Last night, the staff of Rovers did an incredible job of presenting the ZINO Society Master of Wine Tuesday at Thierry & Kathy Rautureau’s beautiful restaurant, Rovers. Scot Smith, Rovers Wine Director/Manager, shared information on the wines that were paired with the seven courses of exquisite food. The design of the menu was to take an escorted tour of France so each course was specifically paired with a beautiful wine that is recognized as a hallmark wine of that particular region. Chef Thierry’s (aka “The Chef in the Hat”), masterful food pairings, as delicious as they were visually beautiful, were great manifestations of the regional cuisine of France. We were encouraged to imagine a trip through France with the only criteria being the pleasure of our senses . . . Sight, Smell, Touch, Taste and Sound!
We began the evening with a crisp Taittinger Champagne and then our palate was titillated with a sensory Amuse Bouche (see photo above) that included duck confit, house-smoked salmon with crème fraiche and velvety asparagus soup.
Taittinger, Cuvee Prestige, NV Champagne FR
Amuse Bouche
Sancerre, Francois Crochet, 2008, Loire Valley, FR
Dungeness Crab with Fennel, Celery Root-Apple Salad and Orange Dressing
Pessac-Leognan, Lagrave-Martillac, 2004 Bordeaux FR
Alaskan Halibut with Red Quinoa, Roasted Baby Turnip and Arugula
Gevrey-Chambertin, Les Seuprees, Premiere Cru 2004, Burgundy FR
Braised Pork Belly with a Quail Egg, Parsnip Puree, Leek and Meyer Lemon Confit
Rhubarb Sorbet with Ginger White Wine Pearls
Saint Joseph, JL Chave, Offerus 2004, Rhone Valley FR
Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast with Spinach, Herbed Farro, Mushroom and Thyme
Banyuls, Olivier of Chrystel Saperas, Vial Magneres, Tradition 4 Years, Languedoc FR
Warm Goat Cheese Crottin with Preserved Fruit Chutney
The ZINO Society members and guests all had a wonderful time, the noise level in the room escalating as the evening progressed. Two of our guests, Eden and Hank Waggoner, were celebrating birthdays and they were properly serenaded by the rest of the group (see photo above). For a few, it was their first visit to Rovers, and they were hugely impressed with the quality of the food and service as were those of us who were happily returning for yet another amazing and impressive dinner.
Photo Gallery Above:
Top photo: Bernadine Dochnahl, Chef Thierry, Cathi Hatch, Denny Dochnahl, Ken Hatch
2nd photo: Amuse Bouche
3rd photo: Eden & Hank Waggoner
4th photo: Randy Squires & Angela Polin
5th photo: Bob & Katie Nowlin, Mary & Don Gher, Isabella McPeak
6th photo: Debe Doran & Dana Reid
No comments:
Post a Comment