Burgundy Wine Dinner at CanCan

Burgundy Wine Dinner

March 22, 2007

HORS D’OEUVRES

OYSTERS

Apple Horseradish Mignonette

SMOKED TROUT & LEEK CREPE

Crème Fraiche & Walnut Oil

PORK RILLETS

Whole Grain Mustard

2003 Cremant De Bourgogne Brut, Michel Freres

1^ST COURSE

SAUTEED MONKFISH

Picholine Olives, Fingerling Potatoes & Orange and Rosemary Buerre Blanc

2005 Chablis Vielles Vignes, Jean-Claude Bessin

2^ND COURSE

BRAISED VEAL

Salsify, Roast Cauliflower, Dried Currants & Horseradish Butter

2004 Gevrey-Chambertin, Les Jeunes Rois, Geantet-Pansiot

3^RD COURSE

ROAST RACK OF LAMB

Wild Mushrooms, Artichoke & Red Wine Bacon Jus

2003 Marsannay, Louis Latour

A lovely wine dinner for $50 per person. The Smoked Trout & Leek Crepes were divine – smoky, but not too fishy. The crème fraiche added another layer of flavor sensation. The monkfish listed an orange rosemary buerre blanc. No hint of rosemary, but, no matter, the other combinations were a blend of in your face (olives) and subtlety (potatoes/monkfish). The best wine pairing of the night came from the green olives and the Chablis. The Chablis was acidic and flinty and stood up to the brininess of the olives. I’m not a fan of the Chardonnay grape and French Chablis is definitely not among my favorites, but this was surprisingly good (and one reason I try to go to wine dinners to broaden my palate). The best overall course was the 2^nd course. The salsify was roasted, the veal was tender, the horseradish butter was very mild, and the currants added just a hint of sweet. The hint of sweet did very well with the Gevrey-Chambertin which showed cherry undertones. The only problem with this course was that we only had one glass of wine to drink. This wine reminded me of why I so enjoy good Burgundies. The last course was a bit of a conundrum. I’m not a lamb or mushroom fan. I liked the red wine bacon jus because it gave the mushrooms a smoky flavor. I did tire of the mushrooms, however. The lamb chop was at least medium rare and, if you like lamb, I think it would probably be heavenly. The wine was heartier than the previous red, thus, the choice of mushrooms and a bacon based sauce. Once again, cherry undertones were present, but after swallowing, the tip of my tongue tasted slightly bitter cherry skins. Upon leaving we were presented with a chocolate truffle to cap off the evening.

I like these events. It’s a great price. There are no more than 36 diners in a private dining area. CanCan does a great job of bringing a number of food flavors together in their dishes. The atmosphere is fairly informal and Bob Talcott, the wine director, leads brief discussions after each course to discuss the food and the wine. The next dinner will be May 17 and will feature the Loire Valley.