Buzz Wine Dinner – August

15 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

The Buzz presented another in a great series of Wine Club Wine Dinners! A different selection of foods this time. Very adventuresome and good. Cristi and Tom did their usual great job in the kitchen. And Austin and Bailey did super in serving. Thanks too, to Paul Colwell, BRJ Distributors, for working with Cristi in selecting the wines. My score are based on the [20] point scale. Here are the wines and the food parings that w had. Hope to see you there next month. Maybe a surprise menu. At any rate, you can’t beat the $15.00 per person price for a five course meal and 6-8 wines. Call the Buzz for reservations. Cheers and enjoy!

Paul Colwell, BRJ Distributors, describes some of the wines.

Egg Roll

2012 Fabre Montmayo Malbec Rose
13.0% alc. light appearance and body. went well with the spiciness of the egg roll. [16] $14.00

Freezer Zucchini Soup
(Made with frozen shredded zucchini. Delicious!)

2010 Turn 4 Cellars Blend
14.5% alc. good dark appearance somewhat heavy taste. [17] $15.00

Green Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

2010 Luna Pino Grigio
14.1% alc. great golden color. wonderful pear on the nose perfect taste and finish [19] $14.00

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells
Quinoa Burritos
Normandy Vegetables

2008 Heredad Ugarte Crianza
13.5% alc. intence aroma. bread yeast. perfect finish [19] $16.00

Cheesecake and Brownies

2010 Montgras Quatro
14.5% alc. good aroma but light on body and taste. went well with the cheesecake but the brownie overpowered the wine. [18] $18.00

Dinner at Vicino’s

10 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Robin and I decided to go out for dinner last night. We went to Cafe Vicino for a delicious treat. We have not been there for a while, but they still maintain their 5-Star rating. It was good to see Carrie again, one of our favorite Wait Persons and to meet Sarah. Great job Ladies! Look at what we had. Cheers!

Grilled Shrimp
Risotto Cakes
Basil Cream Sauce

Gorgonzola-Stuffed Figs
Basil and Prosciutto
Local Honey

Curried Yellow Squash Soup
Julienne Apples
Cilantro

Oven-Roasted Alaskan Halibut
Cheese Filled Ravioli
Cherry Tomatoes
Caper Brown Butter Sauce

Poached Black Cod, Clams, Corn, Pancetta and Cannelline Beans
Tarragon Sauce

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
hazelnut short dough with warm chocolate molten center topped with whipped cream

Key Lime Tart
Key Lime curd in a short dough crust topped with meringue served with strawberry sauce

The Chocolate Hazelnut Tart was good!

So was the Key Lime Tart!

Wine Dinner at The Buzz

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Wow! What an exceptional wine dinner. Cristi you outdid yourself! The theme tonight for the April Wine Club was Social Media Wine Dinner. Cristi went through a fairly complete list of the social media that is available and the pluses and minuses of each. Interesting. The wines were very good also. With six wines presented, including Cristi’s Choice, the point spread was 1 point! A very close race. You will see my point spread as we progress through this post.
Cristi also had flowers and herbs that she has put into wine and beer bottle vases with a self-watering system. Here is Greek Oregano that I picked. It looks nice on our kitchen window.
Cristi’s Choice: 2010 La Cryma Christi Feudi di San Gregoro. A very pleasing and easy to drink wine. 12.5% alc, $20.00 [17]

Along with the wine, we have had folks who bring in one of theirs to share. Tonight was no exception as Joe brought in an Alaskan Blueberry and Merlot blend. I know, you say “Yuk!” But try this first. It is really surprising and not overpowering with blueberry. At least give it a try.

