The Farnsworth House - Bordentown, NJ

Date:  January 17, 2011
Name of Establishment:  The Farnsworth House
Location:  135 Farnsworth Avenue  Bordentown, NJ  08505
Web:  http://www.thefarnsworthhouse.com/
Order:  Anything from the bar menu and one of the 20 plus draft beers!

I just wasn't feeling like firing up the stove and putting my chef's coat on tonight, so I took a little drive to Bordentown and hit up the Farnsworth House.

The beer menu here is awesome, and you cannot beat the bargains on the bar menu.  Tonight I hit up the steak sandwich with roasted red peppers, onion, and mushroom, and for $7 with fries, does it really get any better?


Great flavors and the perfect sized portion, cooked nicely on fresh, soft in the middle, crunchy on the outside bread.  Yet again another crowd pleaser, and again, one of the best meals you'll find around Central New Jersey for under $10.

My beer du jour tonight was the Avery White Rascal, which is a Belgium styled wheat ABV of 5.5%.  This would be great during the summer time, but was tasty right now too.

What can I say though, another good, inexpensive meal at the Farnsworth House.  Cheers!

Beauty & Essex - New York, NY

So from Death & Co, since we were just a few blocks away, I absolutely had to take John to Beauty & Essex!  Now, if you didn't notice Death & Co while walking past it, there is no way you would ever realize that Beauty & Essex was even here.

From the outside, it looks like an old pawn shop or antique/estate jewelry store.  But at the back left of the store is a giant door with a doorman, and once the door is open, you see and absolute vibe of a great place!  Sure, this too is styled after an old speakeasy, however, this place is done with some class!

On the right hand side as you walk in is a giant staircase.  Unfortunately, I didn't go up here to see what was there, but we were just stopping in for a drink or 2.  There seemed to be a lot of people going up and down, so who knows.

We grab 2 seats at the bar on the left before the dining room, and there were only 2 other people at the bar which probably has about 12 stools.  Opposite the bar is seating that was jam packed, all the way down the wall, with some tables, and chairs as well.  Definitely a cozy spot.

Towards the rear of the restaurant is the dining room, which looked absolutely gorgeous, and definitely had a great vibe.  There wasn't an open table that I could see, and again, considering it was a Monday, this is a good sign for the economy.  Or a good sign that this is a fun gathering place where the masses like to hang out.

As for the drinks, again, I would stay away from beer here and go the cocktail route.  I actually had a glass of Bordeaux, and while it cost $14, it was what it was in Manhattan.  The service from the bar was nice and friendly, and she was accommodating enough to take a picture for us.

The menu at Beauty & Essex looks nice, and the few entrees that I saw looked delicious.  Appetizers are from $12-$16, and entrees run $18-$52.

Looking forward to visiting for dinner one of these nights.  In the meantime, here is another fun NYC gem worth checking out!  And don't be afraid to go in...there really is a door into the speakeasy through the pawn shop!  Cheers!

Beauty & Essex
146 Essex Street
New York, NY 10002-2301
Phone:  (212)614-0146
http://www.beautyandessex.com/

Death & Co - New York, NY

When my good pal John Rueff sent me a text message before 6AM today, I knew it was going to be a good day, and that he was coming to town.  That said, I hopped the train to meet him for dinner, and after dinner we checked out a few places for cocktails that I have been meaning to try at the suggestions of friends.

First and foremost, if you didn't know what this place was, you would probably walk right past it.  But what is it exactly?  Is it a swanky bar and a hip place to hang out?  You bet!  Is it a small, cozy place that serves good drinks!  Oh heck yes!  Is it a place where you can grab some tapas and a snack?  Yup, it's that too!  Long story short, it's an old styled speakeasy that serves good drinks!

But that being said, this isn't a shot and a beer sort of bar.  Not in the least!  If you are going to take the time to go to Death & Co, do yourself a favor and stay away from the beer and the wine, and go for a cocktail.  The bartenders are not just drink pourers, they are mixologists, and some of them are genius!

