take-out samosas.

Later that night, I wolfed down the rest of the samosa with glasses of wine. Fried in ghee, its thick, buttery crust and dense, spicy filling really constitute a meal--a real samosa must weigh about a pound each. Just kidding, but that's how it felt in my tummy. Anyway, with a sparkling Cava from German Gilabert it was heavenly, really like having tapas. And with a glass of a firm Marsannay Rouge from Regis Bouvier the samosa went down like butter, or should I say ghee.

Rajjot Sweets and Snacks
1234 South Wolfe Road
Sunnyvale, CA
408.730.5510

Lunch with My Motorola Cliq

2010-01-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

My Motorola Cliq phone has a 5-megapixel camera, which is kinda fun to play with when I'm lunching alone. Quality is surprisingly good, but the big downer is it still takes hours to email photos out of the phone.

Banh Mi at Out the Door in San Francisco

Pho with raw beef fillets at Out the Door in San Francisco

Half-plate of Spaghetti Carbonara at Caffe Roma in Millbrae

Château Falfas: Glorifying Elegance in Bordeaux

2010-01-21T15:11:00.000-08:00

The unassuming couple who owns Château Falfas in the Côtes de Bourg area of Bordeaux visited me several years ago. I've never had the pleasure of knowing or tasting their wines before, but after our meeting I became a fan.

Côtes de Bourg is on the right bank of the Gironde River, a fringe appellation as opposed to the big-time communes of the Medoc, where the great, pricey classed growths come from. Yet, Côtes de Bourg wines are not only unpretentiously priced, the quality can be very good as well. Its hilly terrain with gravel and clay-limestone soils suit not just Merlot, which is the prevalent grape varietal on the right bank, but also the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon.

Humble appellations like Côtes de Bourg are where small family vignerons still thrive in Bordeaux. Many still make wines in the older style claret--more rustic, leaner, and lighter, exhibiting less of the dense, dark, gobs of fruit prevalent in the hyped-up Bordeaux today.

With limited finances, small family vignerons can't afford to make international style wines anyway. What with the costs of hiring a renowned consulting oenologist, pruning and sorting heavily to lower yields, operating concentrating machines, and purchasing new barrels. Yet, a few ambitious ones, like Château Falfas, go native rather than international.

Château Falfas is a 17th century estate situated on the favorable hills of Côtes de Bourg, with clay over limestone soils. John and Veronique Cochran took over the property in 1988 after Veronique's father, an expert on biodynamic farming, scouted the place for them. They converted the vineyards to biodynamic viticulture from the outset, one of the earliest Bordeaux estates to do so. Winemaking is totally natural--indigenous yeast, no concentrators, no chaptalization, and no filtration. The resulting wines are light, upright, juicy, and particular.

Amidst the backlash hurled at Bordeaux by serious wine geeks these days, I bring up Château Falfas not only because it reminded me of Bordeaux of yore--even geeky wines of the Loire, Jura, and the upper reaches of northern Italy--but I also thought about Eric Asimov's New York Times article on Bordeaux under $20 this week.

Château Falfas makes a second wine, Les Demoiselles, that doesn't even break $15. It's made from the estate's younger vines, and is fermented and aged in stainless steel tank. I like the light, austere flavors of this wine; the acidity is not hidden and the juiciness of the fruit keeps me coming back. I don't need a big steak with this wine, a simple roast chicken or banh mi sandwich would do; or if I want something grander, a roast quail or duck.

Gems like Château Falfas keep me interested in Bordeaux.

Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Spicy, and Sparkling at Grain

2010-01-16T23:22:00.000-08:00

I was back at Grain last night, bringing with me two bottles to enjoy with the minimalist, eclectic menu. The Golden Star White Jasmine Sparkling Tea was a hit. Even Richard Ju, Grain's chef, enjoyed it, though he looked like he can use a stiffer drink as he was slammed this night.

Three simple, natural ingredients in this sparkling tea--organically-farmed silver needle jasmine tea, organic raw sugarcane juice, and carbon-filtered California Sierra mountain water--brewed and fermented together result in that elusive umami flavor. Pale and slightly frothy, its scent is intensely fragrant as brewed jasmine tea with a dollop of honey. Effervescent, light on the palate, and slightly sweet. Though no fruit was used in the blend, it shows not just complex tea flavors, but tart pear and apple as well! What a terrific drink with the biting, crunchy appetizers that Richard laid out.

Charred brussels sprouts in a sweet, citrusy fish sauce vinaigrette

Crisp oyster crepe in coconut sauce, topped with baby oysters, bean sprouts and sriracha

Chicken in turmeric and curry with pickled cucumber and onion

Baby back ribs with braised cabbage and fried potatoes

With the baby back ribs I drank the magnificent 2007 François Chidaine Vouvray Clos Baudoin, made from over seventy-year-old Chenin Blanc vines in the historic Prince Poniatowski estate. During Poniatowski's time he crafted this either in sec, demi-sec or moelleux, depending on the vintage. Since Chidaine I've only seen it dry.

Drier and purer than the 2005, and showing no trace of the exotic or of botrytis, this 2007 Vouvray exuded scents of white fruits, straw, and ginger candy. Bright, austere, very persistent flavors that highlight the wine's elegance and minerality. Its very vibrancy swallowed every bite of the ribs without resistance, making me reach for the glass with increasing frequency. A surprise pairing!

Grain Restaurant and Noodle Bar (shades of Momofuku!)

2010-01-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

This is a first glimpse of Grain Restaurant and Noodle Bar in Daly City.

First of all, I can't think of an eatery in the Bay Area remotely resembling the radically new Grain. The closest parallel is Momofuku in New York City, which is apparently an inspiration for Richard Ju, the chef and proprietor of Grain. But, as Richard says, he is definitely heeding the advice of Momofuku honcho, David Chang, to "go do what you want to do". From the looks of his place alone that's exactly what Richard is off to.

Grain is deep in the gritty Asian enclave off King Drive in Daly City, next to the Manila Oriental Market and a host of Filipino and Chinese mom-and-pops. One usually treks in this strip mall if there's a hankering for dim sum, fried lumpia, or Hongkong DVDs. But Grain is discreetly tucked in a corner, with its minimalist name and signage. It's Asian, alright, but it's definitely a destination place in this setting.

I started with the lunch special starter of Deep Fried Silken Tofu ($3) in a puddle of soy vinaigrette with ginger shavings. The skin was crispy, the tofu inside soft and silken, and the vinaigrette and ginger pungent. I scarfed it down in a minute.

Next up, compliments of the chef, as he probably eyed how I made that appetizer disappear, was an amuse bouche of something totally unexpected. Fried yukon gold tater tots and slivers of chorizo in a chipotle-lime aioli dressing. It was like a deconstructed hash brown sausage. One bite was a mouthful of crunchiness and spiciness binded by the creamy, citrusy aioli. Crazy world food, dude!

My lunch was developing into a grazing session now. The bowl of the house specialty Spicy Pork Noodle Soup ($8.50) arrived replete with floating chicharron. Though the bright chili red color of the soup was daunting, it started out quite mild. I squeezed a lemon wedge and added a few drops of patis (fish sauce), then the spiciness started to build and I was slurping with gusto.

Finally to dessert. How can I pass up Mitchell's ice cream? Of course I ordered the trio of mango, ube (taro root), and macapuno (coconut) ($5).

But wait...! The chef asked me if I still had room for a new dessert he just created and would I like to test-drive it? Um, okay (hooray!). It was a slice of Port-poached pear, leaning on a block of goat cheese with a sabayon sauce. A beautfiul dessert that taste just as lovely.

I promised I'll be back Friday, and I'll lug some wines with me. Hey, care to join me?

Grain Restaurant and Noodle Bar
950 King Drive
Suite #125
Daly City, CA 94015
650.878.8855
Tues-Sun for lunch
Tues-Sat for dinner
Closed Monday

Binondo Christmas

2010-01-02T13:03:00.001-08:00

To my late father-in-law, who knew Binondo well and inspired me to discover it.

I was in Manila for barely four days last week--Christmas week--called back for an unexpected and sad journey with my wife. Fortunately, I still found a few hours in the day to escape and put my sad feelings aside for the brighter side of life.

On my second day in Manila, just two days before Christmas, I invited my youngest brother and his family for lunch in Binondo, where my father-in-law, during one of my infrequent visits to Manila took me to the original Mañosa, famous for take-out Maki. This fried pork cutlet, drowned in thick broth-infused red sauce, is irresistible over steaming rice or noodles.

Located on the north side of Pasig River in Manila is the old district of Binondo. Founded in the 16th Century, this teeming, crowded section of narrow streets and canals that feed into Pasig has been a settlement for traders and merchants for centuries. Since being settled, Binondo has been an enclave for Chinese-Filipinos or Chinoys, hence the place is also referred to as Manila Chinatown.

The district's epicenter is the landmark Binondo Church, which was built in 1596, and is also known today as the Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, after the sainted Chinese mestizo, Lorenzo Ruiz.

Aside from being a haven for the religious, Binondo was for centuries the Philippines' trading center. And until the 1960s, it was where the dominant bourse, the Manila Stock Exchange operated.

In Binondo, the Pasig may occasionally overflow, but that's nothing compared to swarm of people that constantly flood its narrow, crowded streets. To feed this teeming humanity are the numerous eateries and street-food vendors.

At Panciteria Lido I find the essence of Binondo in the food it serves. A panciteria is the equivalent of a tea house or a café. Though pancit is erroneously referred to by Filipinos as a noodle dish, the Hokkien (my father-in-law's Chinese dialect) word actually means food cooked quickly. Mee, is the Hokkien word for noodle. Hence, a panciteria would serve all sorts of noodle dishes, dim sum fare, and a slew of wok-fired and clay-pot dishes.

Panciteria Lido is an institution in Binondo (recently it branched out in Ortigas and Fairview in Quezon City). It was opened in 1936 by a Chinese cook named Lido, who started a huge following by serving a combination of Chinese and Spanish-Filipino dishes--noodles, steamed buns, roast pork, braised beef and potatoes--washed down not just by tea, but by excellently brewed coffee. How's that for Filipino fusion!

