Whole Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Root Vegetables

Finally got enough nerve to try roasting a chicken....and it worked! It was by far one of the best tasting things I've ever made. We more-or-less followed Thomas Keller's approach in Ad Hoc at Home for his "Whole Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Root Vegetables" and added a side of pan-roasted brussels sprouts with bacon.

Once trussed, the chicken cavity is seasoned with fresh shallots (Keller uses garlic - I didn't have any on-hand), kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and thyme. (This was my first time trussing a chicken. Pretty easy once you figure it out, but that took a few minutes. I am sure I won't remember how to do it next time...) The outside is then seasoned with oil, salt, and pepper and then dotted with unsalted butter. The vegetables (we used carrots, potatoes from my grandparents' garden, leeks, and onion), similarly, are seasoned with oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. You then simply layer the bottom of a roasting pan with the vegetables and sit the chicken on top. Roast on 475 degrees for 25 minutes and then 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until the chicken reached 160 degrees.

The thyme is the real magic ingredient here. Combined with the butter, chicken fat, and vegetables, it makes for an awesome flavor.

Space Ghost & Emeril

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQd5TqoNN8I

Nuff said...

Vegas Day 2

Day 2 in Vegas had us starting off for a quick breakfast at The Earl of Sandwich in the shops at the Planet Hollywood. Though we usually go here for lunch (try the "Montague"), the breakfast sandwiches are good, too. Don't pass this place up even though it looks generic; They make great food!

Around the corner from The Earl of Sandwich is one of our favorite breweries, Sin City Brewery. Maybe 10:30 AM is a little early to start drinking beer, but, hey, it was 1:30 PM eastern. Sin City offers 4 draft beers. This time they had their wheat, stout, Oktoberfest, and light lager. I stuck with my usual stout. Brandy tried the Oktoberfest. Would make for a great "session" beer. Though we didn't order one, their version of a Belgian wit beer is probably their best offering.

We followed the Sin City up by hopping in a cab over to Vegas' Chinatown on Spring Mountain Road. If you ever go to Vegas and want to eat awesome food, go to Chinatown! On this day we visited Monta Japanese Noodle House. This was my first time eating real ramen, i.e. not the $0.10 packs you buy at Walmart. Monta is a really small noodle house situated a couple doors down from the popular Raku Japanese restaurant. It sits maybe 25 people (very tightly, I might add). I opted for the Tonkatsu (pork) ramen with extra pork and Brandy went for the Shoyu (soy) ramen with egg. The Tonkatsu was more cloudy, rich, and stock-like (I think it is made from pork bones and fat), whereas the Shoyu was more thin, salty, broth-like. Both were good, although I preferred mine. The noodles were cooked perfectly and the pork slices were to-die-for. We also ordered a small side of fried rice, which was lightly fried with egg and pork. Very different (as expected) from the typical East Tennessee "Japanese" restaurant fried rice. Glad I tried it. (The gyoza looked amazing, too. I wish we'd ordered those.) Perhaps the best part of all was that we were seated at the bar overlooking the small kitchen allowing us the opportunity to watch the chefs make each order of noodles. Absolutely fascinating. There was such an insane level of noodle soup perfection being demonstrated.

On our way to Monta, we noticed a pub we'd been wanting to visit for a couple of years called The Crown & Anchor. Had no idea they had a second location in Chinatown. We walked over there immediately followed our noodles and proceeded to chill at the bar for a few hours watching proper football (i.e. soccer), drinking proper pints (i.e. 20 ounces) of Hoegaarden, and listening to a proper jukebox (i.e. a jukebox with music I like on it, like Rush and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings). Could have sat there all day (literally - it is open 24/7). Oh, and don't forget the $0.25 video blackjack at the bar! You ARE in Vegas...

Once we were ready to go back out later that day, we figured we need a light dinner before we went to the concert. Michael Mina's Nobhill Tavern was located at the entrance to our hotel wing at the MGM. It's a great looking space, so we thought we'd have a cocktail at the bar and try an appetizer. We both ended up with whiskey-based cocktails (mine being better than Brandy's - I think we got the back-up bartender). For the snack, we went for chilled king crab legs with whole grain creme fraiche. Wow! Though they were $18.00, it was great to snack on some really excellent, fresh seafood.

Following Nobhill Tavern, we figured we were in need of a better drink, and we knew exactly where to go. Just a few minutes away in the MGM is Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak. This was one of the first "fine dining" restaurants I ever visited - and it remains one of my favorites today. I went for a glass of Ramey 2006 Claret and Brandy went for a "Black Cherry Fizz." What a hell of a cocktail. I wish I'd ordered one. It tasted like a homemade, alcoholic 7-Up. So good.

We soon realized that the crab had only wetted our appetite and immediately knew what could solve it - Craftsteak's wild mushroom risotto. Their risotto was unquestionably one of the most inspirational dishes for me the first time I had it. It really got me excited about wanting to learn how to make risotto, and ultimately learning about all sorts of different techniques in the kitchen. On this visit, the risotto included hen of the woods mushrooms and butternut squash. I tend to think I make a pretty good risotto. I practice it alot. But it's still a hard dish and I've never perfected it. I was quickly reminded of this when the Craftsteak risotto hit my mouth last weekend. Jesus. It is so good. The rice is perfectly cooked. And the wee little bit of thyme in there just adds such an amazing extra level of flavor. It was a highlight of the trip, for sure. And the best part - it's enough food to split and it's only $15.00!

Vegas - Day 1

Just went to Vegas this past weekend for two nights of A Perfect Circle (playing Mer de Noms and 13th Step in their entirety). Had some awesome food and drinks while we were there...

Started off with a cocktail at Red Square. It's a USSR-themed restaurant/bar in the Mandalay Bay. I've wanted to go for a while, as I was fascinated with Soviet history in college, but it seems totally un-"p.c." to have a USSR-themed bar. Anyway, I went...

