Forgetful!

Or a better word may yet be neglectful. And that is quite an apt description for me and my blog posts. I do apologize (but also admit that I'm not terribly sorry!). I have been a busy girl wandering through Southern Argentina. Almost a full month of hiking around the Southern Patagonian Ice Field has left me tired but sated. For any view whores out there this is one trip not to miss: one stunning site after another. Each one comes with a price though--and I mean physically, not on the pocket book (although a trip to Southern Argentina does not come cheap!).  

 Friends who have been to Argentina in the past few years had warned that the country wasn't a bargain, but  also affirmed that it was still cheaper than U.S. prices. That is no longer the case! (The country has seen rapid inflation and except for wine, hostels, and groceries you can expect to pay more than you would in the U.S. for equivalent services).

Cutting the post short (Sorry!). A long, and updated itinerary post--with comments-- will follow (someday).  In the mean time here are a few snapshots from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.

  

Dada

Apologies for the delay in posting this... I had a late dinner here one night when I was in Buenos Aires in early February.

This place gets a 4* for the great cocktails and super friendly bartenders.
Buenos Aires' hole in the wall Dada can make a mean cocktail. I had a perfect negroni--which was excellent. I also had a vanilla caipirinha which was also good, but a bit sweet for my personal taste. The cocktails don't come cheap (but then, they aren't terribly expensive either).  By U.S. standards the drinks are large and robust. The food is solid, but go for the drinks. The atmosphere is a mix of locals, expats, and tourists, so whoever you are, and whoever you are with, you will fit right in. Expect to wait for a seat.

Ushuaia, Argentina

Greetings from the end of the world!

It is a bit chilly down here after a week in the 100 degree heat of Buenos Aires. But after four days of 38 degree weather (remember: it's still the summer!), I'm adapting--and remembering why I decided to leave cold, cold Colorado! I have officially started cooking for my self and given up (mostly) on going out to eat--at least for now. Ushuaia, it turns out, is a fairly pricey place. A cup of instant coffee goes for $3. A beer is $5. But the fish market has good, local catch for super cheap! I bought 2 large fillets of some sort of small tuna for only 20 pesos--about $5.00. I also got some shucked clams for half that price! As the seas have been too rough for fishing, everything in the place is frozen right now. I keep popping in to see if they have gotten in any cetolla (king crab) but the fish monger says it has been at least 10 days since he's had any. 

View of Ushuaia

And then there's the wine--which is also good, and cheap. Unfortunately the hostel has a no outside alcohol policy. It was flaunted one night, obeyed last night, and will be flaunted again tonight! I am not paying 30 pesos for the worst wine on offer in Argentina (even if it does happen to be wholly drinkable)!

Sea lions on Isla Lobos

Over Budget

I keep trying to stay on budget and it doesn't seem to be working. I can stay on track when it comes to many things--but not when it comes to food!  I had a nice welcome to Buenos Aires lunch today at a place called El Querandi, which also doubles as a tangueria at night. I had planned to eat at La Cava de El Querandi, the posher restaurant's younger sibling--and more casual (aka cheaper!) wine bar--which is located right next door to the tango hall. Needless to say I ended up quite happy with my lunch, even though it was more expensive, and a totally different experience than I had been anticipating. I had a half bottle of 2010 Alfredo Roca Malbec which was big, rich, and quite tasty. And cost a bit over $10 (definitely over priced, but that's what happens when you sit down in the wrong place!). I ate the tagliatelle verde with seafood, which turned out to be quite good. The seafood tasted fresh, which is always a plus, though the tagliatelli were . But once I realized I was  in the wrong place I kept eyeing La Cava through the glass wall at the end of the restaurant. I'll keep you posted if I venture back to the wine bar. But with so many options in Buenos Aires I don't know that I will.

Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is the national drink of Uruguay. Uruguayans don't seem to go anywhere with out their thermoses full of hot water and their mate gourds brimming with yerba--be it to the beach, the park, or work. They even carry their set with them just walking around town.

 Mate is a plant in the holly family. The leaves, and sometimes the twigs, are harvested, dried, and chopped up. Mate is a very herbaceous "tea" and can be bitter if steeped in boiling water. Mate contains more caffeine than tea, but less than coffee.  To prepare mate you steep the leaves in hot (but not boiling) water.

