Uchiko Chef Paul Qui & La Spinetta Winemaker Giorgio Rivetti

All work and no play makes Keeper Team very dull! We are hard at work for our upcoming Somms Under Fire event in May, so when we were called to play with some of the wonderful wines from Giorgio Rivetti and Indigenous Selections, Keeper said “let the party begin”!  And what a better way to play than with pairing Italian wines with the incredibly creative dishes by Chef Paul Qui at Uchiko. What happens when you put beautiful wines with delectable dishes in the Uchiko private dining room? Answer: a perfect pairing! We would certainly play it all over again if we could, but now it’s your turn!  Look at the Wine List and Menu (with some pics) below and tell us what you think would be YOUR favorite wine and food pairings.  Consider this a Somms  Under Fire warm up round!

Wine Tasting List

Bianca Vigna Prosecco Brut DOC
’08 Rocca del Principe Fiano di Avellino
’09 La Spinetta Toscana Vermentino
’07 La Spinetta Barbera D’Asti Ca di Pian
’07 La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo
’05 La Spinetta  Barbera D’Alba Gallina
’06 La Spinetta Barbaresco Bordini
’05 Cigliuti Barbaresco Serraboella
’05 E. Pira Barolo Cannubi
’05 Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino
’03 La Spinetta Pin
’01 La Spinetta Vigneto Starderi
’98 La Spinetta Vigeneo Gallina
’99 Ciacci Piccolomini Vigna di Pianrosso

AMUSE BOUCHE - Strawberry & Golden Beet

SHIBUMI OYSTERS - pomelo, fresh wasabi, thai chili

BURI SASHIMI - green tea oil, garlic chips, thai basil, mint, cilantro

SAKANA MUSHI - steamed seasonal white fish, galangal, kaffir lime, honshimeji, tomato

IKA YAKI - fresh squid, korean pepper, green apple, sorrel, red curry

SHIME SABA NIGIRI - cured norwegian mackerel, tomato, truffle, basil

Foie Gras Surprise from Chef Qui

JAR JAR DUCK - countryside farms duck, kumquat confit, rosemary smoke (photo courtesy of MisoHungry)

POT AU PHO - eye of round wagyu, bone marrow, winter vegetables, flat rice noodle, anise

WAGYU SHORT RIB - cauliflower, black truffle, leek blossom

TRUFFLED CONGEE - short grain japanese rice, preserved lemon, cured aji, crispy collard green

NINJIN OKASHI - carrot soup, cream cheese cremeux, black walnut gel, shiso

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If you think you have what it takes to compete against June and her Jazz Hands in Somms Under Fire, visit www.sommsunderfire.com. There are still two spots available for a chance to win the grand prize package of a lifetime!

As many of you know, the Somms were not the only people racing to win at the Wine Ride.  The Winner of the 2011 Wine Ride Favorite Team Blog Post is Team Mark, written by blogger Jennie Chen, of MisoHungry and her Team Members Photographer John Knox, of John M.P. Knox Photography, Facilitweeter and Blogger, Rachelle King of Blinded by the Bite!  This team followed and documented the action of competing Sommelier Mark Sayre, of TRIO Restaurant at the Four Seasons.  With this title, team members will receive All-Access Media Badges to cover Somms Under Fire. The many videos and diagrams Jennie included in her Team Mark Blog Post continued to educate the audience long after the conclusion of the competition.  Her in depth descriptions of Mark’s pairing strategies made readers feel like they were tasting along with him.

Congrats to all of the winners and we look forward to seeing everyone at Somms Under Fire!

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by Team Eric

Sommelier: Eric Hastings, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood Houston

Blogger: Kristi Willis, Austin Farm to Table

Photographer: Marshall Wright, Eat This Lens

Facilitweeter: Carla Crowner, Austin Urban Gardens

A group of Austin food writers and photographers are huddled around the back room of Uchiko on a rainy, chilly Sunday afternoon. You can feel a slight undercurrent of nervous energy as we wait to find out what is in store for us during today’s inaugural Keeper Collection Wine Ride.

Five Sommeliers from around the state are partnered with a team that includes a blogger, photographer and tweeter with the mission of traveling to four restaurants and food shops to pair food and wine, picking a perfect pair at each stop. The dishes and wines are a surprise, and only the Sommelier can taste, the rest of team relying on them to tell us what they are experiencing – an added challenge since we just met Eric Hastings, Sommelier of Eddie V’s Prime Seafood in Houston.

As it turns out, Eric Hastings is an amiable guy. When we arrive at each venue, he quickly greets attendees asking them how they are doing and if they are having fun. You’d never guess he was a former hockey player, a sport known more for rough and tough antics than for savoring the good life. You might not even guess that Eric is a Sommelier, a career often stereotyped as stuffy, snooty and unapproachable.

You might overlook Eric right up to the moment when he begins describing the glass of wine cradled in his hand. As he details the complex elements of the wine and how it brings out the best in the carefully crafted food, you suddenly realize that this laid-back, affable man is very, very serious about his wine and loves his job.

Eric is dedicated to discovering new wines from lesser-known regions, challenging his guests to try new things. “I have quite a few Italian wines on my wine list, but I also spread it out across Spain, France, Australia and the United States. I want to provide balance on the list.”

During his presentation at each stop, he reminds us that pairing is about more than taste and that you want to experience the food and wine with all of your senses. How do they smell together? Do their textures complement each other? Do they balance well and make each other sing? He smells each dish before he tastes anything, sticking his nose right up to the edge of the bowl and inhaling deeply.

He carefully prepares each bite, making sure he gets flavors from each element on the plate. As he savors the flavors, he utters an “Oh, wow!” or “Now that is fun!” before he describes for the attendees his perception of the dish, offering up some nugget of information they’ll be able to use again in their own pairings.

For the Foreign & Domestic sweet pairing, he chooses the rice pudding with caramel and the 2007 Domaine Michel Lafarge Bourgogne Passetoutgrain, “That is a pretty fun combination with the juicy red fruit of the Bourgogone with the caramel and the rice pudding.” He explains to the attendees why he picked the Bourgogne over the Champagne, “The rice pudding and the sparkling wine offer another unique combination. The caramel works pretty well with it, but the texture of the rice pudding doesn’t match up very well with the Champagne.

The cheese pairing turns out to be Eric’s favorite of the day. He pairs the Ossau Iraty with the N.V. Thierry Massin Brut Champagne telling us, “The cheese has a delicate yet firm texture to it, very mild saltiness and a nuttiness that is working great with the Thierry Massin. The champagne might be similar with the Majorero, but I think the wine is a little too rich for that cheese.”

