2011 Summer Restaurant Week Dayton–Saturday

I love having my own personal bartender!! Starting the evening with a Blueberry Gimlet (based on the great one he had at Meadowlark this week).

Dining tonight at The Firefly Building with friends – so not a restaurant at all tonight. Turns out we will have 11 for “family” dinner…wishing I had called Becky or Karen. Oh well, Ellen will be here…she loves to clean my kitchen.

Tonight’s menu:

Cook’s Illustrated “Best Grilled Chicken”

Blue Cheese Crusted Tomatoes

Cucumber, Tomato and PIneapple Salad with Asian Dressing

Macaroni and Cheese

Grilled zucchini with Citrus Salt

Ooops…can you tell I’m cleaning out the refrigerator of my CSA vegetables?

Oh and some wine…yet to be determined.

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2011 Summer Restaurant Week Dayton–Friday

It is David’s turn to decide on tonight’s restaurant week restaurant…so we trek off to The Winds. It always seems so far away to me…but heck, David drives from Middletown so what do I have to complain about.

Deciding on dinner is a hard choice. The Winds is offering both their regular menu and their restaurant week menu. Our waiter complicates things by pointing out the Figs, Pigs and Goats appetizer. I was momentarily sidetracked from the restaurant week menu by the Game Hen Limoncello but David and I decide to come back next week for that. (Yes, John will once again be traveling the globe – his loss.) We are all adults…we can handle this. We opt to have the restaurant week menu PLUS the FPG appetizer. Figs stuffed with goat cheese wrapped in peppered bacon…SCORE!

In addition to the restaurant week menu, The Winds is offering $5 off all bottle wine sales during restaurant week with the purchase of a restaurant week dinner. Our first bottle is the Chateau Les Terrasses de Bouey 2009 Bordeaux which was very enjoyable. Our second bottle was the Mustguillo 2008 Mestis, a spanish wine from Bobal, Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot…a little something for everyone. We all agreed that it paired nicely with each of our entrees.

And we got a little sampling of everything tonight. David had the Gazpacho with Crabmeat Couton, Seared Wild Salmon with Lapsang Souchong Team with Sunonomo, and the Blackberry Roll Cake Cake for dessert. John had the Gazpacho, Ohio City Cheese Ravioli with Salsa Cruda and Eggplant Crouton, and Berry Soup with Raspberry Sorbet with Fresh Berries. I had the Grilled Skewered Artichoke Hearts with Romesco and Chorizo Vinaigrette, Grilled Sirloin with Salsa Verde and Creamed Corn (OMG), and Winds Donuts with Vanilla Cherry Compote (think beignets)…John and David shared my leftover steak.

This has been an excellent restaurant week!

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2011 Summer Restaurant Week Dayton–Thursday

Restaurant week is not complete without a trip to Meadowlark. This is their first restaurant week  at the new location. Meadowlark, like Savona, is only offering the special menu…no ordering off of the regular menu this week. Don’t let that scare you as you won’t be disappointed. For $25.11, you get four (4) courses and a choice from four (4) different entrees.

The new location offers a full bar. While waiting for our table, Linda and I ordered the special Watermelon Punch. A refreshing beverage that is guaranteed to sneak up on you if you fall into the trap of drinking it like water. David and John had the Blueberry Gimlet…which John is going to attempt to recreate for me at home…it was so good! Paul opted for a simple Watershed Gin and Tonic.

The first course offered is the Portabello Fries with Garlic Mayo. Definitely a favorite of the table. The second course is the battle of the corn: two of us chose the Fresh Corn Cakes with Red Pepper Cream while the other three chose the Fresh Corn Bisque with Crabmeat. While I didn’t get to taste the Corn Bisque, let me just say one word…BACON. the Corn Cakes were topped with bacon…why would you order anything else. Entrees were the next course and as I mentioned, diners could chose from four choices:

• Tomato-Quinoa Chile Relleno Pinto Bean Succotash, Guajillo Chile Sauce
• Sauteed Fresh Fish Summer Vegetables au Pistou
• Grilled Pork Chop House-made Cherry Mostarda, Polenta
• Grilled Duck Leg Spanish Garlic Potatoes

Our table ordered two (2) Grilled Duck Leg, two (2) Grilled Pork Chop, and a Tomato-Quiona Chile Relleno. Personally, the duck was my favorite.

