I originally intended on trying Chez Kenzo Bar and Grill after Melissa Chang posted new menu items on the Frolic Hawaii website especially since that pasta with tomatoes and mint served between 5 to 7pm looked so good. However, the Mrs had other ideas on how to spend our Saturday evening... Vino. Because our first visit to Vino was their soft re-opening, the Mrs didn't count that visit and wanted to do our usual Saturday Vino visit. You know what? No argument from me.
So we first had Chuck select a bottle for us, a medium bodied red so he picked a 2009 La Spinetta Ca' Di Pian Barbera d'Asti. I normally wouldn't select a Barbera on my own but La Spinetta selects vineyard sites that let the true expression of Barbera shine.
We then sampled in no particular order several specials of the evening - Chuck originally intended on waiting 1 to 2 months before he let Chef Endo create specials... this lasted all of 2 or 3 days... there were 13 specials last night... We started with the Broccoli Rabe Pizza with boquerones and Hauula tomatoes...
Along with the Crispy Fried Cauliflower with pickled red cabbage...
The Twice Cooked Organic Carrots with scallion pseto truffle aioli...
And the Grilled Octopus with ham hock ragu and Italian butter beans...
And the House Cured Lamb Bacon with cauliflower puree and blueberries...
I also uncorked a 1995 Girardin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Morgeot" with loads of funk on the nose and a great balanced palate with dried red fruit and earth on the palate with a medium finish...
At this point I was gettin' full so i simply had my usual liquid dessert, a properly shaken Negroni...
While the girls sampled the Apple Tarte...
And the Bread Pudding...
And our Vino fix this weekend isn't over yet. Vino is having an "open house" this evening by invitation only so we'll be back in a couple of hours...
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