If you read our last entry about the Riedel glass experience we had at Provisions towards the end of August you will already know that this place is one of our all-time favorites. I love to go there for lunch - they make a mean tuna salad sandwich and it seems like I can always find an interesting new booze or tasty artisan cheese that I simply must purchase and take home for my lovey.
In an effort to drum up buzz about the catering aspect of the market, Provisions has been offering a series of food and wine pairings throughout the summer and early fall. For the price - $35 per person for five tastings - it can't be beat. This was the first one they offered that worked with our schedules and I called to book it as soon as I found the information on their website because, like many of their events, they sell out quickly.
The theme of this night's dinner was The American Melting Pot - signature items from certain US cities and tasty home-grown US wines to accompany them. We started the evening out with one of my favorite items - Crabby Patties!
First stop: Baltimore - Crab Cake w/Chipotle Aioli served with a 2007 Pinot Gris, Wine by Joe, Willamette Valley, Oregon.
This was a really tasty crab cake - mostly crab, minimal filler, lightly breaded - and I personally appreciated that the aioli was served on the side. Considering that it contained chipotle, the aioli was not too spicy for my delicate palate - it was creamy with a pleasant afterburn and paired really well with the crab. The wine was also very good - clean tasting and mildly fruity.
Second stop: New Orleans - Shrimp Etouffee with a Puff Pastry served with a 2008 Chenin Blanc Viognier, Pine Ridge, California.
This is normally a dish that I avoid due to general spiciness and a mish-mash of ingredients, but I think Provisions' chef did a nice job of ratcheting down the heat. Actually there were some guests who complained that it wasn't spicy enough but that was apparently done on purpose so that more guests might enjoy the dish and the wine it was paired with. The odd thing about this dish was that it wasn't served over rice, so we all received a nice plate of thick etouffee sauce with a generous serving of baby shrimpies. It was flavorful and I did enjoy it, but I would have liked some rice or soft bread to soak up some of that sauce. As for the wine ... it was the only one that I didn't like. For some reason when I swirl and sniff a Chenin Blanc the aroma reminds me of cat pee ... it's super-concentrated pee in a glass and then I've no desire to drink. My olfactory sense is apparently as wonky as the rest of me.
Third stop: San Francisco - Cioppino served with 2006 Primo Rosso, Monte Volpe, North Coast, California.
My least favorite dish of the night, but I have to commend the chef and the market on their generosity. There were clams, shelled oysters, and mussels on everyone's plate along with slightly spicy tomato broth served over warm sourdough bread. Jay had nothing but good things to say about his serving and mine, since he ate them both, and he also was very impressed by the seafood generosity. I will tell you this - the red wine that was served with this course was terrific - a light, fruity red that would make for a great sangria. Many of you may remember that red wine is not my vino of choice but this really was enjoyable and I would buy a bottle some day if I remembered it when I was actually shopping for wine.
Fourth stop: Miami - Cubano Beans and Rice served with 2007 Elizabeth Spencer Grenache, Mendocino County, California.
Another generous portion that was tasty but just not among my favorites of the evening. Too much stuff? Too many beans? Rice a little al dente? A little from each category, thanks for asking. The wine was exceptional - a deep, aromatic red without a hint of tannin or oakiness that Jay and I both really enjoyed.
Fifth stop: New York - New York Style Cheesecake served with Martin & Weyrich Moscato Allegro, Paso Robles, California.
I love plain old cheesecake; when made right it's the perfect creamy blend of sweet cheese with tart lemon. I don't like it served with sauce or anything else ... I just want to savor the deceptively simple joy that is cheesecake. You can imagine my joy when the dessert was delivered with the strawberries and the chocolate sauce on the side! It was a lovely end to the meal - my only complaint was that the cheesecake portion was a little small compared with our other courses and personally I could have eaten at least three more (oinky-oinky-ooo). As for the moscato ... this is one of our favorite dessert wines. It's sweet and smooth and because it's not a sparkling wine doesn't have the bite that sometimes accompanies other moscatos we've tried. And we continue to be amazed by the price charged for this bottle of moscato - we typically find it here in Stinktown for about $12 per bottle. It's a bonafide bargain!!
All in all a very enjoyable way to spend a Tuesday evening and we were home by about 8:30PM, which meant that we had time to make ourselves a warm, warming couple of mugs of alcoholic cappuccino. This isn't a typical thing for Jay and I to do this late in the evening but Provisions was having temperature control issues and we were caught in their Alberta Clipper jet stream - I was one chilled crohn by the time we left and why pay for coffee at Starbucks when we can make our own, better, Kahlua-flavored cuppa Joe at home?
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