We didn’t go to Morton’s steakhouse in Anaheim for brussel Sprouts. However, I remember growing up, and my mom would put brussle sprouts in a pan with butter and lightly grill them, then sprinkle salt before setting them in front of us as a side dish. Actually, for us, there were times when the sprouts were the main course.
It isn’t the brussle sprouts that make the memory so delightful; it’s the whole environment. Mom made these because she really wanted to make something special for us. In our corner of the universe, small town Americana, anything but meat and potatoes for dinner was considered exotic. It is also the fact that we had all the time in the world to eat. And, contrary to rural mythology, it wasn’t because we weren’t allowed to leave the table until we finished our brussel sprouts. It was because we were at home in a warm kitchen with the smell of butter in the air and this really unique flavor on our plates.
Fast forward a number of years and we are sitting at Morton’s steakhouse in Anaheim, CA. By ‘we’, I mean my wife of 22 years who is celebrating her birthday, two of our daughters, and friends of ours who are also celebrating a birthday. There are seven of us and I’m sitting in a way that allows me to see the classic chalkboard menu and the kitchen just to the right. I see a whole bunch of steaks and some of the most competent people at mixing meat and fire around.
And while we have ordered steaks, salmon, vegetables, salads, potatoes, appetizers, drinks, and desserts, the subject of brussel sprouts surfaces. It’s such an oddity, I think. This is when, Jabe Amato explains to me the difference between the way he learned of brussel sprouts and the way they are prepared at Morton’s. Now, forgive me at this point since this conversation took place 2-3 glasses of wine after we sat down but, as I recall, it involved grilling, bacon, onions and a suggestion from Jabe that we try them.
This is where I pause to reiterate those dinners of my youth where time was not important. It is the same at Morton’s. To say we felt welcomed into this restaurant is an understatement. From Nathan’s greeting at the door to the friendly handshake from Patrick to Jabe’s natural hospitality, we truly felt like the table we occupied was ours and ours alone. The feeling was pretty much like being invited into someone’s home: a pleasure and honor at the same time.
This is why brussel sprouts make sense. It’s down-home food. It’s comfort food. And, when I think about it, much of what Morton’s has to offer falls along these lines. Yes, there are the more exotic fare such as crab or soufflé or sea bass, never mind the number of preparation options available, but this is a steakhouse: steaks, potatoes, and vegetables. It’s a place where a bottle of wine or two makes perfect sense. It’s a place where dinner conversation over a round table evolves with smiles, reflection, and celebration. It’s a place where we enjoy the best hospitality this side of mom’s kitchen. It’s a place where one can enjoy a prime cut of Cajun-spiced rib eye steak, a salad, hash browned potatoes, a glass of wine, and brussel sprouts.
It’s a place where birthdays can be celebrated.
It’s about the feeling.
It’s about the experience.
It’s why we keep going back.
Cheers!
P.S. special thanks to Jaffurs Winery in Santa Barbara for their amazing 2008 Petite Syrah and to Rosenblum for their 2007 Rockpile Road Zinfandel.... wonderful!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Everybody must get stoned
It's 4/20 and, whenever I hear that Bob Dylan song I think back to how I thought it was a literal celebration of the joys of marijuana. Now, I think it might have been about human rights abuse and the barbaric practice of stoning. Either way, makes me wanna light one up.
But, I don't do that anymore. The last time was about 14 years ago after seeing the Rolling Stones at Dodger Stadium. I got home and burned a fattie with my father in law.
Yup. My father in law. One of the coolest dudes on the planet. A man who welcomed me into his family without hesitation, even though I was dating his daughter. A man who let me hang out with him next to the BBQ at family gatherings and we would drink beer and sample the meat off the grill before anyone else got a taste. A man who never hesitates to encourage and stand by those around him. A man who appreciates good times, good food, good drink, and a good buzz. A man with soul.
Which makes me wonder.
Are we heading toward some far-right-morality swing? I hope not because I don't think people who talk about morality are that moral in the first place. I think they're full of shit. If you're one of them, you need to read this MORE than the choir I might appear to be preaching to.
