LUSH Staff Dinner ’11: Inovasi
Chef John des Rosiers, INOVASI
LUSH Staff Dinner
Wednedsay, January 12th, 2011
Chef was gracious enough to personally cook a 20 course tasting menu, served family style, as well as allow us the very amazing opportunity to share our cellar. With 20 wine nerds and a few Twisted friends, we were absolutely a force to be reckoned with. Although, I think our chaos was mainly contained and all in good fun. The menu is listed below. Any mistakes are on me, and Chef, my apologies should I misrepresent any courses. I was writing furiously as you so diligently and eloquently punctuated each dish presentation. Chef also accommodated a gluten free request. What a marathon.
The wine list is also below. We had two corked bottles, sigh, but everything showed beautifully. Most paired extremely well with dinner. Brilliant evening. And in good company. A great thanks to Mr. Mitch Einhorn, as well, for the extravagant treat. Talk about staff appreciation! Thank you.
We hopped the Metra. Sorry daily commuters…but, c’mon, it was probably really FUN, too. All of us, on the train. We zipped through 3 bottles of Champagne, one of which was in magnum, as well as a sparkling French cider and at least two whites. Only one cork bounced off the train wall, as Colyn promised to catch it and then ducked. Not enough practice, I suppose.
A short dash through the snow, past Wisma (looks amazing!) into Inovasi. The regulars were a tad bit scared of the stampede as we all rushed inside excitedly chattering.
FOOD
To begin:
Charcuterie [Speck, Lomo, and Coppa from Becker Lane, Virginia; pickled cauliflower, mustard ‘custard’, brioche]
Assortment of Chicken Wings [fried, BBQ, with sauce of yuzu skin and soy glaze]
Flatbread [St. Benedictine cheese, black truffle, artichoke, polenta, emental cheese]
Tacos [corn tortilla, grits, carmelized onion, foie gras, chocolate and spice sauce, pecorino cheese]
Next:
Warm Beet Salad [shaved, raw brussel sprouts, soy, ginger, macademia nuts, Sicilian blue cheese]
Shrimp/Mussels, Squid/Calamari [coconut, soy, mirin, ginger]
Snails in Prichard’s Bourbon [duck reduction, basil, garlic, marsacpone and pane grille]
Main: (complicated, layered ingredients and a loud party made it difficult to record details…)
Haddock Casserole [carolina gold rice, fresh haddock]
Raw Chinese Cabbage [raw cabbage, sake, pecans, pesto]
Beef Sirloin [red quinoa, celery, creme fraiche, sage, brown butter, burned bacon (yes, burned)]
Pork Shoulder [chestnuts, macademia in butter, sea island red pea]
Chicken Leg Confit [goat, chorizo, house thousand island, cognac, cornichon, capers]
Bison [polenta, golden raisin, walnut, cinnamon schnapps]
Cheese & Dessert: (about this time, my writing becomes illegible…)
Tripel Cream Brie skewer [on toothpicks, tempura, egg, cream, sourghum, pistachio crumble]
Bread Pudding [amaretto pudding, vanilla, brioche, custard, tuscany]
Dark Chocolate [hazelnuts, espresso, amaretto, cherry]
Gelato [cranberry, cherry, chocolate]
Majuri Chocolate [I give up…this is totally not right…all well, it was delightful!]
—
WINE
BUBBLES
NV Michel Arnould Brut, Verzeney, Champagne, France
2002 Launois Pere et Fils Grand Cru Special Club Blanc de Blancs, Mesnil, Champagne, France
WHITE
2008 Ermacora, Collio, Italy – Pinot Grigio
2006 Muros De Melgaco, Vinho Verde, Portugual – Alvarinho
2007 Domaine Huet ‘Le Mont’ Sec, Vourvray, France – Chenin Blanc
2004 Fichet Puligny-Montrachet, Cotes de Beaune, Burgundy, France – Chardonnay
2003 Parent Corton Grand Cru, Cotes de Beaune, Burgundy, France – Chardonnay
1996 Rolly Gassman, Alsace, France – Tokay-Pinot Gris
2000 Diel ‘Dorsheimer Pittermannchen’ Spatlese, Nahe, Germany – Riesling
Scholium Project White, California
RED
2006 Rolly Gassman, Alsace, France – Pinot Noir
2006 Gros Tollot ‘Carretals’, Minervois, France – Carignan
1997 Chateau Beaucastle Chateaneuf du Pape, Rhone Valley, France – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre
2007 Umathum, Burgenland, Austria – Pinot Noir
2006 Moric ‘Neckenmarkter’, Austria – Blaufrankisch
2008 Lo Triolet, Vallee D’Aoste, Italy – Gamay
2002 Fattoria Le Terrazze ‘Planet Waves’, Marche, Italy – Merlot, Montepulciano
1997 Perzalo ‘Vulcano’, Campania, Italy – Aglianco
2000 Fra Fulco, Priorat, Spain – Carignan
2003 Esporao Private Selection Rouge, Alentejo, Portugal – Garrafiera
2000 John Alban Vineyards ‘Estate’, Edna Valley, California – Grenache
2006 Tablas Creek ‘Panopolie’, Paso Robles, California – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise
2005 Couer d’Alene ‘Opulence’, Couer d’Alene, Idaho – Syrah
2004 Peay ‘La Bruma’, Sonoma Coast, California – Syrah
2005 Demuth Kemos ‘Bei’, Napa, California – Cabernet Sauvignon
BEER, CIDER and SHERRY
2010 Eric Bordelet ‘Granit’, France – Apple Cider
30 year Tradicion Palo Cortado, Jerez, Spain – Palomino Fino
—
And, after all that, we skeedaddled back to the last train. And proceeded to do train burpees and cartwheels and pull ups. A train dance party also ensued…while we sipped on a flask of amaro.
Some of us went home. And some of us went on over to the Twisted Spoke for Pappy Van Winkle bourbon Manhattans. And another dance party. Good times. Wild times. Check lushwine.smugmug.com for detailed pictures documenting our suburban dining and drinking adventure. Our apologies to clients the next morning…
Gotta love kickin’ it with the Lushes. Another good party. Another good year a’comin.
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