Spanish Wine Dinner

Ya Ya's EuroBistro - Saturday, September 26th, 2009; Chesterfield, MO

After years of traveling to other cities for wine dinners and booze tastings and yum-yums and generally tasty treats, I finally realized that Stinktown might actually have a few establishments that offered similar culinary entertainments. My research over the past six months or so has led us to some wonderful meals as well as some that we'd just as soon never speak of again. This particular dinner came to my attention, through of all places, the Stinkown Post Dispatch. Somewhat skeptical I called the restaurant only to find out that yes ... they were hosting a five-course dinner for $55 per person and miracle of miracles it was going to be held on a Saturday night!!!

Well, split us in half and call us a party of four because this time we're bringing friends!

And of course, being the worry-wart that I am, I promptly began to develop knots in my tummy: what if we'd just convinced Anila and her hubby to join us for a dinner that turned out to be something awful like that night at Soulards; what if they totally hated the meal; what if the restaurant served the wine in the wrong glasses??? My fault ... it would totally be my fault because I've been going on forever about how cool it would be if the four of us could share one of these dinners and if it bombed there would be no one to blame but me since I'd chosen it.

I have Grimace to thank for the over-developed sense of responsibility and the accompanying digestive ulcerations.

Just wanted everyone to understand why I was so anxious for this evening to go well. And it did, but we'll get to that momentarily. First, I'd like to share some really cool pictures of the weather at our house that afternoon about an hour before we left. Or, given the way the Crohn goblin has been this month, you might say that the photos are representative of the turmoil in my intestinal tract - haha!!

Stormy Weather ... where's Billie Holiday when you need her?





The storm didn't end up being nearly as bad as it looked - no cloud rotation thank goodness - but it produced some wicked lightning and thunder and a heavy downpour for about 30 minutes. Two of the neighborhood kids were out playing stick-ball while this unfolded and another child, only about four years old, was driving her motorized kiddie jeep around the cul-de-sac while holding an umbrella over her head. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the sight - on the one hand she presented a really comical image, but on the other hand that umbrella was an electrical conductor that could turn her into baby-shish-ka-bob in a heartbeat. What happened to the days of parents telling their children it's not safe to play outdoors in a thunderstorm, especially with lightning forking across the sky?

Thankfully no one on our street was turned into a Post Toastie by a random lightning strike on this day. Jay and I were able to leave the confines of outer Stinktown and cross the river with light hearts and empty bellies. Anila and Artan were already pulled up to the bar by the time Jay and I arrived, and we quickly joined them. Jay started the evening off with STELLLLLLAAAAA and I opted for a Manhattan. Mmmm, the bartender made a wonderful drink - not flat or flavorless or weak - strong with just a hint of sweetness.

There is one thing about these dinners that annoys me and it's this: they all indicate that there is a reception in the thirty minutes leading up to dinner being served, yet the only reception I've ever seen has been the party at the bar that Jay and I and our friends make. The word reception implies that there may be a free drink in the offing or perhaps a platter of passed yummies - if you're really lucky maybe it will be both; but to arrive in time for the reception only to find there isn't one is as frustrating as walking with a rubber crutch.

After spending some time chatting with our friends, we decided that we should grab a table and were promptly seated by one of the wait staff at a lovely, comfy booth that easily sat all four of us. I asked permission to post a picture of Anila and Artan so everyone can see what a handsome couple they are. Anila and I met at work - we've been in the same department for just over six years - and she is a great co-worker and friend. She and her hubby are originally from Albania and the history geek in me always wants to pepper them with questions about life in the former Soviet Union but then I worry that I'm being too nosy so I don't ask very much. They are also very accomplished and talented cooks; take it from Jay and Bendy, who have been treated to a meal ala' Anila and Artan, these two could open a restaurant and knock your socks off with their culinary and artistic skill. Jay and I are decent cooks, but these two put us to shame - they can cook.



It's Jay and Bendy ... getting ready for a pre-Food and Wine Festival gastronomic test run!



