Off-Season is My Favorite Season

Last week I gave myself something, a break, well, almost...I answered a few work emails but for the most part, I disconnected. I went to Park City for about 5 days during their off-season. What does that mean you may ask? For Park City, the winter is peak season, between the skiing, snowboarding and of course, The Sundance Film Festival. Summer kicks off in Park City roughly around an event called Savor the Summit that is usually towards the end of June.

I was there at that sweet spot ( in my opinion ) where the ground wasn't as muddy, the spring flowers were in bloom ( lots of Lilacs! ), less crowds at bars, restaurants and fantastic hotel rates! I stayed at the Marriott Summit Watch which was perfectly located on Main Street, for under half the price of peak season in a Villa with a hot tub, fireplace and a full kitchen. As Main Street has so much to taste, see and do, there was not even a need for me to rent a car. If I needed to go anywhere I just used Uber!

                                          Riverhorse on Main

During my visit my favorite restaurant was Riverhorse on Main  where I enjoyed their bison tartare
( wonderful presentation! ) with a glass of Roederer Estate, Brut and their trio of game....bison with a port reduction sauce, venison chop with shallot butter and elk with huckleberries with a glass of Syrah from the Santa Rita Hills. The service ( thank you Francis! ) , ambiance, food preparation and wine list were spot on!

My other treat to myself during the visit was to go over to the St. Regis Deer Valley to enjoy a Bloody Mary on their Terrace Café ...one of the best, if not the best view in the valley. This might seem a little random but the Bloody Mary was actually created by famed bartender Fernand Petiot in the St. Regis New York in 1934! The St. Regis Deer Valley offered their own version, as well as the original New York version, and versions from Washington, D.C. and Aspen, CO. The Deer Valley version is topped with a wasabi and celery espuma, cayenne pepper, black lava salt and a tube filled with more spices to adjust the heat...delicious!

                                          St. Regis Deer Valley Bloody Mary

The other tradition that the St. Regis Deer Valley shares nightly is their Sunset Sabering Ritual. At around 6:30pm ( earlier during the winter months ) they welcome guests on the Terrace to learn about the history of Champagne sabering from back to the days of Napoleon and then offer a sunset toast.

As I descended on the funicular ( the mountain cart that brings you up and down from the St. Regis, which felt quite James Bond-like ) I smiled and breathed in the fresh, crisp, spring air.

Yes, off-season is indeed, my season.

Other spots I enjoyed during my stay:

Tavern : cozy, dark wood, fireplace, great cocktails and food
The Cabin : fun local bar celebrating the Elkupine and live music nightly
Olympic Park : soar down the mountain on an Alpine Slide
High West Distillery: locally made and blended Whiskeys

Portland Playback

As I return from Portland, Oregon where I took my first crack at the Advanced Sommelier Exam ( follow me here as I spend my next year studying to retake it ), I think of how exciting and impressive their food and wine scene is.  Yes, Portland is a little weird, after all,  it's the city's motto! But, it's a great kind of weird!

Enjoy and allow me to indulge as I relive some tasty travels around Portland this April ranking some of my favorite "must go" spots!

Best Bar:

Ambonnay Champagne Bar
107 SE Washington Street #167
Portland, OR 97214

Did someone say Champagne??  Anyone who knows me knows I come running when I hear mentions of Champagne so this was a must on my list of places to check out. Sommelier/Owner David Speer ( named one of Food & Wine Magazine's Sommelier's of the a Year in 2013 ) has created a fantastic bar serving up one of the best lists of Champagne & sparkling wines by the glass/bottle outside of Champagne, France itself!
My recommendations:
By the glass:  Laherte Freres, Ultratradition  Brut, Champagne, France NV (2010)
By the bottle:  Vouette & Sorbee, Fidele Extra Brut, Champagne, France (2010)

*small bites & nibbles available too

Best Lunch : 

Little Bird Bistro
219 SW 6th Avenue
Portland, OR 97204

Sibling to another Portland hotspot that many flock to, I prefer Little Bird.  I had little time before my first exam of the week and the service, food and wine was charming and just what I wanted! Fresh, local and mouthwateringly delicious!
My recommendations:
Salad: Butter Lettuce, warm lentils, roasted lamb neck ( moist and delicious! ) with lemony yogurt
Main: Sheep Cheese Gnocchi, pea purée, asparagus and morels
For Sipping: Pierre Brigandat, Tradition, Champagne, France

