Well the boss ditched me to babysit the grandson so a California dinner, Costco prime ribeye and artichoke with a really nice syrah! The dog enjoyed some of the fat but was really happy with crab
Made a Pati Jinich Pollo AJocomino chicken dish and wanted a cab tonight. So digging around the cellar looking for a cab and found this 16 Jean Edwards Stagecoach, really quite delicious! RIP Karen!
@ScottW58 We like a lot of Pati’s recipes, entertaining girl…my bride prefers flour tortillas no matter the dish, of course we argue and then I say , don’t forget, Pati warns you, they will get mushy, but her accent it comes out mooooshy… tmi?
Work dinner at an Italian place. The wine they were generally serving was a way-too-young and rather blah Italian something or other. They at least had an unnamed Barolo that I enjoyed instead.
From the what’s in the freezer/fridge/pantry file…made a batch of gravy/sauce whatever you want to call it with some Flannery olive sausage, and a handful of four different pastas that were useless on their own
Last night had some Thanksgiving leftovers with a 2016 Franny Beck La Chennai Pinot
Tonight, SRF wagyu rib steak with 2004 Bell Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. Also some Chinese cauliflower and chanterelles.
A version of stracotto, sounds fancy right? And a def in its third stage of life cheapie Barolo that was a good match, even a thumbs up from the bride… apologies for the bandwidth but hey it is quiet out here figured what the heck
@InFrom@klezman Didn’t know the history until I made it for a friend who filled me in. So originally I just took it as being Italian in origin. No Barolo in the dish, while ideal I was afraid of the wine being too fragile to open up early. Used a little burg and also a bit of homemade beef stock
@kaolis not ish - proper 35 oz bone in rib steak.
The more fun part was how they have a bunch of steaks in a little trolley. They wheel it over to show you the cuts to explain what they are. Maybe they’re not standard names in London for those cuts but they were all normal cuts you’d see in North America. Could have had a tomahawk too but it was a business dinner and that seemed too messy.
So the other day I was watching a show on Apple TV about restaurants going for 1 or more Michelin stars and one of them was right down the hill from me!?! (The pasta bar). Told the boss we are going and made a reservation, so screw the simple man crap
@ScottW58 Well,we haven’t eaten at The Pasta Bar, but we have eaten several times at The Burger Bar in Kalama, WA. It has won many Best of Southern Washington awards .
@davirom@InFrom@kaolis@rjquillin@ScottW58 Yes, when I’m using my phone it often takes what I said and post hoc alters it. It’s massively irritating, especially when I don’t catch it and then y’all get confused. But Ron is wrong - it’s not to save a keystroke. I’ve only ever used swype on my phone for as long as I can remember.
@rjquillin
Honestly, I think I got this bottle in one of the fairly recent in mystery cases. I’ve not specifically sought them out personally (although I may have gotten some through Berserkers. I’ll have to look into that.). I can say, without a doubt, that this bottle was delicious and was thoroughly enjoyed by the crew at my local Italian spot. Looks like it retails at around $80, which I would not often choose to pay for something I’ve not personally tasted.
After we finished this bottle, I opened a Twisted Oak Torcido (not sure of the vintage as I failed to take a photo though I suspect 2018 as there is another on the rack is a nearby slot). Also quite delicious and enjoyed by all!
@karenhynes@rjquillin I got a Ft. Ross Pinotage in a mystery case, also a Torcido. I considered opening the latter last night, before deciding to go with the Virage. Glad to hear the TO was enjoyable.
@InFrom@karenhynes@rjquillin The only Pinotage I have encountered was from South Africa, and I was quite put off by the burnt rubber (“Curad Band Aid”) flavor that was prominent (although I’ve heard that they have found ways to limit those). Didn’t realize that it was grown in California.
Smoked a turkey breast in the snow today. It and the wine was great; snow, not so much. Glad my commute has been reduced to walking down the stairs!
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@dawnlac I’ve been a buyer for 10 years, in the club for 7. Aromas have great depth, palate is a little light, but I find they put on weight with air/ on second day. To me they always deliver.
Just some jerk chicken and Habanero bbq drumsticks with creamy Maresh Polenta. The wine could not stand up to the heat so drank while cooking and after dinner.
@ScottW58 Small world, we almost ordered a Kelley Fox at dinner tonight, but the waiter suggested a Sandlands Table Wine instead, and we went with it. With house-made Mortadella, polenta bread, in-house dry-aged sirloin, and grilled pea shoots. Oh and a very thin, grilled lasagna, that barely survived long enough for a photo.
