Brussel sprouts

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!

The 20th Anniversary of my 29th Birthday.....

... is on the 4th of June but it begins at about 1:00 in the afternoon on Thursday June 3, 2010... with my daughter, Jamie, at Arnie Morton's Steakhouse on Figueroa in Los Angeles... bottle of 2007 Isosceles in hand....

First off, the hospitable folks who manage and work at Morton's Los Angeles are some of the friendliest people I've meet in any restaurant... bar none.  This is why it is also my favorite Morton's location.  There has not been a visit where our time and money spent has not been worth it and some.  With the added bonus of celebrating my birthday (now an annual tradition for me: LUNCH at Morton's), both my daughter and I felt like royalty.  I'm not exaggerating.  It was all about us.

The food was exceptional - Cajun Rib Eye, Crab Cakes, Grilled Asparagus.... oh, and the Morton's burger Jamie ordered - with fries.... it's like the All-American steak and potato meal - it just LOOKS like a burger!

As for the wine - each year on my birthday, I open a new vintage of Justin Isosceles.  This is truly one wine that, year after year, meets and often exceeds my expectations ever since my first taste of the 1997 vintage.  As for the 2007, this is silky smooth - can benefit from decanting up front - but it's probably the softest (not without a bunch of flavor) Isosceles that I've had since the 1999... I've got a 2nd bottle that rounds out a 6 year vertical going back to 2002.  Not sure when I'll start on the older ones, but I can hardly wait!

Friday began with a family trip to Northern California to visit some good friends in Merced.  Now don't laugh.  I like Merced.  Even living in Los Angeles hasn't jaded me to small town life.  It's just a mellow place and, when the sky is blue, the snow-capped Sierra mountains are clearly visible from our friends' back yard. 

From then until Sunday, it was food and drink.  Steaks.... shrimp... pizza... hot wings.... homemade IPA, and a bottle of 2006 Columbia Crest Reserve Merlot.  Unfortunately, there might have been a 'slight' bit of cork taint on this bottle but, after a bit of air, it softened up beautifully.

The road back home was filled with music from the Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street, Tattoo You, and Undercover.  My all-time favorite band, finishing off a very delicious and fun 20th Anniversary of my 29th Birthday.

Family, friends, food, fun.... and good wine.  It doesn't get much better than this!

Cheers :)

Wine notes from the road....

Let's start with a visit to Barnes And Nobles in Chico, CA... walking around during a rare visit with mom... not because mom and I aren't close, but because of geography... I find the Twinkies Cookbook. Something is very wrong here!Anyway, later that evening, I visited my dad... and we grilled up some rib-eye steaks - purchased at Costco for the bold price of only $7.99/lb. I've not found better meat at a lower price anywhere.

The wine we enjoyed was the 2007 Mollydooker Two Left Feet. I really like this wine and wanted to turn my dad onto it as he's a big fan of Australian Shiraz - the cheap stuff - because it's good and cheap. The Mollydooker is bold and full of flavor... dark berries, licorice, mocha, and holds up very well rib-eye steaks. Oh, did I mention that we cooked over oak and manzaneta?

Well, my journey had a few other detours as well. I had the distinct pleasure of visiting The Wine Room in Paradise, CA. This is a charming little boutique with quite an inventory of gifts, cards, and various trinkets that my wife might be more familiar with than I am.... but they have a very nice little wine inventory.... in fact, I found the magnificent 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet here and bought one.... I think they have 3 or 4 left. It paired very nicely with grilled slightly Cajun-spiced salmon - again cooked over oak.
Of course no visit to the Chico/Paradise area is complete without a stop by the Sierra Nevada Brewery. Dad and I enjoyed a nice lunch - a nice hoppy Torpedo IPA - and a small tour of the facility. If you're ever in town, visit the Sierra Nevada brewery. The food is great, the building is beautiful, the people are honestly friendly, and the concert hall deserves a peek as well. Oh, the tour area smells like fresh hops!

After leaving Paradise, I made my way down to Moss Beach to visit family and enjoy more wine and food. The Seal Cove Inn is a wonderfully charming chateau located within walking distance from the ocean, a bunch of seals, and a fantastic sunset! Looking over this while enjoying the 2006 Rosenblum Lyons Reserve Zinfandel from Napa Valley is a pleasure all by itself.

Well, two days at Moss Beach and we were back on the road, stopping in Paso Robles at the Denner Winery to check out their new member facility. It's beautiful. The view is sensational. The people are very nice. The wines are great. Enough said.

