September At “The Buzz”

04 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Dinner With Friends, Local Markets, Party Time, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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The beer steins we have on “The Self”.

Ah yes! Here are our steins. Do you have a stein on “The Shelf” at the Buzz? Hmmmm. Why not?
Here is the latest news from Cristi and the September schedule of events. Hope to see you there so we can say Hello and have a glass of wine together.
Such a good Wine Dinner for an awesome price. 5 course dinner and at least 6 wines and all for $20 a plate. And then there are other events happening at the Buzz too. Look here.

Hi, fall is in the air and life is getting either back-to-normal or crazier each day. Or if you are like our family crazier each day is back to normal. Our renovation is complete and if you have not had a moment to stop by and check out our new growler and kombucha stations, please do. We always try to have some local beers on tap and our kombucha is all organic (and is made in Bend).

We have a fun September planned, hope to see you soon.
Wine Dinner – September 9th and 10th we will be having our monthly wine dinner. It starts at 6:30 each night and the cost is $20 per person for dinner and wine dinner. This month we will be discussing Pacific Northwest and the wine of food from our own personal wine region.

Buzzopoly – On September 14th at 5 PM we will be playing our first life size game outside. Based on the game of monopoly, in a 90 minute game we will play. It is $20 a person, teams of up to 6, registration is at 5 “negotiations” at 5:30, play starts at 6 and game is over at 7:30 with prizes after. Cost includes drinks, food, and fun.

Our Music schedule for September:

5th Todd Palmer
12th Leta Neustaedter
19th Blaze and Kelly
26th Jean Cardena

Wine tastings every Friday and Saturday from 5-9:30; music from 7-9. Don’t forget we have appetizer, dinner and dessert specials to go along with the music and wine. No reservations needed, just come on by
Thanks for your support. We hope to hear from you about reservations or see each of you soon. Enjoy your September, and please drive carefully as the kids are back in school.
Sincerely,
Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine

Grilled Foods and Wine

11 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Chicken, Dinner With Friends, Dinner With Robin, Grilled Vegetables, Grillin' and Chillin', Grilling, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Salad, Sliders, Special Dinners, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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grilling, the Buzz, The Buzz Coffee and Wine, wine dinner

Another interesting night and wine dinner at the Buzz in Boise. And just in time for the summer season – Grilled foods and selecting the right wine to go with the food. Cristi also let everyone know that they are putting a a beer tap system for local beers and she wants our suggestions. My suggestion is (1) Cloud 9 Nano Brewery in the Albertson’s Shopping Center on State Street and (2) 10 Barrel Brewery in downtown Boise. Here are some photos from tonight’s dinner and my wine ratings. A perfect score is [20]. Enjoy and Cheers!

Peggy is grilling skewers for dinner.

Wines prior to dinner. I did not particularly like the white one [11] and the red was just a little better [12]. I have had much better wines from both these wineries.

The best wine of the night was this one. I scored it a perfect [20]. Full bodied and went extremely well with the beef and chicken skewers and the corn on the cob. 2011 If You See Kay

Pulled Pork Sliders 2010 Renwood Clarion a blend of Syrah and Zin [17]

Pulled Pork Sliders
2010 Renwood Clarion
a blend of Syrah and Zin [19]

Peggy made the sauce for these and it was good. Almost a Carolina style with a hint of vinegar.

Grilled Romaine Salad
2012 Basal Cellars Estate Semillion [17]

Roasted Vegetable Soup
2009 MontGras Antu Ninquen Syrah [18]

This wine went very well with the soup. A good paring.

Chicken and Beef Skewers with Corn On-The-Cob 2011 If You See Kay [20]

Chicken and Beef Skewers with Corn On-The-Cob
2011 If You See Kay Blend [20]

A superb wine offering tonight and a great paring with the skewers and corn.

S’mores Cake
NV Fratelli Casa Rosa [18]

May Events at The Buzz

07 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Herbs, Herbs and Spices, Miner's Lettuce, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Dinners, Special Events, Spices, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners, Wine Tasting

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Buzz Coffee, Buzz Coffee & Wine Events, The Buzz Coffee and Wine, wine dinner, Wine Dinner Buzz Bistro

I just received this from Cristi and Tommy at The Buzz here in Boise. We will be at the monthly dinners – they are fantastic and loads of fun! – and I hope we see you there, too! Remember, to participate in some of these events (Monthly dinner and Quarterly Dinners), you will need to make reservations!
(208) 344-4321

Buzz Coffee & Wine Events

Hello. Hope everyone is enjoying the rollercoaster weather that we call Spring here in Boise. We have some fun events coming up and would love to see you at any or all of them.