At Fino, Eric reminds us that just because you think a wine will work well, you don’t know until you taste it and the dish together. He mentally pairs the short rib and the Corbiere, but after tasting the earthy short rib dish with the Burgundy he notes, “This dish really sings with the Burgundy. I wanted it to be the Corbiere, but once I tried the Burgundy, I knew it was going to be the one. The mushrooms match the earthiness of the Pinot Noir. The decreased tannins complement the braised meat, while the acidity helps to bring it all together and break it all down.”

With a short ten minutes at each stop and at least three dishes and two wines at each pairing, he has to move quickly to make his determinations. He doesn’t have time to try things he knows won’t work. He skips the salmon at Central Market because it was served with asparagus. “Asparagus is a wine killer. It doesn’t pair well with anything,” he shares with us as we zoom off to the next venue.

Other dishes he saves until last as not to commit a critical mistake. “Oh, that looks like a tongue burner,” he says as he pushes the plate to the side to cool down. Both the Chicken Pot Pie at Central Market and the Jamon Serrano Croquette at Fino are both lava hot when Eric cuts into them. He can’t afford to burn his tongue and mar the pairings.

Back at Uchiko, preparing for the final presentation to the gathered crowd, Eric hesitates, “I kind of want to go with the cheese as my top pairing, but the soup [Foreign & Domestic] was really terrific with that Pinot, and the short rib and the Burgundy [Fino] were great too.”

He looks back through his notes, slowly nodding his head, “But the cheese and champagne really were stellar together. It was a nutty, rich cheese with a dry, biscuity, toasty, nutty champagne. The acidity in the champagne broke down the fats in the cheese. The flavors of the hazelnut and the brioche complemented the flavors in the cheese.”

I advise Eric to go with his gut instinct. He smiles and says, “Yea, I usually do.” And, thank goodness he does. He followed his instincts from hockey to the world of wine and we are all the better for it.

Vote for your favorite Sommelier pairings (http://sommsunderfire.com/pairings-101/) and Wine Ride Team blog post (http://www.keepercollection.com/blog/) on the Keeper Collection site. The winning Sommelier gets an automatic entry in the Keeper Collection Somms Under Fire event in May 2011 and the winning blog team wins all access media badges to Somms Under Fire.

Eric’s Pairing Picks by Venue

Central Market: Pork Tenderloin with 2008 Dominique Mugneret Bourgogne Rouge

Foreign & Domestic savory pairing: Roasted Chestnut Soup with 2007 Jean Noel Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet L’Estimee

Foreign & Domestic sweet pairing: Rice Pudding with Caramel with 2007 Domaine Michel Lafarge Burgogne Passetoutgrain

Antonelli’s Cheese Shop: Ossau Iraty with N.V. Thierry Massin Brut Champagne

FINO Restaurant Patio & Bar: Beef Short Rib with 2008 Domaine D’Ardhuy Bourgogne Rouge

View more photos of Eric Hasting’s Wine Ride on Flickr.

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What happens when five top Texas sommeliers team up with Austin photographers, bloggers, and tweeters for a high-speed afternoon of food and wine pairings for a Wine Ride? Well, we found out. Five teams were formed, four locations were chosen, wine and food options were selected, and off we went. Team June was led by June Rodil, Beverage Director of Congress Austin, with photographer Loren Root of Loren J. Root Photography, food blogger Lisa Lawless from lisa is cooking, and facilitweeter Megan Myers of Stetted. Each team traveled to the four chosen locations in a different order and was carefully timed for a brief ten minutes at each spot as the sommelier tasted, pondered, and shared insights before declaring a best pairing from two wines and multiple food options presented. The goal of the Wine Ride was to educate everyone in attendance about the wines and how the pairings were chosen. At the end of the race, each sommelier discussed their pairings and were videotaped. Voting for the sommelier and viewing of those video presentations is taking place at sommsunderfire.com. The winning sommelier will win a spot to compete in the first ever Somms Under Fire. The second part of this event concerns a blog post submitted by each team. The winning team’s photographer, blogger, and facilitweeter will each win an all-access media badge to Somms Under Fire. Voting for the Team Blog Post is found at keepercollection.com, and we hope your vote will be for Team June!

Watching June throughout the event, as she tasted in an intentional order each time, explained her thought process, and described the flavors was a great bit of education in wine and food pairing. She explained her general wine pairing approach and how she helps other people pick wines. She said choosing a wine should start simply enough with narrowing the field of options to what you really like. If there are wines on a list that are types you don’t like, just rule them out, and don’t force something on your palate that you don’t like. Next, it’s important to match the weight or body of a wine to that of the food that’s being served. A light, crisp wine feels out of place with a rich, unctuous meat dish. Then, flavors come into play. The sweetness of a wine and how it would balance with the food is a big consideration. Once you’ve narrowed your options based on those points, you can begin to think about what to enhance about both the food and the wine. The flavors of both will be affected by the pairing, and the result should be an improvement in the experience of what’s on the plate and what’s in the glass. Specifics about how that happens were revealed each time June discussed her pairings during the Wine Ride.

Our first stop was Antonelli’s Cheese Shop where June was given six different cheeses varying from Coupole (a fresh, young goat’s milk cheese from Vermont Butter and Cheese Co.) to Tomme Crayeuse (“crayeuse,” meaning chalk, is a cow’s milk cheese from the Savoie region in France), served with 2008 Domaine D’Ardhuy Ladoix Rouge Les Chagnots Monopole and N.V. Thierry Massin Brut Champagne. Ladoix is a Burgundy commune in the Cote de Beaune which focuses mostly on reds made from Pinot Noir and Thierry Massin is a grower-producer from the Cote des Bars, the most southern sub-region of Champagne, with soils similar to that of Chablis and whose main focus is the Pinot Noir variety. June wanted to acquaint herself with the cheeses first to form an initial impression of which wine she thought would be right with each. None of the cheeses were overwhelming in aroma and the flavors all included some salty minerality. The champagne was light and refreshing and was great with cheeses that were creamy and dry and made you want to take a drink. That made the champagne and the coupole a consideration. However, while working along the stronger side of the cheeseboard with the Ladoix, June said “the earthiness is singing to me.” The fruity, fresh, cherry tones of the wine were working, and anything heavier than the Ladoix would have overpowered these cheeses. Ultimately, her choice was the Pleasant Ridge Reserve, which is an artisanal farmstead cheese from Wisconsin’s Upland Cheese Co., and the Ladoix because both tasted better together. The Pleasant Ridge Reserve is made from cow’s milk in the style of traditional French alpine cheese and was recently named America’s best cheese in 2010 by the American Cheese Society. Pairing it with the Ladoix brought out more flavors at the finish than were there at the start, and that’s the sign of a great pairing, says June. The ten minute time limit flew by, so with the first pairing completed, we rushed out the door and on our way to stop number two.

