Old Friends & Old Habits

Had a holiday lunch today at Nota Bene with Franco Prevedello, Michael Carlevale with Yannick Bigourdan joining in, if and when he could. Nothing like putting four food and wine nuts together and having a three and half hour lunch. Amongst us we have more than a century of experience in the Toronto fine dining scene and none of us suffer fools or lack a large ego. We talk of the past, Biffs, Windsor Arms, Centro, Boston Club and we talk of the future and what might spark the imagination of dinners in 2010. Local is hot but can we eat Kale six months of the year? Charcuterie, yes; we like Charcuterie and devour two servings. And we like wine as well and Franco has brought two bottles for us to try.

 

 

First from Sicily a Syrah with a very pretty label and a polished new world appeal on the palate. I was not surprised to find that the winery had hoped to sell this wine for some $60 a bottle. But that is so last year and now maybe $30 looks more approximate. Trouble is, even at that price you can find better examples of Shiraz/Syrah from Australia or the Rhone Valley for $20 a bottle. 

 

 

Second was a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano that represented far better value. The primary grape used in the production of Vino Nobile is Sangiovese and Vino Nobile is just to the south east of Tuscany where Sangiovese makes such magnificent wines as Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino. With the price of Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino today, many a wise person has discovered the excellent quality price ratio of Vino Nobile.

 

 

Sangiovese is a great food wine with palate cleansing natural high acidity balanced with generous fruit flavours and aromas. This wine is an excellent complement to our pasta appetizer of penne with braised beef rib. While Michael pilloried Yannick for the ultra molasses type consistency of the beef jus, Franco and I were using bread to sop up every last drop of this intense flavour explosion from the bottom of our bowls. The saltiness of the jus must have made us all extra thirsty as the Vino Nobile evaporated.

 

 

But what about a main course?  Franco defers to Michael, Michael defers to me and I go simple. I have traveled all over the world with Michael and I knew that he wanted to order everything on the menu. He once explained to me in the midst of a two week “dine in the best restaurants in France” trip, that while we did have to order everything, we did not have to eat it.   I go simple, one steak, some veg and some salad and we will split everything. Franco orders another bottle of Sangiovese, this time a Chianti Classico. 

 

 

Goodness there goes the afternoon and I cannot imagine a better way to pass the time than with great food and wine and old friends.