Best Dinner:

Gruner
527 SW 12th Avenue
Portland, OR 97204

After hearing from both food publications and friends I was happy to finally get to Gruner. Gruner serves "cozy, alpine cusine" and an extensive wine list featuring wines from Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland. It was rainy and chilly outside so it was a perfect night to visit.
My recommendations:

Salad: Smoked coho salmon, watercress, mizuna, roasted beets,

french green lentils, horseradish-beet yogurt

Main: Malfatti, ricotta dumplings with nettles, dandelion

and turnip greens, sautéed hen-of-the-wood mushrooms,

melted butter, parmigiano-reggiano

For Sipping: 2012 Chehalem, Gruner Veltliner, Ridgecrest Vineyards, Willamette Valley, OR

Perfectly Portlandian:

Noble Rot

1111 East Burnside (Fourth Floor)

Portland, OR 97214

Any place that promises Wine, Booze, Food and a View sounds like a must check out to me! Noble Rot is located on the fourth floor offering amazing views of Portland as well as numerous menu items coming from their roof top garden. The decor is quirky cool and the staff is too.

My recommendations:

For Sipping: (Drink local!) 2012 J Albin, Pinot Noir, Laurel Vineyard, Willamette Valley, OR

"...the hazelnuts, these are local?" - Portlandia

Nothing Like New York (Part Deux)

The Guggenheim Museum

As day 2 of Kate and I's NYC quick holiday trip was upon us we planned out our day during a breakfast of fruit, yogurt and a latte from our hotel (The Franklin). After , we checked out and headed to The Guggenheim Museum , just a few blocks away.

The Guggenheim is wonderfully stylish building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and founded by American business man and art collector, Solomon R. Guggenheim. It is home to a constantly expanding collection of Impressionist, Post Impressionist, early Modern and Contemporary art. As we wound our way to the top we took in every nook and cranny of art work along the way....Cezanne, Degas, Gauguin, Kandinsky, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, van Gogh, and Vuillard as well as the featured exhibition focusing on the work of Contemporary artist Christopher Wool. Wool is known for his large black stenciled letters on white canvases...somewhat provocative and thought provoking in nature. As we descended once again to the base of the rotunda we sighed with satisfaction, looking back up at the breathtaking view of the museum's glass dome. Happy and satiated spiritually we departed.

Off we were to our final, but highly anticipated destination of Eataly. What is Eataly you may ask? It
 is a high end Italian food market/hall comprised of restaurants, specialty markets and retail. Owners
of the New York location include such talents as Mario Batali, Lydia Bastianich and Joe Bastianich. As anticipated, Eataly was packed with people. We swam through the crowd and quickly decided we would venture to the top floor and have lunch at their roof top Birreria.

Birreria is a restaurant and brewery that includes Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head as one of the head brewers that has a delicious menu full of Italian food with Austrian and German influences. Kate and I ordered our beers... I the Chestnut Brown and Kate the Thyme Pale Ale. For our lunch we ordered a plate of Speck ( mouthwateringly delicious smoked Proscuitto ) and an Italian cheese plate ( Robiola Bosina, Taleggio, and Gorgonzola Dolce ) accompanied with Frangelico Honey ( 1 part Frangelico to 3 parts honey topped with roasted hazelnuts )..... heavenly!

After lunch we ventured back downstairs to the hall where we grabbed glasses of Franciacorta
( sparkling Italian wine made in the Champagne method ) as we shopped picking up imported Italian chocolates, teas, spices and amazingly fresh pastas. Being that December is truffle season we  selected some white truffle and ricotta stuffed pasta to go that was ethereal then we were off to the wine shop!

Eataly's wine shop was full of any Italian wine I have wanted and gave dreamed of... A wall of Franciacorta and sparkling wines ... they even had Batali's La Mozza Perazzi Morellino di Scansano ( delicious Sangiovese from coastal Tuscany ) in a magnum! Kate and I bought what we could carry and headed merrily to Grand Central station to catch our train back to the Berkshires.

