Over the past year, especially over the past 6 months, Chef Keith of Vino has really been on a tear creating new dishes at Vino. In fact on some evenings, his specials outnumber the usual courses offered at Vino. We've also been on a tear visiting Vino patronizing them for almost 5 or 6 weekends in a row (including weekends that the Mrs works). But hey, if the food's good (and the wine is ALWAYS GOOD), why not?
They've been offering the Fermin Iberico ham recently especially since they purchased a whole ham and when paired with ripe sweet melons and bitter chicory, makes a perfect starter course.
Especially when paired with a wine of Chuck's choosing, on one occasion it was a 2008 Schafer- Frohlich Felseneck which was vinified totally dry like an Alsatian vendange tardive!
On another visit we sampled the Oxtail Risotto with rich beefy flavors throughout those perfectly cooked Arborio grains...
And the Lobster Cake
Both of which would have paired with my last bottle of 2007 Scholium La Severita di Bruto Farina Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. However I uncorked this beauty on a subsequent visit.
During one visit we tried having Chef Keith simply create a pasta dish for us but since it was so busy, he simply used his pesto sauce on linguini instead of the usual trophe pasta. But it was still good... in fact we thought the sauce worked better with the fresh linguini!
Which probably would have paired nicely with this 2012 Meyer-Fonne Alsatian Pinot Blanc. But again, that was uncorked on another visit.
But the Razor Clams sampled that night were out of this world. A little pricey at $16 for five but then again, they're air freighted all the way from Maine. And because they're almost like three clams in one - the siphon end taste like regular clams, the mid body somewhere between a clam and an oyster and the tail end like the best geoduck you've ever had. Especially when cooked with lots of garlic and minced pancetta!
A 1996 Francois Jobard Mersault-Charmes might work...
Or a 2008 Bouchard Beaune de Chateau 1er Cru
But then again, we still have the Sous Vide Tartare complete with quail egg
Along with the Sous Vide "Poke" from the Hiroshi side.
And you need a red like a 1998 Pio Cesare Barbaresco
Or a 2008 Chanin Central Coast Pinot Noir
Especially with the Italian Beef Sandwich with house made giardinera
Or the Short Rib and Foie Gras stuffed Ravioli
Or the Squid Ink Arancini
But then again, sometimes all you need is a good bottle of bubbly. How about my last bottle of Esprit Couture?
I guess we still need a lot of practice since we seem to be uncorking the wrong wines with the wrong dishes. But like the saying goes, "practice makes perfect" so we'll be back... again... and again...
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