12th Avenue Grill recently unveiled their private label collections of wine. Sommelier Rick Lilley chose several wineries for the 12th Ave bottlings - at first glance, the labels appear the same as those bottles you might purchase at your local wine store but they have a faint "12th" on the background of the label.
We did arrive about 30 minutes early so we parked ourselves at the bar and had one round of cocktails...
A 10 year old Masterson's rye for me...
And a Copper and Denim (Basil Hyden bourbon, Bulleit rye, Balsam amaro, Chinese five spice bitters and Redford bitters) for the Mrs...
And of course, a special menu was created for the wines:
1st course.
Hawaii Farmers Market Salad with Big Island roasted beets, Ho Farms tomatoes & cucumbers, pistachios, charred orange vinaigrette & local produce fresh from the market
paired with
Sauvignon Blanc, Lieu Dit, "12th Ave Grill", Santa Ynez, California 2015
A great concept that Chef Kevin Hanney and staff have been perpetuating is supporting local farmers and ranchers and the first course was all local except the pistachios and olive oil. The herbal notes in the Lieu Dit Sauvignon Blanc complemented the salad nicely.
2nd course
Pan Roasted Fresh U-10 Hokkaido Scallops Kaffir-Kahuku corn puree, Kolea Farms sunchoke chips, house made pancetta & Hau`ula tomato fricassee
paired with
Pinot Gris, Chehalem Winery, "12th Ave Grill Cuvee", Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2016
The scallop was perfectly seared though my favorite part of the dish was those sunchoke chips - like sweet potato chips. The Pinot Blanc also was a perfect partner and probably the best pairing of the evening. A fellow diner with a shellfish had the avocado tempura served in place of the scallop which she thoroughly enjoyed.
3rd course
Free Range Jidori Chicken Breast Ginger, Manoa honey, tarragon & whole grain mustard-marinated hormone-free grilled organic chicken breast, Hamakua mushroom ragout, mashed potatoes & sautéed organic baby spinach
paired with
Chardonnay, Neyers "12th Ave Grill '304'" Sonoma County, California 2016
The Jidori chicken with its crisp skin was great on its own though I think a Chardonnay with a little more age would have worked a little better... though I always enjoy the Neyers 304 Chardonnay. I also had a bottle of Salinia Solera Chardonnay which was multi-vintage - actually the last 6 vintages so it was between a classic still wine and an "orange" wine with sherry-like oxidation on the nose and palate but it worked with the chicken.
4th course
Grilled Pork Chop Marinated 12 oz. pork chop, crispy potato pancake, horseradish crème fraiche & slowbaked chutney stuffed apple
paired with
Pinot Noir, Tyler "12th Ave Grill Cuvee", Santa Barbara, California 2015
I'm not sure how 12th Ave got the pork with the consistency it achieved... it was as tender as the best ribeye steak! And we sampled two different Tyler Pinot Noirs, the 12th Ave bottle and a fellow diner's 2010 single vineyard bottle. Both were superb with the pork!
5th course
Grilled Kim Chee Marinated Hawaii Ranchers Skirt Steak Buttered white taro mash, broccolini & toasted garlic jus
paired with
Rhone Blend, Neyers Sage Canyon, California 2015
The final dish was a perfectly cooked skirt steak that paired nicely with both the Sage Canyon red and my 1995 Williams Selyem Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir.
I still love Chef Hanney's cuisine as much as the first time we sampled it in the old location years ago. It also was a treat as both Chef Hanney and his wife Denise were seated at our intimate table for 12... though I'll admit that we don't visit often enough since Waialae Ave is a little more than a stone's throw from K-Town... but we'll definitely be back.
12th Ave Grill
1120 12th Ave
Honolulu, HI 96829
(808) 732-9469
Mon-Thu: 5:30pm - 9:30pm
Fri-Sat: 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Sun: 5:00pm - 9:00pm
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