You can't really go to a Russian bar without getting vodka. I think you can even visit a fancy ice-cold vodka room (with parkas and all) if you buy a bottle. I went for the house-infused pineapple vodka martini. Pretty good considering I don't really drink vodka or vodka martinis. Bar had a pretty good vibe. Bartender was performing some fancy bar tricks. Definitely would check it out again if I was over that way.

Followed that up with a return visit to Charlie Palmer's Aureole. We visited Aureole last December on a whim prior to a Metallica concert at the Mandalay Bay. We'd seen the restaurant on Top Chef and found the "wine angels" to be quite hilarious. You should research that if you are unfamiliar.

Our experience last time was, well, really bad to say the least. The food was good, but the service was jaw-droppingly poor - especially considering they had a Michelin star. I mean BAD. I decided not to bitch publicly (not that anyone would really care) and (out of character for myself) sent a note to the general manager about our experience. He responded about a week later apologizing for our experience and offered us to visit as his personal guests in the future. I had no interest in taking him up, not wanting to waste my time the next time I was in the city considering all of the other really awesome options (even if it was free), but given the fact that this trip was not anticipated (I never would have imagined APC would tour again), we figured a free dinner wasn't a bad option. I mean, if we were their personal guests, you'd assume the service would be exceptional. Well, that was not the case....

Again, it was disjointed. Too many different servers not communicating. Too rushed. Wine list without a food menu. No information on wine pairings (again, because there was no food menu). (I say this because Aureole is supposed to be one of the best "wine restaurants" in the country and good service is perhaps half of being an excellent fine dining restaurant.) Too much service then no service at all. Just completely all over the place. And then after basically disappearing for the last half hour of the meal, one of the servers comes over and says "You are done here." WTF? I am? I didn't know that. I think there was a bit of a language barrier, but I think what he could and should have said was, "We really appreciate you coming back to Aureole and trying the restaurant again. Our general manager will be taking care of you bill this evening. I hope you had a pleasurable experience and we hope to see you again in the future." Not "you are done here." I almost fell out of my chair. I felt like I was slapped in the face. "Just get out of here, please!," is what they meant, I think. You know what Aureole? I'd so much rather go spend money I don't even have at another restaurant than sit and waste my time in your shitty, pretentious restaurant.

I suppose there were a couple of good things that came out of the time we were there. Each of our first courses were excellent. Brandy had a salad with poached egg, pork belly, and foie gras. The description was much better than that and the flavor and texture were excellent. I had a shortrib ravioli in a truffle celery soup (I think). It was also very excellent. I also got a bottle of 2006 Larkin Cabernet Franc which was, well, unbelievable. Larkin makes excellent wine and this was no exception.

After this generally crap-ass experience, we decided we needed to go to a really awesome place. Something that just couldn't be wrong...The Peppermill Fireside Lounge. This might be the greatest place on earth. It's old Vegas-style down near the Wynn. The bar and restaurant are open 24/7. The lounge is filled with mirrors, pink neon, pink velvet, fire pits, and old music videos...and awesome cocktails with proper glassware. I had one of the best old fashioneds I've ever had. Brandy went for the Scorpion. If you've ever seen the No Reservations episode about Vegas, you'll know what I am talking about. It it huge. And awesome. Big straws, too. They've got really good nachos, too, at the Fireside Lounge, but didn't hit them up this time. I could have stayed there for hours, but that would have gotten ugly...

The Best Cocktail? Charleston's "The Gin Joint"

I may have just had the best cocktail of my life this past weekend in Charleston. I typically go for wine or beer before cocktails, but we came across this fairly new place called The Gin Joint and they almost exclusively do cocktails. Seemed to make sense. Plus, I like gin.

Started off with a snack of fingerling potato skins with aged cheddar, bacon, and sour cream. I am a sucker for potato skins. I've always like them. Nice to see someone do this in a more gourmet fashion with fingerling potatoes (including purple ones!), which I really enjoy, and really excellent bacon.

Now, on to the important stuff....

My first drink was pretty safe. It was called "Aeromexico" and was featured on their seasonal "Fall Harvest" menu. It included pecan wood smoked honey, Cuervo Tradicional tequila, maraschino, and lemon. Pretty solid. More or less an alternate margarita, but good. More of a summertime drink, in my opinion, than a fall drink, though.

Brandy, on the other hand, went out of her comfort zone. She ordered "The Original New Orleans Fizz." Wow...what a cocktail. Made of Plymouth Gin, lemon, lime, Fleur d'Orange, egg white, and cream, this thing was unlike anything we'd ever had. More of an aromatic and texture experience than just focus on flavor. Excellent!

On to the next round...

I ordered "The Old Metropole" from the "Fancy Cocktails" list. OH MY GOD. This was THE BEST cocktail I've ever had - right up my alley. It was super simple - Cles des Ducs Armagnac, orange bitters, and Carpano. It was smoky, vanillay, super smooth, dark, and awesome! AMAZING.

Brandy went for another fizz. This time, the "Blackberry Imperial Fizz," featuring Goslings Rum, blackberry, lemon, and sparkling wine. This was sweeter and richer than the other fizz. It also had a big chuck of old-school ice block in the middle. Very good, too.

All drinks are $10, so it's not the cheapest place in the world, but two cocktails from The Gin Joint will do you right.

Empire Eats Menu from Raleigh Anthony Bourdain Show

Here's the menu from Empire Eats. I received this prior to the event. I think it's an accurate representation of what they actually served. The roasted pig was great, as were the short ribs. The local cheese was a surprise for me. I had no idea Chapel Hill was producing such great cheese. I wish I had tried everything!

Grilled Octopus with Spicy Apple and Green Papaya Salad

Kibbee Nayah in Mini Pita Pockets

Hummus with Pita

Marinated Lamb Chop Lollipops

Mediterranean Shellfish Salad with Avocado, Grappa Cured Salmon, Over Lavosh Bread

Italian Holiday Rainbow Cookies

Honey Stuffoli

Roasted Pig

Sweet Potato Biscuits with Smoked Brisket, Sweet and Sour Pickled Collared Greens, and Mustard Sauce

Bourbon-Spiked Crab Apples with Local Goat Cheese

Local Cheese Plate

Asian Braised Boneless Short Ribs, Parsnip Puree, Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

Banana Creme Puffs

Blueberry and Lemon Curd Squares

Assorted Petit Fours

No Reservations: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain

I normally wouldn't post things about my work life online, but I figure this is the one exception to the rule...