Finally, it is time for dessert and there are three to choose from: Goat Cheese Cream Cake with Fresh Cherries and Red Wine Caramel or Crepes with Warm Chocolate Sauce and Chocolate Ganache or Profiterole with Peach Ice Cream and Raspberry Sauce. Our table ordered three (3) Goat Cheese Cream Cake, one (1) Crepe, and one (1) Profiterole.  The Goat Cheese Cream Cake was delicious and rich but not overwhelming. I’m still not really sure what Goat Cheese Cream Cake is but don’t be scared off by it. Definitely YUM!

Our wines tonight were the Taburno Falaghina (Italian White) and Martha’s recommendation of the Dumaine de Pajot (four grapes – a French White).  Definitely worth a try!

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2011 Summer Restaurant Week Dayton–Wednesday

Coco’s was our restaurant of choice Wednesday. John joined David and I. Ashley took great care of us and highly recommended the Barbera on the wine list which was very nice. Funny thing about this meal is that we each had the exact same thing. Well, John and I shared our meal…so David had none of my leftovers tonight.

More blueberries were on the menu with the Local blueberries served on mesclun greens topped with whipped Brie cheese, Captain Morgan spiced cashews and house blueberry balsamic vinaigrette. If you have had whipped brie cheese…you really need to try it. Our entrée was the Char-grilled 4oz center cut with BBQ spice, melted bleu cheese, drizzled with a Worcestershire syrup and cabernet reduction and tobacco onions, served with a chive potato cake. And who could resist the House made Chocolate Mousse Cake.

As always, a delicious meal!

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2011 Summer Restaurant Week Dayton –Tuesday

Everyone needs a friend who is a human garbage disposal. I’m lucky enough to have one! When John and I eat out, we will typically share a meal. The advantage is that it allows us to also enjoy an appetizer, salad, and/or dessert which we wouldn’t be able to do if we each ate a full meal. Unfortunately, John travels a lot…leaving me faced with having to eat an entire meal myself…or have lunch with David. Now what you need to know about David is that he is younger and has a metabolism that I would kill for. David can share and appetizer, eat his salad, and entrée, and still share dessert. And he still has room to finish what is left of my meal.

That was never more evident than Tuesday night at The Oakwood Club. BTW, this was David’s first visit to the Dayton landmark. We each ordered from the Restaurant Week menu. We each started with the Garden Salad with Oakwood Club House Dressing and dry blue cheese crumbles. For some reason, I had never had the House Dressing. Not sure how I missed that but YUM and you definitely want to order it “dry” – which means with the dry blue cheese crumbles.David ordered the pan-seared pork tenderloin medallions served over toasted almond rice with fresh peach chutney. I’m assuming he enjoyed it because he ate it all. I ordered the Char-Broiled Salmon with a Sundried Tomato- Artichoke Crust served over Angel Hair Pasta complemented with a basil beurre blanc sauce. This is where David comes in. I swear they served me a 12 ounce portion of salmon…this thing was HUGE. The sundried tomato-archichoke crust was fabulous and the basil beurre blanc sauce was very nice. Probably could have used more of the sauce for the pasta because it didn’t seem to have anything on it. This is where David comes in…he finished my salmon…isn’t that what good friends are for? We each finished the meail with the Fresh Blueberry Crisp. A spectacular ending…and, yes, I ate all of the crisp myself.

Wednesday Night – Coco’s

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2011 Summer Restaurant Week Dayton – Monday

As part of full disclosure, readers need to know that I have a love/hate relationship with restaurant week. I love it because some restaurants do very creative things. I hate it because people who don’t normally dine out are in restaurants seeking “deals.”

Just before I left work, I checked the list of participating restaurants…I so didn’t want to go home and prepare something for myself. In the fine print, I found that Savona, which is not normally open on Mondays, was open tonight. It occurs to me that maybe they won’t be as crowded if people aren’t expecting them to be open. Adding to Savona’s troubles is that the City of Centerville has major construction going on and you can only reach them if you are south-bound on South Main Street. This all works to MY advantage…and it is all about me.