The place itself is small and cozy, and I could see this place being absolutely packed on the busier nights.  Being a Monday, we took the last 2 seats at the bar, and stayed for a drink.

For the small plates menu, there are about 15 plates (including 3 desserts) to choose from.  Some of the winners include the Truffled mac and Cheese, served on 8 individual spoons, portioned into the perfect sized bites. 

Other favorites include the Lobster Brioche Rolls, Tuna Tartar, Crispy Pork Belly, and the Petite Filet Mignon.  Again, these are small plates, or "Bites" as I think they called them on the menu, so order several different things to tide you over.  I will say that there wasn't anything that was underwhelming in the least.

Service is also great, and the bartenders are cool.  The guy we had seemed to have a lot of liquor knowledge, and shared a story about Absinthe with us and the history of absinthe.  Interesting...from what everyone says however, order the "Saz Wha?" from Brian at the bar.  I will have to try this next time!

In short, if you are looking for a hip place to bring some friends to, or have some friends visiting from out of town, this is a good choice!  Check it out now, and remember who sent ya while this place is still on the cool list!  We'll be back for sure in the future.  Cheers!

Death & Co
433 East 6th Street (Between 1st and Avenue A)
New York, NY 10009
Phone:  (212)388-0882
http://www.deathandcompany.com/

Bar Americain - New York, NY

So tonight I took the train from Princeton up to NYC, to meet my good friend John from back home in Chicago for dinner.  I walked up the stairs to 7th Avenue at Penn Station, and hung a quick right to meet John at the Hilton Fashion District.  Needless to say, we left his hotel and started walking towards Times Square, so I suggested Bar Americain.

We walked in and the restaurant was packed, however, there were 2 open stools at the bar so we sat down and ordered a couple of drinks, and got some menus.   I looked at the wine list, and really wasn't in the mood for a Washington State cabernet, so I went the beer route, and had a hefewizen instead, and I think it was Pennsylvania perhaps?  Not sure, but regardless, it was tasty.

It's been a few years since Zelda took me to Bar Americain, and unfortunately, there was nothing that really jumped out and grabbed me from the menu, so I ended up ordering the Monday night special of Fried Chicken, with a side of fries.  John ended up ordering the same, with asparagus however.

The chicken came out quick, and had a great crisp to it.  It was juicy and tender inside, and had some great herb and spice flavors.  This was served with a side of a black pepper biscuits with a honey of sort on them, and these too were good.  What I really liked was the flavor from the pink peppercorn in the breading on the chicken.  This added a great element which I truly appreciated.

The fries were fries.  Nothing special about them, and frankly, they could have been a lot hotter than the luke warm that they were.  The chipotle mayo however is always delicious, and the same as what is served at Bobby's Burger Palace.

All in all, a nice bar dinner, but not sure the fried chicken was $29 worthy.  I think that Chef Capasso at West Side Gravy does a friend chicken every bit as good for half the price, but that is just me.  Service was friendly, food was tasty, and it's always good to see my boy from home.  Cheers!


Bar Americain
152 W. 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
212.265.9700

Coltello Ristorante Italiano - Crosswicks, NJ

For the second year in a row, I have held my holiday party at Coltello Ristorante Italiano in Crosswicks, NJ, and based on tonight's performance, you bet we'll try to book Coltello again next year!


We had a party of 42 tonight, and Chef Dominic and the Coltello staff had us. set up at one HUGE table down the left hand side of the restaurant.  The setup was perfect, with 2 large round tables at either end, and rectangular tables joining the two down the middle.  The festivities started with the Commander making some a few statements, and then we were on our way to yet another one of Chef Dominic's incredible meals.