The next location on our list was Fino where four meat dishes awaited with one glass each of 2008 Chateau St. Jean de la Gineste Corbieres Vieilles Vignes (a blend of 85% Carignan and 15% Grenache from one of the largest wine regions in the south of France, Corbieres) and 2008 Domaine d’Ardhuy Bourgogne Rouge (a 3rd generation Burgundy producer putting fruit from 50 year old vines into this Bourgogne Rouge). In this situation, it was all about highlighting a protein in the best way possible. Both wines had a cleansing effect with these dishes. There was a chicken ballantine with nice, salty chicken skin and a peppery taste on the finish that paired well with the Corbieres. The pork belly was topped with a sweet and spicy mustard-based sauce which met well with the lush, richness of the wines, but the sweetness in the sauce dimmed the wines’ fruit. June noted, “Sometimes you just want to be happy and not think about a pairing too hard. You just want it to go together.” Sweetness was also an issue with the jamon serrano croquettes in that the ham’s sweetness didn’t work with the Bourgogne. Ultimately, the best combination was the beef short ribs with the Corbieres. The wine’s sweetness was there, and the salt, the stock in the sauce, and the earthiness of the mushrooms all came forward. It was just right without even having to think about it. Time was up, and on we raced.

We arrived at Central Market Cooking School where Chef Christina Lee had prepared six dishes and glasses of 2008 Simon Bize Bourgogne Blanc Les Champlains (a predominantly Savigny Les Beaunes producer, with great value Burgundy) and 2008 Dominique Mugneret Bourgogne Rouge were poured. This was a lot to taste and compare in ten short minutes. There was salmon with a smoked gouda panko crust, cod with chive buerre blanc, chicken pot pie, lasagna with creamed swiss chard and rabbit confit, roast chicken with polenta, and pork tenderloin with mushroom ragu. June immediately felt like all the dishes could work with a white wine pairing. The chard lasagna was good with the Simon Bize, but the wine was mineral- and salt-driven while the lasagna was more delicate. In the end, the lasagna tasted bland with the wine. The polenta was a good salt pairing with the Simon Bize and offered good, clean flavors with the Bourgogne. Both wines were also good with the pot pie, but that dish didn’t improve anything about the experience of the Bourgogne. In the end, with the chilly, drizzly weather we had that day, June found the warm, comforting chicken pot pie and the balanced minerality of the Simon Bize were perfect together. The toasty flavors in the golden crust of the pot pie worked especially well with the lemon and salt aspects of the wine. Back on the road, we headed to our last location.

Our fourth and final spot was Foreign and Domestic where two pairings were prepared. First, another savory pairing was to be completed in ten minutes followed by a dessert pairing in an additional ten minutes. For the savory options, a chestnut soup with fried peanuts, lacquered quail on potato puree with grilled celery, and parsnip puree ravioli in fennel broth with roasted grapes waited with a glass of 2007 Domaine Michel LaFarge Bourgogne Aligote Raisin Dores (Aligote being the “second” white variety grown in Burgundy, able to withstand tougher growing conditions and producing wines slightly higher in acidity than their Chardonnay counterparts) and a glass of 2007 Jean Noel Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet L’Estimee (a village mostly famous for its whites, the reds from this region typically drink well young and provide excellent value for the money). In this case, June pointed out both wines were similar in weight and the Aligote could work in a red wine scenario. She explained that soup is difficult to pair because it’s also a liquid. It’s like you’re thinking about drinking two things at the same time. The ravioli was a complex dish with a lot of flavors including roasted grapes and brussels sprouts, and there was the creaminess of the sauce to also consider. It brought out the tannins in the red but the dish itself wasn’t enhanced by that wine, and the white dumbed down the creaminess. With the quail, the red was a solid pairing yet made the wine more tart while the white enhanced the gaminess but none of the other flavors. The cream-based chestnut soup with fried peanuts on top truly came alive with the Aligote. The rusticity of the peanuts tasted fresher and more exciting. In fact, June said this particular pairing brought out such great flavors, it gave her “jazz hands.” With our last ten minutes remaining, we quickly moved over to the dessert table.

Here, chocolate mousse, caramel-topped rice pudding, and a blood orange sorbet with hazelnuts sat with two wines that were not dessert wines. They were the 2007 Domaine Michel LeFarge Bourgogne Passetoutgrain (unlike the majority of red Burgundy which is 100% Pinot Noir, Passetoutgrains is a blend which must contain a minimum of 15% Gamay) and the N. V. Paul Berthelot Champagne Brut Reserve Premier Cru (another grower-producer, this complex wine actually has all three grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier). June discussed the difficulty of pairing desserts with non-dessert wines and how the sweetness of the food can make wine more astringent. She started with the champagne which made the sorbet taste a bit like pixie stix and didn’t improve the experience of the champagne. Then, the red with the rice pudding resulted in a mineral taste of blood in the wine and was not a match at all. The red with the chocolate mousse was good but didn’t do either justice. It was the rich caramel and bready quality of the rice pudding that brought out the toastiness in the Champagne, and that was June’s choice for the dessert pairing. The Wine Ride ended at Uchiko where the teams met and each gave a final presentation of their chosen pairings. June went through each of her choices: The Pleasant Ridge cheese and the D’Ardhuy Bourgogne pairing brought out nice, supple fruit in the wine and the earthiness of the cheese. The beef short ribs and the Corbieres was a match of lush fruit in the wine and a lush protein where the earthiness wasn’t tamed and both were rich and juicy. The chicken pot pie was the favorite dish of the spectators at that location and with good reason. It was perfectly paired with the Chardonnay. When a dish is brightened and surprises you with added flavor because of a wine, it’s a great pairing. So, the chestnut soup and Aligote were picked. Last, the most difficult pairing was choosing a dessert with a non-dessert wine. But, the lovely, yeasty Champagne and rice pudding worked well together, and the wine did not become astringent. So, what was June’s number one, most perfect pairing of them all for the day? If a pairing gives you “jazz hands,” you know you’ve got a winner. June’s perfect pairing was the chestnut soup and Aligote at Foreign and Domestic.

