The Most Handsome of Fare

“Mr. and Mrs. Bliss, please follow me.”

With that, we were welcomed into a palace.

Paul Anthony, my partner in love and business, and I had a delightful Valentine’s dinner this year at the Addison Grand Del Mar. I've traveled all over the world and eaten many fine meals, but this was hands down the best meal I've ever had!

The first thing I noticed and loved was the quiet of the place. The Addison is large and spacious, with fireplaces in each room, an open floor plan, and a huge, exquisite wine cellar. Despite the size of the place, we were seated in a luxurious private booth and treated as if we were the only people there.

The wine director, Jesse Rodriguez, was brilliant, helping us choose our aperitif drinks and directing us through the menu. Because we felt very safe, in the capable hands of Jesse, we chose the added option to have each of our menu courses paired with wine, already planned ahead by their experts.

To begin with Chef William Bradley (of whom we became extremely fond of as the night went on) made us a gorgeous amuse bouche to delight our palate: a refreshing sweet champagne consommé with raspberries and actual gold slivers in it.

Before the first course we had beautiful canapés paired with a lovely glass of La Guita, Manzanilla, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain NV and Txomin Etxaniz, Hondarrabi Zuri, Pais Basco, Spain 2010

The first course consisted of fresh calamari with a red pepper confiture and wild arugula. For a first course we also enjoyed a buttery hamachi with champagne, cucumber and caviar. The hamachi was incredibly fresh and melted in my mouth. 

The hamachi was paired with Weingut Ecker, Grüner Veltliner, "von Stokstal," Wagram, Austria 2010. The naturally high acid and full-bodied texture of the Veltliner made a perfect exotic pairing.

That course was followed by a creamy butter-baked St. Pierre with a citrus, vermouth and basil sauce served at the table. We also had a separate course of wild-caught king salmon on a bed of green apples, radish and dashi.

The creamy St. Pierre was perfected complimented with the crisp freshness of a glass of Domaine Leroy, Chardonnay, Burgundy, France 2006.

The king salmon was paired with Betts & Scholl, Marsanne / Rousanne, Hermitage Blanc, Northern Rhône, France 2004. This wonderful Hermitage presented rich aromas on the nose and earthy minerals on the palate. We felt this was a very good pairing indeed.

Still excited, we anticipated our next course with glee. We weren’t disappointed. We were presented with canard roti and bavette “en eschallotte.” The canard was the most tender juicy duck I've ever tasted. I especially loved how Chef William paired the succulent bird with sweet date morsels. Along with the canard and dates the dish had caramelized endive and ginger. What a delight.

The canard was paired with a glass of Salchetto, Colli Senesi, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy 2010. This fresh, vinous red was bursting with sweet red fruit which made it a great pairing with the duck.

As a separate course we were served BAVETTE “EN ESCHALLOTTE” a delightful shoulder of beef paired with cremini mushroom gratin, potato croquettes and port wine. The beef was cooked rare to perfection, and the little potato croquettes were light and fun and absolutely delicious! 

The beef course was paired with Mamete Prevostini, Nebbiolo, “Botonero,” Lombardy, Italy 2009. This wine showed great freshness and a smooth mouth-feel for such a young nebbiolo. Paul and I both thought this pairing was wonderful.

Each course was served with a separate bread service. The warm brioche straight out of the oven were so enticing that Paul Anthony and I had two each.

After an artisan cheese course that included a wonderful goat cheese and a bleu cheese that had just the right amount of sharpness and sweetness, we cleansed our palate with lychee sorbet and passion fruit zabaglione. 

The cheese course was paired with a beautifully light, dry Riesling: Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff, Riesling, "Estate," Nahe, Germany 2010.

Then it was time for dessert. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate cake but this cake was fit for royalty. Alongside this decadent slice of heaven was a crispy meringue just like my mum made for me in Ireland while I was growing up in the early 80s! And to top the meringue and cake was a raspberry, caramel sauce.

This lovely desert was paired with San Francisco Chronicle 2011 Wine Competition Award Winner Tom Eddy, Zinfandel, “Late Harvest,” Sierra Foothills, 2008.

We finished our noble dinner with an extra treat as Jesse brought us a gorgeous Sherry: Alvear, Pedro Ximenez, “Solera,” Montilla-Moriles, Spain 1927. This Sherry is a tasting sensation not to be missed by any wine lover who appreciates the beautiful richness of a well aged dessert wine. 

We’re not going to tell you how much the bill was, but let’s just say it was close to a couple of car payments! 

On our way out one of the lovely staff took our photo next to the roaring fire. They even had the menus and wine list in the car for us. And the treats kept coming…as we left they presented us with housemade shortbread wrapped with a ribbon. I enjoyed mine with my coffee the next morning. Now, the question is, how am I ever going to top that meal!

Posted in Company News, Food and Vine, holiday, Local Business, Recipes, Valentine, Wine, Wineries |

Every Day is Valentine’s Day

Every day is Valentine’s Day when you’ve got Love in your heart. Whether or not, you have a Special Other to join you in celebrating Valentine’s day, why not create a party just for yourself? When it comes to finding the Love of Your Life, he/she may be closer than you think. Look inside your heart. You may be surprised to find that all the Love you need is right there looking back at you in the mirror.

Pan Fried Halibut with Capers (on a bed of sautéed bok choy)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 10 oz halibut pieces
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 Tbs Italian parsley chopped
• 1/4 lemon juiced
• 4 chopped spring onion (green only)
• 3 tablespoons capers, with liquid
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the halibut on both sides until nicely browned. Remove from pan, and set aside. Sauté the bok choy in a little butter set aside.Pour the wine into the pan, and use a spatula to scrape any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce to almost nothing, then stir in the garlic, lemon juice, butter and capers. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer for a minute to blend the flavors. Return the fish to the pan, and coat them with sauce. Cook until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve fish immediately with the sauce from the pan poured over it, on top of the cooked bok choy.

Oven Fried Gold and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 gold potatoes and 2 sweet potatoes sliced thinly
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• Parsley, marjoram
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Coat the potatoes with parsley, marjoram, olive oil, salt and pepper and freshly chopped garlic. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 mins. Turn once halfway through.

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Valentine’s Fudge

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 3 1/2 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar or agave
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Lightly grease a 5×9 inch loaf pan using a little of the margarine. Place the remaining butter, sugar, cocoa, vanilla and soy milk in a heatproof mixing bowl or the upper part of a double broiler. Place the bowl or broiler over simmering water and stir until smooth. Add the nuts if desired. Pour the mixture quickly into the prepared pan. Chill thoroughly, and cut into squares. Decorate with red candies into the shape of a heart. For a great pairing try San Diego's Witchcreek Winery Cool Cat sparkling wine!
Makes 2 to 3 dozen squares.

Posted in Food and Vine, Health, holiday, Recipes, Theme Tours, Tours, Valentine, Wine |