Wine-savvy

[bods1000]

Mompo? I remember being an altar boy way back when and sneaking a taste or two (or three or four  :evil: ) It was bad then and is bad now. But I am afraid to taste it now - age has imparted the wisdom that being struck by lightning is NOT a good thing! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I wonder - is Mompo a real wine? where's it from?

and why is it that it's the drink of choice of the priesthood here?

Is there a Mompo Conspiracy somewhere?

 

I wonder what the priests in other countries drink for Mass.....

[bods1000]

Only half? You know I'm in weight trouble    because I looooove to eat, don't you? Hey Bods/Masi/mods - can we expand the discussions to food paired with wine? Aside from sitting around sipping the stuff with good friends and just shooting the breeze, good wine also calls out for good food to interact with.

 

And no - I really think than ANY female legs  :thumbsupsmiley:  will be a better sight for me than ANY male legs  :sick: , Bods' and Masi's legs notwithstanding.

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by all means, pare - I don't think there's any need to ask permission...

in fact through one year we have discussed not only wines but cigars, cheeses, absinthe, hookah!, kava!, opium - this thread should have been closed down a long time ago kung bawal

 

I think may post na ako dati about food and wine kaya lang hindi naituloy...

 

go ahead pare - take the floor!

[agxo3]

Last night was a looooong night of eating, drinking and carousing. Mid-week even! The sales person from one of our vendors is leaving the ara and moving to SoCal, so she decided to throw herself a goodbye party!

 

A bottle of Kenwood cab (2001?? dunno - got there late), two Trinchero cabs (2001), a zin of some sort (didn't order it, someone else did) and another also unknown cab. For 8 people, and this was just dinner. The Trinchero was great after about 10 minutes of air. The tannins retreated and allowed the fruit to come through. The usual suspects - berries, a hint of smoke, some plum and wht I am now beginning to expect, some apricot. Went well with my dinner of flank steak.

 

We then lost two people, and hied ourselves off to Birk's which has a good selection of single malts and Dominica cigars. Had two shots of Oban and a Macanudo.

 

But the best part was meeting this guy whose brother owns a winery in the Napa Valley. Small and not well-known. It was a familiar name but I've never knowingly tasted their wines. So a winery visit and tasting is in order, to be arranged by this new-found fellow wino. Not too soon - I am off to Taiwan next week, then immersed in a kitchen remodel for several weeks. But some time in September or October, around harvest and crush time, we're heading up that way. Can't wait!

 

Check this out -

http://www.vinography.com/

 

A local (SF area) wine blog. A friend just sent me the pointer and I've just taken a cursory look at it, but it seems pretty interesting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

what an evening ... as i always say, good food, good drinks, good conversation, good people and a good smoke... what else do we want in life..

 

we're all looking forward to that day you get here!!!  have a good one!!!

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Oh, yes, quite an evening indeed.

 

In listing the wines, I forgot to note that since it was the birthday of one of the attendees, we also had a bottle of Moet et Chandon White Star non-vintage thrown in there as well.

 

In keeping with expanding this to include food with wine - we had dinner at place called Piatti's, an Italian joint. Not too bad, kinda like Nuvo in GB4 (?).

 

Most of us had the seared ahi tuna (sushi-grade ahi seared on the outside and rare on the inside) with a roasted beet salad and fettucini with butter and garlic. Okay with the reds, I think but would have been better with a pinot or a sauvignon blanc. One had the roast chicken with a green mixed salad and orzo pasta. Also would have been better with a white, but he didn't seem to mind. I had the flank steak, with an arugula salad with red wine vinaigrette and crumbled feta cheese, and roasted veggies. Now THAT went great with the cab.

 

Now, I must admit that even with all the fine dining we have available to us here, I do miss he food there a lot! I am definitely looking forward to a night of good food and drink to go with the good company!

[agxo3]

yeah pare...parang it was going nowhere but perhaps like some good vintage, this thread has found its place in the sun....

 

you think so ha....masi and me thought that the way the thread was going now was turning off true-blue wine enthusiasts like you..

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Oh, no - not at all! I think that one mistake too many people make is to take wine too seriously. After all, at the end of the day, it's just rotten grape juice that we're drinking! Transcendent, to be sure, but still just grape juice. Wine is meant to be savored, swilled, gulped - but most of all enjoyed with friends. :thumbsupsmiley:

[agxo3]

I wonder - is Mompo a real wine? where's it from?

and why is it that it's the drink of choice of the priesthood here?

