Another rocking evening with great wines, good food and a wonderful cause.
About four times a year, a bunch of wine misfits get together to just have fun and raise a little money for a charitable cause. Of course, we each bring a bottle of wine (this meeting’s theme was “classic French”) that we hope will show up “the other guy.”
We met at Le Chat Noir, in the Northwest end of DC. The restaurant wisely sat us upstairs – away from paying customers… the room was charming, with a small bar and private dining area. The dinner was very good, with top course nods going to the Seafood Crepe and the Salmon. The Duck Confit was very good, but just a tad salty. Unfortunately, the lamb cheeks did not shine as expected – they were not cooked long enough, so they had a gelatanous texture and the sauce was too cloying. But the wines made up for all sins, and overall, I would return to this charming little French bistro.
Best of all, we raised over $1,000 for Hopecam (www.hopecam.org), a wonderful organization that connects homebound children undergoing treatment for cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses with their friends at school using laptops, high speed internet connections and web cameras.
Here is the lineup for the evening, along with the amazing wines we had the pleasure to enjoy in each other’s company:
Amuse Bouche
Trio of Plum, Fig and Date
1996 Jean Laurent Blanc de Blancs Champagne (Magnum)
La Criee
Crab meat, Bay Scallop, Mushroom & Chablis Sauce
1988 Comte Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre
Saumon au Veloute d’amandes
Pan Seared Salmon, Red Blend Quinoa, Roasted Pear & Almond Veloute
1985 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin
2006 Chezeaux Chambertin (Magnum)
Cuisse de Canard Confit
Duck Leg Confit, Pumpkin Sage Puree, Baby Bock Choy, Turnip & Cranberry-Pinot Noir Sauce
1995 Chateauneuf du Pape Beaucastel
1995 Domaine Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape
Joue d’Agneau
Braised Lamb Cheeks, Roasted Potatoes, Chestnuts, Okra, Sundried Tomato, Turnip, Cahors-Cacao Rosemary Sauce
2001 Guigal Cote-Rotie La Mouline
2004 Chave Hermitage
Fromager
St. Andre Cheese with Fig Chutney & Garnishes
1996 Mouton Rothschild
1994 Latour
