2/3/07 WINE DINNER at Iron Horse Inn

On Saturday, February 3, 2007, Wendy & I joined Gail, Bill, Joanne, Bob, Mike, Greg, Laramie, and Mark at a table at the Iron Horse Inn for their first-Saturday Wine Dinner. While it wasn’t the best wine dinner we’ve ever attended, it was still an enjoyable evening out with good food, friends, and wine. Here’s what was on the menu:

First Course
Parsnip Puree, Vanilla Oil, Blue Crab
Lobster Cove Chardonnay
This was a nice, warming pureed soup to start the meal. Though I am not a fan of Chardonnay in general, this unoaked wine went well with the course.

Second Course
Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Foie Gras
Gold Leaf Merlot
Loyal readers of this site know that I am a big fan of foie gras. However, this dish has to be considered a ‘miss’… First, the peanut butter was overpowering and the white bread didn’t add anything. The foie was good, but it was cold.

Third Course
Southern Fried Arctic Char, Smoked Trout Pasta Salad, Red Pepper Oil, Chive Oil
Four Kings Meritage
I enjoyed the components of this dish, but the combination did not add up. Eaten seperately, the char was very nice, the smoked trout pasta salad was good. Eaten together, I was left scratching my head as to the combination. The Four Kings Meritage was an enjoyable wine.

Fourth Course
Slow Braised Veal Osso Bucco, Roasted Root Vegetable “Cassoulet” Style, Pork Confit
“Handprint” Merlot
I really like Osso Bucco, and it was a perfect dish for the cold weather we’re enduring in Cincinnati right now. I missed the bones (and the marrow!) which for some reason weren’t included on the dish. The wine was a lovely compliment to this dish, and the hand-painted bottles are beautiful.

Dessert
Chocolate Fig Newton Crème Brulee
Fro-Zin Icewine
The Icewine was really, really tasty — a ‘keeper’ from this menu. The brulee was good, but overly rich.