Is there a Mompo Conspiracy somewhere?

 

I wonder what the priests in other countries drink for Mass.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I think Mompo

s a real wine, but I have no idea why it ws THE chosen wine for Mass. It's a Spanish wine - that much I am sure of. Over here, what's used is a white wine, but I have no idea which one. Is there some sort of requirement the wine has to meet?

[masi]

Yes! I  agree.  With the level of interaction going around, this thread is looking more like a virtual dinner table with really good friends  breaking bread and sharing!!!!  :thumbsupsmiley:

I couldnt agree with your more... on the sight of our legs!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[masi]

Oh, yes, quite an evening indeed.

 

In listing the wines, I forgot to note that since it was the birthday of one of the attendees, we also had a bottle of Moet et Chandon White Star non-vintage thrown in there as well.

 

In keeping with expanding this to include food with wine - we had dinner at place called Piatti's, an Italian joint. Not too bad, kinda like Nuvo in GB4 (?).

 

Most of us had the seared ahi tuna (sushi-grade ahi seared on the outside and rare on the inside) with a roasted beet salad and fettucini with butter and garlic. Okay with the reds, I think but would have been better with a pinot or a sauvignon blanc. One had the roast chicken with a green mixed salad and orzo pasta. Also would have been better with a white, but he didn't seem to mind. I had the flank steak, with an arugula salad with red wine vinaigrette and crumbled feta cheese, and roasted veggies. Now THAT went great with the cab.

 

Now, I must admit that even with all the fine dining we have available to us here, I do miss he food there a lot! I am definitely looking forward to a night of good food and drink to go with the good company!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

hmmm yummy!!!! :thumbsupsmiley:

on the seared tuna, was it seared like a steak that the mid portion was rare or was it a quick sear that the cooked portion is less the 5% of the total thickness with one side raw. i've been in some fusion restos here and they have a sashimi dish where the tuna was "quick seared" on one side giving the sashimi a mix of roasted, nutty flavor on its seared side and tenderness and freshness of raw fish on the other.

 

Arugula is a favorite. It's bitterness blends well with red wine vinaigrette or simple a lemon -olive oil dressing. I would use the red wine vinaig more often for arugula but I add chopped walnuts (bitter/chewy) and some fruit usually pomelo (its sweet-sour citrus flavors blends well with it) or a ripe mango --this, agxo, you ought to try!

 

I avoid cheese coz of my high cholesterol count but the wifey adds flakes of mantiego or a semi-hard cheese. I am not a cheese person and I only prefer a few like camembert, brie or soft varieties.

 

well bods, if our ebs grow in terms of attendance, we could experiment on wine and food too. but as long as it's just the 2 of us everytime, we can't consume much food and have space for the wine. remember the last 1 we had? we simply had a plate of spanish salami and 2 bottles of wine

[masi]

by all means, pare - I don't think there's any need to ask permission...

in fact through one year we have discussed not only wines but cigars, cheeses, absinthe, hookah!, kava!, opium - this thread should have been closed down a long time ago kung bawal

 

I think may post na ako dati about food and wine kaya lang hindi naituloy...

 

go ahead pare - take the floor!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

pare, not just discussed it on the thread. we even try them -- well, at least cigars, then perhaps cheeses, absinthe (this i have at home), singlemalts. I want to try hookah but i think it's just like pipe smoking with fragrant blends which maybe good for the non-smokers but too "flowery" in the mouth for the smoker.

 

Opuim, this i may have to pass!!!! but if it's opium, the woman's scent, well it's been quite some time since smelled it, nor would i pass it up if ever i smell it in the future.

[masi]

I think Mompo

s a real wine, but I have no idea why it ws THE chosen wine for Mass. It's a Spanish wine - that much I am sure of. Over here, what's used is a white wine, but I have no idea which one. Is there some sort of requirement the wine has to meet?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

i have no idea! We may have to ask SPURT, the ex-! No, not expert but the ex-seminarian. Then again, he may be no expert on this either. Remember in an earlier post he mentioned the blue nun costing P1800 only because he drank it in a VIP room with some _extras?

 

Bods, what's your take on MOMPO?

