Wine Dinner at Cafe Pasta next week

 Wine dinner at Cafe Pasta next Thursday, November 5. These are boutique wines (NOT grocery store wines) from J.Lohr, a major producer.

Wine Dinner at 1703: Mura Mura!

  The evening began with cocktails, created specifically for this occasion using mostly Italian ingredients- Inferno Rosso Vermouth (50% dolcetto, 50% cortese), Paradiso Rose’ (88% cortese, 12% nebbiolo), and Purgatorio Extra Dry Vermouth (100% arneis), all DOC. Delightfully refreshing.

While guests sipped, servers circulated with amuse trays. The first two featured the usual suspects- Italian cheeses and meats on skewers, bite-sized, really tasty, and well-conceived to match the cocktails. Two more, however, took us into another league- small lamb chops, tender and deeply flavored, followed by scallops, perfectly seared, buttery in flavor and texture. 

On to the main events.

This dinner featured the wines of Mura Mura, in Piedmonte, Italy. The owners, Guido Martinetti and Federico Grom, friends from military service, started out making gelato, and they were really successful at it. That funding paved the way to their real ambition, a winery. Martinetti had studied agronomy and earned a master’s degree in viticulture and enology; he interned at Chateau Margaux and Vignetti Massa. He eventually worked at Gaja, which he always regarded as wine’s pinnacle.

After selling the Grom gelato chain, they built a winery and received a rare license to grow and produce Barolo and Barbaresco wines, although they are located outside the designated appellations. Now, they produce about a dozen wines. In addition to the winery, they operate a restaurant and guest house with fourteen rooms on the property. 

Barolo and Barbaresco wines are made from Nebbiolo grapes, in this case, all estate grown. Mura Mura wines are characterized by soft, smooth textures and low tannins. 

Compliments to the 1703 kitchen for conceiving and executing two vegetarian dishes for the first two courses.

Persimmon, Harmony Ridge tomato, mulled muscadine syrup, mozzarella cheese, pesto sauce and thinly-sliced Fresno chili married well with the only white wine of the evening, Beatrice Derthona, made from the rare Timorasso grape in the Colli Tortonesi DOC. My wife characterized this wine as “elegant,” a compliment she rarely bestows. It paired especially well with the slightly edgy flavor of the persimmon.

Polenta con Funghi utilized heritage harvest mushrooms, plus heirloom tomatoes, from Harmony Ridge in Tobaccoville (harmonyridgefarms.square.site), surrounded with a light application of truffle infused olive oil, yielding rich, earthy flavors blended with the mellow polenta. The wine was Mercuzio Nebbiolo, Langhe, DOC. I caught its nose from across the table before the glass even reached my position. One again, my wife paid a high complment: “eloquent” and a high value at the restaurant price of $29.

The entrée was Short Rib Agnoletti, homemade pasta purses filled with short rib bites, resting in Barolo braising jus. This cut of beef is uniquely tender and deeply flavorful, and the 1703 kitchen nailed its preparation and delivery. We received two wines with the main course, Starderi Barbaresco and Sorano Barolo, both DOCG (the strictest standard), both very good, epitomizing that soft, smooth quality that this winery aspires to. The Barolo is a bit darker and heavier in flavor, the Barbaresco a bit lighter. Both excellent. 

And there was dessert! Chocolate Hazelnut Panna Cotta, decadent in its depth, bisected with a hazelnut cookie sail. Crasto 20 year Tawny Port capped off the evening’s wines. 

1703’s wine dinners are among the best in the Triad, and I rank the restaurant (1703restaurant.com) in the same category, overall. Joe and Molly Curran are the owners; Curtis Hackaday is chef. 

        The next event is scheduled for December 17. Mark your calendar and get on the mailing list!

River Birch Lodge

 My restaurant columns for YES! Weekly newspaper can be accessed at yesweekly.com. Just search on John Batchelor. The first Wednesday of every month is usually a Greensboro restaurant, the third Wednesday is usually a Winston-Salem restaurant, with High Point and Kernersville and points in between thrown in from time to time.

