Sunday, November 29, 2009

Wine! (and some food)

The Wine Guy
Creekside at Gahanna
October 25, 2009
7:30ish pm

What a week it had been! Work for both of us had been crazy and overwhelming and to top it all off we found out we needed to replace our entire heating and cooling system! We were looking for a place to escape, relax into some good conversation, and enjoy some wine. We had heard The Wine Guy just might be able to help.

As we walked in we immediately felt warm and comfortable, especially coming in from the cool fall air. The place had a fun and relaxed vibe with the bustle of friends laughing and enjoying themselves. But the back of the restaurant was still quiet or intimate enough for a fun date. Immediately looking around I enjoyed the light flickering off the wine bottles on the side and the warm wood bar. The place was full, but not overly crowded and there were a mix of couples, women enjoying girl's night out, and older groups of friends. It seemed to be an any occasion type of place. The hostess was friendly and explained all the tables were full, but we were welcome to sit at the bar for the evening or put our name in for a table and start at the bar. We decided to start at the bar and move to a table later. As we waited, we were glad we had gotten there at 7:30, by 8 the place was packed with no room to wait at the bar and little room to stand inside!
We quickly found a seat and the bartender was jovial, knowledgeable, and helpful in a friendly rather than a "I know all there is to know about wine" way. He was just what you'd think the "wine guy" would be. We settled on sharing the Italian wine flight which was comprised of 4 reds.

Number 1 was the Michele Chiarlo Barbera D'Asti was not exceptionally dry, and definitely not quite sweet; but tasted of grape and cherry jam with a perfumey bouquet and acidic finish.

Number 2 was the Memo Montepulciano D'Abruzzo which had a deep dark fruit aroma, a muted thicker sweet flavor, almost syrupy, and contained a smooth beginning, but was more acidic in the finish. I would have preferred more brightness in the flavor, rather than thickness of texture. However, the flavor seemed to change with each sip. It would be interesting to see what this one would be like if decanted.

The third was a Renato Ratti Nebbiolo which had a deep fruity aroma and a taste of cherry with an earthiness.

The last was a Borgo Pretale Chianti Classico Riserva which was friendly and homey. It was exactly what you would expect out of a warm Chianti and if I closed my eyes I could almost feel the warmth of the Italian sun bottled up with grapes.

Overall, these were satisfying wines, but the Chianti is the only one I liked enough to try and buy on my own. Before we finished our first fight our table was ready and we quickly moved. Before we had even decided what to try next we were brought an amuse bouche of pita wedges with a spread of cream cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and basil. This was heavenly! I loved the silkiness of the spread, the gentle herb flavor, and freshness of the pita.
We then decided to try the Cabernet flight and put in our food order. We decided to order a few small plates to get a better sampling of the food. We ordered the hummus and olive tapenade, the Greek chicken, and the steak and asparagus with a mushroom risotto. We also mentioned to our waiter that we really enjoyed the pita and cheese spread and so he brought us more! Gotta love that.

The hummus and olive tapenade was also wonderful. The pita was charred, the olive tapenade has a strong salty flavor, which paired nicely when topped with the creamy hummus made of black beans, roasted garlic, and sun dried tomatoes. I tried the tapenade and the hummus both on a pita piece independently, but this was a case of the sum being better than the parts. The hummus independently was too bland and the olive tapenade too salty, but together they were just right. A piece of lettuce added in just the right amount of crunch.

I was not as impressed with the entree selections. The Greek chicken was pan fried and served with feta, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach in a thin sauce. It was okay, but reminded me of something I'd be served at a banquet or conference. The dish sure was pretty though!

The steak and asparagus with mushroom risotto was an "interesting" dish. The steak was done nicely, the asparagus was tender crisp, and the mushroom risotto was creamy. However, the steak was topped with a chipotle sauce that just didn't meld with the rest of the dish. If the dish was just chipotle steak, that would have worked. Or if the dish had been a mushroom risotto with asparagus, that would have worked. But the chipotle with the mushroom risotto did not taste well together. In this case each part was greater than the sum.