Aside from local folks, the eatery is frequented by celebrities and powerful politicians. Many come for its unique brewed coffee, made from roasted beans grown in the Philippine provinces. And as early as 1994, Lido installed very expensive Siphon coffee-makers, fifteen years ahead of San Francisco's Blue Bottle Coffee!

After lunch, I walked the streets of Binondo, with its vendors spilling on the narrow sidewalks, hawking their wares to Christmas shoppers. I snapped photos as I wondered at the craziness of the scenes. The streets were clogged with vehicles and hawkers, including locals who find it a conducive place to repair a tricycle. A pedicab passing by with a Chihuahua atop its roof. And my favorite--castañas (chestnut) roasters blocking the street corners!

In my mind, I wished my father-in-law could still show me the Binondo he knew.

A Zen Repose

2009-12-30T10:49:00.000-08:00

What a gratifying change of pace last night at Millbrae's Zen Bistro! The past three weeks have been the most tense and hectic of my life, so I really needed to immerse myself in a bacchanalian meal once again while we're still in the midst of the holiday season.

Fortunately, two of my best buddies came to the rescue. I suggested we just grab some handy white wines from the stash and head to the neighborhood seafood bistro, where a fish tank filled with live shellfish awaits us. No one argued.

Not even Chablis can match the genius pairing of Bordeaux Blanc and fresh oysters--these pair were simply a match made in Bacchus heaven. Zen Bistro's chilled half-dozen oysters are miyagis dressed in a light yuzu vinaigrette, topped with tobiko and a dab of chili sauce. It is the best plate of fresh oysters in town. The 1962 Château Faubernet Bordeaux Blanc, soft but still alive after all these years, with some residual sugar, was elevated by the sweet and piquant flavors of the oysters.

Mirugai, or geoduck clam, is a humongous bivalve with an overgrown appendage. Ordered whole and fresh from the tank at Zen Bistro, the chef prepared it two ways.

Of course, the purest and most mouthwatering way to enjoy mirugai is to sashimi the long siphon or "neck" of the clam. The chef served the paper-thin sashimi slices in a bowl of ice. Sweet!

Given that we were in a Japanese restaurant with a Chinese crew, we were roused to be served the clam's body en papillote, with butter, garlic, and wine. The chef must be French-trained. Needless to say, this second mirugai dish was spectacular, and perhaps even topped the sashimi preparation. A seamless match with a 1981 Alsace Gewurztraminer whose producer escapes me.

And now for the pièce de résistance, the 4 to 5 pounder Alaskan King Crab. The animal was still swimming in the tank when we ordered it.

Everyone knows this crab for its long, meaty legs. The chef prepared the legs for us sashimi style--its flavor was sweet with a briny contrast, slippery in the mouth with a lobster-like density and chewiness. Dipped in soy and wrapped in minty, fresh green shiso leaf, these crab legs were decadent.

We opted for a ramen noodle soup as the second dish for the remaining portion of the crab. Though most of the flesh of this crustacean is in the legs, the soup draws out the rich flavors of the shell and innards, infusing the noodles with a lot of goodness. You can't have a more opulent ramen noodle than this. It's a long way from Nissin!

My last bottle of 1999 Didier Dagueneau Blanc Fumé de Pouilly “Pur Sang” turned out to be an unmistakable choice for the crab medley. I've had this wine many times before, but at ten years, this magnificent pure Sauvignon Blanc was at the peak of its powers. Bright, mineral, more restrained, yet filled with fresh-cut herbs and ripe, crunchy green pears. A great finish to this awesome meal!

Zen Bistro
420 Broadway
Millbrae, CA 94030
(650) 697-9988

Brunello Tribute

2009-11-30T23:12:00.001-08:00

If the measure of a man is how he is remembered, then John Demergasso was a man of impeccable good taste and refinement, exactly like the Brunello wines we drank in his honor and memory last month.

True to his Italian genes, John was a Renaissance man. An athlete, a lawyer, and a businessman. An adventurer in the Hemingway tradition: he climbed Kilimanjaro, Whitney, Aconcagua, and Matterhorn, and enjoyed corridas in the bullrings of Spain. I came to know him late in his life. A serene man who enjoyed his drink quietly. The most I saw him excited was over a bottle of 1986 Maison Leroy Meursault two years ago. I thought, being an Italian boy, he was, perhaps, amused that a French white could be that good.

Kevin and Marguerite, longtime friends of John and Bonnie Demergasso, hosted the get-together at their pad in Hillsborough, giving us all the pleasure of their expansive, newly remodeled kitchen, with ample space for the eleven Brunello, a magnum of Champagne, and a bottle of Vin Santo (which I sadly missed as I left early) that we all kicked in for the tribute, including extras from Kevin's cellar. To toast John, we started with the magnum of Franck Bonville Brut Grand Cru "Selection" Blanc de Blancs NV. A rich, penetrating Champagne, with juicy apple and pear skin flavors and crisp minerality. Definitely a bracing start.

I proceeded with the vertical of Brunello from young to old. I've never had Brunello older than fifteen years. The common wisdom is they won't go much beyond twenty years. I mean, Sangiovese, right? That's why modernists (or tainters?) are bent on adding Cabernet and Merlot. Well, this tasting proved that I was dead wrong.

The 1999 Tenuta San Filippo Fanti felt warm, rich, ripe, and forward. Its tannins are velvety and the acidity is soft. I like the charm of this modern-style Brunello.

In contrast, the 1997 Canalicchio di Sopra Le Code di Montosoli showed more precision and focus. Its tannins are firm and well-knitted to the cool, elegant fruit. A wonderful step up, it's clearly headed to an even better future.

The 1997 Conti Constanti was the first dip into classical Brunello territory. Light-ruby color. Sandal and cedar-infused tart cherry flavors with undertones of chestnut. I expected more concentration given the vintage, still it wins by virtue of its purity and substance.

Just when I was warming up to the classical elegance of the Conti Constanti, the 1997 Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Riserva "Ripe al Convento" pulled me back in to the power world of modern Brunello. An explosion of ripe, luscious fruit. Its nose was perfumed with black cherry and barrique. The fruit was dense, velvety, ripe, and milk-chocolatey. Clearly, this has all the extract of the vintage.

The next two Brunello were the 1995 Gaja twins. Steve decided to bring the Sugarille when he found out that I'll show up with the Rennina. A brilliant counter! I've never had the two side-by-side, and what more from the same vintage.

Convinced that Case Basse possessed the best terroir in Montalcino, Angelo Gaja tried to acquire it but his offer was spurned. So he settled for the next best thing by moving next door at the historic estate Pieve Santa Restituta. 1995 was the vintage when Gaja took complete control of the winemaking and operation of the estate. And the year also marked the first solid vintage since Gaja's involvement in the estate. The 1995 Pieve Santa Restituta "Renina" is the feminine of the two. Dark, structured, with a rich, sinewy fruit hinting of roast and game. Not a forceful Brunello, but ample and shapely.

In contrast the 1995 Pieve Santa Restituta "Sugarille" was muscular and fleshy with superb depth of fruit and firmer tannins. Its menthol and resin aromas were uniquely intense. While the Rennina appears to be hitting its best, this has more to offer in years to come.

More resin, mixed with saddle and fresh cranberries surfaced in the 1982 Pertimali of Livio Sassetti. Gorgeous round, velvety fruit punctuated by rich tannins. Nearing thirty years, it seems like this is just hitting its stride. Every time I open a bottle of Livio Sassetti's Brunello I'm blown away by its depth and seamless, spherical beauty.

I was fortunate to taste two vintages of Brunello's founding producer, Biondi-Santi, this night. The 1978 Biondi-Santi "Il Greppo" offered classic Brunello understatement. Lean, delicate, and graceful. It has subdued aromas of dried red fruits and tea leaf. Not much flesh clung to the wine so it danced freely on my palate with nice gusto.

Sandwiched between the two Il Greppos, the 1975 Col d'Orcia was most beautiful. A revelation in aged Brunello, as anyone who drinks this wine would fall in love with it. Rose petals, tea leaf, and sweet red fruits in the nose. Really focused sumptuous ripe fruit, fresh and accompanied by enough good tannins to make one yearn for a bite of something rich and savory, like a Florentine steak.

Finally, the 1968 Biondi-Santi "Il Greppo". Were it not for Ben's Glamis Castle-like cellar I don't think this annata would be so alive. This was as ethereal as an old DRC RSV Delicate, elegant bright red fruits hinting of mushrooms and black tea. Fresh-tasting and with a mouthwatering spiciness. I was already late, but It was hard to let go as it kept evolving in the glass.

Kevin, John's close friend and our generous host, offers his notes on the wines and some parting words:

Magnum—Franck Bonnville Gran Cru Blanc de Blanc (Avize).

Rich, frothy, nice magnum cream (1 year since purchase), excellent balance, some call it baby Krug, lemon curd, citrus, brioche, aged in old oak, champ vines are an astonishing 80 years old. Nice way to get started. With the Great Ben pouring, how could we go wrong.
(17.5-18.0)

1999 Fanti San Fillipo—Very dark saturated, rich, coffee expresso flavours, more of an international style, but also loads of cassis and glycerin,spice and oak, not traditional, but didn’t genuflect to Rolland either. Despite the rich style, not overripe, well balanced. One of the biggest mouthfuls of the evening. Want this with a steak.
(17.0).

1997 Conti Constanti—cherry and leather notes, seemed more about potential, despite an hour of decant, on repour, classic old school, dry tannins, ends nice, seemed more mature than the other 97’s, which was ok. Classic sangiovese—it was better but could have been a chianti high end riserva if tasted blind, for me. Which is not bad!
(17.5)

1997 Canalicchio di Sopra---traditonal style, well done, menthol and licorice, tight, good acidity, not much texture and depth at this point, falls short of wowing, but plenty of upside. The most traditional, correct Brunello so far for me. (18.0).

1997 Castelgiocondo Riserva—oh my, oh my oh my, lock the doors and keep the young ens and women folk in the house where it is safe, this was spectacular, not necessarily traditional, but traditional producer to be sure, powerfully extracted, dark violet, damp earth, deep rich like no Brunello I have had, stunning in that sense, the monster has been tamed so to speak someone said, delicious, not traditional, would like to see if this will improve or if it is all about the power game. (17.5—19.0?)

