Wonderful courses

The bottle arrived with a pair of glasses, and the presentation ritual began. There is a sort of excitement that comes when a good bottle of wine is being opened. It carries the type of anticipation one feels while on a date. Sitting there at the table, there is a vague idea of what is in front of you. Certain facts are already known. There are basic preconceived inclinations based on what’s presented. However, rising out of these facts and inclinations is the unknown. No two experiences will ever be the same. Subtle nuances make each night wonderfully unique and beautiful. The bottle is opened and a taste is poured. The anticipation is built up to a moment of truth, and you taste it for the first time. Substance and body, yet youthful, bright, and beautiful, the Vincent Paris drank fantastically. Having a nose of flowers and berries, it was intriguing. Glasses were poured, and we began to enjoy. As the first glass disappeared, the real world melted away.

The first course, although not a great pair with our wine, was my favorite of the three. Kampachi, a fish similar to tuna, was served raw in generous portions. Accompanied by shaved fennel and citrus, the flavors were bright, delicate, and playful. A truffle sauce was dotted around the plate, adding a very light yet earthy and rich undertone for balance. Small amounts of fennel greens provided an additional anise flavor as well as a sharply contrasting color. The truly excellent part of this dish, however, was the seasoning. Large black crystals of lava salt were scattered over the fish. Kampachi, fennel, and citrus all have a definite sweetness to their flavor profiles. Delightful sparks of saltiness balanced this as the large crystals were bit down on.

Next came a simple and wonderful plate of agnolotti. Miniature raviolis and agnolotti are a classic dish from Piedmont, a northwestern state of Italy. Traditionally stuffed with veal and spinach, they are made by folding many small portions of filling into a long strip of pasta and cutting it into small individual pieces with a rolling cutter. Served in a thick brown sauce and garnished with micro sage, this bowl of pasta was wonderfully rich and flavorful. A nice pairing, the brightness of the wine cut the richness of the dish nicely without overpowering it.

The last of the wine disappeared as we worked our way through a plate of braised duck sauced with demi glace. Half of a duck, breast and thigh, was accompanied by potatoes, vegetables, and a generous amount of the thick, brown, almost purple demi. The smell alone was enough to make you want to throw aside your fork and barbarically inhale the duck with your bare hands. Accompanied handsomely by the wine, this was the type of dish you could eat time and time again. Three wonderful courses with a fantastic bottle of Cornas, Barolo Grill absolutely nailed the experience. For three hours, the rest of the world ceased to exist, and we were enveloped in wine, food, and conversation. The service was fantastic. Never too close and never too far away, our bartender was friendly, graceful, and knowledgeable. It was a perfect setting for one of my favorite things, sharing a bottle, and an extensive wine list promises many more return visits and adventures. Not everyone is into wine, but if you are, this is the place to drink it!