On Wednesday, August 12, 2008, the Midwest Culinary Institute hosted another Wine Dinner, this time prepared by Chef Kyle Goebel with wines by Chad Johnson, owner of Dusted Valley Vintner Winery. Sadly, we were in Houston, Texas and missed the dinner. But here’s the menu and photos… It sounded great!

Amuse Bouche
Yellowfin Tuna Tataki, Yuzu, Wakame, and Microgreens
La Sera Malvasia 2007

First Course
Watermelon Consomme, Pickled Cucumber Granite, and Lavendar Dust
Boomtown Pinot Gris 2006

Second Course
Sliced, Butter-Poached Lobster, Hearts of Palm, Avocado, Valencia Orange Supreme, and Mango Beurre Blanc
Boomtown Unoaked Chardonnay 2006
or
Dusted Valley Vintner Viognier 2006

Third Course
Duck Confit, Sweet Potato Crepe, Chantrelle Mushrooms with Seared Duck Breast, Bing Cherries, Arugula, and Micro Cilantro
Boomtown Merlot 2004

Fourth Course
Cinnamon-Smoked Lamb T-Bone, Herb Risotto, and Blueberry Gastrique
Boomtown Syrah 2006
or
Dusted Valley Vintner Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Fifth Course
White Donut Peach, Dark Chocolate, and Raisin Compote
Red Head Ranch Late Harvest Zinfandel 2004

Wednesday, July 16 2008 was a Wine Dinner event at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. It was hosted by Chef Matt Winterrowd and the cooking staff of The Summit restaurant, and they did a great job.

First Course
Scallops with gnocchi and fava beans served with Basa Blanco Rueda 2007

Soft-shell crab

Second Course
Soft shell crab with black beans, avocado, lime and chilies with Vega Sindoa Chardonnay 2006

Roasted Pork

Third Course
Roasted Pork with tomatillo, jicama and plaintain with Tres Picos Garnacha 2006

Grilled Wagyu

Fourth Course
Grilled Wagyu Hanger Steak with Porcini, Polenta and Pecorino and kale with Bodegas Volver Tempranillo 2005 and Altos De Luzon 2004

Cheese course

Fifth Course
Cheese Tray of LaSerena, raw sheep, Spain
Drunken Goat, Spain
Mrs. Quickes Cheddar, England
Bleu d/Auvergne, France
and white chocolate truffle with Jorge Ordonez Especial Muscat 2005

The Midwest Culinary Institute (MCI) Wine Dinner for April was planned and prepared by Chef Alan Niece & the Olympic Culinary Team. Wines by Brian Scott from Vintner Select. Additionally, the culinary team prepared booklets with recipes for all the dishes they served which were given to the guests.

Due to a previous commitment, I was unable to attend this event.

Welcome
Gruet Blanc de Noir Sparkling, NV

Poached Dover Sole & Shrimp Quenelles
trio of squash on a bed of sautéed spinach,
buerre blanc, lobster mushroom dusted cracker
Selby Sauvignon Blanc, 2006

Smoked Tomato Salad
citrus compote, lemon vinaigrette & pâte à choux
Verdad Albarino 2006 Ibarra-Young Vineyard

Sauté Poulet Bercy
chipolata sausage, duchesse potato,
peas & carrots à la flamande
Mikael Bourge Cot 2006 – Les Hout de Cot (Malbec)
and
Cinnabar Mercury Rising 2005

Whimsical Dessert
cinnamon ice cream atop flourless chocolate cake,
Grand Marnier marinated fruit filled almond florentine, hazelnut soufflé with vanilla sauce, sweet red wine sauce
JRE Winery Zinfandel Tradition, 2005

On March 26, 2008, we attended the next montly Wine Dinner at Midwest Culinary Institute, this time helmed by Chef Matthew Winterrowd, the newest executive chef on faculty there. Wines by Rich Parducci, winemaker from McNab Ridge.