Appetizer
Crab Cakes
2010 Dry Creek Chenin Blanc
12.5% alc, great taste and finish, slightly lacking on aroma. [17] $14.00

Black Bean and Chorizo Soup
2008 Duragutti Bonardo
13.9% alc, full bodied and awesome taste. good finish [17] $16.00

Carrot and Ginger Salad
(loved these flavors!)
2010 Les Jemelles Viognier
13.1% alc, a wonderful Viognier, full of fruit and flavor that went very well with the salad. [18] $14.00

Brown Butter Sage with Ravioli
Chicken
2010 Fratelli Montepulciano
12.5% alc, another wonderful wine. easy to drink and was pared very well with the ravioli. [17] $14.00

Bourbon and Banana Crepe
Chocolate Cream
Morse Code Shiraz
great paring with the crepes [17] $14.00

Those scores are so very close. A great salute to Chisti’s ability to choose a wine that pairs well with any course. The wines were great and this was probably one of the top meals from the Buzz. Great job!!!

Boneless Gremolata Leg of Lamb for Easter

07 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Classics, Cooking Styles, Easter Dinner, Holiday Menu, Lamb, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Easter is tomorrow. We are having 7 people in for dinner. A lamb dinner. The menu will be

Boneless Gremolata Leg of Lamb
Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
Minted Carrots
Asparagus Mousse
Fresh Baked Challah
1977 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
1988 Dolcetto D’Alba Cascina Bordino

The top photo is of prepping the lamb. The Gremolata is on the lamb along with the spinach. This photo is of the lamb rolled, tied and in the pan for roasting. I am letting it sit for 24 hours to absorb all of the wonderful gremolata flavors. The recipe is below. Cheers!

Basic Boneless Gremolata Roasted Leg of Lamb

Total: 1 hr 25 mins
Makes: 6 servings
Adapted From: Chow (dot) com

Note: Gremolata, a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest, offers heat and fresh herb and citrus flavors to assertive leg of lamb. The best part of this recipe is that putting it all together for a dinner party or weeknight meal is a snap. Serve the lamb with a carrot mash or roasted potatoes.

Ingredients:
2 Lemons
Juice of ½ Lemon
5 Garlic cloves, minced
1 med Shallot diced
1½ T Rosemary, fresh and chopped
⅓ c finely chopped fresh Italian Parsley
2 T Olive Oil, plus more for coating the meat
Kosher salt
2 c baby Spinach
Freshly ground Black Pepper
1 (4-5 pound) boneless Leg of Lamb, netting removed
Butcher’s twine

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

2. Finely grate the zest from the lemons. (If you’re using a vegetable peeler, finely chop the peeled zest.) Place the lemon zest, garlic, parsley, shallot, rosemary and measured oil in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir until an evenly combined paste forms; set aside.

3. Unroll the lamb, lay it flat on a cutting board, and remove any large pieces of gristle, sinew, or fat. Season the top surface of the lamb generously with salt and pepper, then, using your hands, spread the lemon-garlic-parsley paste over the seasoned meat. Place 1 layer of spinach over the lemon-garlic-parsley mixture. Roll the lamb back up and tie it in several places, about 1 to 2 inches apart, with butcher’s twine. Rub some olive oil, salt, and pepper all over the outside of the lamb and place it in a shallow baking dish.

4. Roast in the oven until the internal temperature reads 135°F to 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the twine, carve, and serve.

Awesome Birthday Wine Dinner At the Buzz

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Celebrations, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Events, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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This was a great birthday for me. Michelle Larson also had a birthday and Cristie and Tommy, owners of the Buzz, did a superb job creating a party atmosphere! Both Michelle and I thank them sincerely for allowing this party to happen. Look at the menu we had. See anything “strange”? The dinner was served backwards – that is, dessert first! Cristie is so creative. I want to thank our friends and family who joined us and the many cards and gifts they gave: Ed and Mary, Jan (Maize), Margaret, Robin, Bob and Gail, Marnie and Mac, Sophia, Madison and Chris and Barbara and Patrick. Thank you all so very much for making this a fantastic day.

Brunch at Berryhill and Co. Hard to see the cake with the candle.

Some of the gifts received at the Buzz.

70 Beers!!!

Ed and Mary, Jan, Margaret and Robin.

Bob and Gail, Marnie and Mac, Madison and Chris. Sophia was not in the photo.

