Is it the server’s fault they lack the tools to enrich your meal?

Yes and no.

I have worked in quite a few restaurants ranging from corporate to fine dining. Many of the restaurants will not allow their staff to sample the wine, which makes it harder to sell. I worked at a wine bar that featured 100 wines by the glass. Here the staff was encouraged to sample the wines for their own knowledge. By sampling we were able to sell better and also match the guests requests. We also were visited by wine representatives who would tell us about their wines. Here we gained information that would not be featured on the wine list, a little something more to tell the guests.

Just like when you go to wine store and ask for recommendations, your server at a restaurant should ask you a few questions in order to gage where your palate stands compared to theirs. Simple questions, such as do you prefer light, medium, or full bodied? What do you usually drink? Is there a specific region you are drawn to? I was lucky enough to be able to give samples of any of the 100 wines we sold. From here I would bring two to three different wines over that I thought my table would enjoy, but I wouldn’t tell them which was which until after they tasted it. Sometimes when people hear a name they will go with it because it sounds familiar. This is why I was a fan of the blind tasting, people would learn that they actually did like Mouvedre or that Merlot they turned their nose up at before because it simply was a Merlot.

I’ll admit I’m guilty of name association as well. When I go to the wine store, I get overwhelmed, not because I don’t know what anything is, but because I can’t make up my mind. Here is where I entrust the wine clerk to pick out the wine for me. There are some wine stores on Long Island and in Manhattan that allow samples of specific wines. These wines are hooked up to a system that when you push a button a sample will pour into your glass. Yes, these wines are usually the ones they are trying to push that month, but hey if I can try it before I buy it then I might just be inclined to buy more. It’s just smart marketing.

If you’re out at a restaurant and you want to politely ask the server about their wine knowledge you should ask them if they are allowed to sample the wines. If yes then close the menu, if no then ask them for their recommendation based on a select few you’ve chosen. In restaurants that I’ve worked where we hadn’t sampled the wines, I would base my answers on what other tables have told me about that wine. “It’s very popular” is polite waiter-speak for I haven’t personally had it but everyone orders and enjoys it so it must be good. Trust your server, they won’t steer you wrong on purpose because, hey,  if you hate it then they have to listen to it. Take chances, take recommendations and as always remember to Wine Your Diet.

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Clear, clean, light pale-straw

Nose: candy, sherbert, fresh, lime-minerality, tinned-peaches, honey

A lot fuller – more dimension to it, broader on the entry, much fuller mouth feel, more bracing finish… would stand up to food a lot better than the Riesling-Kabinet. A bit more graceful – certainly not as lively but certainly better rounded.

Serve with: shell-fish (scallops pan-seared in chilli-infused olive oil)

or – with Thai-green curries/ Chicken Korma with pineapple and coconut

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The dessert wines that we tasted stood out the most for me. The favorite of the group would have to be the Blueberry Port, which was served with a piece of chocolate. We were instructed to take a sip of the wine then take a bite of the chocolate and then go back and take another sip. This pairing was absolutely delicious. There is a local chocolatier who uses this Blueberry Port in one of his chocolates, oddly enough named Blueberry Port. The other dessert wines were Aphrodite, a late harvest Gewurztraminer and Boysenberry Dessert Wine.

In terms of the Reserve list, they were sold out of their Ice Wine.  Of course this saddened my heart a bit but I moved on to the Meritage, a new release, described as “A Bordeaux wine of enormous complexity. A hand crafted wine with an extremely long ageing potential.” My initial thought after tasting this wine was ‘Steak’. Now I’m not a huge steak person. Once in a while I’ll crave steak, but if I see it on the menu my mouth doesn’t water. This wine with its complex tannins, full body and long finish could definitely stand up to a nice piece of meat.

In terms of the other wines they produce, cheese is the way to go. This is especially true for the dessert wines. What cheese? It honestly doesn’t matter. If you’re cheese shy then go to your local market and choose three cheeses you’ve never sampled before and try them.  Trust me, I wouldn’t steer you wrong. In general Duck Walk is appropriately priced, so why not try a bottle or two.  Enjoy and as always, Wine Your Diet.

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My girlfriends parents ordered the Alaskan King crab from Alaska Harvest, and they were phenomenal. I didn’t know it at the time, but Red King Crab is supposed to be the top of the line, and after eating a few legs dipped in the golden drawn butter… mmm mm mmm … I can certainly understand where they get their reputation.

Just in case you were wondering, the meal was paired with Domaine Chatelain Chablis, which costs about $20 at your local wine store. The Chablis, which is a type of Chardonnay, was very light and crisp, which went well with the buttery crab leg goodness.

