Showing posts with label Hemingway's Bistro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hemingway's Bistro. Show all posts

Friday, May 16, 2025

Hemingway’s Bistro Oak Park (IL) WBTG

Hemingway’s Bistro Oak Park (IL)

Following Preview Night for volunteers working FLWright Plus, the annual historic homes house walk, we dined at Hemingway’s Bistro in Oak Park.

More than 400 volunteers work the front lines and behind the scenes to present historic and architecturally significant homes to nearly 3000 guests in this annual event hosted by the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.

By closing of the night’s festivities preparing for the big day to follow, we were able to secure a table for the late evening second seating. We selected a couple of pleasant drinking wines by the glass (WBTG) from the limited but carefully crafted wine list. 

Being from the east coast, Tom O, in from New Jersey to work the event, had the soft shell crab, one of the daily specials. This was artfully prepared and delectable and met his high expectations and standards for this special dish, and was the culinary highlight of the evening. 

I ordered another of the daily specials, the Walleye, served in a lemon butter Beau Blanc sauce with fingerling potatoes and asparagus tips. The portion was modest and the preparation, sauce and overall presentation were slightly bland and generally uninspiring, but acceptable in every respect. 

Linda ordered the small plate entree Crab Cake, which was enjoyable. 

For a wine accompaniment, Linda tasted from the WBTG menu this French Burgundian Chardonnay. 

Campet Ste Marie Pays d’Oc Chardonnay 2023

Nice QPR - (Quality Price Ratio) can be found in the Campet Ste Marie range of labels, which are named after the specific terroir in which the grapes are grown. They are sourced from small and hilly vineyards, that the French call “Campets”. 

This is from the Pays d’Oc appellation in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. The term “Pays d’Oc” means “country of the Occitan language,” which is spoken in this region.

Pays d’Oc wines are known for producing high-quality, affordable wines that are easy to drink and pair well with a variety of foods.

The Languedoc-Roussillon region created this catch all IGP region in 1987 to  designate the vast number of vineyards within the territory that were not in designated AOC (Appellation Original Controlle) status appellations (e.g. Corbières, Minervois, Faugères, Picpoul de Pinet, Côtes de Roussillon, etc.). 

Vin de Pays d'Oc has 4 sub-regions: Gard, Hérault, Aude & Pyrénées-Orientales. When the sub-region is used on the label, it will say Vin de Pays de l'Aude, for example.

Wines that carry the Vin de Pays d'Oc designation must be made from grape varieties that are authorized for the region and must meet specific production standards, but are subject to far fewer restrictions than AOC designations which have strict requirements as to which grapes can be used, as well as how they should be blended, how long the wines must be aged, etc., 

Pays d’Oc wines include red (50%), white (30%), and rosé (20%) wines, and can be made from the 58 grape varietals cultivated in the area which primarily include Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre for red wines, and Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier for white wines. The wines can be produced in single varietals or blends. 

The vast Occitania region in Languedoc and Roussillon has nearly 20,000 winegrowers  working as both independent and co-operative wineries across four sub-regions – Hérault, Gard, Pyrénées-Orientales and Aude – and six localities in Lozère.

While the area under vine in all of France is reported by Vitisphere to be 745,000 ha, the Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AP) vineyards total 446,000ha, while all France’s IGPs amounted to 195,000ha. In comparison, the Pays d’Oc IGP alone has 120,000ha under vine accounting for 20% of total French wine production. The largest of the four regions (Hérault) produced 4 million hectolitres in 2017 – more than the whole of Bordeaux (3.6m hl).

The vast Pays d’Oc wine region stretches over 120,000 hectares, and is divided into three climatic zones that influence the viticulture for wine grape: the maritime plains along its coastal area; the lowlands and rolling hills or ‘soubergues’; and lastly, the high altitude vineyards in the chain of mountains to the North, formed by the Pyrenees to the West, and the foothills of the Cévennes to the East. 

The sunny Mediterranean climate influence is due to the amphitheatre shaped opening to the Mediterranean Sea; it arches around the 200 kilometres coastline formed by the Gulf of Lions, from Nîmes via the Camargue and the Vermilion coast to the Spanish border. 

The incredible diversity of soils across the Pays d’Oc wine region range from sandy soils along the coast to limestone, schist, clay or gravelly pebbles along the valley floors and hillsides. 

This wine was rated 90 points by Wine Enthusiast in their review - “A complex nose with reserved and well-integrated aromas of Bosc pear, pastry crust, brioche and grilled red-apple slice leads into subtle vanilla spice, freshly grated nutmeg and lemon tart on the palate. A complementary streak of toasted acidity provides an underbelly of elegant restraint.”  — Reggie Solomon

The Winemaker’s Notes - "This buttery and round Chardonnay has been selected by our winemaker within protected vineyards in the south of the Pays d’Oc appellation where the vines are planted in cooler areas, and on small lands (Campet) which, in the 19th century were surrounding the wineries. The resulting wine is a Burgundy style Chardonnay with ripe peach aromas combined to honey melon with subtle toasted notes. The taste is elegant and smooth with a wonderful thickness and a persistent finish.”

