Sushi in Stinktown - We Have a Winner!!!

After what has felt like an eternity, Jay and I finally found a decent sushi place not very far from our homestead on the outer fringes of Stinktown. Kitaro Bistro of Japan has been in business for at least a year but for some reason we never dined there - probably because of our snooty bias against purveyors of sushi in Stinktown, most of whom just can't compare with the fishie culinary joys we've experienced in Florida. The restaurant has a sushi bar as well as a main dining room and a hibachi area. They also have an extensive bar menu with a nice selection of sakes, which we will no doubt have to sample when we pay them another visit.

Honestly, we didn't know whether to laugh or cry when we first entered the restaurant - the hostess asked us if we were there for the all-you-can-eat buffet.

BLEH, NO!!!

We're here for sushi and nothing but sushi; seat us at the bar and let us rrrrrevel in the rrrrrrraw and wrrrrrigling fishes that taste so good nobody can eat just one order. It was really kind of sad ... all the patrons there were gorging themselves at the buffet which was mostly fried foods, some of which I'm not even sure were Japanese. Jay and I were the only two people at the sushi bar and apparently the only two people in the entire restaurant ordering sushi. And let me tell you ... we ordered sushi!!

Actually, before we ordered sushi we ordered a drink - a potent and very tasty beverage called the Volcano for Two. For the bargain price of $13 we were served a huge bowl filled with light rum, dark rum, triple sec, pineapple & orange juices, Meyers dark rum, Creme de Almond, and a splash of Flaming Bacardi. It's hard to tell from the pictures I took, but the shot of rum was ON FIYAH!!!

We loved this drink - it was potent and tasty and so much fun to share, especially with straws that were something like two feet long.





Once the alcohol was taken care of, we placed the first of our two sushi orders. In the picture below there is salmon, tuna, and hamachi nigiri, a spicy tuna roll (four pieces on either side of the platter near the nigiri), a pink lady roll (four pieces on either side on the back of the platter), and a rainbow roll.

The Spicy Tuna Roll included tuna, cucumber, green onion, mayo, smelt roe, and spicy sauce. It was very good and not nearly as spicy as I thought it was going to be. The Rainbow Roll, which is something we order almost every time we go out for sushi, was a traditional California Roll wrapped with salmon, shrimp, tuna, red snapper, and avocado. While this was tasty, I thought it was actually the weakest entry on the plate; it just didn't wow me like it has when we've tried it at other sushi places. However, the Pink Lady Roll made up for it - the roll was smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, tamago, and black caviar wrapped in soybean nori instead of seaweed. I am a big fan of the soybean wrapper because it's much easier on my tender tummy and we always try to order at least one roll like this when we can. Our only complaint with this particular roll was that it was a bit heavy on the cream cheese, which we though overpowered the rest of the ingredients. The nigiri, by the way, was everything that I hoped it could be and more.

We were so happy with the first batch of fishie goodness that Jay and I decided to place a second order ... cause we're incredible hogs and that's just how we roll. The picture below includes another soybean nori roll - the Yellow Rock, which was crab rolled with crab, smelt roe, scallion, and spicy sauce. This was good, but for some reason this time it was incredibly spicy so I didn't eat much of it - I don't think Jay minded finishing this one on his own. We also ordered two more pieces of tuna nigiri, two pieces of smoked salmon nigiri, and one piece of eel nigiri. The tuna was wonderful - sweet and light - but I didn't like the smoked salmon at all; it was too salty and fishy for me. And while I'm not opposed to eel I don't really like it very much so Jay had that one all to himself as well.

The last item we ordered was all for the hubby because I knew he wanted to try something weird and scary that I wouldn't necessarily enjoy. To that end he chose the King Kong Roll which was soft shell crab, cooked shrimp, asparagus, crab stick, and radish sprouts topped with eel sauce and spicy mayo. He loved this and said it was incredibly tasty. I, of course, didn't try it; my favorite type of sushi remains nigiri and I don't care for rolls that have a lot of sauce ... I am not, and never have been, a sauce kind-of-girl. But for those of you who enjoy some sauciness with your fishies this would be a terrific selection for you.

All in all we felt that Kitaro gave us everything we've been looking for in a local sushi joint - good service, fresh fish, and lots of variety. We definitely plan on dining here again when we start jonesin for the raw fishies again.

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.

Wapango!!!

What's a Wapango, Anyway??? Saturday, September 5th, 2009, Chesterfield, MO

Not surprisingly, it took me a while to warm up to the idea of eating at this establishment. Anything of a South-of-the-Border origin tends to bring out my defensive eating tendencies. Inflammatory Bowel Disease and over-spiced food are not a blend guaranteed to bring digestive happiness for me or the hubba, who has to deal with me while I deal with spicy-butt. But thanks to the very positive reviews from some friends at work and a handy-dandy Restaurant.com gift certificate, Jay and I took the plunge into the world of Wapango, where they do their best to blend the cuisine and cooking styles of Mexico, Cuba, Central and South America in a way that isn't too weird and scary for Midwesterners bred on cow.

