A Five Star Meal

     It’s been years since I’ve said this: “That was a five-star dinner.”

     Following my very favorable comments about White and Wood in Yes! Weekly newspaper (see issuu.com/yesweekly) in the February 2 edition, my wife and I made reservations for a wine dinner, featuring Cain winery in California. This is a seriously high-end winery, making only red wines, usually based on Bordeaux style blends- Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Thus the name of their signature wine- Cain Five.

    First course was Salmon Rilette with sliced radish, capers, and chive crème fraiche, drizzled with watercress oil. This was a preliminary, not paired with Cain wine. Instead, we got a serving of Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne- bright and crisp, a delight.

    The first Cain pairing came with Scallops, presented over a polenta cake, surrounded by swirls of bright red bell pepper coulis. The scallops were perfectly seared to a brown crust, giving way to a buttery tender texture. The presentation looked like an abstract painting. NV12 Cain Cuvee was the wine. The “NV” signifies non-vintage, the “12” meaning a blend of 2011 and 2012 wines. This is a mid-priced Cain wine from the Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District, a Cabernet-Merlot blend, lighter and fruitier than Cain Five. White and Wood priced this for purchase at $36, the same price as listed on the Cain website- no additional markup! Pairing a red wine with scallops is unusual, but it worked.

        Next came Duck Rossini, a seared strip of breast, flanked by pieces of duck foie gras, spinach, a seared potato sprinkled with walnut gremolata, and a duck bordelaise sauce. My wife is not a duck fan, but in this case, she ate the entire serving. That’s the highest praise duck can get. A 2008 library release Cain Five was the pairing, rich, mellow, wonderful in a way that only an aged red wine can be. We got a second taste a little while later, after it had opened up even more. Price was $140 a bottle. Steep, but worth it, in my estimation, for an aged wine that you can be assured has been kept properly at the winery.

Beef Wellington was the main course, another knockout presentation, the solid depth of flavor from the beef enhanced with a veal bordelaise sauce. Celery root puree extended the experience, laced with truffle oil, yielding additional complexity. Swiss Chard greens completed the presentation, providing a balanced meal as well as a pleasant flavor variation from the greens. The winery’s flagship Cain Five was the wine, vintage 2016. This still has enough age to merit consumption now, although it will get even better for another decade or more. Price- $125, again, the same as the winery website.

Call the restaurant to order these and other wines. They have a great retail wine program.

Restaurants near Tanger Center

 Here's a link to my article recommending restaurants located near Tanger Center:

https://issuu.com/yesweekly/docs/yes_weekly_-_october_20_2021

Tanger Center Buffet

 Here's a link to my article about Tanger Center enhancements, especially pre-theater buffet dining:

https://issuu.com/yesweekly/docs/yes_weekly_-_november_17_2021

Block Party

 The neighborhood had a block party Saturday night. We had a food truck, West Coast Wanderer (facebook.com/westcoastwandererllc), and we gathered in the cul de sac in the center of our condo development. Good food. She can cook! 

Tanger Center

 After a year's COVID delay, Tanger Center is open. Have attended several events as paying patron as well as unpaid volunteer usher. This is a great facility!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Cooking at home: grilled pork tenderloin with red wine reduction sauce and vegetables from Greensboro Farmers Market- collards and crowder peas from Smith Farms in Gibsonville. Cornbread muffin on the side.

The Prescott

 Dinner at The Prescott in Kernersville. Chef/owner Trey Prescott is a real talent.

Cauliflower Caesar Salad places tempura cauliflower in romaine lettuce, with homemade croutons and Caesar dressing.

Pamlico Walnut Shrimp is one of the most flavorful starters I have had, anywhere!

Lemon-Caper Grouper is served over rotini pasta with blistered grape tomatoes, spinach, and artichokes with fresh basil.

Blackened Salmon is joined by spicy shrimp plus asparagus over fettucine in a Cajun cream sauce.

Taco Mama

 Went back to Taco Mama recently. These folks have figured out a way to provide quality, fresh ingredients in a very casual, inexpensive setting. Their margaritas are interesting- some seasonal, such as Blood Orange. We had a shrimp burrito and a taco. Cheap and good!

Taco

Shrimp Burrito

Watermelon Margarita

Mercedes Margarita

Prosecco Fizz

NC Food Truck Championship

 Again this year, I was a judge for the North Carolina Food Truck Championship. This event is held every June in downtown Randleman. You might keep the date in mind for next year- it's an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. Trucks come in from all over the state. They sell to the public while delivering to the judges. Keep up at this link: https://www.facebook.com/northcarolinafoodtruckchampionship/.

I had several favorites: Drunken Noodle (Thai), Taste of Jamaica (Caribbean), Ghassan's (Mediterranean influenced sandwiches), and Oink and Moo (smoked brisket). Watch for them wherever food trucks gather! 

The judges ranked Drunken Noodle first- the winner for 2021.

Here are the rest of the rankings:

1st Place-Drunken Noodle

2nd Place- Taste of Jamaica

3rd Place - Ghassan’s

People’s Choice- Rockaway (loaded plates styled after the owners' background in upstate New York)

Wine Tasting

 My wife and I recently tasted four wines from Etruscan Imports in Greensboro. This local distributor brings in wines from Italy and Romania. Needless to say, Romanian wines have not been part of my repertoire in the past! These wines are available in a few Italian restaurants- Osteria (1310 Westover Terrace, Greensboro 27408, 336-275-2550) for example- and in wine shops. Zeto (335 Battleground Ave, Greensboro, (336) 574-2850) usually has them in stock.

When shopping Italian wines, look for the abbreviations IGT, DOC, or DOCG. These certify that the winery has voluntarily adopted strict production standards. 

We started with a white blend, De Stefani Olmera (IGT), vintage 2017, made from sauvignon blanc (37%) and tai (67%). The term “tai” is an Italian variation on Tokaj, the famous Hungarian white varietal. This wine comes from Veneto, the northeastern corner of Italy, a region that is famous for the city of Venice, on the coast. It has just a touch of sweetness from the tai. 

 

A Brunello di Montalcino, Beatesca Azienda Agricola from Tuscany (DOCG) was next. This is aged in French oak barrels for two years, then in the bottle for an additional two years before release. It bears classic cherry and tobacco notes from pure Sangiovese grapes. The vintage we tasted was 2013.

Bolgheri Ville Rustiche Bolgheri (DOCG), also from Tuscany, is a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (20%), and Petit Verdot (10%), vintage 2016. We tend to find blends easy to enjoy. It shows dark color, with a complex nose of black berries, spices and cedar. Rich and dense, it’s a big wine that would match well with red meats.

The Romanian entry was Melgis Petro Vaselo Recas (DOC). Intense ruby red in color, the nose opens on notes of dark spices enriched by ripe raspberries and blackberries, followed by important hints of cocoa and licorice. This is an easy-drinking, fruit forward wine, which, although fairly inexpensive, has become one of our favorites.

These wines are good, but more than that, they are distinctive. Fine for tasting by themselves, but especially food friendly.