1995 Gaja Sugarille—beautiful nose, aromatic, spice and more spice, well integrated, pine resin also on the nose, full bodied, elegant, lovely wine, maybe the prettiest wine so far. (18.0).

1995 Gaja Rennina—juniper, aromatic underbrush exotic leathery notes, cool, menthol, silky tannins, another wonderful drink. Kind of reminds me of his barbaresco, that silky wonderful seemless style. (18.0).

1982 Livio Sassetti Pertimali—very small producer, hard to get in this country, very rich, high octane, but alchohol present but in check, deep leather,
Parker said if he had one Brunello to drink on a desert island, it would be this one, tons of fruit, soft tannins, but strong tannins, this will age and improve forever. One of Wassermans favorites also. Super concentration of fruit on retaste next morning. My favorite of the evening.
(19.0)

1978 Biondi-Santi—tobacco, leather against a good background of fruit, this was and today, still showing very nicely, solid but maybe on the beginning of its slow apogee downward. Has the classic roasted chestnuts, dried flowers, that the aged brunello beauties get at about 30 years.
17.5

1975 Col d Orcia—Great producer from a great vintage—most developed wine so far, has all the old world traditional school notes, I remember giving this very high marks, but now can’t quite remember why. It was the one bottle that had the least left at the end of the evening if that says something. I remember saying it was 18.5 but again, lost track on this one. Alex, help. Tell me what I thought…

1968 Biondi—Santi---thought it was tired, lost its fruit, gave it a 15.0. Last night, this morning, on retaste, jumped to 17.5, amazing. What is more amazing is that Ben gave it the 7 decant workout last night. It improved the most overnight, which given its age and how it showed, I would have thought it the last of the wines to benefit from more time. Lots of leather, tar, resin, lovely finish. The fruit of course not the strength of the wine at this point.

DESERT

1975 “ Annata” Avignonesi Vin Santo---The Saint wine—this had special connotations for John. John researched every wine we drank, as Bonnie knows, and John told me Vin Santo was so named, because in the 15th century, during the council of Florence, the Armenian or Greek Patriarch of the Eastern edge of the empire used the word xantos which means yellow in both Greek and Armenian, The Florentines mistakenly thought he had said santo or saint. Ha! Before that, it was known as vin pretto or “pure wine”. The Florentines liked vin santo better. The grape variety that goes into Vin Santo are Malvasia, Trebbiano and something else. It is of course dried like raisin on mats and then when almost raisin, pressed, resulting in very concentrated juice.
Avignonesi is the Y Quem of Vin Santo.

Dark amber, rich, viscous, very dense, mouth filling, dried flowers, nuts, raisiny, completely dry, this was perfect Vin Santo. Alex, saving a taste for you in a split. (19.0).

Aftermath

I want to thank all for contributions of wine and spirit and remembrance of a super person, great father, husband, and best friend.

Kermit's Temptations

2009-11-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

I listened to Kermit Lynch's debut CD, Man's Temptation, while blasting to Sacramento on I-80 in my wife's WRX last weekend. The wind whistled in the background joining Kermit in a chorus. This surprising album is delicious road music, indeed!

Yes, Kermit Lynch--the Berkeley wine merchant known for introducing Vieux Télégraphe, Robert Chevillon, François Raveneau, Marcel Lapierre, Charles Joguet, Domaine Tempier, and other great wine producers to the US--is also an accomplished musician. He sang all thirteen songs and composed five of them--country essentially, with folk, blues, and boogie-woogie inflections. He raspily croons the uptempo numbers in a lively, swinging beat and delivers the heartbreak ballads with a pained, lazy voice.

Listening to the CD I get the feeling that Kermit has long dreamed of recording his music. He described himself as a "starving musician" in the streets of Berkeley during the 70s long before a wine shop was even a thought. Rock-and-roll was his ambition. "Still I think to myself, if I'd had musicians like Keith Richards and Charlie Watts backing me up, I mighta been a contender."

Well, after a long detour on the wine route, Kermit boldly changed course and headed to Nashville to cut a CD on an indie label. With a Nashville back-up band worthy of the Stones--equipped with folk instruments like upright bass, mandolin, accordion, pedal steel guitar, fiddle, bouzouki (?), and slide guitar--Kermit produced a rich texture of sound and a flawless beat; his vocals sailed through effortlessly.

And of course, what's Kermit Lynch without his notes? The CD's liner notes are vintage Kermit. He writes the propaganda piece for each song the same way he persuades you to drink Tempier's La Migoua, gets you excited on Bernard Maume's Mazis, or makes you try a half-case of the Gramenon.

The songs in this new CD, like the wines, are stories of Kermit's temptations. Who doesn't like to be tempted?

Kermit Lynch
"Man's Temptation"
(Dualtone Music Group)
CD $14.00 at Vineyard Gate

Suppers at Il Cane Rosso

2009-11-11T19:41:00.001-08:00

I'm confused. Il Cane Rosso is a tasty new eatery in the foodie chic Ferry Building, fronting the wharf with an unobstructed view of the Bay and Treasure Island. It started just four months ago, a brainchild of Daniel Patterson of Coi and on-site chef, Lauren Kiino, formerly of East Coast Grill in Cambridge, Mass.

A highly praised chef and literate commentator on food trends, Daniel Patterson has decried the lack of creativity among trendy Bay Area restaurants, describing the sameness of Bay Area cuisine as nothing more than glorifying purveyor-driven dishes. Ouch!

Patterson is not alone with this complaint. A few weeks ago, Momofuku chef David Chang's dismissive "figs on a plate" comment with Anthony Bourdain was an instant cause célèbre among San Francisco foodies.

Yet, this kind of fare is exactly what Patterson dishes out at Cane Rosso. Not that I'm complaining, far from it, as I've enjoyed a number of meals there already. I guess if you can't beat them, then join them. But to Patterson's credit, he's made this kind of Bay Area cooking, first championed by Chez Panisse, accessible to the masses and definitely more affordable.

The restaurant's patio is the wharf deck where one can enjoy alfresco dining (where's Amy?)...

...basking in the magnificent view of San Francisco Bay.

A Fentiman's Orange Jigger soda ($4.50) is pricey but a refreshing way to start

Long and Bailey Farms Porchetta Sandwich with Bell Pepperonata, Mustard Greens and Aioli ($9)

Dirty Girl Beet and Farro Salad with Kale and Ricotta salada ($7.50). Farro appears to be the current grain du jour. No?

The 3-course menu is just $25 and started off with this heartwarming Butternut and Cannellini Bean Minestrone with Garlic Crostino. It paired well with the 2007 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare. Rosés are great with soup!

Braised Marin Sun Farms Lamb Shoulder with Umbrian Lentils and Mirepoix. 19-year-old Châteauneuf du Pape was the perfect match for this fall dish.

Chocolate Crumb "Tiramisu". Tiramisu is so '90s but, hey, this is imaginative!

And to end the meal, a Gibraltar from Blue Bottle Coffee next door.

Small carafe of 2007 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare. A Provençal-like rosé blend of mainly Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah with a dollop of white wines--Grenache Blanc and Roussanne--mixed in. The red blends are bled from Bonny Doon's Le Cigare Volant. Brilliant!

1990 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf du Pape Rouge, perfect with the braised lamb shoulder

I cellared this at 54-55 degrees F since release. At 19 years it's drinking very well, though there's noticeable baby fat. A few months ago, a friend opened a 1957 Domaine de Mont-Redon Châteaueuf du Pape Rouge, now that's mature Châteauneuf!

Late in 2000, Vineyard Gate hosted a 1998 Châteauneuf du Pape wine dinner. 1998 is a great, classic vintage in Châteauneuf and my admiration grows each time I get a chance to taste one. I remembered someone asking me at the dinner, "how would these wines age?" He couldn't believe that a wine that's so fruity and lush could go beyond a few years. But I've always said, Châteauneuf has the widest window of drinkability of any wine that I know of.

Last weekend, Vineyard Gate featured a small tasting of 2007 Châteauneufs, another highly acclaimed and classic year. I love many of the wines in this vintage. But I do find it amusing to read comments saying the top wines of the vintage could go up to twenty years. As if that's news!

Il Cane Rosso
One Ferry Building, # 41
San Francisco, CA 94111
415.391.7599
Open daily for lunch, starting this week supper served nightly

Galician Treats

2009-10-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to my EarthBox and picked a bunch of Pimientos de Padron. I should've harvested a week ago, now they're a bit overripe and overgrown. But they'll still be tasty roasted in a skillet, sprinkled with coarse sea salt and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Pimientos de Padron is classic Galician tapas treat. Ten years ago it was a rarity in the Bay Area, a small bag would set you back fifteen to twenty bucks. Happy Quail Farms in East Palo Alto was the first source I found locally. Soon, seeds and seedlings were being sold and given out (my friend Dan--aka Mr. Heirloom Tomatoes--gave me a couple) so I just started to grow my own. Hey, it's legal!

As the name indicates, pimientos de Padron originated in the historic town of Padron in the province of Galicia located in northwestern Spain above Portugal and off the Atlantic coast. It has been a great delicacy there for centuries, and it made the town famous throughout Spain for such an invaluable contribution to tapas. The folks in Padron celebrate their great capsicum with an annual gastronomic fiesta every first Saturday of August. 3,000 kilos of the celebrated peppers are cooked by the townspeople and served with corn bread and chorizos, washed down with copas of Rioja.

But what's the big deal about these chili peppers? Well, aside from tasting great, there's a burning surprise that awaits you when you munch on these. Most taste mild, but one in a few will set fire to your mouth. So the pleasure in eating these peppers is a kind of devious or kinky gastronomy. Of course, terroir is everything. The peppers that come from Padron is really intense in flavor, but the ones we grow here locally is milder but still delicious. My EarthBox sitting on the porch, with a southwest exposure, filled with organic soil from Sloat provides good terroir.

