Birthday dinner with 1979 La Mission Haut Brion - what to cook?

Hi everyone, just to follow up...it was great! I was surprised that a wine this old was still so fresh tasting. It was definetely more earthy than fruity, but maintained some nice acidity and fruit underneath. We had a simple filet (no sauce), roasted potatoes and mushrooms. Very very good and the husband was impressed :)

annamikemc in Wine

Birthday dinner with 1979 La Mission Haut Brion - what to cook?

by "still in the neck" are you referring to the volume of the liquid being still in the neck of the bottle? It was just delivered, and appears to be right on the line where it becomes the neck.

annamikemc in Wine

Birthday dinner with 1979 La Mission Haut Brion - what to cook?

Hi all, my husband's 32nd birthday is this weekend and I am surprising him with a bottle of 1979 La Mission Haut Brion. The WA review says it should still be good so fingers crossed! I am a little unsure of what to make for such an old wine. My normal Bordeaux dinner would be lamb/steak with maybe a risotto of some kind, but I know that a wine this old requires some extra attention. Anything to suggest, or possibly avoid?

Thank you!
Anna

annamikemc in Wine

Lobster tasting menu - pairing advice

Hi all, I am going to a special lunch at my local BYO that features different lobster preparations. I know that a variety of whites are good with lobster, but I am trying to determine what the best choice is since the courses are varied.

Lobster BLT with Lobster Bisque
Lobster Ceviche
Lobster Roulade with Shrimp Pasta, Vegetable "Angel Hair", Beurre Rouge
Lobster Thermidor

I was first thinking a white Burgundy for the Thermidor, but then I thought maybe a Sancerre or Pouilly Fume would be better to stand up to the ceviche?

Also I'd like to keep the cost under $40 if possible.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Anna

annamikemc in Wine

Food pairing with 1998 Champagne - Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d'Or Grand Cuvee

Hi all, the husband and I are planning our date night for NYE and will be drinking the 1998 Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d'Or Grand Cuvee. This is actually our first time having vintage Champagne, so we need some food pairing advice. Stephen Tanzer says this one "needs rich food" so I was thinking some sort of fish (halibut) with a beurre blanc? Any other suggestions for the main course, or ideas for sides?

Thanks!
Anna

annamikemc in Wine

Vouvray Petillant 2001 - food pairing for NYE?

Hi all, we are planning on drinking our 2001 Domaine Huet Vouvray Petillant Sec that we purchased on our trip to the Loire Valley with NYE dinner this year. Since we've been holding onto this bottle for a little while, I want an ideal food pairing to make the wine the best it can be.

Any food pairing suggestions? I know that fish is always good, but what kind and what preparation/sauces? I was thinking about making a beurre blanc with the wine itself to tie everything together (especially since we are lightweights and have a hard time finishing a bottle on our own). How about cheese and sides?

Thanks in advance!
Anna

annamikemc in Wine

Need to pick from my stash, stores are closed. Wine for Greek lamb with lemony potatoes?

Hello all, at the last minute I realized I did not shop for a specific wine to serve with my Christmas dinner. My mind is total holiday mush. Anyway, I am making Greek-style lamb (oregano, rosemary) with lemony potatoes and asparagus. I need to choose a red wine from my stash, and I'm not sure which is the best choice.

My options are below. Any advice would be much appreciated!

2005
Chateau Maris
Syrah La Touge Minervois
Languedoc - France

2007
PERRIN & FILS
Côtes du Rhône-Villages
France

2006
Georges du Boeuf
Domaine des Moulin Cote du Rhone
France

2006
Bodegas Faustino VII
Rioja DOC
Spain

2007
Guelbenzu
Tinto (mostly merlot & syrah, with some tempranillo and graciano)
Aragón - Spain

2007
Bodegas Ateca
Calatayud Atteca Old Vines
Spain

2007
Ercavio
Mas Que Vinos Roble Tempranillo
Spain

2007
Finca
Luzon Verde
Jumilla

2007
MacMurray Ranch
Pinot Noir
Central Coast CA

2007
Bodegas Castano
Monastrell
Spain

annamikemc in Wine

Saturday dinner near Pantheon or Piazza Navona?

Hi all, we will actually be vacationing in Tuscany but will be flying in and out of Rome. We will only have the afternoon and evening before leaving the next day, but want to end the trip with a nice dinner near Pantheon or Piazza Navona (staying at Albergo del Senato).