Savona is only offering a restaurant week menu for $20.11 with an option to chose from 2 additional entrees for $25.11. First course is a salad or onion soup. The Onion Soup was my choice and was very nice. Entrees included Trout with Israeli Cous Cous with spinach and a tomato vinaigrette; Beef Tips with Mashed Potatoes; and something else. The upgrades were a Blackened Salmon or Prime Rib. I chose the Trout while my dinner companion chose the Beef Tips. I WIN!! We both agreed the trout was spectacular! Dessert was a choice of Gelato or a Fresh Berry Shortcake. We both enjoyed the shortcake.

In addition, Savona offered a La Playa Sauvignon Blanc for $4 per glass. It was a nice accompaniment to the meal.

Great start to restaurant week.

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 3 - Winery 6 : Truett-Hurst

Truett-Hurst wasn't on anyone's radar until we had the Zinfandel with dinner Saturday night at Dry Creek Kitchen. After 3 bottles of the Zinfandel, we added Truett-Hurst to our day.

T-H was a great last stop! There was a great local band, lots of wine and food. Okay, I can't find my wine list from that stop so I'm winging it.

T-H was doing a barrel tasting and there was a very nice wine sorbet/ice cream. I think we sent a case home so be very nice to me. :) Of course, the barrel wine won't be bottled until sometime in November/December.

Truett-Hurst was a great place to unwind at the end of a long wine tasting day.

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 3 - Winery 5 : Talty Vineyards and Winery

I had never heard of Talty but two things stood out to me when reading the Passport Brochure...ZINFANDEL and Cherry-Chipotle Lamb Tacos. OMG!! I would go back for the lamb tacos alone!!!

2007 Zinfandel - Dwight Family Vineyard

2007 MacLaren Wine Co. Syrah - Unti Vineyard

2007 Zinfandel - Filice Connolly Vineyard

2006 Zinfandel - Felice Connolly Vineyard

2006 Estate Zinfandel - William Talty Vineyard

2007 Estate Zinfandel - William Talty Vineyard

When we started this adventure, Steve A was NOT a fan of Zinfandel. He changed his tune in Dry Creek!!!

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 3 - Winery 4 : David Caffaro

David Caffaro was doing a Marti Gras theme...we wanted beads.

2009 Sauvignon Blanc
100% Dry Creek

2009 Fresco Rose (Dry Creek)
40% Petite Sirah / 40% Grenache / 20% Sauvignon Blanc

2006 Escuro (Sonoma County)
36% Cabernet Sauvignon / 30% Tannat / 20% Petit Sirah / 14% Petit Verdot

2006 Petite Sirah (North Coast)
30% Dry Creek / 30% Russian River / 40% Lake County

2006 "My Zin" (Sonoma County)
77% Zinfandel / 13% Petite Sirah / 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Zinfandel (Estate Grown)
83% Zinfandel / 17% Cabernet

2007 Block 4 (Estate Grown Field Blend)
50% Zinfandel / 25% Petite Sirah / 5% Peloursin / 5% Carignan / 10% Other varieties

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Dry Creek

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 3 - Winery 3 : Ferrari-Carano

Ferrari-Carano has some of the most beautiful gardens in Dry Creek. They also make wonderful wine and provided some great food pairings. Recipes are available at Ferrari-Carano.

~ In the Tank Room ~
2009 Fume Blanc, Sonoma County
Fresh Pear with Prosciuotto & Mint
Why would anyone use melon???

~ In the First Barrel Room ~
2007 Tre Terre Chardonnay, Russian River
Shrimp BLT

~ In the Second Barrel Room ~
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
Pulled Pork Slider with Cole Slaw

~ In the French Underground Cellar ~
2005 PreVail West Face, Alexander Valley (Cabernet Sauvignon / Syrah Blend)
Grilled Flank Steak & Portobello Mushroom Sandwich

2008 Eldorado Noir, Black Muscat Dessert Wine
Eldorado Noir Macerated Cherry & Chocolate Cupcake

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 3 - Winery 2: Fritz

I had put Fritz on my list because I had a nice Fritz Zinfandel at Rue Dumaine one night. However, Fritz gets the Upsell Award for the weekend. We were just going to get a couple of bottles and we ended up with a case. Bob changed my mind with his "special offer."