You see, 4/20 is special to me, even though I don't smoke pot anymore. I don't even have the desire to do it. But 4/20 is all about freedom of choice. It's bigger than just a few plants being harvested for a good buzz. It's about being able to choose your buzz OUTSIDE the realm of corporate control. Alcohol is corporate controlled. Cigarettes are corporate controlled. The food we eat is corporate controlled, unless we buy it from a local farmer before it hits the corporate controlled marketplace.
Unless we grow it. Like marijuana. Who has the self-delusional right to tell you that you can't grow something in your own backyard for personal consumption? Nobody.
And yet, there are people with enough money and influence to create laws that accomplish just that.
But the revolution has begun. And those of us on the side of free choice have to win. We have to win all over the globe if only to spite barbarians who are bloodthirsty for control and money. These people will preach religious peace out of one side of their mouth then kill you for not submitting to their version of peace.... or their version of the 'peace' of the pie.
And don't get me started on the thought police. You see, 4/20 is all about controlling your thought. Because, when you alter your own perspective, independently, and freely, and openly, you see things from a perspective that those living under the illusion of power cannot grasp. You have taken yourself outside the realm of their influence - which is all around you on billboards, TV, radio, computers - and into the realm of introspection and thought. This is a place they cannot touch. This is a place where new ideas come about. This is a place where you can just be free.
And if you grow your own, it's damn near free. It's about as free as it gets.
This is why I brew my own beer. After I spend a nominal amount on all-natural ingredients, I can brew something specifically to my liking and the corporate beer-mongers get nothing. Nothing.
You are told that you need to consume. Even the drug dealers masquerading as pharmaceutical companies want you to consume what they are selling. The thing is, they can't control pot. They have no say so. They can try but they can't stop it. And rightly so. They inflate costs at random, pump billions into lobbying and advertising to get you hooked on their product.
Ladies and gentlemen, if more of us smoked pot, fewer of us would be looking to these clown-suits for solutions. We'd solve them ourselves.
Oh, pot doesn't solve the problem. But pot does put you in a mental place where you can digress from the bullshit and then divorce yourself completely from it.
You wake up the next morning... walk past the TV remote without even blinking... (except for the occasional cartoon).... grab some cold pizza, and ice cold beer, and beckon a new day full of possibilities and new ideas and you are beholden only to your family and friends.
Social Darwinists, fuck off.
Cheers and happy 4/20!!!!!
But, I don't do that anymore. The last time was about 14 years ago after seeing the Rolling Stones at Dodger Stadium. I got home and burned a fattie with my father in law.
Yup. My father in law. One of the coolest dudes on the planet. A man who welcomed me into his family without hesitation, even though I was dating his daughter. A man who let me hang out with him next to the BBQ at family gatherings and we would drink beer and sample the meat off the grill before anyone else got a taste. A man who never hesitates to encourage and stand by those around him. A man who appreciates good times, good food, good drink, and a good buzz. A man with soul.
Which makes me wonder.
Are we heading toward some far-right-morality swing? I hope not because I don't think people who talk about morality are that moral in the first place. I think they're full of shit. If you're one of them, you need to read this MORE than the choir I might appear to be preaching to.
You see, 4/20 is special to me, even though I don't smoke pot anymore. I don't even have the desire to do it. But 4/20 is all about freedom of choice. It's bigger than just a few plants being harvested for a good buzz. It's about being able to choose your buzz OUTSIDE the realm of corporate control. Alcohol is corporate controlled. Cigarettes are corporate controlled. The food we eat is corporate controlled, unless we buy it from a local farmer before it hits the corporate controlled marketplace.
Unless we grow it. Like marijuana. Who has the self-delusional right to tell you that you can't grow something in your own backyard for personal consumption? Nobody.
And yet, there are people with enough money and influence to create laws that accomplish just that.
But the revolution has begun. And those of us on the side of free choice have to win. We have to win all over the globe if only to spite barbarians who are bloodthirsty for control and money. These people will preach religious peace out of one side of their mouth then kill you for not submitting to their version of peace.... or their version of the 'peace' of the pie.