The Cabernet flight was composed of a Robert Hall Cabernet which was light with berry notes; a Napa Cuvee 12 Cabernet, which I honestly can't remember (as the dinner went on and the more relaxed I became the less time I took to take notes!); a J Lohr Hilltop Cabernet which had a deep dark fruit flavor, most notably of plum; and a Faust Napa Valley Cabernet, which I also don't remember! :) I can, however, say I enjoyed them all!

Overall, this place has a great relaxed, welcoming atmosphere, with great service. This is a great place to meet up with friends, kick back and relax with a glass and a loved one, or have a fun girl's night out. However, I'd save this place for happy hour or drinks and appetizers before a night out or late dinner. Save your main dishes for another place.

Bill Total: 1 Italian wine flight, 1 Cabernet wine flight, hummus and olive tapenade, Greek chicken (tapas portion), steak with mushroom risotto (tapas portion), and tip= $50.40 (we used the Entertainment Card to get one tapas dish free)

Overall Rating: This is a hard one. I enjoyed my time spent here, the wine, the pita and cheese spread, and the hummus so much I'd give it 4 buckeyes. However, I really was not impressed with the entrees, so I'd give them 3 buckeyes. I guess I'll split the difference and go with 3 1/2.

The Wine Guy Wine Shop Wine Bar & Bistro on Urbanspoon

Friday, November 13, 2009

Las Margaritas

Las Margaritas
706 North State Street
Westerville, Ohio 43082
October 15, 2009
8ish pm

This was not my first time at Las Margaritas as it's fairly close to my neighborhood and is a fallback for us when we've had a busy night and just want to go somewhere close; or when we're craving Mexican and just have to have it NOW. This was both of those occasions. I got home from work fairly late and just didn't have it in me to make dinner. I try not to let this happen too frequently, but it happens. Also, Erik had been craving Mexican for awhile. I figured 2 birds, one stone.

The people at the Westerville Las Margaritas have always been super friendly and this occasion was just the same. We were warmly welcomed and given a booth right away. Chips and salsa were on our table in nanoseconds and we immediately ordered 2 classic margaritas on the rocks, with salt. Long days at work can sometimes only be soothed by classic margaritas in the evening! To me, their margaritas have a nice mix of sweet and sour and are of a good size. I couldn't ask for more.

We also hungrily dug into their chips and salsa. The chips are your typical Mexican restaurant chips, but I really do enjoy the salsa here. It has some kick, but not over the top hot. The tomatoes are crushed and there is always an abundance of fresh cilantro, which is one of my all time favorite herbs. Just the smell of it reminds me of Mexican goodness, street cart tacos, and warm al fresco dining in Mexico by the beach. I enjoy cilantro so much I bet I'd even like it with chocolate! That being said, in any salsa I approve fresh cilantro is a must.

As I looked over the menu and around the restaurant I noticed a few changes had been made since the last time I was there. It looked like the menu was revamped a bit, or at least reorganized, and with this came an increase in price. Entrees that had been around the $8 range were now in the $9 range. A sign of the times, I guess.

But the more peculiar change was in the decor. Around the seats in the middle of the restaurant there used to be a line up of Jarritos bottles (Mexican sodas in various flavors and colors). I didn't love the Mexican soda decor before, but at least it was fitting with the restaurant and it was fun to examine the unique flavors such as tamarind and guava. However, these bottles had been replaced with cans of orange and grape Crush. There were also some Crush posters on the wall. Puzzling? I think yes. This change is lost on me. Possibly Crush is the new sponsor of Las Margaritas? :) I don't know, but if I were them I'd bring those Mexican bottles back.

