The Greatest Hamburger – Yes, That One

Posted on April 10, 2013 by thewineraconteur

To call the dish that I had a Hamburger is like calling the Mona Lisa a painting, both are classic works of art.  Daniel Boulud Brasserie has taken this dish to new heights.  Let’s face it I love Lafayette Coney Island for their loose burger with heavy, heavy, and heavy.  I enjoy Miller’s Bar in Dearborn and the Red Coat Tavern in West Bloomfield and Royal Oak for the burgers.  No dish may ever compete with “The Burger” at the Daniel Boulud Brasserie, when we dined there at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas.

NV Daniel Boulud Brasserie MB

We had to go there, after eating at Daniel in the Upper Eastside of Manhattan.  The room at the Wynn was great and we had a view of the waterfall and could watch the light show that appeared on the waterfall; it was very unique and so was the room.

NV Wynn Las Vegas MB

My Bride had a meal of a Caesar Salad with avocado which was very different.  She ordered “Skate Americaine” which also had crab and lobster meat topping the Skate and she finished with a plate of three wonderful scoops of exotic ice cream and some wonderful coffee.  I ordered the Pate for starters, the DB Burger and finished it off with a Carmel Sorbet.  We shared each other’s dishes during each course.

Now I must describe the burger, to make you appreciate why I wax poetic about it.  Start with prime ground sirloin made into a burger and then the fun starts.  Take Red Wine Braised Short Ribs and shred the meat and stuff it into the burger, and then just because it needs a little bit more attention add some Foie Gras in it as well.  Then add Black Truffles on top of the burger, as well as fresh Horseradish, a Tomato Compote and an Onion Frisee.  Put this culinary creation between a homemade toasted Parmesan and Poppy Seed bun.  Then as a side for this burger a tower of Pommes Soufflé seasoned perfectly and very reminiscent of Arnaud’s or Galatoire’s in The French Quarter and this is a meal.  The DB Burger in Manhattan is about fifty dollars, and the three course meal at the Wynn was the same price.  It may have been the most expensive burger, but not only did I want it, I guess I desired it, because we booked our reservation right after our flight and hotel room.

Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Narbantons

To compliment this wonderful meal, I selected a Premiers Cru for Burgundy.  We enjoyed a bottle of Les Narbantons from Savigny-Les-Beaune.  This wine made from the Pinot Noir varietal is so lush and velvety that it just was a winner even with the Skate because of the rich sea food that topped the fish.  Some people may question the sanity of it, but my Bride enjoys rich red wines with her fish dishes.

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Just a few Follow-ups to Earlier Stories

Posted on April 9, 2013 by thewineraconteur

Anyone that has read with any continuity my little essays about wine and my memories with restaurants may have noticed that some of my articles have scruffy wine labels attached to the stories.  I purposely put these labels that I have tried to carefully remove from the bottles as keep-sakes and tokens of the great and not so great bottles of wine that my Bride and I have enjoyed.  I do this; not for my sake, but to give more credibility that I have not just searched the web for wine labels to enhance my essays.  I feel that, as horrible as the label may appear in a scan, which it shows that I have actually had that bottle of wine, especially in the years prior to owning a phone that would enable me to digitally photograph a bottle of wine.

 

It is also for this sake, that I try to produce a matchbook for a restaurant, especially for the years, when restaurants gladly offered matchbooks as keepsakes and as an advertising tool for diners that wanted to repeat a fine meal.  As a hoarder or a collector of such items (which I will leave each reader to decide) I think it also shows the proof of dining at an establishment.  There are a few restaurants that somewhere through out the years, I have lost some great match books or match boxes that I wish I still had for the purpose of this blog.  All this is a long segue for my having found a matchbook for a restaurant that we dined at several times before and I have already wrote about.  I will also edit the article to add the matchbook that I have just found into the proper page for future readers.  I found a matchbook for the Beverly Hills Grill in Beverly Hills, Michigan.

