Vincents with Anthony Bourdain
Oct. 16th, 2004 08:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lsandersonAfter driving maddly in circles last night looking for parking places, I valeted the car last night at Vincents. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
carbonel and minnehaha were already there. (Why I didn't leave the car in the Dayton's ramp is a good question.) There wuz speeches and conversation. A couple of friendly ladies sat down beside Minnehaha B and me and started to mix the table. It was a long table with 12 chairs. (There were two empty at our table.) A couple sitting by the window slid over to be next to the friendly ladies, although the woman of the couple seemed to spend more time at the bar or in the bathroom doing cigarettes and booze. She was starting to have minor motor skills problems by the end of the dinner. She also knocked out the portable microphone during the Q&A by doing an Emeril "Bam" routine...
con_dar's friend came over to talk with Minnehaha B, although I did not know that he was her friend until she turned around during one of the talk sessions. We looked at each other and nodded, but never spoke. Beth and Minneahah K kept thinking he looked familiar (Minicon? MNSTF?).
The dinner started around 7:30. I'd skipped lunch, and the rest of use were pretty hungry too. They poured four wines, starting with bubbly, a macon-village, and two reds. We were kvetching about only having three glasses (not counting water) when we sat down, and they did have to wash a round of glasses for the second red.
First course: Soupe au Pistou (042) Francois Montand, "blanc de Blanc" Brut NV
Second course: Skate Genoblois (100) Pan Seared Skate Wing with Lemon-Caper Butter - J.J. Vincent & Fils, Macon-Village 2001
Third course: Chartreuse of Quail (185) Cabbage-Wrapped Quail and Foie Gras - Domaine de Cassan, Beaumes de Venise, Cotes du Rhone Village 2001
Fourth course: Raspberry Lamic-Braised Wild Boar "en Crepinette" Domaine de la Presqui'lle, "Cuvee Vincent" 2000
Fifth: Tarte Alsacienne (272) Alsatian-style Apple Tart with Toasted Almond Ice Cream
The pistou was served in coffee cups... we figured they had enough of those to go around... It was great. A minnestroni with a French influence.
The skate, which took a while to arrive, was not a dish I'd try for a hundred. Some thought it a bit salty from the butter and capers, but I liked it. It came on some polenta, with a few harricorts vert. I, of course, am wild about capers.
We were not wild about the wine with the quail. The wine wanted strong fair; and the quail and foie wanted something ore fun. The quail's little leg was atop a cylinder wrapped in a cabagge leaf, with a bit of curly endive as flag. It had a smattering of slivers of brussel sprouts, which got lots of comments at the table. The two women beside me loved brussel sprouts -- a rare happening. We talked about sprouts, the Farmer's Market, and how they used to force them during the winter.
The wild board was another cylinder of pulled, aromatic pork. The ghost of the raspberries filled the restaurant as they started carrying the plates out from the kitchen. It was excellent.
The tarte was very european. It was good, but tarter apples would have been nice. Low on sugar to our tastes, it served a very fit finish to an excellent dinner.
Mr. Bourdain does not much like vegetarians, vegans, Berkeley vegan restaurants, haute cuisine or Charlie Trotter. He consistent ranks Jame Oliver the best chef to have to share a prison cell with. (I'll leave the rest up to your imagination.)
None of us bought the cookbook, but it was really a fun evening. Rumor has it that they decamped to the CC Club afterwards. Mr. Bourdain is supposed to be an aficionao of dive bars.
carbonel and minnehaha were already there. (Why I didn't leave the car in the Dayton's ramp is a good question.) There wuz speeches and conversation. A couple of friendly ladies sat down beside Minnehaha B and me and started to mix the table. It was a long table with 12 chairs. (There were two empty at our table.) A couple sitting by the window slid over to be next to the friendly ladies, although the woman of the couple seemed to spend more time at the bar or in the bathroom doing cigarettes and booze. She was starting to have minor motor skills problems by the end of the dinner. She also knocked out the portable microphone during the Q&A by doing an Emeril "Bam" routine...con_dar's friend came over to talk with Minnehaha B, although I did not know that he was her friend until she turned around during one of the talk sessions. We looked at each other and nodded, but never spoke. Beth and Minneahah K kept thinking he looked familiar (Minicon? MNSTF?).The dinner started around 7:30. I'd skipped lunch, and the rest of use were pretty hungry too. They poured four wines, starting with bubbly, a macon-village, and two reds. We were kvetching about only having three glasses (not counting water) when we sat down, and they did have to wash a round of glasses for the second red.
First course: Soupe au Pistou (042) Francois Montand, "blanc de Blanc" Brut NV
Second course: Skate Genoblois (100) Pan Seared Skate Wing with Lemon-Caper Butter - J.J. Vincent & Fils, Macon-Village 2001
Third course: Chartreuse of Quail (185) Cabbage-Wrapped Quail and Foie Gras - Domaine de Cassan, Beaumes de Venise, Cotes du Rhone Village 2001
Fourth course: Raspberry Lamic-Braised Wild Boar "en Crepinette" Domaine de la Presqui'lle, "Cuvee Vincent" 2000
Fifth: Tarte Alsacienne (272) Alsatian-style Apple Tart with Toasted Almond Ice Cream
The pistou was served in coffee cups... we figured they had enough of those to go around... It was great. A minnestroni with a French influence.
The skate, which took a while to arrive, was not a dish I'd try for a hundred. Some thought it a bit salty from the butter and capers, but I liked it. It came on some polenta, with a few harricorts vert. I, of course, am wild about capers.
We were not wild about the wine with the quail. The wine wanted strong fair; and the quail and foie wanted something ore fun. The quail's little leg was atop a cylinder wrapped in a cabagge leaf, with a bit of curly endive as flag. It had a smattering of slivers of brussel sprouts, which got lots of comments at the table. The two women beside me loved brussel sprouts -- a rare happening. We talked about sprouts, the Farmer's Market, and how they used to force them during the winter.
The wild board was another cylinder of pulled, aromatic pork. The ghost of the raspberries filled the restaurant as they started carrying the plates out from the kitchen. It was excellent.
The tarte was very european. It was good, but tarter apples would have been nice. Low on sugar to our tastes, it served a very fit finish to an excellent dinner.
Mr. Bourdain does not much like vegetarians, vegans, Berkeley vegan restaurants, haute cuisine or Charlie Trotter. He consistent ranks Jame Oliver the best chef to have to share a prison cell with. (I'll leave the rest up to your imagination.)
None of us bought the cookbook, but it was really a fun evening. Rumor has it that they decamped to the CC Club afterwards. Mr. Bourdain is supposed to be an aficionao of dive bars.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-10-16 05:52 pm (UTC)One o' those celebraty chefs...
Date: 2004-10-17 01:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-16 08:53 pm (UTC)If that's the case, I'm guessing the CC club met his expectations...
no subject
Date: 2004-10-16 11:50 pm (UTC)I thought it was you when you walked in, but considering I have never met you I wasn't quite sure and i'm pretty shy when I havn't met someone yet.
I rather liked the red wine with the quail and I loved the skate. I'm not a red wine fan at all and so it took me quite by surprise. I might go buy a bottle just to have fun with.
We did buy the cookbook just to have it signed, and also because he did include recipes in metric weight which Brian appreciates.
We thought...
Date: 2004-10-17 01:54 am (UTC)It was a rich red. I think I'd put it with a richer meat like lamb...
It was a very fun night.
Re: We thought...
Date: 2004-10-17 09:08 pm (UTC)