I didn't have too long to contemplate this before our food was brought out. I simply love how quick and efficient this Mexican restaurants is. I ordered 1 chicken enchilada and one chicken taco a la carte while Erik ordered 1 pork tamale and 1 chicken burrito a la carte. I really enjoyed my enchilada. The interior was a shredded chicken slow cooked with tomatoes and peppers. This was wrapped in a corn tortilla, topped with a red sauce which was flavorful with just a hint of cinnamon, and queso blanco melted on top. The taco was filled with the same chicken filling and then topped with fresh tomato and cheese. I would have preferred the taco to also have a sprinkling of fresh cilantro like is traditionally done in Mexico, but you also know me and cilantro! I would also probably enjoy a side of cilantro to top most everything I eat in a Mexican restaurant. However, the soft flour tortilla that the taco was served in was odd. The size seemed too big for a regular taco. It seemed they took a burrito sized tortilla and just put taco filling in it. Perhaps they were out of the smaller size...

Erik enjoyed his pork tamale, but he wished it was a little bigger. The outer masa mixture was good with a nice texture that was not too soggy nor too dry. The inner pork mixture was equally well cooked. Erik also enjoyed his chicken burrito and was happy they utilized shredded chicken. Overall, this is your typical Mexican restaurant in a strip mall. By far not the worst you could have, but it's worlds above Mexican Bar and Grill in Michigan! It's along the same lines of El Vaquero, but I've never seen a wait here like I have at El Vaq. When Mexican is what you're craving, this spot will work just fine.

Bill Total: 1 chicken enchilada, 1 chicken burrito, 1 chicken taco, 1 pork tamale, 2 classic margaritas on the rocks, and tip= $27.50

Overall Rating: 3 buckeyes

Las Margaritas on Urbanspoon

Saturday, November 7, 2009

A Steeler Lunch

Bella Notte Italian Eatery
1914 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
October 11, 2009
2pm ish

To finish up our afternoon on The Strip we decided to share a pizza while we rested up for our drive home (well actually Erik needed to rest up, I actually planned on napping during the drive home).

The day before we had seen a group of friends sharing a pizza from here along the road and we decided it had just looked too good to pass up.

This place had the air of your traditional pizzeria and looked like it had served many pies to fans during home Steeler games. This Saturday the clientele seemed more subdued due to the away game. However, the restaurant was still fairly busy with families, a few fans watching the game, and shoppers like us stopping by during a day of sightseeing.

We could sit anywhere and we decided on a booth where we had an equal view of the TVs to keep an eye on the game and the cook getting orders ready and tossing pizza crust high into the air.
The service was good and our waitress quickly got our drinks (Coke for both of us) while we decided on pizza toppings. This time we went for a peperroni with tomato slices.

Since each pie is hand tossed and made to order, it did take awhile for our pizza to come out, but we didn't mind. It gave us a chance to put our feet up and talk about the wedding.

When the pizza came out is looked like yummy, cheesy goodness! However, we wondered where the peperoni was hidden. We soon found out that they use chopped peperoni pieces (think Totino's party pizza style) instead of slices! I must admit while the rest of the pizza was fabulous with good sauce, nice seasonings, and a great crust; I was really missing the more powerful taste of slices of peperroni.

Overall though, great atmosphere and service. Good crust, spices, and cheese. However, due to the pepperoni, I can't call this the best pizza in Pittsburgh.

Cost: 2 Cokes, 1 large pizza with peperonni and tomato, and tip: $17.63

Rating: 3 buckeyes

However, as we walked back to our car we found just one more place we just couldn't pass up. Fudgie Wudgie Fudge and Chocolate Factory.
Now this place was great! Unfortunately, since we'd just gorged ourselves on pizza and a host of other samples from the strip we felt fudge would be pushing it. But, we couldn't leave empty handed either. We decided to take chocolate dipped marshmallows as a small dessert to enjoy later in the car! While Mon Aimee impressed me, I (and my wallet) felt more at home in this candy store ;)

Ahhh.....after a food filled weekend we were finally ready to head home to the Buckeye state.

Bella Notte Pizza Pasta & More on Urbanspoon