And don't get me started on the thought police. You see, 4/20 is all about controlling your thought. Because, when you alter your own perspective, independently, and freely, and openly, you see things from a perspective that those living under the illusion of power cannot grasp. You have taken yourself outside the realm of their influence - which is all around you on billboards, TV, radio, computers - and into the realm of introspection and thought. This is a place they cannot touch. This is a place where new ideas come about. This is a place where you can just be free.
And if you grow your own, it's damn near free. It's about as free as it gets.
This is why I brew my own beer. After I spend a nominal amount on all-natural ingredients, I can brew something specifically to my liking and the corporate beer-mongers get nothing. Nothing.
You are told that you need to consume. Even the drug dealers masquerading as pharmaceutical companies want you to consume what they are selling. The thing is, they can't control pot. They have no say so. They can try but they can't stop it. And rightly so. They inflate costs at random, pump billions into lobbying and advertising to get you hooked on their product.
Ladies and gentlemen, if more of us smoked pot, fewer of us would be looking to these clown-suits for solutions. We'd solve them ourselves.
Oh, pot doesn't solve the problem. But pot does put you in a mental place where you can digress from the bullshit and then divorce yourself completely from it.
You wake up the next morning... walk past the TV remote without even blinking... (except for the occasional cartoon).... grab some cold pizza, and ice cold beer, and beckon a new day full of possibilities and new ideas and you are beholden only to your family and friends.
Social Darwinists, fuck off.
Cheers and happy 4/20!!!!!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Wine Fucking
Stay with me on this one as I'm really intoxicated and may not be speaking clearly... even though I'm not technically speaking at all.. I'm writing... no, that's not it... I'm TYPING. And I can type whafuckerthe hell I want.
Okay..... whew.... as if I've got alot of integrity anyway.... huge number of followers... thank you. All 4 of you. This is for you.
Shit. The room is spinning. Okay... whew!!!.... Shit... still spinning.. I'm serious about this one.
Okay.
Brewed my own beer tonight. This is something I usually do every 4-5 weeks. I love doing it and, after about 18 months in the trenches, I can honestly say that the beer doesn't suck. It's quite good actually. I'd pour it against most American ales at this stage of the game.
ANYWAY, I'm boiling the grains and decide to invoke the pleasures of an Arrogant Bastard.... lovely beer... no, fuck that. Not lovely. Kick ass!!!!! This fucker has hops and malt and grains and hops and alcohol.... too much alcohol. But I don't care. (damn, thank God for the backspace key!!!!)
ANYWAY #2.... I grill a steak. I have a decanter of Rosenblum Syrah that I paid about $45 bucks for a few months back... can't remember the vineyard... Rosenblum always designates their wines from a particular vineyard... the reserves, anyway...
ANYWAY #3... this wine was sitting in a decanter for about 48 hours.... it was too ripe, fruit forward, and all that crap. It tasted like grape juice.. IF I WANT FUCKING GRAPE JUICE I'LL BUY WELCHE'S THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
ANYWAY #4... Over the last few days, I've also opened a bottle of Red Lion Cabernet (don't ask) and a bottle of Marquis Philips Grenache... please hold your questions until the end.
(shit, I can't even type... my fingers aren't responding to what my brain says to respond to... etc etc etc....)
ANYWAY #5... My Rib eye steak is USDA Prime from a local market (Orchards Fresh, but I'm not mentioning names).... and It's tender, and juicy... and I decide, rather than open new wine, I'll just see what I can do with what I have.
ANYWAY...
whatever.
The Rosenblum is too over-ripe. The Grenache has some nice light licorice and acidic qualities but can't hold up... The Cabernetl, in spite of being a wimpy cab... has some tannic structure to it....
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...
I blend a 4 oz concoction of the Cab and the Syrah.... the tannins actually offset the over-ripeness of the fruit in the Rosenblum...
THEN, I mix (same ratio) the Syrah and the Grenache.... EVEN BETTER!!!! The Grenache makes up for what the Syrah does not have and vice versa vice versa, etc cte.... whatever.
Of course, I need to mix the Grenache and Cab... shitty. Two bad wines don't make a good wine.
BUT, I've settled on the Syrah-Grenache blend... it's good. Dark fruit mixed with mid-level fruit, some light licorice hints, and balances nicely with the grilled Rib-Eye steak.