It was two very thin sheets of green pasta with a lasagna-filling schmear inside. So good. We have a little left over, it may turn out to be breakfast.
@ScottW58 We ordinarily wouldn’t order a charcuterie appetizer before a steak dinner, unless maybe we were dining in Italy, when all such restraints are abandoned. But what the hell, I’m on a statin, and it’s my bday, there was no excuse not to go for it.
First, HB! May they continue unabated.
Second, you have a restaurant that cellars both KF and Sandlands!?
Third, what’s a statin?
j/k, same here, low dose.
@rjquillin@ScottW58 Yes, their wine list is pretty smart! This, in a far-flung neighborhood that straddles the border between Brooklyn and Queens. I was surprised by the extent of the waiter’s familiarity with and enthusiasm for Kelley Fox, so when he suggested a few other options that he thought would work better with our planned order, I was happy to pick the Sandlands.
@InFrom@rjquillin@ScottW58 happy birthday!
I didn’t realise you were in New York! Should have tried to get dinner together when I was there a couple weeks ago.
@davirom From that article: The recalled batches of atorvastatin calcium, the generic version of Lipitor, were manufactured by Alkem Laboratories, Ltd. of India and distributed by Ascend Laboratories of New Jersey.
I have to think my online pharmacy would’ve let me know if this affected their supply.
@davirom@InFrom I had the same thought concerning my (Medicare Advantage plan) online pharmacy, but also checked the manufacturer code on my bottles to be safe.
Made a chicken dish, chicken thighs, coconut milk, shallots, green beans (mostly for my wife) and sliced garlic. The recipe called for skinless thighs but who am I to waste perfectly good chicken skin fried them up and ate like chips. Yum if I don’t say so myself
@klezman@ScottW58 I’m behind…hell yeah, we had a bar back Chicago way, Thursday night was chicken night and appy special was baskets of chicken cracklings…place was busy busy
The return of the birthday steak. I made a green bean coconut curry with shallots, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes. I didn’t bother to heat up the steak, so it stayed nice and rare. Over linguine, we were fresh out of rice noodles.
With my last bottle of Woot Cellars Emergencier Holiday Provisions. Drinking well, for a $10 bottle from ten years ago!
@rjquillin No, same old kitchen with the ugly countertop, we’re at home. The pasta bowl is a legacy from Mom’s kitchen. Plaid plates (in the pic from last week with the Bourriquot) a legacy from Grandma, 1950s vintage.
Had a Flannery lamb saddle in the freezer and some bacon I needed to eat before it expired so throwing caution into the wind for the fear that @davirom might scold me for eating too much fat followed by statin. So I wrapped the lamb in bacon and roasted it yum! There was green stuff and leftover Polenta. Went a little over but with the fat cap on the lamb and the bacon no worries. Sorry no pictures on the plate because daughter and wife destroyed everything quickly ha.
Picked up a couple T-bones for Channukah dinner with the kids. 2001 Meeker Four Kings and now that they’re in bed, 2013 Nittnaus Beerenauslese Exquisit - something we picked up at the winery in Austria when the first one was in utero.
Finished up the pinot last night, I enjoyed it more day two, had with that overcooked piece of flatiron
Grilled a few veggies, kicked up a little packaged saffron rice, Cornish hens, '21 on the vino
But as we all know, it’s the simple things in life that really gets the motor running…a few weeks ago it was Heggies frozen pizza. A new find that I’m thinking some of y’all might be familiar with, Gleezy dogs, a righteous tube encased product, with a fresh can of Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA for lunch yesterday.
Turkey burgers tonight woof, but I did find the perfect cure for boring turkey! Podi and a beautiful bottle of Pinot IMHO. Pics of a turkey burger and green stuff need not apply
It appears that the La fraternité des hommes simples is on hiatus for the month. Great looking dishes and remarkable wine all around. Maybe the Society of the Fortunate?
NV I.C.Q.R.F. Asti Spumante Giacomo
2000 York Creek Vineyards Meritage
2005 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette (leftovers)
2019 Château Le Coteau red BdX
2022 Sandlands Red Table Wine Lodi
2024 Sandler Wine Company Pinot Noir Monopole Crü Cuvée Bien Nacido Vineyard (leftovers still improving)
2013 Hunt Country Vineyards Vignoles Late Harvest
@klezman
Early Christmas with some of those that won’t be around for the 25th,
but it was pretty agnostic; eleven in total, plus three in single digits.