Amuse Gueule
Kumomoto Oyster, cauliflower, buttermilk, lemon
Anime Prosecco NV

Jonah Crab, chickpeas, cucumber, mango
McNab Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Sea Scallops, coconut, rice, ginger, cabbage
McNab Ridge Chardonnay 2005

Duck Breast, barley, wild mushroom, red wine, orange
McNab Ridge Pinotage 2004

Lamb Chop, potato, Brussels sprouts, truffle, thyme
McNab Ridge Coro 2004
or
McNab Ridge Petite Sirah 2005

Milk Chocolate-Passion Fruit-Kiwi, Dark Chocolate-Caramel-Pistachio
Puerto Dessert Port

On February 13, 2008, we attended another Wine Dinner at the Midwest Culinary Institute, this time cooked by Chef Rick Potter, C.E.C. who is a faculty member at the college. Wines by Jamie Stewart, Master Sommelier, from Foster’s Group.

Here’s the menu Rick prepared, and boy was it good!

Welcome
Wolf Blass Yellow Sparkling NV

Creamy Corn & Leek Soup with toasted English croutons
Beringer Alluvium 2006

Spicy Pan Seared Scallops with braised Savoy cabbage with carrot ginger emulsion
Chateau St. Jean Riesling 2005

Baby Greens, Marinated Tomato, Grain Salad with smoked duck roulade
Etude Pinot Noir Rosé 2006

Rosemary Crusted Leg of Lamb with morel reduction, horseradish mashed potatoes, and turned vegetables
Greg Norman Shiraz/Cabernet 2002
or
Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Panna Cotta on Flourless Chocolate Cake with macerated fruit
Penfolds Club Tawny Port NV

The Summit Room at Midwest Culinary Institute
Sensational Wine Dinner
January 8, 2008
Chef Alan Neace
Wine pairings by Chef Neace & Laura Landoll, Vintage Wine Distributors. Wine commentary, below, provided by Laura Landoll.

Champagne Welcome

Smoke-Roasted Corn Chowder with Petite Blue Crab and Shrimp-filled Morel
FOOD: Wonderfully silky, smooth chowder with a flavor that rich and full (there was smoked cheese in there), yet a light texture, topped with a nice garnish of a slice of morel mushroom that had been stuffed with blue crab and shrimp, then poached.
2005 Joseph Drouhin Saint-Veran, White Burgundy
WINE: Saint-Veran is very close stylistically to Pouilly-Fuisse, with its golden green hue, its intense fruity, flowery nose and its refreshing flavors. It can be enjoyed very young (two to three months after bottling). An independent, family-owned firm that is 125 years old — this is very rare today! Eleven of the world’s leading wine families, each a recognized leader in its region, have created an international association, named Primum Familiae Vini (”Leading Wine Families”) or P.F.V.

Cobenerro Crusted Sea Bass with Quark Spaetzle and Cucumber-orange Compote
FOOD: A generous portion of sea bass crusted with cobenerro spices (a Guatalaman spice blend), served with spaetzle that were crisp on the outside with a tender chew on the inside. The compote provided a brightness and acidity to the dish, and it was a very nice, complete flavor profile.
2006 Domaine Sigalas Santorini, Assyrtiko
WINE: Assyrtiko is one of Greece’s finest white grape varieties and is planted throughout Greece. It was first cultivated on the island of Santorini, where it has developed a unique character producing excellent A.O.C. wines. Assyrtiko has the ability to maintain its acidity as it ripens. It yields a bone-dry wine that has citrus aromas mixed with an earthy, mineral aftertaste due to the volcanic soil of Santorini. A light yellow color with green highlights citrus flavors, and a lemon intensity, particular of the grape variety.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salpicon with Oven-dried Cherry Vinaigrette and Elfin Greens
FOOD: A flavorful bound salad (a Salpicon is a chopped, bound salad) with quinoa (oh, I adore quinoa), presented in a base of a cucumber ring, garnished with micro elfin greens (no hobbits in sight), and presented with a crescent-shaped cracker. The dressing was painted on the plate, and was very flavorful and a good acidic compliment to the salad. A very nice presentation and flavor.
2006 Chateau de Campuget Rose Rhone, Syrah/Grenache
WINE: Chateau de Campuget, which belongs to the Dalle family since 1941, is producing A.O.C. Costieres de Nimes wines. Their vineyard, of 160 hectares, is situated in the heart of the A.O.C. area, between Nimes and Arles, a few kilometers from the right side of the Rhone river. Grape composition: 30% Grenache noir, 70% syrah. Its color is an intense peony pink. Its bouquet is very aromatic, with scents of small red fruits such as raspberries or black currants. In the mouth, there is a perfect balance between vivacity and mellowness.

