Thursday, October 6, 2011

A TASTE OF ROY'S...A SIP OF WINE...A SPECIAL EVENING

As Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons would have crooned:  "OH WHAT A NIGHT!"
A magical gourmet night of gastronomical creation by Chef Partner Jason Moffitt of Roy's Restaurant in Woodland Hills.

The Occasion:  3 couples getting together for a great evening of food, wine and friendship.....do you need any other excuse?

An 8 course special tasting menu prepared especially for 6 of us to pair with the four wines we brought.
Melt in your mouth, delectable flavoring, creative presentation, wonderful sauces,
---my descriptions will be brief...because there is no way I could amply describe each incredible dish that was served over 3-1/2 hours...starting first with the
HAMACHI....(a juvenile yellow tail...found in the best sushi bars).  Rich and buttery....with a sauce that just put you over the edge.  Followed by a single large
SCALLOP...prepared to perfection....melt in your mouth..excite your senses....tease your taste buds. Next was
OPAKAPAKA...again with incredible sauce, flavors, garnish....and a lemon/mushroom risotto that put you in heaven.
The above paired with a 2008 CHATEAU MONTELENA CHARDONNAY.  Rich with flavors of apple and pear, and slight minerality.  This is the chardonnay that won the 1976 Paris Wine Competition, and won again 30 years later!  (well..not THE bottle of wine...but "the" bottle of wine.").  Moving right along to course #4.....
LOBSTER...meat served on a pretzel roll....along with a small lobster claw.  YUMYUMYUM...and then a small
QUAIL.....succulent, with an incredible brown sauce.  These two dishes paired delightfully with a 2008 SHEA PINOT NOIR from the WILLAMETTE VALLEY.  A typical Oregon pinot...fragrant, fruity, and a little spicey, with some minerality and a wonderful long finish.  
And then...the intermezzo.....
SORBET.....refreshing, tasty, palate cleansing.....a preamble for the final main course....a small...perfectly done---flavorful
FILET MIGNON.....and yes....THIS non meat eater ate every morsal!  And would have eaten even more!
This...accompanied by a BRANCAIA TOSCANA II BLU 2004.  A super Tuscan, full bodied, with dark fruits, velvety and well balanced.
AND....IF THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH!  As we opened and poured a 1989 Villa Helena Dulcinea from the Napa Valley---a special select late harvest dessert wine.....came
DESSERT!   A s'mores creation.....but not like any s'mores you have ever had.

BON APPETITE AND CHEERS!

AND A SPECIAL "THANK YOU" TO JASON....for such a wonderful evening.

Or....as Bob Hope would say:  Thanks for the memories.....