Just spent the weekend in Charleston, SC, and Raleigh, NC, promoting two Anthony Bourdain shows. I've done three shows with Bourdain (the first of three being Knoxville back in April 2009) with another to come (can't say anything else about that yet). Tony is a really nice, appreciate person and a great artist to work with professionally. I am lucky to have had these opportunities and proud of the experiences we've been able to create for the fans.

Tony's show is basically two parts - a talk consisting of bits from his books, travel show, and other "test" material for upcoming work, followed by a short Q&A session with the audience. The talk is fantastic. Definitely go if you are a Bourdain fan.

The most exciting part for me, though, has been the VIP receptions we've done following the shows, as it's allowed me an opportunity to blend my professional career and skills with my personal interests in the food world. At each show we've sold a limited number of VIP tickets to a post-show meet & greet / book signing with Tony plus an on-stage reception with food and drink. It's been great to work with the venues and our local food and drink partners to offer an unique, unforgettable experience for the fans with these receptions.

In Knoxville, we worked with my favorite restaurant, Northshore Brasserie, and Downtown Wine & Spirits. Charleston featured Maverick Kitchens (operators of popular Charleston restaurants such as High Cotton and Slightly North of Broad) and local distillers Firefly Vodka (known for their sweet tea vodka), while in Raleigh we worked with Empire Eats (known for The Pit, The Raleigh Times Bar, The Duck & Dumpling, and more) and local craft brewers, Big Boss Brewing Company.

Here are a few pictures...

Tony's autograph on the North Charleston Performing Arts Center's backstage wall

Book signing at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

Party! on-stage at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

Big Boss "Aces & Ates" Coffee Stout and "Blanco Diablo" Wit Ale taps

Empire Eats welcome to Bourdain

Cheese, fruit, and cracker spread from Empire Eats

Empire Eats dessert

Empire Eats raspberry chocolate cups #1

Empire Eats raspberry chocolate cups #2 (cause they look so good)

Mr. Piggy from The Pit

Me tearing into Mr. Piggy

Wine Review: Buoncristiani 2006 "The Core" Cabernet Sauvignon

Finally opened our bottle of Buoncristiani 2006 "The Core" Cabernet Sauvignon tonight. Maybe should have waited longer, but, well, it was here, and I knew it would be good. It's one of the more expensive bottles I've ever bought ($120, I think), so I was a little nervous about opening it. I shouldn't have been - it's a Buoncristiani! By far one of the best vineyards I've tasted wine from. This wine has a super concentrated, dark inky purple color with a dense flavor. The Buoncristiani website references a pencil lead aroma - which is totally accurate. I noticed some herb in there, too.

*Update* Later in the evening, I noticed dark chocolate / coffee, nutty fruit tart, and red meat in the aroma. Spicy licorice and sweet vanilla unfolded in the flavor profile. There's a ton of structure with this wine!

The Public House

Went to The Public House Wednesday night for a soft opening. Great new spot in downtown Knoxville run by friend Laura Sohn. I mostly avoided alcohol (with a developing cold), but chowed down on the awesome food. Amongst four of us we split 2 orders of the Carolina smoked trout dip (yes, it was that good), blue cheese dip & potato chips, Benton's prosciutto, another cured meat (I cannot remember the name), a cheese from Blackberry Farm, beet pesto dip, an awesome local bread, and gigande beans in herbed oil. The highlights were the trout dip, cheese, and gigande beans. (Well, and the Benton's ham, but I already knew that was awesome. More excited about the new things.) The gigande beans are the best bar food ever. And great for my new attempt a diet - a pleasant, tasty, nutritious treat!

Looking forward to the wine (they're going to feature one of my faves - Ramon Bilbao Tempranillo) and cocktails once those are added to the menu...

No Reservations

Watching the Labor Day marathon on Travel Channel. Forgot how awesome some of these episodes are. Watch seasons 1-3 - especially season 1. And look for "A Cook's Tour" online. Bourdain's work is the best food TV today. "A Cook's Tour" is probably the start of my real interest in food. Check it out.

The best beer in a while

Meant to post this weeks ago...

Went to the Breslin in New York. Had a Brooklyn Bitter served in a proper 20 oz mug. Best beer I've had in ages. I've been in a wine mood for a long time, and this got me thinking beer again. Go - and get a bitter! Yes, it's $9, but just do it.

Wine Review: 2005 Used Automobile Parts

Used Automobile Parts is a Napa Valley Bordeaux-style red blend produced by Three Loose Screws, a division of Don Sebastiani & Sons. It's seemingly really hard to find; in fact, there's little-to-no information available anywhere online - not even on Don Sebastiani & Sons website. According to other blogs, it is their only high-end wine, priced at approximately $50 a bottle. I bought it because of the quirky name and simple bottle, plus the fact that it was a Napa red blend.

It's a fantastic wine. Very typical of Napa red blends. Dark fruit. Quite tannic. Really elegant wine. Served with grilled ribeye, "woodshed" potatoes, and broccoli casserole at Ye Olde Steakhouse in South Knoxville. Helped make for an awesome Sunday semi-country dinner.

New Year's Resolution Update: What's Left?

I needed to get an idea of how many I've visited - let's take look....

Been there:

Le Parigo

Coolato Gelato

Dead End BBQ

S&W Grand

Steamboat Sandwiches

Savelli's

T. Ho Bistro / The Pint House

Need to go:

Cafe 4

R.T. Lodge

Dancing Bear Lodge

Apple Cake Tea Room

501 Arthur

Longhorn Steakhouse

Echo Bistro & Wine Bar

Bonefish Grill

RouXbarb

Seasons Cafe

Ho Ho

Pizza Palace

Chandler's

Sunspot

La Rumba

Altruda's

Red Onion Pizza

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

Hmmm....my progress is not so good. I am seven months into the year and have only gone to 7 of 25 - one a month! Regardless, I can no longer go to R.T. Lodge, as it is now closed to the public, and I doubt I will go to Fleming's as I just spent way too much money at Ruth's Chris, so that will probably come off the list. I'd like to add, however, Restaurant Linderhof in place of R.T. I went there years ago, but want to re-try.

