Rare & Obscure Beer Night at Max’s

By Greg B. It was the Thursday night back in Baltimore after my DC excursion, and I expected a nice relaxing evening.  I was going to try my Peanut Butter Porter beer and that was it, but after surfing the web, I discovered that Max’s had a Rare & Obscure beer night, with a very interesting lineup.  Not wanting to out out, but also acknowledging that some of these beers sounded quite interesting, I wandered out to the bar to check out what was on tap. Read more

Happy Thanksgiving!

As I mentioned in another post, this is my favorite day of the year.  Just family, friends, food, wine (beer) and football.  The only holiday that isn’t too commercialized (no presents, no crazy decorations) and is meant to remind us of how lucky we are.  One day of the year for all of us to work together to provide food and shelter to those who are less fortunate. 

That said, here are a few things I am thankful for.  I wish you all the best this Turkey day!

• Wordpress.com  Without it, I would not have the time to maintain and edit a blog!
• Greg Bissonette- our “beer” guy who does a pretty good job writing about food, beer…and even wine!
• Sotto Sopra-  One of the best restaurants in Baltimore who gave me the opportunity to take over their wine program (the new list comes out next week!!!)
• Having readers like YOU for whom I love sharing recipes, tasting notes, and my food and wine experiences.
• Kim McKay- for loving me and being very supportive of all my hobbies.
• The Huskies and Jake - Who do their best to make sure I am busy even when I’m not busy.
• Charities and outreach groups such as Project Jump Start (for the homeless) which strive to give those in need a chance to live a normal life.

And most importantly…

• My outstanding friends and loving family with whom I can laugh, cry  and most importantly, share food and wine with! 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Thanksgiving Day Essentials: Turkey Gravy & Cranberry Relish Recipes

By Greg B. What is Thanksgiving day without some great cranberry relish and some awesome turkey gravy to pour over top of your food on the plate?  Below I’ll give you some suggestions on recipes to put the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving day celebration! Read more

Side Dishes For Your Thanksgiving Day Meal!

By Greg B. While the turkey may be the centerpiece of your holiday meal, the way side dishes work to compliment and contrast the flavor of the turkey is also key to a successful feast.  Variety of foods, colors and tastes will really go a long way to rounding out the meal.  Besides, what would a Thanksgiving Day feast be without mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potato, squash, green beans, and more? Read more

Have an extra $1000? White Alba Truffle dinner at Sotto Sopra!

Here’s the release- the title says it all! 9 course dinner with everything from Kobe beef to Fois Gras…most of it covered in fresh white Truffle brought over from Alba (Piemonte). I’ve come up with some interesting, off-the-wall wine pairings and on Wednesday, December 10th, for only $1000 (inclusive!) you can join in and see what all the fuss is about. The food will be amazing, the wines speak for themselves and the $4000 truffle we’re flying over isn’t even out of the ground yet! We’re taking 10 people for this event…and have four already booked, so if there is any chance you would actually be interested I’d recommend calling soon!

The dinner is limited to 10 guests

Cost per guest is $1,000 inclusive

Reception

Osetra caviar, blini and champagne

N.V. Krug Brut Champagne

(Champagne, France)

1^St Course

Snake River Farms Kobe Beef Carpaccio

Shaved white truffles, ancient Japanese sea salt, D.O.P. Tuscan olive oil

1990 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires

(Champagne, France)

2^nd Course

Roasted Chanterelle & Lobster Mushroom Soup

Shaved white truffles, aged Montchevre Bucheron goat cheese, prosciutto di Parma crisp

Rene et Vincent Dauvissat Chablis Les Clos

(Chablis, Burgundy, France)

3rd Course

Seared Foie Gras on Brioche

Roasted duck jus, Port wine reduction, Asian five-spice infused pear

1996 Serafin Pere et Fils Charmes-Chambertin

(Gevrey-Chambertin, Cotes de Nuits, Burgundy, France)

4^th Course

White Truffle Risotto

Aged Parmesan-Reggiano cheese and truffle butter

1990 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Riserva Granbussia

(Monforte, Barolo, Piemonte, Italia)

5^th Course

Basil-Lemon Sorbetto

Canton & Krug Royale

6^th Course

Grilled Venison Chop

White asparagus, Madeira reduction, white truffle foam

1997 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Madonna del Piano

(Montalcino, Tuscany, Italia)

7^th Course

Vanilla Soufflé with Truffle Honey Gelato

1998 Alois Kracher Chardonnay/Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese Nr. 7

8^th Course

Oregon Blue Cheese

Amaretto gelée and toasted almonds

1970 Dow’s Vintage Porto

(Porto, Duoro, Portugal)

9^th Course

Assorted Chocolate Truffles

1986 Nicolas Amarone

(Veneto, Italia)

To be one of the 10 guests for this evening’s gathering contact Monika Pawlak at 410 625 0534 or e-mail at ciao@sottosopra.us. Guaranteed reservations are required.