MI Beverly Hills Grill MB

 

The other update that I wish to mention is that as I was reading the newspaper, there was an article about the English Inn in Eaton Rapids, Michigan that we had a wonderful dinner once.  The newspaper article gave a very nice history of the Inn and about the family that converted it into a restaurant as well as a Bed and Breakfast venue.  The son of the family is now the General Manager of the Inn and has worked very hard in his chosen field and has enabled the Inn to reap additional accolades.  The have received the Award of Excellence from The Wine Spectator magazine, as well as certified and listed by the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNA).  The article also went on to say, that the General Manager spent five years at another fine restaurant that we have had the pleasure of dining at the Pump Room of Chicago.  One newspaper article has allowed me to draw attention to two different restaurants that I have dined at and wrote about in prior essays.

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Tony K’s Grill in Dearborn, Michigan

Posted on April 8, 2013 by thewineraconteur

I have mentioned The Topper restaurant in Dearborn on a prior article, and Tony K’s Grill came after the owner decided to retire and his son took over the business.  The new generation made The Topper brighter in color and appearance.  All the great pictures of famous people in hats were gone.  This was a renovation of a classic restaurant.  While the décor had changed, the new ownership was wise in maintaining some of the classic dishes that were the most popular.

MI Tony Ks Grill MB

They also tried to maintain some entertainment in the venue and offered a duet, which my Bride and I have followed around the metro Detroit area.  They sang popular medleys and songs, and they were placed near a small dance floor area in the restaurant.  This made us very happy to be able to go somewhere and have dinner, a bottle of wine and do our attempt at dancing.   My favorite dish was maintained without any adjustments to the classic recipe of braised short ribs, so I was very happy.  My Bride also was happy because they continued their classic salmon dinner as well.

Villa Sopita MDA 1994

One of the other continuations alas was a short wine list, but as long as I could find something to compliment our dinners that was enjoyable, we were happy.  One of the wines that we would enjoy was a Montepulciano D’Abruzzo from Italy.  As I have stated a few times before, this is always a “go-to” wine for us.  Some wines we have tried have been better than others, but we could always know that we would be able to have a bottle of wine that we could depend on, for the evening.  One of the wines that we enjoyed there was a Villa Sopita Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 1994.  A good wine, a fine meal and some dancing was more than anyone could request from an evening out.

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Bronte Baco Noir, from Hartford, Michigan

Posted on April 7, 2013 by thewineraconteur

One of my fellow Bloggers just became a member of the Century Club, which requires one to have tried a hundred different grape varietals to gain the membership.  I would venture a guess that among the varietals that he had listed for entrance in the club, this particular varietal was not one of them (of course I could be wrong and if I am, I will gladly accept my premature presumption).   I am not sure where I tried this bottle, but this particular varietal was the first French grape attempted and successfully grown in the state of Michigan.  The planting began in the 1930’s probably just after the end of Prohibition in the United States.

 

The wine I am referring to is from the Bronte Champagne & Wine Co., Inc.  The company was originally started in Detroit as a wholesaler and a winery using bulk grapes purchased elsewhere and then processed the grapes in Detroit.  They eventually moved out to Hartford, Michigan in the Sister Lakes District and started planting a vineyard.  The varietal was Baco Noir; they also successfully planted another French varietal at the same time called Seibel 5279, now commonly known as Aurora.  By 1955 the Bronte winery was producing an annual production of the Baco Noir of 400,000 gallons a year.  This wine was even was listed as the top wine once by one of the members of the American Wine Society.  By 1984 the company ceased production, as the wine industry had evolved and changed while they continued to do business as they had.

 

I found all of this to be fascinating research for a wine that I must have had in my youth, which I could not remember any of the facts for.  One of the facts that I discovered, is that they were a great marketing company and offered in their hay-days, a tour of the facility and grounds and then offered free tastes of the products.  That concept alas has gone by the wayside, as many have lamented.