We also discovered Salt Side Down Chocolates. The chocolate truffle was topped with a dash of salt. You eat the truffle by placing the salt side down on your tongue. A great party game!

Travel Around the World at Fritz Underground Winery!

Hola! Bienvenidos a Mexico!
Fritz 2009 Estate Sauvignon Blanc
Fritz 2009 Estate Rose
Smoked Chicken Quesadilla with mango compote

Bonjour! Bienvenue en France!
Fritz 2007 Russian River Reserve Pinot Noir
Brie and Fig Jam Tartlet with Camelized Onions

Hey Y'all! Welcome to the US of A!
Fritz 2006 Estate Zinfandel
Mini Pulled Pork Sandwich with apple cabbage slaw

Que pasa? Bienvenido a Argentina!
Fritz 2006 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Tri-tip skewers with smoked salt and horseradish cream


Hallo! Welcom in Belgle!
Fritz 2007 Estate Late Harvest Zinfandel
Dark Chocolate Truffles with Fleur de sel

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 3 - Winery 1: Frick

We started the second day at Frick Winery. This winery made the list because of the interesting varietals. One of the women working the weekend has a sister who works at the University of Dayton. It is a small world.

The food at Frick was provided by Foodwishes.com. The wine and food pairings were very good!

Grenache Blanc, Dry Creek Valley, Estate, Owl Hill Vineyard
Viognier, Dry Creek Valley, Estate, Gannon Vineyard
Caribbean Crunch, Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Fresh Mango on a Plantain Chip

Cinsaut Rose, Dry Creek Valley
Cambozola Cheese on Fig Bread with Fresh Strawberries

Counoise, Dry Creek Valley, Estate, Owl Hill Vineyard
Grenache, Dry Creek Valley, Conley Vineyard
Saigon Sub - Banh mi - 9-Spice Grilled Pork, Carrots, Daikon, Sweet Chili Mayonnaise and Asian BBQ Drizzle

Carignane, Mendocino County - Old Vines
C2 North Coast Red Rhone Blend
Reuben Nachos - Pastrami, Cave-Aged Gruyere, Savoy Cabbage & Russian Dressing on a Rye Corn Chip

Syrah, Dry Creek Valley, Estate, Owl Hill Vineyard
Cotes-Du-Dry Creek Red Rhone Blend

Calabrian Crostini (Nduja) Spicy Salame Spread from Boccalone Salumeria with Candied Fennel Roo

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 2: The Birthday Dinner

Rodney and I hosted our a birthday dinner at Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen. What a spectacular meal!!

FIRST COURSE

Local Sonoma County Greens
Shaved Baby Carrots, Pecorino Grand Cru, Zinfandel Cream

Baby Spinach Salad
Poached Puma Springs Egg, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Black Truffle Vinaigrette

Hawaiian Ahi Tuna Carpaccio
Horseradish Creme Fraiche, Mustard Blossoms, Black Hawaiian Sea Salt

SECOND COURSE

Wild Mushroom Veloute
Thyme and Coriander Flan, Black Garlic Paste, Warm Brioche

Dungeness Crab
Avocado Mousseline, Meyer Lemon Gelee, Pickled Fresno Peppers

House Made + Local Charcuterie Platter
Assorted Local Mustards, Marinated Olives, Petit Cornichons

MAIN COURSE

Brown Butter Roasted Alaskan Halibut
Jardinere of Local Baby Vegetables, Artichoke Barigoule, Nicoise Olive

Slow Cooked Guinea Hen
English Pea Mousseline, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Pinot Noir Migonette

Duo of American Duroc Pork: Pan Roasted Loin + Slow Cooked Belly
Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Pickled Cherries, Sauce Charactiere, Winter Truffle Bearnaise

Peppercorn Crusted 'Eye of the Ribeye'
Wild Mushroom and Oxtail Fondue, Sunchoke Mousseline, Pickled Ramps

DESSERT

Meyer Lemon Napoleon
Crispy Meringue, Lemon Sherbet

Coffee Creme Caramel
Buttermilk Beignets, Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Valrhona Chocolate Budino
Guiness Ice Cream, Salted Caramel Ganache, House Made Pretzels

WINES

Russian Hill Viognier (3 bottles)
Trois Sauvignon Blanc (1 bottle)
Walter Hansel Pinot Noir (3 bottles)
Truett-Hurst Zinfandel (3 bottles)

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 2 - Winery 5: Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs

Okay, I have to admit that by this point I was pretty worn out. I can't even find the list of wines that we tasted. And I'm sure I didn't have any food because I was trying to save myself for dinner.