Light straw colored, light bodied, crisp clean, nuances of pear and apple with hints of brioche and brown spice with soft tangy acidity on the smooth finish. 

RM 89 points. 

With our entrees, Tom and I had from the WBTG menu this French Burgundian Pinot Noir. 

Louis Latour Marssanay 2022

This is from producer Maison Louis Latour, found in 1985, who has become one of the most prolific and highly-respected négociant-éléveurs in Burgundy. Maison Louis Latour produce some of the finest Burgundian wines, as have branched out to produce some fine wines from outside Burgundy in the emerging Ardèche and the Côteaux de Verdon sub-regions.

This label is from the northernmost area of the famous Côte de Nuits wine region, from the Marsannay appellation village, the only one in Burgundy to produce classified wines of all three colors: red (Pinot Noir), white (Chardonnay)— and rosé. The official Rosé de Marsannay earned its high reputation in the early 1900s. Marsannay received its Appellation Contrôlée in 1987.

This label was rated 93 points by James Suckling and 90 by Wine Spectator. 

Slightly opaque ruby colored, medium bodied, complex, earthy and floral, the black cherry and black berry fruits are accented with notes of spices, licorice, pepper and mineral with moderate polished tannins on the pleasant long finish.

RM 92 points. 

Saturday, May 18, 2024

Pour Boys EM Team Hemmingway’s Dinner

Pour Boys EM Team Hemmingway’s Dinner

Our Pour Boys wine group assembled in Chicago to serve as volunteers on the Emergency Management team for the annual Frank Lloyd Wright Trust Wright Plus Housewalk.

Wright Plus is Frank Lloyd Wright Trust’s internationally renowned annual housewalk, featuring rare interior tours of private homes and public buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his contemporaries. 

Nearly 3000 guests and VIPS enjoy tours of spectacular residences, learn about their history and architecture, and share a festive day with visitors from around the country and the world. 

The featured homes and buildings are in Chicago, Oak Park, Illinois and nearby communities. Wright Plus proceeds support the restoration, preservation and education programs of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.

With skills, experience and careers in medicine, law, security operations, command center communications and operations, this was an opportunity to apply our experience and expertise for a worthy cause - and have a fun day of art/architecture, history, culture, and fellowship. 

Afterwards we dined at Hemingway’s Bistro in Oak Park (IL) for a gala dinner. 

We brought from our collective cellars an extensive flight of Bordeaux and Bordeaux varietal wines to accompany the French inspired cuisine. 

For starters members of our group ordered selections from the menu including:

Foie Gras du Jour and Oysters Rockefeller (shown below), and Soft Shell Crab daily special.


For entree’s, folks ordered the Five-Spice Marget Duck Breast, Saturday Night regular special Beef Wellington and the Dijon Crusted Lamb Rack, shown below. 

 Five-Spice Marget Duck Breast

Saturday Night regular special Beef Wellington

Dijon Crusted Lamb Rack

 

Baked Halibut

Others in the group ordered the New York Steak au Poivre, Daily Special Halibut, and the Chicken Grilled Chicken Breast Paillard.

We were served by Kate, who did a wonderful, fabulous job tending to our dinner and somewhat complex, extensive wine service. 

Our wine flight included wines tasted in the following order:

From the wine list, Roederer Brut Premier Champagne,

And from our wine cellars, we brought BYOB

Château Canon St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe’ 2001
Château Branaire Ducru St Julien Bordeaux 2010
Château Pontet Canet Pauillac Bordeaux 2012
Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1989 and 2014
Fantesca Napa Valley Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Mayacamas Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Dow Vintage Port 1997

I’ve written often about our wine dinners and the exercise of determining the tasting order of the wines, based on weight (light to heavy), age (old to new), profile (dry to sweet), and other factors. Not amazingly, tonight, as is typically the case, our order of tasting proved to be correct, thereby optimizing the discrimination and the subsequent enjoyment of the wines. 

As a post mortem, we decided in the future, we’ll set two parallel flights, to enable the ladies a chance to dive right in to their favored, more approachable, pleasurable drinking Napa Cabernets, skipping ahead of the aged Bordeaux. 

Tonight’s tasting St Julien Bordeaux flight allowed a comparison of Branaire Ducru from Lyle’s cellar (held over from our recent Pour Boys gathering for the SoWal Wine Festival weekend in Destin, FL), and a mini vertical of two vintages of Ducru Beaucaillou - I brought a vintage 1989 and Lyle a 2014.

