Food, Wine & Friends Page 151
We celebrated Alexia's Birthday again!
Bob Gorman hosted a dinner featuring Parisian Bistro cuisine. Helping
celebrate were Lucy & Jonathan Tolmach, Ellen Weisl, Henry Moore, Paul &
Sandy Obester and moi.
We began the festivities as Henry opened a jeroboam of Pol
Roger Brut Reserve Champagne. This was very refined and elegant and as it
warmed a bit, displayed a wonderfully toasty, yeasty quality.
I think Paul was telling Ellen about the latest Batman film.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, everything was ducky.
Bob had sautéed some endive as a bed for the Sea Scallops...
Coquilles Saint Jacques à l'effiloché d'endives
au
Restaurant L’impasse
We
enjoyed a couple of vintages of Comtes Lafon Meursault with this dish.
The 2002 was more evolved and wonderfully toasty, while the 2004 showed hints of
apple-like fruit. Both were dry, crisp and marvelous accompaniments to the
scallops.
Meanwhile,
back in the kitchen, Bob and Paul were busy degreasing the ducks.
We
toasted Chef Bob and to the birthday girl, Alexia.
Alexia
and her friend are big fans of the French water, Badoit.
Bob
was in the kitchen making a Hollandaise sauce for Ellen's pan-roasted salmon...
Teamwork!
Alexia brought two 1975 vintage Bordeaux...
Brane Cantenac and Cos d'Estournel.
Caneton
Rôti avec la Sauce d’olive et
Porto
au
Restaurant Aux Charpentiers
Château
Brane-Cantenac
1975 Margaux
Château Cos d’Estournel
1975 Saint-Estèphe
The Cos was especially good, mildly woodsy and tobacco-like
with a bit of life to it. The Brane Cantenac was also good, a bit softer
and more herbal, very much in line with the character one usually finds in each
of these wines.
The 1975 vintage was well-regarded upon release and the wines are probably in
the last phase of their lives.
The beans, by the way, were grown by Lucy and Jonathan and these were
exceptional.
Bob then started singing French songs...
It seems he heard Paul ask for the "Cabernet" and Bob thought he said
"Cabaret."
We thoroughly enjoyed the Duck and then moved on to a
couple of 1985 Burgundies with Bob's phenomenal assortment of cheeses.
Jonathan baked the breads...
Plateau de Fromages
Domaine Pothier Rieusset 1985 Pommard
Domaine Pothier Rieusset 1985 Pommard 1er cru “Clos de Verger”
Both
of the Pommards were nice, though Ellen and I felt the regular bottling was a
bit funky and showing a cellar or cork aroma. Others did not find this,
however.
After the cheese course, Alexia opened a bottle of 1950
Chateau Gilette Sauternes from her birth year.
Bob made a Tarte Tatin for dessert...
Tarte Tatin
aux
Le Vieux Bistro
Château Gilette 1950 Sauternes
Then
it was time for some birthday gifts...
Judging her expression, one would think the exercise outfit Alexia got is
missing the back of the shorts, or something...
Alexia and her Mom (not the creature behind Alexia) are heading soon for an
Italian vacation.
Alexia is a big fan of Muesli and got another box from our friends Gaby and
Norbert in Frankfurt...
We finished a lovely evening, leaving Bob with piles of
dishes to wash!
Bob was already dozing off...it was certainly past his
bedtime.
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