According to their menu, which is varied and quite appealing even to a picky Crohn like me, the name Wapango has its roots in the Huapango, a dance that is very popular in many Latin American countries. I'm cool with that as long as dining here doesn't result in my doing the toilet two-step all evening. The restaurant is located in Chesterfield Mall and I think the decor may actually be somewhat bright and lively but I can't say that with any certainty because they dimmed the lights at 3PM to enhance the "mood" according to our server and it really felt like we were sitting in pre-thunderstorm gloom for the remainder of the meal. I'm all for mood lighting when appropriate, but when the interior is so dim that walking outdoors turns daylight into a solar version of the ugly lights then it's too damn dark to eat.

In short, you may want to take a flashlight with you when you dine at Wapango, or perhaps a kerosene lamp.

Once we were seated and placed a drink order, our server quickly returned with some fresh rolls, butter, re-fried black bean spread, and something green that Jay said was similar to chimichuri sauce. The rolls were wonderful - hot and doughy and glistening with a last minute application of garlic oil.



Our beverages arrived shortly after the bread: I ordered a Pearl Plum Vodkarita - pearl plum vodka, triple sec, fresh lime juice, and sweet and sour served up in a sugared rim. It could have been too sweet but ended up being the perfect blend of sweet and tart thanks to the lime juice. Jay ordered a Dos Equis Amber - it was beer, what else can I say?

There was an appetizer option among the many choices on the menu that really grabbed our attention - it sounded like a lot of food but would give us a chance to sample a couple of different items and we loved its name ... The Carnivale! For the bargain price of $16 this awesomely presented treat includes an empanada de queso (a handmade turnover stuffed with a blend of three cheeses); Colombian arepa (white corn cakes topped with shredded pork, black beans, and Mexican crema); red corn chicken taquitos (fresh roasted chicken rolled inside a red corn tortilla with chile-orange mojo, Mexican crema, and pico de gallo); and tortilla crisps. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it?

It was. And wait until you see how they presented it ... Check out the pictures!

We had to take two pictures of it just to give everyone a better idea of how they bring it out to the table. It's so unique I really think it deserves its own theme music ... maybe something along the lines of Tequila or The Girl from Ipanema. In the pictures that follow, you will see the cheesy empanada and the chicken quesadilla, the chicken taquito, the tortilla crisps with cheesy salad sprinkled across them, and the arepa both whole and then split in half.

All of these items were very tasty and included with the selection was some pineapple salsa and even more re-fried bean stuff. My favorite was the cheesy empanada which was stuffed with a lovely, mild, gooey cheese blend in a warm, flaky turnover. I could have made a meal out of these, they were that good. The other selections were also good but some of them had a little too much crema or shredded green stuff and I had to be careful about eating too much of it. Still, everything had great flavor and it was a really fun presentation.

For my entree I ordered the Empanadas de Pollo, Queso, y Puerco (chicken, cheese, and pork) which was served with golden rice, deep fried plantains, and a wee little container of even more black beans (mmmm, the musical fruit). I was too full from the appetizer to eat all of this, so I took care of the cheesy turnover and had our server pack up the rest so Jay could eat it for lunch the next day while he was working.

Jay ordered the Crab and Spinach Enchiladas, crab and spinach rolled inside handmade spinach crepes topped with spicy cream sauce and served with golden rice and South American slaw. Jay said this was one of the best items he's eaten in recent memory - he would order it again and would suggest it to someone else if they asked him for a recommendation.

We were way too stuffed to order dessert, but our server brought out the dessert tray just to test our resolve. I must admit there were some tempting items like chocolate fritters with caramel dipping sauce, but we just couldn't eat another bite. Some day we're going to stop in for happy hour and order drinks, ceviche, and dessert ... not necessarily in that order!

All in all this was a very satisfying and surprising meal - lots of inventiveness and flavor without setting our tongues and tastebuds on fire. Yep, we will definitely be paying Wapango another visit and if they're a chain that happens to be located in your town we suggest you pay them a visit, too.

The American Melting Pot

Provisions Gourmet Market Food & Wine Pairing Series; Tuesday, September 1, 2009

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?

In conclusion, Jay and I give Provisions multiple upraised digits of approval - the evening was fun, informative, tasty, and affordably priced. They are continuing the series but due to our upcoming schedules in the next six weeks we won't be able to attend another one anytime soon. For those of you in the Stinktown area, definitely give Provisions a try whether it's for a tasting event like this one or just to stop in for a sandwich. Their food is really good and they also have a nice selection of wine, beer, spirits, artisan cheese, and tempting pastries. We loves Provisions like Gollum loves the Precious, and we think you will too!

Riedel Wine & Glass Experience - Provisions Gourmet Market

Thursday, August 20th, 2009 ... Wine, Wine, Wine!!!

Wine.

Wine and cheese.

Wine and cheese and Riedel crystal?