Next trip that takes you to New York City I hope that you treat yourself to macarons from Laduree, roasted chestnuts at Rockefeller Center, Champagne at Corkbuzz and artisanal Italian meats and cheeses from Eataly.

Cheers and happy travels!

Blantyre Lunch, A Trip Back To The Gilded Age

Having grown up in the Berkshires in Massachusetts one can not help but acquire an appreciation for all the natural beauty and history it beholds. Blanytre is one of the gems that has always intrigued me and I was fortunate enough to have lunch there with my husband and take a peek at their fantastic wine cellar recently.

We had barely approached the steps and the door was already graciously opened for us and we were gloriously greeted. We were shown around the Main House and then invited to tour their Wine Spectator Grand Award Winning Wine Cellar containing over 26,000 bottles after lunch!

I had already had a peek of their wine "bible" a day before so I knew I wanted to try a glass of
2007 Domaine Tempier, Rosé, Bandol. I adore Rosé and had heard so much about Domaine Tempier I was brimming with anticipation. It was just as beautiful as I had hoped; berries, peach, spice and a hint of fig! It was indeed my lucky day as their soup of the day was a velvety Butternut Squash which paired beautifully with the Rosé.

For my main course I ordered a glass of the
2006 DuMol, Viognier, Lia ,Russian River Valley (floral, peach with a touch of butter) which also was delicious with their special of the day; Cod Placed on a Bed of Roasted Red Pepper Ratatouille and Braised Endive.

Conrad ordered a glass of
2003 Ramey, Cabernet Sauvignon, Jericho Canyon,
Napa Valley (creme de casis, spice, oak, dark chocolate) which sung with their Grilled New York Sirloin Steak with Petite Ceasar Salad, French Fries (which were amazing and seemed never-ending!!) and herb butter.

At the end of our meal we were too full for dessert...well almost...not too full for a half bottle of 2007 Saracco, Moscato D'Asti, Castiglione Tinella, Piedmont
I love ending a meal with Moscato D'Asti because they are slightly sparkling, low alcohol content and just so vibrant, bursting with honeysuckle and peaches. The little town of Castiglione Tinella in Piedmont is somewhat off the beaten path but said to have some of the most profound Moscato.

At the conclusion of our decadent meal we ventured down to the cellar which is owner Ann Fitzpatrick Brown's pride and joy, cared for by Wine Director Christelle Cotar and Sommelier Luc Chavalier. There are deep verticals including 22 vintages of Chateau Lafite Rothschild dating back to 1945, 14 vintages of Ridge Monte Bello, 15 vintages of Sassicaia and 15 vintages of Penfolds Grange to name just a few of the treasures this cellar beholds.

If you ever find yourself in the Berkshires and love all that is extravagant and elegant from the Gilded Age, Blantyre is a place you must visit. As well as serving lunch their dinner is been said to be quite an experience as well as staying on property
Check out all their accolades on their site:
http://www.blantyre.com/

I scream, you scream...we all scream for aebleskivers!

Aebleskivers? Yes aebleskivers!

I first discovered these delicious morsels on a trip to Solvang, California a few years ago. Solvang is the Danish Capital of America and just so cute and charming! Many places in town serve them but my favorite is the Solvang Restaurant, which was featured in the movie "Sideways". You can order them in the restaurant and they also have a to go window outside where you can grab and go!

I'm sure at this point many of you reading this blog have questions like...but what are they? Where did they come from?

According to lore when the Vikings were roaming up and down the coasts of Europe and the waters of the Atlantic, one band of these Vikings had been particularly hard hit in battle, so, when they got back on their ship with their horn helmets and shields all dented and banged up, they decided to have one of their favorite dishes to help them regain their strength, pancakes!! Years and years ago they did not have s frying pans, so, they greased their shields and poured the pancake batter on them over the fire and aebleskivers were born!