Bronte Baco Noir MI NV

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Wining and Dining at the First Airport Hotel

Posted on April 6, 2013 by thewineraconteur

In the National Registry the Dearborn Inn is listed as the first Airport Hotel.  The airport has long been gone, and converted into a test track for the Ford Motor Company, but the hotel is still there.  Not only are there hotel rooms, but extended stay apartments for visiting businessmen.  Henry Ford was a visionary about certain aspects concerning all phases of business.  The hotel is managed by the Marriott system.

MI Marriott Hotels MB

 

There is the Ten Eyck Tavern at the hotel that has been serving meals to guests at the hotel since the inception.  It is named after a tavern that was a coach stop in the early days of travel to and from Detroit.  This entire complex is almost adjacent to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, two of the largest tourist destinations in the state, as well as in the country.  The amount of history that is situated there is staggering and to think that one man created this whole area.

 

 

I think that the first time I dined at the Ten Eyck Tavern; I may have still been a teenager.  It was a very popular restaurant with early American décor.  The restaurant does a huge business for all of the holidays as well.  The first time that I was there, I remember having a classic steak dinner, nothing fancy by today’s standards, but fancy enough at that young age on a date.  I have had lunches and dinners there since that first time, but the first time had the impact for me, because this type of dining on a date was still novel to me.

 

Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 1970

It was also one of the first times that I ever had a California wine, and the winery is still in existence.  It was a Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon 1970 from Napa Valley.  The winery has since sold the property in Napa Valley, including land on Howell Mountain and moved to the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County.  At this point in time, I had basically been trying Bordeaux wines from France, but when they were not available at a venue, I would venture into some domestic wines, I was a faux wine snob, still learning, and I laugh now, because I am still learning to this day.

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I Pulled a Fast One

Posted on April 5, 2013 by thewineraconteur

I was talking to a friend of mine, and she claimed that she only drank red wines, because she did not like white wines, especially Chardonnay wines.  She said that they were too “oakey” and not pleasant.  She also said that other white wines were too sweet and fruity.  So I asked her, if she had ever tried a White Burgundy, to which she replied no.

 

 

I opened up a bottle of wine, and poured two glasses, and told her to try this wine.  She immediately said that she liked the color and the nose.  She said it was not a wimpy white and that it was different from any white that she had encountered.  She took a sip and chewed it, and enjoyed the acidity and crispness of this wine.  I quickly told her that this wine is from Rully, Cuvee La Chaume 2008.  That Rully is from the Southern Region of Burgundy from a region called the Chalonnais.  I explained how there was some flowers in the nose, but not as prevalent as in a Viognier.  She really started enjoying this wine, and admired how in a few minutes it had even opened up more, and she found it even better than during her first taste.

Rully Cuvee La Chaume 2008

 

I let her go on a bit more, about how much she enjoyed the wine, and that it was better than any white wine she had ever had.  Then I dropped the bombshell on her.  I told her that this wine is made from the Chardonnay grape, and she looked at me in disbelief.  I also told her that if she liked this crisp Chardonnay, she could find it in other wines as well.  That not all wineries produce a buttery Chardonnay, that some try to make it crisp like the wine we were enjoying.  After she laughed and said that I tricked her, she admitted that she would have to say that she will no longer say that she does not like a Chardonnay wine.

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Meyer’s Sea Food in Dearborn, Michigan

Posted on April 4, 2013 by thewineraconteur

This was one of those old stately restaurants of a bygone era, where business men would go to have a great lunch or dinner in a very club-like atmosphere.  It was one of those places that had dark wood and white table cloths and very well trained waiters.  I was glad that I was a guest in this restaurant, because I was young and I really could not afford this caliber of a restaurant when I was still in college.  I was a guest of a gentleman that really enjoyed good meals and good wine.