[Spurt]

backread..... guys, i'm no ex...pert about mompo, though we are introduced to consume not so much before inside the sem, we consider not the taste but the way it's prepared like the unleaven bread (hostia), same concepts with this mompo. yeah, it's a spanish wines from those bodegas, a variety more associated with us, Catholics, but i know there are very good mompos in spain.

[pinoy_strigoi]

My mom used to buy Mompo and she took a swig before eating, Sabi niya good for the health. Mas malakas pa siya sa tatay ko uminom, God rest her soul. Pero ayaw akong painumin noong bata pa ako.

 

Now I know why I became a wino. Deprived kasi.

[masi]

backread..... guys, i'm no ex...pert about mompo, though we are introduced to consume not so much before inside the sem, we consider not the taste but the way it's prepared like the unleaven bread (hostia), same concepts with this mompo. yeah, it's a spanish wines from those bodegas, a variety more associated with us, Catholics, but i know there are very good mompos in spain.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

this seals the subject on Mompo! and before we close it, all I can add is ... Amen! :hypocritesmiley:

[bods1000]

Most of us had the seared ahi tuna (sushi-grade ahi seared on the outside and rare on the inside) with a roasted beet salad and fettucini with butter and garlic. Okay with the reds, I think but would have been better with a pinot or a sauvignon blanc. One had the roast chicken with a green mixed salad and orzo pasta. Also would have been better with a white, but he didn't seem to mind. I had the flank steak, with an arugula salad with red wine vinaigrette and crumbled feta cheese, and roasted veggies. Now THAT went great with the cab.

 

Now, I must admit that even with all the fine dining we have available to us here, I do miss he food there a lot! I am definitely looking forward to a night of good food and drink to go with the good company!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

ginutom ako dito ah

more so since it's late at night and I can't go out. We did have some great pizzas tonight but it paled in comparison with your food hehehe....I love arugula and those mixed green salads - in fact any veggie. Not much on meat anymore but I do get a lot of those tuna and salmon because of the resto...

 

cheers, pare!

rest assured when you're here we'll paint all the good restos green and red and white :thumbsupsmiley:

[bods1000]

Oh, no - not at all! I think that one mistake too many people make is to take wine too seriously. After all, at the end of the day, it's just rotten grape juice that we're drinking!    Transcendent, to be sure, but still just grape juice. Wine is meant to be savored, swilled, gulped - but most of all enjoyed with friends.  :thumbsupsmiley:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I quote from the Cincinnati Enquirer:

 

All the experts say the same thing: Don't be frightened. After all, wine is just something you drink, not some shadowy monster out to intimidate you.

 

But people are intimidated. Wine does, after all, have an image, and, as any wine newbie knows, it's not always a friendly one. The way to get over the intimidation factor...is to remember that everyone was a newbie once and most of them got over it by going to wine tastings.

(Jim Knippenberg).

 

There follows some basics about wine tastings but I give the floor to our pareng agxo to tell us about how to sip, taste and evaluate wine.

[bods1000]

I think Mompo

s a real wine, but I have no idea why it ws THE chosen wine for Mass. It's a Spanish wine - that much I am sure of. Over here, what's used is a white wine, but I have no idea which one. Is there some sort of requirement the wine has to meet?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

really have no idea, pare...but I think Mompo has a very low alcohol content than the usual wines we have....siguradong bitin dito yung mga Irish priests - the Irish being known as bruisingly hard drinkers :sick:

[bods1000]

hmmm yummy!!!!  :thumbsupsmiley:

on the seared tuna, was it seared like a steak that the mid portion was rare or was it a quick sear that the cooked portion is less the 5% of the total thickness with one side raw.  i've been in some fusion restos here and they have a sashimi dish where the tuna was "quick seared" on one side giving the sashimi  a mix of roasted, nutty flavor on its seared side and tenderness and freshness of raw fish on the other. 

 

Arugula is a favorite.  It's bitterness blends well with red wine vinaigrette or simple a lemon -olive oil dressing.  I would use the red wine vinaig  more often for arugula but I add chopped walnuts (bitter/chewy) and some fruit usually pomelo (its sweet-sour citrus flavors blends well with it) or a ripe mango --this, agxo, you ought to try!

 

I avoid cheese coz of my high cholesterol count but the wifey adds flakes of mantiego or a semi-hard cheese.  I am not a cheese person and  I only prefer a few like camembert, brie or soft varieties.