Can we call it in celebration channukah?
Don’t get into this thread very often any more (after my loss of smell), but took advantage of an unseasonably warm (50 degree F) day to do some grilling. First cooked up a couple of ribeyes (which where planned for dinner). Then a batch of bone-in chicken thighs (no pic). When it came time to eat, we decided to have some of both, along with some green stuff (salad, asparagus). And pulled out a 2019 WineSmith Unicorn, which also seemed to be very nice.
Taco Sunday and '24 Kutch rosé whilst watching football… being a Chicago Bears fan I cannot explain how excruciating it was to be rooting for an Aaron Rodgers led team. I kept hoping for him to throw touchdown passes yet get pummeled to the ground never to return ha!
@pjmartin We had Cheer yesterday and finished it today. Decent Sonoma Cab. I’m sure the trash collectors, mailman, FedEx guy and neighbors will approve. Shoulda got 2 cases!
@klezman@rjquillin Just turned 70 Saturday…I don’t need many more 20 year wines…(or maybe I do?) I might be buying a few young wines, but I’m also going to be drinking a few young wines…ha!
2013 Clayhouse Cabernet red cedar vineyard jeroboam. The office Xmas party never had it so good. Meanwhile, back at home my FIL suffered through a 2000 Elivette with a Flannery hanger. Who had the better night?
@kaolis The party was fun. I only had a brief opportunity to taste the Elivette on my way out the door. Fruit was present but starting to fade. I would say it’s slightly past peak with some interesting tertiary flavors.
I wish I had more time to explore this one and will curious to hear your thoughts. I have some 03s and 04s coming, so that should give me another shot at trying some with 20+ years of age on it. I loved the 05 fwiw.
Getting the roast beast ready for tomorrow, black garlic molasses, SPG and some coffee chili dusting. Also the 3 kids came over tonight and had some caviar, Otoro tuna belly with champagne. I am firmly in the Society of the Fortunate for Christmas
Been MIA this month. Just now catching up on the all of the beautiful pics for Dec. Traveling and then had surgery on my foot. A few broken bones and pins/plates. Finally back to enjoying the festivities, albeit no driving or walking for 6 weeks. This was my last Wed wine dinner before the surgery.
Cheers!!
@rjquillin
Crucible was delicious, younger than its 20 years. I don’t have a lot of experience with carefully cellared wine. The Angelus was enjoyed too, though a completely different experience. Still some fruit, smooth, and just a wee bit of tannins. Aromas and taste with all that tertiary stuff.
Well the boss ditched me to babysit the grandson so a California dinner, Costco prime ribeye and artichoke with a really nice syrah! The dog enjoyed some of the fat but was really happy with crab
@ScottW58
@ScottW58 That one of those steaks from your $75 off rib primals? Looks delish!
@klezman @ScottW58 no coffee here yet, took me a second on the crabby dog…ha! looks good, nice bottle
Nursing a sore throat with a little Buffalo Trace.
@chipgreen That may call for a lot of BT
@chipgreen it’s that time of year. Get well soon!
2016 Tassi Brunello di Montalcino
Made a Pati Jinich Pollo AJocomino chicken dish and wanted a cab tonight. So digging around the cellar looking for a cab and found this 16 Jean Edwards Stagecoach, really quite delicious! RIP Karen!
@ScottW58 We like a lot of Pati’s recipes, entertaining girl…my bride prefers flour tortillas no matter the dish, of course we argue and then I say , don’t forget, Pati warns you, they will get mushy, but her accent it comes out mooooshy… tmi?
Work dinner at an Italian place. The wine they were generally serving was a way-too-young and rather blah Italian something or other. They at least had an unnamed Barolo that I enjoyed instead.
Leftovers should always be this good! 2012 Notre Vin with Flannery hanger and Boursin creamed spinach.
From the what’s in the freezer/fridge/pantry file…made a batch of gravy/sauce whatever you want to call it with some Flannery olive sausage, and a handful of four different pastas that were useless on their own
Last night had some Thanksgiving leftovers with a 2016 Franny Beck La Chennai Pinot
Tonight, SRF wagyu rib steak with 2004 Bell Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. Also some Chinese cauliflower and chanterelles.
@klezman the Clone 6?