We are looking for something fairly simple and traditional with good homemade pastas, maybe a trattoria or other family-run place. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

annamikemc in Italy

Vetri tomorrow night - best a la carte dishes?

Hi all, we are going for a last minute celebratory dinner tomorrow night at Vetri (promotion - yay!) and need some guidance with the a la carte choices.

I've heard the crepe and gnocchi are great, so those are probably our app choices unless someone has other suggestions. However, what are the best pastas? The almond tortellini with white truffle sauce is listed as one of their signature pastas, but what about the others?

eggplant casoncelli with basil and brown butter
fettuccine with octopus bolognese
fazzoletti with duck ragu and black olives
chicken liver ravioli with trumpet royale mushrooms
fennel pollen sausage ravioli with bitter greens
tonnarelli with heirloom tomatoes and basil

For entrees, the goat seems to be popular...are there any others that are recommended? And how are desserts? None are listed online.

Thanks!
Anna

-----
Vetri Restaurant
1312 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

annamikemc in Pennsylvania

Loire Valley wine tours and eats

I must disagree about Domaine Huet in Vouvray. While some wineries may expect you to buy a certain amount, they were very kind to us, and actually said they do not support that notion and that people should buy whatever they want without pressure. Our tasting was very laid back and informative, and they very much appreciated our 2 bottle purchase :) Highly recommended, although a little hard to find.

annamikemc in France

Provence foodie excursions, tours, and tastings?

Hi all, we will be in Provence for 10 days towards the end of April next year. We will be focusing around the areas of Avignon, Arles, St Remy, Orange, Carpentras, Bonnieux, etc.

I am looking for suggestions for foodie excursions we can take that focus on local products. Can anyone suggest ideas for chevre farms, olive oil tastings, wineries, chocolate, artisan bread/boulangeries, etc? Basically we're looking for places we can tour, taste, and hopefully shop when we're done. I know of Castelas in Les Baux but that's about it. Any help would be great, thanks!

Anna

annamikemc in France

Domaine des Hauts de Loire - or other starred Loire recs?

Hi all, we're planning a sort of last minute trip in October to the Loire Valley and are looking for one great Michelin-starred place for a dinner on our anniversary. It looks to me that most of the starred places are 1-star, but Domaine des Hauts de Loire (in hotel of the same name) is the only two star. I'm not too hung up on number of stars, but I do want to have the best meal possible for our anniversary. I've also looked at Chateau de Pray and Domaine les Hauts Roches. All of the menus look good, so I'm not sure how to decide. Any other places I should be considering? Paris restaurant planning was so much easier!

Thanks!
Anna

annamikemc in France

Restaurant in the 7th for first night?

Thanks souphie. We are close to the Pont de l'Amla RER if that helps. For Cafe de l'homme, would it be far to take the metro to Trocadero and then walk back after dinner? I also don't want to have to dress up too much that night, so that's why I was thinking that might work. La Fontaine sounds like it would work well, as long as we can get a table.

annamikemc in France

Restaurant in the 7th for first night?

Thanks! We're actually already eating at L'Ami Jean the following day, but I'll look into L'Affriole.

annamikemc in France

Restaurant in the 7th for first night?

Hi all,

Well we're leaving for Paris in a mere 5 days! We have our food itinerary set for all but the first night's dinner, since we aren't sure how we'll feel (I tend to not have much appetite after a long flight). Assuming that I feel okay, what do you think of these restaurants? I've read good things about all, but know that trying to get in on the same day without a reservation will be tough. What is your priority order, so we know which to try calling first?

Le Clos des Gourmets
Au Bon Accueil
Auberge du Champ de Mars
Les Fables de la Fontaine
La Fontaine de Mars
Café de l'Homme
Bistrot du 7eme

We're staying in the 7th on rue de l'universite so we want something close for the first night. Which are more likely to accommodate us on short notice? Of course if I'm missing any, please add your suggestions! :)

Thanks!
Anna

annamikemc in France

Provence suggestions?

Thanks everyone! We now may actually be staying one night in Aix at the end of the trip for airfare practicalities, so I'm open to more suggestions there!

annamikemc in France

Provence suggestions?

Thanks souvenir...we're going to stay one week in Menerbes and another around St Remy, so I think we'll have a good balance of both areas. Any specific places you can recommend in the areas we'll be visiting (not just in those villages)?

annamikemc in France

Provence suggestions?

Thanks! I will look into both.

I saw your previous posts, you seem to know a lot about the area! If any others come to mind I'm all ears :)

annamikemc in France

Provence suggestions?