Aside from pimiento, Galicia produces marvelous wines from local grape varietals. This being a cool-climate area, Galicia produces Spain's greatest white wine in Albariño. An Albariño that knocked my socks off is the Leirana from Forja del Salnes. It is made from vines 40-years-old planted on a ridge of sand and granite soils. The vines yield an extremely small crop, just 2 kilos per vine for a total of 500 cases of wine! We are fortunate to sell a few bottles of it at Vineyard Gate.

Mencia is the great red wine of Galicia. In Bierzo, Alvaro Palacios has made this wine world famous, and almost as expensive as his legendary Priorat wines. However, it is in Ribeira Sacra, specifically in the subzone of Amandi, where Mencia verges on the sublime. Pedro M. Rodriguez Perez of Guimaro crafts elegant Mencia wines from steep terraced vineyards that he restored from antiquity. His flagship Mencia from old vines (viñas viejas) is another rarity that we sell at Vineyard Gate. This exalted wine offers fabulous concentration and graceful, layered flavors that cascade endlessly like the breathtaking terraces of the mountain vineyards.

Swiss Movement

2009-10-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Fall days are perfect to enjoy a late lunch at a new restaurant in San Francisco's Castro/Mission neighborhood. Below the perimeter of Market and 16th Streets--in the neighborhoods of Castro, Noe, and Mission--are some of the trendsetting, tastiest restaurants, bars, and cafés in the city, sandwiched between abandoned storefronts, taquerias, sleazy hotels, and cheap apartments. These are places like Bar Bambino, Contigo, Flour + Water, Beretta, and Starbelly.

Starbelly opened just a few months ago. I would describe the food as "contemporary Americana as imagined by a San Franciscan"--downscaled Lark Creek mixed with Bay Area Cal-Euro, whatever the heck this means. To illustrate, on the menu you'll find corn dogs next to salumi, pizza Marherita side-by-side with BLT, tapenade and pimientos de padron together with Prather Ranch burger. What is going on?! Is this how many of us eat in the Bay Area these days?

To further complicate matters, my friends and I brought a bunch of Swiss wines to Starbelly--yes, Swiss, as in watches and banks--to have with this new take on American comfort food.

Switzerland's Valais region is where the Rhône River originates. In its hills and valleys below the Alps lies one of the most fascinating wine regions. The warm and sunny microclimate combined with the mountain terrain produce fabulous wines with complex, mouthwatering flavors and minerality.

The 2007 Caloz Heida-Paien (pictured above) easily seduces with a scent of wildflowers and flavors of ripe pear, sweet spice, and fresh herbs, all held together by a crisp acidity and crunchy minerality. Heida-Paien is the Swiss name for the Savagnin grape grown in the Jura region of France. Anyway, this wine was absolutely tasty and refreshing with Starbelly's Caesar Salad. Eric, Raj Parr's assistant at RN74, tells me that they go through a bunch of this at the wine bar. I wasn't surprised.

From the restaurant's wine list we ordered a 2007 Simcic Sauvignonasse from Brda in Slovenia bordering Italy (same region as Movia), it was rich and interesting but no match with the gorgeous 2007 Cave du Vieux-Moulin Petite Arvine de Vetroz. Petite Arvine is a white grape that's also grown widely in Italy's Valle d'Aosta. Romain Papilloud of Cave du Vieux-Moulin crafts this suave Petite Arvine, dry and vibrant, redolent with citrus, green apples, and sweet herbs. A great match with the Fried Clam Poorboy sandwich with a side of fries that I had.

The last wine we opened was the 2007 Cave des Tilleuls Pinot Noir de Vetroz. Pinot Noir, of course, is a cool-climate grape varietal and well at home at the Valais region's mountain terroir. Bright, juicy cherry flavors with hints of spices like pepper and cinnamon stick. Prorpietor/winemaker Fabienne Cottagnoud make this mountain Pinot Noir with beautiful purity, exactly what it deserves.

A small plate of caesar salad with avocado and croutons. A refreshing meal by itself with the 2007 Caloz Heida-Paien

Having lived in New England for years I can't resist ordering this fried clam poorboy sandwich. I washed it down with the 2007 Cave du Vieux-Moulin Petite Arvine de Vetroz. Heavenly!

Dinners at the Fifth Floor

2009-10-24T12:13:00.001-07:00

Last Tuesday, I found myself happily back at the Fifth Floor Restaurant (my fourth visit in the last six weeks) with friends who've been eager to check it out after I told them something good and exciting is going on there.

By coincidence, the Michelin's 2010 San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Guide was released earlier that day. I bantered with Jennie Lorenzo, the Fifth Floor's executive chef, who smiled giddily and seemed relieved that her restaurant retained its Michelin Star. She took over the kitchen early this year. Last year, when she was assisting then head chef, Laurent Manrique, Michael Bauer torched the Fifth Floor, rating the food a measly 2 Stars for the San Francisco Chronicle, a plunge from the 4 Stars it previously held. Meanwhile, Aqua, where Manrique went and recently left, lost its two Michelin Stars and is rumored to be closing. So as in fashion, in the restaurant business, one day you're in and the next day you're out.

I find Jennie down-to-earth and maybe quite humbled by finally being in charge of a high-profile restaurant. Jennie was born and raised in the Philippines and never went to cooking school. Yet, she's certainly no stranger to Michelin Stars. She has cooked for chefs with a total of 9 Michelin Stars: Marco Pierre White in London (3 Stars), Gordon Ramsay in London (3 Stars), Seiji Yamamoto at Ryugin in Tokyo (2 Stars, and expecting another Star), and Lissa Doumani and Hiro Sone at Ame in San Francisco (1 Star). An impressive achievement for someone self-taught and still youthful.

The Fifth Floor has been a bastion of contemporary French cuisine since it opened. A parade of some of the best chefs the city has known cooked there: George Morrone, Laurent Gras, and Manrique. And it was also where Rajat Parr, the well-known sommelier, first presided, when Morrone opened it back in 1999.

I haven't been to the Fifth Floor in years, but I bolted for a reservation last month when I received word they were blowing out the wine list. The Fifth Floor wine list has always been one of the best in the city if you love classic French wines. I knew the restaurant has been in decline in recent years, so I never checked the menu or who was manning the stoves, I was there to attack the Burgundy list. Food was going to be background.

I picked out the five-course tasting menu, which at $65 has got to be the city's best priced among restaurants of the Fifth Floor's order. Sign of the times, I'm sure, but to bargain-hunters like me, a find.

Jennie's cuisine is contemporary European cooking with a mixture of Japanese, no doubt picked up during her stages at Mirabelle in London, Ryugin, and Ame. But like I said, I never even inquired about the food initially. My two requests were that the Stuffed Quail and Roast Duck Breast be substituted for items in the standard fare. I needed some dishes for the red Burgundy. They obliged without resistance. Again, sign of the times.

When the first course was brought, the Smoked River Trout--a kind of deconstructed version of New York lox-bagel-cream cheese, presented in a colorful palette of orange, yellow, white, and green (the smoked trout, mango chutney and corn-chip twirl, dabs of cream on the plate, and slices of cucumber as garnish)--I got a bit distracted from my 1993 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux Monts (more on this later).

Next up was the hedonistic Crab Cappuccino. Its aroma of vanilla, truffle, crab, and ginger was intoxicating. The foam was sweet, delicate, and fragrant; and when I dug deeper into the cup to scoop up the crab broth, the flavors exploded. What a surprise, it was like tasting pure essence of crab. The complexity of this simple course blew my mind!

At this point, the food was taking over. I couldn't wait for the next dish to arrive. The quail, stuffed with sausage and drizzled with a light, creamy madeira sauce, was so good I had the urge to lick my plate. And the roast duck breast was perfectly medium-rare, tender and juicy. The dinner was dazzling, and it was the wine that provided adequate background for the food.

The meal starts with an innocuous amuse on a spoon

A Fifth Floor classic, goat's milk butter

The popular Crab Cappuccino...

...the flavors explode with pure crab essence

Big Eye Tuna, a tuna sashimi garnished with cha soba in a yuzu vinaigrette. Absolutely perfect with the toasty, citrusy 1999 Corton-Charlemagne, Domaine Tollot-Beaut

Seared Scallops, with crispy tater tots, crunchy, juicy, perfect with the vibrant 1983 Meursault-Poruzots, Domaine François Jobard

Huckleberry soda shot, surprisingly good palate freshner

Slow Roasted Pork Belly, fatty pork like pork belly and porchetta is ubiquitous in Bay Area restos these days

1999 Domaine Tollot-Beaut Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. Toasty, bright, sharp, and laser-focused.

1986 Domaine François Jobard Meursault-Poruzots. Superb freshness. Deep gold color. Honeycomb, toasted nuts, honeyed pear, nectarine, apple, and grapefruit, laced with spice and minerals. It gained more energy after two-and-a-half hours!

1993 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts. Fascinating as this was made during the Accad years of the domaine. Fragrant cherries. Deep, dark ruby color. Still backward, but not too hard, the tannins are velvety but the fruit is sharp, high-toned, mineral, and infused with tart cherries, red licorice, and black pepper. Showing a lot of Vosne character.

Back label of 1998 Domaine François Lamarche La Grand Rue Grand Cru (monopole). From a little-known grand cru vineyard wedged between Romanée-Conti and La Tache. A terrific vintage. Seductive as a Romanée-Saint-Vivant but more powerful and masculine. Crushed berries, game, meat, and fur scents. Pure. Wonderful tannins that accentuate the bright black cherries, cherry liqueur, aromatic herbs, and pepper. A great match with the quail and duck.

1969 Domaine de la Pousse d'Or Volnay Clos de la Bousse d'Or (monopole). I brought this to toast a friend born on this vintage. Impeccable provenance as it was from a batch that came directly out of Nicolas Potel's cellar, son of Gérard Potel who was gérant and winemaker at Pousse d'Or. Amazingly pristine. '69s have unbelievable power. Darkly colored and fragrant. Structured, concentrated, firm, elegant, and sturdy fruit. Volnay with muscle. Bags of life.

I'd be amiss if I don't mention this playful and delicious dessert. Fifth Floor Sundae. Warm Valrhona dark chocolate pudding topped with popcorn-flavored ice cream and coconut foam. The popcorn aroma was decadent. A fabulous finish.