@rjquillin no, the regular one
A version of stracotto, sounds fancy right? And a def in its third stage of life cheapie Barolo that was a good match, even a thumbs up from the bride… apologies for the bandwidth but hey it is quiet out here figured what the heck
@kaolis that looks delicious!
@kaolis @klezman Gorgeous! And I’m reading that it’s a Judeo-Roman recipe? Interesting! Did any of the Barolo go into the stew?
@kaolis Nicely done.
@InFrom @klezman Didn’t know the history until I made it for a friend who filled me in. So originally I just took it as being Italian in origin. No Barolo in the dish, while ideal I was afraid of the wine being too fragile to open up early. Used a little burg and also a bit of homemade beef stock
With ham and bean soup.
@msten hmmm ham and bean soup, now that it’s getting cold that’s gotta be good!
@msten @ScottW58
How’s that doing? Last I had one was nearly three years ago.
@rjquillin @ScottW58 Still plenty of life. Bright fruit, smooth tannins, paired well with the soup.
With the last of the ratted 2020 Noceto Linsteadt Barbera
@msten tasty looking za
@karenhynes
Special occasion?
@rjquillin
Just an average Monday night.
@karenhynes @rjquillin flu season, CDC approved alternate vaccine
@karenhynes @rjquillin Armagnac fan here, not familiar with that one…looks like a special little one
@kaolis @rjquillin
I’m not well versed in Armagnac but it was delicious!
The other night a Herb lamb cab went well with a beef and vegetable stew.
@ScottW58
Chocolate stew?
@chipgreen @ScottW58 It does look like a nice dark mole Poblano.
@chipgreen @InFrom well when you blend Tomatillos, dried Ancho chilies, onion garlic and cumin with chicken stock it’s better than chocolate
@InFrom @ScottW58
That does sound delicious!
2011 John Duval Plexus, paired with candy canes and kitty cats.
Ok, no candy canes, but… alliteration!
@chipgreen How’d you prepare the cat?
@chipgreen Man you’re going to need a big pot to cook that fat cat!
@kaolis
Over easy
@ScottW58
She is just big boned!
With sheet pan chicken quarters on top of a bunch of stuff
With a nice big dry aged British rib steak on the bone. Very good!
@klezman made me look…ribeye-ish cut?
@kaolis not ish - proper 35 oz bone in rib steak.
The more fun part was how they have a bunch of steaks in a little trolley. They wheel it over to show you the cuts to explain what they are. Maybe they’re not standard names in London for those cuts but they were all normal cuts you’d see in North America. Could have had a tomahawk too but it was a business dinner and that seemed too messy.
@klezman Good man…35oz? My 35oz steak days are lonnnng gone!
@kaolis I shared it with a colleague. I never had solo 35 oz steak days.
2022 Abbot’s Passage Sightline poached salmon. A simple dish.
@msten simple is good
@davirom
Tuck Beckstoffer?
@chipgreen T. Berkley Rosé of Cabernet Franc. A BD buy.
infanticide, but tasty
@rjquillin this is the one you have half a case for me or something?
Early solo dinner. Already gone so no plate picture.
was pat pat pat patty night…Morgan Ranch, Boursin and the obligatory slice of American, controversial grape juice
So the other day I was watching a show on Apple TV about restaurants going for 1 or more Michelin stars and one of them was right down the hill from me!?! (The pasta bar). Told the boss we are going and made a reservation, so screw the simple man crap
@ScottW58 looks special! And expensive!
But live for the moment.
@pmarin all of the above and you only live once!
just too hard to put up pictures here so you get what you get. Needless to say it was great
@ScottW58 Well,we haven’t eaten at The Pasta Bar, but we have eaten several times at The Burger Bar in Kalama, WA. It has won many Best of Southern Washington awards
.
@ScottW58 well you do get the looks simply delicious award… that counts!
@kaolis @ScottW58 @davirom
I’ll say the obvious;
so good to not be a dishwasher there…
@davirom @kaolis @rjquillin @ScottW58
12 code tasting menu? Looks amazing! I might need to follow your lead…
@ScottW58 I found that last one for you
@rjquillin thanks! Those fancy Japanese coals toasted the marshmallow very nicely
@davirom @kaolis @klezman @rjquillin
What’s a 12 code menu?
@davirom @klezman @rjquillin @ScottW58 code = course?
@davirom @kaolis @klezman @rjquillin
Why not just say course? Sheese I’m a simple man you all need to dumb it down for me!
