Wine Roundup

Had a great night in Woodinville for two wine release events last night.


Hands down, my favorite Washington red wine comes from Obelisco Estate.  Doug Long, the owner/founder is a genius when it comes to growing grapes and making wine.  He began his career in 1971 in the Napa Valley with his two brothers, and their first winery, David Arthur, was named Winery of the Decade by Wine Spectator in 2000.  Obelisco currently only makes red wine, but Doug is excited to release a Dry Riesling and a Chardonnay in the spring.  If you're looking for a balanced red that goes with just about anything, try the Syrah ($30). The 2009 Obelisco Estate Electrum Cabernet ($65) recently won Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.  It's worth mentioning that all of the grapes are Red Mountain, so you know it's got to be good! (I should mention that I volunteer as a wine pourer at Obelisco, so I might be a bit biased.)


Des Voigne Cellars' release party was complete with Glassy Baby and jewelry from Stella & Dot.  We tasted four wines: San Remo, Solea, The Composer and The Groove. The two that intrigued me were the 100% Malbec, The Composer, and the red blend, The Groove.  In fact, my friend and I bought a case of The Groove to split because it is a GREAT VALUE for a deep, rich red at $16 a bottle.


We stopped by Robert Ramsay Cellars, but the only wine worth mentioning there was a 100% Mourvedre ($35)-- something you don't see much of in the Pacific Northwest -- called Mckinley Springs. It was peppery and earthy like a cab, but it didn't have a long finish like most cabs do.


Finally, we stumbled upon an open release party at Mark Ryan Winery where they were serving Veraci Pizza and two new releases: 2010 Black Love Pinot Noir($52) and 2009 Lonely Heart Cabernet ($80). I'm not certain why Mark Ryan's wine is so expensive, but you can find Washington wines that drink just as good for half the price.

News & Events

The Seattle Food and Wine Experience will be on Sunday, Feb. 26.  It will feature wines from around the world, beer, cider and locally distilled spirits. Twenty chefs will prepare gourmet bites. A few restaurants worth mentioning are Luc, The Coterie Room, Cantinetta and Wild Ginger. Tickets are $49 in advance or $60 cash at the door.

Le Gourmand/Sambar in Ballard is closing this summer. I’ve never eaten here, but I’ve always wanted to try it, especially Sambar. A friend of mine celebrated her husband’s birthday here about a month ago and had a wonderful dinner. The only bit of good news about the restaurant closing is that it’s the owner’s decision—not the economy forcing them out.

• There are two new food trucks coming to Seattle: Happy Grillmore will serve burgers and fries in Redmond and Off the Rez will serve Native American fare  in South Lake Union, Fremont and late nights in Capitol Hill.  I’m not thrilled about the name of the truck, and I expect someone or some group to have a field day with the slang.

Top Chef: Seattle???

Huge news for those of us who love Top Chef! If you want to see Top Chef: Seattle, consider giving a little encouragement to the Seattle Film Office. Imagine Tom Colicchio in our fair city.  He's as delicious as the food.

LloydMartin

I first heard of LloydMartin in the February issue of Seattle Magazine, where it got a great review. It’s rare that I venture to Queen Anne for dinner, but a friend of mine was in the area, so I thought what the heck.

Before I moved to here in 2009, I thought all Seattle restaurants were outfitted with stained wooden tables with a votive neatly placed in the center; a wrap around wooden bar; an espresso machine that looked more like a ’57 Chevy than a coffee maker; and some version of Brussels sprouts and nettle on the menu.  After realizing that most restaurants are not at all like that, it was nice walking into LloydMartin and seeing that my idyllic image still exists in Seattle.

While the Brussels sprouts were replaced with roasted carrots and nettles were replaced with black trumpets, the menu was still an eclectic blend of the best produce and meat that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.  We began the meal with hamachi crudo with white grapefruit and meyer lemon. The tartness of the fish made my cheeks pucker, but what surprised me most was the flecks of gray salt on top that gave the dish the texture that it needed. Next, we had the shrimp with chorizo, sherry and plugra (a fancy European-style butter with higher buttermilk content.) It reminded me of what we Cajuns call BBQ shrimp—shrimp roasted in butter and garlic.  I would have liked more than two croutons to sop up the juice at the bottom of the bowl, but it was still tasty.  My favorite dish of the meal was our main course: chicken leg & thigh with roasted carrots, citrus and a medley of mushrooms.  Again, the flecks of salt with the crispy chicken skin had me making sounds of culinary pleasure.  The meat was tender, the carrots were sweet and the mushrooms were mossy deliciousness.  For dessert we had the maple flan, banana and waffle, which was an outstanding, not cloyingly sweet end to the meal.

The wine list is extensive, and the pours by the glass are not that pricey; however, my first glass of Olsen Estate 2008 Red Blend was a stingy pour.  My next glass of Nottola 2010 Dei Colli Senesi Chianti was more generous.  There is also a choice of three Dry Sodas for those who don’t want any alcohol. It’s important to note that there is not a full bar, so if you’re craving a Negroni, you’ll have to go elsewhere.

Overall, the experience was good.  The service was outstanding—our server was knowledgeable, attentive and efficient.  He coursed out the meals perfectly, so I never felt rushed or pressured to choose the next course.  My only issue with LloydMartin is that it’s a bit pricey for such small plates.  We walked out of there with a $90 bill, and I could have eaten at least another small plate to feel wholly full.

Il Corvo

I had the pleasure of eating lunch at Il Corvo, which is located just below Pike Place Market. I'll get to what I love most about this place (the food, duh) in a minute, but I always find it exciting when a bar or restaurant is mostly a secret. In Il Corvo's case, the secret is that it's housed inside Procopio Gelateria.

There are always three dishes for lunch, the only time Il Corvo is open, and when one of the pasta choices runs out, the chef can either nix it from the menu or choose a different type of pasta to serve with the sauce. On the menu the day that I went was the following:

Spaghettoni with Ragu Bianco

Fregola Di Sarda, alla Pescatore

Ravioli with garlic-leek-artichoke filling

The picture is what I chose: Spaghettoni with Ragu Bianco, which is a tasty twist on bolognese sauce without the tomato. Like all of their dishes, mine was cooked to order and the pasta was perfectly al dente. The sauce had so much depth that the meaty/cheesy combination lingered in my tummy after each bite. I've found that many Italian restaurants either over or under serve when it comes to pasta, but Il Corvo's bowlful was the perfect portion for lunch.

The long line that stretched out of the door moved rather quickly, and I learned three things while waiting with the other salivating diners: you cannot take orders to go, you're asked if you'd like a glass of red or white wine for $4 upon checkout, and there are only about 10 tables inside. The good news is that the food is delivered quickly, so tables open up every few minutes.) I had a glass of the red wine, which was perfectly fine for the price. There is also a jug of cold water that patrons can help themselves to for free.

All of the pastas are between $7-$10, so it's easy to walk out of Il Corvo for less than $15 with a full and happy belly.

Welcome to my blog

I’ve tried countless times to start a blog about restaurants that I’ve enjoyed (or didn’t enjoy), but I never had a clear sense of what I wanted to say, which is more than just reviewing restaurants.  Here is my last attempt at pouring my creative juices onto the web in a format that I hope readers will enjoy.

This blog is about two of my passions: food and wine.  Sometimes I’ll post restaurant reviews, other times I might write about an intriguing bottle of wine that I’ve shared with friends.  I’ll also share local events related to food and wine, and I’ll capture photographs when I can.

If you’re in the mood to read about culinary adventures from a girl from New Orleans, transplanted to Seattle, you’re in the right place.