Warehouse Wine Dinner

Looking back at all the courses, I have to admit that I don’t have a favorite since so many of the dishes were amazing. Chef Cassy really outdid herself. If you haven’t been to Home Wine Kitchen yet, you absolutely should get over there, but these courses were really above and beyond anything on her menu. Due to that, the wines had a hard time standing up to the food and merely were a “supporting cast” if you will and is probably the reason why I don’t remember them as much.

All the wines were rich and bold to me, but it was necessary since each course was incredibly full of flavor. I guess my top two were the buttery Diver Scallop that had a little kick from the Siracha Mayo and the Sugo with Lamb Shank, Pork Collar & Beef Cheek over Olive Oil Polenta with a Poached Egg.

Then came dessert…in a small, innocent glass jar…Chocolate Custard with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream & Cinnamon-Espresso Powder. Oh my goodness. You had the rich chocolate custard on the front with the salty caramel flavor on the back. Normally I don’t enjoy anything corrupting my chocolate but this was such a happy mixing of rich flavors. Somehow, an extra glass jar ended up in my coat pocket on the way home! (I returned the glass jar…)

Yet, the most exciting part of the dinner was during the first course when the scallops were cooking…with no real kitchen or stove hood, the smoke found its way to the smoke alarms. Industrial smoke alarms are NOT quiet and soon, the Fire Department arrived with axes ready. If I were them, I would have stuck around longer to try some of the other courses too!

Menu:

• Diver Scallop seared in Bacon Fat with Shaved Brussels and Siracha Mayo
• Venison Tartare with Beet Root Chip, Dijon, Quail Egg, and Cornichon
• Duck Confit Fritter with Cayenne Spiced Fig Jam and Spicy Greens
• Sugo with Lamb Shank, Pork Collar, and Beef Cheek over Olive Oil Polenta with a Poached Egg and Smoked Paprika
• Jarred Chocolate Custard with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream and Cinnamon-Espresso Powder

Resources:

Ionia Wines: http://www.iawines.com/

Home Wine Kitchen: http://www.homewinekitchen.com/