@davirom @kaolis @klezman @rjquillin @ScottW58 I think his keyboard decided what word it wanted to put in there. Maybe it was grumpy from jetlag.
@davirom @InFrom @kaolis @klezman @ScottW58 That auto-misspell can get in the way, perhaps saving two keystrokes.
@davirom @InFrom @kaolis @rjquillin @ScottW58 Yes, when I’m using my phone it often takes what I said and post hoc alters it. It’s massively irritating, especially when I don’t catch it and then y’all get confused. But Ron is wrong - it’s not to save a keystroke. I’ve only ever used swype on my phone for as long as I can remember.
@karenhynes I see you with Fort Ross frequently.
Something I should pay more attention to?
This looks to be a '21. Any in particular?
@rjquillin
Honestly, I think I got this bottle in one of the fairly recent in mystery cases. I’ve not specifically sought them out personally (although I may have gotten some through Berserkers. I’ll have to look into that.). I can say, without a doubt, that this bottle was delicious and was thoroughly enjoyed by the crew at my local Italian spot. Looks like it retails at around $80, which I would not often choose to pay for something I’ve not personally tasted.
After we finished this bottle, I opened a Twisted Oak Torcido (not sure of the vintage as I failed to take a photo though I suspect 2018 as there is another on the rack is a nearby slot). Also quite delicious and enjoyed by all!
@karenhynes @rjquillin I got a Ft. Ross Pinotage in a mystery case, also a Torcido. I considered opening the latter last night, before deciding to go with the Virage. Glad to hear the TO was enjoyable.
@InFrom @karenhynes @rjquillin The only Pinotage I have encountered was from South Africa, and I was quite put off by the burnt rubber (“Curad Band Aid”) flavor that was prominent (although I’ve heard that they have found ways to limit those). Didn’t realize that it was grown in California.
@karenhynes @Mark_L @rjquillin Mmmm, burnt rubber, something to look forward to!
2012 Virage Bourriquot. With cumin lamb meatballs, roasted delicata, and roasted beets with labne.
@InFrom
Well done.
Missing Emily, but still enjoying her wares.
smoked a little chicken
@kaolis and smoked well looks delicious!
@kaolis @ScottW58 Yeah, I’m drooling!
@CorTot Your camera must have gotten into the wine! Does that say Syrah?
@klezman 2017 Syrah
Chunked up a Morgan Ranch ribeye…
@kaolis That’s a nice looking steak!
@kaolis looks perfect, how was it cooked?
Drinking in a Winter Wonderland
Smoked a turkey breast in the snow today. It and the wine was great; snow, not so much. Glad my commute has been reduced to walking down the stairs!
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@pjmartin How was the wine? I really love Longplay wines!
@dawnlac I’ve been a buyer for 10 years, in the club for 7. Aromas have great depth, palate is a little light, but I find they put on weight with air/ on second day. To me they always deliver.
Flannery filet from a recent special offer, some pencil grits and that '05 is doing fine at 20 with this plate.
@rjquillin we really liked the 05. Just picked up some 03s and 04s on the LB post marathon sale.
2003 Twisted Oak Tempranillo with lamb chops and latkes
@klezman
Lamb chops and latkes and whiskers on kittens…
Those really are a few of my favorite things, especially the first two.
@InFrom @klezman
Thanks for the new earworm
Drinking in a Winter Wonderland Part II w/grilled cheese, tomato soup and Ruffles potato chips.
With hot buttered cheesesteaks and 4-cheese mashers with mushy peas. As the intact cork suggests, it tastes much younger than its years.
@chipgreen
nice cork
FRED
@chipgreen I love seeing your cellar in the background. To quote the Bard, “they all fall there so perfectly, it all seems so well timed.”
CabSaidFred!
@kainc
IIRC, he drank some Ardente Cab from the Stanley Cup. Like, the actual hockey Stanley Cup.
@chipgreen @kainc
Yup, that was the story told on the former site. I think he somewhat dropped out and moved to TX shortly thereafter.
Just some jerk chicken and Habanero bbq drumsticks with creamy Maresh Polenta. The wine could not stand up to the heat so drank while cooking and after dinner.
@ScottW58 oh that looks good! Marsh Hen?
@kaolis oops yes Marsh Hen Mill and damn good ones
@ScottW58 Small world, we almost ordered a Kelley Fox at dinner tonight, but the waiter suggested a Sandlands Table Wine instead, and we went with it. With house-made Mortadella, polenta bread, in-house dry-aged sirloin, and grilled pea shoots. Oh and a very thin, grilled lasagna, that barely survived long enough for a photo.