The trip culminated with a visit to friends in our local area to enjoy some homemade pizza and a nice bottle of 2004 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Reserve. Well, we also opened a bottle of 2005 Turnbull Cabernet and a bottle of 2006 Provenance Cabernet and.... needless to say, we slept very well that night.

When all is said and done, a couple of nights ago, an old friend visited and we duplicated menu items from the Morton's Steak Bible - bacon-wrapped scallops, Cajun rib-eye steaks (I'm a big fan of rib-eye)... their signature spinach salad (in the cook book but no longer on their regular menu)... and washed it all down with a bottle of 2005 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir and a 2006 Justin Isosceles.
It's been a great month... a tasty month.... and one filled with good food, tasty wine, and, most of all, great friends and close family. It doesn't get much better than this.

2007 Sea Smoke Southing

Yesterday, my wife and I celebrated our 21st Anniversary at Arnie Morton's Steakhouse in Los Angeles.... for lunch!

We love this particular location - not only because the food is as good as any we've tasted, but because the folks there are some of the friendliest people we've met at any restaurant - bar none. From management all the way through the ranks, we are greeted with smiles, treated warmly, and provided with an experience - every time - that gives use one more great memory of Morton's.

Yesterday, we brought our own wine... a brand new bottle of 2007 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir. As soon as I dropped my nose into the glass, I could tell this was a winner. The semi-sweet raspberries and cranberry aromas were soft and... well... were kind of like foreplay. The wine tasted.... incredible. This is a very BOLD.... BOLD Pinot. It's got the kind of structure one would expect from a Cabernet or Syrah (Please don't tell me that Syrah is added to this wine)... and the finish has incredible acidity and minerality...

Enter our food - I had the Morton's Cheeseburger.... with grilled onions, mushrooms, horseradish cheddar, and fries.... my wife had the Rib eye and mashed potatoes....

And the 2007 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir handled the whole thing!!!!! The wine didn't weaken or faint once... in other words, if the food was the stage, this wine pole-danced all around it... naked and alluring, sultry, full of style and substance....

Okay... when is the last time you heard of a wine being compared to a stripper?

Take the cork out of this one and drink up... but save 1 or 2 for aging... this wine will last 3-5 years easily.... on my scale... it's a bold 95 points.... but, then again, with wine this freaking good, who's counting?

Cheers!

Because it's my Birthday...

I'm 48 today... Yup. I love it.

Got up this morning to a great breakfast made by my wife, Eva and, as our youngest daughter, Jamie, joined us, we enjoyed omelets, bacon, coffee, orange juice, blueberry muffins, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and bananas.... anyway...

Meandered through the morning and decided to treat myself to a great lunch... at Arnie Morton's on Figueroa in Los Angeles... not only a great steakhouse but, you REALLY NEED TO TRY THEIR MORTON'S CHEESEBURGER!!!!!

Of course, add a bottle of 2006 Isosceles, some Beefsteak tomatoes, and carrot cake dessert... not to mention the after lunch drinks... and... well, my near abstaining wife drove us home safely.

Oh, and the Justin Isosceles.. paired with the Tomatoes, and the Cheeseburger - topped with mushrooms and grilled onions, didn't miss a step. This is a serious freaking wine... serious... worth every penny and as versatile as anything I've ever had.

Happy birthday to ME... and cheers!

Denner Zinfandel.... boom!

I opened the 2007 Denner Zinfandel 2 nights ago. The nose, smell, aroma, whatever... was sweet and spicy... nutmeg? cinnamon? not sure.. but it was very pleasant.

I swirled my glass a bit... and the wine coated the inside of the glass like lacquer... paint...

I tasted it.

I digress here: this wine is 16% alcohol. 16%. It's freaking HUGE! And here I was trying to drink it without any food pairing....

I've had port wines before... liked 'em. The Denner Zinfandel needs food... or 99% Cacao. So, I broke out the darkest chocolate I could find.

.........aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah..... much better.

This wine is not for the faint of heart. It's bold, fruity, spicy, and it will get you freaking wasted if you sit down and drink the whole bottle. It's good that it's such a full-bodied bold and fruit-forward wine... you don't need much... a glass or two will do it.

I'm thinking it's a nice wine to pair with the Arnie Morton's Hot Chocolate Cake... but that's just my opinion.

Not what I expected but, delicious all the same!

Cheers!