Gluttons Club

Last month we at Vinodivino went out for dinner to celebrate christmas and hannaquaj as a team. Raphael and Nancy, the store owners, hosted Adam the manager, Orlee the part-timer and myself to an excellent meal at Aquitaine Bis, a fine French restaurant in Chestnut Hill, MA. I knew beforehand that the wine would be provided by Raphael but I didn't know that the menu would be specially arranged beforehand and that we were to be treated to a 6 course meal. It was all remarkably well done and each course and wine was exquisite. It was so good that I just used the word "exquisite."

I'd like to share the menu here not to gloat but to show what can happen when people who know what they are doing get together to create a culinary experience. They basically cooked some of their favorite dishes for us and we brought some excellent wine. The staff knew who we were and treated us very well. They sampled the wines with us and basically we all just had a big ole gluttonous good time.

The menu went like this:

Welcome Course
Foie Gras Mousse Brulee with brioche toast, cornichons and grain mustard
Paired with Bollinger NV Brut Champagne

First Course
Butternut Squash Bisque with tart apples sweet onions and sage beurre noisette
Paired with Colli di Lapio Fiano di Avellino 2003 (an italian white, Fiano is the grape)

Second Course
Belgian Endive Salade with apple, roquefort, walnuts and watercress
Paired with Colli di Lapio Fiano di Avellino 2003

Third Course
Seared Monkfish with smoked chive butter, sauteed watercress, chanterelles, tomato caramel and crisp sopressata. The sopressata was a thin slice fried into a wafer; something I plan on replicating.
Paired with Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay 2001 (once called "the best white wine ever exported out of Australia by Wine Spectator")

Fourth Course
Porcini Rubbed Ribeye with horseradish pomme puree, haricot vert and caramelized shallots
Paired with Fontodi Flaccianello della Piave 2001 (Sangiovese from Chianti). Holy crap this was good wine. I liked it so much Raphael gave me a bottle for Christmas, it will be reserved for something special.

Fifth Course
Dessert Tasting and Cheese. I don't remember exactly what was there but it was remarkable for how it tasted and that there was so much of it.
Paired with Philippe Delesvaux Grains Noble (botrytized chenin blanc from the Loire, gets a 99 point rating, a remarkably well balanced sweet wine)

Needless to say, this was a meal to remember. I am very thankful to Raphael and Nancy for their generosity, taste and employment. Thanks to the wonderful staff and service at Aquitaine we all had a great time indulging in what was essentially a collection of some of their best dishes with some of our best wines.