2
@InFrom yum! Must be a real thin lasagna cause I can’t see it
whoops there it is haha. Oh man that Mortadella!
@ScottW58 Yeah I had a little uploading trouble.
It was two very thin sheets of green pasta with a lasagna-filling schmear inside. So good. We have a little left over, it may turn out to be breakfast.
@ScottW58 We ordinarily wouldn’t order a charcuterie appetizer before a steak dinner, unless maybe we were dining in Italy, when all such restraints are abandoned. But what the hell, I’m on a statin, and it’s my bday, there was no excuse not to go for it.
@InFrom I’m on a statin too so good call all around!
and happy birthday!
@InFrom @ScottW58
Happy Birthday! Looks like it was a nice one!
@InFrom @ScottW58
First, HB! May they continue unabated.
Second, you have a restaurant that cellars both KF and Sandlands!?
Third, what’s a statin?
j/k, same here, low dose.
@InFrom @rjquillin @ScottW58 OT, but there is a recall of generic atorvastatin. If that is what you take, you should look into it.
@davirom @rjquillin @ScottW58 Don’t Debbie Downer my birthday parade!
@InFrom Sorry! Pay it no mind. Happy Birthday
@rjquillin @ScottW58 Yes, their wine list is pretty smart! This, in a far-flung neighborhood that straddles the border between Brooklyn and Queens. I was surprised by the extent of the waiter’s familiarity with and enthusiasm for Kelley Fox, so when he suggested a few other options that he thought would work better with our planned order, I was happy to pick the Sandlands.
@davirom No worries!
In a nod to sanity (and mortality), we passed on the leftover lasagna for breakfast, and had a nice bowl of oatmeal instead.
/giphy Wilford Brimley heart healthy
Not exactly what I had in mind, Giphy…
@InFrom @rjquillin @ScottW58 happy birthday!
I didn’t realise you were in New York! Should have tried to get dinner together when I was there a couple weeks ago.
@InFrom @klezman @rjquillin @ScottW58 happy belated!
A link: https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/atorvastatin-recall-october-2025/
@davirom From that article: The recalled batches of atorvastatin calcium, the generic version of Lipitor, were manufactured by Alkem Laboratories, Ltd. of India and distributed by Ascend Laboratories of New Jersey.
I have to think my online pharmacy would’ve let me know if this affected their supply.
@davirom @InFrom I had the same thought concerning my (Medicare Advantage plan) online pharmacy, but also checked the manufacturer code on my bottles to be safe.
How in the hell did a happy birthday a delicious dinner and a great bottle of wine turn into a rainy day lol. Whatta world.
@ScottW58 Lol, all good. I’m still enjoying the glow of a great meal.
And speaking of staying healthy, there’s this slightly good news: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/health/alcohol-heart-disease-cancer.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9U8.g5iL.w5RJ8_isiT2X&smid=url-share So drink up, everyone!
2015 Briceland Merlot with a Flannery dry aged NY strip. Green stuff need not apply.
@hscottk Wanna see the insides.
What vintage on the Briceland?
@rjquillin 2015 ^^^^^
Made a chicken dish, chicken thighs, coconut milk, shallots, green beans (mostly for my wife) and sliced garlic. The recipe called for skinless thighs but who am I to waste perfectly good chicken skin
fried them up and ate like chips. Yum if I don’t say so myself 
@ScottW58 love crispy chicken skin!
@klezman @ScottW58 I’m behind…hell yeah, we had a bar back Chicago way, Thursday night was chicken night and appy special was baskets of chicken cracklings…place was busy busy
Turkey, stuffing, and 2013 Ridge Carignan, Buchignani Ranch
@hscottk I’m guessing but maybe the restaurant’s grill was broken so they could not cook that fish
@ScottW58 Hey, at least they cooked the rice!
2023 Ojai Rose
The return of the birthday steak. I made a green bean coconut curry with shallots, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes. I didn’t bother to heat up the steak, so it stayed nice and rare. Over linguine, we were fresh out of rice noodles.
With my last bottle of Woot Cellars Emergencier Holiday Provisions. Drinking well, for a $10 bottle from ten years ago!
@InFrom EHP FTW
@InFrom improvise love it!
@InFrom different plate, different location?