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Jake and Greg were at The Grape this last weekend, and over the past year or so in our brainstorms The Grape has come up time and again as a place that just gets it. Take for example their wine list and wine food recommendations – which is perhaps the first time I’ve ever seen a wine list that makes sense.

We know how different Shiraz can show, that Sauvignon Blanc rarely has the same face region to region and that Pinot Grigio doesn’t always go well with food – and a restaurant/ bar does its clientèle no favors by just dividing wine into Red and White, or they divide it into countries – and the emerging trend is to divide it into varietals.

The Grape does something unheard of to date: they divide their wine into taste. More than that they then give you a taste profile match on their menu, dish by dish. I have probably sampled less than a thousand wines in my life – and I certainly don’t remember all the names because I’m no Michael Broadbent. When I’m looking at a wine, I want to know its taste flavor profile – and if I’m paying $20 a bottle, I’ll be pretty ticked if its not what I want. This kind of a menu system is helpful to anyone… I know because when I’m out to dinner with friends they always ask me to help pick the wine: but The Grape allows people to choose the wine for themselves. What I further like about The Grape is that its more than a restaurant – because their venues are usually really good places to just hang out. It’s a destination brand – allowing dining, entertainment, exploration and with their innovative wine list: education. It’s really refreshing to see a mainstream brand that has begun to take its customer’s taste seriously.

allows you to design your own tasting flight of three or more wines from our One through Eight Grape classifications and from our Nine and Ten Grape specials. Choose from all wines with a “Grape Bunch” designation in our wine menu to create your unique tasting flight, served in our special glasses for your ultimate tasting experience. At The Grape, Your Taste is All that Counts.”

The New Summer 2007 Menu

GOURMET APPETIZERS

Southwestern Corn & Crab Chowder

A savory cream-based chowder made with lump blue crab meat, corn, andouille sausage and a touch of Cajun seasonings (Changes seasonally)

Wine pairing: two through four and nine grapes

Shrimp Rémoulade
Jumbo Gulf shrimp on a bed of Romaine with Creole rémoulade, caperberries, lemon wedge and fresh baked breads
Wine pairing: one through three, eight and nine grapes

Smoked Salmon
Smoked salmon with baguette toast, feta cream cheese, capers, onions and special horseradish sauce
Wine pairing: one through three, eight and nine grapes

Pâté
Country pâté du jour with pickles, caperberries, olives, special sauce and baguette
Wine pairing: four through six, eight and ten grapes

Antipasto
Prosciutto, Genoa, olive oil, provolone, and fresh buffalo mozzarella with olives, caperberries and Italian bread

Wine pairing: one through five and eight grapes

Roma Tomato Bruschetta
Tomato, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and fresh mozzarella
Wine pairing: all grapes

Warm Feta Marinara

Feta cream served with zesty marinara sauce and herbed crostini

Wine pairing: four, five and ten grapes

Grape Porto
Roasted Portobello stuffed with crab meat, parmesan/fontina cream cheese, garlic, chives and bread crumbs
Wine pairing: one through four grapes

SPECIALTY SPREADS
Specialty spreads are accompanied by a selection of fresh baked breads

Roma Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella
Marinated in herbed olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Wine pairing: all grapes

Spinach & Applewood Smoked Bacon
Wine pairing: two through six and ten grapes

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
House-made hummus flavored with roasted red peppers, served with Italian tomato salsa, garlic oil and paprika
Wine pairing: one, two and four grapes

Imported Olives & Olive Tapenade
Wine pairing: all grapes

Combo Spreads
Half portions of each spread at half price (minimum two per order)

GOURMET CHEESES
Cheeses are sold by the ounce and are served with a selection of fresh baked breads, imported crackers and grapes

Saint André
Imported French triple cream—rich, elegant and delicious
Wine pairing: three, seven, eight and nine grapes

Caciotta al Tartufo (kah-CHOH-tuh ahl tar-TOO-foh)
A must-try: soft sheep’s milk cheese imported from Italy loaded with rare, shaved black truffles
Wine pairing: two through five and nine grapes

Stilton
The king from across the pond—excellent with baguette and wafers
Wine pairing: four through six and ten grapes

Pecorino Toscano (peh-koh-REE-noh toh-SKAH-noh)
A richly flavored, complex cheese from Italy with a nutty caramel finish
Wine pairing: four through six, eight and ten grapes

McCall’s Shamrock Cheddar
Sharp and enticing aged Irish cheddar
Wine pairing: two through six, nine and ten grapes