The first wine of the evening was Vina Esmerelda and for all intents and purposes was a Moscato. I found this to be an interesting choice because in our world, Moscato is usually a dessert wine ... not always, mind you, but a lot of the time. It wasn't a bad wine, but because it was being served in the "joker" glass ... read: not Reidel or even a proper flute or Riesling glass ... it didn't have much of an aroma. I didn't find the taste very appealing either, until the first course arrived.

And speaking of the first course, it was just what you might expect for a Spanish wine dinner: Tapas! In the picture way below all this text you will see a plate with four items - from left to right they are: Spanish Flatbread, Caracoles on Tomato Toast; Crab and Chiles; and Cured Ham with Peaches. In regard to the last item the menu indicates peaches but we all agreed that we were served pears rather than peaches, which are pretty much out of season by now.

While I liked the flatbread, I did have to pick out the anchovies and pass them over to Jay. I tried anchovies a long time ago and just didn't care for them - too salty and too hairy. I didn't touch the tomato bread tapas at all because it was loaded with s-car-go and Bendy doesn't do snails. Checking out was was left on my plate I reached for the folded, thinly sliced cucumber stuffed with crab and garnished with a cute little cherry tomato slice. Confidently I popped that whole sucker into my mouth and proceeded to chew. I then felt it was my sworn obligation to warn my tablemates that that crab had been spicy and I did so, while coughing and wheezing and drinking lots of cool water.

They all looked at me like I was a fool ... which I am.

"It's supposed to be spicy - it reads on the menu that it's crab and chiles."

"I guess I forgot. I didn't see any chiles when I picked it up."

Jay points at his plate and says, "That red garnish is a chile slice."

My eyes bugged out of my head and I said, "I thought it was a baby tomato! I ate the whole thing!"

The rest of the table dissolved into laughter. And who can blame them? I swear it was an innocent mistake. For one thing, I don't eat chiles because the Crohn goblin and spicy foods loathe each other and I don't like the aftereffects of their intestinal smackdown. For another, the lighting was a little on the dim side and I really don't see well; I think that mistaking a chile slice for a cherry tomato slice is perfectly reasonable for a woman who can't see past the end of her nose without prescription magnifying glasses. Once I was able to breathe properly I laughed, too; and we all agreed that the tapas was a lovely and unexpectedly amusing start to the meal. It was flavorful and colorful and definitely had us looking forward to the next course.

Our second course was listed as Missouri Aquaculture; this translated to the following: Fresh Water Blue Shrimp, Golden Trout, Heirloom Tomatoes (no chiles?), Late Summer Beans, Saffron, Chiles (I knew it was too good to be true!) and Olive Oil. This was served with a wine called Nora Albarino - a Spanish white wine that pairs really well with seafood. It was on the dry side but I find that as I get older I like that in a white wine.

As for the dish, I had a hard time eating it because the shrimp was still in the shell - it was a generous portion for sure but it didn't take long for Jay and I to decide that I'd better pass on this one or I was likely to end up eating shrimp shells because of the dim lighting. And eating a shell usually leads to disaster the likes of which you do not want to hear about. I really enjoyed the trout - it was light and sweet and a real taste treat. Jay liked this course a lot, especially the giant shrimp which he said was crispity and crunchity with lots of creepy feelers attached for effect.



A little surprise showed up at the table after we had finished the second course. It certainly didn't qualify as a palette cleanser ... I suppose we could call it a reverse amuse bouche. You can't tell from the picture below, and neither can I, but we were each served a skewer that had lightly breaded lamb tongue, lamb balls, and lamb liver.

Yes, I said balls ... as in this lamb was of the male persuasion.

I am not a big lamb eater ... just don't care much for the taste which to my relatively unsophisticated palette has a very strong, pronounced, almost gamey flavor. But I'd promised Jay that I would at least try everything placed before me this evening and so I went ahead and took a nibble of the tongue. It wasn't bad ... almost reminded me a bit of foie gras. Next up ... the balls! These were also surprisingly good; pardon the cliche but they tasted like chicken. And finally, the liver which was dense and heavy and just not to my liking one single bit.

