Clubhouse Adds Menu Items; Howell Mountain Wine Dinner Set
There has been a trio of swell meals for me this past week, but the highlight of all my carousing was the CHOC Follies IV called “Fabulous Fables and Twisted Tales.” It serves as a grand reminder of all the latent talent we have in the county. For this fourth Gloria Zigner production, the stories of our childhood took on new and boisterous meaning.
Since I am peripherally in the food business, I just cannot pass up this opportunity to mention that one of the biggest “hams” in town is our editor, Rick Reiff. He was hilarious and then some, acting, dancing and singing,all of which he does very well, I might add,his way through his part as the Big Bad Wolf. Never was Michael Jackson’s song “Bad” put to better use!
The gala event raised more than $750,000 for Children’s Hospital of Orange County in its first three productions and this year’s revenue should be right up there, too.
Apres-Follies at the Clubhouse
After the above-mentioned frivolity, Patrick and I were in such a happy mood that we decided to bar-hop a bit. We sat at the beautiful alabaster bar in the Clubhouse, sipped a couple of martinis and made an evening meal of appetizers. Our new twist in life is to do more of this bar dining. Lots of fun kibitzing with bartenders and other bar patrons while eating. So, while we are on the subject of the Clubhouse, it’s time to note that chef Leonard Delgado has tweaked the menu for springtime in some nice ways.
A tasty appetizer consists of jumbo shrimp infused with the snappy flavors of a homemade barbecue sauce and pancetta that are quickly grilled and served with a tangle of fried red onions. Match that with a martini, please. For a special group dinner one night, Leonard served a salmon entr & #233;e that had almost the whole room wanting the recipe. That wonderful honey peppercorn salmon is now on the new menu.
A new twist on Southwestern fare comes via the new BBQ chicken entr & #233;e. A dry rub of mild chile pepper sets the stage for the breast of chicken, which is then broiled. It comes with a roasted corn and black bean sauce in which you can find hints of tequila. Angel-hair pasta in a simple fresh tomato, garlic, olive oil sauce has also been added. Several specials of the day feature meats and fish available at the moment from the purveyors. Two items to order should they be run as specials are Chilean sea bass with a lovely beurre blanc sauce dappled with miniature cubes of tomato, and the white bean soup with duck sausage with lots of New Orleans flavor underlying it.
The Clubhouse is in South Coast Plaza. Phone (714) 708-2582.
Howell Mountain Wines on Show
Napa’s rugged Howell Mountain vineyards are synonymous with what the French call terroir sauvage (untamed earth). Above both the frost and fog lines, however, the famous mountain is home to some of the most sought-after grapes in winemaking. You may not want to miss the fantastic showing of these wines at the unique Howell Mountain Winemakers dinner on Wednesday, April 26, starting at 6:30 p.m., at Golden Truffle in Costa Mesa. Ten wines from seven different wineries will be matched with Alan Greeley’s acclaimed food.
At the reception, Liparita Mountain Cuv & #233;e Sparkling Wine will be poured. Then, Alan’s Hog Island oyster will begin the dinner menu, along with the Liparita (Library Selection) Sauvignon Blanc ’96. Second course will be quick-braised spiny Dory with caper espuma with tastings of Chateau Woltner 1996 St. Thomas Chardonnay and Liparita 1994 (Library Selection) Chardonnay. The third part of the menu consists of goat tamale with cassis and chipotle and both the Liparita 1996 Howell Mountain Merlot and the 1996 Chateau Woltner Private Reserve Red. With three more course to go, the next will be salt and pepper apple-smoked Colorado lamb ribs with the ’96 vintages of La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon, Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon, and Liparita Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Fifth course of food is Confit of boar with pepper shellac paper and a trio of Zinfandels: 1997 Lamborn Team Connection Zinfandel, 1997 Rocking Horse Fat Lady Sings Zinfandel, and the 1998 Elyse Zinfandel. For the finale, Alan is making a dessert just for the occasion called White Grape Cloud. With that, you’ll be sipping the 1996 Lamborn Zinfandel Port.
It’s easy to see that this is going to be an awesome evening. That, of course, means it will also be a sellout soon after this notice hits the paper. Quick response is recommended. The cost is $125 per person. Call (949) 645-9970, fax (949) 645-7831, or send an e-mail now to Goldentrfl@aol.com and party down with the best of them. The restaurant is at 1767 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa.
One Foot in the Gravy
Can’t end the column without commenting on the Irish Wake dinners held on two recent evenings at Ventura’s Pierpont Inn. I read the press release twice to make sure I understood it. While I know there are lots of ways to market a restaurant, dining with a real casket as part of the d & #233;cor is not my idea of a grand night out. Certainly wouldn’t want to describe any of the food as “drop-dead” delicious. The idea of the dinner theater production was to celebrate the long life and accomplishments of a fictional first-generation Irish pioneer in Ventura. It may have showcased some interesting facets of Ventura’s history, but when an employee of the very real Joseph Reardon Funeral Home rolled the casket into the dining room, I would have bowed out.
I do know something of partying at a wake. Several years ago, my father died one day and my maternal grandmother died the next day at 95. Well, one was a Protestant and one was a Catholic, and that required two wakes and two funerals. Except for those few sad hours, about 300 people partied with us for a whole week non-stop, since both dad and grandmother were from Europe, as were their friends who carried on the Old World tradition of a merry wake. What marvelous memories we have. Were I a marketing maven at the time, we could have tied all this into a Kansas restaurant and made a fortune for them!
