Wednesday is the night for tasting some classy wines matched with fine Italian regional cuisine at the Vessia Ristorante J. Lohr Winery Dinner.
Most of my readers know something of owner Franco Vessia’s background and, perhaps, that his chef/kitchen partner, Gino Buonanoce, is always on the forefront of cultural cooking that highlights fine ingredients.
Just in case you don’t know, Franco is a restaurateur who took truly kind care of his customers during a 13-year span at a different restaurant.
He parlayed that into his own restaurant, Vessia in Irvine, in 1998. He hails from Bari, Italy, where he graduated from hotel and restaurant school.
He chose to have Gino, a fellow Italian who had owned his own popular restaurant for a long time, command the kitchen. Together, they’ve made us happy diners for many years.
The food for this wine dinner is set to showcase some delightful dishes.
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Vessia Ristorante: Italian eatery in Irvine |
You also should know that Franco planted his own vineyard in Temecula three years ago. He’s now concentrating on winemaking in a limited way.
The roots of J. Lohr Winery go back to the late 1960s when Jerry Lohr, who had a farming background, began seriously investigating the grape growing regions in California.
In the early 1970s, Jerry planted 280 acres of wine grapes in the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County and in 1974 completed his winery in San Jose. In 1988 he bought property near Paso Robles,now encompassing 2,000 acres of vineyards primarily planted to cabernet sauvignon, merlot and other red varietals,and an adjacent winery and barrel facility was built.
That same year, Jerry began expansion of his vineyards in Arroyo Seco, with his holdings now including 900 acres of chardonnay and other cool climate varietals such as riesling, pinot blanc and valdigui & #233;.
By the late 1970s, J. Lohr wines were distributed in the U.S. Today, J. Lohr wines are available in more than two dozen countries.
The goal of the winery is to produce varietals that compare to the best internationally. The company’s wines offer complexity often compared to great French style winemaking. And that depth, plus the distinctly American pride that comes from the vineyards and goes into the bottles, continues to keep the winery popular with a diverse spectrum of fans.
The evening at Vessia begins with an array of signature canap & #233;s, the flavors of which are intertwined with the winery’s 2004 Carol’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc.
Ravioli filled with lobster and drizzled with saffron sauce is next, along with the 2004 Riverstone Arroyo Seco Chardonnay.
The third course is boneless short ribs braised in red wine and surrounded by vegetables, all of it atop creamy polenta. The 2001 Single Vineyard Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon goes with that entree.
Dessert consists of a crunchy cannoli shell filled with ricotta cheese that is laced with bittersweet chocolate bits and candied fruit. I am delighted to see that they will serve the 2005 Bay Mist Monterey Riesling with that.
This is a yummy dessert with a delicately balanced wine sporting a sprightly, melon and stone fruit character offset with just a hint of spice and acidity.
I’ve been on a riesling kick for a while now and I’m determined to get more of you to appreciate the charms of this wine that can range from somewhat sweet to bone dry.
Rieslings go with so many kinds of food and I’m going to write an article soon about how seriously they are regarded by top sommeliers.
There will be a J. Lohr representative on hand to discuss the wines.
The dinner begins at 6 p.m., so don’t be late. The price is $65 per person, plus tax and tip. Reservations are essential. Call (949) 654-1155.
Vessia Ristorante is at 3966 Barranca Parkway in the Crossroads Center at Culver Drive, Irvine.
Super French
Thursday takes us to the Anaheim White House, which will have the “silver fox” of French cooking, Alain Giraud as guest chef.
With a global reputation and a career I’ve religiously followed,I absolutely vouch for Alain’s prowess in the kitchen.
Alain has performed his culinary magic at several Michelin-ranked Parisian restaurants and Bon Appetit, the grand dame of food magazines, hailed him as Chef of the Year.
He’s also served at the helm of Los Angeles’ hottest restaurants, including Bastide, Lavande and Citrus. When Alain takes over the kitchen on Thursday, teaming up with restaurateur Bruno Serato, he will prepare a special four-course dinner highlighting some of his favorite Proven & #231;al specialties.
Alain was born in Paris to a family of restaurateurs and credits his two grandmothers as his inspiration.
