On the road home

How many times have you been traveling; eyes getting heavy, legs cramping. It's just time to pull over and take a rest...  anywhere.  Traveling back from Providence, RI I was hitting just that point.  I needed a break and it was dinner time.  With no plans and no idea where I was, I took the next exit.  It looked like we were near water so my hope was a seafood restaurant.  Thanks to this technological world we live in, my wife and I both took to our mobile devices and started looking up nearby places to eat.  Deciding upon one that sounded good, we set off for the address only to find out that our choice no existed or had at least changed names.  No problem, we had plenty more choices.  We were in Norwalk, CT. and it appeared that there were several places on Wall Street to eat.  We again headed to our destination and found a place to park.  With several choices in sight, we started walking and looking at menus.  We walked into a curious looking establishment called Fat Cat Pie Co and again looked at the menu.  My wife and I were not very excited looking at the limited choices on the menu.  They had pizza, 2 salads, bloodroot bread, a cheese plate or a charcuterie plate.  That's it, and my wife and I have a gluten intolerance   

Fate must have been smiling on me.  For some reason, I was meant to walk into this store at this time.  While we examined the menu; a kindly, bearded, grey haired gentleman stepped from behind the bar seeing our dilemma. This gentleman let us know what other restaurants were in town and where.  He also let us know that if we decided to stay that they had a gluten free pizza and a great beer and wine selection.  Now he had my attention.  My daughter finally decide that this was where she wanted to eat; luckily for me.  I later found out that the man who helped us out was the owner.  What intrigued me was that he also was a wine importer.
That explained the wine list.  To say that this was not your average pizza shop is an understatement.

The menu was limited but eclectic.  The wine list...  AWSOME!  Let's start with 25 choices by the glass or a 260 bottle list.  As an unexpected stop, the experience was amazing.  The gluten free pizza was the best I've had.  I cheated and tried some of my daughter's pizza as well.  The combination of thin crisp crust and toppings were something to be savored.  The house kale salad was a delicious combination of chopped kale, red currants, roasted pumpkin seeds and quinoa with olive oil and parmesan.  I wish I had had the time and appetite to try the artisanal cheeses and charcuterie selection.

What wine did I drink with pizza and kale salad?  I left this choice for the sommelier.  I asked him to please choose 3 half pours of something that he thought was exceptional from the list that would go with my meal.  I enjoyed the following wines.

Wine #1 - Le Vignoble d'elian, Elian da Ros 2010 from Cotes du Marmondais, France.   The wine was bold with soft dry tannins.  While the wine gave off scents of black currant it drank with hints of pepper, currant and blackberry, olives and a touch of earthiness.  I would rate this wine an 85, drink now or hold 2-3 years.

Wine #2 - Anjou Villages "Brissac", Richou 2010 from Loire Valley, France.  This wine had a sweet nose of violets and red fruits. It was reminiscent of boiled sugar hard candies and cran-raspberry.  It had a lively acidity and medium dry tannins with nuances of violet, cinnamon, a touch of cedar, cran-rasberry and dried mushrooms.  I rate this wine an 89, drink now or hold 3-5 years.

Wine #3 - Les Terrasses, Domaine des Schistes 2011 from Cotes du Roussillion, France.  This wine had a good balance with medium/full tannins and a rich mouthfeel.  The nose was sweet vanilla, plum and raspberry.  The wine reflected sweet plum and raspberry, black pepper and a touch of oak,earth and coffee.  I would rate this wine an 88, drink now or hold 3-5 years

If our experienced had ended here, it would have been enough, but it didn't.  One of the waiters has an amazing operatic voice.  I only know this because 2 lucky patrons were treated to an an incredible version of happy birthday.  Both were met by rounds of applause from the entire restaurant.  Fat Cat Pie Co. at 9-11 Wall Street; Norwalk, CT 06850; 203-523-0389, is well worth a detour from the beaten path.  Thank you for a wonderful time!


