We decided to have an impromptu dinner at The Whole Ox Deli this past weekend... almost a wrong move since the Kakaako Night Market event was held on the same night and parking was HORRENDOUS! I figured that the event didn't start until 6pm and we would be at Whole Ox a little before 5:30pm. Though Night Market patrons still weren't present, vendors were in Kakaako en masse... which means NO PARKING! Anyway, I did find a space several blocks away after dropping the Mrs off with wine and glass bags in tow and she promptly reserved one of the two Pork Shanks for the evening. After the five of us were settled, I uncorked a bottle of the De Meric Catherine de Medici Brut (after the passing of founder Daniel Ginsburg, this tete de cuvee has since been renamed Daniel Ginsburg Louis XVII). From both the 1995 and 1996 vintages, it had loads of baked citrus curd, citrus peel, a touch of ginger and brioche and mineral on the back end with a long finish.
We started with the Mezze Platter with minted fava bean puree, baba ghanoush (smoky roasted eggplant puree) and a mixed olive salad with roasted garlic and warm pita bread.
I also ordered the Porchetta di Testa which rivals ANY house made charcuterie! PERIOD! As good as Chef Kenney's, as good as Chef Cosentino's. Served with crisp pa'i'ai and house made pickles, the perfect balance of savory, sweet, sour, salty and ONO!
The kitchen also comped us a plate of the Trio of Sausages with house made kim chi
We then dove into the Pork Shank - crispy skin on the exterior, fallin' offa da bone succulent meat within
With Johnny Aloha Lucky Potatoes - crisp on the outside, flaky and tender within
And Ma'o Farms Sassy Greens
I also uncorked a 1999 Cecchetto Raboso with dried red cherry, stone and a touch of mineral
Along with a 1994 Breton Borgueil Les Perrierres Cabernet Franc with fleshy orange peel, dried herbs and dried fruit on the nose and a palate that kept evolving throughout the meal from mineral driven to dried herbs to a pleasing balance of acid and fruit. Outstanding!
We also sampled the Roasted Jidori Chicken with crispy skin and succulent meat
And the Pork Chop with Roasted Fennel which was like a succulent ham
Along with a 2003 Dierberg Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir
Finishing with a 2007 Spence Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
While the Mrs and E ended with their usual dessert, the 21 day Dry Aged Burger
While the rest of us ended dinner with a trio of desserts then adjourned to Vino for a nightcap.
Of course, Chef McGee did allow us the luxury of purchasing from his butcher's case so the Mrs purchased the rest of his head cheese which I sampled the next morning along with Boccalone's EXCELLENT house mustard!
Another great meal courtesy of The Whole Ox Deli! The big question is... if you haven't been there, "What's keeping you"?
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