Sumac-rubbed Roast Pork Tenderloin Roulade with Ratatouille, Haricot Vert, aromatic infused pear, chive fragranced polenta cake, and sauce diable
FOOD: Gosh darn it, not enough people use Sumac when cooking. Its delicate, slightly citrus-y flavor was a nice addition to the pork tenderloin roulade. The tenderloin was trimmed & skinned, and the edible cut-offs were made into a farce that was placed atop the tenderloin (secured using powdered egg whites — “meat glue“, as Chef called it) and wrapped in caul fat before being seared off and roasted. Each of the components of the dish — ratatouille, pear, polenta, and verts — paired well with the tenderloin and, taken all in one bite were tasty, but sometimes the flavor profiles were muddy when mixing & matching components. For example, pear + pork == tasty. Pear + pork + ratatouille == less so.
2006 Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir
WINE: A beautiful wine that truly expresses the terroir of the red, volcanic earth where it was grown. Aromas of red fruits, violets, clove, and tea leaf. Flavors mirror aromas with juicy bing cherry, lavender, earth, and mineral followed by an elegant finish that lingers with spicy cinnamon and clove notes. The mouth-feel is round and generous with a concentrated mid-palate and good acidity. Appealing now, but will further reward those who cellar this wine. This wine is Salmon Safe, LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology), and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.
&
2005 Consentino Winery, Sangiovese
WINE: Spicy, exotic red and black fruit with hints of clove in the nose. A vibrantly colored, rich and concentrated, yet brightly balanced wine on the palate. A round, rich, and balanced wine that evolves into an intense mixed berry sensation with ripe tannins in the center. An elegant white pepper note finishes this richly textured wine. Grape composition: 92% Sangiovese, 2% Petite Sirah, 2% Early Burgundy, 2% Merlot, and 2% Alicante.

Delicate Pistachio and Cranberry Cake with terrine of cream medley, Tellicherry red wine sauce, and chocolate decor
FOOD: I enjoyed helping Chef prepare and refine this recipe. The original concept was modified to substitute almond paste for the tardy pistachio paste, and we bumped up the flavor of the cranberry center by rethinking the filling. Each cake — which was individually made — required that batter be added to the silicone mold, a filling of thick, red cranberry gelee added, then the mold ‘topped off’ with a bit more cake batter, sealed, and baked off. When opened, the cakes oozed a ruby red center.
2003 Les Clos de Paulilles Banyuls
WINE: Les Clos de Paulilles is owned and managed by the Daure family, the preeminent wine growing family of the Roussillon. The entire vineyard is hand-harvested when the Grenache has reached exceptional degrees of ripeness — a minimum of 15 degrees. The grapes are crushed but not de-stemmed into stainless steel vats. Neutral grape spirit is added during fermentation — a process called “mutage” — after the wine is allowed to macerate for a full six weeks. The wines are pressed after maceration. Bottling occurs the Spring following the vintage, and the wines are aged in-bottle in climate-controlled cellars for a minimum of two years. Dark black-purple red with intense blackberry jam aroma and succulent, rich flavors. A superb dessert wine. Grape composition: 100% Black Grenache.