Thanks to everyone’s support during our families loss last month. We appreciate the prayers and well wishes, and are terriby sorry for having to cancel the wine dinner with such short notice. Again thanks for understanding.

Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine

Wine Club Dinner: We will be discussing Herbs and Spices.
Join us at 6:30 on May 13 or 14 for a Five Course Dinner, Wine – pared with the food and included in the dinner price -, and a discussion of herbs and spices. Only $20 a person. Reservations required buzzwine@cableone.net or 344-4321.

Music in May

May 9th Carter Freeman
May 16th Jean Cardena
May 23rd Blaze and Kelly
May 30th Pat Foulkner

Music from 7-9 with free wine tasting, dinner and dessert specials. Come join us. No reservations needed

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Valentines Wine Dinner at the Buzz

12 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Chocolate, Chocolate and Food, Dinner With Friends, Healthy Eating, Idaho Chefs, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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petite sirah, The Buzz Coffee and Wine, Two Angels Petite Sirah, Valentines Day, wine dinner

Another superb wine dinner at the Buzz in Boise! So far this year, the dinners have been great. Tommy’s Asian Dinner last month and now this dinner for Valentines Day. And then too, it is Cristi’s birthday at the end of the month. Oh yes. I forgot. She was born on February 29th. But I bet she will have something. As for the dinner tonight, most of the wines were pretty good. Out of 7 wines, 3 were scored [19], 2 were [17], 1 at [16] and one at [15]. Thanks to Michelle and Cristi for this great dinner. Here are some photos from the dinner. The wine above, 2008 Two Angels Petite Sirah, was probably my favorite of the night with a score of [19]. Enjoy and see you at the next dinner! Cheers!

Assorted Chocolates

Caponata Crostini reall a good appetizer. Too bad the wine was not up to the spiciness. 2012 Heritage Cote du Rhone 14% alc. definitely not the best wine of the evening. not enough body and finish to go with the appetizer [15] $14.00

Caponata Crostini
really a good appetizer. Too bad the wine was not up to the spiciness.
2012 Heritage Cote du Rhone
14% alc. definitely not the best wine of the evening. not enough body and finish to go with the appetizer [15] $14.00

Tomato and Chocolate Soup such a good soup! 2012 Heritage Cote du Rhone 14% alc. not my favorite. [15] $14.00

Tomato and Chocolate Soup
such a good soup!
2011 Tomero Cabernet Sauvignon
15% alc. went very well with the soup. good body and finish. [17] $16.00

Pear and Spinach Salad
truly a great salad that went extremely well with the wine.
2011 Jack Cabernet Sauvignon 13.8% alc. This wine went superbly with the salad! great body and finish. [19] $18.00

Pasta Marinara and Beef Kabob
I really enjoyed this entree. Great sauce on the kabobs made with beer.
2008 Two Angels Petite Sirah
14.1% alc a superb wine with this plate. great taste, body and a good finish. [19] $21.00

Brownie Tiramisu Such a delight to end the dinner with this. Great ending! 2011 Renwood Zinfandel 14.5% alc. just OK with the dessert. Almost to big for the chocolate. [17] $15.00

Brownie Tiramisu
Such a delight to end the dinner with this. Great choice!
2011 Renwood Zinfandel
14.5% alc. just OK with the dessert. Almost to big for the chocolate. [17] $15.00

And as a side note and information that Cristi presented last night, the Thursday before Labor Day is known as Cabernet Day and Cristi said she might think of a wine dinner that goes along with this event. And another, Zinfandel is a great partner with curry and hard cheeses. And as for a Petite Sirah, which is not by any means a small grape or wine, “… goes well with any food with which you would normally pair a big red wine: grilled meats, roast duck, lamb, pot roast, rabbit in mustard sauce (ed note: I have a great recipe for this), mushrooms and chocolate. Petite Sirah can age for years. Even decades.” (Cristi Takeda, the Buzz) Hope you make the next wine dinner. They are really fun and informative. Cheers!