FINALLY!
I pour the Grenache and Cabernet into the decanter with the remaining Syrah and discover something along the way....
I'm fucked up.
That's it.
So , I call my daughter on the phone and talk about Android and iPhone apps until I can see straight.
Then I decide to write this.
And it doesn't matter. I'm squinting right now just to read the words I'm writing on the computer and if it wasn't for spell checking... Id eb srewcd rghit nwo.
That's it.
Csheers....!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Live from LA.... Fleming's Steak House!
On the corner of Olympic and Figueroa in Los Angeles is one of the finest steak houses I've had the pleasure of visiting. In fact, about 10 days ago, my wife and I visited after receiving gift cards from her dad. He said it was a great place for steak.
It IS a great place for steak... and wine... and dessert.... and hospitality... and in a great location for a special and memorable evening out in one of the greatest cities on the planet.
It's hard not to write something like this and have it sound like a restaurant review of sorts but, in a way, that's what it is. An it's also a bit of a journal entry - for two really great nights out.
Our first night was scheduled to coincide with a Prime Rib dinner offering that Fleming's is promoting during Sundays in January only and it's quite the deal. It included a salad, a 12 oz cut of Prime Rib, a Side and a Dessert all for under thirty bucks. Here's the deal - my wife and I could have shared one and been completely satisfied. That is how much food this amounts to. But we each ordered our own. And took home leftovers. And ate them the next evening.
We brought our own bottle, as is usually the case; a bottle of 2006 Sea Smoke Southing to be specific and it worked perfectly with the food - and the seasonings. Our server was Elizabeth - a genuinely friendly individual who welcomed us as if we were a guest in her home. We were also greeted by David Shelton, who usually manages at the El Segundo store but happened to be standing in during this particular evening. If the friendly professionalism of David and Elizabeth are an indicator, I would stand here and recommend any Fleming's to my readers.
The first experience was so delightful, that we invited friends to join us again this week. We were greeted, seated, and again made to feel right at home by Kent - a person who paid close attention to every detail in our experience but also ensured that we had the space to enjoy our evening as if there was nobody else in the room. We were also visited by Michael DiGiambattista, an operating partner, and whose name I recognized from his signature at the bottom of an e-mail thanking us for joining the "Friend of Fleming's" club. Michael was hospitable enough to thank us for coming back - acknowledging that we had visited previously just over a week before. The warm greetings and friendly, top notch service set the tone at Fleming's.
The food kicks things to another level altogether.
I'll be brief and to the point.... Salads... Oysters... Fillet Mignon... New York Pepper Steak... Lamb Chops... Mac and Cheese (yup), Mushrooms.... Chocolate Lava Cake... Creme Brulee... Espresso... Cappuccino... all paired wonderfully with the two bottles we brought with us: the 2008 Denner Syrah and 2007 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet.
Are you hungry yet?
To top things off, the receipt had a web link to a survey at the bottom and the customer receives a $25 credit toward their next visit just by completing it. And it only takes about 5 minutes.
Fleming's is a place that seriously wants its' customers to come back again and again. And they live up to their own high standards by making frequent visits very enticing and something to look forward to.
We'll be back.
Cheers!
It IS a great place for steak... and wine... and dessert.... and hospitality... and in a great location for a special and memorable evening out in one of the greatest cities on the planet.
It's hard not to write something like this and have it sound like a restaurant review of sorts but, in a way, that's what it is. An it's also a bit of a journal entry - for two really great nights out.
Our first night was scheduled to coincide with a Prime Rib dinner offering that Fleming's is promoting during Sundays in January only and it's quite the deal. It included a salad, a 12 oz cut of Prime Rib, a Side and a Dessert all for under thirty bucks. Here's the deal - my wife and I could have shared one and been completely satisfied. That is how much food this amounts to. But we each ordered our own. And took home leftovers. And ate them the next evening.
We brought our own bottle, as is usually the case; a bottle of 2006 Sea Smoke Southing to be specific and it worked perfectly with the food - and the seasonings. Our server was Elizabeth - a genuinely friendly individual who welcomed us as if we were a guest in her home. We were also greeted by David Shelton, who usually manages at the El Segundo store but happened to be standing in during this particular evening. If the friendly professionalism of David and Elizabeth are an indicator, I would stand here and recommend any Fleming's to my readers.