Jay commented that the liver was quite distinct in flavor - something that people would either like or not like ... no middle ground. And in case you were wondering ... he liked the liver just fine as well as the other two "leftover" pieces that we Americans typically don't want anything to do with.



The third course was Ozark Mushrooms: Shiitake & Oyster Varieties with Aged Cows Milk Gouda, Farm Egg, and Smoked Pimenton Essence served with a Sierra Cantabria Rioja. Awwwww, crap! I may have agreed to try everything but I draw the line at mushrooms ... I already swallowed a chile by mistake and I just ate the private parts off a lamb, surely that counts for something? I hate mushrooms ... loathe, despise and abhor them ... never shall they cross my lips.

I will admit that I did enjoy the presentation, however; first the bowl with all the ingredients was placed before us and we were sternly advised not to touch anything because the the soup was on its way. Then our server returned with a tray of small, metal creamer pots and proceeded to pour steaming, mushroom-ey broth into the bowls. I did take a small taste of the broth and found it far too salty and rich for my taste; Jay finished two bowls of soup and pronounced them "so shroomy; so good!"

The wine, for what it's worth was a fruity Spanish red with what seemed to me a medium body; I really enjoyed it and thought it tasted great even without food.

The fourth course was Heritage Pork: Slow Cooked Pork, Heirloom Legumes, Handcrafted Bacon, Spanish Chorizo, and Wilted Greens served with Abadia Retuerta Rivola. By the way, the Stinktown translation for this dish is "Fancy Schmancy Pork and Beans." I took three shots of this one because it contained so much stuff that it was impossible to show it all with one picture.

This was really tasty and a very imaginative take on a traditional American comfort food; I especially enjoyed the chorizo sausage which Jay introduced me to a few years ago - it's spicy, but it's a mild spice and it has great flavor. Jay ended up finishing much of this course for me because it was just a little too rich and heavy for me and my tender tummy. The wine ... the rivola ... was excellent; a deep, dark red with lots of fruit and spice. It was definitely heavier than the previous red but I still liked it quite a bit. For you wine drinkers out there who enjoy big red wines I think you would like this one.

And finally there was the conclusion: Dessert Tapas which included Honey Nougat, Almond Cookies, Blue Cheese, and Raisin Ganache with Sandeman Oloroso Sherry. Jay and I also each ordered a cappuccino and they were fabulous - those almond cookies tasted great after soaking in their cappuccino bath. I don't recall much about the nougat but the ganache was too sweet and lumpy. And I know you guys will think I'm yanking your chains but I actually liked the blue cheese with the sherry the best of everything on my plate. And let me tell you about the sherry ... it was bliss! I'm not usually a fan of sherry ... I prefer tawny port ... but this was lovely. A gorgeous amber color with hints of gold, I thought it tasted like warm honey - smooth and slightly sweet. I would definitely buy a bottle of this to keep in the house ... as soon as space becomes available!

We were among the last guests to leave that night - the chef stopped by to talk with us for a bit; he was especially interested to know our thoughts on the surprise plate of "spare parts." The manager also stopped by to tell us that they were hosting a German Beer Dinner in late October. At first Jay and I were tempted to reserve a spot, but the menu is way too weird and funky for me to enjoy. We are holding out for the dinner Ya Ya's is supposed to host in November that will feature French wines ... we loves us some French wines baby, so as long as Jay doesn't have to work we're going to strap on our feedbags and chow down! We're hopeful that Anila and Artan will want to join us for this next culinary adventure ... I will do my best not to embarrass myself or them by eating garnishes best left undigested.

All I can say is that this is the best wine dinner Jay and I have attended since we went to one that Oceano Bistro hosted back in April. Everything was as good as I hoped it could be - wonderful and attentive service; imaginative and well prepared food; great presentation; and a personable management team. Ya Ya's is on our short list, and that's saying something, especially in Stinktown.