Start of Memorial Day Weekend 2017

DOPO La Spiaggia Hamptons

31 Race Lane, East Hampton, NY 11937, 631.658.9063

Amy found this restaurant with a GREAT price fix. Three courses for $35.  It makes us wonder what restaurant food is really worth... my dishes are on the menu at $23+$26+$15.

Notes

POLIPO / $24 grilled octopus, cherry tomatoes, basil

TONNO / $23 tuna tartare, marinated cucumbers, avocado

CAPESANTE / $35 pan seared scallops, Castelluccio lentil puree, vegetables

RAVIOLI / $26 carbonara sauce, parmesan, guanciale

Tiramisu

Flourless Chocolate Cake

.

Good Old Fashion Politics

The Graycliff

The Graycliff, 122 Moonachie Ave, Moonachie, NJ 07074

Mayor/State Senator Brian P. Stack hosted a Spring Gala at The Graycliff Banquet Hall.  This is the second or third such event that we have been invited to - a flier in the door.    

Notes

Moonachie is a suburb in the Meadowland area.  The venue's immediate surroundings to the South and East are industrial buildings, to the West is Teterboro Airport, and then to the North is Residential.

The Graycliff is a banquet oasis in the middle of all this.  Hedges keep the surroundings peaceful and private.  

Senator Stack represents New Jersey's 33rd Congressional District: all of Hoboken, Union City, Weehawken, and a portion of Jersey City. - Were all 250,000 residents invited?

By the time we arrived, all the tables were full and the people seemed to have set up residence.

We arrived at 7, the advertised start.  The reception line was out the door and down the building.  Amy's crutches got us cut into the front of the line. 

Inside there was a photo booth and we DID NOT see a coat check as we navigated to the ballroom where the main buffet was set out.

Calimari Salad, Macaroni Salad, and Pasta Salad

Red and Yellow Roasted Peppers

Raw Clams, boiled shrimp, followed by vegetables, dip, and pieces of bread.

PASTA!  Penne in marinara, tortellini in alfredo, ziti in Bolognese

Italian sausage and peppers, Tostones, and Maduros

Meat Balls, Eggplant Rollatini, Chicken, Rice and Beans and off the end: Seafood Paella

I did not get a photo of the carving stations, or the open bars.

The auxiliary buffet, seating, and bar in the tent-in-the-parking lot annex

And of course, Music and Dancing!

Snow Day Lunch at Olive Garden

Olive Garden

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, 500 NJ-3, Secaucus, NJ 07094

We have a snow day, so we went shopping and to Olive Garden for lunch.

When we showed up at 1:30 there was a 20-minute wait for a table for 2.   We had the lunch special, Unlimited salad bowl, and breadsticks. 

Chicken Picatta with Breaded Zucchini and Caramelized Lemon

Lasagna

More Private Notes

Ruffino Wine Dinner - Dessert and Sparkling Wine

Chart House, Weehawken, NJ

Ruffino Wines, Italy 

A white wine is made from Glera grapes (same grape as Prosecco) and a second red wine is made from Pinot Noir grapes. These two wines are then blended, creating a wine with a beautiful rose hue and bright flavors. In the second stage, the Charmat method is used to bring about a secondary fermentation before the wine is bottled under pressure, preserving all of the fresh and fragrant characteristics of the wine.

Crostata con Frutti de Bosco, rustic tart shell, macerated mixed berries, crystal rose petal gelato. The 'rustic' shell was a thick shortbread crust, the gelato was subtle flavor, and there were more strawberries than I personally like.

Ruffino Wine Dinner - 4th Course, Entree

Chart House, Weehawken, NJ

Ruffino Wines, Italy 

The Entree course was Braciola di Agnello a la Griglia - grilled lamb chop, smashed baby potatoes, tuscan black kale.  The lamb was perfectly cooked and the smashed potatoes were kinda plain and uninspired.  Both were improved magnitudes with a little seasoning, something that should have been done in the kitchen before serving.  The kale, while tasty, was a bit tough as the midrib was still attached.

Paired with a Brunello, Greppone Mazzi, produced with Sangiovese grapes in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino located about 80 km south of Florence.  Today Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy's best-known and most expensive wines.  This wine ages well,  unlike the fresher wines earlier in the evening.

Ruffino Wine Dinner - Third Course

Chart House, Weehawken, NJ

Ruffino Wines, Italy 

The next wine is one I am sure most wine buyers are familiar with, at least here in NJ (NJ is the largest US market for Ruffino): their Chianti Classico. However no straw bottle, not THAT Classico.

 

Paired with this was a light Stufato con Frutti di Mare (Cacciucco).  Stufato is the "Garden in a Pot" so this had a light fresh tomato sauce.  Frutti di Mare and Cacciucco are Tuscan Seafood Stew. It is February in New Jersey, why are we lighting this up this menu?

Ruffino Wine Dinner - Second Course

Chart House, Weehawken, NJ

Ruffino Wines, Italy 

Following the melon, we had Ganbretto con Fagioli - savory grilled shrimp, braised white beans, olive oil drizzle. Paired with:

Ruffino Wine Dinner at the Chart House

The Chart House, Weehawken New Jersey

Chart House, Lincoln Harbor Pier D-T, Weehawken, NJ 07086

Ruffino Import Company is having a wine dinner at the Chart House restaurant in Weehawken New Jersey tonight.  A great way to celebrate Valentine's Day a little early.  Just a word of warning, this is going to be another epic multi-part post.

Poggio Casciano Estate Via di Poggio al Mandorlo, 1 – loc. Quarate, 50011 - Bagno a Ripoli (FI)

Tonight's dinner wines

The first course was Insalata di Melone:  micro rocket, parma prosciutto, Meyer lemon gastrique.  The melon was cut thin which made the melon to prosciutto ratio very good.

This was paired with the 2017 Orvieto Classico, Tuscany.  A little sweeter than we usually like, but it cut the pork fat and complemented the gastrique. It will be a good summer wine.

See the next post for the Second Course.