Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Steve Edmunds, Salil, Jay, Dale, Michael, Rahsaan, Gene, Jeff (...no Scott, no Kirk, no Spock)
Ciano is an upscale Italian restaurant in the SoFi district. Salil assembles a four-course prix-fixed for us so that we don't have to spend much time ordering and, instead, focus on our entertaining guest of honor, Steve Edmunds. He's in town for a few days on a promotional tour but he's opened an evening to jeeb with his local admirers.
Speaking of locals, just a few tables away we espy Lyle Fass and Jamie Wolff having dinner, too. They wander over to our table later to add to the merriment.
The menu:
-PRIMI-
MIXED GREEN SALAD
...with mission figs, honeycrisp apples and pickled squash
or
ROASTED VEAL MEATBALLS
...served with creamy white polenta with herbs and truffle pecorino
-PASTA-
TORTELLINI STUFFED WITH WHIPPED RICOTTA AND A TRUFFLE CREMA
or
RICOTTA CAVATELLI
...ragu of oxtail braised in red wine and smoked pecorino
-SECONDI-
FILET OF WILD SEA BASS
...with peas, asparagus, canaletti beans and roasted tomato
or
GRILLED HANGAR STEAK
...with roasted baby carrots, braised pearl onions and crispy polenta
or
ROASTED CHICKEN
...served with sweet pea farro and wild mushroom ragu
-DOLCI-
QUINCE NAPOLEON
...vanilla custard, butternut squash and spiced vanilla gelato
or
TRIO DE CIOCCOLATO
...valrhona steamed chocolate cake, white chocolate air and chocolate gelato
I chose the veal, ox, beef, and quince. The veal and beef were excellent; the others were less interesting. I believe the folks who ordered the chicken were not particularly keen on it. The butter for the bread service was heavily perfumed with truffle, so that's an unusual plus.
The wines:
Taittinger 1999 Champagne Brut "Comtes de Champagne" "Blanc de Blancs" - This was just beautiful; egg yolk and pear and a hint of toast, absolutely lip-smacking good
Nikolaihof 2010 Neuburger - offered an entrancing nose, well-balanced wine if maybe just a touch soft; "Delicious"-Steve
Dom. Fourrier 1998 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er "Combes aux Moines" - fragrant and floral, earthy and yet still silky, this is outstandingly gorgeous, one of the best bottles on the table
Thomas-Labaille 2000 Chavignol "Cuvee Buster" - a little too rubbed at the corners, though it freshens with air a bit
Ceretto 1985 Barolo "Bricco Roche" - texture is right but it's a little clenched (by which I mean: not fragrant, not fruity, slightly stinging alcohol); I'm told it opened up a bit later
Ch. Calon-Segur 1966 St.-Estephe - whee! tarragon and black cherries and just picture-perfect old claret, another of the great bottles on the table
Ch. Simone 1986 Palette Rouge - um, er, it's red
Edmunds St John 1995 Zinfandel, Amador County - sunshine on wet black earth, maybe there's some dark cherry fruit here but more baking spice and fennel seed; interesting and good
Jamet 1998 Cote-Rotie - eventually, the table decides that this is very lightly corked; sigh; until then, it seemed red-fruity and meaty and saline but a bit tame and with a hint of something seedy/vegetal
Verset 2004 Cornas - juicy, two shades darker than the Cote-Rotie, good as always
Cowan 2010 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast - everyone at the table is shocked how much this tastes like a barrel sample, kinda hard to judge
Edmunds St John 2000 "Los Robles Viejos" - 52% mourvedre, 30% syrah; this is a beauty, somewhere between Bandol and old-fashioned Chateauneuf, a dark strong wine but gently trimmed; the third outstanding bottle on the table tonight
Marc Plouzeau 2007 Touraine "Ante Phylloxera" "Clos de Maulevrier" - suave wine, made on a big frame but really not a brute (and surprising for that), enjoyable
Texier 2007 Cote-Rotie - very lactic, hard to appreciate tonight
Bea 09 Santa Chiara - the Bea magic... complicated palate of berry flavors, citrus pin-pricks, minerality, and earth tones; my notes actually say "yee-ha!"
Gravner 1995 Ribolla Gialla - oaky and buttery, sigh
Monastero Suore Cistercensi 2009 "Coenobium" - not a favorite of mine and no change in that status tonight; it's OK
Thank you, Salil, for organizing a lovely dinner.