Now you must be wondering...but what do they taste like?? They are a tasty breakfast confection, like a pancake ball often served with raspberry or lingonberry jam and powdered sugar. I love them because they also have a spicy taste to them of cardamon and mace. Besides for breakfast I think these would be fun to serve for a tea party or even a savory version could be made by adding herbs and cheese to the batter. The pan itself can be purchased in Solvang (where I grabbed mine) or Williams-Sonoma sells them also. My favorite batter mix is from the Solvang Restaurant but other recipes are on the web. The closest I've been to matching the Solvang recipe is below:

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• A pinch of ground cardamom
  
• 1/4 mace
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk
• About 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix flour with sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. In a small bowl, beat egg to blend with milk and 2 tablespoons butter. Add liquids to dry ingredients and stir until evenly moistened. Let mix sit for ten minutes

2. Place an aebleskiver pan over medium-low heat. When pan is hot enough to make a drop of water dance, brush pancake cups lightly with melted butter and fill each to slightly below the rim with batter.

3. In about 1 1/2 minutes, thin crusts will form on bottoms of balls (centers will still be wet); pierce the crust with a bamboo skewer and gently pull shell to rotate the pancake ball until about half the cooked portion is above the cup rim and uncooked batter flows down into cup. Cook until crust on bottom of ball is again firm enough to pierce, about another minute, then rotate ball with skewer until the ridge formed as the pancake first cooked is on top. Cook, turning occasionally with skewer, until balls are evenly browned and no longer moist in the center, another 10 to 12 minutes. Check by piercing center of last pancake ball added to pan with skewer--it should come out clean--or by breaking the ball open slightly; if balls start to get too brown, turn heat to low until they are cooked in the center. Lift cooked balls from pan and serve hot and with raspberry or lingonberry jam and powdered sugar.

Also check out the Solvang Restaurant's site and be sure to visit them if you find yourself in Solvang!

Review: Artisan in Paso Robles

For my husband Conrad's birthday this year we decided Paso Robles would be the place to celebrate. They have GREAT wines and are not quite as commercial or well known as other wine countries...yet.

When I was looking for places for dinner one restaurant kept appearing as a "must do" so I made a reservation (highly suggested) to Artisan and it was just that. According to the definition, an artisan imparts unique and individual qualities to artisanal products. That is the beauty of Artisan, every part of our dinner was made with quality products that were given just a unique twist and were executed flawlessly!

I chose their Monday Night Supper, they offer a three course meal for $34 and you have the option to add paired wines of the featured winery with it for an additional $15. I, of course opted.


My First Course was quite a lot;
Baby butter brioche with goat butter and mini quiche
Piccolo Fritto (italian for little fried one) rock shrimp, scallops, calamari, fennel, sage, and baby escarole
Wine Pairing: Tablas Creek, Vermentino 2006
I could have just been happy with this course alone! The tang in the goat butter with the soft brioche, then the crunch and sweetness of the scallops all complimented by the lovely citrus in the Vermantino

Second Course
Roast organic chicken, lemon, rosemary, shallot jus
Bacon braised brussel sprouts, brown butter, thyme, field spinich
Pan fried crushed potatoes
Winter mushroom gratin, local sheeps milk cheese
Wine Pairing: Tablas Creek Counoise 06
Chicken is one of the simplest things to cook, but can be the most satisfying when done properly and this was....the seasoning and the meat just fell apart, I usually don't like mushrooms (except for truffles!) yet, I would eat the gratin anyday! Counoise is a new varietal to me but I really liked it, it's slight fruitiness was very enjoyable with this course.

Third Course:
Windrose Farm apple desserts, peanut butter cookie, vanilla bean sherbet
Wine Pairing: Tablas Creek, Grenache Blanc, Viognier,Roussane, Marsanne
"Vin de Paille 2006
Of course how can one go wrong with dessert including baked apples!? I am more a fruit dessert girl than chocolate so I loved this whole course. The Vin de Paille's caramel and honey flavors were spot on with dessert!

As one may assume, I can not speak highly enough about this restaurant! The atmosphere is elegant but not stuffy. The staff were extremly attentive and even wished Conrad a Happy Birthday as we were leaving. Any night would be great to come here for dinner but the value and quality you get for the Monday Night Supper is above and beyond...I'm off to dream of my next someday meal here....