New Year's Resolution Update: Steamboat Sandwiches Review

Ventured over to Steamboat Sandwiches on Market Square in downtown Knoxville last week to continue my New Year's resolution challenge.

My immediate reaction to Steamboat is laid out in a really odd manner. The restaurant is long and narrow and they've unfortunately not handled it well. The open kitchen runs all the way down the right side of the restaurant, while tables are scattered all along the left and middle. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something is off. Regardless, I like the colors and photos and they've added a cool artistic touch to the otherwise boring concrete floor.

The other thing I noticed is that the staff is not terribly speedy. While they were very nice and informative, for a grab and go sandwich shop that's not really cooking anything, I have to say it's a little slow. I'm not expecting an assembly line like Subway or Lenny's, but it's pretty lax.

I ordered a half smoked chicken sandwich on their homemade wheat with lettuce, tomato, muenster cheese, and mayo. It was, in fact, pretty good. I wish I'd gotten chips or something with it, as it didn't quite do it for me as a complete meal, but the whole sandwich looked way too big. The pricing was consistent with other downtown Knoxville sandwich shops, which I'd argue are all a $1 or $2 too high...

If I'm not in a hurry and want a sandwich, I will check it out again.

Steamboat Sandwiches - 3/5 stars

S&W Grand

S&W Grand continues to become the place to be downtown Knoxville. Last weekend, I enjoyed a fantastic dinner there with a meal that included their daily special, John Dory with preserved lemon and gigande beans, plus a bottle of one of my favorite wines, 2006 Bell Claret. And the garlicy, buttery pop-overs that's served with your meal are to-die-for. I can't imagine anyone else in Knoxville is offering food on this level, other than the Northshore Brasserie, of course. The restaurant was completely full and buzzing. There was such a great vibe...

Follow that up with a stop by this Friday night to another packed house for Donald Brown's jazz night. Once again - amazing energy. We sat on the patio and enjoyed a couple of new-to-me wines - Spellbound Petite Sirah from Northern California and Clean Slate Riesling from Mosel, Germany. I've never had Riesling. I'm not a sweet wine fan and was under the impression all Rieslings were sweet. This wine was simply fantastic - full of minerality while not being too sweet at all.

I think there's great things ahead for the S&W!

Red Sauce

If you haven't seen the "Techniques" episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, you should keep an eye out for it. It's not only one of the best episodes of this series, but hands-down some of the best 60 minutes of culinary instruction I've ever seen on television.

One of the foods covered in the episode is red sauce. Presented by Scott Conant of New York's Scarpetta restaurant, red sauce is made in a way that's easy to prepare at home. I modified this recipe to use canned tomatoes from my grandparent's farm in Jonesborough, TN (as opposed to all fresh - though I did supplement with 1.5 fresh tomatoes), and did not have any garlic around, but otherwise stuck to the basic recipe/technique.

After a few other attempts at a homemade red sauce, I finally got close to what I am looking for with this process. Basically you cook down your tomatoes for 45-60 minutes with salt and add a basil and red pepper flake (and garlic, ideally) infused olive oil, plus a pinch of additional red pepper flake. Combine cooked noodles (I used parpadelle noodles for this preparation) in a saute pan with the sauce and toss with fresh chopped basil fresh grated parmesan. Delicious!

Zucchini

Zucchini ala Red Lobster, circa 1993

Not sure if Red Lobster really used cornmeal, but it tasted close to what I remember. I think I am going to try using seasoned breadcrumbs next time and incorporate grated parmesan cheese into the batter.

Okra, Revisited

Fried Baby Okra
Parmesan and Lemon

A slightly different approach tonight...

Dipped whole baby okras in buttermilk and rolled them in cornmeal, then fried the baby okras in vegetable oil. Squeezed on a bit of lemon juice and then topped with shaved parmesan and a bit of salt. It was sort of inspired by two different dishes - first, fried zucchini "chips" with parmesan at Red Lobster (yes, Red Lobster) back in the late 80s / early 90s, which I loved as a kid, and, second, whole fried okras I had at Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery in the Haight in San Francisco a couple of years ago. I could have eaten these all night. Really nice eating the small ones whole.

Next...I'm going to try to re-create the Red Lobster zucchini and maybe try frying various pickles. Also, going to try to substitute panko for cornmeal...

Okra

As Brandy said, things you have to pat dry after cooking are awesome. Case in point - fried okra. Served with cube steak and my grandmother's green beans and corn bread. Awesome.

Before

After

The Patting

The Meal

Appalachia, Two Ways

Had two amazing food experiences this weekend at "home" in the northeast Tennessee / southwest Virginia region.

Saturday night found us back at Town House in Chilhowie, VA to try to the new summer menu - about seven months since we'd last visited in the dead of winter.

My opinion on the food last time was somewhat undecided, as it was the first time I'd truly experienced molecular gastronomy. I honestly didn't quite know what to think.

This time, all was certain. The food was amazing. They've really focused some of the dishes and plating. The restaurant was full and buzzing. The wine was excellent. Charlie Berg and his team's service was top-notch, once again. And, John Shields, recently named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs 2010, visited the table briefly. A new element this time was a take-away gift from John's wife and executive pastry chef, Karen Urie Shields, of garlic and sesame buns.

I could go on and on. Overall, it was an amazing experience. No doubt it's in my top five restaurant experiences ever. I can't wait to go again and share this experience with friends.

I forgot got to get a copy of the dang menu, but I think this is the meal. (Don't quote me on the names.) I've included photo approximations of some of the dishes we had below. All photos courtesy of Town House Blog; these are not my personal photos!