For those collectors that care about such details, the 1989 Ducru Beaucailou, which I acquired at and have held since release, was in perfect condition - fill level, cork, and label and foil. In fact the high neck fill level was better than the younger, 2010 Branaire Ducru! 

Dan brought from his cellar a pair of Bordeaux, the Château Canon right bank St Emilion, and the Pontet Canet Pauillac. We correctly tasted the lighter, more approachable, Right Bank based Merlot at the front of the flight, which proved the right move. 

Bill followed with two California, Napa Valley Cabernets from Fantesca and Mayacamas, serving the Spring Mountain District Fantesca, then the Mount Veeder Mayacamas. 

Finally, for the dessert course, Lyle brought from his cellar a vintage port to close out the evening. This was a nice accompaniment to the Crème Brûlée and the Soufflé du jour.

Château Canon St Emilion Grand Cru Classe 2001

Dating back, ever since I acquired and consumed a case of the 1983 vintage release of this label, I love this wine. 

This vintage release was awarded 94 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast, 93 by James Suckling and Jim Dunnuck, and 91 by Wine Spectator.

Parker’s Wine Advocate said in 2017, of “this Saint Emilion, that it would not surprise me if it turns out to be one of the very best in 2012”.

This release is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. 

Garnet colored, medium bodied, polished, elegant, balanced and silky smooth ripe blueberry, blackberry and a hint of plum with bitter dark chocolate, dusty rose with hints of licorice and vanilla, with fine tannins on long soft finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1604477

Turning to the St Julien flight … 

Château Branaire Ducru St Julien Bordeaux 2010

Linda and I toured the Branaire Ducru estate, vineyards and 
Château during our St Julien Wine Experience in 2018. 

It estate, vineyards and Château sit on the highway as you enter the St Julien appellation from the south, immediately across the famous Medoc Route du Vin from Château Beychevelle, across from the Château Ducru Beaucaillou estate and vineyards. I featured that visit in these pages in this blogpost -  A visit to Château Branaire-Ducru.

The Branaire is somewhat of a baby Ducru, typically priced at a fraction of the price, more akin to the Ducru second label.

This vintage release seems to underachieve below the lofty expectations set by its stellar ratings, leaving me to winder if perhaps this was an aberrant bottle, as witnessed by my earlier comment of it having a lesser fill level than the much older 1989. In light of the impressive ratings below, and the CellarTracker average rating of 92+, I sense this might have been so.

This vintage release was rated 95 points, a ‘Cellar Selection’ by Wine Enthusiast, and 94 points by Wine Spectator, James Suckling and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and 90-93 by International Wine Cellar. Wine Enthusiast said, “Cellar Selection, This rich, full wine shows the chateau to be at the top of its form.”

Jancis Robinson gave it 17.5/20 points.

Parker’s Wine Advocate said, “This wine is more backward than I would have normally expected, but nevertheless, it is very impressive”

In the Left Bank Medoc style, this is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23.5% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

Inky garnet colored with bluish purple hues, medium to full bodied, moderate raspberry and currant fruits with notes of floral, graphite, black olive and black tea and cedar with chewy tannins on the finish. 

RM 90 points. 


Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1989 and 2014

Our visit and tour of Château Ducru Beaucaillou was a highlight of our St Julien Bordeaux Wine Experience in 2019. I wrote about that visit in these pages in this blogpost -  A visit to Château Ducru Beaucaillou.

This label is one of the key holdings in our cellar collection consisting of more than a score of vintages spanning three decades dating back to 1980’s including the birth year vintages of each of our kids, 1981, 1982, 1985 and 1990. 

We hold many vintages in large format bottles including 3 liter double magnums from which we served son Ryan's 1982 birth year vintage at his and daughter-in-law Michelle's wedding.

Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 1989

As noted above, this 1989 at 35 years of age was in near perfect condition - most importantly the fill level and cork, and the label and foil. We acquired an OWC - Original Wood Case, of this wine upon release and have held it in our cellar since, an indication of the ideal conditions in our cellar for holding wine for the long term.

This release was awarded  92 points by Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. 

Garnet colored with hues of medium brick, medium to full-bodied, black berry fruits with notes of what Wine Advocate described as “pretty notes of dried flowers, fallen leaves and dusty soil over a core of warm figs, dried cherries, prunes and spice cake plus wafts of unsmoked cigars and powdered cinnamon, … still seductively rich with a lively line of soft, silt-like tannins, finishing long and wonderfully savory.”

Neal Martin in Vinous writes: "The 1989 Ducru-Beaucaillou is showing some bricking on the rim, although the core remains quite dark. This has an attractive bouquet with lovely tobacco-infused black fruit and touches of black truffle and morels.”