The first experience was so delightful, that we invited friends to join us again this week. We were greeted, seated, and again made to feel right at home by Kent - a person who paid close attention to every detail in our experience but also ensured that we had the space to enjoy our evening as if there was nobody else in the room. We were also visited by Michael DiGiambattista, an operating partner, and whose name I recognized from his signature at the bottom of an e-mail thanking us for joining the "Friend of Fleming's" club. Michael was hospitable enough to thank us for coming back - acknowledging that we had visited previously just over a week before. The warm greetings and friendly, top notch service set the tone at Fleming's.
The food kicks things to another level altogether.
I'll be brief and to the point.... Salads... Oysters... Fillet Mignon... New York Pepper Steak... Lamb Chops... Mac and Cheese (yup), Mushrooms.... Chocolate Lava Cake... Creme Brulee... Espresso... Cappuccino... all paired wonderfully with the two bottles we brought with us: the 2008 Denner Syrah and 2007 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet.
Are you hungry yet?
To top things off, the receipt had a web link to a survey at the bottom and the customer receives a $25 credit toward their next visit just by completing it. And it only takes about 5 minutes.
Fleming's is a place that seriously wants its' customers to come back again and again. And they live up to their own high standards by making frequent visits very enticing and something to look forward to.
We'll be back.
Cheers!
Friday, December 17, 2010
2010 Roadblock
Sounds like the name of a wine, but it's not. It's the result of my lack of interest in much of anything, or perhaps my interest in so many things that I became incapable of doing much more than just dabble in a bunch of stuff. Over the year I brewed 13 new homemade beers, mostly IPA's. I wrote 17 new songs, 12 of which are going on my new album. (Yes, it's a new album - even for those of you who didn't know that I had ANY albums at all.) I began school again - yes, again. I guess I needed to get out of my head and open myself up to new ideas, even old ones that I'd not considered.
And I tasted some really good wine.
And I got pretty cynical about wine in general. At what point does it really matter? I mean, we have our individual taste buds and some of us like one thing while some of us like the other. Take note: taste buds don't know that you have a credit card. They can't read tasting notes. They can't distinguish between wine of the year awards and those that are never mentioned.
But taste buds can tell the difference between the things you've decided that you like and don't like.
Personally, I care as much about what I don't like as what I like. The dichotomy of these polar opposites give me perspective and reference points. So, when I opened a bottle of Penfolds bin 128 Shiraz that I paid $18 for and find out that I like it less than the $6 Pillar Box Red, I take note of both.
That said, my favorite wine for 2010 - the one that resonated with me the most - is the 2008 Pali Riviera Pinot Noir. I like the price and the 'big-ness' of this otherwise delicate pinot stunned me. It's flat out delicious.
So is the 2008 Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet - tastes like chocolate. I love chocolate.
The 2006 and 2007 Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Syrah's are both magnificent. As is the 2008 Marquis Philips Shiraz and the 2009 Mollydooker Boxer and Two Left Feet.
The 2009 Santa Barbara County Syrah from Jaffurs in, um, Santa Barbara is a wonderful treat. My daughter, Michelle, and I joined them early September to help with bottling. The kind folks at Jaffurs served up a tasty Mexican lunch with many different wines before we jumped to the mobile bottling assembly line. A very fun day!
I drank some Sea Smoke, some Williams Selyem, Mondavi, Justin, Yellow Tail, Layer Cake... found something enjoyable in all of them.
Love what Rosenblum has been doing over the last couple of years, especially in the Zinfandel area - they know what they're doing, in my opinion.
And this is all my opinion. That's it. Tonight I'm going to cook a steak and open a bottle of something; I don't know what yet. I'll let the moment decide. Meanwhile, have a great Christmas season and I'll catch you next year.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers!
And I tasted some really good wine.
And I got pretty cynical about wine in general. At what point does it really matter? I mean, we have our individual taste buds and some of us like one thing while some of us like the other. Take note: taste buds don't know that you have a credit card. They can't read tasting notes. They can't distinguish between wine of the year awards and those that are never mentioned.