Savory Cookie (Amuse Bouche)

Chilled Vegetable Minestrone

The Orange from Valencia

Soup of Cherries

Scrambled Egg Mousse

Blue Crab in Brown Butter & Lime

"Risotto" of Squid

Squab, Foie Gras Royale & Crisp Chicken Skin

Cap of Beef Cooked in Ash

Stones

Blueberries & Lychee

plus...

"House" Sparkling Wine - glass

Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay - 1/2 bottle

Louis Latour Beanue 1er Cru Vignes Franches (Burgundy Pinot Noir) - 1/2 bottle

2002 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Right Bank (Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend) - bottle

And then...

We visited my grandparents today for lunch in Jonesborough, TN. Wow, what an opposite, but equally amazing culinary experience. Fried green tomatoes. Fresh corn. Macaroni salad with orange tomatoes from up the street and red peppers from the back garden. Canned green beans from the farm. Corn bread. Pot roast with fresh carrots and potatoes. Fresh peach and blueberry cobbler. One amazing thing after another. I wish I could eat like this every day. The most exciting thing - you can't buy food this good anywhere. I'm lucky to be able to have this.

After that, we picked a few fruits and vegetables from the garden with my papaw and grabbed some canned beans and tomatoes from 2009.

Check them out:

2006 Chiarello Family Vineyards "Roux" Old Vine Petite Sirah

Oh, Napa Valley, why did I leave you?

After going wine-less for a few days, it was about time to open a bottle. Brandy and I decided on the 2006 Chiarello Family Vineyards "Roux" Old Vine Petite Sirah. We originally had it at Michael Chiarello's restaurant Bottega back in July.

It's dark purple, almost black. Think ink. Really concentrated, dark fruit flavors. Not much sweetness on the palate, but a little oaky, sweet vanilla in the aroma - almost fine bourbon-like. Pretty tannic. Reminds me alot of the '05 and '06 Bell Clarets. I wish I could describe this wine so that every sommelier would know exactly what I want.

I wish I had more...must order soon!

Patton Oswalt on his drive to Asheville

"Just passed a place called 'Meal Barn.' Good to see Thomas Keller experimenting."

http://twitter.com/pattonoswalt

Finally, a full wine fridge!

Thank you, Napa Valley, for a full fridge of wine.

Let's see...what do we have here?

• 2007 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards "Right Bank Cuvee" Napa Valley Merlot (60%) / Cabernet Franc (40%)
• 2006 Buoncristiani Family Winery "The Core" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2006 Buoncristiani Family Winery "O.P.C." Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine
• 2008 Buoncristiani Family Winery "Dolcetto di Nonno" Dry Creek Valley Dolcetto
• 2006 Chiarello Family Vineyards "Roux Old Vine" Napa Valley Petite Sirah
• 2006 Ghost Horse Vineyards "Shadow" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2006 Ghost Horse Vineyards "Fantome" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2007 Melka Wines "CJ" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• ...and then a few more Napas purchased locally...

The Best Wine Ever?

Isn't it ironic that the best wine I've ever tasted in fact came from the very vintner who told me he couldn't rightfully say to anyone that any wine was the best wine ever? Don't ya think?

Brandy and I opened a bottle of 2006 Ghost Horse 100% Cabernet Sauvignon last Monday. I feared that the wine (all of the Ghost Horse offerings, that is) for which I'd had such fond memories from Todd Anderson's Ghost Horse Vineyard would be nothing more than a decent to really good wine served at a really special moment. But, no, when the bottle was opened and a small portion poured me to smell, I was floored. Oh my god. How can this be? How can wine, hell, anything, smell this good? Other Cabernets should be ashamed. And then the taste, oh my. I never wanted the bottle to be empty. How can I ever drink another wine? I know, to remind me how damn good Ghost Horse is!

Luckily, I have a couple more bottles to go. I have no idea how I'm not going to drink them immediately. I figure I need to sit on them for a couple for a couple of years. If I could only afford a case...

Oh, and I still have the Ghost Horse Fantome to go!

New Year Resolution - Quick Update

A quick update on my goal to visit 25 new-to-me restaurants. These three visits/reviews will make 6/25.

Coolato Gelato

I went to Coolato Gelato for lunch last week and ordered the club panini. I'm not a huge panini fan, but it was pretty decent. It was a really big, filling sandwich with an interesting addition of pickled green tomato, but for $8.50 including a side, I'd honestly rather go to a different downtown establishment and pay less (or the same for a full-service experience). I just didn't love it, but I don't suppose I hated it either. I did not particularly enjoy the decor or vibe in there, either. I was also a little miffed to find out the next day (via their storefront board) that each sandwich came with a free serving of gelato in the month of July and they didn't offer this to us. Other than that, the service was typical of an order and wait sandwich type place, i.e. no real interaction outside of ordering and paying.

3/5 stars

S&W Grand

I've been to the S&W a few times recently, but I will highlight two, mainly. Once for dinner before going on vacation and once last week for lunch.

The vibe has improved in the downstairs area. They recently knocked down a wall that separated the bar, which made it feel more comfortable. Still, it's a large space to fill and can be a bit overwhelming at times.

At dinner, I order the daily special ribeye (simply grilled) with sauteed swiss chard. It was a really solid steak, actually. Nice, clean flavors - not a heavy steak, somehow, despite that it was a ribeye. For lunch I had the skirt steak salad with beets, grilled radicchio and pink Roquefort dressing. Individually, the flavors were solid, but the overall dish struggled to find balance for me. Despite the the sweet beet flavor balancing the strong Roquefort, there was simply too much bitter blackened radicchio on the plate, which overwhelmed everything else, in my opinion. Maybe I am just not a radicchio fan... (The skirt steak entree with black beans, etc. is TO-DIE-FOR, however. And, yes, I like steak.)

The service has always been good at the S&W for me. I prefer to sit a the bar, so I generally always get the same server/bartender, who is excellent. The manager, Jordan, is also top-notch and takes good care of us.

My overall feelings towards S&W are sort of "slightly better than neutral," or, perhaps "mixed" is a better term, right now, so my rating would be 3.75/5 stars. However, I know they are planning to fine-tune the menu and work on the environment. I have high hopes. Their other restaurant, Northshore Brasserie, is not only my favorite in town, but is one of my all-time favs.