An awesome TBA that Robin and I offered to all of our friends who were there. It’s a sweet wine so there were some who did not like it. But not many. We are happy that we could share this fantastic wine with everyone. Auction value? $425.00

One beer for every year – 70 different beers!

Dessert
Donauweller Cake
NV Zonin Lambrusco
8.5% alc, not my favorite, light on bouquet and balance [12] $10.00
NV Fonseca Porto
20% alc, it was a good port, good balance and bouquet [16] $20.00 (750 ml)

Chicken Rollatini
Baked Tomatoes
2010 Poggio Sangiovese
13.5% alc, weak on body but overall a good wine. [17] $17.00
2010 Bolla Bardolino
12.0% alc, week on body and finish. [14] $10.00

Salad
Asparagus and Edamame
(Interesting and good salad)
2010 D’Aguino Pinot Grigio
12.0% alc, really a good wine. [17] $10.00
2010 Tabali Sauvignon Blanc
13.5% alc, weak on color and balance. [14] $13.00

Soup
Sopa Poblano
Awesome soup!
2010 Arenal Carmenere
14.0% alc, a little weak on the bouquet but went well with this soup. [17] $13.00
2010 Montes Malbec
14.0% alc, a good strong malbec. did not over power the soup [ 18] $13.00

Appetizer
Salmon Bites
Worstenbroodjes
Chiles en Nogada
2009 Luna Merlot
14.9% alc, a big and bold merlot. [19] $22.00
2008 Yellowtail Reserve Merlot
14.0% alc, another big merlot [18] $11.00

Again, I thank everyone for making this a great Birthday Party! Cheers.

The Buzz – Sideways and Bottle Shock Tour

14 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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“The Lily”

So what does this photo have to do with the Wine Dinner? Actually, nothing. It’s a lily that Robin bought because she likes them. And it is so pretty.

On March 13, the Buzz held another Wine Dinner and this time the theme was “Sideways and Bottle Shock”. If you did not see the movies and you like wine, rent them. They are good. This tasting was good, too. If you missed it, you can always make the next Buzz Wine Club Dinner on April 10 or 11. But, here is what we had tonight. Left-Click and of these photos for a larger view. Enjoy!

Austin, Joe, Tommy and Peggy get ready to serve the crowd.

Two of the opening wines. I am not a fan of Carmenere and the Cortese grape in the Gavi is one I have not had before. Another one to add to my Century Club score card!

Now here is wine from the Russian River area of California. Yes, the Joe Swan area! And this wine had hints of Joe’s 1975 chardonnay … but just hints.

2009 Selby Chardonnay
14.0% alc, fruity and light. not over oaked. earthy [17]

Corn and Chanterelle Crostini and Goat Cheese-Edamame Pitas

2009 Cycles Chardonnay
13.5% alc not bad and went well with the goat cheese. [17] $12.00

Gingery Sweet Potato Soup

2008 Dynamite Merlot
13.5% alc not really the best merlot that I have had. not a lot of balance and low on finish. [15] $14.00

Beet, Fennel and Jicama Salad
with
Macadamia Nut Dressing
(One awesome salad!)

2009 Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon
13.0 alc one of the better wines for the night. good body, balance and finish. went very well with this salad. [19] $12.00

Smoky Pork Pappardelle

2010 Hahn Pinot Noir
14.0% alc good, but I have had some Idaho pinot that is much better, Indian Creek Winery for one. fair body and finish. [18] $15.00

Pear Tart
(A great tart!)

2002 Fess Parker Syrah
(Yep! Ole “Davey Crocket” himself!)
14.0% alc This wine would have made him proud. went great with the tart. good balance and finish with a hint of smoke [19] $19.00

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The schedule for upcoming events is out. Be sure to make reservations as these events fill up quickly and seating is limited!! Look for their link in the sidebar or call (208) 344-4321 for reservations.

Sunday April 1 – (No this is not a joke!!)
Quarterly Dinner
Special dinner that has no particular “lesson” associated with it. Come and enjoy some great wine and a special five course dinner. There are only four of these dinners per year.