“The Buzz” Monthly Wine Dinner – Small Wine Regions

09 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Beef, Cooking Styles, Dessert, Dinner With Friends, Ethnic Foods, Finger Foods, Photos By: Bob Young, Salad, Soup, Things To Do, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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the Buzz, wine dinner

A very interesting selection of wines and food tonight. And as Erica Larsen said, “Great food and wine for $15. Bottles were $11 each! Delicious! Another dinner tomorrow if you are interested.” Wine selections from New Zealand, Germany, Hungary, South Africa and Portugal. And Cristi kept it interesting with the food parings. If you missed this dinner, there is another with the same fare and wines tonight, October 9. You just can not beat the price – $15.00 per person – and the food selections. Cheers and hope to see you at one of these dinners. Personally, I think this was one of the better Wine Dinners. Great job, Cristi!! Enjoy these photos. Left-Click to see them enlarged.

Silverware, A Menu and A Glass of Wine

Pastry Twist
Mint and Pea Pesto
Cheese Dates
2013 Walnut Block Sauvignon Blanc (NZ)
13% alc . one of the better wines of the night. great finish and appeal. superb paring with the appetizer [18] $16

Pumpkin Tortilla Soup 2012 St Urbans Reisling Germany)

Pumpkin Tortilla Soup
2012 St Urbans Riesling (Germany)
9.5% alc. not my favorite wine for the night. The soup was spicy and I enjoyed it, but this wine just did not match with that flavor level. The wine was good by itself as was the soup. [16] $18

Hungarian Potato Salad 2001 Bull's Blood 12.5% alc. This was a very light version of this wine. We have had it before and it was full bodied.

Hungarian Potato Salad
2001 Bull’s Blood (Hungary)
12.5% alc. This was a very light version of this wine. We have had it before and it was full bodied. It was light enough to go with this delicious version of potato salad. I liked the salad. Different. [17] $11

Pumpkin Beef and Mushroom “Salad”
Pasta and Chimichurri Sauce
2009 Sebeka Cabernet Pinotage (S Africa)
13.5% alc. good clarity and color. full bodied and good balance [18] $11
I really enjoyed this entree. Good flavors and a good paring with the wine. Spaghetti squash on the bottom with caramelized onion made a perfect match.

Double Chocolate Bundt Cake
Noval Tawny Port (Portugal)
19.5% alc. I don’t particularly like port, but this was WOW! great balance and body. [19] $20
This was a superb paring between the chocolate cake and the port. Well done!!!

Pacific Northwest Wine Dinner at the Buzz

16 Thursday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Chicken, Cooking Styles, Main Dish, Miner's Lettuce, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Salads, Salmon, Seafood, Special Dinners, Special Events, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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bryan carter, strawberry rhubarb crisp, tomato salad, wine dinner

This was an interesting wine dinner. Differently good! One does not often get spinach at a wine dinner. Hard to pair with the wine. The roasted tomato salad was good. There was no Miner’s Lettuce in it. The Miner’s Lettuce pictured here in in our garden. Here are the photos of the dinner and you be the judge as to whether it was different from the norm of wine dinners. I will score the wine on a [20] point rating system. Left-Click on any of the photos to see them full screen. And please VOTE above. Thanks and Cheers!

Salmon Canapes
Potato and Mushroom Apple Cake

2011 Iris Pinot Grigio
12.5% alc. a good wine with a full taste and long finish. went well with the appetizer. [18] $15.00

Pea Soup
(Interesting and good!)

2011 G3 Chardonnay
13.7 alc. nice gold color but lacking in taste. went well, however, with the soup [17] $15.00

Roasted Tomato Salad

2010 Willamette Whole Cluster Pinot Noir
13.5% alc. sand and clay on the nose. not a big Pinot as some are. it did pair well with the salad and the dressing. [17] $23.00

Huckleberry Chicken
Creamed Spinach
Biscuits

2010 Bryan Carter Abracadabra
13.8% alc. really went well with the chicken and especially the spinach. great body and taste and finish. [19] $19.00 2011

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Sawtooth Syrah
13.3% alc. Idaho’s first 91+ nationally scored wine and I can see why. the aroma was a little lite but everything else was superb. congratulations to Sawtooth Winery. [19] $15.00 (Great buy!)