Savelli's

Finally stopped at Savelli's after having driven by what seems like a million times.

The decor and ambiance struggle for me. It's a hodge-podge of tables, chairs, "art," etc. Lots of empty wine bottles, too. Sometime things like this come off as cool (e.g. Chez Guevara in Knoxville) and would be considered by most to be hip dive bars/restaurants, while other times (and most times) it just comes off as tacky. Savelli's suffers from the latter.

The food is pretty good. I've been twice. The first time was better overall. The salad was really enjoyable, featuring a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. The fettuccine alfredo is the best thing I've had, well, beside their garlicy grilled ciabatta bread (which is AWESOME). Their not-so-crispy fried calamari was not good. Don't get it - unless you like limpy, soggy breaded calamari.

The service is pretty middle of the pack. They allow outside wine for a nominal $3.00/head corkage fee, but let you handle the opening, etc. Usually paying a fee gets you a little service, but not here. Oh well, I'll open my own wine if I'm only paying $3.00 and can drink whatever I want. Other than that, I can't say much about the service. It's not great, and it's not bad.

3.25/5 stars

(Reminder/FYI - my ratings are "gut feeling" reactions based on decor/ambiance, food/drinks, and service. I judge the restaurants in-and-of-themselves for the type of establishment they are. I figure it's not fair to rate In-N-Out Burger against The French Laundry, as they provide two totally different types of experiences.)

Bouchon - The Meal

Pimms Cup (Brandy) - The best damn Pimm's Cup I've ever had, and certainly one of the best overall cocktails I've ever had.

Hendricks & Tonic (Charlie) - A solid standby

1/2 VDC Rouge (500 mL House Red Wine) - Perhaps the best deal of the trip - a 500 mL serving of a pre-release 2008 Realm Cellars Cabernet Franc / Merlot 80/20 blend from Sagecoach Vineyard by Michael Hirby. A fantastic wine and only $25.00! Why can't anyone else's "house red" be this awesome???

1/2 Dozen Oysters - We got an assortment of 3 types of oysters. Can't recall the types, but 2 were sweet and one was very salty. First time I've had a large, sweet and a small, salty. I'm used to it being the other way around...

House Cured Fluke (Daily Special) - Absolutely amazing. Came with a balsamic vinaigrette with red sweet peppers and I don't know what else. Just goodness.

"Poulet Roti" - Roasted Chicken with Red Rice, Pickled Grapes, Wilted Arugula, Candied Hazelnuts, and Tarragon Chicken Jus (Charlie) - I'd heard Keller's roasted chicken was amazing. And even though the combination of flavors of this dish did not particularly interest me, I had to try it. Boy, am I glad I did. Wow. What an amazing plate. And, again, a great deal at only $26.00.

Olive Oil-Poached Salmon with Fingerling Potatoes and ? (Brandy) - I only took one bite of this, so I'm not really fairly positioned to comment.

Macaroni au Gratin - A solid pasta and cheese side. Honestly, I preferred Cindy Pawlcyn's at Mustard's, but this was still good.

Haricot Vert - I'd had Bouchon's haricot vert with the pan-roasted trout in Vegas a couple of years ago. Once again, they did not disappoint.

This meal took place on 7/6/10.

The French Laundry - The Wines

2006 Shramsberg "Blanc de Blancs" Sparkling Wine (Glass)

2007 Hudson Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay (Glass)

2009 Bodegas Shaya, Verdejo, "Old Vines," Rueda* (Glass)

2004 Vineyard 7 & 8 "7" Cabernet Sauvignon (Bottle)

The Vineyard 7 & 8 "7" Cabernet Sauvignon was silky smooth and luscious. I plan to order a bottle of the current release as soon as I can!

*No website

Five Recommended Small-Production Wines

Five of my current favorite small-production ("boutique") wines:

Axios Wine - Worthy, "Sophia's Cuvee"

Don Sebastiani & Sons - Used Automobile Parts

Chiarello Family Vineyards - Roux Old Vine Petite Sirah

Vineyard 7 & 8 - "7" Cabernet Sauvignon

John Anthony Vineyards - Cabernet Sauvignon

The Hess Collection Mountain Cuvee Mount Veeder Napa Valley 2003

Enjoyed a bottle of The Hess Collection Mountain Cuvee Mount Veeder Napa Valley 2003. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. This is my kind of wine. Deep, rich opaque purple color. Dark, somewhat sweet, mysterious aroma. Silky smooth mouthfeel; well-integrated tannins. I wish I could describe it better because it is exactly what I look for in a wine. Amazing! Great buy at $28.99.

Mental note - visit The Hess Collection next time in Napa!

The French Laundry - The Best Meal Ever?

A few people have asked, "How was the French Laundry?" Or, more specifically, "Was the French Laundry the best meal of your life?" Well....

The French Laundry is housed in a beautiful building. Their dinnerware is exquisite. I'm sure their formal service is the best you can experience. Their bread and butter is the best you'll ever taste. Their sous-vide then grilled steak will literally melt in your mouth - really, I mean it - melt! Their wine list is like an encyclopedia; I had one of the best bottles I've ever had there. My hero Anthony Bourdain swears it was the best meal of his life. It has three Michelin stars. I could go on and on, but I am sure you get the point...

I spent a lot of time thinking about the question of whether or not TFL was the best meal of my life. I quickly realized I wasn't even certain what qualifies the best meal ever. Presumably, in order to determine the best meal ever, one would have to be able to objectively evaluate the meal. I am sure I could set several categories to rate the meal, such as decor & ambiance, food & drink, service, etc., as I have previously attempted to do in my few Yelp reviews, but I am starting to think this is nothing more than me over-analyzing these experiences, as I tend to do. Isn't it a lot simpler and yet more personal than this allows?