Tom Cook

#FatCatPieCo, #NorwalkCT

More from the road

On the road again.  Day two of my travels landed me in Providence, Rhode Island.  Home to Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design and Johnson and Wales University.  If you don't know, Johnson and Wales has a culinary school.  The abundance of their students makes Providence a virtual mecca for foodies.  Where there's good food there's always good wine.

Case in point; Cafe Nuovo, located right along the water in downtown Providence.  Cafe Nuovo is a great spot to watch Providence's renowned WaterFire.  WaterFire is a series of bonfires that blaze just above the surface of the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence.  WaterFires are held May through October, typically on Saturdays about twice a month.  More information can be obtained at  www.WaterFire.org.

So what wine did I pair with Steak Tartare with foie gras and truffle aioli and a Veal Chop with maple glazed butternut squash, brussel sprouts, broccolini, meyer lemon jus and black truffle butter?  2009 Frederic Esmonin Gevrey Chambertin, Clos Prieur.  The nose gave hints of plum. leather and cherry.  The wine gave off more layers of cherry with earth and tar notes followed by white pepper and leather.  All in all a very pleasant food friendly wine.  I would rate it an 87, drink now or hold 1-3 years.  Check out tomorrows tales as more from the road continues.  Don't wait for the special occasions, make them.

Tom Cook

#CafeNuovo, #ProvidenceRhodeIsland

Unexpected Pleasures

I was traveling today to look at colleges with my daughter and had an unexpected surprise.  When I travel I always look for independent restaurants to dine at.  I like to dine at local establishments where I can enjoy true local cuisine and have an experience that I can't get at home.  Traveling through Bridgeport, CT I found a tapas restaurant that advertised having a wine bar as well.  This sounded like the perfect place to stop and have a relaxing meal.  Why am I telling you about this?  Because it was just that good!

If you're in the area, please stop in to Taberna Food & Wine Bar; located at 1439 Madison Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06606; (203) 338-0203.  The wine list was knowledgeably constructed to compliment their cuisine.  The food was excellent.  The service and decor were homey yet elegant without being pretentious.  The owner/Maitre D' helped pick out a wine that complimented my food magically.  The wine was 2007 Bolgheri rosso, an Italian red composed of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 30% sangiovese.  The nose was earthy with a touch of blackberry and a light sweet wood aroma.  In the mouth it was layered with bay leaf, cinnamon, blackberry and earthiness that hinted of sandalwood and bitter chocolate.  It was the perfect compliment to tapas of steamed octopus with potato and paprika and an entree of Duck leg confit with sweet potato, beets and spinach.  The duck was finished with a port wine sauce that not overly sweet as is often the case. The legs were perfectly crisp on the outside yet tender and falling apart when touched with a knife.  The melange of sea salt and vinegar were beautiful compliment to the delicately tender steamed octopus.

Please support your local independent restaurateurs and enjoy the local culture whenever possible.  As for Taberna; I can't wait to travel down this road again.  Daniel. thank you for a truly wonderful night!  Good friends and good wine!  May the truth lie at the bottom of the glass.

Tom Cook

#Taberna Food & Wine Bar, #Bridgeport, CT,

Aging Wine

Anyone that knows me knows my passion for Zinfandels.  Today I had one of my favorites; 2004 Spelletich Cellars Zinfandel, Alviso Vineyard, Amador County, CA. Todays tasting reminds me of why I choose to age wine in my cellar.  I paired this wine with of all things; Thai spiced sweet and spicy chicken wings.  It was the perfect compliment.  The wine was soft and subtle with no in your face fruit.  Just soft tannins, red fruits and a beautiful livelyness to the acidity.   You have probably heard me say an aged Zinfandel is a little like a Barbera in how they drink.  If you like your Zins big and bold and exploding with fruit, this probably isn't for you.  If you like your wines very soft and sensual, this is one to look for.  Given the fact that it is nine years old you might have some difficulty.  This is the simple merrits of aging and cellaring wine.  If your interested in this or other wines that Tim and Barbara Spelletich produce, give them a call at (707) 363-5757.  Or you can check out their website at: www.spellwine.com   Happy Hunting!

Tom Cook



#Zinfandel, #Spelletich Cellars, #Barbara Spelletich