 

well bods, if our ebs grow in terms of attendance, we could experiment on wine and food too. but as long as it's just the 2 of us everytime, we can't consume much food and have space for the wine. remember the last 1 we had?  we simply had a plate of spanish salami and 2 bottles of wine

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

pare what is this fusion resto you speak of? sounds interesting so they have something of a quick-seared sashimi dish? let's go there one time hehehe...

 

by all means, pare. pag dumami attendees natin I'd very much like to do that - try to pair food with wine....all my previous attempts have been hilarious

[bods1000]

pare, not just discussed it on the thread. we even try them -- well, at least cigars, then perhaps cheeses, absinthe (this i have at home), singlemalts.  I want to try hookah but i think it's just like pipe smoking with fragrant blends which maybe good for the non-smokers but too "flowery" in the mouth for the smoker. 

 

Opuim, this i may have to pass!!!! but if it's opium, the woman's scent, well  it's been quite some time since smelled it, nor would i pass it up if ever i smell it in the future.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'd go for the flower in the mouth ooopsss hehehe......

 

you forgot kava, pare- if perchance you find yourself in Fiji, don't pass up the chance to participate in some kava ceremonies - who knows it just might enamor you to convince you to get stranded there for the rest of your life :sick:

[bods1000]

i have no idea! We may have to ask SPURT, the ex-!  No, not expert but the ex-seminarian.  Then again, he may be no expert on this either.  Remember in an earlier post he mentioned the blue nun costing P1800 only because he drank it in a VIP room with some _extras? 

 

Bods, what's your take on MOMPO?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

my take?

I took a bottle of it in high school when they mistakenly asked us to be servers in Mass :hypocritesmiley:

 

yes, spurt is an expert - he once confessed to the blue nun in a "confessional"

[masi]

pare what is this fusion resto you speak of? sounds interesting so they have something of a quick-seared sashimi dish? let's go there one time hehehe...

 

by all means, pare. pag dumami attendees natin I'd very much like to do that - try to pair food with wine....all my previous attempts have been hilarious

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

pare, gising ka pa?! wag ka magpuyat at beer-ness bukas at madaming activity past five-thirsty...

 

the place i mentioned is "good earth" 2nd floor, gb3 or in metrowalk ortigas. the dish is the good earth sashimi. but honestly, i still prefer the honest to goodness sashimi/sushi moriawase, tako, uni, and the mackerel with ginger or the oden (boiled vegetables carrots, potato, raddish).

 

i was in lipa city today and had lunch at hayako/lima city hotel. i had miso ramen (shinjuku's is still top of the class!) and gyoza (still shinjuku!!!)

 

we ought to have yakitori and a glass of shocho (japanese gin with a preserve plum or calamansi and hot water!) sarap 2 glasses lang may amats :cool: ka na!!!!

[Lipstick]

boo! :boo: Nada vino for me today. Just two bottles of beer and two bottles of strawberry milk. *hic*

 

*backread*

[masi]

boo! :boo:  Nada vino for me today.  Just two bottles of beer and two bottles of strawberry milk. *hic* 

 

*backread*

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

a pleasant surpise, senorita!!!

wow! you've been running on empty the past few days!!!! :hypocritesmiley: yummy stawberry milk or any milk for that matter :thumbsupsmiley: , but lately, i've been told to drink non-/low-fat milk :thumbsdownsmiley: yuch!!! (some realities you get to live with as 1 goes thru life!!)

 

how are you? how is your cold? how is the pakistani? did you picture him the way i described him?

 

the thread has taken a new twist... food and wine... this will get more exciting! have a great friday and weekend... i know i will and it starts friday night! lots of smoke, a few glens and alot of conversation!

 

everyone! you may want to check my thread on Pens, especially agxo and pinoy. i posted an article on your favorite pen!

[agxo3]

hmmm yummy!!!!  :thumbsupsmiley:

on the seared tuna, was it seared like a steak that the mid portion was rare or was it a quick sear that the cooked portion is less the 5% of the total thickness with one side raw.  i've been in some fusion restos here and they have a sashimi dish where the tuna was "quick seared" on one side giving the sashimi  a mix of roasted, nutty flavor on its seared side and tenderness and freshness of raw fish on the other. 