This got me thinking back to my time with Todd Anderson, owner of Anderson's Conn Valley, and his perspective on "the best." Specifically, Todd spoke to Robert Parker's famous wine ratings, asking who's to say that because Robert Parker rates a wine 100 points that makes it the best, that is, the best for me? Todd went on to say (I am paraphrasing here):

You know more about wine than I do. When you take a sip of a wine, all you know is whether you like it or not. I can't tell you it is the best. If you say it's the best wine you've ever had, what you're really saying it is the best wine you've ever had at that moment...with that food...and that setting...and those friends...and that music...etc.

I tend to support this view, and based on that, I definitely can't say that my experience at TFL was my best meal ever. Yet, I do still consider my experience at TFL to be very important in my food and wine journey, as it helped me realize why I've enjoyed many other meals more than what I experienced at TFL. My favorite meals have been those where highly-executed food and magnificent drinks were served in an inviting, comfortable setting with friendly, casual service. This is where Keller truly succeeds in my mind - at his French brasserie, Bouchon, and New American restaurant, Ad Hoc; both serve (affordable) perfectly-executed food and beautiful wine in vibrant, yet relaxed environments, coupled with unpretentious, seamless service. And beyond all of that, my favorite meals have been highlighted by the right company, the right music, the right conversation, the right mood, etc. for that particular moment. That's where Todd is so on-point.

So, what is the best meal I've ever had? Well, it's hard to say, really, as there's so many. But if I had to pick just one, I'd have to say the best meal of my life was experiencing the Menu Decouverte at L'atelier De Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

Napa - Day 6 (The Final Day)

When I called to make a reservation at Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards in St. Helena this past June for this trip, I was informed we'd be visiting on one of their special "barrel luncheon" days at which we'd get to sample various wines straight from the barrel and enjoy a traditional Mexican lunch, plus the usual other tasting/tour benefits. Sounds fun, right? And, all for $25.00? This sounded a little too good!


On Friday, July 9, our last day in Napa, we headed up to the ACV vineyard, which is situated about 15 minutes off Highway 29. It's a windy, but lovely drive off the highway, with small rolling hills and vineyards. Ronene Anderson, ops director, welcomed us and introduced us to the assistant winemaker Ennio (sp?), who showed us to a few wines to enjoy while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. While exploring the caves, we encountered Todd Anderson, Ronene's husband and owner/founder of Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards.


After tasting a few different vintages and varietals directly from barrels with Todd, Ennio informed us that lunch was ready. We headed out to the wine cave patio along with the four other folks to what would become an absolutely unforgettable experience...


Lucky for us, the four other people were Todd's friends, so he pulled out some wines we may not have otherwise gotten to taste. While I would have been stoked to simply enjoy Anderson's flagship Eloge and Right Bank blends, in addition to a their Cabs, Todd also brought out a few "cult wines." Huh? Cult wines? This sounded interesting.


I'd never heard of "cult wines" before visiting ACVV. Apparently, cult wines are wines typically characterized by very limited production and a really high price tag (if not at retail, then in the secondary market). Plus, one usually has to pay some absurd amount of money to get on the mailing list or at least wait a ridiculous amount of time (like five years) to even get considered to become a patron. If you want to check this out, look up Screaming Eagle or Harlan Estate.


For a variety of reasons, a few years ago Todd decided to get into the cult wine biz and began producing his private label, Ghost Horse. Interestingly enough, he refuses to this day to submit his wines to be reviewed by the wine media (Wine Enthusiast, etc.), so Ghost Horse has taken on a more genuine meaning of "cult" status, as you seemingly have to be "in-the-know" to have even heard of it.


Now, before I continue, I must interrupt the wine-talk and say the food and the conversation we had at the table over the seven, yes, seven, hours we sat there might just have been the best of the trip. The meal consisted of various home-cooked grilled meats, chiles, green onions, and tortillas, plus fresh guacamole and salsa, etc. The conversation, well, let's say that beyond Todd's very enjoyable, informative perspective on wine and the wine industry, it was politically charged. Me, the (not-so-wealthy) "Tennessee liberal long-haired hippie," along with Brandy, were the minority amongst the (apparently wealthy) California cult wine conservatives, which was quite an interesting (and perhaps backwards) mix. Regardless of our political differences, the energy of the group, the food, and the wine (plus the cigars, moonshine, and Maker's Mark) produced a one-of-a-kind afternoon.


Now, back to the wine. My god, THE WINE! It was undoubtedly the best on the trip. Maybe my mind was clouded (no, not drunk!) from the simple, beautiful food, the views, and the vanilla-laced cigar smoke, but Todd's (unreleased) 2006 Ghost Horse Fantome Cabernet Sauvignon was the best wine I've ever tasted. (Well, as Todd will tell you, the best I've ever had at that moment.) I could not refuse getting a bottle - not after this experience. I had to take some of it with me to enjoy and remember with a few years from now. So, I went completely overboard and bought a bottle, but not one of the fancy standard-issue etched glass bottles (which are cool, too). I asked for one right out of the cardboard box with Todd's handwritten name and year of the wine on the bottle, just like we drank at the table. I think it's one of the coolest things I've ever bought.


And if you take the time to research Todd Anderson and his Ghost Horse label, you'll see a ton of bitching and complaining about his persona and pricing, typical of the anonymous nature of blogs. I am proud to say while Todd and I probably are not the types to ever hang out with one another, Todd's efforts to make us feel "at home" and openness to share his thoughts on wine with us were far beyond anything we'd experienced elsewhere. Without a doubt, I had one of my best food & wine experiences with Todd, and I don't regret my purchase. Eat that, bloggers. (Wait, I'm a blogger...)



Unreleased 2006 Ghost Horse Fantome Cabernet Sauvignon, hand-labeled and signed by Todd Anderson


Oh, and to top that, Todd invited us to dinner at this house, but, regrettably, we had to turn him down. After all of that, we still had our final dinner reservation at Thomas Keller's casual "locals" restaurant, Ad Hoc!


What a great last meal. Ad Hoc features a 4-course prix fixe menu, priced at $49.00. AD Hoc probably deserves a bigger and better review than this, but, simply put, it might just be the best deal in the valley.


