Since the Mrs had a day off in the middle of the week, we decided to sample Vino's Ala Carte specials on hump day. Yes, a 1st for us since we hardly go out on weekdays never mind the middle of the week! So I had her chill two recent purchases; a 2002 Vougeraie Vougeot Clos du Prieure Monopole.
And a 2011 Secret de Grand Bateau
I purchased the former since it was already aged for 11 years and hailed from a primarily red wine region... Auwe! After pouring a glass for the Mrs, I noticed it was a lot darker than an 11 year old chardonnay should be... Sad to say it was cooked! The latter was purchased since it's Sauvignon Blanc grapes were from a 1st Growth property that Chateau Beychevelle decided to bottle on its own (they usually blend said 1st Growth grapes with other vineyards and mix a touch of Semillon in the mix). Luckily, the Secret de Grand Bateau was drinking nicely with loads of mineral but no real pipi du chat.
For this round of Ala Carte, Vino basically brought a mini kitchen right into the dining area with Chef Keith front and center with assistance from Chef John from Hiroshi assisting.
We started with Rock Shrimp Linguini (the dish needed a little more salt though the shrimp were perfectly cooked).
And Wild Mushroom Bruschetta. The "jus" soaked nicely into the bread with all of its mushroomy goodness!
We then moved on to the Kona Maine Lobster with burrata - again, perfectly cooked crustacean!
The Big Island Abalone Crudo - I assumed the Mrs wouldn't care for this dish since the abalone still had "crunch" but wasn't unlike raw geoduck clams.
And the Torched Kampachi on cauliflower puree.
We then moved on to the hot plates including the Braised Short Rib and Ricotta Cheese Ravioli
The Grilled Flat Bread with sous vide Vintage steak
And the Organic Herb Marinated Chicken Skewers (this dish also needed a little more shio).
And since they had a couple of lamb specials remaining, we also sampled those chops.
And the Mrs couldn't leave without her dessert
And I couldn't leave without my requisite Negroni
For a last minute decision, the Mrs did good by securing a mid week table at Vino. Makes the following work day a little more challenging but on this night it was worth it! And as you already know, we'll be back!
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