Winemaker Notes - “Intense garnet red color. An elegant bouquet very Ducru-Beaucaillou! Cedar at the start then notes of black pepper with a hint of vanilla. With airing, it evolves towards subtle hints of fine spices and notes of black cherry. Gorgeous palate with a beautiful tannin grain and perfect harmony. A neat and polished wine with excellent definition. Great freshness. Amazing purity. A succulent wine, vibrant, brilliant, wonderfully balanced.”
Racking barrels - sampling 2018 vintage Ducru

It’s almost not a fair fight comparing the old-world 1980’s style against the new-world modern style of the 2014. In that regard, consistent with earlier tastings, I gave this 90 points, never-the-less.


Château Ducru Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 2014

Comparing the ‘89 to the 2014 was a contrast in styles, old world vs new world, which has become the standard to provide bigger, more robust, higher octane forward fruit filled wines that also provide early drinking for instant gratification - the Robert Parker effect driving the quest for ratings. 

This release is a blend of Bordeaux varietals: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Proprietor Bruno Borie gave it 18 months in 100 % new French oak.

This release was rated a near perfect 99 points by James Suckling, 98 points by Int'l Wine Review, 97 points by Decanter, 96 points by Decanter, Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Enthusiast, who also designated it a Cellar Selection, and 95 points by Vinous, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. 

Regarding granting it a Cellar Selection, Wine Enthusiast stated, “The wine is certainly going to age for decades. Drink from 2027.” Hence, it won’t even reach its apex or prime drinking window for nearly another five years! Wine Spectator said it will be best through 2040. 

While this is one of my favorite producers, this release from a top vintage was my WOTN - Wine of the Night. 

Deep garnet inky purple color, full bodied, complex full, round and powerful yet elegant and perfectly balanced, blackberry and blackcurrant and black raspberry fruits, with notes of crème de cassis, spice box and black tea, with hints of graphite, licorice and cedar with what they call that St Julien signature menthol and cigar box with ripe fine grained tannins on a long lingering finish. 

RM 95 points. 



Château Pontet Canet Pauillac Bordeaux 2012

This is the legendary Bordeaux label from the Tesseron family who have invested in Napa Valley in recent years with the purchase of the late Robin William’s estate on Mt Veeder, which has reverberated in the loss of supply after three decades, to one of our long favored producers Robert Craig, as Tesseron have released the iconic Pym Rae vineyard sourced wine under their own proprietary label.  

This is a classic Left Bank Bordeaux varietal blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It was aged 35% in cement eggs for 12 months. 

This release was awarded 93 points by James Suckling and Wine Advocate, 92 points by Vinous, Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator. 

Dark ruby/purple colored, full bodied, complex and dense ripe blackberry, blackcurrant and plum fruits with notes of tobacco, earth, bacon fat, licorice, herbs, mushrooms and a hint of truffle, with polished silky tannins on a long finish. 

RM 92 points. 



Fantesca Napa Valley Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

We have been fans of Fantesca since the estate was taken over and the brand was established by Duane and Susan Hoff back with the 2004 vintage release. Soon thereafter, they hired iconic winemaker Heidi Barrett in 2008, and more recently Somm star Master Sommelier DLynn Proctor as Wine Director/Ambassador.

We visited the magnificent historic Fantesca estate on the lower reaches of Spring Mountain district, that were highlights of our Napa wine excursions in 2007 and 2009. We hosted Duane at our home on one of his first release tours when he was traveling the country building the Fantesca brand.

We have acquired nearly a dozen vintages of the label in our cellar collection. Bill brought this vintage release from his cellar that he acquired as part of his wine club allocation. Their classic packaging with their etched glass oversize bottles with the painted label (s) provide a festive bottle for such a gala dinner.

This new world opulent style was Linda’s favorite WOTN - Wine of the Night. 

Dark inky ruby/purple, full bodied, rich concentrated dense black berry and black raspberry fruits accented with notes of black tea, dark bittersweet mocha chocolate, spice, hints of anise and tobacco on a bright vibrant moderate tannin finish. 

RM 93 points. 




 Mayacamas Napa Valley Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Bill also brought from his South Carolina cellar this Mayacamas Vineyards Mt Veeder Cabernet. This full throttle Napa Cab was an ideal culmination to the Cabernet center wine flight of the evening. 

We visited the winery high atop Mt Veeder in the southwest corner of Napa Valley during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011. We wrote about that visit and the historic estate winery and vineyards in this blogpost in these pages - Mayacamas Mt Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Mayacamas is known for producing long-lived ageworthy classic style Cabernet Sauvignons in classic old world style with Napa Valley full, round, mountain fruit character. 

This 2009 release was rated 94 points by James Suckling, 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 91 points by Jeb Dunnuck. 

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied with complex tight structured and firm but balanced black cherry and black berry fruits accented by notes of herbs, earthy leather, cigar box, licorice and hints of creosote with firm chewy tannins on a long finish. 