Thanksgiving 2008: Wine (and beer) recommendations for any Thanksgiving feast!

The Pilgrims Drank Wine - By Michael Mohammadi (see below for Greg’s beer recs)

Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year. I love it’s simplicity- no gifts, costumes or expectations, just a celebration to give thanks for good health, friends, family and, despite the hard times, our great country (yes, the USA).  Even with a troubled economy, conflicts abroad, and  the Detroit Lions being 0-11 (as well as University of Michigan finishing 3-9 for their worst record ever)…Thanksgiving day is still a time to spend time with loved wines, to eat, drink and give thanks for what we do have.

Despite what Greg will say below, Thanksgiving dinner is a time to open a few good bottles of wine.  I will admit that while enjoying football during the day (the Lions will most likely be 0-12 by 5:00 PM) I generally have a beer or two, but once the bird is roasted and the table is set, it’s time to grab a bottle of Champagne and a few miscellaneous wines.  Beer, while tasty, just doesn’t have the complexity and finesse to bring together all the components of a Thanksgiving feast.  (Sorry Greg!)  Combine that with the fact that the Pilgrims were drinking wine with Turkey on the first Thanksgiving ever (reference needed!), Turkey day is a day for wine, plain and simple. Read more

How to Prepare a Thanksgiving Turkey

By Greg B. With the Thanksgiving holiday rapidly approaching (do you have your turkey thawing yet?  Get on it!)  people should consider what method they want to use to cook the turkey.  There are many methods, including grilling, smoking, deep frying, and using a crockpot, but this post will be regarding more traditional oven roasting style cooking. Read more

Peter’s Inn, Another Great Baltimore Restaurant

By Greg B. To celebrate Amanda’s very successful public proposal, a few of us ventured out to a Baltimore restaurant.  The choice came down between Peter’s Inn and Rocket to Venus.  In the end, Peter’s Inn became the choice of the day, and I am thankful for the experience.  What a great restaurant, with interesting, delicious food at very reasonable prices.  I have to say this is one of the best value for great foods that exists in Baltimore, from my experience. Read more

Day 6: The Final Day in Washington DC

By Greg B. Well, the final day in Washington DC for the neuroscience conference was upon us.  Packing up from the hotel and dreading the fact that we would need to drag our luggage around the conference or stash it somewhere was an annoying factor, not to mention the day of posters, followed by the commute back home as an anticipated future burden.  Fortunately, however, Old Dominion came to the rescue. Read more

DC Restaurant Review: Corduroy on 9th Street

Info: 1122 Ninth Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 Phone: 202.589.0699
Hours: Dinner: Monday - Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:30pm, Lunch: Tuesday - Friday: 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Dress Code: Jackets are Preferred for Gentlemen (shorts and hats are not permitted)
Chef and Owner: Tom Power

Kim and I were in DC for a few days for the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting. This gathering of nearly 35,000 neuroscienctists from around the world is a great opportunity to catch up on what’s new in the field, meet up with former colleagues, find a post-doctorate job, and of course get a free trip with an excuse to go out and try new restaurants.

On the recommendation of a good friend of mine who lives in DC (thanks Kevin) we used our one night out alone to try Corduroy. The restaurant is located directly across the street from the DC convention center (which is convenient) on 9th Street and is almost hidden among a variety of row houses and other small businesses.

Entering the restaurant we immediately took note of the simple design and decor. After checking in our coats, we were seated at a very spacious table next to the giant built-in wine cellar (more on this to come). We were promptly greeted by our server, followed by the sommelier who was both knowledgeable and unpretentious. Once he realized that Kim and I are both very much into wine, he offered to show us the cellar. We ordered our first course, enjoyed the Champagne and took him up on the tour.