 

Arugula is a favorite.  It's bitterness blends well with red wine vinaigrette or simple a lemon -olive oil dressing.  I would use the red wine vinaig  more often for arugula but I add chopped walnuts (bitter/chewy) and some fruit usually pomelo (its sweet-sour citrus flavors blends well with it) or a ripe mango --this, agxo, you ought to try!

 

I avoid cheese coz of my high cholesterol count but the wifey adds flakes of mantiego or a semi-hard cheese.  I am not a cheese person and  I only prefer a few like camembert, brie or soft varieties.

 

well bods, if our ebs grow in terms of attendance, we could experiment on wine and food too. but as long as it's just the 2 of us everytime, we can't consume much food and have space for the wine. remember the last 1 we had?  we simply had a plate of spanish salami and 2 bottles of wine

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Seared like a steak on both sides, but nice and red inside. It's hard to do - you need a really HOT :evil: HOT grill to do this. Haven't had that seared sashimi as you described but I have had tuna tataki in Tokyo. A lot like the beef tataki, which is much like the seared ahi I described. Them guys in Tokyo - now THEY know how to do it right! With a bit of the soy and a bit of wasabi and a LOT of grated daikon, it was wonderful!

 

I will try a mango dressing on arugula as you suggested. Sounds yummy. Maybe with a nice viognier or a rose or pinot noir?

 

Don't be afraid of cheese - I read a report somewhere several months back that said that most cholestrol issues are genetic (90% of the problem) rather than dietary (10% of the problem). YOu don't want to eat a block at every meal, but some nice freshly shaved - not grated! -grana padano (or for more bite a parmesano reggiano aged 2 years) over the arugula with mango dressing would be wonderful. I personally love a good triple creme Brie with some pate de foie gras and a nice crunchy cornichon accompanied by a nice, crisp Brut from Epernay - say, a Perrier Jouet or a Veuve Cliquot. Or a nutty crottin de Chavignol with a slightly chilled Chinon or well-chilled Vouvray. Mmmmmmmmm.......now I getting hungry. Is it lunch time yet?

 

 

ginutom ako dito ah

more so since it's late at night and I can't go out. We did have some great pizzas tonight but it paled in comparison with your food hehehe....I love arugula and those mixed green salads - in fact any veggie. Not much on meat anymore but I do get a lot of those tuna and salmon because of the resto...

 

cheers, pare!

rest assured when you're here we'll paint all the good restos green and red and white :thumbsupsmiley:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oooohhh - I'm looking forward to that..........

 

I quote from the Cincinnati Enquirer:

 

All the experts say the same thing: Don't be frightened. After all, wine is just something you drink, not some shadowy monster out to intimidate you.

 

But people are intimidated. Wine does, after all, have an image, and, as any wine newbie knows, it's not always a friendly one. The way to get over the intimidation factor...is to remember that everyone was a newbie once and most of them got over it by going to wine tastings.

(Jim Knippenberg).

 

There follows some basics about wine tastings but I give the floor to our pareng agxo to tell us about how to sip, taste and evaluate wine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Subject for another post, I guess, right Bods?

 

pare what is this fusion resto you speak of? sounds interesting so they have something of a quick-seared sashimi dish? let's go there one time hehehe...

 

by all means, pare. pag dumami attendees natin I'd very much like to do that - try to pair food with wine....all my previous attempts have been hilarious

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Good! Do some research before I go! Go for nothing but the best, I always say!

 

A food and wine pairing would be good to do. There are a number of restaurants here that offer a prix fixe menu with an option for wines paired to the dishes. At 71 St. Peter, for example, a 4 course dinner is $30, and the wine pairing in which the chef and sommelier select the wines is an additional $15. That's 4 glasses of wine for that price - what a deal! Manresa also has a similar deal - $58 for a 4 course prix fixe dinner and $30 more for wine. They're higher end than 71 St. Peter, and the food's the next level up, as is the wine selection. The ultimate for this is The French Laundry in Yountville (owned and operated by Thomas Keller who was once named the best chef in North America). Last time I checked, a 7 course dinner was $150 and matching wines add another $60 or so. But what a dinner! And the wines really do complement the food so well, it's unbelievable!

 

boo! :boo:  Nada vino for me today.  Just two bottles of beer and two bottles of strawberry milk. *hic* 

 

*backread*

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Are you feeling better after the strawberry milk? Gotta get better and back on the vino! A bottle a day keeps the doctor away!

[igol ays]

agxo3 - ang hirap lang ng reservations sa french laundry...

