Wednesday, December 13th 2006
Le Quattro Stelle Di Pinot
Last Wednesday Scott took me out for a great dinner at Pinot in Studio City. He went to school with the executive chef’s sister. When he came over to say hi, he offered to scrap the menus and do a six course tasting. I needed only a second to hand the menu over drooling. When he suggested his Sommelier pair each course with a glass of wine there was a stirring in my groin.
Our first course was a tuna tartar and a domestic Pinot Grigio. It was over a bed of shaved hard boiled egg, a brilliant idea! Garnished with a tapenade drizzle and capers the textures were more than complementary - they harmonized like a choir! Next came the seared sea scallops over a puree of cauliflower and golden raisins with a domestic Chardonnay by Au Bon Climat. There was a sauce, but this course and I think two more, were delivered by a runner who didn’t quite know all of the components so Scott and I were left guessing.
I forget the makers and locations of the wines, not because I was drunk but because it was quite a while ago. I really wanted to get the food right! My memory is only so big, something had to give. I do know that they were all domestic and I can also recall varietals so I suppose that is better than nothing.
Next was a Monkfish over a pumpkin puree. This is one of my most beloved fish dishes; you don’t see it enough. Imagine the texture of lobster tail, but denser and firmer; requiring you to use that little knife with a hook on top. Chunks of roasted root vegetables and a glass of Merlot completed the third course. I thought this wine was a bit much for the vibe of the monkish. Wild Boar and chestnut gnocchi was next. Now this was the other course that had the unannounced sauce but again, no sweat. The boar was slow cooked and shredded and the gnocchi were cooked to perfection. They were coated with just enough of the mystery sauce. The Pinot we were given was just bright enough to shine through the richness of the pasta and meat.
When we were reaching capacity the largest plate arrived. It was venison with bacon braised chard and chanterelle mushrooms. I do know that the Alexander Valley Cab was just the wine for this big boy. I usually find venison to be gamey and a bit chewy. Not this time - this was by far the best I have ever had. To finally finish, we had bread pudding and a chocolate souffle like cake. A tawny Port and a Muscat was what our man in charge thought would work best, I was right with him on the Port.
Oh. My. God. I thought food porn was merely visual, but your descriptions are sinful!
I have a stupid question, though — when eating food with such different and distinct flavors (and especially paired with different wines both red and white), do you not normally need palate cleansers? Or is that a myth? It also sounds like you started with relatively “lighter” tasting wines and ended with heavier, richer wines, is that right?
Thanks for the luscious report. I need a cigarette… or maybe a glass of Port…
It’s official. My stomach gets hard-ons when I read you.
It is always a good idea but not always time or economically efficient. Usually if you start with a light course and work your way up then all should be OK.
We used to serve sorbet as a way to cleanse the palate for the next course at aquitaine. Often times though it was to keep them occupied while we find their lost ticket or try to buy some time because we burned the salmon.
*laughs* I guess it’s heartening to know that even the higher quality restaurants experience glitches. Thanks for answering my question.
Okay, have to run — your video over at Gay Porn Blog is ready for viewing!