The race came to an end, but the fun hasn’t stopped yet. Be sure to vote in both categories:

1.) Sommelier June Rodil
2.) Team June

and check back to find out who the winner will be.

Team June – Austin Wine Ride 2011 from loren root on Vimeo.

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Hordes of food and wine lovers amassed at Uchiko for the #wineride was about to begin.  With five sommeliers and five different pairing challenges, it was unsure just how the day would unfold. Each sommelier had only ten minutes to taste wines and food, and then make a decision as to which ones paired the best.  In addition, a captive audience would be seated at each location to observe the sommelier work.  The over-arching purpose of the event was education – how to make wine and food pairings easier to understand and apply.  The winning sommelier earns a spot to compete at Somms Under Fire among other education and fun trips.  The team posts that wins earns all access badges to the Somms Under Fire event.  If you want to send Mark onto the next challenge with the support for Team Mark, show us some vino love.  Vote for Mark here.  Vote for the Team Mark’s bloggers and photographer here (@windaddict/@hopsafari, @blindedbite, and @misohungry). Grazie! Mark’s wine pairing philosophy rests on several factors: flavors, textures, and experience.  Oftentimes, complimentary or contrasting flavors drive pairing choices, but texture also play a large role.  The texture of the food should enhance the texture of the wine. The mouth feel, body, and tannins of the wine should hold up to the food.  Overall, the food should enhance the wine, and the wine should enhance the food.  Lastly, the food and the wine should take you on a journey.  When a pairing takes you back to a memory of snacking on anchovy toast on the Gold Coast of Spain or a memory of enjoying a warm casserole with family, then the pairing has done its job.  It has taken you on a journey to re-live a past experience. Video Summary CHALLENGE 1: The first stop for Team Mark was Antonelli’s Cheese Shop.  With their photos and accolades plastered over traditional and new media, John and Kendall Antonelli have effectively made a name for themselves in Austin as the go-to-cheese-mongers. From the beginning, Mark expressed that cheese and wine pairings were some of the most difficult challenges for a sommelier.  Unlike other types of foods, the flavors and textures of cheese are pretty difficult to gauge simply by looking.  Mark calls these types of pairing challenges experience based.  One must taste the cheese and the wine together before one knows that the pairing is successful.  Mark dutifully tasted, smelled, and pondered the selections for a few minutes, and he decided that the creamy coupole was the perfect match with the N.V. Thierry Massin Brut Champagne. Mark says, “Cheese and wine prove to be very challenging because experience is necessary to determine the pairing.  Coupole being from goat’s milk has a fantastic tangy flavor that begs for crisp white with mirroring citrus tones, as well has having a creamy, cloud like texture.  This sounds like sparkling wine to me!  The Thierry Massin had the required brightness and a strong mineral presence that paired nicely with earthy bloom of the goat cheese.” Wines at Antonelli’s:

• 2008 Domaine d’Ardhuy Ladoix Rouge Les Chagnots Monopole
• N.V. Thierry Massin Brut Champagne

Cheeses at Antonelli’s:

• Tomme Crayeuse
• Ossau Iraty
• Pleasant Ridge Reserve
• Majorero
• Coupole
• Dante

CHALLENGE 2: The next location on the Team Mark list was Fino. O’ lovely, lovely Fino. Mark’s perfect pairing here was the slow braised black angus short rib with mushrooms and the provone style 2008 Chateau St. Jean de la Gineste Corbieres Vieilles Vignes (blend of carignan and grenache grapes).  The reason why Mark chose this pairing was because it was magical.  One part cold and drizzly weather, one part sinfully rich slow braised ribs, and one part wine transported him to to France.  That’s a winner. Mark says, “Some pairings can be telegraphed just by looking at them.  Seeing the braised short rib and the potentially lush fruit and rusticity of the Corbieres made my mouth water.  Basically, it was either that pairing or the Bourgogne Rouge (burgundy) and the pork belly.  But the sauce on the pork belly ended up being a little to sweet that made the burgundy turn tart.  As expected, the Corbieres won with the Short Rib.  Proof that not only flavor, but texture is so important in food and wine pairing.  Braised meats are heavy, rich, and viscous, so a wine needs to be able to stand up to those sensations.  The corbieres delivered with its fruit intensity and mouth coating feel matched with its old world flavors of stones, leather, and earth.  Truly a great pairing for the dreary cold weather.” Wines at Fino:

• 2008 Chateau St. Jean de la Gineste Corbieres Vieilles Vignes
• 2008 Domaine d’Ardhuy Bourgogne Rouge

Food at Fino:

• Richardson’s Farm Pork Belly with Mustard
• Local Chicken Ballantine with Herbs
• Black Angus Short Rib with Mushrooms
• Jamon Serrano Croquettes with Smoked Salt

CHALLENGE 3: We took a short drive down to Central Market Cooking School, where we met with Chef Christina who presented an array of complex dishes.  Complex dishes can pose a problem when pairing wines.  While the main ingredients might meld perfectly with wine, the addition of contrasting flavors and textures in the sauces and garnishes can make the pairing more challenging.  After tasting and tasting, Mark picked the pork tenderloin with mushroom ragu and the 2008 Dominique Mugneret Bourgogne Rouge (Burgundy). Mark says, “Many times, simplicity is key to food and wine meeting up in magical synergy.  If dishes have too many profiles on the plate, which do you pair with the wine?  My eyes headed straight for the beautifully roasted pork loin topped with pan roasted mushrooms.  After tasting all wine and food combinations, I reconfirmed that the combination was truly making both the food and the wine better.  The pinot had elegant bright red fruits, floral tones, and this fantastic earthy forest floor like sensation that matched so well with delicate pork and rustic mushrooms.  This was also a study in eating foods that you would find in those winemaking regions.  Burgundy (the region) and Mushrooms was perfect!  Burgundy prides itself on mushrooms (especially truffles) as well as beautifully simple country dishes that are meant to enjoy with the wines they produce.  This combination literally transported me back to Burgundy.  It was magical.” Wines at Central Market:

• 2008 Simon Bize Bourgogne Blanc Les Champlains
• 2008 Dominique Mugneret Bourgogne Rouge

Food at Central Market:

• Oven Roasted Salmon with Smoked Gouda Panko Crust
• Halibut with Chive Buerre Blanc
• Roast Chicken with  Polenta-Corn Cake
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Chef Christina’s Lasagna with Cream Swiss Chard Rabbit Confit
• Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Ragu

CHALLENGE 4: Finally, Team Mark made our way to Foreign and Domestic for the final two pairing challenges.  For the savory pairings, we were also presented with complex dishes. For this particular challenge, Mark chose the parsnip puree ravioli in fennel broth with roasted grapes with the 2007 Domaine Michel Lafarge Bourgogne Aligote Raisins Dores (the other white from Burgundy). Mark says, “A great challenge was that the dishes were the most complex.  At first, I felt like the quail and red burgundy (pinot nior) were going to be the best combination, as I’ve made that pairing a hundred times before.  But in all fairness to the dish and needing to taste it in its entirety, I couldn’t get there because of the vegetal tones of the grilled celery and the bright herbal tones of the mint overpowered the wine.  I felt the same about the chestnut soup and the Aligote.  The soup was fine on its own, but the spicy peanut garnish just drove over the wine like steam roller.  Surprisingly, the parsnip ravioli in fennel broth and roasted brussels, a dish that looked heavy, was very elegant and mirrored the richness of the aligote.  I noted that aligote normally produces a lean, austere wine without much character—but this wine was from the great Lafarge.  It was a cuvee produced from older vines AND was actually a year older than most of the wines we had tasted.  These factors equal a wine of great pedigree and depth that helped pair with such a winter inspired ravioli.  That is what food and wine are all about!” Wines at Foreign and Domestic:

• 2007 Domaine Michel Lafarge Bourgogne Aligote Raisins Dores
• 2007 Jean Noel Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet L’Estimée

Food at Foreign and Domestic:

• Chestnut Soup with Fried Peanuts
• Lacquered Quail on a Potato Purée with Grilled Celery
• Parsnip Purée Ravioli in Fennel Broth with Roasted Grapes

CHALLENGE 5: For the dessert pairing at Foreign and Domestic, Mark chose the blood orange sorbet with hazelnuts and the N.V. Paul Berthelot Champagne Brut Reserve Premier Cru. Mark says, “Dessert is difficult because the rule of thumb is that the wines NEED to be sweeter that the dessert itself—otherwise, the wine ends up overly tart and you can’t taste the dessert.  It is like drinking orange juice in the morning after brushing your teeth—YUCK!  This was very challenging as we only had brut champagne and Bourgogne passetoutgrains (a blend of pinot noir and gamay)  Right away, I ruled out the rice pudding and caramel.  It was super delicious, but it was too cloyingly sweet for either wine.  I even ruled out the burgundy red (pinot noir and gamay) as the flavors were too lean and crunchy to match with anything sweet.  I ended up choosing the champagne and sorbet because their textures were so similar, and the sorbet itself was not overly unctuous (soapy).  The nutty, oxidative note in the champagne married well with the crunchy hazelnuts on top of the sorbet. They worked so well together that I felt as if you could pour the champagne on top of the sorbet and create and entirely different dessert—that’s what I call a good pairing!” Wines at Foreign and Domestic:

• 2007 Domaine Michel Lafarge Bourgogne Passetoutgrain
• N.V. Paul Berthelot Champagne Brut Reserve Premier Cru

Desserts at Foreign and Domestic:

• Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate Ganache & Sea Salt
• Rice Pudding with Caramel Topping
• Blood Orange Sorbet with Hazelnuts

While Mark has an experienced palate, what’s a diner to do if there’s no Mark handy? Mark suggests that diners should first select their wine, and then ask for the sommelier to select dishes that pair with the wine.  Choosing a wine after the food has already been ordered may propose a dilemma if there isn’t a wine on the menu that pairs well.  However, if the food is prepared after the wine has been selected, the preparation of the food can be altered.  At establishments with limited wine list (Trio Austin has 260 wines on hand), this is a great way to increase your chances of enjoying a pairing that enhances both the wine and food. When entertaining at home, Mark offers five wines to have one hand.  If you’re hosting a pot luck or serving many styles of food, these five are great choices for pairing with different types of dishes.

• Sparkling wine (champagnes) are great in general because they have a cleansing effect with the effervescence and higher acidity.  Higher acidity is the backbone of pairing.  Start, continue, or end a meal with a lovely glass of bubbly.
• Pinot Nior/ Burgundy are second on Mark’s list.  The elegance and brightness of these wines can make them quite versatile.  For some excellent new world wines, Oregon is produces wonderful pinot noir.  My personal favorite is from Elk Cove.
• Mark also recommends looking for something from Piedmont, Italy.  These wines are built for food.  They are structured and have more tannins and acids giving great texture for pairing with food.
• Reds from Washington State have the fruit and power that is complex and food friendly.  These new world wines are also typically a great value.
• And lastly, Mark recommends white Burgundy (otherwise known as chardonnay).  These aren’t like the American chardonnays as they tend to be more elegant, not heavy or viscous, and less oaky.  To find white Burgundy in stores, look in the Italian wine section and ask the staff to point you to white Burgundy as they won’t be labeled as chardonnay.

The #wineride may be over, but the pairing of food and wine activities are just getting heated up.  When deciding on what to pair with your meals, don’t worry about the details or make it overly complicated.  Every palate is different, and you might enjoy pairings that are very traditional or not at all traditional.  At the end of the day, the most important mission is that you are enjoying your wine and your food.  Bon Appetit and Sip Away! Don’t forget to send us your love in the form of votes! Vote for Mark here.  Vote for the Team Mark’s bloggers and photographer here.

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Wine makes food taste better.  Food makes wine taste better.  How do you find that perfect pair?  The 2011 Wine Ride – An exciting race of wine pairing challenges from the brilliant minds at Keeper Collection that offered the perfect opportunity to see just how this is done. This weekend, I participated in the first Wine Ride, a series of wine pairing challenges at different Austin locations,  and my team witnessed firsthand the thought and creativity that goes into every food and wine pairing.  Think of the Wine Ride as an “Amazing Race” for foodies.  Five teams, each consisting of a Sommelier (or Somm), photographer, tweeter (or facilitweeter), and blogger competed in the race. 