RM 93 points. 

http://www.mayacamas.com/

 https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/12/mayacamas-mt-veeder-napa-valley.html

https://twitter.com/mayacamaswine

@mayacamaswine

Finally, with their dessert course, Lyle brought one of his signature Vintage Ports. 

Dow Vintage Port 1977

This was a perfect complement to the Souffle’ and Crème’s Brûlée and begged for some dark chocolate to wind up the evening. 

At twenty-seven years, there was still life left in this aged port, tasting like a ‘teenager’, however the cork was soft and a bit mushy.

This classic vintage port from one of the historic iconic Port house, this release was rated 95 points by Wine Spectator, 94 by Wine Enthusiast, 92 points by Inatl’ Wine Cellar, and 90 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. 

Winemaker Notes - Very dark opaque purple colour, with a typically spicy nose and intense underlying aromas of blackberries and blackcurrants. On the palate enormous weight and structure with a marvellous balance of dense black fruit flavours and firm tannins.

Blackish garnet.purple colored, medium full bodied, rich round concentrated dense ripe sweet black currant fruits with licorice, dark bittersweet mocha chocolate, notes of leather anise and hints of espresso with a bright vibrant finish. 

RM 92 points. 




Saturday, August 19, 2023

Chicago Getaway Features Favorite Destinations and Activities

Chicago Getaway Features Favorite Destinations and Activities

Continuing our wedding anniversary celebration Chicago getaway, we did several of our favorite sites visits and activities. Yesterday's blogpost discussed our Spectacular Memorable Anniversary Celebration Evening and Dinner at the St Regis Hotel Miru Restaurant Chicago. That was the beginning of our wedding anniversary getaway in our beloved Chicago doing many of our favorite destinations' activities.

Following that fabulous dinner, we attended the theatre production of MJ The Musical at the magnificent James M. Nederlander Theatre.

MJ is the story of pop icon Michael Jackson, one of the most talented, greatest entertainers of all time, and the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. As promoted, the multi Tony Award®-winning new musical was Created by Tony Award®-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage. The show, "MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status". 

 

The following day, we took the Chicago Architectural Boat Tour, There are several cruise boat operators offering such tours. This one is offered in concert with the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) whose highly trained and volunteer CAC docents (guides) conduct the detailed narrative of Chicago's numerous architectural styles and the stories of the legendary figures who designed and built the great city.

Chicago’s iconic architecture is showcased aboard TripAdvisor’s #1 rated boat tour of the city and was also voted as one of the Top 10 Boat Tours in North America by USA Today readers for 3 years in a row!


Chicago has a rich architectural history with some of the most incredible architecture offering some of the best skyline views in the world, best seen from the lakeshore, the lakefront and in these instances, from the river.

Above, the Bank of America Tower riverfront, and river walk view with my office overlooking the river in the background.

From the Chicago River, the tour covers fascinating stories behind more than 50 iconic and historic buildings along the Chicago River and Chicago's rich history, how Chicago grew from a small settlement into one of the world's largest cities in less than 100 years. 

Other architectural boat tours are offer by:  

The original Chicago boat tours - Wendella Boats - https://www.wendellaboats.com/ and , https://architecturetourchicago.com/chicago-river-architecture-tour/.

We love the Chicago boat tours. Even though we've done the tour many many times, and I could almost give the tour, as a docent interpreter of the Frank Lloyd Wright architectural tours, myself, we love taking the tour again and again. I know many of the docent guides and the intensive training and preparation they go through to conduct such tours. 

I gave the public tour the day of this post at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio in Oak Park. Catch me there many Sunday (or Saturday) afternoons in the Summer, Fall and Spring.

Indeed, my (day job until I recently retired) office overlooked the river and had a birds-eye view of the tour boats on the river (shown right).  

This photo, taken from my office, shows the river cruise boats on "bridge day", one of the Wednesdays in the early spring and late fall when the fleet of boats are moved to/from Lake Michigan up/down river to/from their winter storage sites, and the orchestration of opening the draw bridges to let them pass, street by street. 

We then visited another of our favorite Chicago destinations, the magnificent Art Institute of Chicago - Downtown Chicago's #1 Museum. We've been members for decades and visit regularly, most notably during special exhibitions. This was our third visit this summer, to see the Van Gogh special exhibit, once again. 

Founded in 1879, it is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. It is sited on Michigan Avenue in Chicago's scenic Grant Park.It houses many iconic works such as Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Pablo Picasso's The Old Guitarist, my favorite, Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, and Grant Wood's American Gothic. Its permanent collection holds nearly 300,000 works of art hosts more than 30 special exhibitions yearly.

The AIC was rated the best museum in the world by TripAdvisor and the only museum in the world to be ranked among the world’s best by TripAdvisor four years in a row. The fabulous collection features many iconic works - many of our favorites by Masters such as Renoir and Claude Monet, and some of our favorites ... Nightlife by Archibald Motley, and Nighthawks by Edward Hopper.


