Showing posts with label Eyrie Restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eyrie Restaurant. Show all posts

Friday, September 4, 2015

Neiman Cellars Napa Red Caldwell Vineyard BYOB at Eyrie

Neiman Cellars Red Wine Caldwell Vineyard Napa Valley 2001 BYOB at Eyrie Restaurant

After presiding over a public tour including friends and family at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park, we did a walking tour of the historic district viewing several of Wrights iconic buildings, ending at Eyrie Restaurant, the culinary school learning center of Robert Morris College.

Being wine centered in our dining choices, this was an opportunity to pull a prized bottle from our cellar since BYOB is the standard at Eyrie. To accompany dinner we brought a Neiman Cellars Red Wine Caldwell Vineyard Napa Valley 2001.

Part of the fun and logic of this selection was that when we last dined at Eyrie back in May, following another Frank Lloyd Wright event, we took a Neiman Cellars Napa Valley Red Blend 2004 which was sensational with our dinner that evening.  


Unlike our previous dining experience there, a visiting chef's feature evening, tonight was a bit of a challenge. Considering the entree selections, I inquired about the Ancho Chili Rubbed Hanger Steak, concerned that the chili would be spicy and offsetting or overpowering of our fine wine. We were assured it was subtle, and offset by some cinnamon which added sweetness and countered any heat of the chili. Unfortunately, this was not the case and one bite almost tainted my palette for discrimination of the wine for the rest of the evening. Exacerbating the situation, while part of the allure of this entree selection was the side of polenta, but when I commented on the mis-representation of my entree, they awkwardly seized by plate and left me sitting with nothing, waiting for a replacement, while the others dined. When my replacement pork chop arrived it was a small portion, much smaller than Mark's and was slightly undercooked.

Jane and Linda had the Salmon entree and Jane's too was undercooked. 

For the dessert course, there was no chocolate choice, which for me, is almost a main course, and the strawberry shortcake was woefully short of strawberry (s). Once again, to exacerbate the situation, coffee never arrived to accompany the course.

Tonight's dinner was a celebration of two anniversaries and longstanding friendship with Jane and Mark, whom we've known for more than a couple decades going back to college and high school.  

Neiman Cellars Red Wine Caldwell Vineyard Napa Valley 2001

This wine comes packaged in a heavy oversized, almost magnum weight bottle.  

Consistent with our last tasting of this wine, it was a perfect complement to the beef and the pork chop entrees, dark garnet/purple colored, medium-full bodied, smooth, polished, complex full flavors of spicy blackberry and subtle red raspberry with tones of clove and sweet dark mocha turning to finely integrated tannins on the smooth lingering finish. 

This limited production (148 cases produced) wine was crafted by Drew Neiman, assistant to the legendary producer/winemaker John Kongsgaard.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=27471

http://www.robertmorris.edu/eyrie/ 

 

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Eyrie Robert Morris Special Dinner and Neiman Cellars Red Blend

Eyrie Robert Morris Special Dinner and Neiman Cellars Red Blend Punctuate Wright Plus Weekend

This weekend was the annual Wright Plus House Walk of historic homes in suburban Chicago. The event is sponsored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust which owns and operates the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park, and manages and offers tours of the famous Robie House in Hyde Park, and the Rookery Building and Emil Bach house in Chicago.

The highlight of this years event centered on the showcase Avery Coonley House in Riverside (shown left).

As part of my work as a volunteer docent/interpreter for the Trust, after working the preview night tour at the Coonley house, we headed to Oak Park to visit the FLW Balch house. We made arrangements to dine at Eyrie Restaurant, the outlet of the Robert Morris College Institute of Culinary Arts. Tonight they offered a special price fix four course dinner prepared by two alumni chefs, Brad Hindsley and Rachel Murphy, Owner and Executive Chef and Pastry Chef of Spire Farm-to-Fork Restaurant in LaPorte, Illinois.

We naturally are wine centered in our dining choices so this was the perfect occasion to pull a prized bottle from our cellar since BYOB is the standard at Eyrie. To accompany the filet of boeuf entree we brought a Neiman Cellars Napa Valley Red Blend 2004.

The Dinner

(Pictured at bottom)
Amuse Bouche 
First - Smoked Trout Pate, Pickled Vegetables, Crusty Bread, Saxony Cheese
Second - Duck Confit Risotto, Spring Peas, Morel Mushrooms, Parmesan Cheese
Third - Porcini Crusted Fillet, Grilled Asparagus, New Potato Hash, Bearnaise
Finale - Rhubarb Sorbet, Polenta Cake, Ginger - Orange Jam, Candied Orange

After - Dark chocolate cookie



The Wine

Neiman Cellars Napa Valley Red Blend 2004

This exceeded our expectations - this is the best Neiman we have had to date from the half dozen vintages we hold in our cellar. I forgot how good this wine is until I went back and read an earlier review. It is like the 2002 which we reviewed in an earlier blogpost

This wine was a perfect accompaniment to the smoked trout, the duck confit with morel mushroom and the parmesan cheese, the filet of boeuf, and even the sorbet with orange, and finally the chocolate cake.

This comes packaged in a heavy oversized almost magnum weight bottle. 

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, it opened a bit hot, but this burned off (no pun intended) after a third of an hour ... 

This tasted like a vibrant expressive Bordeaux, full forward complex berry fruits accented by floral, leather, tobacco leaf, some slightly earthy tones and long lingering notes of cedar with a smooth polished tannin finish that resonates with silky floral cedar mouthfeel long after tasting. Blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

RM 92 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=914199 

The special dinner and perfect wine selection provided a delightful evening out and a wonderful wine and dine experience.  Eyrie is a jewel and worth checking out for a BYOB experience. When I can get my hands on Linda's smartphone/camera, I'll post pictures of our dinner courses and restaurant.

www.eyrierestaurant.com 
www.spirefarmtofork.com


The Dinner 
Amuse Bouche - Ginger and berry
First - Smoked Trout Pate, Pickled Vegetables, Crusty Bread, Saxony Cheese
Second - Duck Confit Risotto, Spring Peas, Morel Mushrooms, Parmesan Cheese
Third - Porcini Crusted Fillet, Grilled Asparagus, New Potato Hash, Bearnaise
Finale - Rhubarb Sorbet, Polenta Cake, Ginger - Orange Jam, Candied Orange

After - Dark chocolate cookie 


Amuse Bouche - Ginger and berry
First - Smoked Trout Pate, Pickled Vegetables,
Crusty Bread, Saxony Cheese
Second - Duck Confit Risotto, Spring Peas,
Morel Mushrooms, Parmesan Cheese

Third - Porcini Crusted Fillet, Grilled Asparagus,
New Potato Hash, Bearnaise

Finale - Rhubarb Sorbet, Polenta Cake,
Ginger - Orange Jam, Candied Orange