But taste buds can tell the difference between the things you've decided that you like and don't like.
Personally, I care as much about what I don't like as what I like. The dichotomy of these polar opposites give me perspective and reference points. So, when I opened a bottle of Penfolds bin 128 Shiraz that I paid $18 for and find out that I like it less than the $6 Pillar Box Red, I take note of both.
So is the 2008 Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet - tastes like chocolate. I love chocolate.
The 2006 and 2007 Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Syrah's are both magnificent. As is the 2008 Marquis Philips Shiraz and the 2009 Mollydooker Boxer and Two Left Feet.
The 2009 Santa Barbara County Syrah from Jaffurs in, um, Santa Barbara is a wonderful treat. My daughter, Michelle, and I joined them early September to help with bottling. The kind folks at Jaffurs served up a tasty Mexican lunch with many different wines before we jumped to the mobile bottling assembly line. A very fun day!
I drank some Sea Smoke, some Williams Selyem, Mondavi, Justin, Yellow Tail, Layer Cake... found something enjoyable in all of them.
Love what Rosenblum has been doing over the last couple of years, especially in the Zinfandel area - they know what they're doing, in my opinion.
And this is all my opinion. That's it. Tonight I'm going to cook a steak and open a bottle of something; I don't know what yet. I'll let the moment decide. Meanwhile, have a great Christmas season and I'll catch you next year.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Orange County Home Brew Competition
I started brewing beer with a friend about two years ago. Last November, he decided to bail on the endeavor and I kept going. Since then I've brewed several beers and, of course, I think all are great beers - because I brewed them myself.
And truly, all are 'drinkable', most are gone, and only a couple were what I would call very tasty. The rest were not unpleasant efforts but not something I would actually buy in a market or restaurant. (That said, I've paid a hefty sum for some bottles in the market that weren't that good, either so, there!)
Anyway, one of my recent brews was good enough - at least in my mind - that I entered it into the Orange County Fair Home Brew Competition.
No, I didn't win, but it was fun to make something that I wasn't embarrassed to share with people I didn't know. Note to home brewers - most of your friends will be so impressed with the fact that you pour out a beer that you brewed yourself that they'll love it even when you don't.
Today, the OC Fair held a lunch for participants and judges in the competition and announced the winners, many who brought ample quantities of their award winning brews to share. Talk about fun!
Now, I tasted some pretty good brews today. I met some really cool people. I tasted a yummy sandwich. I had a great time.
I'd like to say I remember the names of everyone I talked with... there was Ian Akerson who won first place for his Imperial IPA. This was the category I entered mine into and there's no question that I have some work to do. Ian was also gracious enough to give me a few pointers on my own brew.
I also tasted some fantastic European style beers brewed by Todd Yenche - winner of 4 first place awards.
I did get into line to taste the Best In Show Baltic Porter, brewed by Jonathan Gunther but he ran out about 3 people before I could get a sample... by the amazed eyes and smiles of those who did get samples, it was clear that this was a damn fine brew... sorry I missed it.
Back at our table - heck, I don't remember all the names... there was Rich... Ian... Brian... anyway, doesn't matter at this point... but what does matter is we had some really great conversation about our collectively favorite beverages and foods to go along with them. It was a good time all around.
I'm going to enter again next year - an award would be cool - but the people are all there to have a good time and I was caught up in it joyfully!
To those of you who at the table who take the time to read this, thank you. I had a great time meeting you; wish I remembered all of your names and hope to run into you again soon.
To see a list of the winners, click here:
http://www.ocfair.com/competitions/pdf/results/10_homemade_beer_results.pdf
Cheers!
And truly, all are 'drinkable', most are gone, and only a couple were what I would call very tasty. The rest were not unpleasant efforts but not something I would actually buy in a market or restaurant. (That said, I've paid a hefty sum for some bottles in the market that weren't that good, either so, there!)
Anyway, one of my recent brews was good enough - at least in my mind - that I entered it into the Orange County Fair Home Brew Competition.