 

have you tried restaurant gary danko in SF? their 5 course tasting menu is $79; wine pairings cost an additional $45. last time i was there was about 2 weeks ago. here's what i had:

 

Glazed Oysters with Osetra Caviar, Zucchini Pearls and Lettuce Cream

- Albariño, Valmiñor, Rias Baixas 2003

 

Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion with Dilled Cucumbers

- Saint-Péray, Domaine de Fauterie 2002

 

Sautéed Guinea Hen Breast with Stuffed Savoy Cabbage, Grape and Picholine

- Lirac, La Reine des Bois, Domaine de la Mordorée 2003

 

A Selection of Farmhouse and Artisanal Cheeses

- Broadbent, 10 Year Old Malmsey

 

Passion Fruit Soufflé Cake with Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

- Torcolato, Maculan, Breganze, Veneto 2001

 

party of four (family); i naturally picked up the tab. add taxes, tips, and valet parking...

dining gets pretty expensive

[agxo3]

agxo3 - ang hirap lang ng reservations sa french laundry...

 

have you tried restaurant gary danko in SF? their 5 course tasting menu is $79; wine pairings cost an additional $45. last time i was there was about 2 weeks ago. here's what i had:

 

Glazed Oysters with Osetra Caviar, Zucchini Pearls and Lettuce Cream

- Albariño, Valmiñor, Rias Baixas 2003

 

Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion with Dilled Cucumbers

- Saint-Péray, Domaine de Fauterie 2002

 

Sautéed Guinea Hen Breast with Stuffed Savoy Cabbage, Grape and Picholine

- Lirac, La Reine des Bois, Domaine de la Mordorée 2003

 

A Selection of Farmhouse and Artisanal Cheeses

- Broadbent, 10 Year Old Malmsey

 

Passion Fruit Soufflé Cake with Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

- Torcolato, Maculan, Breganze, Veneto 2001

 

party of four (family); i naturally picked up the tab. add taxes, tips, and valet parking...

dining gets pretty expensive 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

OOOhhh, yummy! Was that Albarino a bubbly? Or did it have more of the chardonnay characteristics? Tell us mor about the wines! I know nothing at all about the desser twine you listed. Obviously Italian, but what else can you tell us?

 

Absolutely right. A nice dinner out is pretty expensive these days! Must have been one special occasion!

 

Gary Danko used to be the chef at Draeger's in San Mateo when they first opened many years ago. Draeger's is wierd - they have this upscale grocery (nice wine slection, BTW!!) and a restaurant/cooking school on the second floor where they have all their kitchen wares. Gary's cooking was first rate even back then. We had lunch there not too long ago and it was nice to see that they've kept up the standards even after Gary left.

 

Only three ways I know of to get reservations at French Laundry unless you know someone who works there, but even then that's iffy. First, two months TO THE DAY of when you want to dine there, you pick up the phone starting at 8 am and dial, and dial, and dial, and dial, and hope that you get in before all the seatings are booked. Or, a week or two before the day you want to eat there, you call in and put yourself on the wait list for cancellations. And hope for the best. The third way is to have lunch there instead of dinner. Much easier to get reservations, or to call that morning and see if a lunch reservation has cancelled.

 

Or, you do what I do - find another place that's less trendy but almost as good, and go for it. Gary Danko is one such place.

 

Have you tried Farallon on Post in SF? Or Bacar in the SoMa area - great wine list! Their sommelier is tied in with the wine store at the Ferry Building, which also has a great selection, especially of French and Italian wines. And I heard that Boulevard just got on the DIRoNA (DIstinguished Restaurants of North America) list. That's been a long time fave for dinners downtown in the City, along with One Market and Slanted Door.

 

One place I want to try but just have not had the opportunity is the new Michael Mina restaurant at the Fairmont. I've had dinner several times at his restaurant in San Jose (Arcadia, at the Marriott downtown) and it is superb! A lot like French Laundry in style, almost as good, and much, much easier to get in.

 

And that, boys and girls, is just barely skimming the surface. The list is endless.........

[igol ays]

first, the torcolato. some notes i managed to punch in to my cell/pda:

very rich (held up very well with the passion fruit souffle), a lttle spicy (hints of apricot, cinnamon, and hazelnut), and wasn't too sweet (although it would have been good for dessert by its lonesome).

Edited July 14, 2005 by eagleyes