 

 

At that point in my life, I had not much appreciation for fish, as we did not eat it that often at home.  We were raised more on shell fish, rather than on fish.  I was well acquainted with lobster, crab and shrimp.  The only fish I really knew was tuna from a can.  Now I was going to have a fish dinner and I was a very little fish in this big new ocean.  I just followed my host, and had the same dish he was having.  It was trout stuffed with seafood.  I remember being amazed at how rich tasting this dish was, and wondered why I had never had anything like this before.

Comtes de Chartogne Bourgogne 1975

 

My host for the evening also ordered a wonderful bottle of White Burgundy from France.  This was his favorite classification of wines, followed by the Red wines of Burgundy.  He was telling me and educating me at the same time, how unique the wines were in the Burgundy region, and that I must study them as well as taste them, to truly appreciate them.  He ordered a more generic wine from the region, but one that he himself enjoyed and said that it would be a good introduction to the region for me.  We had a bottle of Comtes de Chartogne 1975 from the negociants Jaboulet-Vercherre from Beaune.  It reads Appelation Bourgogne Controlee, which is the most generic of the district, but it was still a delightful wine with a lot of style and finesse, that I noticed even at that young age of mine.  I went on to discover other white wines of this area, much to my enjoyment, and I still enjoy them when I get the chance.

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Easter Dinner

Posted on April 3, 2013 by thewineraconteur

We had Easter dinner here at the house, and it was non-stop preparations of a mix of Armenian and traditional Easter dishes in anticipation for the crowds.  My Bride shines at moments like this, because it makes her so happy to have everyone under one roof for dinner.

Starling Castle Reisling Mosel NV

 

She started out with cheese and crackers, vegetables and dips, and this year we also added Armenian Lahmanjoun and Cheese Boreg.  We also made a leg of lamb that the butcher had trimmed very well, Armenian Hot Ham, a classic clove and brown sugar ham, Armenian Pilaf, Caesar Salad, a Jell-O salad, asparagus, potatoes and lamb gravy.  There were plenty of deserts afterwards, so nobody was hungry when all was said and done.  I had to laugh because one of our nephews moved his seat next to where all the food was set up in the kitchen.  It is good to see such a healthy appetite.

Barefoot Moscato California NV

 

As for the wine, I saw that there were a couple of wines that were brought in, as some of our guests prefer some wines that are sweeter than what we usually serve for dinner.  There was a split of Barefoot Moscato from California, which I did not try, but I am sure that it would have been too sweet even before dinner for me.  Also there was a bottle of Starling Castle Riesling, which is a German Qualitatswein from the Mosel.  I did try this wine and it was too sweet for my preference, but it was enjoyed by some.  So I guess I will have to look for some sweeter wines for some of our guests.  We have also been having a great time with the Sterling wines that we bought a case each of the Chardonnay and the Meritage.  Our Easter dinner went well, and all is good here, even though today, it was basically my Bride and I enjoying the wine.

Sterling Chardonnay 2011                          Sterling Meritage 2010

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Easter Eve

Posted on April 2, 2013 by thewineraconteur

I have a cousin who has taken it upon herself to have, which has become an Armenian tradition in our families, an Easter Eve party.  Since all of the cousins now have families of their own and we are splintered on Easter, all having dinners for our respective families.  She has an Easter egg hunt for the young children, who are getting older each year, and that tradition may soon, alas, become a faded memory.  She also maintains a traditional Armenian tradition of an Easter egg battle, which consists of everyone having a dyed Easter egg held in their fist, and one Egg point attacks another Egg point, until only one Egg is left the sole survivor of an intact egg shell that has not been cracked.  It sounds silly, but we have had these egg wars since time immemorial.