The first course of the evening was a Spedini alla Romana, a thin, pan fried mozzarella that is breaded, with an anchovy and caper sauce served family style.  Everyone LOVES fried mozz, and this was a great way to set the tone for tonight's meal.  The mozz was fresh, and fried to a crispy golden brown, and the anchovy sauce paired with the capers gave it some great flavor.  Everyone ranted and raved about this, and I am guessing that half of our people wouldn't have touched it had they known it was an anchovy sauce!  But what they don't know, won't kill them!  ;-)

The second course was a flatbread, topped with an aged cheddar cheese, prosciutto, and a sunny side up egg.  The flatbread itself had the perfect texture, with a nice crunch on the outside, with a soft chewy center.   I'm not sure if Chef Dominic makes the bread in house, but it sure tastes homemade!  The cheddar had great flavors, and the prosciutto was perfect...not too salty, and not bland at all.  This is the kind of prosciutto that I could snack on all day long.  I was a bit worried that people may not understand the sunny side up egg, but I found it to be an awesome element, and innovative.  The ones that didn't understand why the egg was on here just don't get it, but what a genius take this was for Chef Dom to come up with this.  This was absolutely awesome!

Needless to say, the appetizer plates were clean and crumb less, and and there was no shortage in portions.  Chef Dominic sent out a lot of food, and for the price what we paid for this party, I could not be any happier.  You just cannot get the quality of food at the price as we are tonight.

Next course was the salad course, with a fancy green salad of mixed greens and a house made balsamic vinaigrette. Again, served family style, and a huge helping of salad for the entire table.


From here, we went onto the pasta course, and Chef Dominic did not skimp once again, and pulled out all the stops.  I was actually walking around making sure all our personnel were enjoying themselves, and if it wasn't for the Commander filling my plate, I would have missed out as these giant bowls went fast.  This was a Rigatoni Carbonara, with pancetta and caramelized shallots with a Parmesan cream sauce that was to die for.  Again, delicious, and again, there were no leftovers here anywhere on the table.

For entrees tonight, Chef Dominic came up with 4 choices for us.  The first, and the entree that I could not pass up was a marinated flank steak with a jalapeno chimichurri sauce with grilled fingerling potatoes.  All I have to say about this is AWESOME!  The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare/medium, and was juicy and tender.


This was so good in fact that many of us in the office were craving it the following morning, stating how good it would be with some eggs for breakfast.  This was perfectly seasoned, and the chimichurri added such great flavors, but this would have been good on it's own.  This is definitely an entree that I will order again, and I hope that Chef Dominic decides to leave this on the menu as it is such a great entree.


Some of the other entree selections tonight included a salmon dish with roasted corns and scallions.  I was actually hoping to get a bite of this from someone, but unfortunately, there was nobody near me who ordered it, and when I did finally make my way around there restaurant, there wasn't any left to be found.  From one person I talked to that had it, they said it was one of their favorite salmon preparations ever, and that the salmon was fresh and cooked perfectly.


We also had the option of a chicken marsala, with wild mushrooms, and a marsala wine demi-glace.  This is a staple in any Italian restaurant, and Chef Dominic does it right.   Again, everyone who had this enjoyed it, and enjoyed the freshness of the mushrooms, and the flavors in the sauce.


Finally, Chef Dominic also prepared a pork tenderloin, with wild mushrooms and a truffled demi-glace.  Again, the pork was flavorful and juicy, and once again, the plates were clean!


By this point of the evening, the rest of the restaurant had been turned over, and all the tables had been reset and filled.  In talking with my Squadron, everyone had been having an enjoyable evening, and there wasn't an empty stomach in the house.  The food was absolutely amazing, and everyone could not have been any happier...and many said that they will be back often.

I also brought plenty of wines to be shared with the table, and some of the selections went over very well.  Some wines to note that were enjoyed by many included a 2007 Stefania Haut Tubee, 2009 Congruence Zinfandel, 2009 Stefania Chardonnay Chaine D'Or, 2007 Curran Grenache Blanc, and a 2005 Stefania Uvas Creek cabernet sauvignon.  All of these showed very well, and even the non-wine drinkers enjoyed them.  That being said, how can you not absolutely LOVE the fact that Coltello Ristorante is BYOB friendly?