And just as a closer, here are some spring flowers that Robin likes that are planted in our garden. Enjoy.

Columbine

Bleeding Hearts

Italian Wines at The Buzz

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Antipasto, Caesar Salad, Chicken, Italian Food, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Soup, Special Dinners, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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chocolate dessert, food, italian sausage soup, italian wine, restaurants, wine dinner

Another great wine dinner at the Buzz on March 12, Tuesday, and then repeated on March 13, Wednesday. Italian Wine Dinner and some scrumptious entrees along with the wines. The wine pictured here, 2010 Montepulciano Cantina was but one of the selections for the event. This wine went very well with the light spice of the Italian Sausage Soup. It countered, without over powering, the soup. Great paring! I score this an [18] out of [20]. And Paul presented one awesome Merlot before the party started. A 2010 Luna Merlot from the North Coast. 14.1% alcohol. [19] $16.00. I went back for more! Here are the other entrees and the wines. Enjoy!! (Left-Click to see an enlarged view.)

Antipasto Platter
NV Zonin Proseco
11% alc. not my favorite wine. [16] $16.00

Italian Sausage Soup
(delicious!)
2010 Montepulciano Cantina
13.0% alc. one of the best for the night [18] $16.00

Skillet Braised Chicken Bundle
2008 Monrosso Chianti
13.5% alc. really good with this entree [18] $17.00

Caesar Salad
2011 Altanuta Pinot Grigo
12.5% alc. I missed the anchovy in the salad dressing. wine went well with the salad [17] $20.00

Canolli
(Yum!)
NV Moscato Primo Amore
7.0% alc. super with this chocolate dessert. [18] $11.00

Quarterly Dinner at the Buzz

04 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Shrimp, Special Dinners, Special Events, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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cotes du rhone, food, italian sausage soup, restaurants, stuffed pepper, wine dinner

March 3 found us at the Quarterly Wine Dinner at the Buzz and what a delightful dinner and wine. We gave Cristi some wine for her birthday and she said she was going to share it with everyone at this dinner. We brough her some more just so she would not run out. Pictured here is one of the Ridge Vineyards that we brought her. And along with a great selection of wines that she and Paul Colwell selected, Cristi prepared a fantastic dinner. Here is what we had. Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers and Tortilla Espanola

With this appetizer we had –

2007 Muriel Reserva which went extremely well with the Tortilla
2009 Mosen Cleto Crianza which went best with the shrimp.

Both of these wines were excellent and each one went very well with the appetizer.

This is the stuffed pepper. Notice the shrimp. Cristi a bag of Winco sweet peppers. Roasted them about 30 minutes in the oven. Mixed the shrimp with onion, tomato, mayonnaise and sherry. It was an awesome appetizer.

This is the stuffed pepper. Notice the shrimp. Cristi used a bag of Winco sweet peppers. Roasted them about 30 minutes in the oven. Mixed the shrimp with onion, tomato, mayonnaise and sherry. It was an awesome appetizer.

Zesty Italian Sausage Soup

2009 Poggio Anima Samael. This was the best with the spiciness of the soup.
2011 Zonin Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. This tended to accentuate the spice in the soup.

California Energy Salad

2012 Snake River Unoaked Chardonnay.
2011 Matchbox Old Head Chardonnay. Great with the green pepper. Both of these wines were too close to call a winner.

Daube de Boeuf

2008 Brian Carter Byzance
2010 Bastide De Beauvert Cotes du Rhone

Both of these wines went very well with this dish. Both are very well balanced.

Had to have a little more bread for “sopping”.

Lamingtons and Neenish Tarts

2010 Blacksmith Syrah. This wine went best with the cake.
NV Shingleback Black Bubbles. Best with the tart.

Such a great evening. If you can you should really try to attend these Quarterly Wine Dinners. Cristi and crew, Tommy, Austin, and Bailey, along with Paul do a great job!! Thank-You. And I’m not sure I came up with which wine was better. It was a close tie.