We then headed home to the western suburbs, and stopped enroute in Oak Park at Hemingway's Bistro for dinner. We had reservations downtown but opted to beat the traffic and get out early, choosing Hemingway's despite the fact we dined there just last week, as featured in this blogpost - Lunch at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park after FLW Tour

Continuing our anniversary celebration we started with a Champagne toast with two of our favorite Hemingway features, the Foie Gras with Candied Peaches and Baked Brie Cheese with Almonds and Honey.  

Baked Imported Brie with almonds, Apricot preserves, wildflower honey

Foie Gras du Jour with Caramelized Peaches, candy onions, parsnip puree, balsamic vinaigrette



For our dinner entrees, Linda chose the Crab Cake and I had a new menu entree selection offering, the Veal Chop. 

Lump Crab Cake Apple endive salad, grain mustard sauce

Wisconsin Veal Rib Chop with truffle creme corn, morel sauce


For our wine selection we had from the winelist this Santa Ynez Valley Andrew Murray Vineyards Syrah. The winelist offers six sparkling wines, 22 reds and 22 whites, predominantly French, with a dozen WBTG - Wines-By-The-Glass.

Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous les Jours Santa Ynez Valley Syrah 2020

We saw the Andrew Murray estate vineyards and winery when we visited the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County and drove the Foxen Canyon Wine trail. The trail follows the Santa Ynez Valley from Santa Maria down to Los Olivos and is home to numerous continuous estates and vineyards the length of Foxen Canyon Road.  It is home to Fess Parker Winery, Zaca Mesa Winery and Vineyards, and a dozen others, around the corner from Tensley Santa Barbara County Wines - many labels you'll see featured in these pages.

This wine is from the Curtis Estate, approximately 100 acres of uplifted, gently sloping vines, in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. The site has gravelly loam soils over a deep bed of ancient maritime sand.  

The vines are 15 to 47 years old divided into several Syrah blocks of various clones. 

This Estate Syrah is derived from several block from multiple clones to give ample fruit, solid structure, and that cool-climate Syrah flavor profile. One clone's small, round, marble-shaped berry has a tight skin, which results in more structured wines. Another Clone is similar, but with a bit more fruit-forward note. The main block was grafted a few years ago onto Viognier vines and has quickly become a favorite block of Syrah and results in a very delicious and complex wine. 

Each fermentation lot is kept separate throughout the entire 18 months élevage after being barreled down in a mix of new and 1–4-year-old French oak barrels. The Estate Syrah is always crafted from the best of these barrels each vintage. 


Winemaker notes - "The 2020 vintage is nearly opaque in the glass with a blue/black core and bright red-black at the rim. The primary fruits are cherry and raspberry, balanced by a dusting of white pepper with a lovely and fully integrated toasty oak finish from the nearly 25% new French oak. The mid-palate is energetic and massive, while the finish is rich and long. Notes of Wild Raspberry Jam, Black Cherry, Purple Flowers, Crispy Bacon, Cinnamon Stick, and Toasty Oak.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4140392

http://hemmingways-bistro.com/

Friday, August 11, 2023

Lunch at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park after FLW Tour

Lunch at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park after FLW Tour features delightful casual sipping WBTG pairing

College friends and Linda's sorority sister Sara and husband Chuck were in town to visit family and friends. We met up and arranged to host them on a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park where I am a docent interpreter. Afterwards we met two other sisters and their partners for lunch at Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park

Hemingway's Bistro is one of our favorite dinesites and one we love to combine my tour activities at the Frank Lloyd Wright home just blocks away with lunches or dinners for such occasions. We've featured some of those tour and dining outings in these pages' blogposts -

Hemingway's Bistro Wine Dinner Highlights FLW Architecture Tours

FLW Home & Studio Tour and Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

Linda and I ordered the daily special fresh fish, Walleye served with crab cake crust, mashed potatoes and haricot verts. With our lunch, we ordered WBTG - wines by the glass, a Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Northern Rhône Crozes-Hermitage Sryah.

Before our entrees, I ordered for a starter course the Chicken Liver Pate'. As an accompaniment I had a glass of the Crozes-Hermitage. 

Paul Jaboulet Aîné "Les Jalets" Crozes-Hermitage 2017

Paul Jaboulet Aîné owns parcels of vines in several Rhône appellations both north and south, and produces an extensive range of both estate bottled and négociant wines. Paul Jaboulet Aîné is one of the most prolific producers in the Northern Rhône, notably in Hermitage and Crozes Hermitage. 

The earliest record of the Jaboulet family producing wine dates back to 1834, and the eventual house of Paul Jaboulet Aîné remained in Jaboulet family ownership until 2006. It was then sold to the Frey family, proprieters of Ch La Lagune in Bordeaux, and numerous other vineyards and labels.