Fifth Floor
Hotel Palomar
12 Fourth Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415.348.1555
Monday-Saturday 5:30pm-10pm, closed Sundays

Who's Buying California Wines?

2009-10-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen. Since the 1990s, California wine producers have been without any great inspirational winemaker or visionary as it did in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, with pioneers and leaders like Andre Tchelitscheff, John Daniel, Fred McCrea, Joe Heitz, Robert Mondavi, Warren Winiarski, Burt Williams, Paul Draper, and Randall Grahm.

Instead, since the 1990s, California wine producers take their cues from wine critic scores, eager to pander to unsophisticated palates who are easily swayed by such scores.

Today, with a more experienced and independent-minded wine drinking public, empowered by the Internet ("We're All Wine Critics Now"), California wines are losing favor in the market. High alcohol, overripeness, and lack of interesting flavors make many California wines hard to enjoy with food, especially with the pure, ingredient-driven dishes we love to eat these days. And frankly, during these belt-tightening times, the high prices of California wines have turned many drinkers off.

A pair of news articles published today on the state of Bay Area restaurant wine lists are getting much attention because they bring such trends to light. Jon Bonné, wine editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, was brave enough to write this enlightening piece titled "Do our wine lists ignore California?". I say "brave" because writing for a paper in close proximity to the very wineries whose toes he steps on can elicit a palpable wrath to him and his employer.

The other news article, or series of reports more accurately, was penned by Eric Asimov, the wine columnist of the New York Times, whom I regard as the most enlightened American wine writer today. (Okay, I'm biased; like Asimov, I love orange wines and Jura wines and wines made by Lopez de Heredia and Movia, as I do any great Burgundy). His column today "Eat Local; Drink European", and twin blogs posted this week, "Ripeness Isn't All" and "Favorite Wine Lists in the San Francisco Bay Area" talk about the hottest Bay Area restaurants and wine bars that are packed with customers every night, despite the economic slowdown, and with every table graced by a bottle or a glass or two of every sort of wine, but seldom California.

Despite such dismal trends there are many California wine producers whose souls are intact and have never sold them to the highest scorers. Foremost is Edmunds St. John. By dint of recklessness, relentless experimentations, and not bowing to wine critics, Edmunds St. John has achieved what has escaped most California wineries: consistently producing wines with soul, balance, and expression of the California terroirs.

Steve Edmunds, owner and winemaker of Edmunds St. John, makes the most pleasurable California wines to drink. His 2007 Bone-Jolly Gamay Noir, for example, doesn't take a backseat to the outstanding Morgons of Marcel Lapierre and Jean-Paul Thevenet, both imported by his close friend and fellow Berkeley native, Kermit Lynch.

If more California wine producers would take their cue from producers like Edmunds St. John, then I would easily expect Bay Area wine lists to be filled with their graceful wines.

What's All the Talk of Orange Wines?

2009-10-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

To wine bloggers and to many of their ardent fans the hippest, coolest, and most desirable wines seem to be those that live under the big rock of wine critics. Inasmuch as it helps liberate our palates from the hegemonic lock of wine critics, I'd say more power to the wine web.

Lately, the most titillating talk in the wine blogosphere has been on orange wines. Eric Asimov, wine columnist of the New York Times and one of my favorite wine writers, appears to be the instigator in his posts here and here. Other popular wine bloggers have chimed in here, here, and also here. And most recently my favorite local wine blogger, Jon Bonné of the San Francisco Chronicle, could no longer resist, hence posted his thoughts on the subject here.

I don't like the term "orange wine". Amber I prefer. Orange is misleading and just plain wrong, but everyone seems to struggle to come up with a catchier alternative; hence, this name sticks maybe not just for the time being. A word of caution for those who are hearing about orange wine for the first time: I'm compelled to point out that it is certainly not this nor this.

I do love orange wines. The best ones I seek out for sure as they offer incomparable flavor surprise, combined with amazing texture, freshness, and complexity. Yet for wines that have spent an extended time immersed in their fruit, it's incongruous that orange wines aren't overtly fruity, most only have a hint of fruit. You really have to love minerality to enjoy these wines. And I do!

I can say without hesitation that Paolo Bea's 2007 Santa Chiara ($49 at Vineyard Gate) is most amazing. And both the Coenobium and Rusticum wines ($23 and $30, respectively, at Vineyard Gate) that Giampiero Bea crafts for the Trappiste nuns of the Monastero Suore Cistercensi are also incredible. All these wines are made with extended skin contact for a number of weeks, then are aged on the lees without temperature control for about a year--significantly more for the Santa Chiara.

Domestically, there are just a handful of winemakers dabbling in orange wine. However, with all the recent hype about it, I wouldn't be surprise if we see a growing trend, much like we did on rosé when the buzz spread.

Yet one orange wine from Oregon achieves almost cult status among the natural wine cognoscenti: Francis Tannahill's "Jack".

Sam Tannahill takes his time to make it and he doesn't release right away. Two years ago I received just a case of its 2004 debut release of which only 37 cases were produced. The winery sold out right away, much of it was hoarded by their distributors and merchants. It's a good sign that a wine is good when its distributors and merchants are keeping it for themselves, instead of selling to their customers.

After a two-year wait, the 2005 "Jack" finally got released earlier this year ($21 at Vineyard Gate). It's a blend of one-third each Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Chardonnay. Skin contact was done for about six months at low temperature, then it was aged for sixteen months in neutral barrel before being bottled unfiltered. Almost two years passed before Sam decided to released the 2005.

Why it took so long to release, I never really got a clear explanation. Either Sam was preoccupied about more pressing matters or he deemed it wasn't ready yet. Not that it really matters. This 2005 "Jack" is not only again terrific, but being an orange wine there is no rush to drink it--it can age for decades.

Dry Lambrusco and Salumi. Yumm!

2009-10-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

I was really enjoying myself the other day at Bar Bambino in the Mission District of San Francisco having one of the most heavenly pairings that's a tradition in Emilia-Romagna, a cool glass of dry Lambrusco and Prosciutto. But the latter was not from Parma but La Quercia Farm's superb American Prosciutto.

Similar to Spain's Jamon Iberico de Bellota, La Quercia's Prosciutto is from acorn-fed, free-range pig (100% Berkshire not the black-hooves of Spain). Robert Parker (yes, the wine guy) compared it favorably to Spain's best Jamon de Bellota, Joselito's Gran Reserva. I've had Joselito's Gran Reserva a few times, but to my taste Sanchez Romero Carvajal's Cinco Jotas Jabugo is the best jamon. But I digress.

Bar Bambino also features house-cured salumi, which totally surprised me by how good they are. Even next to the La Quercia Prosciutto, I found myself picking on the house-cured salumi more. I was told they're made from scraps of meat! Goes to show that left-overs taste better.

But what really enhanced the salumi I was enjoying was the spectacular 2008 Lambrusco-Emilia IGT from Mauro Zini. Mind you, this is not your father's sweet, mass-produced Riunite Lambrusco. This is the dry Lambrusco made from Lambrusco Salamino di Santacroce, with a bit of Malbo Gentile. Appropriately, the tiny berries of this particular Lambrusco is said to resemble a salami, hence Salamino. It is made with skin contact for over 72 hours for a deeper extraction of color and flavor. Served on the cool side, not chilled, this Lambrusco's distinctive scent of iron and rust, slight fizz, bright black cherry flavor, and hints of mineral and plums marry so well with the assortment of salumi.

Watch for the arrival of the 2008 Mauro Zini Lambrusco-Emilia at Vineyard Gate soon!

Mooncake Festival

2009-10-04T01:03:00.000-07:00

Last night's eve of the full moon was the Mooncake Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional celebration of the harvest moon in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, and among the Chinese in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. 2009 is looking to be a vintage-of-the-century type year in the wine regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, and Piemonte, and so this year's harvest moon is truly auspicious.

As expected all the best Chinese restos in the Bay Area were booked solid last night and we had no reservations. But luck smiled on us as my friends and I found a table at the Crouching Tiger Restaurant in the old downtown of Redwood City. Nothing could have been more heartwarming on a chilly, blustery night than the spicy Sichuan and Hunan dishes of eastern China that the resto specializes in.

We started with a plate of Sichuan Cold Noodles ($6.45) dressed in chili oil and Sichuan peppercorn, and also ordered companion plates of cold Spicy Beef Tendon ($6.95) and warm Spicy Pork Dumplings ($6.95). Together these fiery starters were numbing and irresistible to the palate! Relief came in the cool and refreshing Domaine François Jobard 2001 Bourgogne Blanc that I brought. A genius pairing: white Burgundy and Sichuan food.

By this juncture we could have ended the meal, as we were quickly getting full, and paid the resto a little over $20 plus tax and service for four people! But we forged on, determined to explore other dishes and to discover how a couple of 2000 red Bordeaux tasting-left-overs that I also brought would pair with the food.

The tasty Hunan Preserved Pork ($8.95), stir-fried slices of ham and cabbage, together with a half-order of house-special Tea Smoked Duck ($9.50) paired gloriously with the garagiste 2000 Château de Valandraud ($248.00 at Vineyard Gate). I found the velvety, dark ripe fruit and oaky flavors of the modern-style St.-Emilion complementing the sweet, smoky, mildly spicy duck and pork dishes.

But one of the clearest reasons for returning to Crouching Tiger is the Xingjiang Lamb ($10.50). Another fiery dish that's fragrant with cumin. What a perfect pairing with the powerful and elegant 2000 Margaux from Château Palmer ($195.00 at Vineyard Gate). I savored the long, graceful finish of the Palmer while gazing at the old painting on the wall of Shaolin monks practicing wushu, then I understood. These unexpected and clever wine pairings are what "crouching tiger, hidden dragon" is all about.

Crouching Tiger Restaurant
2644 Broadway Street
Redwood City, CA 94063
Monday thru Thursday 11:00am-9:30pm
Friday thru Saturday 11:00am-10:00pm
Sunday 11:00am-9:00pm
Phone: (650) 298-8881

Weekend Brunch

2009-09-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Bistro Luneta's new weekend brunch offers standard American fare, like pancakes and eggs benedict, alongside Filipino faves, like longaniza and tapsilog.