Cheese du Jour
Ask your server about today’s specially selected cheese
Wine pairing: Ask your server for recommendations

PITA PISAS
What’s a Pisa?! A Grape original: fresh ingredients served atop a light pita crust

Mediterranean Grilled Veggie
Fresh grilled green and yellow zucchini, grilled eggplant and red onion, roasted red pepper sauce and goat cheese, finished with a balsamic reduction
Wine pairing: one, two, four and five grapes

Atlantic Smoked Salmon
Smoked salmon, marinated European cucumber and red onion, arugula and feta cream spread, drizzled with a miso aïoli
Wine pairing: one through four, eight and nine grapes

Capri
Fresh Roma tomato, balsamic marinated onion, fresh mozzarella, basil and a hint of seasoned oil
Wine pairing: all grapes

Cambozola, Prosciutto & Fig
Creamy Cambozola (triple-cream blue cheese) and prosciutto with rich fig spread
Wine pairing: two through six and eight grapes

MEDITERRANEAN QUESADILLAS

Black Forest Ham & Mozzarella

Sliced ham, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and arugula pesto, served with mixed greens

Wine pairing: two through four grapes

Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Beef tenderloin, cheddar cheese and caramelized onion, served with a horseradish cream sauce
Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes

Chicken
Chicken, feta, sun dried tomato pesto and provolone, served with a sun-dried tomato aïoli
Wine pairing: three through six grapes

Tuscan
Roma tomato, oregano, basil, roasted garlic, mushroom, spinach, fontina and Chèvre, served with marinara sauce
Wine pairing: all grapes

GRAPE BISTRO

Brie en Croûte

Brie baked in a puff pastry crust with stone fruit chutney and a cabernet syrup, served with a petite arugula salad tossed in a fresh lemon vinaigrette

Wine pairing: one, two, four and eight grapes

Summer Vegetable Quiche

Green and yellow zucchini, oven-dried tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan cheese baked into a savory pie, served with mixed greens tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette (Changes seasonally)

Wine pairing: two through four, eight and nine grapes

Chicken & Portobello Quiche
Grilled chicken, roasted Portobello mushroom, Bermuda onion and cheddar cheese baked to golden perfection, served with mixed greens tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette (Changes seasonally)

Wine pairing: three through five grapes

The Grape Crêpe
Our delicious chive crêpe filled with duck confit, dried cherries, mushrooms, spinach and goat cheese, drizzled with a dried cherry reduction. Changes seasonally

Wine pairing: four through six and ten grapes

SALADS

Salads are accompanied by a selection of fresh baked breads

Shrimp & Crab Louis Salad
Mixed greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette with cucumber, tomato and lemon wedge, topped with a generous serving of shrimp and crab dressed in our regal Louis dressing
Wine pairing: one, two, four and eight grapes

Tenderloin Steak Salad
Sliced tenderloin served on Romaine with red onion, Roma tomato, blue cheese and our house-made Greek vinaigrette
Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes

Asian Grilled Chicken Salad
Sweet chili and soy marinated chicken, julienned carrots, cucumbers, red onions and mandarin oranges served on a bed of mixed greens with a miso ginger vinaigrette
Wine pairing: one, two, four and eight grapes

Caesar Salad
Romaine, croutons and shaved Parmesan
Wine pairing: one through three and nine grapes

Greek Salad
Romaine, tomato, onion, olives, peppers, feta and croutons, served with our house-made Greek vinaigrette
Wine pairing: one through four grapes

Caesar or Greek Add grilled shrimp or grilled chicken breast

ENTREES
Sandwiches are served with our Roma tomato and fresh mozzarella salad

Roast Beef Panino
House sliced roast beef, Swiss cheese, oven roasted mushrooms and balsamic marinated onions on sourdough bread with a horseradish cream sauce
Wine pairing: four through six and ten grapes

Grape Club
Grilled chicken breast, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and special sauce on a fresh baked roll
Wine pairing: three through five, nine and ten grapes

Steak Sandwich
Encrusted beef tenderloin prepared medium rare, served with caramelized onions and blue cheese sauce on a grilled roll
Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes

Muffaletta
A New Orleans favorite—Italian meats and cheeses served on ciabatta with a Crescent City olive salad
Wine pairing: four, five, six and eight grapes

…

Grape Mini Crab Cakes
Five generous dabs of crab baked to perfection, served with Creole aïoli and baby spinach tossed in a light vinaigrette
Wine pairing: one through four, eight and nine grapes

Grape Chops

New Zealand rack of lamb chops roasted with special seasonings, served with a mint, black cherry and port reduction and fresh rosemary (three chops). Famished? Try five Grape Chops!

