People think of my Bride and I when they want to try a restaurant off the beaten track, both in cuisine and destination.  My Bride didn’t think twice about us going back to Alpino Detroit with someone that hadn’t been there.  The Corktown district of Detroit has exploded in the last couple of years as being the trendiest region, as well as the oldest residential area, with homes dating back to the 1860s and was originally where the Irish immigrants lived, hence the name, derived from County Cork.

For a relatively new restaurant, that opened in 2023, they have won numerous awards.  The site was originally another restaurant “Lady of the House” which evoked the Irish origins of Corktown, while Alpino Detroit represents Northern Italy and incorporates Switzerland, Austria and Germany, and the French Alps.  They sit seventy comfortably, and during the summer, they also have patio dining.  Another big factor is that they have their own parking lot, which is a big plus for the area.  We started out by sharing a couple appetizers.  We had the Gurkensalat, which is Persian Cucumber, Pickled Shallot, Crème Fraiche, Dill and Marigold; and it was very refreshing.  We also shared an order of Rosti, a Swiss Potato Pancake with Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraiche and Mustard Greens.

For our main entrée orders my Bride had the Walleye with Wilted Savoy Cabbage, Walley Velouté and Sauce Verte.  While the two men had orders of the Wienerschnitzel which was a Breaded Veal Cutlet with Morel Rahmsauce and Pickled Mustard Seeds.  It was easy that we were all going to have white wine and we went with Pierpaolo Pecorari Traminer Aromatico Venezia-Guilia IGT 2021. This wine is from the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, also known as Tre Venezia region in northern Italy.  Wine growing in the region dates to the 18th century and since the 1970s there has been focus on traditional winemaking.  The Traminer grape is said to derive from Tramin (Termeno), a town in the Alps of Alto-Adige and the grape dates to the 11^th century.  It is believed to be the German Gewurztraminer of Alsace, but which area was first can’t be determined positively.  In the Alpine region it is also known at White Traminer and Savagnin Blanc.  This golden-yellow-colored wine offered notes of dried white flowers, rose petals, citrus and nuts.  On the palate this light bodied wine with moderate acidity displayed tones of lychee, citrus, herbs and spices coming to a medium-count finish of fruits, spices, nuts, smokiness and minerality.

For dessert with multiple spoons supplied there was Bonet featuring chocolate, honey caramel, dark chocolate crumbs and hazelnuts as well as an order of Apfelkuchen which was an olive oil and thyme cake with Honeycrisp apples, maple cardamom, sage and an apple butter sorbet.  I also ordered a glass of Domaine Rolet Pere et Fils Arbois Vin Jaune Jura 2017 to share. Domaine Rolet was created in 1942 and was produced by two generations, who then sold the estate in 2018; they produce all the classic wines from the Jura. Vin Jaune is only produced in the Cotes du Jura, Arbois and Arbois-Pupillin.  It is made with Savagnin grown on blue and gray marls, manually harvest late in the season, which can produce a high alcoholic content by volume.  After fermentation the wines are transferred to oak barrels and left, untopped for a minimum of six years and three months, similar to the production of the fortified Fino and Manzanilla wines.  The wine is exposed to oxygen in the barrels and develops a layer of yeast on the surface officially called “gout de jaune” or “taste of yellow” (like the “flor” in Jerez).  This is a wine that has a very long life.  A bronze-yellow wine with notes of dried fruits, spices, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pepper, morels and minerals.  On the palate this full-bodied, delicate acidity displays tones of complex flavors of candied and dried fruits, nuts, and spices ending with a long-count finish of sous-bois and minerality.  My Bride and our friend did not like this wine, as I think oxidized wines tend to have immediate fans or they are on the other side of the table.