@rjquillin No, same old kitchen with the ugly countertop, we’re at home. The pasta bowl is a legacy from Mom’s kitchen. Plaid plates (in the pic from last week with the Bourriquot) a legacy from Grandma, 1950s vintage.
@InFrom Difficult now to find quality like those.
Had a Flannery lamb saddle in the freezer and some bacon I needed to eat before it expired
so throwing caution into the wind for the fear that @davirom might scold me for eating too much fat followed by statin. So I wrapped the lamb in bacon and roasted it yum! There was green stuff and leftover Polenta. Went a little over but with the fat cap on the lamb and the bacon no worries. Sorry no pictures on the plate because daughter and wife destroyed everything quickly ha.
@ScottW58 That roast looks decadent!
@InFrom @ScottW58 Looks like another delicious evening at your house!
@InFrom @klezman @ScottW58 lots of yum going on over there… '14 still a bit big, cuts through the fat, hell probably cut out the fat, who needs statins!
@InFrom @kaolis @klezman “cut out the fat”?!?! I don’t think we can be friends
Picked up a couple T-bones for Channukah dinner with the kids. 2001 Meeker Four Kings and now that they’re in bed, 2013 Nittnaus Beerenauslese Exquisit - something we picked up at the winery in Austria when the first one was in utero.
@klezman Nice on the Four Kings. Got an '03 from D&D and '13 and '16 from the UC close out. How’s the '01?
@rjquillin It was great! Still seemed like a teenager in all the best ways.
2019 Illuminati Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Campirosa
Montepulciano
Finished up the pinot last night, I enjoyed it more day two, had with that overcooked piece of flatiron
Grilled a few veggies, kicked up a little packaged saffron rice, Cornish hens, '21 on the vino
But as we all know, it’s the simple things in life that really gets the motor running…a few weeks ago it was Heggies frozen pizza. A new find that I’m thinking some of y’all might be familiar with, Gleezy dogs, a righteous tube encased product, with a fresh can of Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA for lunch yesterday.
@kaolis damn nice work! Packaged saffron rice? Never heard of Gleezy dogs but tubed meat yum
Just put a bottle of NV De Saint Gall Champagne Brut Rosé in the fridge. Gonna have that with some cheesy spätzle and undoubtedly something green.
Turkey burgers tonight woof, but I did find the perfect cure for boring turkey! Podi and a beautiful bottle of Pinot IMHO. Pics of a turkey burger and green stuff need not apply
@ScottW58 nice…always looking for ways to kick up them damn turkey burgers
@kaolis @ScottW58
Or… you could just not eat them in the first place!
Braised beef ravioli.
@msten well I’m assuming that didn’t suck
@kaolis @msten sure looks like it didn’t suck!
Veal, Rollen’s grits, green stuff with a little prosciutto
@kaolis sneaking a little demi is just cheating
@ScottW58 Cheating? No way, mandatory sir!
It appears that the La fraternité des hommes simples is on hiatus for the month. Great looking dishes and remarkable wine all around. Maybe the Society of the Fortunate?
NV I.C.Q.R.F. Asti Spumante Giacomo
2000 York Creek Vineyards Meritage
2005 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette (leftovers)
2019 Château Le Coteau red BdX
2022 Sandlands Red Table Wine Lodi
2024 Sandler Wine Company Pinot Noir Monopole Crü Cuvée Bien Nacido Vineyard (leftovers still improving)
2013 Hunt Country Vineyards Vignoles Late Harvest
@rjquillin channukah dinner with the family?
@klezman
Early Christmas with some of those that won’t be around for the 25th,
but it was pretty agnostic; eleven in total, plus three in single digits.
Can we call it in celebration channukah?
York Creek went first, followed by Sandlands, Sandler and Elivette. Smoked turkey and a myriad of trimmings.
@rjquillin More grandkids = more fun + more chaos!
Don’t get into this thread very often any more (after my loss of smell), but took advantage of an unseasonably warm (50 degree F) day to do some grilling. First cooked up a couple of ribeyes (which where planned for dinner). Then a batch of bone-in chicken thighs (no pic). When it came time to eat, we decided to have some of both, along with some green stuff (salad, asparagus). And pulled out a 2019 WineSmith Unicorn, which also seemed to be very nice.
@Mark_L those thighs look rocking delish!
@ScottW58 The thighs that I didn’t take a pic of? Or do you mean the ribeyes?
@Mark_L oops yeah the ribeyes.