Hello all,

Well, I haven't even been on my Paris trip yet and I'm already planning my 2009 trip to Provence!

We'll be spending around 10 days in the area in April 2009 and will be exploring as far west as Nimes and Uzes, as far east as Roussillon, and up to the Orange area above Avignon. We've already been to Aix and Marseille so we will not be going that far south. With that in mind, we're looking for a list of recommendations in various price ranges to consider, so then we can research and narrow down from there. We'll have a couple of more pricey starred meals, and also would love some local smaller favorites. We prefer French food when in France, but it doesn't have to be all Provencal in focus. We will also have a car so we are not limited to areas with TGV access. We've looked at the guidebooks and online, but there are so many that I'd love personal recommendations!

Thanks in advance!
Anna

annamikemc in France

What I'll call Country Brie

I'm fairly new to French cheeses myself, but what I can tell you from my experience so far is that the smell does NOT represent the taste. One of the stinkiest cheeses we've had so far has been one of our favorites, we just won't eat the rind of the extra stinky ones :)

annamikemc in France

Very sad news for Taillevent

So sad...there was a lovely email from him in my inbox yesterday morning about our upcoming reservation.

annamikemc in France

Paris Trip Report (v. long)

Great report! You've made me reconsider my current Sunday dinner at Mon Vieil Ami, in favor of L'Ardoise!

annamikemc in France

Cheese newbie - where to begin?

Thanks everyone! I think I may also visit my local cheese shop (although I know that their French cheese will probably be dramatically different from what I will actually find in Paris), so I know what I actually like. This is my kind of research :)

annamikemc in France

Final list - when/how to reserve?

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'm on the fence, because the menu looks so good and the prices don't seem bad to me. I think I probably can't go TOO wrong...

So I'm guessing it's too early to start calling/emailing now?

annamikemc in France

Cheese newbie - where to begin?

Hello! As someone who does not have much experience (okay, ANY experience) with French cheese, can anyone point me in the right direction for our fromagerie visits on our upcoming Paris trip? I know that there are hundreds of cheeses and I'm a bit overwhelmed! I want to experience as many food delights as possible and don't want my limited knowledge to get in the way. Can I find some of the cheeses here in America before I go? I've really only tried Muenster (but probably not French), goat cheese (a few softer kinds - I think it was French chevre, love it), bleu cheese (probably not french) and that's about it. I've tried brie once and didn't really like it, but I'm willing to try some while in Paris since it seems so many people love it and I'm not generally a picky eater.

Thanks!

annamikemc in France

Final list - when/how to reserve?

Hello all,

I think I've finally made my final list for our April 2008 trip. A little over 3 months to go! I know I've chosen places that need reservations, but I was wondering if you could help me figure out how soon I need to call/email to make sure I get in. I'm pretty set on these places so I'd like to try my best.

Which ones can be done via email or internet, and which ones need to be called? I've found web links for reserving Pierre Gagnaire and Taillevent (the restaurant website and bestrestaurantsparis.com), Aux Lyonnais (lafourchette.com and restaurant website), Mon Vieil Ami, and Les Bouquinistes (both have websites). I've heard stories of the internet being not the best method and people not getting confirmations, but I'm afraid if I call to reserve, my elementary French will prevent me from reserving successfully.

Lunches:
Chez L'Ami Jean
Pierre Gagnaire
Taillevent
Aux Lyonnais

Dinners:
Mon Vieil Ami
Les Bouquinistes
Le P'tit Troquet
L'Epi Dupin

You'll also be happy to know that 4 of the restaurants have been cut for our 7 day trip so we don't "waddle home" (as some put it to me before).

Thanks!! :)

annamikemc in France

Best places for small dinner after a big lunch?

We are pretty open with the location. The 6th, 7th, southern 8th, Ile de la Cite/Ile St Louis, Marais would be great. We don't know where we'll be on these nights but want to remain open.

annamikemc in France

Best places for small dinner after a big lunch?

Hi all,

After considering suggestions from this board, we're rearranging our itinerary to eat small dinners on the two nights where we are having starred lunches (Pierre Gagnaire and Taillevent). Any suggestions of good French cafes/bistros/brasseries that do not need reservations? I don't want to just wander into a tourist trap or less than good place without knowing a bit about it.

Thanks!

annamikemc in France

Les Ormes - closed?

No! I had finally figured out my restaurants and now I need to find a new one :( Back to researching...

Thanks souphie for the clarification!

annamikemc in France