Wine pairing: four, five, six and ten grapes

DELECTABLE SWEETS

Vanilla Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
The Grape’s take on crème brûlée: Vanilla bean infused cheesecake atop a cookie crust, covered with a delectable crème brûlée frosting and served with whipped cream and fresh berries

American Pie
Rich, buttery, almond-flavored crust layered with fresh sliced apples and drizzled with caramel sauce, served warm with vanilla bean gelato

Fresh Seasonal Berries
Fresh berries with vanilla whipped cream and wafers

The Grape Chocolate Factory

Sensual Chocolate Fondue
Savor our Sensual Chocolate fondue for two or for four

The Grape’s sensational chocolate fondue made with a delicious blend of French and Belgian chocolates, served with strawberries, bananas, pineapple and grapes and our house-made peanut butter blonde brownies, angel food cake, coconut macaroons and s’mores

Add a 2.5-ounce glass of each of our sparkling Italian dessert wines, Brachetto and Moscato

Le Chocolat
A work of art for the eyes and palate: Rich chocolate ganache fading into a light chocolate sponge cake, topped with roasted hazelnuts and a dark chocolate leaf and drizzled with raspberry sauce

Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownie
Our West Coast chocolate and cream cheese brownie drizzled with caramel sauce, served warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato

Taste of Italia

Vanilla Bean Gelato
An all-time favorite from Italy, served with sweet wafers

Gelato du Jour
Ask your server about our seasonal gelato selection, served with sweet wafers

Wine pairings for all desserts: seven and eight grapes. Ask for your server for recommendations

BEVERAGES

The Grape Mimosa

Something fun and sexy ~ Our very own De Venoge Cordon Bleu Champagne and fruit juice

Iced tea

French-pressed coffee (regular or decaffeinated)

Hot Tea

Citron Green
Japanese Bancha with gentle, pleasing notes of citrus and aromatic orange flowers

Chocolate Mint
A wonderful treat of chocolate-infused tea combined with lively peppermint leaves

Earl Grey Supreme
A careful blend of five teas balanced by the fragrant citrus of Bergamot, delicious with milk and sugar

Seasonal Tea
Ask your server about our tea inspired by the season

Bottled Water

Voss (still or sparkling)

San Pellegrino (flavored sparkling)
Aranciata
Limonata

THE GRAPE BRUNCH

Available Saturdays and/or Sundays at participating locations (Please call)

The Grape Mimosa
Something fun and sexy ~ Our very own De Venoge Cordon Bleu Champagne and fruit juice

Maple Oatmeal Brûlée
Served with fresh seasonal berries

The Grape Breakfast Crepe
Brown sugar and cinnamon apples with warm brie and a champagne preserve sauce

The Grape Continental Breakfast
Imported European yogurt, seasonal fruit and a basket of fresh baked breads

North Atlantic Smoked Salmon
Smoked salmon served with feta cream cheese, capers, onions, horseradish sauce and a basket of mini bagels and croissants

The Grape Breakfast Pisa
Applewood smoked bacon, sharp cheddar and farm fresh eggs garnished with tomato concassé, served atop a light pita crust

Southwestern Breakfast Quiche
Andouille sausage, corn, red onions, red bell peppers, jalapeños and cheddar cheese served with our house-made pico de gallo

The Grape Crab Cake Benedict
Two generous portions of crab cake with rémoulade Hollandaise, served with home fries

Filet Mignon Benedict
Succulent beef tenderloin (4 oz) with toast points and horseradish Hollandaise, served with home fries

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My wife and I recently went to Dans Le Noir – London’s first restaurant in the dark, started after the success of it’s parent restaurant in Paris. Seeing as the restaurant only seats 60 people, you need to book pretty well in advance to get a place (there are three sitting for dinner a night), but once you do – it’s an experience you’re not likely to forget. Upon arriving you are in a lit cocktail lounge where you can enjoy a drink and look at the menu and order your meal. My wife and I both chose the ‘surprise menu’ where you are not told what you will be eating. Deciding to at least have some choice in the matter, we ordered the 2003 Chablis ‘St. Martin’ white Burgundy, and our blind waiter led us to our table.

