Wine 101 Tasting Seminar, with a Four Course Meal Attached

Back in July I discovered Los Angeles' last remaining winery, San Antonio Winery in downtown LA. Since they now have a wine tasting seminar series, they invited me to check out the first one, Wine 101.

The tasting seminar involves a 4-course luncheon paired with eight different wines.


The seminar is led by Michael Papalia, their wine Store manager. He first went over the basic steps of wine tasting (the look, swirl, sniff, slurp, etc).
The afternoon started out with a plate of Puma goat cheese, orange and roasted eggplant salad (french vanilla glaze, basil oil and microgreens), paired with Champagne Duval-Leroy Brut, a nice champagne for $30 a bottle.
Nice contrast between the citrus and the creaminess of the eggplant and goat cheese. The cheese was not overwhelming either, but the eggplant was a little cold.

Michael Papalia discuss the different grape varieties out there - from the 24,000 names of varieties to the 5,000 truly distinct varieties, to just 150 grown in commer cial quantities. Out of all these, only 9 are considered classic varieties. Oh, the competition ...

The next course was broiled miso Alaskan black cod on potato and chive pancake with miso glaze.
This was a bit tough, a little overcooked, but it had nice flavors. I also liked the pancake quite a bit but the dish overall lacked texture.
This was "paired" with 3 different whites for our comparison. The first two were the Frog's Leap 2008 Sauvignon Blanc(Napa Valley) and San Simeon 2006 Chardonnay(Monterey), a good pick for a Wine 101 course since the attendees can distinguish between the crispness of the Sauvignon Blanc and the buttery Chardonnay.

The third wine was also informatively different with the Maddalena Vineyard 2008 Riesling, Monterey - this was a sweet, almost dessert-wine-like Riesling which I enjoyed in itself though not so much with the cod. I actually saved half of my glass and had it with my dessert later on (a better pairing, IMHO).

For our main entree: Roasted ancho pepper crusted rack of lamb (roasted wild mushroom risotto, pinot noir coriander sauce)
This was very good, the lamb was very tender if a bit fatty and very flavorful. A great dish, one unexpectedly good considering I was just at a wine tasting seminar at a winery. According to San Antonio Winery's owner, they bring in an outside chefs to prepare the food for these special tasting events and they intend to keep doing so for more improvement and to keep it interesting.

The lamb chop was paired with three reds.
The 2005 Maddalena Merlot is a pretty smooth wine for only $14 a bottle
The 2006 Luigi Bosca Malbec was a table favorite, though I think this wine would be better after aging a little longer. It does, however, pair nicely with the lamb chop.
San Antonio “Cask 520″, Paso Robles. This was a pretty good wine, and definitely one of San Antonio's best wines and a good buy at $28.

For dessert, we had some Island mango mousse with candied macadamia nuts and toasted coconut shavings
It was a simple dessert but I liked it a lot, especially with the nice aroma from the toasted coconuts and the texture of the candid macadamia.
The La Quinta Syrah Port that was paired with the dessert was a bit too syrupy and sweet for my taste and I thought the Riesling from earlier was a better pairing.

Papalia of course explained the process of making port, in particular brandy fortified port. If you're a wine newbie you will definitely learn a lot from this seminar, from the difference in the process between white and red wines, why chardonnay tends to be more buttery, and much more. Did you know that an oak barrel is individually hand crafted and runs about $1000 and can only be used for 2, or at most 3 vintages? Of course, you can then use them to age distilled spirits after, but still now I can understand more why wines can be so expensive.


If you're interested in attending a tasting seminar at San Antonio Winery, here's their list of events.
Upcoming Events:
Wine 102: Exploring California's Grape Growing Regions. Sunday, Feb 21 (1-4 pm).
$55, 4 course luncheon included.
Understanding Bordeaux Varieties. Saturday, March 20 (1-4 pm)
$60, 4 course luncheon included.
"A Day in Tuscany": Italian Wine Tasting. Saturday June 12 (1-4 pm)
$60, 4 course luncheon included.

Boutique Wine Tastings:
Artisan Chocolates & California Reds. Saturday, March 6 (1-3 pm)
$24, light appetizers included
Wine & Cheese Pairing
Saturday, April 10 (1-3 pm)

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San Antonio Winery
737 Lamar Street
Los Angeles, CA 90031
(323) 223-1401
www.sanantoniowinery.com

DineLA 2010: Cube Marketplace & Cafe, Artisan Crafted Lunch

Cube was the place I wanted to hit the most for this year's first Dine LA Restaurant Week, in particular their lunch. The Cube Truffle burger, available only on the lunch dine LA menu plus the fact that the three course meal ran only $22.00 per person led me to take an "extended lunch" with Wandering Chopsticks, since, alas, it was not open for lunch on Sundays.

If you didn't catch it the first time, the place is called Cube Marketplace & Cafe, so of course they sell various gourmet, artisan food products, along with cute kitchen and table wares and $50 bowls.

The Dine LA menu had three choices for both appetizer and entree, but WC and I wanted the same thing and didn't want to risk sharing something we might not want, so we both placed the same orders.

For our appetizer: Shaved brussels sprout salad (satsumas, toasted hazelnuts, pomegranates, pecorino, hazelnut vinaigrette) - regularly $11
They didn't even cut down on the portion. This plate of salad would've satisfied me until dinner time, but I had to trek on. The citrusy combination of the satsumas, pomegranates, and vinaigrette is a bit acidic, though the toasted hazelnuts balanced that off quite nicely and each bite was at once crunchy and refreshing.