The main cellar is a very modern design of stained glass walls with simple racking and an intricate storage system. The wine list itself is magnificent for both its selections and its pricing. The list is deep in Burgundy (and other Pinot), the Rhone, and Cabernet from the US and around the world. Most markups were less than twice retail and for those who can’t find a wine they like, Corduroy offers corkage for $30 (only one bottle per table, though). But rest assured that somewhere within the well thoughout list you should be able to find something that tastes suits both your palate and your wallet and pairs well with your cuisine of the night. We settled on a glass of white Burgundy to marry our first courses (duo of lobster) and a bottle of 1998 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Les Hauts Prulieres 1er Cru which was a steal of a value (though not cheap).

While we waited for our ‘98 Burgundy, we enjoyed a carpaccio of lobster with drawn butter and chervil. This dish featured very thinly sliced lobster meat with a beautiful butter and chervil (similar to parsley) sauce. The lobster was very fresh and sweet and the dish as a whole was rich and complex. The white Burgundy could have used more acidity to cut through the creaminess of the dish, but all in all this was a great course. We also tried a roast tail of Maine lobster with two egg linguine which was fantastic. The lobster here was perfectly cooked and the linguine and accompanying sauce brought it all together. Overall I would highly recommend both courses with the caveat that the carpaccio is very rich and could use a wine with good acidity to cut through it all.

Just as we finished our first course, our ‘98 Burgundy arrived. The sommelier opened the bottle away from the table but within plain sight which was OK by me. The wine was served in Riedel Bugundy glasses which was a nice touch. On the nose the 1998 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Les Hauts Prulieres 1er Cru was spicy with dried leaves, loads of red fruit and cola. On the palate the flavors were intense with great balance and a long finish. The wine was phenomenal drinking near its peak and went great with both of our entrees.

Our first main plate featured seared Barnegat light Sea Scallops with Maitake rice porridge. The scallops were seared to perfection while medium rare on the inside. Kim found the rice porridge to be a bit odd as a texture for this dish, but I enjoyed it very much. The dish was almost perfectly seasoned and was a nice transition from the lobster to the next course. The scallops held up well with the Pinot with the light tannins cutting through the porridge helping to cleanse the palate preparing it for the next bite.

Our second main plate was graced with a beautiful venison loin cooked medium rare (perfectly to order) with a chestnut puree that added a variety of flavors and multiple textures. This dish was superb and was the highlight of the meal. The ‘98 Burgundy had just enough fruit and tannin to stand up to the dish without overpowering or being overwhelmed by it.

At this point I overheard a conversation between the gentleman at the table next to us in which they mentioned that they didn’t really get red Burgundy…so on cue, I had our sommelier bring two glasses over and we offered them a pour. This led to 30 minutes of talking about wine, DC, Baltimore, Barack Obama, and science (they happened to be physicians). Both couples were delightful to meet and they all agreed their meal was, too, exceptional (one couple frequents Corduroy regularly).

Near the end of the night I took a solo tour of the bar area upstairs which would fit 10 comfortably and seemed to be well stocked with many top-shelf bourbons, cognacs and other after dinner drinks. Chef Tom Power’s happened to be behind the bar talking with a server so I took the opportunity to introduce myself and thank him for the wonderful meal. He seemed very friendly and very passionate about his work. Following our quick conversation, I returned to the table where we finished our meal with a cheese sampler which was bought for us by our new friends at the table next to us.

Reiterating the theme to “food, wine, beer and culture”, this gathering of new friends over great food and wine is what it’s all about: the experience of it all which allowed the components of the meal to facilitate a shared appreciation for food and wine while putting things in life and culture into context.

Corduroy offers a fine dining experience with all the bells and whistles (and great wine list!) at more-than-fair fine dining prices (1st courses between $10-$18, main courses between $20-$36). Add that with the fact that Chef Power’s (who for many years worked with Michel Richard) may be the best kept “secret” in the mid-Atlantic area and you have a winning combination. I highly recommend Corduroy to those traveling to DC, living in DC, or looking for a reason to travel to DC! It would be the perfect place for a romantic dinner out or a business meeting. Corduroy offers an eclectic menu of expertly and innovative prepared local, seasonal and fresh ingredients. Pair that with a wine list that brings great selection, quality and prices (and great stemware and service) and you have the best pairing there is in food and wine!

Credits: Main image from wikipedia.com commons.

Day 5 in Washington DC: Monuments, Dim Sum, Irish Pubs & more!

