My dinner club that I write about on occasion recently had a “Dutch Treat” meeting, which is an old way of saying that everyone pays their share for the meeting.  Most of the meetings are hosted dinners, and once a year, myself and two other members are the host.  Our newly installed President for the year, tried to get us at a different restaurant, but their private room was taken.  The club is almost one-hundred-fifty years in age, and originally the meetings were held at a member’s home with dinner.  I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t have a formal dinner at my home for thirty plus men, years ago the founders were able to.  The club survived the Great Depression, but by then the meetings were held at a residential hotel’s banquet room in Detroit.  Finally, as the members were mostly living in the suburbs, the hosts began having their meetings at restaurants.  About twenty years ago, there was an upheaval and some of the members objected to paying for the drinks, because they didn’t drink, and nowadays the members pay for their own bar tab.  Of course, it was amazing that members that used to drink “single malt Scotch” now drink “well Scotch.”  I found a silver-lining in that if there was another member that enjoyed wine, we would just share a bottle of wine.

The restaurant that was chosen was what I would graciously call an Italian restaurant for Americans.  The entrée choices were Lasagna, Angel Hair Provençale, Chicken Milano, Fettucine Alfredo, Mama Pasta Boat, and Broiled Salmon with a Dill Sauce.  Instead of a salad, everyone got a cup of “Italian Wedding Soup” and for dessert we had a Hot Fudge Sundae.  There was some grumbling as there was not a steak offering, but since we all receive notification of the menu ahead of time; I made sure that I had a late lunch, as I didn’t expect much from the restaurant, and I almost have to go, as I have a quasi-officer role for the last thirty years.  I guess that I should mention that I have been a member for forty-three years and when I joined, I was definitely the youngest member, as we had a member then, who had joined in 1928. The funny thing is, that age wise, I am still one of the youngest members.  Though I do anticipate that there will be one other change soon, as we have a dress code that requires a coat and tie for dinner.  It has been relaxed for the summer meetings to “Country Club Chic” and I figure the dress code will be abolished soon.  

As for the beverage of choice for the meal, I was by myself as a wine drinker, but there wasn’t anything special of the few choices by the bottle, so I just had a glass of wine.  Alas, the wine hadn’t been poured probably for several days, and they only use the cork, and the wine had turned.  They did open a new bottle.  I was drinking Cantine Melini Borghi D’Elsa Chianti DOCG 2021 from Tuscany.  The estate began in 1705 in Pontassieve, east of Florence.  In 1860, Adolfo Laborel Melini began bottling the estate’s wines in the classic “fiascha” straw-wrapped bottles that eventually became synonymous with Chianti.  Near the end of the 20^th Century the winery was purchased by Gruppo Italiano Vini and relocated to Gaggiano in the Chianti Classico region with modern facilities and four stories of production.  Borghi d’Elsa takes its name from the villages that line the Elsa River.  The soil of this region is a blend of albarese limestone, and marl.  The wine is created in a traditional Tuscan style, where the grapes are macerated for ten days with frequent punching down.  Aging take place over a period of six months in a combination of large oak casks and Stainless-Steel tanks.  The wine was a deep ruby in color and offered notes of red fruit, ripe grapes and violets.  On the palate a dry wine with tones of raspberry and cherry, soft tannins, and cloves.  Easy drinking and not made with the concept of cellaring.  It was one of the few Italian wines offered and more mellow compared to the homemade “Dago Red” of my youth.