Thank you, Steve, for being your wonderful self and for giving us an excuse to pull a few corks.
Ciano is an upscale Italian restaurant in the SoFi district. Salil assembles a four-course prix-fixed for us so that we don't have to spend much time ordering and, instead, focus on our entertaining guest of honor, Steve Edmunds. He's in town for a few days on a promotional tour but he's opened an evening to jeeb with his local admirers.
Speaking of locals, just a few tables away we espy Lyle Fass and Jamie Wolff having dinner, too. They wander over to our table later to add to the merriment.
The menu:
-PRIMI-
MIXED GREEN SALAD
...with mission figs, honeycrisp apples and pickled squash
or
ROASTED VEAL MEATBALLS
...served with creamy white polenta with herbs and truffle pecorino
-PASTA-
TORTELLINI STUFFED WITH WHIPPED RICOTTA AND A TRUFFLE CREMA
or
RICOTTA CAVATELLI
...ragu of oxtail braised in red wine and smoked pecorino
-SECONDI-
FILET OF WILD SEA BASS
...with peas, asparagus, canaletti beans and roasted tomato
or
GRILLED HANGAR STEAK
...with roasted baby carrots, braised pearl onions and crispy polenta
or
ROASTED CHICKEN
...served with sweet pea farro and wild mushroom ragu
-DOLCI-
QUINCE NAPOLEON
...vanilla custard, butternut squash and spiced vanilla gelato
or
TRIO DE CIOCCOLATO
...valrhona steamed chocolate cake, white chocolate air and chocolate gelato
I chose the veal, ox, beef, and quince. The veal and beef were excellent; the others were less interesting. I believe the folks who ordered the chicken were not particularly keen on it. The butter for the bread service was heavily perfumed with truffle, so that's an unusual plus.
The wines:
Taittinger 1999 Champagne Brut "Comtes de Champagne" "Blanc de Blancs" - This was just beautiful; egg yolk and pear and a hint of toast, absolutely lip-smacking good
Nikolaihof 2010 Neuburger - offered an entrancing nose, well-balanced wine if maybe just a touch soft; "Delicious"-Steve
Dom. Fourrier 1998 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er "Combes aux Moines" - fragrant and floral, earthy and yet still silky, this is outstandingly gorgeous, one of the best bottles on the table
Thomas-Labaille 2000 Chavignol "Cuvee Buster" - a little too rubbed at the corners, though it freshens with air a bit
Ceretto 1985 Barolo "Bricco Roche" - texture is right but it's a little clenched (by which I mean: not fragrant, not fruity, slightly stinging alcohol); I'm told it opened up a bit later
Ch. Calon-Segur 1966 St.-Estephe - whee! tarragon and black cherries and just picture-perfect old claret, another of the great bottles on the table
Ch. Simone 1986 Palette Rouge - um, er, it's red
Edmunds St John 1995 Zinfandel, Amador County - sunshine on wet black earth, maybe there's some dark cherry fruit here but more baking spice and fennel seed; interesting and good
Jamet 1998 Cote-Rotie - eventually, the table decides that this is very lightly corked; sigh; until then, it seemed red-fruity and meaty and saline but a bit tame and with a hint of something seedy/vegetal
Verset 2004 Cornas - juicy, two shades darker than the Cote-Rotie, good as always
Cowan 2010 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast - everyone at the table is shocked how much this tastes like a barrel sample, kinda hard to judge
Edmunds St John 2000 "Los Robles Viejos" - 52% mourvedre, 30% syrah; this is a beauty, somewhere between Bandol and old-fashioned Chateauneuf, a dark strong wine but gently trimmed; the third outstanding bottle on the table tonight
Marc Plouzeau 2007 Touraine "Ante Phylloxera" "Clos de Maulevrier" - suave wine, made on a big frame but really not a brute (and surprising for that), enjoyable
Texier 2007 Cote-Rotie - very lactic, hard to appreciate tonight
Bea 09 Santa Chiara - the Bea magic... complicated palate of berry flavors, citrus pin-pricks, minerality, and earth tones; my notes actually say "yee-ha!"
Gravner 1995 Ribolla Gialla - oaky and buttery, sigh
Monastero Suore Cistercensi 2009 "Coenobium" - not a favorite of mine and no change in that status tonight; it's OK
Thank you, Salil, for organizing a lovely dinner.
Thank you, Steve, for being your wonderful self and for giving us an excuse to pull a few corks.