This dinner was very successful, and set the bar for meals to come.

I learned recently that the IRON HORSE INN, long a fixture in the Glendale restaurant scene, has closed its doors.

I’ve got mixed feelings about this closure. We’ve spent many enjoyable evenings at the Iron Horse over the last 5+ years, from the time we took the Happy Mouth Supper Club there for a great meal, to my working in the kitchens with Chef Jackson, to getting to know Chef Chris and his variety of brulee recipes (Wendy pines for his S’More Brulee).

Sadly, the last several times we dined at the IRON HORSE over the last year or so, we knew something was wrong. The quality of both the food and (especially) the service degraded quickly (we waited an hour for appetizers on Christmas Eve 2007). We could sense the end was coming.

But still, when the end came, we still feel a bit sad. Hopefully, a new owner will take over the IRON HORSE and return the great building to its rightful place on the landscape of Glendale, and Cincinnati’s restaurant scene.

Bon chance, IRON HORSE INN. It was good to know you.

UPDATE (January 10, 2008): I just spoke to one of the owner’s of the IRON HORSE who confirmed that they’re currently “open only for private parties” while they “explore some other opportunities”. Typically, the HORSE closes for New Year’s holiday, but this year they’ve “extended” that closing… indefinitely. The owner said that they’ll email us with any additional news.

The Summit Room at Midwest Culinary Institute
Sensational Wine Dinner
December 11, 2007
Chef Arthur Leech

Tuesday, December 11, 2007 marked the inaugural Wine Dinner at Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. As part of the planning team, I worked with College administration, Samantha Smith (from E&J Gallo Winery) and Carmen Parks (formerly of Rondo’s restaurant) to organize this, the first of our monthly Wine Dinners. It was gratifying to see this event come to life, and to have it so well-attended (somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 people attended the event).

Chef Arthur Leech provided the following menu, paired with wines by Samantha Smith.

Hors d’Oeuvres
Barefoot Brut Champagne

Spicy Asian Pepper Seared Wild Caught Salmon with a fresh thyme lemon vinaigrette
Martin Codax Albarino, 2006

Granny Smith Apple Chestnut Soup with Saffron Creme Fraiche
Bridlewood Reserve Viognier, 2006

Duck Confit & Roasted Mushroom Potato Lasagna resting on sauteed baby spinach and raspberry braised beets
MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir, 2006
&
Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, 2004

Cheese Sampling of Brie, Compote, French Blue, and Manchego drizzled with Mission Fig Syrup
Bridlewood Reserve Syrah, 2003

Peach, Apple, and Golden Raisin Rustic Tarts with moscato and honey reduction, creme anglaise
Moscato, N.V.

The meal was neither too conservative nor too ‘wild’, which was appropriate for the first time. We, as a planning committee, needed to begin to understand our audience and where their tastes are.

On Tuesday, June 12, 2007, Wendy, Ted, and I participated in a Wine Dinner at Rondo’s Restaurant in Western Hills.

The theme was “Summer Quaffing Wines from Tin Roof Wines, California” (with wines from Glazer Distributors), and the menu was as follows:

First Course
Chilled Cucumber, Mint, and Melon Soup
Sauvignon Blanc, 2006
This course turned out to be the weakest of the evening, both in individual components (the soup wasn’t great and the wine wasn’t great) and in pairing. The cool soup was refreshing, but the flavors weren’t distinct and the soup & wine simply did not pair well.

Second Course
Baby lettuces from Sallies Organic Farm with Fresh Mozzarella Crostini, Basil Oil, and Rainbow Trout
Chardonnay, 2006
This was one of my favorite courses of the evening. The lettuces were very tasty without being overdressed and losing the fresh flavor of the lettuces. The crostini was good, and I really enjoyed the trout. While Wendy & I are not fans of Chardonnay, we found this one to be more than acceptable. Ted, on the other hand, really likes chardonnay — “the oaky-er the better!,” he said.