Drinking mate is generally a social affair. A group of friends will gather and share a gourd of mate, refilling the mate gourd from the thermos of hot water. (That doesn't mean you won't find people taking a mate on their own.)

The gourds can be quite beautiful. The  silver straws that go in them often have intricate designs as well. The straws are quite different from a typical plastic straw. They are silver, with a small spoon shaped, sealed bottom that goes into the gourd. They look like a flat tea strainer.

Bar 62

*** (That's the rating! Out of 5)
This is a fun restaurant in hip--if that word can be used in Montevideo--Pocitos, a residential neighborhood of Montevideo that is a short bus ride from the center. If you go to Montevideo, stay in the Pocitos area; this is where the better restaurants and cafes can be found. Plus there's the beach.

The restaurant is welcoming, the service solid and friendly, and the food is good.One thing I'm learning about Uruguayan restaurant etiquette is that you just walk in and sit down where ever you like. You don't have to wait to be seated, just take your pick. (Unless of course it's a reservations type place--but I have yet to see or eat at one of those.) At Bar 62 I started with a Uruguayan rose of Cab Franc that was  very enjoyable. (You'd think it would be easier to find local wines on the menu, but unless you go to a restaurant that specializes in Uruguayan wine, the wine selection tends to favor Argentina.) They serve nice bread (which I presume was made on site) with a mayonnaise accompaniment. I'm learning that instead of butter Uruguayans opt for mayo. Nothing wrong with that when they season it so well. I ate the whole ramequin full! For lunch I had a sesame-coated seared tuna (definitely more cooked than I normally like my tuna, but still pink on the inside). This was served with an avocado, mango, and cherry tomato salad as well as a nice arugula salad. The portion was quite large--and I ate every last bit of it.

Montevideo Market

The General Store Truck

The One Pot Burner

Not only is it cute, it's practical!

Mercado del Puerto

Bienvenido a Montevideo! For my welcome to Uruguay meal I ate lunch at a swanky restaurant in the Mercado del Puerto. I was expecting this Mercado to be more along the lines of the Boqueria in Barcelona. It's not. Here the market consists almost entirely of parrilladas, restaurants specializing in MEAT (welcome to Uruguay!). When I say meat, this is over the top. They have whole racks of sausage, chicken (splayed flat as well as pieces), offal, cuts of beef, pork, lamb, the list goes on... all sitting over charcoal cooking. Each parrillada in the Mercado has a counter where you can sit and watch your meat grilling, or a seating section. There are only a few actual shops in the market, and they consist mostly of Uruguayan chotskies.

 So for lunch I played it safe. I decided I would have a spur-of-the-moment splurge, welcome-to-South America meal. I chose El Palenque which was the nicest looking restaurant in the Mercado and also one of the more crowded. I ordered grilled swordfish and a glass of medio y medio. Medio y medio is the other national drink of Uruguay (after yerba mate). It is half sparkling wine half still. Mine was pretty good and went straight to my head, which is a good thing because the fish was sub-par: a very large piece of swordfish lightly floured and pan fried, swimming in oil, and very overcooked. The zucchini strips sauteed in olive oil with garlic and onion were excellent. All of this for $690 (34.50 @ 20 pesos/U$S) which puts me way over budget for the day (which would be ok if it were at least worth it!). Lesson to self: Do not be tempted by the "nicer" restaurants. If I'm going to splurge on this trip it's going to have to be for a restaurant whose reputation precedes it!

Oregon Truffles?!

That's right, wild Oregon truffles. And you (and I) thought truffles came from France and Italy (and occasionally from Croatia and China). I recently read about the existence of Oregon truffles, and didn't quite know what to think. Then a few weeks later, in Berkeley, I happened upon a sign in Berkeley Bowl (a grocery store with the most incredible fungi selection!) offering Oregon truffles. 

Oregon mushrooms on offer

I needed a Christmas present for someone (my mother!) with a very strong affinity for truffles. So I decided to splurge and get her some tasty tubers. She almost believed that I had given her a stocking full of coal! But really, who keeps coal in a jar of rice?

We prepared them very simply over pasta. And we had so many that for breakfast the next day my mom and I had some tasty scrambled eggs with truffles. (If you know you are opting for the egg dish, keep your truffles in an airtight container with the eggs.) Family consensus decided that French black truffles and white Italian truffles are more aromatic. But for a local counterpart, at a fraction of the price (Italian whites can go for upwards of $1000/lb), these domestic truffles are a very viable--and tasty--alternative.

