wine-dinner

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!

This evening was the first-Saturday Wine Dinner at the Iron Horse Inn. Wendy & I joined a bunch of friends at the table for a great meal. Our party was 13 people strong! We love taking new people to the Iron Horse — all we have to do is get them to attend once, and they’re hooked!

First Course
Torched Scallop Appetizer, Apple-Cider Gastrique
Ferrandiere Chardonnay
A pair nicely seared scallops atop the gastrique. Very simple, but very delicious. Typically, we don’t care for Chardonnays, but Brian Scott (the wine guy for the night) has helped us to see that we do, in fact, like French Chardonnarys.

Second Course
Roasted Winter Squash Bisque, Green Peppercorn-Merlot Drizzle
Apex Merlot
The soup was warming, hearty, and well-flavored. The drizzle added a very nice counterpoint to the rich flavors, and it paired well with the Apex Merlot, which was a standout wine of the evening.

Third Course
Cherry-Maple Glazed Duck Breast, Gorgonzola Sweet Potato Puree
Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel
This was a lovely dish. The maple on the duck breast is a natural pairing and it was delicious. The sweet potato puree was good, but I missed the flavor of the gorgonzola.

Fourth Course
Char Grilled Ribeye, Guiness-Soy Demi-Glace, Sesame Whipped Potatoes, Fried Onions
Omrah Cabernet
The standout in this course, for me, was the sesame whipped potatoes. They were really tasty!

Dessert 
Mandel Brot 
Moscato D’Andrea
This was sort of a once-baked biscotti with dried blueberries and white chocolate chips. Very, very tasty and soft enough to be enjoyable.

The Iron Horse Inn Restaurant & Vintner Select presents:
Frog’s Leap Winery

This evening, we dined at the Iron Horse Inn for their monthly “third-Tuesday” wine dinner, this one focusing on wines from Frog’s Leap Winery.

First Course
Fried Spicy Salmon Roll, Plum Sauce & Sweet Soy
2005 Sauvignon Blanc
I thought this course was very successful. The salmon roll was large, well-prepared, and very tasty.

Second Course
Tuna Tartare 3 Ways
2005 Chardonnay
I love tuna. I love tartare. This was a very nice dish — LOTS of tuna on each plate. I enjoyed more than my fair share because one of our fellow diners (hi Doug!) doesn’t love seafood and was ready to share.

Third Course
Duck Rillette
2003 Merlot
Rillette! Who does rillettes on a menu anymore? This was a wonderful throwback dish that was very enjoyable. Most folks at my table didn’t know what rillettes are and had never tasted it. Everyone enjoyed it.

Fourth Course
Strip Au Poivre, Cigar Smoked Grape Tomatoes
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Oh, those tomatoes were awesome!

Dessert
Blackberry “Death By Chocolate”
2004 Zinfandel