UPCOMING EVENTS
Capriccio
Wine Tasting Tuesday 3/31
6 to 9 pm.
$18 / person
No reservations needed
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THIS WEEKEND'S
ENTERTAINMENT AT MEZZANOTTE:
Friday 3/13 - 7:00 to 10:00 PM - Terry Parker
The Port Arthur born native of Texas has been mesmerizing audiences for more than 20 years, with his silky smooth renditions of some of the world greatest legends, such as Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Little Anthony, Smokie Robinson and The Platters. Known as Mr. Entertainer, Terry brings the candle of love to any party, by taking us back down memory lane, with Unchained Melody and Sixteen Candles. |
Saturday 3/14 - 7:00 to 10:00 PM - Pam Sheppard
We were planning to have Harry and Pam tonight but Harry is on medical rest. So we will enjoy Pam's wonderful melodies. The sweet tone of Pam's clarinet is unique as it sets a jazzy mood for the evening. |
THIS WEEKEND'S ENTERTAINMENT AT CAPRICCIO:
Friday 3/13 - 7:00 to 10:00 pm - Guillermo Serpas Evoking the influence of legendary guitarist Carlos Santana and popular folk players, Guillermo produces the electrifying rhythms of salsa, Latin jazz, and bolero, representing his Latin American roots and pumping vigorous life into his virtuoso classical-guitar performances |
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Saturday 3/14 - 7:00 to 10:00 PM - Terry Parker
This week you have a chance to see Terry at Mezzanotte on Friday night or at Capriccio on Saturday night. He is an outstanding performer - maybe you want to see him in both restaurants! | |
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NEW WINE STRATEGY TRASHED!
Well... with all the talk about the economy, blah, blah, blah, I decided to come up with a new wine portfolio approach for Mezzanotte. In a nutshell, what I wanted to do is bring high value wines to the portfolio and cap our prices at no more that $99 per bottle. This puts a big limitation on the wines we bring in. As a matter of fact I had to discontinue some high end wines.
But then I started receiving non-complimentary feedback. Although a lot of people liked the new approach, a lot of others were still looking for their high end wines! It all dawned on me when one of my dear friend/customers told me: "Gerry, when we come to Mezzanotte is because we are celebrating something and we don't want to be limited. We still want to be able to order the Amarone or the Brunello we love!"
So... I am bringing them back! The good news is that I have tasted maybe over 100 new wines over the last few weeks searching for high value wines. And I found quite a few. So now I am moving forward with enhancing our portfolio but I removed the $99 constraint.
Thank you to all of you that gave me your feedback!
Cheers!
Gerry
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PRENDIAMO UN APERITIVO?
Milan happens to be the capital of the "Aperitivo" - think "Tapas". This is really becoming a trend in all of Italy so I thought maybe we can try our version at Mezzanotte.
Here is a nice blog on the subject:
So what I am planning to do is to grow our menu of appetizers so you can order 2, 3, 5, share them, etc.
This week I am trying the concept with a very nice small plate of Short Ribs al Barolo (served over soft polenta). Think about it: you can order a nice small salad with a glass of white, then order a fried calamari with a glass of another type of white wine. Then you can do the short ribs with a glass of nice Super Tuscan. To close you can order a small desert (coming up next week - small dessert portions) with a glass of dessert wine or a Sambuca, or a cup of espresso, etc. Get the picture? This is a fun way of eating and enjoying the company and the moment!
Please let me know what you think as I move forward in creating our new menu. |
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NEXT WINE TASTING AT CAPRICCIO MAY BE A CLASS!
Adriana an I are attending Sommelier school at the U of H (provided by the International Sommelier Guilde) and we are learning a lot! This is an intense 12 week program of 7 hours a week (from 4 to 11 pm on Mondays). All we do is listen to lectures about grapes, regions, growing conditions, techniques, etc., etc. plus we do A LOT of tastings (all of them blind).
So... it occurred to me that perhaps offering a couple of Wine Fundamentals courses could be a lot of fun. I would probably take a similar approach (but for sure not an 84 hours block!!) of talking about maybe a couple of grapes, teach what to look for, do some blind tasting. All of this will help you develop your wine tasting skills. What do you think? Please let me know if this is something you would like to do. Our next Capriccio wine tasting is on Tuesday 3/31 - with enough interest I could put together our first class.
Gerry.
PS: Here are a picture of the U of H classroom - a little too structured - although lots of wine!. Believe me, the Capriccio program will be a lot more fun!
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Short Ribs al Barolo - Appetizer $10
Small short rib braised in red wine. Served over soft polenta. Pairs very well with a glass of eaither of this week's featured Super Tuscans.
Risotto alla Pescatora - $22
Luscious risotto (the way we know how to make) topped with a mixture of seaffod. Finished with a slightly spicy wine and cherry tomatoes sauce.
Tre Latte - $7
This is our version of Tres Leches. Light and fluffy and not very rich. I promise you will love it! |
Toscana IGT - San Polo Rubio Bottle $36 - Glass $9
Rubio is a young and fresh 100% Sangiovese. The slightly shorter maceration with the skins, followed by fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel containers and frequent pumpovers, allow for greater juiciness and a lighter body while preserving excellent color and flavor extraction. Brilliant ruby red in color, Rubio offers fresh aromas of red cherries, violets and currants, followed by subtle spice and vanilla notes. This is a youthful and easy to drink wine that offers great versatility. Rubio is a delicious accompaniment to pasta with tomato sauces, pizza, grilled sausages, and with fresh Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses.
Toscana Maremma IGT - Tommasi Rompicollo Bottle $30, Glass $8
This Supertuscan is 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. It opens very nicely with extremely fruity aromas and flavors of ripe cherries, pepper, oak and licorice. The perfumed palate is youthful yet shows some complexity with good depth of ripe fruit and length. Pairs very well with Italian pasta with red meat sauce, white meats, fresh cheeses. | |
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