Oregon whites mixed in with the black? Or Chinese mixed in with those from Oregon? More truffle study required!

Here are two simple ways to serve your truffles: 

Pasta with Shaved Oregon Truffles

Cook egg pappardelle according to instructions to al dente. Once cooked, mix in butter and Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve onto pasta plates. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Shave fresh truffles over the pasta. Serve immediately. 

 

Pairing Suggestions: A nice Burgundy would be perfect. You can also try a Chateauneuf du Pape. (We drank a 2006 Siduri Truett Nolan Pinot and a 2005 Chateauneuf from Domaine de Beaurenard--both drank beautifully, and I especially liked the Beaurenard.)

 

Slow-Cooked Scrambled Eggs with Oregon Truffles
Mix eggs with a drop of table cream and set aside. Over medium heat melt butter in a saute pan. Add chopped green onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute a few minutes until they start smelling cooked. Reduce the heat to very low. Add the eggs and cook very slowly, stirring constantly. As the eggs begin to thicken add the shaved truffles. Serve with toast and butter.

Cooking the Holiday Inn Way

I lucked out at the library book sale! I thought I was pulling out an old Junior League cookbook from the stack of cookbooks. But it's much better than that! I scored Cooking the Holiday Inn Way, from 1962, in excellent condition--for $1.00. This book gives descriptions of each Holiday Inn across the country and lists one to three recipes for each hotel. And these recipes look good! They predate the cooking with Campbell's and jello recipes of the 1970's and assume a certain basic knowledge of cooking techniques. The recipes are seafood heavy (although by no means do they neglect meatier dishes like Brunswick Stew). This is a fun cookbook and I can't wait to try some of Holiday Inn's old recipes.

Peppermint Patty Ice Cream Sandwiches!

These are for chocolate lovers everywhere. If you are lacking the chocolate gene, you may want to steer clear of this recipe!

For these peppermint patty ice cream sandwiches you will need peppermint ice cream and triple chocolate cookies. The ice cream will require 3 days of lead time. The cookies just one day ahead--or get an early start on them. You can follow the link to the ice cream post and you will find the cookie recipe below. These sandwiches are super tasty. The creamy ice cream pairs very well with the over-the-top chocolate cookies. If you are scared of chocolate, this is not the right recipe for you! You could also substitute chai ice cream for the peppermint for a very different spice treat sandwich.

Link to Peppermint Ice Cream
If you froze your ice cream in a baking tray, freeze a separate cookie tray. Use a cookie cutter to cut out ice cream patties from frozen sheet of ice cream. Place patties on the frozen tray and refreeze at once. If your ice cream has been frozen in containers let it warm to a scooping temperature. Line the inside of ramekins with  plastic wrap. Put a scoop of ice cream inside the ramekin and flatten to form a patty. Freeze the ramekins. Take out patties when ready to assemble sandwiches. 


Cookie Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 ounces semisweet chocolate (half of this chopped in chip-sized chunks)
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate (100% chocolate)
1/4 cup cocoa nibs
1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon (125 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Making Cookies
1. In a small bowl, sift both flours, cocoa powder and baking soda together.

2. In a clean, dry bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt half of the semisweet chocolate and the unsweetened coco, then let cool to room temperature. Mix the other half of the chocolate chip-chunks in a bowl with the cocoa nibs.

3. Whip the butter until smooth. Add sugar and continue whipping. Add salt and vanilla then add the egg. Mix to incorporate.

4. Stir in the melted chocolate, then the flour-cocoa mixture. Lastly, mix in the chocolate chunks and nibs.

6. Let the dough firm up at room temperature about 30 minutes.

7. Flatten into a disk, cover in plastic wrap (or a zip lock) and refrigerate at least one hour.

8. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

9. Lay one sheet of plastic wrap down on the counter and place to ball of dough on top. Knead it for a moment or two to soften it to the point where it will allow you to roll it out. Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top of the dough (it should be sandwiched at this point) and roll to about 1/8-1/4 inch thickness.

10. Use a cookie cutter (the same diameter as used for the ice cream) to cut out round cookies to

11. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies take on a slightly dry sheen to the top. They will firm up as they cool.

These cookies will keep for a month or so in an airtight container (depending on the humidity level).