He maintains a philosophy that California, his adopted Riviera, is similar to Proven & #231;e in many ways and that it is perfectly suited to light and creative food with a sunny accent. Alain has a lot of personal allure and his food is just as fascinating.
Alain came to the U.S. in 1988 and settled in Los Angeles. A few career highlights include serving as a guest chef at the “Merci Julia” event that honored the late Julia Child, cooking at the prestigious James Beard House in New York and winning Chef of the Year awards by the California Restaurant Writers Association and Bon Appetit.
Alain has given tirelessly to a number of nonprofits, including the SOS Taste of Nations and the Special Olympics.
I hope you’ll join me for the dinner.
The evening begins at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $85 per person without wines, $125 with wines (tax and tip not included).
Reservations are required. Call (714) 772-1381.
Anaheim White House: 887 South Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim.
Wave Riders
Skip forward to Wednesday, June 21, and make a note of the Silverado Winery Dinner at the relatively new White Horses Restaurant and Bar in San Clemente.
This is a charismatic little restaurant that’s decorated with beautiful etched glass, good local art, large tanks of colorful fish and an inviting kind of intimacy at the tables.
It’s named after the whitecaps on waves,called white horses in Europe. The name fits in at this restaurant, which is at the foot of the pier.
The wines and their history, along with interesting tales about Silverado Winery, will be presented by Marcelino Cosio, a fine wine expert.
I’ve known Marcelino for many years and he’s delightful in his storytelling,a true bonus for this evening.
Add in the always interesting food of chef/owner Mark Norris and his sous chef Tim Watson, plus the fact that this is going to be a seven-course meal,in manageable size, of course,with several wines for even more incentive.
The menu begins with an artichoke risotto with a cream of sun-dried pear and tomato. Wine: 2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Stelvin Closure.
Watercress and herb salad with poached lobster is next up with the Silverado 2004 Chardonnay.
An antipasto assortment will be served with the 2003 Sangiovese. This course includes smoked venison, Napoli salami, Welsh cheddar cheese, triple-cream brie and char-grilled tropical fruit.
Then it’s time for an intermezzo,a warm summer soup in this case.
Two more Silverado red wines will be served side-by-side with the next two courses, the 2002 Merlot and 2002 Solo Cabernet Sauvignon. Moroccan style dining now takes the limelight with three kinds of lamb on the plate, along with apricot-flavored couscous, a spicy tagine sauce and garlic-roasted baby zucchini.
Finally, chocolate three ways,white chocolate, milk and dark chocolate,will be showcased.
Just to make sure the experience goes above and beyond expectations, coffee will be accompanied by petit fours.
Silverado Winery has been producing premium wines for 25 years from its home in the vaunted Stags Leap district of Napa Valley.
At the outset, Diane and Ron Miller (she’s the daughter of Lillian and Walt Disney) just sold the grapes from this property they’d bought. That was really all they intended to do. However, upon seeing the world-class wines that others were making from their grapes, they decided to build a winery of their own in 1981.
It’s been a royal ride since.
The dinner begins at 7 p.m. sharp. The cost: $85 plus tax and tip.
Reservations are necessary. Call (949) 429-1800.
White Horses: 610 Avenida Victoria at Ave del Mar, San Clemente.
Sage Advice
Rich Mead, chef and owner of Sage on the Coast in Newport Beach, invites guests to unwind and relax in the restaurant’s al fresco dining area set against a backdrop of sweet orange blossoms and gentle ocean breezes.
He’s even being ultra generous in offering multi-course dinners on some evenings for just $30.
I love this restaurant, along with a broad range of food lovers who partake of all its charms on a regular basis. This al fresco scene at lunch or dinner is one of the most appealing in the county.
Until the end of summer, the restaurant will feature a special prix-fixe, three-course dinner on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. So why not take advantage of this storybook setting for one of those dinners, or one every week?
The menu changes weekly. Add $10 to the dinner price if you want wine.
Of course the full a la carte menu also is available.
Sage on the Coast: Crystal Cove Promenade, 7862 E. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. Phone: (949) 715-7243.
