Turk-ish Delight

   So before I get back to documenting all the yummies I've whipped up for the boys, I might as well continue documenting the great month that was October. For someone who was basically on bed-rest for the majority of September, I really managed to have caught up on the social scene around town. From friends' weddings, to beer week, to Cali, all the way to Halloween, this month has been chuck full of things to do. The majority of them, maybe not so surprisingly, involve food and booze, more specifically beer. Even the not-so-special events this month, such as chillin with CT on his couch below E and Stoven, not only involved the consumption of alcohol, but also an invitation to consume even more alcohol within the week. Initially I complained, but the boys have some sort of magical manipulation tactic that gets me every time; I mean, this was the week following CBW... I had planned on detoxing! psht. much good that did. But it ended up being an awesome decision to have one more night of debauchery. (Cummon, lets be honest though, when is debauchery NOT a good idea, if only in retrospect? lol)
   This "debauchery" I'm referring to is the Argyle Wine Dinner at Grovewood Tavern and Wine Bar in East Cleveland. Now, for those of you who haven't heard of Grovewood Tavern, know that you're not alone; if it hadn't have been for the fact that I cook for E and Stoven and they live above the guy who cooks for this restaurant, there's a VERY  large chance that I wouldn't have heard of it either. But man, would I have been sorry to have missed out on this place! For as much as CT talked it up, I was starting to wonder if all the praise was really just overcompensation for something the joint may have actually have been lacking, but alas, I was TOTALLY wrong. CT not only hit nail on the head as far as a visual description (despite the near copious amount of booze he'd consumed), but his enthusiasm for the fare there was certainly not underscored. Just as he described, it's one of those little-known epicurean secrets here in Northeast Ohio; not much to the eyes,almost unidentifiable from the outside,  but VERY much to the tastebuds and tummy. I'd go so far as to say it could stand up in an Iron Chef match against every West-side restaurant I've ever been to...and win. [Sidenote: How great of an idea would that be? Cleveland should DEFINITELY  consider holding an Iron Chef competition here. West Side vs. East Side! Whoo-hoo!]
   But let me digress- The Tavern didn't just have great food (which I'll detail shortly) it had an awesome (although small) bar with some pretty exclusive beers, a 3-page wine list, and impressive brands of scotch that even got a little rise out of E's brow. In fact, the wine that was being showcased that night was from a pretty impressive little winery out of Oregon called Argyle, who's current wines include an Oregon Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and a Sparkling wine, and all of which score EBT's Best Wines on WineSpectator.
These were then paired with FANTASTIC dishes (6 courses!) made with love by CT and his roommate (the human one anyways). Alright, ready to get jealous? Because there is no way you can't be jealous knowing that I got the recipes for all the meals we had that night. That's right. And I can guarantee that after you read about what we had, you'll be begging for them. (I might give them up...we'll see how nice I'm feeling by the end of this post.)
   Much like I said earlier, the wines were specifically paired with the courses so that they complimented each other; the food brought out nuances in the wine, and the wine did the same for the food. To start the dinner out, we were given a little introduction and information about Argyle and how Oregon's cold climate effected the crisp taste of the wine; for example, wine made with grapes from california versus wine made with grapes from Oregon is very similar to the taste difference between an apple left out on the counter and eaten versus one kept in the fridge overnight. The apple left in the fridge is, obviously colder, but also crisper, more acidic and oxidizes less quickely when exposed to air. The wine from Oregon is the same- crisper and more acidic because of the cooler climate the grapes are grown in. The climate is also why Argyle only produces the types of wines I listed above, it's just not suitable to grow grapes used in any other types of wines. The things this winery does produce, however, are top-notch and absolutely delicious. Take, for example, the first wine served, the 2005 Brut, which was "peared" with a pear and chevre grilled flatbread(1). Both light, both with delicate flavors that combined very well. I've got to admit that this is something that I've certainly had before, many times myself having adapted it into salad form, substituting the flatbread for mixed spring greens and arugula, and adding candied pecans.
