Jackpot!

I've written previously about my Wednesday ritual of reading the Dining and Wine section of The New York Times over lunch. Like all things in life, there is some variance in this experience. Some weeks, nothing particularly strikes me in the food section, and I end up reading other parts of the paper. Other weeks, I feel deeply blessed to be spending a hour with some of the best food writing being published today.

I'd like to report that last Wednesday was a red letter day. A few of the articles:

• A Tiny Fruit That Tricks the Tongue
• Suddenly, Ricotta's A Big Cheese
  
• Nothing Says Summer Like Icing
  
• A Tour of Bitters For the Summer

Tonight I'm making fresh ricotta to have with ricotta crostini with fresh thyme and dried oregano.

Chateau de la Ragotiere - Muscadet

Jenny and I planned to grill last night, but before dinner we went for a walk. We wandered down to Kerry Park and were treated to a nice Mt. Rainier view. As we walked back, Jenny suggested that we stop at Betty and to see if they had any seats open. We got lucky again, scoring two seats at the bar right in front of the expediter.

The food was delicious, as usual. We shared fried risotto balls stuffed with fresh mozerella, served in a bowl of tomato sauce and topped with fried kale leaves - Betty's answer to the fried mozzerella stick. We also shared a green salad and the fish special, which was halibut alongside braised pea vines and mashed potatoes. A note to other diners: being in a good mood and treating your server with kindness and respect pays dividends, our dessert was comped.

This wine was a perfect accompaniment to our meal. Muscadet is unusual among French wines in that it's named for the grape instead of the region it's grown in. This bottle is from the Muscadet de Sevre-et-Maine AC, considered the best of the Muscadet producing regions in Loire. It had the nice citrus flavors and a creamy mouth feel typical of good Muscadet.

It's a good deal at a restaurant, priced in the upper $20s. You can probably get it in the low teens if you find it at a wine shop.

My Wednesday Ritual

I put up a post about my Wednesday ritual over at telepatch.

2005 Selby Chardonnay

We had this bottle on a different night at the Ritz on Maui. I don't recall much about it except that it tasted very strongly of cantaloupe when it was cold. Jenny liked it immediately, but I don't care for cantaloupe. As it warmed up the cantaloupe mellowed and honey came through, and I liked it too by the end of the night.

Chateau du BlahBlah - 2006 Graves

We had this at Gaylord's Restaurant on Kauai. Gaylord's is a high-end place, perhaps with fanciest place to eat on the island. The tables are arranged around an outdoor courtyard - it's a beautiful setting.

The most entertaining part of the evening was the couple at the table next to ours. She was a tall, beautiful and very chatty (three lemon drops and two Irish coffees will do that to you). He was a short, bearded German fellow. They were an odd couple, but good conversationalists.

Among the things we talked about was the 17 mile, guided sea-kayak trip she'd scheduled for the next day. It had been canceled due to predicted heavy winds. When I noted that 17 miles seemed like a long way and Jenny asked where she had learned to kayak, she said "Oh honey, how hard can it be? You just put your paddle in the water." Though she was rather irate that the trip was off, I was secretly happy for her that it had been canceled.

As for the meal, this wine was probably the best part. I call it Chateau du BlahBlah because I didn't write down the name and I can't quite make it out from my low-light cell phone shot. I think it's Chateau du Seuil, and if I'm right it's an 80/20 mix of Semillon and Sauvignon blanc. I can't recall any detailed tasting notes, but I really enjoyed it.

Selvapiana 2005 Chianti Rufino

Upper $20-ish at Via Tribunali on Queen Anne.

Oh, how I dearly love Via Tribunali. The food and this wine evoke Italy very clearly for me. We've had this bottle a couple times and have enjoyed it immensely. All the elements I like in Chianti are present, but they've been turned up to eleven, especially the earthiness, acid and tannins. Go, but go on the weekend, when we avoid it due to the crowds and long waits... save the weekday nights for us.

Mai Tai

This fine specimen was spotted at Tahiti Nui, a somewhat dive-y bar where the locals hang out amid the tourists in the town of Hanalei on the North shore of Kauai.

When we stopped there for lunch one day after snorkeling, the very kind waitress told us about their happy hour and the Hawaiian guitarist that would be playing that night. We went back and were treated to a great evening of music, Mai Tais and hula dancing (by the local ladies as well as a 60ish white guy who actually kinda looked like he knew what he was doing). The food was just ok, but I was having too much fun to care.

A modern Mai Tai recipe:

• 1 oz gold rum
• 1 oz dark rum
• 1 oz Orange Curacao
  
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1/2 oz Orgeat syrup

Shake everything but the dark rum together and pour into a glass with ice. Float the dark rum, and garnish with a maraschino cherry, pineapple, and a mint sprig.

2006 Pighin Pinot Grigio

From Friuli, a region in the Northeast corner of Italy, near Yugoslavia and Austia. Friuli has a number of DOCs - this wine is from the largest, Grave Del Friuli, so named for the gravelly terrain found there.

We drank this bottle with dinner at the Ritz-Carlton on Maui, where we stayed for three nights during our recent vacation to Hawaii.

When in such a lovely setting, eating wonderful food, the wine probably doesn't need to be great, but I found this Pinot Grigio delicious, with good strong acidity and the mineral flavors I like in old world whites. It also had a rich, full mouth feel.

I think it was under $35 to boot, a welcome respite when dining at the Ritz.