Frey obtained the famous brand names such as Hermitage "La Chapelle" and Crozes Hermitage "Domaine de Thalabert", but not all of the vineyards historically used for producing those wines. Notably the vineyard used to produce Crozes Hermitage "Domaine de Thalabert" - a vineyard historically known as Les Grandes Vignes - was split, with part remaining under the control of Philippe & Vincent Jaboulet. Frey succeeded in restoring the reputation of Paul Jaboulet Aîné which had fallen away during the 1990s.

Domaine de Raymond Roure is a nine acre Crozes Hermitage vineyard high on the back of the Hermitage hill which Jaboulet acquired in 1996. The red now sells at a premium to Thalabert and is the wine for longer keeping.

Les Jalets is a modest priced casual sipper with good QPR - quality price ratio, from the Northern Rhône Crozes Hermitage AVA that produces distinctive earthy dark fruity Shiraz/Syrahs. 

Bright garnet colored, medium to full-bodied with lively expressive forward briery blackcurrant and red berry fruits accented by black pepper, licorice, spices and savory truffle notes with a tongue puckering tangy acidity on a moderate tannin laced finish. 

RM 89 points.

This was awarded 92 points by Decanter and commented by Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Advocate.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3495500

http://www.jaboulet.com/Website/site/fra_prehome.htm

With our entree course Linda and I both selected this lively Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley.

Lake Sonoma Winery Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2020 

Another modest priced good QPR selection served BTG from the winelist.
Lake Sonoma Winery produces a range of red and white wines from across the Sonoma County winegrowing region representing its diverse assemblages of terroirs and micro-climates.  This diversity is expressed through Sonoma’s sub-appellations, many of which are renowned for specific varietals that thrive in each. 

Lake Sonoma Winery work with the most celebrated of these sub-appellations to offer their portfolio of  wines designed that showcase the region’s unique characteristics and the varietal for which it has come to be known.

This moderate priced Chardonnay is sourced from Lake Sonoma estate vineyard in the Russian River Valley

Lake Sonoma Winery’s winemaker, Jaime “JJ” Dowell joined Lake Sonoma Winery in 2021 after spending time in New Zealand managing the production of a high-end Pinot Noir at Villa Maria Estate in Blenheim. 

The native Californian started out working as an Associate Winemaker alongside highly regarded Jean Hoefliger at Alpha Omega Winery in Napa Valley’s Rutherford AVA for five-years. She then took over winemaking duties at Round Pond Estate before moving to Lake Sonoma Winery on the other side of the Mayacamas Mountain range that separates Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

When she arrived this wine was still in barrel. The previous winemaker made the decisions on harvest and fermentation, and left it to her successor to blend the final bottled wine. JJ put her spin on things, and through the blending, the identity was crafted. 

Winemaker Notes: "This classic Chardonnay expresses the best of the Russian River Valley appellation through vibrant citrus and tropical fruit aromas with hints of vanilla.  Bright fruit flavors including kiwi, lime and nectarine round out the palate followed by a rich and lingering finish."

The wine was left on the lees for three months to enhance the mid-palate richness. Aged for 22 months in 20% new French oak, 50% neutral oak and 30% stainless steel tanks.

This was delightful and a perfect complement to the walleye fresh fish special. 

Straw colored, medium bodied, balanced and flavorful peach, and tangerine citrus fruit flavors with accents of lychee tropical fruit on a smooth elegant lingering finish. 

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4170830

https://lakesonomawinery.com/

http://hemmingways-bistro.com/

Previous lunch and dinner dining experiences at Hemingway's Bistro featured in these pages:

Roots Klee Pinot Noir Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park

Hemingway's Oak Park BYOB BTG Dinner

Hemingway's Bistro Wine Dinner Highlights FLW Architecture Tours

Château La Couspaude St Emilion Grand Cru Classé with Hemingway's Oak Park French Fare

Festive Holiday Dinner at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

Anniversary Dinner at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

Lunch at Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

Wine BTG with small plates at Hemingway's Oak Park

FLW Home & Studio Tour and Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

Thursday, September 29, 2022

FLW Home & Studio Tour and Hemingway's Bistro Oak Park

FLW Home & Studio Tour followed by Hemingway's Bistro dinner - two venerable Oak Park institutions

I conducted a public-private tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio in Oak Park, IL, which I do regularly as a Docent Interpreter for the FLW Trust

On this occasion, we hosted several friends, three AXO sorority sisters couples, for the Home and Studio interior tour, then the neighborhood walking tour, followed by a gala dinner at Hemingway's Bistro, one of our favorite French cuisine eateries.

We started with a round of their fresh oysters, followed by their delectable crab and corn bisque soup. With these the group enjoyed the house Champagne.