   The next course was by far, hands-down, was my favorite, as well as the wine that it was paired with. Now, mind you, I'm normally not one to be overly impressed by chicken unless its been pounded, stuffed, rolled, or turned in-side out, and we all know that i'm not a huge grain fan. To top it off, although I am a white wine fan, I tend to prefer sweet wines. In fact, when I read "Butter and herb-roasted chicken with creamy polenta(2)", I figured the only part I'd like was the butter...go figure. BUT this was excellently made; the chicken was moist and juicy and not overbearingly dressed, and the polenta wasn't just creamy, it was "melt-in-your-mouth-orgasmic". And while I hesitated ruining the amazing taste I had in my mouth, I went ahead and took a sip of the 2006 Nuthouse Chardonnay. To my surprise, the cool wine had creamy notes predominant among the other pear, lime, floral, and even hazelnut flavors. The fact that it exhibited a sort of creaminess actually helped it enhance the flavor of the meal, rather than counteracting it like a normal dry Chardonnay would do.
   When the server came to clear our plates, I was nearly in tears; it evoked the same kind of panicked emotion of a stranger taking away my favorite blanket or something. This fear was soon quelmed by the next (and third) glass of wine placed in front of me, the 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir; while this was far out of the league of the Nuthouse, it pacified me until our next course, the Ginger-sake marinated salmon with baby bok choy(3), came. I'm not gonna lie, in comparison to the other dishes thus-far, this one fell short. Perhaps this harsh judgment rests completely in the comparison to our last course, or maybe even because I pride myself in my own preparation of seafood, but this salmon was BLLLLAAAAANNNNNDDDDD. It reminded me of a frozen salmon fillet from Walmart that was nuked and tossed over wilted lettuce; i.e.-not impressive. I guess I assumed this would be a fantastic dish based on the fact it was marinated in sake. (For me, its a simple equation: sake (delish) + salmon (delish) = double delish.) But alas, the old adage of "when you assume you make an ass out of u and me," still holds true.
   This subtle disappointment gave way to the warm fuzzies when our 4th glass of 2006 Reserve Pinot Noir was served. Still not as impressive as the nuthouse, its seductive blend of ripe red berries and subtle spice were a great introduction to the absolutely delicious fourth course of spiced cherry duck over asparagus(4). For while chicken was a pleasant surprise, THIS was the dish I was waiting for, and it did ANYTHING but disappoint. The only reason why the chicken won over its brother, the duck, was because the duck was a little, ok way undercooked. Besides that, the asparagus were crisp and the sauce was scrumptious; I can't wait to perfect it at home!
   The last dinner course was E's fave: the Pomegranate & orange glazed pork tenderloin with bacon-roasted brussels sprouts(5). The thing that impressed me the most about this meal actually had nothing to do with the food at all. I was flabbergasted not only that E knew what a pomegranate was (aside from an urban dictionary definition), but also that he actually likes brussels sprouts. Like. Whoa. I'm glad E really enjoyed this course because it allowed me to drink and really taste the last wine they served while he ate the majority of my course (I'm not gonna lie, I was starting to get pretty stuffed by now too, so I honestly didn't mind). The reason why I tried to focus on this last wine, wasn't only because it was the last wine we got for the night, but also because it was another "Nuthouse" variety from Argyle, except this time, it was a 2005 Pinot Noir. I really liked this wine, mostly because it brought out distinct blueberry and oak flavors that are extremely unique for a pinot noir. I'm sure that it would've paired greatly with the pomegranate in the tenderloin glaze, but I can only say that it was fabulous all on its own.
   And although I complained about the fact I was getting stuffed at the last course, I magically made room for the pumpkin mousse with pecan toffee bark(6). Three words: OH MA GAWD. Seriously, I've always believed that the season of fall is not complete until I have in some way, shape, or form, consumed my body's weight in pumpkin. Whether it be pumpkin pie, pumpkin squash, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pancakes, you name it, I love it. But I think I've found a new favorite pumpkin dish: mousse. The creamy, airy texture makes you feel like your eating pumpkin-whip. AH! so good. What a great way to wrap up a super wine & dine night.
     Doh! wait, did I say wrap up? I think I must've meant our left overs (which were scant); because we certainly weren't done with Grovewood just yet. In fact, E and I were talking about scooting over to the bar before the 3rd course was even out. Why we thought we'd need to go to a bar after a wine tasting, I have absolutely no idea. I mean, yeah, it was good, but my hangover the next day wasn't. Yikes. I guess you can take the girl out of the bar, but ya can't take the bar out of the girl.