Sandwich Assembly
Once the cookies are fully cooled and the ice cream patties are frozen hard--make a sandwich!! Serve on a plate and cover with chocolate sauce.... Yum!!! You can also assemble these ahead of time and freeze the sandwiches. Or top the cookie with a scoop of ice cream and pour chocolate sauce on top.

Berkeley Farmer's Market

Here are some photos from Berkeley's Sunday Farmer's Market. This market is definitely one worth seeking out. There is an abundance of variety, in both produce as well as prepared foods. If you're in the Bay area check out this market!

Potatoes: We'll have to see how they compare to their Andean counterparts!

California Citrus: They look pretty, but they just don't compare to Louisiana citrus in flavor!

Won't run out any time soon!

Buddha's Hand, the perfect zesting lemon!

Anyone feeling piggy?

Dried fruit: I missed this in Colorado! Colorado has the sun and fruit for this, the state is just missing the entrepreneurs to tackle the job. 

M, La Maudite

Here's a beer I drank a few days ago: Maudite by Canada's Unibroue. It is definitely a bigger, thicker beer than Unibroue's La Fin du Monde (which is my current malted favorite). Maudite is a solid beer that packs a big punch--and at 8% ABV it is even less subtle than being blown over by a passing freight train. That said it has the same addictive quality as La Fin du Monde and it's worth a try. Maudite is an aggressively hopped Belgian-style amber ale that has 22 IBUs. While it's an excellent beer, I prefer La Fin du Monde.

Pairing Suggestions: This will go well with really stinky cheeses. You could also pair it with richly sacuced barbecue. 

Eating Away a Weekend in San Francisco

Hello, San Fransisco!

I don't need an excuse to go eating in the San Francisco Bay area. But around the holidays it's nice to have an unavoidable reason for leaving town. So when I got the invitation for a wedding that would take place  the 17th of December at Jardiniere, one of San Francisco's top restaurants, it didn't take a whole lot of convincing to get me on the plane. What follows is a (not-so-brief) rundown of where I ate and drank, and first impressions. 

My Rating Scale

is based on food. Taking atmosphere and service into account.

* OK

** Pretty good

***Tasty 

****Worth a trip

*****Perfection on a plate

Plates of Food

Tommaso's ****

Tomasso's offers a nice respite from the San Francisco hipster scene. It is a small, old-school Italian-American restaurant. There is no pretension about this place: it is all about the food. We had a very large group and ate dinner family style. (Meaning: I got to try a lot of food!) We started with an antipasto assortment of marinated vegetables (peppers, broccoli, string beans, garbanzo beans, eggplant) which was a nice, light way to start the evening. That said, they were a bit on the boring side compared with what followed. The garlic bread was heavenly. We had the calamari fried as well as sauted in marinara. I have a fried food addiction so naturally I preferred the fried (but both were quite tasty). The marinara sauce had a nice spicy kick to it. The baked fresh Coo-coo clams were delicious in a bath of white wine, olive oil, garlic, red pepper, and herbs. Following the seafood we had cheese ravioli with pesto (yum!) and the spaghetti with pesto. Others tried the meat pastas, but I was too busy eating to ask how these tasted. After pasta came pizza. And they make a super tasty wood-fired pizza. To finish off the meal we had biscotti with amaretto.

Dynamo Donuts ****

This is a whole-in-the-wall donut and coffee shop in the Mission. Blink and you'll walk right past it. (At least I did.) You order outside at the counter and, if you feel like hanging out, you can take your treats inside and have a seat. The open kitchen enables you to watch donuts and other tasty sweets in the making. I had a ginger and orange donut and a well made macciato. They use quality coffee beans and you can taste the difference. The donut had only a small amount of candied ginger in it (the perfect amount as far as I'm concerned) and an orange sugar glaze on top. The staff is super friendly. You'll want to try all the donuts but at $2-3 a piece they add up. All the more reason to keep going back. Or gather some to share with your friends. 

Flour and Water***

I had a fun dinner here with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. This restaurant has gotten a lot of hype in the press, and not all of it is merited. That said, I had an enjoyable dinner and am glad I had an opportunity to try this place for myself. We started with the cured steelhead with marinated beets, meyer lemon, and horseradish. The beets overpowered the fish and I believe they substituted dill for horseradish. In any case, the dominant flavors were beet and dill. I liked the steelhead, but a different dish composition would have highlighted its flavor more. We followed that with the beet chitarra with Dungeness crab and cauliflower. As it's Dungeness season right now we were compelled to try this dish. But being a Gulf Coast girl, I have a bias for Blue crabs (more work, more flavor). The pasta was good, but again, not outstanding. The couple next to us raved about their pasta, so maybe we just picked wrong! The Neapolitan-style pizza margherita was delicious. They used a simple tomato coulis which tasted perfect. We thought there was no way we would be able to eat the whole pizza but somehow we managed to gobble up every last morsel. I think with a few more years of practice their pizza will be awesome (it was pretty tasty). 