Our team consisted of our Somm, Scott Barber of Centennial Fine Wine & Spirits in Dallas; photographer, Jo Ann Santangelo, Jo Ann Santangelo Photography; facilitweeter, Marshall Jones, the ED of the Wine & Food Foundation of Texas (and our race driver for the day!); and me, Adam Brower, HungryinHouston.com blogger.  The race began with the reveal of our team’s 4 destinations: 

• Central Market Cooking School
• Foreign & Domestic
• Antonelli’s Cheese Shop
• FINO

Each destination offered several plates (up to 6) and a couple bottles of wine.  The Somm’s job was to taste each plate and the different wines, and select the best pairing.  All of the wines were part of the Becky Wasserman collection, so we knew we were dealing with quality wines.  The rest of the team did their thing — clicked, tweeted, and typed to capture all that was happening.  Patrons at each of the locations sat tableside to hear the Somm do their thing.  After all, the Somms true purpose is to improve the dining experience of all involved.  The chefs at each of the locations had a bit of fun too, doing their best to stump the talented Somms, but in the end, I think the Somms were up to the challenge. 

You can see the other Somm’s perfect pairings and vote for your favorite at http://Sommsunderfire.com/pairings-101/.  And hopefully, if you enjoy this post, you can vote for it at http://www.keepercollection.com/blog/.  The winning Somm wins a spot to compete in Somms Under Fire and the team with the winning blog post will win all access media badges to Somms Under Fire. 

Here were Scott’s top picks for the day.

As we listened to Scott describe the plates, wines, and details of his perfect pairings, I knew there was much more going on than the simple “white wine with seafood, red wine with meat”. 

All photography on this post courtesy Jo Ann Santangelo Photography

For lengths sake, I will not take you through the more than 25 pairings, but I do want to give you a taste of what was considered. 

PAIRING #1 – “Fino was about texture and surprise”  

As we parked at Fino, we ran up the stairs and into the restaurant – we only had 10 minutes at each location, so we had to hurry.  Four plates were present and Scott immediately noticed that the pork would most likely be the lightest dish, the short ribs would pair better with a bold wine that is typically better during this time of year, and the croquettes which would go best with acidity to help clean up the spices.   Scott then moved on to the pork belly noting that a high acid would be needed to cut and balance the fat. 

PAIRING #2 – “Central Market Cooking School was where the dish elevated the wine to be better than it was by itself”  

Here it became apparent that the chefs were out to give the somm a run for their money.  Six plates were presented and they had the intent to trip the somm up.  Scott dug into a halibut dish and noted that the white chardonnay would be a classic pairing.  But this was not about making that classic pair, but making that perfect pair.  The salmon was plated on top of asparagus, which is always a warning sign for a somm as asparagus is particularly hard to pair.  Scott noted that it would clash with a chard, but typically works well with a Gruner.  Ultimately it was the roast chicken pair with the chard that deserved the perfect pair, enhancing the carmelization from the chicken and roasted corn. 

PAIRING #3 – “F&D Savory was flavor matching and attenuating the strong herbatiousness of the grilled celery and pesto” 

 Here three savory plates were presented and yet again, there was intent to play with the mind of the somm.  Scott first tried the soup, stating soups are never easy to pair for its liquid and liquid – and texture should always be considered just as much as flavor.   Next was ravioli on top of Brussels sprouts – yet another flag for a somm.  We then moved on to the Quail with pesto where the acid in the pinot was able to cut through the carmelled base and earning this sitting’s perfect pair. 

PAIRING #4 – “F&D sweet was the structure of acid/sweetness along with the toasted nuts echoing each other in the dessert and wine”  

 Next F&D presented 3 sweet plates to be paired.  Scott knew he had to be careful of the common misperception that all deserts go with champagne.  However, the blood orange sorbet had a tartness and acidity that balanced out its own sweetness allowing the champagne to easily get behind it.  The nuts also tied into the toastiness of the champagne and this won the session’s perfect pair. 

PAIRING #5 – “Antonelli’s was pure hedonism where both great individual items struck a big power chord when put together”  

 Finally, we ended up at Antonelli’s Cheese Shop for the classic wine and cheese pairing showdown.  Six cheeses were presented and yet another common misperception that only reds work with cheese. As Scott began to sample, he recognized the deep colored burgundy was not only very tasty but was dealing with the fat and acid like a hand and glove.  The soft cheeses were leaning more towards the white wine and the hard cheeses were leaning towards the red.  But it was the Tomme Crayeuse with the burgundy, that not only jumped up and yelled this is it!  But it was sensational enough to make it Scott’s ultimate pair. 

Not wanting to leave Antonelli’s, we had to make it back to Uchiko, the place of origin and finish line, to present the pairings.  Scott presented his case for the pairings at each location and finally revealed, as if a no brainer, the Tomme Crayeuse and Ladoix worked with each other very well and ultimately won Scott’s overall pick of the entire Wine Ride. 

This was a fun, exciting and very enlightening event.  As I listened to Scott describe the plates and the wines, I saw the intangible art that took place in his mind as he conceptualized and skillfully decided on the pairing. 

Fine food is complex.  Wine is complex.  Understanding how to bring the two together is something most of us will never master.  Thankfully there are sommeliers to help us. Their knowledge will help de-mystify the process of the selection as well as steer you away from common myths.  They are not at a restaurant to push you into an expensive wine you don’t really want but rather to truly enhance your experience.  And that experience can only be made with the perfect pairing. 

-Team 3, Wine Ride 2011 

Now go vote for us! 

http://www.keepercollection.com/blog/wine-ride/ 

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Vote for the sommelier at here and vote for the Team Blog Post Voting here. The winning Somm will win a spot to compete in Somms Under Fire.

Photos by Aimee Wenske.

Level-headed sommelier Jason Huerta (above) has the air and demeanor of a Catholic priest during the Spanish Civil War, where the forces of evil and good were pitted against one another in the guise of Franco’s fascist regime and the Spanish Communists. Torn between the brutal tactics of authoritarianism and the G-dless outlook of the Stalinists, his humanity emerges despite the seemingly insurmountable odds he must face in order to aid his compatriots — whatever their creed. His anchor in a sea of moral dilemma is his faith. His northern star is his grace under pressure, as Hemmingway would have called it in that sine qua non of North American literature (and North American character) For Whom the Bell Tolls.

