WRITING THIS NEWSLETTER FROM ITALY
This is the tail end of our vacation in Italy - we have a couple of days left and we are anxious to get back with our batteries recharged and ready to execute on some new ideas.
Of course I will be sharing many of the pictures we took on this trip. We have been to Montalcino, Montepulciano, Siena, Florence, Chianti. We still have ahead of us San Gimignano, Volterra and Pisa. And Rome, of course.
With very limited Internet and phone access (we are in a villa removed from civilization) is very difficult to write this newsletter so I will leave it at that with the promise of more detail when we get back home.
I can just tell you that the food and the wines have been outstanding!!
Cheers!
Gerry, Adriana and the rest of the gang. |
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WEEKLY SPECIALS AND NEW TAPAS
We are very excited of continuing with our weekly specials at both restaurants. They include special Prix-Fixe menus, new menu items, new wines and featured wines, etc. Please take a look at the summary of our weekly specials by clicking in the links below:
At Capriccio we are very happy that our new tapas have been well received. Please try them out:
SARDINAS FRITAS - 5
Staple tapa of Spain . Two whole small sardines are coated in a white wine batter and deep fried until golden and crunchy.
PINCHOS MORUNOS (PORK) - 6
Pork cubes marinated in cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic and lemon juice. Skewered and grilled. Served with an apple-black sugar sauce.
PINCHOS MORUNOS (POLLO) - 6
Chicken cubes marinated in cumin, coriander, garlic, lemon and orange zest. Skewered and grilled. Served with an orange saffron sauce.
FABADA ASTURIANA - 7
A dish adored throughout Spain . Faba beans cooked with chorizo, morcilla and bacon. Delicious accents of saffron and smoked paprika.
MORCILLA ANDALUZA - 8
Perfectly grilled morcilla sausage accompanied with a pine nut, mango, apple and peach chutney. The perfect savory and sweet combination.
SCALLOPS PARMESAN - 7
Absolutely delicious. Fresh scallops topped with parmesan cheese and butter are broiled to a delicate crust. A squeeze of lime tops this wonderful tapa. |
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DO WE HAVE A WORLD CLASS ARTIST IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
Who knows? One of our very young customers at Mezzanotte (guessed age: 10) is an aspiring paintor. His name is Nico Bracci and he loves to paint. The other day he came with his dad for dinner and asked if one of his paintings could be displayed in the restaurant. We said "of course" but didn't expect such a nice piece of art. His painting is titled "The Cardinal Sings" and has a tentative sale tag of $100. But I am sure that Nico would entertain reasonable offers.
Here is a picture of his painting:
The painting is on display on our first wall on the left as you come into Mezzanotte. It is really a beauty. Good job Nico! |
FEATURED WINES OF THE WEEK
FEATURE WINE AT MEZZANOTTE
This week I had the pleasure of meeting Ken Kahn, the winegrower and owner of Blue Rock Winery in California's northerN Alexander Valley. I had the opportunity to taste his wines and I was blown away by his 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine can compete with any high price cab and win hands down! This wine is brand new to Texas.
Cabernet Sauvignon - Blue Rock 2005 - 64
Certainly noteworthy is the fact that the Blue Rock Vineyard lies directly next door to Silver Oak - perhaps the nation's most venerable producer of collector Cabernet.
The 2005 Blue Rock Cabernet, blended with 6% Estate Malbec, is among the most beautiful wines produced from the Estate and certainly one of the best since 2001. It is very fragrant with complex blueberry, black fruit, and mint aromas that are a signature of Blue Rock Cabernets. The tannins are sweet and silky and complemented with a dense core of black cherry fruit. The 2005 vintage is approachable at the time of release - yet it has excellent structure, balance, and a very long finish.
FEATURE WINES AT CAPRICCIO
Our feature this week is three flights of 3 wines each:
The Argentinean Whites Flight - 10
- Sauvignon Blanc Black River Estates (Mendoza)
- Torrontes Uma (Mendoza)
- Chardonnay Henry Lagarde (Mendoza)
The Argentinean Reds Flight - 10
- Malbec Intimo (Mendoza)
- Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec Intimo (Mendoza)
- Shiraz Uma Telteca (Mendoza)
The Spanish Reds Flight - 12
- Tempranillo Castillo de Montblanc (Conca de Barbera)
- Tempranillo Tinto Vivir, Vivir (Ribera del Duero)
- Rioja Gran Reserva Campo Viejo (Rioja) |