I am posting now, however, about last week's column, devoted to River Birch Lodge (3324 Robinhood Rd, Winston-Salem 27106, (336) 768-1111, riverbirchlodge.com). I loved the food here!  A few samples below:

The Beast Burger- ground elk, wild boar, bison and wagyu beef on a brioche bun

Scallops Pappardelle, bathed in a shrimp and lobster sauce, enriched with portabella mushroom slices

Banana Pudding

Wine Dinner at 1703 on September 28

 

Upcoming wine dinner at 1703 (1703 Robinhood Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27104, (336) 725-5767, 1703restaurant.com/), featuring wines from the Piedmont region of Italy. 

August Wine Dinner

 

Mark your calendar for August 19 at Cafe Pasta. Upcoming wine dinner featuring South African wines, hosted by the winemaker himself! I have tasted these in preview, and I helped curate the food pairings. This will be a good night!

Fried Shrimp at Reel Seafood Grill

 

You can't get any better at the beach!

New Travel Book about North Carolina

 There's a new travel book out, "100 Things to Do in North Carolina Before You Die." I don't plan to die anytime soon, so I am following author Kristy Tolley's advice and arranging some trips that she suggests.

Check your local bookstore, order from Amazon, or direct from the publisher: Reedy Press

(reedypress.com).

Wine Dinner at 1703

 Here's another wine dinner, this one in Winston-Salem at 1703 (1703restaurant.com), featuring wines from the Loire Valley.

Follow up- The dinner was great, as I expected from 1703, which I consider one of the Triad's best. I will be writing about this later in the month. Watch this space and my forthcoming Facebook post.

Wine Dinner at Cafe Pasta

 I am hosting another wine dinner at Cafe Pasta on June 17. Come on out! Good wines, good food, reasonable price ($65).

Folowup- We had a great crowd- about 75 guests. The place was packed. I was surprised that a lot of folks told me they were not familiar with Murphy-Goode, or that they knew about it, but it had just kind of fallen off the radar. I picked this winery because it's one of my "house" wines. My wife and I drink these often. Very good and very high value. Food pairings were successful, too, if I do say so myself! (I set the menu and chose the wines.)

There will be another wine dinner August 5. This one will be big time, with the winemaker himself, from an international winery that has only recently become available in the Triad. More information forthcoming.

Another Block Party

 

Another neighborhood block party in Seven Gates. We get together and visit, having dinner with a food truck that sets up wherever we have shade. We really like West Coast Wanderer (facebook.com/westcoastwandererllc/#, westcoastwandererllc@outlook.com). My favorite starter is Fried Artichokes. I usually get Shrimp Quesadillas with sliced avocado for my main course. Other favorites include Pork or Steak Tacos, Steak and Cheese Wrap, and Crispy Chicken Tacos.

Harper's Thursday Wine School

 As posted before, Harper's has "wine school" each month. Go to harpersrestaurants.com/events for the schedule. Each event features three wines that follow a theme, along with paired tapas style food pairings. Prices are very reasonable, and these events create an opportunity to sample wines that are otherwise unfamiliar. I have had a lot of experience with wine, but I have enjoyed learning about many that I had never had before.

The May event was based on California wines.

We started with Una Lou Rose' of pinot noir from Carneros. This is a summery, light wine, not sweet, that would pair well with a lot of food. This course was Hickory Grilled Shrimp with watermelon and feta cheese. The shrimp were large and tender, and the flavors of the shrimp, watermelon, and cheese played off each other well. I bought two bottles ($18 ea).

Hickory Grilled Shrimp

The second course wine was Camp chardonnay, from Sonoma county. This is made in the French style, softly oaked, with notes of light lemon. A Lump Crab Cake with lemon aioli worked well with the crab flavor. I liked the wine, but I am already well stocked in charonnays, so I passed on this purchase ($19).