From here, HUGE helpings of cannoli's were brought out to the tables, along with coffee.  The shells of he cannoli's were crunchy, and the filling was sweet and creamy and delicious.  Though already stuffed, I forced myself to eat one, and it hit the spot.  It actually drank really nicely also with the zinfandel, so I was a happy camper.


At the end of the evening, I have no doubt in my mind that we threw the best holiday party within the Wing, and we were truly blessed to break bread with our Air Force family tonight.  Our squadron was lucky enough to be joined with our Wing Commander and Command Chief, and all had a great time.  People ranted and raved about the menu, the atmosphere, decor, etc.  We couldn't be happier, and we hope to have Chef Dominic and the crew at Coltello Ristorante host us again.

I have said it before, and I will say it again.  Coltello is hands down the best Italian restaurant in this part of New Jersey, and when I need a go to Italian restaurant, Coltello is the place!


On behalf of our entire Squadron, we cannot thank Chef Dominic, the entire staff at Coltello, and the Conti family for all of the support they show for the United States Air Force.  For what we paid per head for tonight's dinner, there is absolutely no way any restaurant could match the quality of cuisine that we had tonight, and we are all truly grateful!  Thanks a million for your support Coltello Ristorante, and we look forward to spending many more holidays with you!  Thank you for being such good friends, and know that your generosity is second to none!  Cheers!


Coltello Ristorante Italiano
460 Main Street
Crosswicks, NJ  08515
Phone:  (609)298-6128
http://www.coltellorestaurant.com/

Photos compliments of:
| r media photography and design | www.rmediainc.com | rashad pleasant | phone:  202-642-6642 |

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Top 10 North American Wines

Though this is not my Top 10 list for 2011, I wanted to talk about my Top 10 Wines from the United States.  These wines are wines that I buy year in, year out, and with the current economy, I am not buying much at all.  That being said, here are the producers who's wines and mailing lists I will stay on.

I will however note though, that due to the staggering of releases now, there are 2 of these wines that I now buy locally, so I can pick them up when I have the funds, versus buying them off the mailer.  As much as I would rather buy winery direct, sometimes, I just cannot afford to do so with other mailing lists coming at the same time.

Here are my Top 10 Mailing Lists that I will continue to purchase from so long as funds are there:

Curran:  Let me say that Kris and Bruno are absolute gems, and they have some of the best sales ever!  I mainly buy their white wines, and these are usually our wines of summer.  This past year, they ran a great deal with $11 bottles of their Grenache Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and Rose.  This could not be passed up!  I will also note that Bruno's pinot noir is a house favorite as well! 

Rivers-Marie:  Is there really anything else that needs to be said about Thomas Rivers Brown?  Definitely one of my favorite winemakers the last 5 years plus, and I buy all the pinot noir and Cabernet sauvignon that I am offered.  From his $25 Sonoma Coast pinot noir to his $75 Cabernet(s), they are all winners in my book!  This is my number 2 producer by volume in my cellar.

Kosta Browne:  Here is a winery that I have been buying from since the 2004 vintage, and when I am in the mood for a high throttle, new world, fruit forward pinot noir, this is where I turn!  Sure, sometimes I have to be in the mood for this styled wine, but when I am, these hit my sweet spot, and I absolutely love them.  I cannot however deny the fact that I was quite surprised when Wine Spectator named their 2009 Sonoma Coast pinot noir their wine of the year.  Congrats to Dan an Michael for their outstanding accomplishments with this winery.