Jardiniere (unscored)

This is one beautiful, sexy restaurant, and we had it entirely to ourselves for the wedding ceremony and brunch. I don't know who designed the restaurant and lounge, but I would hire them in a heart beat. It's old school classy meets modern chic, and it works. I am not rating this restaurant because I dined as part of a private party, eating from a preselected menu. 

The service was impeccable. As was the food. The passed hors d'oeuvres included a sea bass ceviche, gougeres (very tasty, very flavorful), spring rolls w/ a dipping sauce (clean and light, a bit boring), and mushroom truffle tartlettes (very tasty, but a bit too much truffle oil). Once seated, I opted for the warm bread salad, which included a salad of predominantly chicory-based greens, roasted artichokes, and a soft cheese (crescenza, but I was told goat--so maybe a goat milk crescenza?). The salad was good, but not wow worthy. The fish dish on the other hand was divinely prepared and supremely conceived. I had been well served on mimosas, and then on wine, so my memory starts to waver at this point. The fish was farm-raised sea bass but I don't remember exactly how it was prepared. It was mighty tasty though! 

The two-tiered wedding cake was gorgeous. The flowers matched the colors and pattern on the bride's dress. The cake itself was a bit on the dry side. But it was served with a divine ice cream and creme anglaise with a hint of orange; the composition won me over.  What a fun, beautiful, and tasty place to have a wedding! I'd love to go back and eat a meal here. 

Pomelo**

A friend and I ate dinner here the day of the wedding. We needed something simple that we could walk to (it was a long day!). Pomelo is a good choice if you are in the neighborhood and don't quite know where to eat.  You won't break the bank and you'll have a satisfying, filling meal. We split the "Ulsan" scallion pancake with scallops and prawns. It was quite good, and would have been even better if we hadn't ordered it without the chiles (my friend can't handle spicy). We each ordered a noodle dish after that. I had "Sanuki," a buckwheat noodle stir fry with prawns, scallops, mushrooms, and bonito flakes. This dish proved a bit overwhelming in contrasting flavors. Sometimes simplicity is just flat out underrated. It was highly edible, but I wouldn't get it again. The "Lanzhou" ordered by my friend consisted of egg noodles stir fried with ginger and scallions and topped with seared (supposedly rare) Ahi. This was a much simpler dish, and I preferred it. But the tuna was over (and thoroughly) cooked. 

La Mar Cebicheria***

This ranking is based purely on the cebiche. I went late (9pm!--it was a slow night) and they said they could handle me as long as I ordered quickly. The service was somewhat spotty, so I don't recommend going during off hours or when they are about to close (we should all know better--and not forget it!). I would recommend going for the cebiche and skipping the rest--including the cocktails! I had one of the worst drinks I've tried in a while, and am wondering why it's even on the menu. (It was the Apocalipto made from Pisco, rye, averno, falernum, and grapefruit bitters. A more apt name for it would be Disaster In a Glass.) But maybe the regular bartender had already gone home. I ordered relatively quickly, and then they brought it all out together, which I had not been expecting. The cebiche mixto of yellowtail, shrimp, and calamari with  pieces of yam (not sweet potato) and Peruvian corn (giant corn kernels) was absolutely delicious. The leche del tigre has a spicy, addictive kick. It was served with fried plantains and yam (not the sweet potato variety). I also had the Causo limena, which came recommended. La Mar's causas are whipped potatos, in this case yellow, with either seafood or vegetables on top. The Limena has Dungeness crab salad on top. It was rather on the bland and boring side. Eating it alongside the spicy cebiche could have created a misleading sense of blandness. In any case, I am tainted by my clear preference for Gulf Blue Crab. (My one lesson of the weekend: Dungeness is overrated. Always opt for Blue crab!) 