This east-west juxtaposition is common to eateries in Asia. However, Luneta's kitchen composes the Filipino dishes with a contemporary flair for a seamless fit with the American selections.

The house longaniza ($10.95) is made of very lean ground pork flavored with vinegar and garlic in the sour-tasting Vigan-style, as opposed to the sweet Pampanga version.

The iconic tapsilog ($10.95) originated in the early 1970s Martial Law days as a late-night street-food for famished jeepney drivers on their way home before curfew. It later became the king of Filipino brunch. Akin to breakfast steak and eggs, Luneta serves the air-dried beef in strips, while the classic is thin flat slices. Still irresistible, though.

Bottomless mimosa ($12, a calmansi juice/orange juice/prosecco concoction) is eagerly promoted for brunch. A terrific idea! But proprietor, Jon Guanzon, needs to work harder on the wine list. He recruited a Master Sommelier, yet I find the list dull at best--filled with selections from your neighborhood Safeway. C'mon, offer us a Spanish rosé, a Grüner, definitely Vouvrays, and some Sicilian wines!

Also, I appreciate the house-baked pan de sal, but on its own not terribly exciting. A huge improvement would be a side of queso de bola, as well, and with a cup of thick tsokolaté (hot chocolate) that would be a heck of a brunch!

Bistro Luneta
615 E. Third Avenue
San Mateo, CA
650.344.0041
Weekend Brunch:
Sat & Sun 11am-2:30pm

Late Night at Little Shanghai

2009-09-18T01:13:00.000-07:00

When I'm tired of bland food my fix is to head to Little Shanghai with friends to chow down on rich, fatty, oily dishes and drink a bagful of wines.

Usually, I bring a Riesling and a red Burgundy, but I find that Shanghainese dishes, with their sweet, oily tastes, are versatile with very ripe, powerful wines, like a Biale Zinfandel (particularly with tipang), Amarone or Barbaresco (which is the sweetest of the Piemonte Nebbiolos).

On the other hand, when it comes to the much-adored xiao long bao, a dash of black rice vinegar (Chinkiang) is sufficient pairing.

Little Shanghai Restaurant
17 E 25th Ave
San Mateo, CA
650.573.7161

Porchetta Sandwich and a Glass of Pinot Noir

2009-09-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so sunny and clear in San Francisco lately that one morning, on an impulse, I rushed to the Ferry Plaza farmers' market to get a Porchetta sandwich from Roli Roti.

I was in luck, a porchetta just got done cooking when I arrived and the Roli Roti guy himself, Thomas Odermatt, was to do the honors of preparing the first sandwich of the day for me. I excitedly told him that I've never had one of his sandwiches before. He smiled in delight and asked permission to do my porchetta sandwich his way, a sort of omakase option.

So off he went carefully slicing the porchetta, making sure it's cut down to the size of the ciabatta bread and there's good layering of the moist meat and crackly skin. He smeared his magic spread on the meat--what I would guess consists of caramelized onions, garlic, anise or fennel, and maybe a fruit jam--and put a pile of fresh rocket on top (I guess the Swiss love rocket) before closing the sandwich.

I munched the porchetta sandwich for lunch later that day with a glass or two of the elegantly fruity and spicy 2007 Pyramid Valley Eaton Family Vineyard Pinot Noir ($38 at Vineyard Gate), made by my friend Mike Weersing from a biodynamic vineyard in New Zealand's Marlborough region. Everything was yumm!

2009 Vintage Weather

2009-09-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

Source: Chateau Palmer

If weather is the sole indicator of a vintage's quality, then I must say 2009 is looking very good at Chateau Palmer in Margaux!

The above chart shows temps and rainfall over the past 30 days (08-11 to 09-09) in the left bank averaging a mild 22 C (72 F) for most of August with minimal and well-spaced rainfall.

By the time September kicked in, there was a good amount of rainfall that watered the vines, which turned out to be timely as the weather has shifted to a sharp warming trend as harvest begins. Today, temperature hit 29 C (84 F) at 1300H (1pm).

If the warming trend continues temperatures would be higher over the next several days, ensuring good ripening of the Merlot and Cabernet, or so it seems.

Tasting Coffee

2009-09-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

I'm always on a quest for a great flavor experience. Food and wine, of course, provide endless flavor fascination, but tea and coffee also blow my mind.

I've heard enough local coffee fiends rave about a little-known Bay Area coffee roaster called Blue Bottle Coffee Co. And I've tried a cup of its coffee at a San Francisco resto and remembered liking it.

Finally, I got some of its best beans in my hands, ground them manually at home, and brewed the coffee my way. The Misty Valley, Blue Bottle's very limited, top-of-the-line bean these days from Ethiopia, cost me $8.75/half-pound and was roasted the day before. It has an intense bouquet of coffee cherry, and the flavors hint of chocolate and blueberry, with a winey, fruity aspect. I love it! Exotic, intense, and memorable.

For contrast, I purchased another type, the Bella Donovan, less expensive at $7.50/half-pound. I swear it's almost a ringer for my favorite Philippine coffee, the Barako, which unfortunately is not available in the States. However, the Bella is a Ethiopia/Sumatra blend. Like the Barako, it is intensely earthy and volcanic, and laced with fresh-ground spice. I loved it, too; not seductive as the Misty Valley, but quite masculine in character.

Quince Chef's Table

2009-08-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

The most charming restaurant in San Francisco that I know of is Quince. Housed in a small wooden building on a quiet street corner in Lower Pacific Heights, Quince’s 15 tables are usually filled up six nights a week. People eagerly come for the refined, contemporary Italian haute-cuisine of chef/proprietor Michael Tusk.

I love coming here, especially on early Sunday evenings, when the twilight filters softly into the pastel room creating a romantic atmosphere that makes me hungry. Food and sex--what urge could be more similar? Alas, I will miss such moments because the restaurant is moving to another location next month.

So to bask in the charms of this place for the last time, ten of us showed up on Sunday to dine in Quince’s inner sanctum, the vaunted chef’s table. This private dining area consists of a rustic farmhouse table set in the high-ceilinged lower kitchen, next to the pastry station. You’re isolated from the bustle of the main dining room upstairs, while the kitchen cooks you a custom menu and the staff pampers you even more. I felt like a mogul for a night.

The evening started with a beautiful amuse bouche of wild king salmon gravlax in a pool of Tusk's signature orange-prosecco sauce. Not only did it taste great, it looked great. Now I regret not going for the 7-course, which would’ve included the wild king salmon entrée.

But I reminded myself that our 6-course menu is a dream, and we weren't even there yet!

While waiting for the white wines to chill, we happily nibbled on splintery, citrus-infused breadsticks..

I liked that the chef's table is window seating, so natural light flows in during the early evening, plus you can vent in some fresh air through a side door. The pasta dryer screens the large windows that looked out to the street.

We brought seven bottles: two Amarones, a Barbaresco, two Barolos, a red Burgundy, and a white Burgundy. Yumm!

Wine service at Quince is skilled and attentive, and never pretentious. Sadly, over the years wine prices and corkage have risen too sharply. From $18 not too long ago, corkage is now $35 for the first two bottles and $50 thereafter. Ouch!

The first course of sea scallops topped with horseradish foam and apple slivers was refreshing and sweet. The bitter accent of the foam intensified the sweetness of the apple and scallops. A gorgeous and bold pairing with the rich 2006 Movia Ribolla Brda (Slovenia) on the wine list ($65).

Established decades before the Kingdom of Italy was created, Movia's estate in Collio (Brda) straddles modern-day Italy and Slovenia. Movia's Ribolla is amazingly full and flavorful. Deep, golden straw colored, with soft layers of peach, melon, and hops, finishing with a hint of white pepper. Delicious as it is now, this Ribolla can age over thirty years or more. I'm a fan of this producer and, though few know of it, at Vineyard Gate we've been selling this wine for years.

The 1989 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon was amazingly fresh, bright, and youthful. It had such rich fruit that I don't doubt this would age another ten years. 1989 is, indeed, a benchmark vintage for Leflaive.

We paired the Leflaive with both the scallops and the divine tagliatelli (a last-minute switch from the fettucine) with dungeness crab--it was perfect. Though, I'd say, the Movia was more interesting with the scallops. Yet, the Leflaive, with its botrytised fruit, was heavenly with the fennel-infused tagliatelli.

Just for contrast and because we drained the Leflaive quickly, we ordered the 2005 Germain Pere et Fils St. Romain Blanc on the wine list ($55). Totally unfair to compare with the Leflaive, but the St. Romain did its thing. It was flowery and crisp, perhaps too light after the Leflaive, but a tasty lubricant to the bread that I used to wipe the sauce off my plate.

As far as I'm concerned, the evening's two most memorable courses were the tagliatelli and the tortelli of carbonara that followed. This didn't surprised me, as Tusk's pasta dishes are always sublime. The strips of tortelli, filled with speck (Italian-style ham), were intensely flavored and exploded in the mouth. The course was so miniscule that I'm sure I finished it in less time than it took to plate it. It was awesome.

By the time we reached the third course the reds have been opened and decanted for about an hour. First up was the 1988 Domaine Maume Mazis-Chambertin, Maume's flagship wine. Anh Thu asked me what bottle she could bring, and when I saw the '88 Maume as one of the choices I didn't hesitate. '88 grands crus are drinking lovely these days. Mainly under radar, too, which makes them taste even sweeter, the satisfaction of having proved the Burgundy experts (and their dedicated score monkeys) wrong once again.

The Mazis was darkly colored and packed with fleshy red fruits and sweet licorice spice. It felt soft and juicy with a velvety tannin backbone. Some may opt to age this further, and why not? But I like its fruitiness now, as Mazis has a tendency to harden with age.

With our meat courses, the Nebbiolos were poured together. 1990 Rocche Costamagna Barolo Vigna Francesco, a single-cru Barolo, was a classic La Morra--feminine, forward and fruity. It is in fine form, the tannins are rich and it has very good balance.

A muscular, powerful Barolo was the 1990 Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana, the debut vintage of this single-cru Barolo. Clerico adheres to modern Barolo-making, but his wines age long and well. I think traditionalists shouldn't be too critical of his wines, but his prices are another matter! I like the way this wine is showing. It is, of course, way too young, unlike the Vigna Francesco. This has high acidity, as it should be, allied with marvelous fruit concentration. Its bouquet is beguiling.