No, I didn't win, but it was fun to make something that I wasn't embarrassed to share with people I didn't know. Note to home brewers - most of your friends will be so impressed with the fact that you pour out a beer that you brewed yourself that they'll love it even when you don't.
Today, the OC Fair held a lunch for participants and judges in the competition and announced the winners, many who brought ample quantities of their award winning brews to share. Talk about fun!
Now, I tasted some pretty good brews today. I met some really cool people. I tasted a yummy sandwich. I had a great time.
I'd like to say I remember the names of everyone I talked with... there was Ian Akerson who won first place for his Imperial IPA. This was the category I entered mine into and there's no question that I have some work to do. Ian was also gracious enough to give me a few pointers on my own brew.
I also tasted some fantastic European style beers brewed by Todd Yenche - winner of 4 first place awards.
I did get into line to taste the Best In Show Baltic Porter, brewed by Jonathan Gunther but he ran out about 3 people before I could get a sample... by the amazed eyes and smiles of those who did get samples, it was clear that this was a damn fine brew... sorry I missed it.
Back at our table - heck, I don't remember all the names... there was Rich... Ian... Brian... anyway, doesn't matter at this point... but what does matter is we had some really great conversation about our collectively favorite beverages and foods to go along with them. It was a good time all around.
I'm going to enter again next year - an award would be cool - but the people are all there to have a good time and I was caught up in it joyfully!
To those of you who at the table who take the time to read this, thank you. I had a great time meeting you; wish I remembered all of your names and hope to run into you again soon.
To see a list of the winners, click here:
http://www.ocfair.com/competitions/pdf/results/10_homemade_beer_results.pdf
Cheers!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Dinner in Santa Barbara...
Last night, my youngest daughter, Jamie and I drove to Santa Barbara with our Honda Odyssey filled with a mattress, computer desk, clothes, etc to move my oldest daughter, Michelle into her new apartment. One of Michelle's roommates met us at the door and soon after Michelle arrived with another friend. The van was unloaded very quickly and food became the top item on our to do list. We invited Michelle's roommate; her other friend left for work.
We went to Ruth's Chris Steak House at the La Cumbre Plaza and have a fantastic evening. For one, I was in the company of three very bright young ladies who, we learned later, had garnered quite a bit of attention from the males working at the restaurant.
We were greeted by manager Kris and our very attentive and friendly server, Nicole. Upon request, Chris was gracious enough to waive the corkage fee for the 2006 Denner Ditch Digger that we brought along. Hospitable folks indeed!
Rather than order separate dinners, we decided to get several items and share. This way, we could sample a variety of flavors and not walk out completely stuffed - easy to do here because the portions are very generous and the food so tasty that it's hard to stop eating it!
We started with the shoestring potatoes... a nice crunchy beginning to go with the first pour of the Ditch Digger - a fabulous wine, by the way - one that is filled with spicy, peppery, and dark fruit on the nose... tastes amazingly smooth just out of the bottle, then wham! - boysenberries and heck... I don't know... the wine simply explodes and seethes with flavors so mouth watering, almost Gothic, flavors of dark chocolate, pepper, mocha, and boysenberry pie!
Oh, back to the food.
We shared the seared ahi tuna - so tender and flavorful in a nice bed of ginger sauce... so refreshing... and a side note: the wine didn't back down for a second.
All the while, Nicole mentioned that we were the fun table and the one that the male servers wished they had. Imagine me, two of my daughters and one of their friends... and I was completely enchanted listening to the three of them converse - oh yeah, I chimed in now and then but they have such incredible imaginations and were smiling all around... this is what great meals are made of.... the food is the soundtrack to the conversation!
Three of us ordered salads, with Jamie declaring that she would just help with what we couldn't finish... smart move. These are man-sized salads with plenty of garden fare along with some nice touches around the fringe with miniature onion rings, or even Cajun spiced pecans. Yummy!
Then came a single - what looked like 20oz - rib eye steak and the mushroom caps. I challenge anyone to pair something like this with a big bold and elegant red from Paso Robles, such as the Denner Ditch Digger, and not moan in ecstacy! Unless you really need to, there's no reason to buy steaks for every person (NFL players and others who burn calories on a sub-atomic level excepted) - each bite goes a long way. The taste is incredible... for lack of a more explosive term... culinary bliss-ness!