Stefania Wines:  Hands down the number one producer in my cellar.  If you have had a glass of wine at my house, you have drank something from Stefania.  In my opinion, these wines are a great representation of the Santa Cruz Mountain Region of California.  Their cabs are my favorites in the lineup, but the syrah, pinot noir, and "Haut Tubee" blend are nothing to bat an eye at as these are also delicious.  They have also released 2 vintages of chardonnay now, which have both been outstanding.  If you haven't heard of them, I highly recommend them, and I still think that their cabs are worth twice the price.  Tell them I sent you!

Lillian:  I know, I am always talking about Lillian and Maggie Harrison, but what can I say?  In my opinion, this is still the baby brother to Sine Qua Non, and you can just taste the Manfred influence in these wines.  They are big, they are bold, and they are delicious.  Hands down one of my favorite domestic syrah.

Unfortunately, do to budgeting constraints, I no longer purchase these winery direct, but I do however pick up 3-6 bottles per vintage from Grand Cru Wine Merchants in Lake Forest, IL.  Craig is a great guy, and I like throwing some business his way.  He can usually get me a few bottles of the coveted Blue Label as well.

Congruence:  Now here is a wine you will probably never see in a store, and it is such a shame.  This is actually a Crushpad project, but winemaker Steve Eisenhauer definitely has his hand in these heavy, spending numerous hours working on blends, etc.  For me, his Cabernet is the shining star in the lineup, and Steve and I must have very similar palates, as these are made in a style that I love!  But you can also not forget about his zinfandel!  This is not your typical jammy, over extracted, high alcohol zin.  It is however balanced and smooth, and worth the $30 price tag.  Check out this winery, and I think you will enjoy it!

Bedrock:  Morgan Twain-Peterson is another innovator in my opinion, making great wines.  I absolutely LOVE his rose, which to me is made in a Provence style (though many will disagree).  It's OK though, the rest of us "understand it!"  But let's not forget Morgan's syrah, zinfandel, pinot noir, and sauvignon blanc, as these are also delicious.  And yes, he makes some great white blends, a Cabernet, and Chardonnay from one of my favorite vineyards, Brosseau.  Check out his wines, and you will not be disappointed!

Antica Terra:  I know, Maggie Harrison again!  And no, it is not the fact that Maggie and I grew up in the same hometown, it is the fact that she found a gorgeous property, worthy of growing amazing fruit, in the hands of an amazing winemaker.  Antica Terra is hands down my favorite Oregon pinot noir producer, with a few wineries quite a few strides behind.  Sure, you know how much I love my Thomas pinot noir, but these are a class above in my opinion.  From the rose, to the Botanica, to the regular bottling, there isn't one that we haven't enjoyed.  And for the record, the '06's are really coming into their stride right now!  This is also another wine that I pick up annually now from Craig at Grand Cru Wine Merchants.  I also have a few of these stashed in my parents cellar in Barrington, IL for when I go home to visit.

Fiddlehead Cellars:  One of my favorite producers in the Santa Rita Hill of California, Kathy Joseph is making some great wines.  From her sauvignon blanc to her rose to her pinot noir, these are always appealing to me.  I will admit that I really love her pinot with 5-7 years at least on them, but when they hit that time, they are wonderful, floral, and elegant.  But don't get me wrong, these wines open up nicely even in their youth with an hour plus of air in the glass or decanter.  Her sauvignon blanc is crisp and refreshing, and again, a great summer sipper.
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Match Vineyards:  Last but not least, I have to mention Match Vineyards.  Randy Sloan at Match only makes 2 wines, both single vineyard bottlings from Butterdragon Hill (St. Helena) and Baconbrook (Spring Mountain).  Easily 2 of my favorite AVA's, and these wines are again made in a style that I love.  Nothing over the top about them, nothing in your face about them.  They are not over-oaked, over-extracted, or over done.  These are just classic Cabernet, and a pleasure to drink!  Check these out too!

So that being said, that is my current Top 10 for affordable wines, that I can still consider (for now) daily drinkers, or at least wines that I wouldn't be afraid to open for friends.  Most of these wines are accessible, though some of the mailing lists may not have wait lists.  In the current economy however, more and more mailing lists are opening up, so it could never hurt to sign up.