Benoit, our waiter led us into the room (we held his shoulder whilst he led the way) – to be led into a room and suddenly be deprived of site and have to rely completely on a the guidance of a person who is not perturbed by darkness in the slightest is a feeling of trust I hadn’t quite appreciated. Something quite amazing happens though – the amount of banter and noise that was in the cocktail room suddenly subsides; you find yourself moving very cautiously and slowly; everyone lowers their voices to a whisper. By formally removing the light the world at once becomes finite and infinite and we’re suddenly in a realm we city dwellers are usually forced to turn off – our sensory world. You are sitting across from someone else, and it would be just the same if you were pulling a face, closing your eyes or looking right at them (incidentally they have infra-red night vision cameras in the restaurant to make sure no one steals purses or gets naked.) What you find is that you listen more carefully – but also that you can recognize the tone in people’s voices.

Our wine came, which was a great moment – because for a while my wife and I could sit in silence and enjoy the experience of ‘sensing’ the Chablis (from the bowl of an unbreakable wine glass.) For the first time – and perhaps it was because of the darkness, but I picked up a kind of soil component a Chablis – just a light funky whiff of mushroom, which was completely unusual but new. Over and above that there was a mineral purity on the palate; and on a second visit the nose had a definite apricot overlay similar to the Chablis Greg and I had at Postrio.

Once the food arrived it was a little ridiculous and turned into a bit of a detective game. I even reached into the plate to touch the food just to try get extra senses onto the case. ‘Is this a carrot; is it chicken, or shrimp, no I think its scallops. Oh yes, scallops – of course…’ It was incredible how much more important the texture of the food became – and how much more appreciative we were of it. I began to realize that I don’t have many descriptive words for gastronomic texture and all I could say was ‘wow, this is really good. really good.’

Needless to say that it was very welcome to have ice cream and chocolate fondant for dessert – as I felt far more sure of myself.

After 90 minutes of being in complete visual sensory deprivation and having all our other senses working on over time, it was quite welcome to be led into the lit room where Benoit announced to us that we were back in the light – what was quite humbling however was to realize that for him, the world had stayed in darkness whilst ours came back to life.

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On the Friday of Wine 2.0 we decided to treat ourselves and head to The Slanted Door. We had intended, naively, to go for supper – only to find that it was booked out for two weeks straight. As we walked in with the last of the luncheoners, we were able to wangle a seat – which immediately called for a miniature celebration in the form of two classic Austrian wines.

For Greg it was the Gruner Vetline Shmelz, and for myself I chose the Csersgezi Fuszeres, Hill Top. Both were smooth, floral, off-dry and crisp – perfect for an afternoon lunch, especially seeing as we had a conference to go to. A wine conference it may have been – but a conference none-the-less.

Crispy Imperial Rolls with *shrimp, pork and glass noodles* Amazing, we got this starter to share, and we were served five of the little suckers on a plate. The only thing better than a novel food – is a novel way of consuming food. Hence my personal preference to eating with chopsticks at restaurants; hand making tortillas; enjoying Mongolian stir-fries; eating Indian or Persian food with my bare hands; the occasional shot of tequila and of course – shucking oysters straight from the rock and eating them with lemon, Tabasco and salt. It’s all about the process and trying to make it all more tactile – and for being a day-to-day knife and fork person, any food or process that breaks the norm is a welcome addition to my repertoire.

We photographed the process of eating the crispy imperial roll which involves:

1. laying out a piece of lettuce
2. placing a piece of mint on the lettuce
3. adding a lump of noodles on top
4. inserting the Crispy Imperial Roll
5. rolling it all into a consumable ball
6. dipping it into the teriyaki and plumb sauce
7. stuffing it all into your mouth and rolling your eyes back into your head because its just so good.

The Slanted Door is an incredibly popular restaurant in San Francisco and they only use organic produce and ecologically farmed meat. It’s nice to see people’s taste buds moving in the right direction.

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The wine blogging world has no equivalent to Pim Techamuanvivit, creator and goddess of http://www.chezpim.com/ which also seems to be absent from the James Beard list, which is really surprising, considering the quality of writing and level of contribution to the industry. Pim’s following is enormous, and considering that she’s young, 30, attractive, self-made and frequently dining in high-class restaurants in hugely varied global locations, I’m sure there are many prominent wine writers out there who came onto the scene well before Pim, and probably wish they could be in her shoes.

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Amateur Gourmet’s photographs take a brilliant angle by showing readers photographs of dishes and getting the readers to comment. Needless to say it’s a rather cruel exercise, because just looking at the photographs prompts drooling. But you’ll notice the level of participation amongst readers, one feels that Amateur Gourmet embraces its readership and plays to an audience creating a gourmet form of media. Grape Thinking salutes the Amateur Gourmet. At least we’ll be able to taste the food in person tonight.

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