This post is dedicated to the guys at 56 Degree Wine. Thank you for the extremely humbling experiences these past three years. 🙂 Forgive the rambling nature of this post, for I’m still fuming, even after waiting a day to write this!
I would like to think that it takes a LOT to make me angry. Manish would beg to differ, but that’s for him to blog about… 😉
I’ll start with this: Most of you know that I LOVE my job at the wine shop. I feel like everyday is an education, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to do something that I am so passionate about. After three years of working at 56, I can confidently say that there is a (small, select) group of people that will actually come to me for advice on pairings. It’s extremely flattering, but more than that, rewarding, as I have customers that are truly willing to experiment with any region or grape varietal and rely on the advice of their favorite wine shop to guide them through a tasting or pairing for a special evening or event. And they usually email me or come back soon to tell me about their experience. This is why I LOVE my job. Now, the RANT.
I was forced (due to time of day) to visit another (eeek!) wine shop yesterday. I needed to condense three stops into one (flowers, cheese, and wine) and they were all available at said wine shop. I respect the owner of this place, so I will spare the name for his sake. BUT… I will definitely email him to let him know of my experience.
I walked in, and ordered my cheese and charcuterie. While I waited for my order to be filled, I browsed the store. A fellow, let’s call him “Dave,” approached me and asked me if I needed help. I thought that a Loire white was in order for my 1st course that evening, so I asked Dave to point me in the direction of where they carry their Sancerre and Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire. He not only looked at me like I had two heads, but corrected my pronunciation of Sancerre and Sauvignon Blanc. I wasn’t annoyed, just humored. I found what I was looking for (a SB from “Quincy” pronounced “CAN-SEE” goodness forbid you are ever tested on French pronunciation) and he immediately shook his head no. He assumed that I would want something with more fruit, less mineral tones. I replied that I enjoy wines from this region and he seemed to have an issue with his eyes just then, because they seemed to roll as though HE was annoyed. Whatever.
**A quick aside… I have heard many times how “intimidating” or “pretentious” wine shops can be. I am usually not in agreement with this thought. However, at this point of my visit to this wine shop, I understood that. Dave was one of those unapproachable WINE SNOBS!**
I was then in search of a wine for courses 2 and 3. I didn’t want to ask Dave where they kept their Burgundy for fear that he would expect me to ask the exact region that I was looking for. I found two wines that intrigued me that were within my budget. A 2005 Monthelie (Pierre Morey) and a 2004 Santenay (Bruno Colin.) I was familiar with white wines from Bruno Colin but never tried the Santenay. Knowing what I know about the 2004 vs 2005 vintages, I was torn between the two. I figured that the 2004 is probably a better wine to open today while the 2005 is a better vintage but not as approachable now. I wasn’t sure of the vintages specific to either region, so I decided to ask the resident expert, giving him a chance to redeem himself. He looked at me, and made a “poo-poo” face at the Monthelie. And then said that the Bruno Colin is much better. I asked why, and he replied “It’s Burgundy… sometimes they get it right, but most of the time, they don’t!” (JB are you reading this?) As I started to ask more details, he walked away from me. I was still standing there, two bottles of wine in my hands. I was in shock.
**Another aside… The minute that one feels THAT disgusted with a job that he starts treating the livelihood of the business (in this case the customer) with such disrespect, he must know to leave, right then and there. Dave may have had the French accent down, he may have known a little bit about what his typical customers want, but he certainly did not get a chance to know me. That is 50% of the sale right there – actually understanding why the customer is shopping that day and getting to know what they like. Who the heck cares what DAVE likes. I am not buying the wine for him!**
I am very disappointed to say that I did still purchase my products, but not before I vowed to speak to the owner of the shop and write nasty post about Dave. My family and friends that I dined with last night heard this story and then asked jokingly if I stormed back into the shop and said “Do YOU know who I AM!!!?? Do YOU know who I WORK for!?” I laughed and said no… But could you imagine? Dave would have been mortified! I wish I was witty enough to come up with a French phrase now that describes what I think of him. Oh well – you get the point!
More on food next time!