So now that I have mentioned my Top 10, let's hear yours!  Also, stay tuned for my next installment to include:  Top 10 California Cabernet, Top 10 California Cult Wines, Top 10 Bordeaux, Top 10 Whites, and my Top 10 of 2011, which should be unveiled on New Years Day!  Cheers!

Avenue Restaurant - Long Branch, NJ

Night 2 with my buddy John from Chicago, and tonight he wanted to stay local in Long Branch to I took a cruise out to see what kind of dinner we could get ourselves in to.

We ended up walking over to Avenue, just a short walk down the boardwalk from his hotel.  And I have to admit, though I used to work just minutes from Long Branch when stationed at Fort Monmouth, I have never actually stopped in this town.  I am happy I did though.

Avenue is located in Pier Village, which is a gorgeous area.  The restaurant itself looks gorgeous, with a lot of windows, right on the shore, and it is open and airy.  Places like this however always have me skeptical as being tourist traps, with high prices, and mediocre food.  Unfortunately, this kind of fit the bill here tonight, but I will say that the wine list is worth mentioning, at least for high end bottles.

Are high end wines worth the price off of a restaurant wine list?  If you can afford it, sure!  But God knows that I can not, but I am sure many in this area can.  Regardless, the offerings ranged from Trimbach "Clos Sainte Hune" Riesling to Chevalier-Montrachet (2007 I think) on the white wine side, to Chateau Petrus (I forget what vintage but it was an off vintage at $1500) to an '82 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild ($4200).  They also had a few other first growths, but again, when you have these wines in your cellar, why pay restaurant pricing for them?  I am not that deep pocked unfortunately.

Even so, I had a decent Cotes du Rhone at $9 pre dinner, and then a decent glass of Burgundy with dinner.  Neither were mind blowing by any means, but what do you want for the price?  I've said it before, and will say again that I have spoiled myself for far too long with such great access to BYO's in New Jersey!

We skipped appetizers and went straight to the entrees tonight.  John ordered the Sea Bass, and this was served over almost a soup or broth of sorts, with what looked like Bok Choy, mushrooms, and other vegetables.  This also looked like it was garnished with an oil of some sort, but I don't know what it was.  He said it was OK, but he wouldn't order it again.

For me, there were many options that I considered.  I really wanted to try their take on Boeuf Borguignon, but I figured it would be disappointing, so instead I opted for the Braised Shortrib Lollipop.  Sure, it was big, but it was actually a bit fatty and tough, almost as though it was undercooked.  Perhaps cooking this longer would have melted some of the fat, but I don't know.  The flavors were OK, though it was a bit dry, and a bit bland.  For me, the highlight of the dish was the celery puree that was served on the side.  There was also a green of some sort, possibly collared greens or kale, but they were over cooked and extremely soggy.

Overall, the food was boring and bland, but the service was friendly.  This restaurant is overpriced in my opinion, but even so, it's not a bad place to stop for a drink.  I am guessing this place is packed in the summer time.  If I go back, it will just be for drinks, or maybe an appetizer at the bar.  Nothing to write home about.  Cheers!

20 Manning - Philadelphia, PA

When my good friend John from Chicago said that he was going to be in Philly tonight, and heading to 20 Manning Grill for dinner, I couldn't resist not meeting up with him.  First, he is an old pal, and second, I have heard great things about 20 Manning Grill.

That said, I arrived around 9PM and loved the vibe of this restaurant.  I ordered a glass of Bila Haut - Grenache Blanc from Languedoc, France.  I absolutely LOVE Grenache Blanc, but I will say that at $12 this didn't do a whole lot for me. 

By the time I finished my glass, John had arrived around 10PM, and we sat for dinner.  I was absolutely starving, and we both ended up ordering the Steak Frites.

