Saturday, February 20, 2016

Not boaring.

Not in the least boring was Vinomaker's birthday dinner last night at the Rutherford Grill, Rutherford.  The place was absolutely heaving with diners when we arrived, it was a good job that we had reservations.  Food was great; a surprisingly, for me, tasty Brussels sprout appetizer (Brussels sprouts are an obsession of Vinomaker's), a tri-tip/butternut squash enchilada combo for Vinomaker and a seared ahi tuna platter for me (it was a Friday in Lent, after all).  The Rutherford Grill's 'By the Glass' menu is a little paltry, but Vinomaker managed to amuse himself with a glass each of; a Ledson 2014 Viognier (Sonoma Coast AVA); a Swanson 2014 Pinot grigio (Oakville AVA) and a Pride Mountain Vineyards 2012 Merlot (Napa/Sonoma AVA).  I had one glass of sparkling wine to celebrate the anniversary of Vinomaker's birth, a Domaine Carneros 2011 Brut (Carneros AVA).  And plenty of Rutherford Grill 2016 Tap Water (Rutherford AVA).  A fun dinner.

8 comments:

New Hampshire Wineman said...

Happy belated Birthday Vinomaker!
My son turned me on to Brussels sprouts; yummy, fried with garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

Thomas said...

Brussels sprouts aficionado! I love it.

Try this VM:

Chopped shallots in olive oil on medium heat for a minute; add chopped garlic to cook for another minute; deglaze with Cribari Madeira 45 seconds; add Brussels sprouts, cover, let simmer for five to seven minutes, or until the sprouts are the consistency you like--remove from heat and serve. Tasty.

Thud said...

Thomas sounds good,I'd probably go with discard entire dish and consume doughnuts but then I'm not known for my palate....happy bday Bil!

Vinogirl said...

NHW: Didn't eat Brussels sprouts for years, couldn't stand them, but I realised that there are more interesting ways to cook them instead of just boiled in salted water.

Tomasso: Would the Madeira make them slightly sweet? He wouldn't like that. He likes sprouts cooked with chopped onions, garlic, pancetta and a massive dollop of horseradish just before serving.

Thud: Sorry if my response to your comment doesn't make sense, but it is hard to type when laughing so hard at the thought of you with a bowl of sprouts (cooked, any style).

Thomas said...

VG: Yes, the Madeira adds sweetness, but judicious addition makes for an interesting balance among semi=sweet shallots and garlic, pungent B.sprouts, and the Madeira.

Generally, I am not a sweet food person--eat quite a small smattering of sweet foods and drink few sweet wines, but I appreciate when sweetness is used to create a balanced palate sensation.

The pancetta (or regular bacon) is another wonderful addition to B.sprouts, but I have never dolloped horseradish--will give it a try.

I, too, can't stop laughing at Thud and B.sprouts alone together!

Vinogirl said...

Tomasso: VM wouldn't even have a solitary cranberry in a salad. He does like off-dry wines however.
Thud vs sprouts? Let's just say it's a good job that the sprouts are dead already.

Thomas said...

Here's another recipe:

A ball of shredded potato and shredded B.sprouts blended with some garlic and caraway seeds; then, separated into patties. Grill the patties in butter to golden on each side, they should look like hash browns. Then, sprinkle chevre cheese pieces over each patty, cover and let the cheese melt before serving.

Vinogirl said...

Tomasso: That sounds good, messy, a bit of work, but tasty!