The hors d’oeuvres and and drink course was created by Piyush an Jigna. They decided to do a scrumptious trio tasting of eastern flavors. A traditional Chinese pork bun was steamed to perfection while the sweet and savory filling was making me want more. Lucky for me, there were two more items to consume! Bombay Chaat was cleverly stuffed inside a curled Banana Leaf. Such delicate flavors and just the right amount of spice. The third part of the dish was a Vietnamese pork “Slider.” Perfectly spiced (with a little extra Sriracha “shmear” on the plate for those of us that needed more,) these sliders were accompanied by a sweet and tangy slaw and a smoky mayonnaise. They paired a dark aged ale to drink with, and it was perfect. And that was just course ONE!
Manish and I were in charge of the entree this time. We wanted to come up with some sort of creative take on hot dogs and fries. But we only thought up some ridiculous options, and finally became exhausted with those ideas. We still wanted to stick to an American theme, and ultimately decided upon the idea of “New England goes to the Movies.” Yes, quite the corny theme. Here’s what we did… Our take on the Maine Lobster Roll – We made a Lobster Salad which was folded together with some tarragon aioli. We topped the salad with a toasted brioche disk. We served this alongside our version of a classic New England style chowder. Instead of clams, we used Nantucket Bay Scallops. The “popcorn shmear” was the “movies” part of the dish. Manish and I once tasted Wylie Dufresne’s popcorn puree at WD-50. This inspired us to create something similar, and the shmear is our version of it. Quite time consuming but it actually tasted like buttered popcorn in the end! If we do it again though, we will heed to the “best when served warm” theory, as once it cooled down, it lost a bit of its savory quality. We served this dish with a the 2005 Peter Michael Point Rouge Chardonnay. I wanted to serve White Burgundy (you know ME,) but decided to stick with the American theme 🙂
The first course, created by Sejal and Rick, showcased the earthy and spicy tones to what some of our favorite root vegetables pair best with! A perfectly pan grilled “Indian spiced” lamb rib chop was accompanied by a sweet potato and rosemary puree as well as a refreshing carrot soup. Such delicate flavors with an incredibly robust appeal! The colors and flavors of the dish were so vibrant and melded so harmoniously.
The gorgeous plating offered a warm sweet potato cake accompanied by a coffee-caramel sauce, a fennel gelato, a chocolate-ginger gelato, a fennel brittle, and a drizzle of raspberry coulis.
Nantucket Bay Scallops (Sashimi style) with just a drizzle of lime and some snipped chives. This paired magnificently well with the 2007 Gilbert Picq Chablis. The incredibly fresh, sweet scallops offset the zippy acidity and mineral tones of the Chablis. We also had the delicious Pacific Peale Passage oysters along side – creamy and rich with still the briny flavor that you expect with a raw oyster. The brown sauce in the picture is just a little ponzu/soy dipping sauce – but we didn’t need it! (Thanks to Nick at 
The “Soft Boiled then Breaded then Fried” (Blue Hill style) Egg atop truffled barley risotto with the 2000 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja. The earthy tones of the barley and the wine matched 
perfectly. Here are the before and after pictures of the dish… Once you cut into the egg, the soft yolk blends into the base and creates a velvety sauce-like texture to the risotto.
Another egg favorite… Soft egg Raviolis with Truffle Cream. These little pockets of flavor exploded with savory goodness. We first mixed together fresh ricotta with some Parmiggianno Reggianno, some fresh lemon peel, and a light sprinking of sea salt. Placed that in the middle of a fresh pasta round, and then topped the dollop of ricotta mixture with an egg yolk. Top that with another pasta round (carefully,) seal the edges, and voila. Soft egg ravioli! After a very brief simmer in a shallow pan of water, the raviolis were dressed with the truffle cream. This paired with the 
This menu inspired me to create something similar – Indian spiced Lamb Chops with Carrot-Ginger Puree and Spinach simmered in Yogurt and spices.
Speaking of Christmas – my girls gave me my very first Macaron cookbook. As many of you know, I’ve blamed bad recipes, my oven, and lack of time to my inability to create those little Parisian masterpieces. I’ve attempted over a dozen times, and a few of those attempts were successes (perfect macaron “feet” and all!) Now I have no excuse! I will most definitely blog my efforts later this month, as Maya has already asked me to bake her a “Macaron cake” for her 11th birthday. It’s a challenge… so I’ll try it!