The grand finale? Two desserts - Chocolate Explosion (not on the menu) - an indescribable chocolate cake oozing melted dark chocolate, decorated with caramel and vanilla ice cream.... heck, I hope I remembered it well enough... then the Cheesecake... one of the best I've ever tasted... so creamy... and with a raspberry drizzle... drizzle... drizzle... (okay, it's nine a.m. the following day and I'm ready to go back already... )
Alas, the wine was gone... the dessert half gone... the smiles still there, the conversation still there, and a wonderful sense of.... wow! What a fantastic way to celebrate or even just hang with family and friends. Yeah, it's about the food, but it's more about the people.
After dropping Michelle and Arielle off at their new apartment, Jamie and I drove back to Los Angeles and got home at midnight... and that was it... lights out... sweet dreams...
And here I am writing about it.
Thank you Kris, Nicole, and Ruth's Chris for a fantastic evening.
You rock!
Cheers :)
We went to Ruth's Chris Steak House at the La Cumbre Plaza and have a fantastic evening. For one, I was in the company of three very bright young ladies who, we learned later, had garnered quite a bit of attention from the males working at the restaurant.
We were greeted by manager Kris and our very attentive and friendly server, Nicole. Upon request, Chris was gracious enough to waive the corkage fee for the 2006 Denner Ditch Digger that we brought along. Hospitable folks indeed!
Rather than order separate dinners, we decided to get several items and share. This way, we could sample a variety of flavors and not walk out completely stuffed - easy to do here because the portions are very generous and the food so tasty that it's hard to stop eating it!
We started with the shoestring potatoes... a nice crunchy beginning to go with the first pour of the Ditch Digger - a fabulous wine, by the way - one that is filled with spicy, peppery, and dark fruit on the nose... tastes amazingly smooth just out of the bottle, then wham! - boysenberries and heck... I don't know... the wine simply explodes and seethes with flavors so mouth watering, almost Gothic, flavors of dark chocolate, pepper, mocha, and boysenberry pie!
Oh, back to the food.
We shared the seared ahi tuna - so tender and flavorful in a nice bed of ginger sauce... so refreshing... and a side note: the wine didn't back down for a second.
All the while, Nicole mentioned that we were the fun table and the one that the male servers wished they had. Imagine me, two of my daughters and one of their friends... and I was completely enchanted listening to the three of them converse - oh yeah, I chimed in now and then but they have such incredible imaginations and were smiling all around... this is what great meals are made of.... the food is the soundtrack to the conversation!
Three of us ordered salads, with Jamie declaring that she would just help with what we couldn't finish... smart move. These are man-sized salads with plenty of garden fare along with some nice touches around the fringe with miniature onion rings, or even Cajun spiced pecans. Yummy!
Then came a single - what looked like 20oz - rib eye steak and the mushroom caps. I challenge anyone to pair something like this with a big bold and elegant red from Paso Robles, such as the Denner Ditch Digger, and not moan in ecstacy! Unless you really need to, there's no reason to buy steaks for every person (NFL players and others who burn calories on a sub-atomic level excepted) - each bite goes a long way. The taste is incredible... for lack of a more explosive term... culinary bliss-ness!
The grand finale? Two desserts - Chocolate Explosion (not on the menu) - an indescribable chocolate cake oozing melted dark chocolate, decorated with caramel and vanilla ice cream.... heck, I hope I remembered it well enough... then the Cheesecake... one of the best I've ever tasted... so creamy... and with a raspberry drizzle... drizzle... drizzle... (okay, it's nine a.m. the following day and I'm ready to go back already... )
Alas, the wine was gone... the dessert half gone... the smiles still there, the conversation still there, and a wonderful sense of.... wow! What a fantastic way to celebrate or even just hang with family and friends. Yeah, it's about the food, but it's more about the people.
After dropping Michelle and Arielle off at their new apartment, Jamie and I drove back to Los Angeles and got home at midnight... and that was it... lights out... sweet dreams...
And here I am writing about it.
Thank you Kris, Nicole, and Ruth's Chris for a fantastic evening.
You rock!
Cheers :)
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