Rodney Strong Chardonnay Sonoma County 2010      Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 2010

 

Well my cousin puts out quite a spread for the event.  She has not only fresh fruit and vegetables with dips to start out, but also some wonderful Armenian delicacies.  She served this traditional Armenian cured meat called Bastarma that is cut paper thin and has a very spicy and unique taste, that I have to refrain from, because unfortunately the spices that it is cured with stays in the body for a couple of days.  There was Lahmanjoun, which for a lack of a better term is a personal Armenian pizza topped with ground lamb, tomato paste, onions, garlic and parsley that has a bit of a zing to it, and if you need a little more zing, just add a little more Cayenne pepper to it.  Then there was Cheese Boreg which is a light flakey triangular pastry filled with a brick cheese that is baked to a golden color.  There was an Arabic Kibee Nyee, the raw ground lamb, onions, garlic and parsley dish, and the Tabouli Salad.  The Armenians tend to mix these two dishes into one and place into pita bread to enjoy.  There was Hummus on the table as well, and these were just for starters.

Sterling Chardonnay 2011      Sterling Meritage 2010

 

For dinner there was an abundance of thick lamb chops served, along with Armenian Pilaf, which I have never seen duplicated in any restaurant, as properly as we make it.  Another tradition albeit a newer tradition was a dish my Father created called “Hot Ham” which was also served.  There was an Armenian version of a Mac and Cheese dish as well.  Not to mention a variety of salads and vegetables for sides.  By the time I had enjoyed all of these dishes, I am sorry to say, there was no room left for me to enjoy the wonderful spread of desserts that I kept looking at, but I resigned to the fact, that there was just no more room left for even one more morsel of food.  This is just the classic way for an Armenian dinner, where the tables can barely support all of the food that is being offered for the diners.

Galante Ace High Malbec Carmel Valley 2009

 

Besides all of the mixed drinks and cocktails being served, there was wine and beer being served as well.  There were two different wines from the Rodney Strong Vineyards of Sonoma County in California and both were Vintage 2010.  There was a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon and both were enjoyed by the revelers.  I also brought a couple of the Sterling wines that I had written about a little while ago, the Chardonnay and a Meritage.  All of these wines were very good where enjoyed by all.  I also brought the bottle of Galante Vineyards Ace High Malbec 2009 that I recently received from the Monterey Wine Club.  I had stated that I was looking forward to trying this wine, as I have enjoyed the other wines that I have had from this winery.  Let me say that this was one of the most balanced Malbec wines that I have ever had the privilege to drink.  It was not as heavy as some of the Argentine Malbec wines that I have had, and the tannins and were not overt, and it was also a bit dryer than most of the wines that I had encountered as well.  My Bride even was impressed by this wine and suggested that we purchase some more of it, before it disappears from the shelves.  That is indeed high praise from her.

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Candles and Wine

Posted on April 1, 2013 by thewineraconteur

Candles at the dinner table are such a final touch for a wonderful dinner, especially if the lights on the chandelier have been dimmed.  Candles are also very useful when you are decanting that fine bottle of wine, as you can watch to see when you should stop pouring the wine from the bottle into the decanter.  Then you can also add a kitschy straw cover Chianti fiascha bottle that has oodles and oodles of assorted color wax that has dripped down the sides.  Unfortunately, every candle that I have tried seems to be drip less candle, so perhaps the old style candles are not made any more.  To me, that is the extent of candles with the subject of wine.

Fiascha Candle Holder

Of course I am married to a wonderful woman, who has never met a candle that she did not like.  From trick Birthday cake candles to votives, we have candles.  I joke sometimes that we are a warehouse for the Vatican because we have such an investment in candles in this house.  We have a wine bottle candle center piece to put on our dining room table at times.

Wine Candle Center Piece

Then we have received a set of scented wine candles that are in small wine glasses that are decorated with individual stemware jewelry.  The scents of these candles are Champagne, Merlot, Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Zinfandel.

Wine Scented Candles

Then we also have gizmos that can be placed into an empty wine bottle that has been filled with liquid candle wax to make a “themed” candle holder.  After all of these photographs and write-ups about wine accessories, I will be glad to get back to some articles about wines, but right now I think I will just pour myself a glass of wine and relax after this series of articles that are off tangent.

Bottle Candles

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