Crab Cake

Third course was Grilled Flank Steak with chimchurri, crisp fries, lightly tossed in truffle infused olive oil, on the side. Chimichurri is derived from South America, made from finely diced parsley, garlic, oregano, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes. The kitchen knocked this one out. Really good depth of beef flavor. And The 75 Cabernet Savignon from Beckstoffer in Mendocino is richly flavored, identifiable with Beckstoffer terroir. I bought two bottles of this one ($17)!

Grilled Flank Steak

I included wine prices in order to show the value that these experiences offer. Quantities are limited.

Dinner at MJ's

 MJ's is a personal favorite. My wife and I recently returned for dinner. 

Apple Harvest Salad

Fried Oysters

Shrimp Tacos

(My wife's favorite)

Barramundi

Mississippi River Cruise on Viking

  

My wife and I recently returned from a cruise on the lower Mississippi River, aboard a Viking river cruise ship.

 Friday- before the cruise

         We spent Friday night in Memphis and walked Beale Street. I would rather do that than Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Great music, safe ambience.

We wanted to see the famous ducks at the Peabody Hotel (peabodymemphis.com). They come down on the elevator and march to the lobby fountain at 11 a.m. then march back to the elevator at 5:00. If you want to get a decent seat, try to arrive around four or a little later. Bar seating provides a good view and really good drinks.

Photos: Peabody Ducks

 Day 1 (Saturday): Depart from Memphis, Tennessee

          Passengers can board the ship in late morning and have lunch on board. Room access is available at 3:00.

During the night, we perceived no motion from the ship. It carries about 380 passengers and is specially built for this location. There is a spacious living room amidships with a large library, where evening entertainment is provided. The ship has a resident trio, with local guest artists featured every night. The music was great.

Unless you are in the living room, there is no perceivable noise. It’s easy to sleep. Rooms are comfortable, personnel exceptionally accommodating.

Big Viking tour buses follow the ship along the route in order to provide transportation to all the excursions.

 

Day 2 (Sunday): Arrive in Greenville, Mississippi

          The excursion was “Steve Azar’s Mississippi.” He is a Nashville songwriter who has scaled down his activity somewhat and moved back home. He and Viking partnered to create this stopover, providing a major economic boost to the town. Local church ladies prepare a big Southern dinner/lunch- pork barbecue, fried chicken- and Steve and his band perform. I commented to my wife that this could be the highlight of the trip, the music was so good. But there was plenty more that was just as enjoyable.

 

Day 3 (Monday): Arrive in Vicksburg, Mississippi

          We skipped the military park tour. Others who took it were very complimentary.

          We went on the guided “Vicksburg by Foot” tour. There is an attractive historic district with numerous antebellum homes. We were fascinated by how residents dug caves in order to shelter from the constant bombardment from the river by Union forces during the Civil War.

          We left with a sense of melancholy. The predominant impression we received was pervasive poverty.

 

Day 4 (Tuesday): Arrive in Natchez, Mississippi

          Natchez, on the other hand, is prosperous and really attractive. We walked

“The Best of Natchez” and found the historic homes so enjoyable, we talked about a trip just for a homes tour.

 

Day 5 (Wednesday): Arrive in St. Francisville, Louisiana

          Two plantation tours, both fascinating.

Frogmore Plantation (frogmoreplantation.com) is a working cotton plantation that shows a 19^th century cotton gin and a modern gin. The owner is deeply immersed in local history- she’s a former teacher- and she conducts the tour herself.

Rosedown Plantation (lastateparks.com/historic-sites/rosedown-plantation-state-historic-site) is a state historic site.

There is a lot more information on the website links than I can provide in a blog post.

Photo- Rosedown Plantation

 

Day 6 (Thursday): Arrive in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

We took a bus tour of Baton Rouge, which was interesting, with an emphasis on Louisiana State University, plus the state history museum. The museum is excellent, with lots of exhibits about Louisiana history and culture.