Third Course
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with White Bean Puree, Rosemary, and Roasted Grape Tomatoes
Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005
In my opinion, the most overall successful course & pairing of the evening. The plates were attractively presented, and the flavors of the perfectly-cooked pork, the bean puree, and the tomatoes went very well together, and complimented the wine very nicely.

Fourth Course
Grilled Skirt Steak with Mango Chutney and Barley Salad
Syrah Cabernet, 2005
Our table was divided about this course. We all enjoyed the flavor of the skirt steak, but some of us thought that the barley salad’s texture was off-putting while others of us enjoyed it. The mango chutney was spicy, so this dish had some heat to it, which stood up nicely to the wine. One thing we all agreed upon: this course should have been served warmer.

Fifth Course
Strawberry Shortcake served with Farmer John Branstrators local & organically-grown strawberries
Rose’, 2006
Strawberry shortcake is a dessert that I never seem to think of, but when it is served to me, I always enjoy it. The shortcakes were perfect — not too heavy nor too sweet. The strawberries were at their peak of freshness & sweetness, so the dessert was wonderful for a warm summer evening. We all felt that the Rose’, while moderately enjoyable on its own, was a poor pairing for this dish. The dessert was sweeter than the wine which brought out the wine’s vinegar flavor.

It was certainly a pleasant evening. The wine dinners at Rondo’s are very affordable — only $35 for everything (tax & tip not included). We’ll go back!

Tonight’s wine dinner was very nice — Wendy & I joined Cindy, Mo, Angel, and Greg for a very nice meal at the Iron Horse Inn. Chris & Devin did a nice job of explaining the wines.

First Course
Deconstructed Spicy Crab Sushi
Clean State Riesling
I really liked the Riesling. The first taste was almost overpoweringly sweet, but the second (and subsequent) tastes were much more balanced. It went very nicely with the crab sushi, which was “deconstructed” — the components of the dish — nori, spices, crab, and a sauce — were spread out on the plate.

Second Course
Grilled Salmon, Creamy Rosemary Polenta, Tomato Gravy
Bootleg Chianti
The saLmon (hi Mo!) and the polenta went well together, the gravy and the polenta were okay together, but the combination of all three components was less than the sum of its parts. The wine (which was good) was paired with the gravy and tasted pretty good, but the overall dish and wine wasn’t one of my favorite pairings.

Third Course
Pork Tenderloin, Truffled Wild Mushroom Blue Cheese Compote
Bootleg Southern Red
I didn’t care for the blue cheese component to the mushroom compote, but I was shouted down by my tablemates, who liked it. The pork was well-prepared, moist, tender, and flavorful. The pairing with the wine — which is a blend of 25% Primitivio, 25% Negroamaro, 25% Montepulciano, 25% Uva di Troia — was very nice.

Fourth Course
Vanilla Bruleed Rack Of Lamb, Toasted Couscous, Grape Tomatoes, Baby Spinach
Root One Cabernet Sauvignon
Before & during this course, we sampled a duck breast dish that we enjoyed at a previous wine dinner and has now been added to the dinner menu at the Iron Horse. Man, that’s a good dish! The rack of lamb was a nice compliment to the duck, and was an excellent course in its own right. I really like couscous and could eat a large bowl of it, and it went nicely with the lamb, which was crusted with a bit of vanilla sugar. The Cab was a nice wine and paired well.

Dessert
Chocolate Flourless Torte, Espresso Anglaise, Blackberry Compote
Unico (Gran Reserve) Cabernet Sauvignon
As loyal readers of this site know, I am not a huge fan of chocolate desserts, but this torte was very nice. The anglaise was very good, and the compote was a necessary ‘high note’ of sweetness.

After dinner, Angel, Wendy, Greg, and I sat around and talked (and drank — thanks for the Moscato d’Asti, Angel!) for a couple hours. It was a nice visit to end a nice meal!