Hand over the sign-up sheet, pass the pen, and call me Bartelby the Scrivener.

The Wine and Cheese Place and Provisions Gourmet Market, both under joint ownership, just happen to be two of the most delicious, cheese-mongering, wine-n-spirit purveying, wallet-emptying retailers in all of Stinktown. We loves them so much ... and often wonder why they haven't dared to expand to the far-out suburbs of St. Louis. Surely Jay and I aren't the only two people in St. Charles County who enjoy artisan cheese, fine wine, specialty beer, and glorious scotch???

But I digress ... as usual. The fine folks who operate our favorite money pit were hosting a class led by a representative from Riedel crystal in which participants would discover the effect of using different sized and shaped stemware to serve wine - admire it, sniff it, swirl it, swish it, taste it ... all in the proper glass. And the best part of all - participants get to keep the four-glass tasting set! For $50 per person this sure seemed like a bargain to the hubby and me.

The evening's line-up was as follows:

1) Riedel Vinum XL Sauvignon Blanc Glass with Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc

2) Riedel Vinum XL Montrachet Glass with Matanzas Creek Chardonnay

3) Riedel Vinum XL Pinot Noir Glass with Hartford Court Lands Edge Pinot Noir

4) Riedel Vinum XL Cabernet Glass with Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon

I booked this event in July because space was limited and it sold out in less than a day when they offered it in June. I then most anally wrote it down in both of my calendars and stuck a reminder on the refrigerator so that we wouldn't forget all about it. And then Jay, being the good person that he is, offered to pick up a late night for a co-worker who was leaving on vacation. Unfortunately it was the same night as our wine and glass experience, which Jay had forgotten.

D'OH!

I had to find a date, and quick, otherwise I would turn into a third wheel. My friend Anila and her husband had also booked this event and there's nothing more awkward than two couples who've suddenly become one-and-a-half. Thankfully my plea for an escort did not go unanswered and by the time I left work that evening my drinking buddy was riding shotgun.

How about a hug???


I arrived a little earlier than most participants, feeling the need to explain to the organizers why I would be drinking from eight glasses instead of four. We paid for two people, and by gawd I'm still drinking for two people ... with a little help from my friends! All of the tables had already been arranged and the settings were all in place ... even the wines had been poured so there was nothing left for me to do but stake out a good spot for us to enjoy the event.

Table setting ... note the two empty glasses


We were surprised and pleased to find a basket of freshly sliced bread and a cheese board at the table ... and this was no block of crappy cheese from the grocery store. This was bonafide artisan cheese from Provision's own cheese case (I know because I bought some before leaving for home that evening). The one that we really liked was Basquere from France - it was wonderful. They also provided us with an English Cheddar and a mystery cheese that I think may have been a very buttery, mild Swiss.

As for the tasting, while the overall point was to demonstrate to everyone that Riedel wine glasses are far superior to anything else they may or may not own, the event was actually very informative and a lot of fun. In the above picture you'll see the wines poured into their appropriate glass according to Riedel. The "joker" glass in the front left hand corner was used to demonstrate just how bad a good wine can taste when poured into a generic goblet (like the kind you might get at a wedding reception or work-sponsored holiday event). The plastic cup was a one-time experiment with the first wine we tried and my gawd ... if you think good wine tastes bad in a generic glass it tastes like poison in one of these. But it all served a point - the shape of the glass is responsible for the flow of the wine and as such is also responsible for where the wine touches the various taste zones on the tongue. And the initial point of contact depends on the shape and volume of the glass, the diameter of the rim, its finish - whether it is cut and polished or a rolled edge - and the thickness of the crystal.

I admit that I was skeptical going in to this but I emerged a true believer. The difference in the taste of these wines when poured into the "wrong" glass - even other Riedel glasses - was nothing short of amazing. The chardonnay was buttery smooth with just a hint of pear when I drank some from the Montrachet glass it was originally presented in. But when I poured some into the Sauvignon glass all I could taste was mineral and it was suddenly a very unpleasant wine to drink. As for how it tasted in the joker glass and the plastic cup ... do the words cat piss mean anything to you?

I made Jay try the experiment the next night with some leftover Pinto Grigio that we had chilling in the refrigerator. First he tried it in the Sauvignon glass ... his reaction was "meh; then I made him pour it into the Montrachet glass ... his reaction was "DAMN!"

We have already begun discussing the feasibility of making a traveling case for our glasses so that we can take them with us on vacation. ;-)

If an opportunity to try a tasting like this ever presents itself in your town or city, I highly recommend that you sign up - especially if the glasses are included with the price of admission. This set of four glasses retails between $120 - $150 depending on where you're looking ... we ended up with two of them for $100. A great bargain and an eye-opening evening; we always knew that the glasses were an important part of the wine drinking experience but now we really understand why.

Give it a try at home and see for yourself!

A bad picture of some great cheese!


A bread basket!


Sauvignon Blanc Glass


Montrachet Glass


Pinot Noir Glass


Cabernet Glass