In last Sunday’s “Wine Ride” competition, where sommeliers were asked to compete against one another in 10-minute pairing exercises at 4 Austin restaurants and food shops, Jason’s coolheadedness impressed me powerfully. Even when we arrived late to our third stop, shaving nearly 5 minutes from the 10 minute interval allowed for him to select his tasting at the station, the tone and prosody of his voice remained unchanged: balanced and measured, deliberate and precise, unrushed yet expedient. Not surprisingly, it was at this most rushed visit of ours (where I was to blame for our team’s setback, having taking a wrong turn), where he uttered what was IMHO his most profound observation on the nature of pairing food and wine. After selecting a light-bodied, low-alcohol Bourgogne Rouge over a racy, meaty, richer Corbières at Fino to pair with fried pork belly (a ubiquitous dish in the Texas gastronomic canon, no matter what country’s cuisine is represented by the venue), Jason explained his reasoning: “This is a country dish,” he said, “a dish created by farmers, a dish that everyone enjoys. And it deserves a pairing that will make everyone happy, not just the elite few among our patrons who want something more exotic.”

YES! Humanity… Democratic, Catholic, all-embracing, glorious humanity! Here is a criterion for pairing that transcends the terrestrial and reaches for the divine. Jason had just given our team — blogger (me), photographer, and facilitweeter — and the paying guests a glimpse into his soul and the guiding ethos of his mission as sommelier.

Reality television is by its very nature unreal. In fact, it is surreal. It thrusts the contestants into extreme situations improbable if not impossible in the real world. Whether the Christians to the lions in ancient Rome, Mad Max’s Thunderdome, or the New Jersey Housewives, these competitions require that participants negate their humanity. In tandem with the extremes delivered by a highly competitive world (read North America) that has only recently become culinarily aware, the myriad food-themed reality shows that nightly glaze the eyes of American TV audiences ask their charges to perform superhuman feats. Modeled after the popular however gut-wrenching “Iron Chef” paradigm, the Wine Ride denied the sommeliers all the tools of their trade: they were required to sample dishes on the spot and pair ex tempore with wines unknown to them until their arrival at the station. And they we required to complete the task in 10 minutes at each stop.

At our initial stop (Foreign and Domestic), Jason’s first challenge was to choose a pairing for the unlikely combination of pig’s ear served with a parsnip raviolo and grapes poached in fennel broth. As if plopped suddenly into a 20th-century absurdist tableau, Jason masterfully analyzed each element in the bizarre confluence of flavors laid out before him, relying on the theology of his profession to aid him in his selection of a Burgundian Pinot Noir over an Aligoté to match “the acidity and earthiness in this dish.” (This was not Jason’s official pairing for the stop, for the record, but it impressed me nonetheless!)

At Antonelli’s cheese shop, the host proffered a sample of six cheeses, none of which Jason recognized, he said plainly. He methodically tasted each one, offered his organoleptic evaluation, and ultimately chose the tomme crayeuse to go with another Burgundian Pinot Noir instead of a Champagne because, as he noted with chiastic ingenuity, the “wine tamed the flavors of the cheese, while the cheese made the flavors of the wine pop.”

And then finally, he picked an earthy, traditional-style bottling of Chardonnay from Burgundy to match with halibut and “chive beurre blanc” prepared and delivered with militaristic flair by the instructor at the Central Market cooking school. He sought to match, “the simplicity of ingredients in this delicious dish,” he said, “with the purity of the wine, an entry-level wine from one of Burgundy’s greatest producers.”

At every turn (both literal and figurative), I found that Jason returned to his trusted triptych of precepts: simplicity, purity, and balance. But when I asked about his personal approach to the art of matching food and wine, he surprised and moved me with his answer: “Pairing is about happiness,” he said.

Jason is the fourth child of an Apostolic Catholic family from New Mexico, with Mexican and Spanish origins. He and his siblings are all wildly successful in their respective fields. One of his sisters, for example, is a high-powered social services policy wonk in their home state. Jason reached a high point of any sommelier’s career when the thirty-something was voted the “best sommelier in Texas” in by the Texas Sommelier Association, a coveted title among the tide of ever ambitious wine professionals in this wealthy state. Jason’s father worked his entire life in the New Mexico copper mines only to have his retirement stolen from him by greedy robber barons. “There were times we ate only tortillas and beans,” said Jason when I asked him about his family’s origins. “And we have remained a very close and tight family.”

Jason seem never to have lost his humanity, even in the heady, flashy, and too often arrogant world of young sommeliers. He lives today in Dallas, where he presides over the second largest wine collection in the state at Pappas Brothers Steakhouse. Early on in the day, when I asked him what he hoped to discover through this exercise, he answered without missing a beat and with the same grace with which he delivered all of his pairings: “There are 8 million wines out there but just one Austin. I want to discover this town and the people who live here. And what they like to eat and drink.”

Looking back on my experience in the Wine Ride, I’m glad for me and my fellow Texas winelovers that this brilliant young man didn’t become a priest.

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Our last day made us sad; we didn’t want to leave Piedmont.  Where did we go for our last morning coffee and pastry? Barolo of course.  While so close to the fresh pasta shop that had been closed for several days in Barolo, we zipped by to find it finally open.  It was interesting to see that the pastamaker’s shop did not have as many different types of his own pastas as there were in the small pasticceria in the nearby town of La Morra!

It was time to go back to the Scavinos in Castiglione Falletto for a tour and tasting with winemaker Elisa Scavino and Director of Marketing, Weston Howard.  We tasted 2005 Carobric, Cannubi, Bric del Fiasc, and Bricco Ambrogio, along with a 2003 Rocche dell’Annunziata.  Then we tasted a vertical of Bric del Fiasc  2006, 2007, and 2008 with 2005 for comparison.  Elisa then offered a blind tasting of 2008 Bricco Ambrogio that had been aged with three different fermentation methods in casks  – one as fermented in old time casks, one in new casks for 7 days and then another in new casks for 23 days! What an interesting comparison.

Our group then went for lunch in the Alta Langa at Trattoria La Coccinella in Serravalle Langhe.

Trattoria La Coccinella

What a wonderful place with three brothers, Alessandro, Massimo, and Tiziano, who run the restaurant.

Brothers

– one manages the front of the house, one oversees service, and one is the Chef!   The food was very good and offered some different types of food than what we had been served during the week so far.  They use fresh seasonal local products, complemented by a large, well-versed wine list.   We had an antipasto and then 5 different courses, with our favorites being a Veal Carne Cruda with White Truffles, 

Veal Carne Cruda with White Truffles

a Porcini Pasta, 

Porcini Pasta

and a Pork Tenderloin with Pumpkin Sauce.

Pork with BBQ Sauce

The last dish even reminded us of the creation by Chef Martin Weaver, winner of 2009 Chefs Under Fire as selected by Chef Kent Rathbun.