 

Day 7 (Friday): Arrive in Darrow, Louisiana.

          This is located in a crescent, where a lot of plantations are located, most still occupied and functioning. We toured Houmas House & Gardens (houmashouse.com) and Laura Plantation (lauraplantation.com), the latter especially known for its Creole history.

Great experiences.

 

Day 8 (Saturday): Arrive and disembark in New Orleans, Louisiana.

          Viking buses take you from the ship to the airport. Very convenient.

 

Reflections:

          This trip took us to a number of places we have wanted to visit but never seemed to get there. The tours are interesting, the guides well-informed and entertaining (except for one who just did not know how to stop talking). A tour each day is included in the basic fare; additional excursions cost about $99 per person. Seems reasonable.

          The food on board the ship is very good. There is a full-service restaurant on deck one, with a self-service buffet on deck five. I think Viking has made a mistake in their restaurant concept. The selections in the full-service restaurant are also offered on the buffet, but upstairs, there are a lot more to choose from. We ate in the restaurant twice, but we saw no reason to go back again. While it’s true that your order is prepared just before serving, and you have table service, we did not find it any better than the buffet. And that buffet gives you dozens of choices that aren’t available in the restaurant. We had small portions of multiple courses every night. There is also a grill off the rear deck.

          Viking says this cruise is all inclusive, which I guess is technically true. But the wines that are included are a choice of red or white, whatever they might be, and I would not have been happy if we could not get anything else. We bought the Silver Spirits package, and I will always do that on future Viking trips.

          Overall, we quite enjoyed the cruise- well enough to book another on the same ship on the upper Mississippi. Looking forward to that one!

North Italia

Here's a link to my column about North Italia, published today (March 4):

 https://www.yesweekly.com/foodanddrink/chow-down-with-john-batchelor-at-north-italia/article_3e12f84a-dd87-4a06-b668-ef507d7c1d3e.html

Throwing in a few photos...

Wine Dinner at Cafe Pasta

 

Fume Blanc, Chardonnay, Sienna, and Cabernet Savignon. Cost $65.

2025 in Retrospect

Go to  https://www.yesweekly.com/foodanddrink/ to see my end of the year column. That is the link to the current issue (12/31/2025), on stands until January 7. If you are seeing this after that week, use this link instead: 

https://www.yesweekly.com/foodanddrink/a-chow-down-2025-review-with-john-batchelor/article_8c762403-a97e-4dc2-8e5c-8a84fbfbbe0c.html

Key point: I name two Restaurants of the Year:

Betty on Burke (1016 Burke Street, Suite D, Winston-Salem 27101, 336-999-8866, bettyonburke.com) has one of the prettiest interiors I have ever encountered. And I use the feminine terminology deliberately. It’s a delicate look, but not frilly, a function of owner Jennifer Smith’s good taste. Jay Pierce, whose work I have admired for decades, is Executive Chef-Partner. The name of the restaurant pays tribute to the owners’ grandmothers, both of whom were named Betty. I think my favorite dish here was Sweet Potato Gnocchi, puffy-tender, richly flavored in their own right, plated with shredded duck meat, also cooked soft. Throw in locally grown mushrooms, and you get a rewarding result.

The Gaslight (126 South Main Street, Suite G, Kernersville 27284, 336-497-4025, thegaslightonmain.com) is the creation of chef-proprietor Daniel Zbiegien, in able collaboration with Maja Popovic. They formerly worked together at Jolo and Rayson wineries. His style frequently takes on familiar dishes, then adds variations that elevate them to another level. Everybody else has Shrimp and Grits, for example. The Gaslight has Shrimp and Polenta, deepened with Parmesan cheese, surrounded by tender, deveined shrimp, all resting in a smoked bacon jus. Roasted Brussels sprouts edge one side, a sweet, oven cured Campari tomato glowing bright red in the center.