Before our dinner arrived I ordered a glass of cabernet off the wine list, and it was a Trefethan from the Napa Valley.  This showed a lot better than the French Grenache Blanc, with typical Napa Valley nuances, and paired pefectly with the steak frites.

The steak frites was a thin sliced 14 ounce rib eye, and they listed the name of the farm it came from on the menu.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the farm, but at $25, this was a nice piece of meat, cooked to a perfect medium, and served over a bed of fries.  The fries were golden and crispy, and worked just fine for what I was looking for.  There was also a side of aus jus, but to be honest with ya, I didn't even taste it, and put it off to the side as the rib eye was delicious and flavorful.

Overall, I LOVE the vibe and 20 Manning, and if you happen to be hungry and wandering Rittenhouse Square, I highly recommend it!  It's also a great place to grab a late dinner just in case you get hungry.  The kitchen stay open until 11PM.  Check it out!  Cheers!

20 Manning Grill
261 S 20th St
Philadelphia, PA  19103
Phone:  (215) 731-0900

Chef Luis - New Canaan, CT

Today I took a drive to New Canaan, CT to halve lunch with an old friend from my pre USAF days, and we met at a new restaurant called Chef Luis. And what are the odds that the NY Times just did an article on Chef Luis that can be found HERE.

I arrived to New Canaan around 11:45, found the restaurant, and had no problem finding parking right across the street from the restaurant. With 15 minutes to kill, I took a walk down Elm Street, and I have to say that New Canaan is an absolutely charming town. The downtown reminds me a bit of Princeton, yet also reminds me a bit of Westfield, NJ. There were people out walking, the stores were buzzing, and the overall buzz around town was joyful. I could also make the assumption that most of the women in this town do not work, and spend their days around town shopping, dining with the girls, etc. Not a bad thing in the least, and from the looks of the shopping bags I saw in their hands, you would never know that we are in a recession. Not in New Canaan at least. <image borrowed>

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I headed back to Chef Luis and met my old friend, and we were greeted by the friendly staff and sat at a great table outside. How many sunny and 70 degree days do you have in Connecticut on the 9th of November? I am guessing not many, so we took full advantage of it. At this point, it was just after Noon, and there were about 8 tables sat. Not a bad lunch crowdto say the least! <Image borrowed>

I looked at the wine list and was absolutely shocked to see one of my favorite pinot noir from Oregon on the menu, Antica Terra. Many of you have read my reviews of Antica Terra, and know my love for this wine. Winemaker Maggie Harrison grew up in my hometown, Barrington, IL, and she was then the assistant winemaker for one of my favorite wineries, Sine Qua Non. Needless to say, I love both of their wines, and it was nice to see on the menu. They even had the Botanica bottling! We ended up however ordering a 2006 Brunello that was opening up nicely, although very young.  If I had my way, I would have ordered the Antica Terra, but I wanted to keep Donnie happy!  ;-)

Chef Luis came over at this point and introduced himself, and I have to tell you, what a great guy! He gave us rockstar treatment from the get go, and was just a joy to talk to. Having a personality like this working the room at lunch time is genius! And it also goes to show that he has a great staff working in the kitchen that he can trust! In talking with Chef Luis, I had to mention the fact that I loved that he had Antica Terra's wines on his menu, and he told me that one of the partners at Antica Terra is also an investor in Chef Luis. What are the odds? Such a small world.

For appetizers, we started with the Calamares. Let me tell ya, this isn't your old school calamari, all breaded and deep fried so that all you taste is crunchy breading and grease. These are barely breaded, and if anything, very lightly dusted in flour perhaps and flash fried. These are then tossed in a tomato concasse with hot peppers and chorizo. The smoke from the chorizo adds an incredible element and flavor, and who would have thought this would work well? It most certainly does, and this has got to be a staple here at Chef Luis! What a great treat!