April 10 and 11
Wine Club Wine Dinner
$15.00 per person for 4-5 courses, 6-7 wines and a lecture on the selected wine type. These dinners sell out quickly, so call for your reservations. The dinner is repeated on each night.

May 8 and 9
Wine Club Dinner

May 13
Mother’s Day Brunch
A very special Mother’s Day Brunch will be offered

Sawtooth Winery Wine Dinner at the Boise Hotel

19 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, Boise Hotel, Food, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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On February 18, the Boise Hotel and the Castle Ranch Steakhouse, held a fantastic and delicious Wine Dinner featuring wines from the Sawtooth Winery, an Idaho winery located in Nampa, Idaho. The Castle Ranch Steakhouse is by far, the best place in Boise to get a fantastic steak. They use only local beef from the Double R Ranch.
The wine pictured here is their award winning 2010 Gewürztraminer. This is definitely a great wine. Make sure you have some in your cellar. Look what we had for dinner. Enjoy the photos!

Seared Winter Spiced Scallops
cranberry jam, beurre blanc

2010 Gewürztraminer
The scallops were awesome and the paring of this wine with the appetizer was well done, as were the parings of each course prepared by Chef Jack Charles. Winemaker Bill Murray did a great job in selecting the wines. They make a great team! Thanks to both for a job well done. The wine is $8.00, if you can find it.

Poached Garlic Soup
balsamic reduction and chives

2009 Chardonnay
The soup was made from chicken stock, poached garlic and then reduced. Potatoes were used for thickening and then a reduction of balsamic was added. The soup was then finished by a sprinkle of fresh chives. Tended to be a little spicy, but delicious. And no, the garlic was not over powering. The only drawback that I found with this dish, I had no bread to “clean” my bowl. That’s a German thing! Bread was lacking with the meal. The soup and the wine were both well balanced. Cost of the wine is $10.00.

Mixed Green Salad
pickled cucumber napkin rings, blue cheese crumbles, roasted beets, apple cider vinaigrette

2008 Reserve Chardonnay
The little yellow beet in this salad were delicious.Great blends of the vegetables with the wine, which had overtones of dark chocolate and a slight bitterness. However, the earthiness of the beets, even though they were small, did tend to over power the wine.

Duck Breast
pomegranate walnut sauce with quinoa.

2008 Reserve Tempranillo
Great paring!! This dish is actually the Mid-East version of the Asian sweet/sour. Quinoa is a complete and very ancient food. This was delicious. Sawtooth Winery makes only 200 – 300 cases of this wine, so if you want some, and you should look hard. $22.00 per bottle.

Champagne Grapefruit Sorbet
Great for clearing the palate. An awesome dish.

Double R Ranch Fillet Oscar
petite filet with béarnaise and Dungeness crab
butternut squash gratin
asparagus bundles

2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
There are not many wines that hold up to asparagus – among some other vegetable – but this cab certainly did without overpowering the delicate flavor of the asparagus. The beef and the crab also pared extremely with the wine. Another great job in matching the food and the wine. A bottle of this wine will cost you $12.00.

Thomas Keller’s Molten Chocolate Tart
raspberry sauce with crème anglaise

2006 Gewürztraminer Ice Wine
Sink your taste buds into this one, but don’t burn your mouth. Rich and awesome warm chocolate tart with the tartness of the raspberry hidden in the background. Then add to that a fine glass of the Ice Wine and you have an epicurean delight! This is one of Chef Jack’s favorite desserts and it shows.

There is just not much else I can say. Except that it was a well deserved and spent $118.00 meal for two. And then they gave us an option of spending the night in the hotel for $39.00 a room, which we gladly accepted. A great finish to the Valentine’s Week celebrations. Left-Click any of these photos to see them larger. And when you are in Boise, be sure to visit the Castle Ranch Steakhouse. Look for the link in the sidebar. It is a 5-Star restaurant along with Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa, Florida. There were others there at the dinner that agreed with our assessment. Cheers!