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 2 - Winery 4: Mauritson Wines

This was our first visit to Mauritson. I have to admit by the time I got here, I couldn't face eating any food but found some very enjoyable wines. In addition, we enjoyed a little respite sitting in the adirondack chairs on the lawn.

Wine and Food Pairings:

• 2008 Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley
  Panko and Sesame Crusted Wild Shrimp
• 2007 Rockpile Zinfandel, Rockpile Ridge Vineyard (Wine Enthusiast 90 Points)
  Zinfandel Braised Short Rib Sliders from Painted Hills Natural Beef
• 2007 Rockpile "Buck Pasture" Red Wine
  Bittersweet Chocolate Caramel Tartlets

And the 2007 Rockpile Syrah, Madrone Spring Vineyard was being poured in the tasting room.

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 2 - Winery 3: A. Rafanelli

Okay, so the third winery on the list is another of our favorites. A. Rafanelli Winery is a very small family owned winery specializing in Dry Creek Zinfandel. As we expected, the place was overrun with passport participants. And I can't even begin to describe how much food there was...it was insanely crazy. Food standout include the estate grown olives (you only got one) and the chocolates...which of course pair nicely with the Zinfandel, Cabernet, and Merlot we tasted.

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 2 - Winery 2: Lambert Bridge

John and I learned about Lambert Bridge from our friends Randy and Debbie who live in Oakland, CA. Lambert Bridge is another one of those great finds that we stumbled across. Of course, we joined their wine club too!

The passport weekend tasting included:

• 2008 Bevill Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley
• Panko Encrusted Deep Fried Oysters Shooter with a Spicy Remolode
• 2007 Forchini Vineyard Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
  Pulled Pork Slider Topped with a Tangy Coleslaw and BBQ Sauce
• 2006 Merlot, Sonoma County
  Indian Spiced Lamb Sliders with Yogurt Harissa Sauce

John and I snuck down to the VIP area (since we couldn't take 10 other people with us) to taste the 2008 Bevill Vineyard Viognier paired with Raw Oysters. Oh my!

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Dry Creek Passport Weekend - Day 2 - Winery 1: Mill Creek

Dry Creek Valley Passport Weekend features over 40 Dry Creek wineries. The weekend includes wine, food, music, and barrel tastings.

The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley™ celebrated Passport to Dry Creek Valley's™ 20th Anniversary this year! Dry Creek Valley went all out for an exclusive weekend of new wine releases, a bounty of food from local chefs as well as live music and much, much more. 46 wineries in picturesque Dry Creek Valley come together only once a year to celebrate their amazing wines paired with mouthwatering cuisine. We had the opportunity to meet the winemakers and mingle with the top-chefs from Sonoma County's world-famous restaurants. Wineries went with entertainment, belly dancers, circus troupes, live music and much more. This was not your typical wine tasting event. Mill Creek Winery was our starting location for the weekend.

John and I first found Mill Creek thanks to a Wall Street Journal article on small, unknown Zinfandel wine makers. We were impressed on our first visit and not only bought the Zin but we bought a little of everything. Oh, and of course, we joined their wine club.

I can't say enough about the friendliness of the people we met at Mill Creek. Bruce and his team were extremely helpful before we even arrived helping me ensure that I was able to buy tickets early as a wine club member. Dan was great fun to talk with as we waited for the event to begin. The Mill Creek theme was the Hollywood After Party.

We tasted the 2008 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, 2007 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, 2005 Estate Merlot, 2006 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, 2004 AV Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Left of Starboard (Port), and the 2005 Reflections Meritage. The wines were paired with Grilled Lamb, Scalloped Potatoes, and Hollywood Spinach Salad. The "port" was paired with Raspberry Chocolate crepes.

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