By Greg B. By Tuesday, most of us are pretty overloaded from the conference.  It takes a lot of energy just to maintain a good, productive scientific conversation normally, let alone in dim, randomly fluctuating lighting surrounded by the dull roar of 31,000 people talking, walking, moving, etc, and doing this for hours at a time, over many days.  So, these facts, coupled with the fact that none of us had anything really important to see on Tuesday, we decided to take a day off and scope out DC a bit. Read more

Day 4: Chinatown, RFD, Busboys & Poets, Saint-ex and Brickskeller

By Greg B. For lunch today, we ate at the Szechuan House (748 6th st NW Washington DC).  Minimal food to order from at first, though if you want there is a menu you can order from.  We opted to eat the lunch species, which were rather cheap (plate o’ food and a drink, $6).  Not bad Chinese, not amazing either, but a good quick meal.  Later on though, after yet another long day of science lectures, posters, meetings and chatting about grant money, post-doctoral research and various elements of methodology of research, I needed a beer.  So, I took a stroll with Gabi down to R.F.D., a bar I had seen while in China town that had a ton of beer taps in the window on display. Read more

Day 3: Oyamel Redux and Marrakesh Palace Dinner

By Greg B. Day three was mostly full of science, once again something I wont go into detail about here. The morning and afternoons were spent in the poster sessions, learning about various thalamocortical projections and looking at some decision making, fMRI human studies. However, there was time for some good food, and we took every opportunity we could find. Read more

Washington DC Excursion, Day 2

By Greg B.  Day 2 of the Washington DC excursion started like any normal science convention day.  We were in transit for several hours this morning, traffic going into Baltimore on I-95, plus some traffic in DC (though minor, especially with the G-20 summit, plus SFN (Society for Neuroscience) meeting starting.  After checking into our hotel (Beacon hotel corporate quarters) and seeing our nice suite, complete with kitchen, we went to the conference. Read more

Washington DC Excursion: Day 1

By Greg B.  So, for the following few days, I will be in Washington DC for a science conference.  As such, I will be taking this opportunity to go out, eat, drink and tour the city like I have never seen it before!  I’ll try and post a quick summary of my activities, give you a little of the flavor of Washington, and hopefully find some interesting restaurants and activities. Read more

Mid-Atlantic Taste of Elegance: The night of pigs

By Greg and Michael

On a night when the gales of November returned (after a few day hiatus of warm weather), Bill Crouse, of Sotto Sopra joined a competition. A veritable battle between local chefs, using the ultimate culinary battleground (or tool/weapon?): Pork. Read more

Lamb Stew with Chimay Red Recipe

By Greg B.  So with the colder weather upon us, many people are once again turning to baking foods and slow cooked meals using the oven.  While this does serve a dual purpose of warming the house a bit, and making some delicious food, I’ve recently really gotten into using my crock pot.  It is some of the most simple cooking and a great, simple concept: very slow, evenly distributed heat over a long period of time in a covered container.  This renders all food extremely tender, moist, fully cooked and very flavorful. Read more

Mother’s Milk IPA

By Greg B.  With a friend of mine’s PhD graduation this fall, I decided to brew a special beer in honor of the occasion. Her personality is a little bitter at times, but definitely overflowing with energy and sometimes she can be very sweet.  Thinking about the style of beer that best suited her, I could only naturally come to the conclusion that an IPA was in order, one that was a bit heavy on the malty side.  And so, I set out to craft a beer. (note:  I decided to give her the original, and only, recipe for this beer.  So this recipe is for the next, upgraded IPA I’d make, with some changes) Read more

Lunch With Donald Hess

A few weeks ago I had a chance to have lunch with the owner of The Hess Collection family of wines, Donald Hess. The almost three hour lunch at the Capital Grill in the Inner Harbor included around 30 other people in the wine industry and though the lunch was set in a medium sized dining room, I was fortunate enough to be seated directly next to Mr. Hess. I took advantage of this rare opportunity by asking tons of questions and just listening to his stories. By the end of the meal I was more impressed with the Hess philosophy and culture than the wines he introduced us to (which were great). Read more

A Rainy fall night at Max’s on Broadway

By Greg B. In the post collegiate years, I’ve drank in a good many bars.  But there is one bar that is the one my friends and I always fall back on, Max’s on broadway.  For years this bar has offered an enormous variety of beers to drink, has a staff that will get you your beers, tab, food, check, menu, etc very expediently, and an atmosphere this is a real mixing pot of social classes and age groups, something that happens rather uniquely in Fells pt.  Read more

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