The 1988 Gaja Barbaresco simply gets better with time. It is another high acid wine, but unlike the Clerico its fruit is more supple. Yet, this Gaja pulls it off as it is expansive on the palate, hence it tastes filled in. Layers of red fruits and plum liqueur, and hints of anise. On the nose, it has gobs of rose petals.

After the Nebbiolos were poured, the table was a sea of glasses. As the night wore on I was having trouble finding that '88 Barbaresco!

Much as it excited me, as I can't ever remember doing it, I had my doubts on tasting two Amarones side-by-side on a summer night. But then again , we are in San Francisco. I was also worried that paired with the fatty heritage pork, the Amarones would obliterate the dish. On the other hand, the chocolate torchon might be too dessert-like for these dry wines. So the safe bet was to order some cheese. Alas, the cheese plate, wonderful though it was, lacked a Parmigiano-Reggiano, the touted accompaniment to Amarone.

However, upon tasting the 1964 Bertani Recioto della Valpolicella DOC Amarone (during this time the DOC was not yet Amarone) Steve concluded that it could have paired well with the pork. Too late, the pork was history, but I agreed.

The '64 Bertani was supremely fresh and elegant, its fruit was bright and its acidity was fully intact. For a big wine it was unbelievably refined. Suave and silky, filled with macerated fruits, dried cranberries, and cinnamon bark. What a treat!

In contrast the 1997 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Campolongo di Torbe, from a ripe year, was dense and fruity like a baked blackberry pie. Its tannins and acidity were blanketed by the heady fruit concentration. This is a powerful and delicious Amarone; with something like gorgonzola cheese and dried figs it would even be more pleasurable. But to reach the finesse of the Bertani more patience is required.

Quince
1701 Octavia, San Francisco, CA
Tel 415.775.8500
Open for dinner Tuesday-Sunday
(last night on this location is Aug. 30th)

Las Vegas Thai

2009-08-16T00:28:00.001-07:00

I was in Las Vegas the other day, where I vowed to dine in what America's food cognoscenti ostensibly judges "the best Thai restaurant in the country". I regard this sweeping pronouncement as rather pompous. How can anyone make that claim? Why my neighborhood Thai joint, Thai Stick, occasionally rises to that superlative, I believe.

Neon signs, standard in this large strip mall, cast an alien glow at night

Lotus of Siam occupies a unit in an aging strip mall in a rough area of north Las Vegas Strip. Out-of-towners don't just wander here, it is a strange place to be, in the shadow of the bright lights, polished marble, and glass glitz of the Bellagio or the Wynn's. As I entered, parties dropped off by limo service head straight to their waiting tables.

Without a reservation, I was consigned to the waiting area for an hour gazing at framed reviews from Gourmet, the Robb Report (???), and David Rosengarten and at pictures of famous people who made the trek before me.

The menu is more extensive and varied than any Thai resto I've visited, and features an entire page of dishes from the North, where Thailand meets Myanmar and Laos.

But the other reason for the pilgrimage to Lotus of Siam is the extensive wine list. The resto keeps a 5,000 bottle cellar, about half of it in-house and the rest off-site. Offered are dozens of German and Austrian Rieslings, various vintages of Raveneau's Chablis Montee de Tonnerre, Dagueneau's Pouilly-Fumes, and Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc, among others. The prices are quite reasonable, $195 for a 1995 Raveneau Chablis Montee de Tonnerre, for example. The wine service is precise and without fuss.

Tom Yum Kai ($14.95 for the flaming pot). Thailand's famous hot (both in temperature and taste) and sour soup. Someone listed it as one of the ten best soups in the world. I can't disagree, especially this Lotus of Siam version. It reminds me much of my beloved sinigang.

Ah, the Soft Shell Crab Salad ($17.95), crispy quarters of soft shell crab on a melange of julienned cabbage, carrot, granny smith apple, chili, and ginger, dressed with sweetened lime juice and sprinkled with peanuts and cilantro. Everything comes together. Crunchy and refreshing!

Crispy Duck Curry ($19.95). It was indeed crispy and surprisingly not greasy, but the thick curry sauce weighed down the dish.

Crab Fried Rice ($12.95). Again, not greasy at all. I preferred this over the steamed rice, though the flavor of the crab meat got lost. Red Lantern in Redwood City serves a meaner version.

A unique feature of the menu is a section on sea bass. I love the dense, buttery meat of this fish. The Deep Fried Sea Bass on Drunken Noodle ($23.95) arrived smothered in Thai basil. Trust me, it was perfectly cooked.

Chunks of the crispy fried sea bass infused with basil leaves.

In southeast Asia, sticky rice, sweetened or unsweetened, is a favorite snack, and with mango it finds a heavenly partner. Sticky rice with mango is like going back home for me. This Lotus of Siam Sticky Rice with Mango ($7.95) is a luxurious version with its generous quantity of ripe mango slices. I totally enjoyed it. Still, Pagan, a Burmese resto in San Francisco, serves a more memorable one.

I was drinking almost by myself, otherwise I would've ordered another bottle as the wine list is so tempting. Yet, it was easy to pick the right bottle to have this evening, that's the brilliance of a list with a good range. The 1998 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Federspiel ($32) has good body and is bone-dry. It came to the table chilled at the right temperature and poured by the waiter in tall, good-size glasses. Golden straw-colored, somewhat viscous, infused with citrus oil, crunchy Asian pear, apricot, and minerals, it proved wonderful with every dish.

Lotus of Siam
53 E. Sahara Ave.
Las Vegas, NV 89104
Tel. (702)735-3033
Lunch: Monday-Friday
Dinner: Every night
(Advisable to reserve at least a day in advance)

Cassis and Bouillabaisse

2009-08-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Where do I find good bouillabaisse in the Bay Area?

I have the best white wine to pair with this famed Provençal fish stew, the 2007 Cassis Blanc from Clos Sainte-Magdeleine.

The last time I enjoyed a bouillabaisse was a few years ago at Chez Gilbert in the old port of Cassis. I washed it down with the local Cassis blanc, unfortunately it wasn't the Clos Sainte-Magdeleine.

The best producer of Cassis blanc is the estate of Clos Sainte-Magdeleine. I don't think I've ever visited a more beautiful winery. Set on the edge of a sheer limestone cliff overlooking the blue waters of the Mediterranean and the calanques of Cassis, its vineyard rises up on the foots of Cap Canaille, the highest cliff in France. It's a breathtaking scene.

Tall pines and shrubs surround the vineyard where Ugni Blanc, Clairette, Marsanne, and Sauvignon Blanc are planted. These grapes make up the blend for the Cassis Blanc of Clos Sainte-Magdeleine.

If you ever find a resto that serves good bouillabaisse, or if you have the skill to whip one up yourself, make sure you drain some of the 2007 Clos Sainte-Magedeleine Cassis Blanc between slurps. You'll be in heaven for sure.

Me & Julia

2009-07-30T10:32:00.001-07:00

"To La Belle France: whose peasants, fishermen, housewives, and princes--not to mention her chefs--through generations of inventive and loving concentration have created one of the world's greatest arts" dedication in Mastering The Art of French Cooking Volume One

"To Alfred Knopf: who is as much an appreciator of good writing, type faces, layout, and paper as he is of fresh foie gras, truite au bleu, and Meursault Les Perrieres. In short, he is the ideal publisher for this kind of book, just as he is the ideal dinner guest for those who have mastered the art of French cooking." dedication in Mastering The Art of French Cooking Volume Two

I became a Julia Child fan in the 1980s while living in Beantown. There, I hanged out with other foodies equally obsessed with Julia. I perused her books and tuned in to her WGBH TV shows regularly. I even lived in the same town she did (Cambridge), shopped for fresh meat and groceries at the same store (Savenor's), and bought wine and cheese at the same shop (Somerville Wine & Cheese Cask), a few blocks from her house.

My friends and I wouldn't dare use a kitchen gadget or appliance without Julia's tacit approval. The garlic press had to be Zyliss. But we took immediately to Cuisinart because Julia ok'd that from the get-go.

Some of my friends actually bumped into her while she was on her errands around town. Alas, I never had such luck.

I moved to the West Coast in the 1990s and by then Julia's heyday was over--Emeril and the Food Network dominated the cooking airwaves, while the Iron Chef series took cuisine to the edge. There were new culinary heroes, too, like Thomas Keller, Jean-Georges, and Charlie Trotter. Haute-cuisine was everywhere.

A year before I opened my wine store, I was in Boston on business. The part I like best when traveling is to check out interesting restaurants in town. At the end of the day, on my way to the hotel, I passed by the newly opened Café Louis, owned by the plush clothier, Louis Boston but with George Germon of Al Forno, Providence's best restaurant, as consulting chef. I made a reservation for dinner that night.

Strolling back to the restaurant I stopped by a bookstore in the Pru to pick up Jasper White's newly published Lobster at Home. I find it useful to have something to browse through when dining alone.

The restaurant was nearly empty when I got there--slow weeknight or grand opening pains it seemed. I was seated on a long bench against the wall that traversed three or four separate tables.

After I ordered, a group of five elderly, boisterous women came in and was seated next to me. Good thing I had my book, and fortunately the woman who sat next to me on the bench seemed the quietest of them all; the others were conversing loudly, emphatically inserting French words in their their Boston-accented conversation--ssuperr!, tres tres bien!

I hunched over my plate and book in an effort to ignore them. Finally, the woman sitting next to me joined in her friends' chatter. The voice was high-pitched, chirpy, and warbly. It was also strangely familiar. She towered over me and must have seen the cover of the book I was reading because she turned and asked, 'Is that Jasper's new book?' At that point, without even looking at her, it hit me. I knew who this person was. It was Julia--sitting, freakin' elbow-to-elbow with me on the bench! And talking to me!!!

Birthday Wines

2009-07-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

Drinking birth year wines is a favorite tradition among wine lovers. Those fortunate enough to be born in years like 1945, 1959, 1961, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1982, and so forth, are flush with great wines to toast their beginnings.