I can’t forget the adorable and expertly inventive dessert – Bacon and Eggs. Sous Chef Joe Sparatta removes the top of an organic egg, removing its contents and filling it with brioche french toast. Then he tops that layer with a creamy egg and bacon custard, and a creamy maple foan tops off the egg. On the side of the egg is a strip of bacon and a slice of french toast. It’s even better than it looks in the picture!
Tuna Carpaccio with Sesame Soy Vinaigrette ~ Wine 2007 Summerer Gruner Veltliner
Carrot and Fennel Soup with Seared Scallop ~ Wine 2007 Francois Pinon Vouvray Silex Noir
Breaded, Soft boiled Egg Atop Truffled Lentils ~ Wine 2004 Damilano Barbera d’Alba
Honey and Vinegar Braised Short Ribs with Sunchoke and Celeriac Puree (And Brussel Sprout “Chips”) ~ Wine 2007 Bodegas Mas Alta Els Pics Priorat
t perfect weather… so Manish and I decided to venture to the Green Market at Union Square. Joining us were our daughters, our nephews, and Jigna and Piyush… it was a family affair! We picnicked afterwards – enjoying fresh breads, cheeses, jams, berries, spicy radishes with fresh churned butter, and cold cuts. My most unusual purchase that day was the rainbow assortment of carrots… white, yellow, orange, and purple. Each hue lent itself a unique flavor.
Monday was a lazy day – but we decided to head over to the outlets near the shore (exit 100-ish on the parkway.) By 5pm, the kids were cranky, and Manish and I were about to keel over from hunger pangs. We ventured back to the mysterious Thai restaurant that we visited last year after a family day at the shore. All I remember from last year’s experience was how hungry we were, and how delicious the food tasted. Testing out that theory…. we decided to re-visit. We were seated immediately. I remembered how much I loved the tofu with red curry – so I ordered that again. Seems silly, to order tofu when you are not vegetarian, but I remembered loving it. Delicate yet flavorful, it was the most delicious Thai dish that I had ever tasted. And I have had MANY red curries in my day. And many of you know that I have TRIED to find a more local Thai place that makes an equal or better dish… but have been unsuccessful. Again – it was SUBLIME. Never, will anyone’s tofu with red curry compare to this one. (Oh and Manish and the girls were thrilled with the food as well…)
We started off the evening with the incredible 2005 Gilbert Picq Chablis. A magnum at that! It showcased the perfect balance of fruit, minerality, acidity, and “stony-ness” that you look for in a Chablis. If you are not familiar with the terroir (or the land and geographical surroundings) of where the Chablis region’s grapes are grown, let me enlighten you! The soils in that region are very special. The basin of limestone marl that runs all the way down through the Champagne region, into the Loire, Chablis, and other parts of B
urgundy is known as the Kimmerdgian Trail. All of the soil from these regions contain that limestone clay which is heavy with nutrients of the sea shells and fossils from many, many years ago. The grapes pick up those slate-like tones and the resulting wine is perfectly balanced with a stony minerality and vibrant fruit. Lovely!
With the Picq Chablis, we enjoyed an array of hors d’oeuvres. Asparagus and thin bread sticks wrapped in “truffled” prosciutto di parma; Summer garden bruschetta; Assorted Olives; and something that I never served but intended to… Summer Fruit Gazpacho. More on that later!
We moved onto the 2006 Peter Michael Le Moulin Rouge Pinot Noir. Exquisite – definitely young but contains enough structure and finesse to pair with the next course. I must say that I was a tad intimidated to show this wine. But Manish and I enjoyed it when we first sampled it in CA last year. It was showing 100 times better than our last tasting – and it was perfect with the Ravioli Oeuf with Truffles. With the yolks still on the “softer side,” these raviolis, stuffed with a savory ricotta filling and an egg yolk, were so decadent. The filling had a dash of lemon zest which really brought out the nuances of all of the other components. The truffled butter sauce revealed an earthy note to the entire course. It was so savory, and now one of my favorite stuffed pasta dishes of all time.