For the dinner entree course, all in the group except me ordered the daily special Walleye or the Crusted Whitefish, both served with their delectable beure blanc sauce. 


 Campet Ste Marie Chardonnay 2020

We ordered from the carefully selected winelist a bottle French Chardonnay to pair with the fish course. 

This Pays d'Oc wine is from Limoux in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the South of France, along the Mediterranean coast to Provence. It is named after the specific terroirs on which the grapes are grown, sourced from small and hilly vineyards, that the French call “Campets”. These “Campets” and the Mediterranean climate offer ideal conditions for the production of ripe and fruit forward wines. 

This is a blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Picpoul white grapes, popular in the region.

Winemaker's Notes: "Limestone and clay soils coalesce on steep, rolling hills to make up the soil, but it is specifically the cooler areas of the vineyard, which contribute to creating their burgundy- style chardonnay. Each year, a proportion of the wine ages on wood for approximately six months, with regular battonage, to enhance the texture, the aromatic character and overall balance of the wine. The soil composition gives the wine structural acidity and makes this Burgundy-style wine unique. "

This was nice pleasant easy drinking - ideal for the pairing with the fresh fish entrees - a great value high QPR (quality price ratio). 

Straw colored, medium light bodied, aromatic, crisp, floral and stone fruit notes accent apple and pear with subtle lime citrus. 

RM 89.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3943285


I brought a BYOB from our cellar a couple of bottles - a Rhone and a Bordeaux, from which to I selected one to pair with my dinner entree. 

I chose the La Croix de Beaucaillou 2000 to accompany with my dinner entree selection, Strip Steak au Povre, with their delectable scalloped potatoes, creamed spinach and tomato (shown).

La Croix de Beaucaillou St Julien Bordeaux 2000

This was very timely as just yesterday I was notified by Binny's, the Chicagoland beverage supertore that my futures order of the current release of this wine just arrived for pickup. 

Our visit to Château Ducru Beaucaillou in St Julien was one of the highlights our Bordeaux St Julien Wine Experience in 2019

We've collected the Grand Vin Château Ducru Beaucaillou for more than three decades going back to the late seventies. We declared it one of the signature wines of son Ryan and served his birthyear vintage from large format bottles at his wedding. It was sharing that declaration and experience that prompted the Chateau to invite us for a private tour during our trip to the appellation. 

I wrote about the history and current portfolio of producer Jean Eugène Borie SA in my blogpost at that time. Today, the estate is managed by the Jean Eugène Borie SA, the company owned by Mrs Borie, her daughter Sabine Coiffe and her son Bruno-Eugène, who took over as CEO in 2003. He is the third generation of the Borie family to head the estate which has been closely held for five generations over two centuries. 

The magnificent Château sits on a promontory overlooking classic formal gardens with the Gironde estuary in the distance. The Victorian-style Ducru-Beaucaillou castle is built directly above the original barrel cellars, adjacent the new modern era barrel facility. enveloping its owners, who have lived here for over sixty years.

This is Château Ducru Beaucaillou's second wine, made from the property's younger vines and vats that are not selected for the grand vin. This wine has been bottled at the château since the 1995 vintage. La Croix de Beaucaillou, generally contains more Merlot than the grand vin - this release was 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot.

Winemaker Notes: "The wine of Ducru-Beaucaillou is the essence of elegance, symmetry, balance, breed, class, and distinction. it is never one of the most robust, richest, or fruitiest wines of St.-Julien and by its nature is a stubbornly slow developer. Most of the finest vintages of Ducru-Beaucaillou usually take at least 10 years to reveal their stunning harmony of fruit and power.'

'Ducru-Beaucaillou is a great wine for a number of reasons. The meticulous attention to detail, the brutal selection process - whereby only the finest grapes and finest barrels of wine are permitted to go into the bottle - and the conservative viticultural practices all play major rules in the success of this wine."

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awarded this 89 points.

At twenty-two years, the fill level, foil and label were in pristine condition. The cork, not surprisingly pulled in half when our server Lapone tried to extract it using a traditional waiter's cork screw, which is why I invariably use an 'ah-so' two pronged cork puller for aged bottles. Otherwise it was in good customary condition. The waitstaff appropriately decanted the bottle for serving. 

Initially this was a bit funky and earthy but, as I predicted it would, but this burned off to reveal the dark berry fruits that emerged after about 45 minutes. Dark garnet colored, a very slight bricking, brown rust hue starting to show revealing its age, medium full bodied, the dark berry fruits, Parker calls them 'red fruits', emerged accented by subtle earthy leather, tobacco and moderately sweet clove spice, with moderate smooth polished tannins on the finish. 

RM 90 points. 

This was a wonderful accompaniment to my strip steak au povre.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2649169

http://chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/  

https://twitter.com/DucruB 

 http://www.hemmingwaysbistro.com/