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

.

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.

Birthday Dinner in NYC Chinatown: The Peking Duck House

The Peking Duck House

The Peking Duck House, 28 Mott St # A, New York, NY 10013

The restaurant I chose for my birthday. I haven't been to Chinatown in many years and felt I wanted to have a Chinese dinner that didn't come out of a paper box!

I haven't been to Chinatown in many years and felt I wanted to have a Chinese dinner that didn't come out of a paper box!

This white tablecloth restaurant in the heart of Chinatown is obviously known for their Peking duck. There's not as much meat on a duck as you might imagine. BYOB. Beer available.

Soy, Duck, and Hoisin Sauces

Shrimp Soup with crispy rice

Assorted Apps

The Actual Peking Duck... delivered sliced with pancakes and scallions

Crispy Fish Entree

Fresh Fruit for dessert

Some reviews state that the duck is butchered tableside. Certainly, ours was not, it came from the kitchen already sliced and off the bone. Maybe this is because we had the half duck and not a full duck. Through observation, I can tell you that the full duck is not butchered "at the table" it is carved at a table in the middle of the restaurant and then brought to the table.

Here is an excellent YouTube video posted by "Mike&Yayee’s Travel and Cooking" posted a week before our visit.

New Year's Eve Eve : Saw the movie Vice and then went to dinner

Plaza Cafe, South Hampton

Plaza Cafe, 61 Hill Street, Southampton, NY

After checking online all the dinner specials in South Hampton, Amy and I chose the Plaza Cafe. Unfortunately, I clicked through the window to make reservations at the wrong restaurant.

The restaurant at actually made reservations at with a fancy French place. We weren't dressed and weren't in the mood for fancy French so we left and headed back to our first choice.

Organic Field Greens

salt roasted bosc pears, persimmons, toasted walnuts, goat cheese, pomegranate dressing

Proscuitto Wrapped Wild Pacific Shrimp

porcini risotto, white truffle oil

Horseradish Crusted Cod

roast garlic-potatoe purée, root vegetable "ratatouille", crispy leeks, chive oil

Grilled Pasture Fed Strip Steak

potato-spinach hash, port wine sauce, crispy shallots

Classic Creme Brulee

croatian fig compote, madelin