Moving on: Cube Truffle Burger (house brioche, blue cheese, caramelized shallots, crispy potatoes w/ chipotle ketchup on the side) - regularly $15. Arugula and tomato slices are provided on the side to build your burger to your liking.
The brioche bun may be smaller in diameter, but it packs in one thick, juicy patty. While indulging in a slurry of meat juices amidst the strong aroma of blue cheese and truffle oil, you may feel the need to reach for a couple of the thin crisp fried potatoes dipped in the chipotle ketchup. And a couple more. In fact, if I didn't have a strong enough will to make them take away my plate I never would've stopped eating those crispy potatoes.

Although all having all this great food had probably used up my good karma for the day, there was more to come. This time WC and I are actually sharing!
Our first choice was the seasonal fruit cobbler duo (cherry, rhubarb) with tahitian vanilla bean ice cream - regularly $8
The top is a thick granola-laden crust that fit my crust/fruit ratio preference just fine. Both were good, but the cherry in particular was amazing.

Our second dessert choice was the pots de creme duo (butterscotch, Valrhona chocolate) - regularly $8
Being a chocolate lover, I liked this dessert even more. The valrhona pot de creme is thick and dark. I loved the bittersweetness, although be warned that it might be darker than you may expect.

The desserts made me want some hot tea and since Cube does serve loose leaf tea, I ordered myself a pot.

Cube's Dine LA lunch was an amazing deal. $11 salad + $15 burger + $8 dessert = $22, you do the Math (I'm just the bioengineer). Sorry I didn't tell you guys sooner ... hopefully they'll do it for the next Restaurant Week too. Even without it, though, Cube is definitely a place you should try.

Cube Marketplace & Cafe
615 N La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 939-1148
www.cubemarketplace.com

Chinese New Year Brunch at The Langham in Pasadena

If you're a high-rolling Asian who frequents the San Gabriel Valley, you may be escorted to a table at a popular dim sum restaurant without waiting in line. If you're a high roller but don't have any pull in the SGV, you should consider the Sunday brunch buffet at The Terrace at The Langham for Chinese New Year.

In celebration of Chinese New Year, for the month of February, The Terrace is offering a chinese inspired Sunday brunch buffet. Think dim sum, Peking duck, five spice duck, followed by almond pudding and egg tarts for dessert, amidst a white tablecloth dining room facing the swimming pool.

Walking down the stairs, you'd be hard pressed to miss the enticing dessert spread to your right, adorned with impressive chocolate sculptures celebrating the year of the Tiger with a sign for good fortune, and the ever-present symbol of the dragon.

Chinese New Year - themed chocolate sculptures at The Langham

Dim sum station offering shrimp dumplings (har gow), shiu mai, and pork buns is set up next to a carving station boasting a whole Peking duck.
I was pleasantly surprised by the shiu mai and pork buns, they tasted better than many dim sum places in the SGV! The har gow was quite good too although I prefer a thinner skin. The Peking duck was excellent, but I did miss the usual wrapping skin and green onion (they did have hoisin sauce) that I cannot separate peking duck from.

It doesn't end there. There were also a cold section of creative Asian inspired dishes.
My favorite was the smoked duck with black sesame sauce. The duck breast was flavorful and tender, but it was the unique black sesame sauce that lifted this dish.

Besides the special Chinese food offering, you can find your expected Langham brunch buffet throughout the month, including the cold seafood spread: crab claws, oysters, and shrimp.On the "br" section you'll find an omelette station spitting out very well prepared omelettes; choice of egg white available for that healthy adult in you.
Pieces of salmon, yellowtail, tuna, and unagi nigiri sushi line the sushi station. At the other carving station, deliciously tender prime rib and lamb loin is available. If you can still fit more, don't miss this.

The cheese tray is a nice selection of gouda, three blue cheeses, and more, along with a variety of condiments right next to it.

Last but not least of course, for us the sweet-toothed: the dessert stations. Petit fours, creme brulees, a Crêpes and waffle station, and a chocolate fountain.
I was still surprised to find chinese desserts like almond tofu pudding, pia, and egg tarts here, alongside their usual layer cakes, chocolate tarts, and more.
The almond pudding is served with canned lychees, just as you would find it at a Chinese restaurant. Don't forget the Crêpe with their amazing caramel sauce

A $75 brunch buffet would certainly not involve food only. You can of course expect your usual mimosa or champagne flutes to remain full, but if you want to spice up your Sunday a bit, there's a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar just past the dessert station.
Even though it's a buffet, The Langham spares no detail. With spot on service and delicious food (and champagne), my brunch was thoroughly enjoyable. Needless to say I wasn't even hungry until the next morning.

The Langham does brunch right, why not indulge on Chinese New Year here?
Oh, the valet is free too so forget fighting for parking spots outside of Elite.

*Disclaimer: The Langham hosted me for brunch here so I can report their month-long chinese new year special menu (i.e. I ate for free, and boy, did I enjoy it).

The Terrace at The Langham
1401 S Oak Knoll Ave
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 568-3900
http://pasadena.langhamhotels.com/en/restaurants/sunday_brunch_theterrace.htm