How to enjoy this restaurant (and I do believe it can be done, and done well): Go with a group. Order for the table. Try many cebiches. (They offer a cebiche tasting.) And maybe order a few other things to share. Stear clear of the Apocalipto (sound advice for anything with such a name).

Out the Door***

This is the take out restaurant of the large and swanky Slanted Door. It is the perfect place to grab a quickish bite if you are in the Embarcadero and don't want to sit down to a full meal. They have quite a large selection to choose from including noodle dishes, salads, and steamed buns. I ordered the Fresh Vegetarian Spring Rolls--I tried these at Slanted Door a few years ago and had been craving them ever since. They are tasty and made more so by the peanut dipping sauce. That said, they were not as good as I remember (O Memory, thou fond deceiver). The Crispy Vegetarian Imperial Rolls are my new constant craving. (Living in New Orleans has clearly intensified my need and love of fried food.) The rolls were super hot, and full of flavor. They come with lettuce, mint, thin rice noodles, and a dipping sauce. Yum. 

Thirst Quenchers Worth Their Weight

I loved all of the places listed below. If you're in the neighborhood, you can safely drop into any one of them. And if you're not in the neighborhood, I'm sure you're only a short Muni or bus ride away!

 

Blue-Bottle Coffee. This is a chain of coffee shops that actually provide high quality coffee. The coffee is all  roasted less than 48 hours before being served. If there is one near you don't be afraid to wait in the long line! It's worth it. (And if you happen to be at the Embarcadero, here's a hint: There's a secret side window.)

Alembic This is a fun, crowded bar on Haight Street. They can make a mean cocktail. The beer list is expensive so you might as well let the bartender work some mixology magic for you. 

Vesuvio A classic San Francisco saloon right across from City Lights bookstore. Vesuvio offers quirky San Francisco charm at its finest. This drinking spot found fame when Jack Kerouac and other Beat poets comfortably installed themselves around the bar. Take your drinks up the rickety stairs and make yourself at home on the rickety inside balcony. Reasonably priced drinks and a great atmosphere. Perfect for a conversation and some fun. (Make sure to hit City Lights across the street! A true gem of a bookstore and worth a trip to the neighborhood.)

Absinthe A hip San Francisco bar and brasserie, right around the corner from Jardiniere! (How convenient for some post-wedding sipping!) This is a fun, crowded spot with an extensive bar and a solid beer selection. I had a beer (or two?) but in hind sight would opt for a classy cocktail. Definitely a place I'd love to go back to under more sober circumstances!

Enjoy!

Coming Soon: Sunday in Berkeley!

What I was Drinking (a little while ago!)

 Smith Haut Lafitte 2000

 What a tasty--relatively affordable (~$100) --Bordeaux from an excellent vintage!  This wine showed its age while still being youthful (a very agreeable quality). Initially I tasted it following a potent sazerac, and was worried that it had passed its prime or developed a vinegarish quality. But as I ate (and cleared my sazerac-laden palate), the wine opened up and demonstrated a complexity hard to find in more youthful wines. It was also more well-rounded and subdued than the California Cabernets I've been drinking recently (and forever).  The wine was full bodied, yet restrained. I would not hesitate to buy this and let it age another 7-10 years. The 2000 Smith Haut Lafitte definitely equals beauty in a bottle.  

I enjoyed the wine with my parents at Vizard's on Magazine Street. We brought the bottle from home and Vizard's did not charge us corkage.

This wine goes remarkably well with rich seafood dishes. I drank it with a tomato, shrimp, and lump crab meat salad with mayo and a horseradish vinaigrette. (It's already tomato season in New Orleans, so don't think snide thoughts!) Individually and paired with the salad this wine proved quite tasty. Following the salad I had crispy eggplant with crab meat and mushrooms. This dish was pretty rich, and went well with the wine. The eggplant had a powdered sugar component that I found a little overwhelming.

For dessert we all shared a simple creme brulee. The custard was tasty and the burnt sugar topping was neither overly burned nor tasting like propane. Well done.

After dinner, at home, we had Armagnac. My mother opted for the simple Chateau de Laubade  X.O. that showed nice, rich caramel notes. I chose the more complicated 1977 Domaine de Peyrot. My Armagnac may have had more complexity, but it also came with more alcoholic overtones.

On the whole a nice and tasty evening! (Please note the Fleur de Lis on the wine bottle!) So:With a tasty wine, and a tasty dinner, and a playoff game looming, I say: Who Dat?!!