The next appetizer was the Quesadilla with shrimp and fresh Maine lobster. I don't even know that this was on the menu, but the flavors were succulent. Chef Luis said that he uses a blend of 4 cheese, and unfortunately, I didn't ask what they were, but they were very rich. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and tender, and what is there to say about some nice lobster from our good friends up in Maine. Sure, it's a quesadilla, but this isn't a quesadilla your kids would ask for. This has adult written all over it. Served on the side was some house made pico de gallo, along with guacamole, and these both screamed fresh! Great stuff!

Chef Luis came back to see how everything was, and we told him that it was fabulous! At this point, he told us we needed a big, juicy, cabernet sauvignon to have with our lunch entrée, and brought over a 2007 Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon Estate - Napa Valley. This was very nice, yet very young! As for the wine, here is my note from CellarTracker:

Popped and poured at Chef Luis in New Canaan, CT with a pal for lunch. Upon first opening, this was a bit tight. Nice nose of currants and cassis, with a bit of cigar box and spice. Some dark black fruits, mocha, and plum round out the nose. First pour the palate was tight but opened up nicely over the course of 2 hours or so.

The palate shows nice black cherry and plum, and didn't show any over the top jammy fruit forward ness. Don't get me wrong, I love fruit forward '07 cabs, but this is not an example of that. Even so, this is well made and well structured. Nice tannic element without being sweet and chewy, though the finish was a bit short. You can tell this is a blend, and the merlot and cab franc add some nice structure. I actually thought there may have been some petite verdot in there, but not the case.

By the end of the bottle, the tannins had softened, and this drank nicely. We actually finished the bottle at the bar alongside sportscaster Jim Nantz. What a great guy. Overall, a nice, well made cab at a good price point. This will only get better with time, and easily has a decade ahead of it if not 2. Cheers, 92 points.

And yes, this wine worked with our steak, which at this point, I was already full! But out came the Churrasco, and this is what it's all about! This is a grilled CAB skirt steak marinated and served with a rice pilaf with black beans, as well as a green salad. The steak was topped with a house made chimmichuri, and the flavors in the chimichurri were very nice, adding a nice element on top of the steak...nit that it needed it! The steak itself was cooked to a perfect medium, and was very tender. When cut across the grain, there was nothing tough about the steak, and the juices oozing out of the steak screamed deliciousness. You can also tell that the grill at Chef Luis is nicely seasoned, and had great flavors!

By this point, we are completely stuffed, with half a bottle of wine left, but there is no rush at all to get us out of here. It's after 2PM now, and the restaurant at packed! At 2PM? On a Wednesday? I think there were 2 tables not occupied in the entire restaurant, and that is a beautiful thing! Business has got to be good. Maybe it was the recent NY Times article?  Doubtful! I think it's because of the food and reputation.

Chef Luis came over and told us he wanted to introduce us to someone at the bar. We look over, and there is sportscaster Jim Nantz, hanging out at the bar with his executive assistant. I gotta say, the man could not have been any nicer, and we got to hang out and chat with him while we finished our cabernet.

At this point, out comes dessert, which we did not order by the way, but who could resist? This was a banana cheesecake, rolled in a fillo dough, and deep fried, served with a berry sorbert of sorts and fresh mint. Holy good Lord in heaven this was genius, and absolutely delicious! Who in their right mind doesn't absolutely love something like this? The flavors obviously worked well, and this had a delicious creamy and rich complexity.
Again, Chef Luis shows some innovation here, and this is just a great idea, and a delicious dessert! That said, next trip I will be sure to save some room so I can have this again!

Unfortunately, I am running a bit short on time today, and I have so many other great things to talk about here. A 3 hour drive to this place for lunch and well worth it! That said, I will get back to this entry as soon as I can. In the meantime, if you are in the area, check out Chef Luis at the address below! This place is up and coming, and could someday become a household name! Cheers! -F. Scott

Chef Luis
129 Elm Street
New Canaan, CT 06840
Phone: 203-972-5847
Fax: (203) 972-2444
http://chefluis.net/