Valentines Wine Dinner at the Buzz

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

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

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chocolate dessert, chocolate mousse, food, pear salad, wine dinner

Another adventuresome Wine Dinner at the Buzz in Boise with Cristi, pictured here, doing the presentation. Great job, Cristie. Chocolates to celebrate Valentines Day! The theme? Zinfandel and Chocolate! Yum-O! The wines were on the most part well matched to the food. The one exception was the 2010 Layer Cake Primitivo which actually accentuated the spiciness of the chipotle in the soup. Here are some photos of the dinner and the wines that were served. Cheers!
Eggplant Caponata and Brie Chocolate
2011 Renwood Zinfandel
14.5% alc a good match with the appetizer. [18] $13.00

Pumpkin Chipotle Soup with Chocolate
2010 Layer Cake Primitivo
13.5% alc. As stated above, I did not like this paring. but that’s my opinion. the primitivo over emphasized the spiciness of the soup. it distracted from the soup, which by itself, was very good. [16] $17.00

Spinach and Pear Salad with Chocolate Vinaigrette
2009 Leese Fitch Zinfandel
13.9% alc. Great paring with the salad. (I did like this salad!) [18] $12.00

Spanish Pork Roast
Chocolate Risotto
Chocolate Roasted Vegetables
2009 Carol Shelton Wild Thing
14.9% alc. Another great paring with the main course. (I really liked the way the pork was prepared. It was great! And the risotto was superb.)[18] $12.00

Brownie Cookie and Chocolate Mousse
2009 Dry Creek Heritage
13.5% alc. never have had a bad Dry Creek wine. this one went extremely well with the chocolate dessert. Needed more wine. [19] $17.00

Once again, a great evening and Wine Dinner. If you missed this one, well ………….. It was sold out and I believe tonight, Wednesday, is also sold out. So I suppose we will have to see you next month. You can always call them and try to have a seat. (See their logo in the sidebar.) And keep tuned in here on the blog because the Buzz has some awesome programs during the month. Cheers!

Wine Dinner Featuring Soup! Yup! Soup.

10 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Fruits, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Soup, Special Dinners, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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cold soups, soup, soup and wine, the Buzz, wine dinner

Yes indeed! You read that right! A wine dinner at The Buzz and the courses were all soup. I guess, as Joe said, we can call it a “soupr” evening. And it really was.
Cristi spends a lot of time preparing these dinners and she does her homework. For instance, here is some of what she said about soup. “Soup is generally a warm food; Often made by combining ingredients with a liquid. [Soup is] traditionally classified in two categories. Clear as in bouillon or consomme and Thick as in Puree – thickened with a starch; Bisque – Thickened with cream or pureed meat; Veloutes – Thickened with egg, butter or cream. Generally there is more liquid in a soup than in a stew.”
She goes on to let us know that there are also several different types of soup. “Fruit Soup – Frequently cold when fruit is in season; Fruksuppe (Norwegian) dried fruit; Hot Fruit Soup with meat. Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Chinese cuisines; Generally absent from Americas, Africa, Western European, Japan and Southeast Asia or Oceania cuisines. Cold Soups – At or below room temperature and they can be sweet or savory. Asian Soup – Generally broth based and many use tofu, soy bean curd – low-calorie and high protein.”
These are the type of “educational sessions” that she presents at the tastings. Extremely interesting. Enjoy these photos of the evening and hope to see you at the next Buzz Wine Dinner. Be sure to Left-Click the photos for a larger view. Cheers!

Joe brought this awesome wine – limited quantity – for some to share. Thanks Joe.

Beer/Cheddar Soup with Pretzels
(Awesome soup!)
2010 Wente Merlot
13.5% alc went very well with the soup. big and bold [17]

Avocado-Buttermilk Soup with Crab
(This is a WOW soup!)
2009 Chateau de la Roche Sauvignon Blanc
13.0% alc. absolutely wonderful with the avocado and crab. [19]

Chunky Tomato-Fruit Gazpacho
(A great palate cleanser.)
2011 Jean-Luc Colombo White Rhone
13.0% alc. good wine with the fruit. great pairing [18]

Lentil Soup with Kielbasa and Kale
(Don’t let the kale fool you. A good soup.)
2006 Lan Crianza Tempranillo
13.5% alc. great balance with the spiciness of the soup [18]

Chilled Pear Soup and a Chocolate Soup
(WOW!)
2008 Pillar Box Cabernet Sauvignon
14.5% alc. I thought it went best with the chocolate, but our table had a difference of opinion. [18]

So there you have our evening. It was a great evening and I think everyone learned a lot about soups and pairing them with wine.