And we of course had to wrap up the meal with several amazing desserts!

Something special for you devoted Keeper followers; we saved the best for last. We ate our weight through Piedmont in Vitello Tonnato, so we want to share the recipe we brought back jotted down on a note pad straight from Italy to you. The recipe isn’t quite as refined as our typical Keeper cookbook recipes, so when you try it, let us know what you did differently than the recipe and how it worked best.  Ciao!

Vitello Tonnato

(Serves 8-10)

800 gm lean veal, well tied into a roll, 1 medium onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 clove garlic, 1 bay leaf, parsley (?), 2 “glasses” dry white wine

Sauce

2 egg yolks, 250 cc olive oil, ½ lemon, juiced, 100 gm tuna, 2 tablespoons washed and salted capers

Vitello Tonnato

Put onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and wine in pot. Heat to boil. Put meat in a braising pot. Bring to a boil for 90 minutes. Cool to room temp. Slice thin for serving & sauce.

Sauce

Prepare mayonnaise with egg & oil & lemon. Chop tuna & capers. Make into paste. Mix tuna and caper paste into mayonnaise.

Serve mayo on sliced meat and garnish with parsley.

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Phone: 03-80-22-30-22

Cuisine: French

Price: Main courses 15€-28€ ($22-$41); fixed-price menu 20€ ($29)

Hours: Monday – Tuesday & Thursday – Friday noon-1:30pm & 7:30-9

Reservation: Recommended

Credit Cards Accepted: MC, V

As we make our plans to visit Burgundy, one of our first things that we want to know is whether Ma Cuisine will be open for us to dine.  The restaurant has varied days of operation, usually opening on average 4 days per week.  It is a MUST on our list, and we always look forward to the food and wine that Fabienne and Pierre will offer us, not to mention their smiling faces and warm welcome.

Ma Cuisine Sign

If dining at lunch, the lunch board usually has a 3 course prix fixe menu, made with seasonal ingredients.

Ma Cuisine Lunch Menu

If dining at night, the dinner board has a more extensive menu to offer, both menus written entirely in French.

Ma Cuisine Dinner Menu

All tables have fresh olives, cornichons, mustard, and bread as a starter.

Black Olives

Cornichons

Bread

On our most recent dinner, we enjoyed the fresh melon with prosciutto – a group favorite! In fact, Chef David Bull has shared his version of this staple appetizer with Port Salut Cheese and a Vanilla Muscato Gastrique, which is often prepared for guests of the Keeper Kitchen.

Ma Cuisine Fresh Melon with Prosciutto

We eyed a dish we hadn’t yet tried, the escargots, and they were fabulous.  The texture of the snails was impeccable and you’ll notice that the sauce they were cooked in resulted in us savoring every last drop as a dipping sauce for our baguette.

12 Escargots Traditionnels

12 Escargots Traditionnels (After)

Whenever we see the tuna tartare offered on the menu, we cannot resist and again, we were glad to have ordered it.

Tartare de Thon Frais

The Jambon Persille (Jellied Ham with Parsley) is a local dish that we love to try as it is made differently by many chefs.  Fabienne’s creation of this local special is excellent.

Jambon Persille Maison

For our entrees, we tried roasted chicken, pigeon, and duck breast.  All were prepared with perfection and each plate was near spotless before we allowed the server to take them away.

Poulet Roti

Pigeon Roti (Before and After)

Margret de Canard Roti

We were so glad that Ma Cuisine was open during our recent trip.  Combining the well-prepared dishes with selections from Pierre’s beautifully selected wine list provided the setting for another memorable Ma Cusine meal.  Thank you Fabienne and Pierre.

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Localisation: Passage Ste-Hélène, Beaune

Téléphone: 03-80-22-30-22

Cuisine: Française

Prix: Plats principaux 15€-28€ ($22-$41); menu 20 € (29 $)

Heures d’ouvertute: Lundi – Mardi & Jeudi – Vendredi midi-13h30 & 7h30

Réservation: Recommandé

Cartes de credit acceptées: MC, V

Comme nous faisons nos plans pour visiter la Bourgogne, l’une de nos premières choses que nous voulons savoir, c’est si Ma Cuisine sera ouvert pour nous pour diner.  Le restaurant a changer ses jours d’ouverture, d’habitude ouvert 4 jours par semaine. C’ est un incontournable sur notre liste, et nous avons toujours hâte de voir ce que Fabienne et Pierre vont nous offrir, sans parler de leurs visages souriants et l’accueil chaleureux.

Si vous dinnez le midi, le menu comprend 3 plats préparés avec des ingredients de saison.

Menu du Midi

Si vous dinnez le soir, le menu vous offre plus de choix, les deux menus sont entièrement écrits en français.

Menu du Soir

Sur chaques tables, il y a des olives fraiches, des cornichons, de la moutarde, et du pain.

Olives Noires

Cornichons

Pain

Lors d’un diner plus récent, nous avons apprécié le melon frais avec du prosciutto-un favori du groupe! En fait le Chef David Bull a partagé sa version avec des amuse-gueule au  fromage le Port Salut et vanilla  Muscato Gastrique, qui est souvent prepare pour les membres de l’équipe Keeper.

Melon et Magret

Nous avons vu un plat que nous n’avons jamais essayer,  les escargots, et ils sont fabuleux. Leurs textures était impeccable et vous remarquerez que nous avons savourer la sauce jusqu’a la dernière goutte avec notre baguette.

12 Escargots Traditionnels

12 Escargots Traditionnal (Apres)

Chaque fois que nous voyons le tartare de thon proposé, nous ne pouvons résister et a nouveau, nous avons été heureux de l’avoir commandé.

Tartare de Thon Frais

Le jambon persillé est un plat local que nous aimons essayer car il est préparé différement par de nombreux chefs. La creation de Fabienne de ce plat local est excellente.

Jambon Persille Maison

Pour nos plats de résistance, nous avons essayé le poulet roti, le pigeon et le magret de canard. Tout était préparé a la perfection et chaque plat était impeccable avant que nous n’autorisions le serveur de les emporter.

Poulet Roti

Pigeon Roti Avant-Apres

Magret de Canard Roti

Nous étions si heureux que Ma Cuisine soit ouvert pendant notre récent voyage. L’union des plats bien préparés avec des sélections de la carte des vins joliment choisie par Pierre a fourni le cadre pour un autre repas memorable a Ma Cusine. Merci Fabienne et Pierre.

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