Here's the menu for Friday, July 9th:

Every bite was delicious. 5/5 stars!

Napa - Day 5

Began our fifth day at Oxbow Public Market, just off downtown Napa. Oxbox is a collection of artisan food and drink producers similar to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. We started with a refreshing iced tea at Tillerman Tea (wish I'd bought some loose tea leaves) and then made our way over to The Fatted Calf to procure some charcuterie for our "brunch." We picked a selection of smoked ham, proscuitto, salami, and cornichons. We also added house-made beef jerky. To complement our charcuterie, we grabbed a small loaf of crusty sourdough bread. Wish we had a charcuterie shop at home, wow...

Next up today was Vinter's Collective, a small tasting room in downtown Napa featuring "boutique" wine producers too small to offer their own tasting establishments. Can't say I was thrilled with our service there, as it was a a bit pretentious, but the wine was solid. Ended up snagging 2 bottles of 2007 Melka "CJ."

I hoped we'd be able to visit Gustav Thrace, another nearby tasting room, but it was closed each time we checked throughout the early afternoon, so we made our way back over to the Oxbow Wine Merchant and Wine Bar. I had a great 2007 Cab Sauv from a small producer called Maroon Wines at the bar. I wish I would have bought a bottle or two to ship back. It was excellent. They had a few other $25-$40 bottles that looked awesome, as well.

After more wine, we figured a snack was in need, so we grabbed a taco from C Casa. I had a shrimp taco that was quite good, but I must say - $6.50 was too high. I'd rather stick to my $2.00 La Esperanza fish tacos. Wish we had time for a beer - they had Negra Modelo on draft. Only my second time seeing it on tap!

Our winery appointment today was our first in the afternoon. (I was actually getting used to drinking wine starting at 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning.) We made our way up to Franciscan Estates after Oxbow for their Magnificat: Art of the Blend seminar. This was the first that was strictly educational (no scenic views); it focused on the 5 Bordeaux vartietals that go into their flagship wine, Magnificat. We got to try each varietal individually, blend the five varietals into our own custom Bordeaux-style wine, and then compare our blend to the real Magnificat. Lots o' wine and lots o' fun. And lucky us, it ended up being another private experience, as the other group cancelled. Too bad for them, we drank some of their wine....

After all that tasting, we needed more food. I'd heard good things about the Hog Island Oyster Co. in the Oxbow, so we headed back there. It was really expensive, as oysters often are, coming out at about $50+ for 14 oysters, but they were all really excellent. Eight were grilled with fresh tomato and basil. They were certainly the highlight.

Following all that we ate at a little quaint place called The French Laundry. I think that deserves it's own post.

More to follow from our last day...

Napa - Day 4

Started the day off at Bouchon Bakery. Had a lovely Orange Pistachio Brioche. Perhaps a little too much sugar for breakfast for me. Would have been perfect with a cappuccino - hey, why didn't I think of that then???

While we enjoyed our Bouchon Bakery breakfast we walked around in Napa Style, the gift shop started by former Food Network star / chef Michael Chiarello. While walking over, we actually saw Chiarello at the back of his new (and only current) restaurant, Bottega, taking a delivery. Definitely did not expect to see a celebrity chef taking deliveries at 10:30 in the morning!

We soon headed back down Washington St. (the main road in downtown Yountville with all the awesome restaurants) to Bell Wine Cellars. We drink Bell's Bordeaux-style blends often in Knoxville, so we were excited to visit. (Their 2005 and 2006 Claret and 2006 Canterbury Vineyard Syrah are fantastic $25-$30 wines.) Happened to run into a couple of other (former) Knoxvillians in the tasting room (world is always smaller than you think) and then got started on the tour, which turned out to be only us, as the other folks cancelled.

This tour was much more informative and personal than Newton. Our guide was excellent. Got to learn about why the grapes are planted the way (and where) they are, how they are crushed, the differences in the clones, while also leaning about the winemaker, etc. We then got to taste several of Bell's offerings alongside cheese pairings, which was a nice addition. Ended up grabbing a half bottle of the 2006 Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon. Always wanted to try it, but the price stopped me short. Nice to be able to acquire it in a half bottle.

Followed Bell up with a stop at a Pacific Blues Cafe to catch the end of the Germany-Spain game. Again, I think it was bad luck for me to stop and start watching at the end....Germany lost....boooooo.....

In an effort to recover from the loss, we began our search for the La Esperanza taco truck. It has outstanding reviews all over Yelp. After about 15 minutes of de-tours and wrong roads, we found them in a closed auto auction lot. Incredible fish tacos (the best I've had) and awesome carnitas. Also, it was great to have a Mexican coke with their spicy salsa. Search out their blue truck!

Followed the tacos up with a visit to Francis Ford Coppola's Rubicon Estate winery. Amazing property off Highway 29. The view from the highway doesn't do it justice. I'd like to go back another time to take the tour. On the wine...well, I was a little disappointed. I've eyed the Rubicon cabs for a while. Not quite what I hoped for, especially not for the price. Oh well...glad I tried it.

Dinner tonight had us back at Michael Chiarello's Bottega. Unfortunately, reservations were about 1/2 hour behind (the restaurant was packed), but I made that shorter by enjoying a glass of Don Julio 1942, my favorite tequila.

Botegga was fantastic. We shared the following dishes, all of which were excellent.

-Monterey calamari, crisped with Arborio rice flour, aioli nero

-Wood-grilled octopus, olive oil braised potatoes, pickled red onion, salsa verde

-Crispy potato gnocchi, English pea and Tallegio fonduta, spring vegetables, prosciutto crisp

-Grilled "angry" gulf prawns, heirloom tomato steaks, crispy garlic, basil, orange and Calabrian chili dressing, lemon aioli

-2007 Chiarello Family Vineyards Roux Old Vine Petite Sirah

The grilled gulf prawns were the best (especially the juices in the head). I was also impressed with the Chiarello petite sirah. It was one of my favorite wines on the trip. (I subsequently ordered a bottle to be shipped home.) Great prices, too, especially on the wine, for Yountville.