I have moved thirty miles east to Fort Worth where the temperatures yesterday reached a record high of 83 degrees! It's been gorgeous weather, but sadly much of the outlying region is still wary of the burning ban and wild fires; even barbecuing has been banned statewide!
Last night I was the guest of an old friend at FIZZI for a wonderful tasting dinner (www.fizzis.com at 500 Commerce Street in Sundance Square; Tel. 817-366-FIZZ(3499)). Sundance Square is a huge downtown entertainment, dining and shopping district that has been restored using many of the original turn of the (20th) century) buildings of the historic cattle drive days. There are some wonderful shops, a gorgeous new performing arts center (I will attend the opera there today) and it's just a pleasure to wander around in the nice weather. Last night Chef/Owner Bobby Albanese insisted on preparing our meal himself (he apparently usually runs the front of house) and there were many highlights. Our first wine was easily the best, a smooth raspberry toned CABERNET SAUVIGNON 1999 from WENTE's LIVERMORE VALLEY in California, that made me wonder, "where could we go from here...?" It was served with a small cheese plate, beautifully arranged with a tall vertical wedge of HUNTSMAN Cheese (a combination of English Stilton and Cheddar) and surrounded by various nuts, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, a slash of Balsamic and a roll of Prosciutto di Parma. It seemed that this should have ended the meal, but nonetheless, it was a
great start.
The conundrum came next when the server poured a POUILLY FUISSE 2001 LABOURE-ROI "Vallon d'Or" that seemed corked to me. What does one do when presented with this situation? If you are the guest of someone who has ordered everything specially, you can hardly say the wine is off, especially if everyone at the table is swooning over the chardonnay. This is surely a test for Miss Manners! The SCALLOP CARPACCIO that accompanied was superb, with a medium weight brown butter sauce that hinted of truffle and a beautiful salad of Watercress, Endive and Radicchio with Champagne Vinaigrette.
An intense LOUIS LATOUR 2003 PINOT NOIR came next which was an excellent choice to go with the SURF & TURF entree. It was a superb huge fillet sitting atop creamy mashed potatoes and a brown sauce. A perfectly poached lobster tail and claw sat on the side and atop the fillet. Some of us had trouble finishing it all, but I managed to persevere, as a doggie bag would have been useless in my hotel room!
The dessert was a wonderful WARM CREPE wrapped around Fresh Berries, Rhubarb and a GINGER ORANGE SAUCE. The only thing I could not figure was the choice of dessert wine, a Portuguese VINHO VERDE from CASAL GARCIA that was just an odd choice for me as I am not used to this "green" young wine being served anywhere except in the heat of the day as a cooler.
Headed home tomorrow and don't forget that RESTAURANT WEEK starts in DC this week!
Phyllis on the road again