@ScottW58 Charcoal grilling FTW!
1993 Ravenswood Old Hill Zin with a Flannery pork rib cap, Caesar salad, chanterelles, and latkes. To celebrate the end of Channukah, obviously.
@klezman As one does.
@InFrom The running joke in our house of late when I ask molarchae what she wants for dinner on a Friday night is “Shabbes pork?”
Taco Sunday and '24 Kutch rosé whilst watching football… being a Chicago Bears fan I cannot explain how excruciating it was to be rooting for an Aaron Rodgers led team. I kept hoping for him to throw touchdown passes yet get pummeled to the ground never to return ha!
@kaolis But how about Saturday night’s Bears vs. Packers game!!!
@Mark_L
@kaolis
Meeker Monday!
@chipgreen W00t! Aug 1, 2012
Cheer! In the house. Had to have a taste before it is handed out.
Nice wine, seems young with good potential.
@pjmartin We had Cheer yesterday and finished it today. Decent Sonoma Cab. I’m sure the trash collectors, mailman, FedEx guy and neighbors will approve. Shoulda got 2 cases!
@FritzCat @pjmartin
What, you don’t like the UPS that delivered it?
@pjmartin @rjquillin Maybe is was him…it was dark, and I was excited…
A 2002 bottle.
@rjquillin Doing a 20-year vertical comparison with tonight’s offer? Or are we getting some seriously aged library wine tonight?
@klezman As you see, the former. I really needed a basis to compare and 20 years seemed like a good place.
@klezman @rjquillin Just turned 70 Saturday…I don’t need many more 20 year wines…(or maybe I do?) I might be buying a few young wines, but I’m also going to be drinking a few young wines…ha!
@kaolis Well Happy Birthday!
@kaolis
Woohoo! Happy birthday!!!
Maybe it’s in the stars that we like similar wine. My birthday was Sunday.
@kaolis @klezman
I keep trying to tell myself the same thing,
so far, I’ve not been particularly successful.
Happy Birthday
Here’s hoping yours doesn’t get blended and diluted by the 25th.
@kaolis @rjquillin happy birthday!
@msten Love her Chenin Blanc.
@InFrom @msten yes!
2013 Clayhouse Cabernet red cedar vineyard jeroboam. The office Xmas party never had it so good. Meanwhile, back at home my FIL suffered through a 2000 Elivette with a Flannery hanger. Who had the better night?
@hscottk Well big bottles are always fun, office parties not necessarily always fun…hmmmm
How was the Elivette? I picked up a couple
@kaolis The party was fun. I only had a brief opportunity to taste the Elivette on my way out the door. Fruit was present but starting to fade. I would say it’s slightly past peak with some interesting tertiary flavors.
I wish I had more time to explore this one and will curious to hear your thoughts. I have some 03s and 04s coming, so that should give me another shot at trying some with 20+ years of age on it. I loved the 05 fwiw.
Getting the roast beast ready for tomorrow, black garlic molasses, SPG and some coffee chili dusting. Also the 3 kids came over tonight and had some caviar, Otoro tuna belly with champagne. I am firmly in the Society of the Fortunate for Christmas
@ScottW58 Very nice!
@klezman @ScottW58 Is that….sashimi?!
@hscottk @klezman @ScottW58 Starting off with a bang I’d say
@hscottk @kaolis @klezman @ScottW58
Yum!! One of my favorite bottles of bubbles. Cheers!
@hscottk @klezman
Yeah well as you can imagine my grill is not working
@chefjess @hscottk @kaolis @klezman that was my first one and I fully agree wow!
Been MIA this month. Just now catching up on the all of the beautiful pics for Dec. Traveling and then had surgery on my foot. A few broken bones and pins/plates. Finally back to enjoying the festivities, albeit no driving or walking for 6 weeks. This was my last Wed wine dinner before the surgery.
Cheers!!
@chefjess very nice!
@chefjess @ScottW58 one hell of a lineup!
@chefjess
Wow, those are big boy wines. Enjoy!!
Beef, salmon and more sides than I thought possible. The entire family was able to make it.
@msten
Queued up or already consumed?
Here’s hoping both are intact.
@rjquillin
Crucible was delicious, younger than its 20 years. I don’t have a lot of experience with carefully cellared wine. The Angelus was enjoyed too, though a completely different experience. Still some fruit, smooth, and just a wee bit of tannins. Aromas and taste with all that tertiary stuff.