Christmas dinner is one of my favorite meals of the year. Like Thanksgiving it is a time when families converge onto a table and are able to share their stories and happenings of the year and look around at faces of the people you love and smile, and have them smile back. Even more so in recent years this meal has increased in meaning. Like most every other household growing up, it is the mother who works all day making sure the holiday is perfect, the fighting is kept to an absolute minimum, and the food arrives at the table hot and tasting good. One of the biggest gifts I could give my parents in the last few years has been to share my love of them my putting into my hands the preparation of both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. They have come in various forms, whether it was the 7 course escapade that my family thought would never be over to last Thanksgiving where I gave them my interpretation of a ‘traditional’ meal with the Turkey and stuffing and all. Well with this year being away off doing this learning expedition in Europe I was unable to give the people I love the most all that I could, and with Christmas it really sank in. I was so happy and fortunate to have had my friend Margaux with me so that neither of us had to spend Christmas alone.
We decided it would be a great idea to have a fantastic Christmas dinner, seeing as it was a holiday and our last meal together. I turned to James Molesworth of Wine Spectator for a recommendation. He was happy to recommend a few places, but when he mentioned big portions, great food, and open fire I was sold. What better setting than a country kitchen themed restaurant for a holiday celebration feast! The place did not disappoint.
The setting was exactly as I imagined it would be. The open fire pit was the first thing you saw when you entered, with a table showing fresh local ingredients to greet you and a mini locker in the corner showing off their amazing looking cuts of beef. All the devices were old school, the oven looking as though it hadn’t been changed in a century. The table was well set, and I was kind of excited to be sitting next to the back kitchen next to the server’s line. Most people would hate it, but being in the industry it is kind of a true window into the restaurant and its staff.
First we will talk wine, Round 1. A half bottle of white to get the celebration kicked off. The menu had a wide array of half bottle selections which I was pleased with, as it allows for much more flexibility throughout a meal. I selected:
Le Abeille de Fieuzal Pessac Leognan 2009
For the meal itself we decided to live it up and go with the Pre Fix menu at 60 Euro a person. It was 4 courses including the cheese course. First course for me would be seared scallops over white bacon and Margaux went big with the Foie Gras terrine. Both dishes were excellent. My scallops were perfectly cooked and the fattiness of the white bacon was a perfect compliment. Often in the states we wrap the scallop in heavily smoked meaty bacon which overpowers the delicate flavors of the scallop, not so here. Only one word can describe the Foie Gras terrine, WOW. As you can tell from the picture its looks really good, but was such a large piece that Margaux and I together could not finish it. We had to pace ourselves you know.
Wine Round 2 is up, and so is the main course. Again I thought it best to utilize the half bottle menu and select a nice red to accompany the remainder of the meal. In honor of our day spent in the heart of the Right Bank…
Chateau Beauregard Pomerol 2002
At first I was a bit skeptical about the recommendation from the staff, as 2002 is definitely not an acclaimed year for Bordeaux. But then I thought that neither was 1998 for Napa Valley Cabernets, and I’ve had some really tasty ones in the last year. A perfect example of why one should have faith in the Sommelier or Wine Steward when dining out and seeking advice. The wine was showing beautifully that evening. At 48 Euro it was not inexpensive, but fairly priced for their range of selections. Again though, which I was a bit surprised by, no decanting done or offered. The only blemish on a wonderful dining experience. From the last posting covering Right Bank reds you should be very knowledgeable about the wines of Pomerol, right?
The wine had great depth of color with all the noticeable signs of its age, and definitely some sediment thrown. The fruits were all red berries, slightly dried at this point in its evolution, with plenty of the clay minerality tones being balanced by the tobacco leaf and subtle truffle notes on the back. The cool tones characteristic of this vintage kept the alcohol and tannins in check, but the wine was still rich and not watered down at all.
Main course time, and I am going to shock you by my selection, wait for it….I had the Duck! I’m sorry I couldn’t resist. Call me ‘quacky’ but it was a duck filled day for me. Duck Breast rolled and pan roasted finished with a butter cream sauce with morel mushrooms. I’m not so crazy for picking all this duck anymore am I? The dish was perfectly executed, the breast cooked a perfect medium rare, and the sauce complimented the meat to deliver flavor in a harmonious tone on the palate. I also had a side of Pome Frites (French Fries) that are cooked in duck fat; remember how much the French do like their duck fat! Margaux had a dish I thought personified the style of the restaurant, a rice dish, like a risotto, with wild mushrooms and onions and diced chicken breast. It was served in the dish in a cast iron pot onto your plate tableside. To me that is perfect country home-style cooking at its best. Both dishes were amazing, I really can’t say there was a clear favorite, we were both winners.
The cheese course is a tradition in France, almost a religious ceremony in fact. It is always served after the main course before the dessert. For ours the pairing was a creamy soft rind goat cheese paired with a bit of berry jam and toast. Although the size was modest, the dish was filling. The cheese was rich and delicious, but neither of us attempted to finish it, although I got pretty close, opting to save room for dessert.
The dessert course was fun, both because of the flavors and the ambiance. By this point, some 3 hours into the marathon meal, neither of us was sure where the food was going to fit. I make great sacrifices in my job sometimes, here being one, and I continued to eat my way out of this meal, one fork at a time, haha! My dish was a play on a traditional Bordeaux dessert cake, the Cannele. It is a firm cake made from the egg yolks left over from the fining of the wines with the egg whites, which still happens to this day. To accompany was some rum ice cream and fresh pineapple with a few raspberries strategically placed for color and flavor. With the glass of Sauterne I had to wash it all down it was a hit. Margaux had a much more innovative dish, a frozen Vanilla Soufflé with a Raspberry glaze. Let’s just say I had no problems helping her finish the last few bites of her dish as well.
The dinner overall was amazing. From the food, to the wine, to the service and the company everything was great. It was a perfect way to cap off a great week of eating and drinking and being merry. I don’t think I have ever been this decadent for a whole week in my life. I should have weighed myself before and after, but where is the fun in that. Up next we will continue the series on Max Wine Gallery and go across the river, to the Left Bank article. Salute!
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