1111 Mississippi Festivals of Italy wine dinner

I love being on everyone's email list so I know when special events come along, such as the Festivals of Italy at 1111 Mississippi. I missed the wine dinner last month, but was actually free this week to be able to try one out! This one focused on the Umbria region.

For a prix fixe, you get two wines and three courses, which was just the right amount for me! This also introduced me to wines I probably wouldn't pick for myself otherwise. This wine theme reminded me of wine dinners at Katie's Pizza and Pasta where she would feature a different region each time.

(This also made me miss the monthly PW Pizza Beer dinners that we attended for years since the hostess at 1111 Mississippi is still there.) 

The first two courses were a little heavy for summertime, but everything was delicious nonetheless.

Since there was no official pairing for the first course, a cup of Braised Lentil & Italian Sausage Soup, Patience ordered a glass of bubbles to start.

Braised Lentil & Italian Sausage Soup

The Palazzone "Terre Vineate" 2023 was light and crisp, which helped to cut through the thick, creamy sauce of the Housemade Tagliatelle covered in Pecorino & Black Truffles.

Housemade Tagliatelle with Pecorino & Black Truffle Cream

The Antinori "Bramito Della Sala" (Chardonnay) 2023, Umbria IGT, had too much oak for us, and didn't pair all that well with the Herb-Crusted Trout. The first glass paired better with this, or perhaps we just prefer a lighter-bodied white.

Herb-Crusted Trout with Cherry Tomato, Olive Relish, Farro & Spinach

No room for dessert at all!

And I'm curious to see what will be next month!

Umbria Region Menu

Resources:

1111 Mississippi = https://1111-m.com/

Pared wine dinner May

Thanks to my friend Beth, I was able to attend the first Pared wine dinner with Chef Liz and Shannon Behnen at Work & Lesiure.

Sommelier Shannon Behnen and Chef Liz

I am a big fan of the both of them as I used to regularly attend Chef Liz's "Tenacious Eats" dinners where she pairs a multi-course dinner with a movie! Then I also have been attending many of Shannon's wine classes at Vom Fass in Maplewood and occasionally at Randall's on the Hill as well.

Since this was the first, Chef Liz went all out and had SIX courses with wine and cocktails! OMG did we get our money's worth! Also, the theme for the evening was female winemakers (with one distillery) and I look forward to drinking more of their wines and gin!

Wine lineup with one gin

The first course was very sweet with cane sugar and macerated strawberries, which I'm allergic to, so I mostly devoured the Cremoso cheese on the side. Paired with a Tapiz Malbec Rose.

Cane Sugar and Macerated Strawberries with a whipped cheese on top

The second course was a cured yellowtail with romaine lettuce, white Shiro miso cream, and toasted pine nuts. Loved the yellowtail!! Paired with a Thistle & Weed Chenin Blanc.

Cured Yellowtail with Romaine Lettuce

The third course was a rabbit schnitzel with a quail egg on top, and spaetzle on the side. Paired with a Furd Pinot Gris. This was a huge course so I knew I needed to save the second piece of schnitzel for another day.

Rabbit Schnitzel with Quail Egg and Spaetzle

Around this time, a huge bread platter arrived and they were all heavenly soft. I tried to stay away since there was already so much food, but this came in handy to clean up sauces.

Bread platter

The fourth course was a Golden pomodoro with toasted fennel, fresh basil, penne noodles, and a crisped guanciale and parmesan on top. Paired with a Tregole Chianti.

I was already so full at this point, but two more courses to go!

Golden Penne Arrabiata

The fifth course was a smoked beef filet with citrus creamed spinach and pickled cherry tomatoes. What a sauce! Definitely wanted to lick the plate! Paired with a Turley Zinfandel.

Smoked Beef Filet

The sixth and final course, for dessert, was a sweet Ube angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream. Paired with a Koval Gin cocktail, that could have been a dessert course all to itself. One of the best cocktails I have ever had. I wish I knew the name of it...it was just beautiful.

Ube Angel Food Cake

Let me know if you need help signing up for the next one!!

Resources:

Work & Leisure = https://workandleisurestl.com/