New Page – Buzz Coffee and Café

15 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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I am going to start a new page for the Buzz Coffee and Café, much like I did for Brown Shuga Soul Food. The first article on their new page is from the Valentine’s Dinner on February 14, Chocolate and Zin where all of the dinner selections had chocolate as at least one of the ingredients! A chocolate lovers dream! Enjoy and while you are at it, don’t forget the following events –

Feb 23, 7:00pm. Renwood Dinner with Captain Zin. Reservations are required!! $25.00 per person. (208) 473-7147

Feb 29 Cristi’s Birthday! Yup that’s right! She is a Leap Year Baby so that makes her 11 years old. There will be a dinner special (I hear maybe Tommy’s Meatloaf!) and music. Drop in … have some dinner and wine, or beer … listen to the music … and wish Chisti a Happy Birthday.

March 13 and 14 – Wine Club at 6:30. Full dinner and at least 6 wines. $15.00 per person. Reservations are appreciated as space fills up quickly! (208)473-7147

Look at the Menu above and see the new Buzz Coffee and Café articles, starting with last nights Chocolate and Zin Dinner. It was great!

February at The Buzz in Boise

31 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Things To Do, Wine and Food

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I received this from Cristi at the Buzz in Boise. This looks like an exciting and fun month at the Buzz. Super Bowl Party, Zins and Chocolate and a special Renwood Dinner. Here is the schedule. Cheers and hope to see you there. Remember: Call or email for reservations! And be informed: Cristi will be 11 this year!! See below.

Dear Bob and Robin,
Moving right along with 2012, hope this email finds everyone safe and happy. One of Buzz Coffee and Wine’s favorite months is now at hand. Lots of fun events planned so read about them, make your reservations and join us for some fun and excitement throughout the month of February.

Superbowl (Go Giants!!)
February 5th we will be hosting our annual Superbowl Party. There will be a buffet of tailgating foods, with healthy options for our guests. The focal point will be New York and San Fransico favorites. There will be wine and beer to enjoy a fun afternoon. Also we will have our proposition cards with a give-a-way for the person who guesses the best. Call for reservations or just come on in. Festivities begin at 5 PM.

Wine Club
Our Media Focused wine club for February will focus on Zinfandel and chocolate. We are completely booked for Wednesday night but have a few seats available for Valentine’s day. Great evening out with an entire menu planned around Chocolate. On Valentine’s Day let us know if you wish to sit as a couple or in a group. Dinner is $15 a person and starts at 6:30. Reservations are required.

Renwood Dinner
On February 23 at 7PM buzz will host Renwood for a winery dinner. this will be a fun evening wiht foods to pair with Renwood wines and the rep from the winery will be presenting their wines. the wines will be available for purchase after the dinner. It is a four course meal with some plesant surprises in store. Cost is $25 per person. Reservations are required.

Lots of music this month as well. Do not forget that we have live music and wine tasting every Friday night and frequently on Saturday Nights as well. Music for February…3rd is Lee Penn Sky, 10th Mountain Fever, 11th Fonny and Divot, 17th Wendy Matson, 24th Pat Foulkner, 25th Todd Palmer, and 29th is Sandy Sanford. Music begins at 7 each night. No reservations required just come down enjoy some good music. We have food specials each night to accompany the company and the music.

On Leap Year Day, we will have music and cake to Celebrate Cristi’s Birthday. (Wednesday February 29. She will be 11.) Enjoy your extra day this year with us and who knows what will happen at the Buzz on this special day. Also, our take and bake menu is posted on our facebook page come grab some freezer meals and be ready for great food at reasonable prices when your day gets away from you.

Sincerely,
Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine
Reservations can be made by email at buzzwine@cableone.net or by phone at (208) 344-4321. Thank you for your support.

Winter Wine Dinner in Boise

29 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Don’t forget the Winter Wine Dinner at the Boise Hotel in the Castle Ranch Steakhouse on Vista Ave on February 18, 2012. Sawtooth Winery will be featured and the dinner looks awesome! Calling for reservations is strongly suggested. This will be an exciting evening. See you there!! Left-Click the graphic to get a printable copy and a larger view.