Others may not be so blessed, particularly those born in 1954, 1957, 1958, 1962, 1973, etc. because these happen to be dreary vintages for the long-lived wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Port, Champagne, Barolo, and Napa Cabernets.

In actuality, though, wine has an almost mischievous bent to surprise and, even more so, an ability to elude wine critics and scores. I have written about many of those wines borne under poor vintages which proved to be triumphant and more resilient than can be imagined.

A 1954 Chateau Latour, 1979 Sassicaia, 1967 Chateau Haut-Brion, 1982 Henri Jayer Echezeaux, 1983 DRC Grands-Echezeaux, 1986 Leroy Meursault, and 1994 Chateau de Beaucastel, just to name a tiny sample, have all bucked the prevailing vintage charts and turned out to be great, memorable wines. Why? Well, I have my thoughts but that's another subject entirely.

My good friend, Steve, celebrated his birthday yesterday and so we opened a bunch of great wines to accompany the haute-cuisine of our favorite food joint, Unicorn Pan-Asian Restaurant in San Francisco.

There was little, if any, rhyme to the flow of wines we uncorked. First off was the 1957 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Blanco. A spectacular white to start any dinner. Though hailing from the north, this was almost Andalucian in character, with amontillado-like nutty-dryness and suffused with dried apricots and minerals.

In tandem with the white Rioja was another '57, no, not a Chevy, but the 1957 Domaine de Mont-Redon Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge. This was made with eighty percent Grenache, and when tasted back in 1989 by Rhone writer, John Livingstone-Learmonth, was described as "well advanced, with a precarious richness still apparent among a host of coffeee and toasted aromas." Well, twenty more years forward my own experience of this wine was stellar. Licorice, red fruit scents. Juicy, fresh red plums with undertones of cedar, pepper, and dark chocolate. Brilliant concentration and structure. Long, gentle finish.

After the venerable Chateauneuf, a white Burgundy followed, the 1995 Maison Leroy Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot. A flawless white Burgundy bearing fresh pear, citrus oil, and mineral flavors. Golden straw-colored. Batard-like depth but with the lighter body of a premier cru.

Any of the preceding wines could easily be the highlight of the evening, but a pair of DRCs can not be denied. The 1997 DRC Echezeaux was subdued on approach, its bouquet of sweet spice, violets, and rose petals steadily soaring. Soft-textured, fleshy, and well-concentrated; as I focused on it, the more it grew on me. I found its understated character, perfect balance, and charming elegance very beautiful.

Our birthday boy treated us to a timeless wine, the 1976 DRC Romanee-Saint-Vivant "Marey-Monge". This was made during the period DRC was still farming the RSV parcel for the heirs of the Marey-Monge family, who at one time owned the RSV in its entirety (DRC subsequently acquired the plot in 1988). Like many of the vintage's reds, 1976 DRCs have good concentration but hard tannins that never seem to come around. But on this night, this '76 RSV was so seductive and regal. Rose petals, cherry liqueur nose. Intense ripe, sweet red fruits, round, expansive, seductive, and haunting. It was like opening a chest full of great memories. Very long, youthful, and still full of promise.

Post Script:
I really like to end the post with this '76 DRC RSV, but we did drink a few other wines afterwards. A 1991 Valduero Gran Reserva "12 Anos" Ribera del Duero showed a yummy sweet, vanilla American oak toast scents and dense black fruit concentration. The 2004 Chateau de Fargues Sauternes from the Lur Saluces family (longtime owners of Yquem) has a very lovely botrytised, butterscotch nose. It was elegantly sweet with spicy caramel notes and a graceful, long exit. Finally, the 1993 Chateau Pajzos Tokaji 5 Puttonyos had a waxy, honeycomb scent immediately followed by bright red apple flavors. It was very concentrated, intense, powerful, and long. A mere infant at this point.

Donato Enoteca: First Look

2009-06-24T23:09:00.000-07:00

My first dinner tonight at Donato Enoteca was a success in every way. To be fair the restaurant is just on its third day of opening, plus I invited some prima donna friends to come with me. Chef/proprietor Donato Scotti did not fail us with his pristine food, while the staff followed through with friendly, competent service.

The wine service, in particular, was overachieving. Seven of us brought half a dozen bottles, and, of course we wanted everything chilled, decanted, and served in individual Riedel glasses, pronto. No sweat. Wine director, Eric Lecours, was unperturbed, proceeding methodically and precisely with the corkscrew and glassware. Shinya Tasaki would be impressed.

The 1982 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs was magnificent with our antipasti. Steely, rich, nutty, with long, elegant flavors.

Calamari and white bean salad with baby spinach. The squid was tender, but the beans were still a bit firm; nevertheless, this was simple, light, and pure.

Prosciutto-wrapped pillow of puffed pastry. I've never had this combo before. Interesting, but the puffed pastry did little for me, it was the rich quality of the prosciutto that was mouthwatering.

Donato's signature Bruschetta di Cinghiale or braised wild boar, onion and Chianti vinegar spread on grilled bread. The Italian take on deconstructed pulled-pork sandwich. Tender shreds of tasty pork with a delicious, slightly tangy seasoning. This was devoured quickly. We should have ordered more.

My rustic plate of veal chop. Crusty, juicy, perfectly cooked.

1959 Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac. Like what you'd expect from a '59, really beautiful. Fresh currants and dark berries with cedary notes and lovely tannins. Muscular sweetness. Drinking perfectly now.

1981 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia, Bolgheri. Earthy currant nose. Bright, earthy blackberries. Cool and fresh in the mouth. Precise, elegant, and high-toned. A focused wine that demands the right food, like a rare steak.

1996 Gaja Darmagi Langhe. A great wine with enormous potential. The fruit is dense, sweet, earthy, and mineral with layers of currants, figs, and spices. Velvety tannins. Powerful and persistent. This will evolve for decades! Amazing what Cabernet Sauvignon can do in Barbaresco.

1993 Ornellaia, Bolgheri. Superb. Drinking perfectly. I don't know much about the history of Ornellaia. I thought this was Merlot-based but I was wrong. This vintage is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with some percentage of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. No wonder it was fragrant with cedary currants and mulberry. Creamy, lush, earthy cassis and cherry fruit. Elegant and perfectly balanced.

Donato fired up his gelato machine and made us an assortment of refreshing gelati. A great way to finish the meal. Luxurious dense, creamy texture, with just enough air to float in the mouth and savor the intense, pure fruit taste. Most enjoyable gelati I've ever had!

Freshly-made gelato of wild berry and limoncello.

Freshly-made gelato of pistacchio, vanilla, and chocolate.

I shall be returning many times to Donato's Enoteca. Already the prospects for getting a great meal look very bright. Bravo!

Donato Enoteca
1041 Middlefield Road
Redwood City, CA 94063
650.701.1000
Open everyday for lunch and dinner

The Ultimate Wine Book?

2009-06-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Thudding in at 8.21 pounds, 926 pages, the revised edition of Wine stops a door cold and doubles as a weight for deadlift exercises. It is a formidable use of paper.

Wine is also a great read. The concise, unassuming title is deceptive--unadorned with self-aggrandizing attachments as "Bible", "Encyclopedia" or "Atlas". Yet, few if any topic on wine escapes its pages. I never thought it possible but it rivals the two go-to tomes on my shelf: The World Atlas of Wine and The Oxford Companion to Wine--perhaps even surpassing both.

Want to know about French oak forests and barrel-making? It's there. Biodynamics? Yup. Grape varietals? Check. Wine tasting methodology? Covered. Viticulture, including pruning methods and grape ripening? Yes. Terroir? You bet.

But the meat of the book are the chapters detailing the world's winegrowing regions with visually illustrative maps and color photographs of vineyards and producers. Major and smaller wine regions are treated with equal passion. Mediterranean countries with long winegrowing histories--Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco--are discussed well, instead of skipped over as in other books.

But what I love most of all is pages are crammed with information. Sidebars highlight key topics as the confusing German Wine Law, obscure regions as the Coteaux de Pierrevert in Provence, acreage of each appellation in the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits, and sustainable winegrowing trends in California.

Edited by Andre Domine, who has been a contributor to the Culinaria series, and authored by him and seventeen other wine writers, this is a masterful wine book that is hard to put down despite its heft.

Wine
Edited by Andre Domine
Published 2008 H.F. Ullmann $59.95

Brachetto and Cherries

2009-06-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

At the midweek tasting this week I am pouring an utterly gorgeous wine from Piedmont, the Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG I Ronchetti from Casa Martelletti.

Brachetto, a grape varietal native to the Piedmont region, produces a light, bubbly, sweet red wine prized for its fragrance and fruity, refreshing taste. Fashionable in the nineteenth-century, Brachetto almost disappeared in the twentieth-century, replaced in the vineyards by the more productive Barbera. Fortunately a handful of Piemonte growers stuck to it, and by the late twentieth-century a revival was on the way.

Yesterday, I was tasting the Brachetto with a group of customers, including my friend Ben, whose knowledge and instinct on wine and food have always inspired me. Brachetto ranges in flavors from light strawberries to a dark cherry and plum style like the I Ronchetti. We were all captivated by it and everyone left the store with a bottle in tow, including Ben (2 bottles). The fragrance was like fading rose petals. Its ethereal effervescence made the fruity flavors dance in the mouth. A really joyful wine.

I love sipping it as aperitif with fresh stone-fruits like apricots and white peaches. Ben suggested pairing with sauteed or poached salmon. I also like to drink Brachetto after a big meal. Light and low in alcohol, its pure, fresh flavors invigorate the palate.

The Brachetto made us think about the wonderful cherries in season right now. For the past few weeks I've been coming early to our local farmers' market to shop for cherries. If there were a cherry vintage chart, this year and last year would be 100 points.

My favorite are Bing cherries, named for an Oregonian Chinese-American who helped develop the cultivar. Large, plump, and sweet, Bings are the king of cherries. Ben said to put them in iced water to make them extra crunchy. When I got home last night I did just that. Immersed in iced water for twenty minutes or so, the Bings firmed up and crackled in my mouth as I bit into each one. The thick flesh teasingly released a sweet, refreshing juice that made me remember the cool glass of fizzy Brachetto I enjoyed earlier in the day.