Thursday, July 19, 2007

My Cup Runneth Over

The world can be a depressing place. Wars rage. Prices rise. Ice caps melt.

I, on the other hand, was born an optimist. I can always find something positive to enjoy, even savor. Take now, for example. It's the beautiful summertime with open-toed shoes and swimming and backyard barbecues. My beloved Cleveland Indians are only a game or two out of first place in the AL Central. The last poker tournament I played in, I won. I could go on. While others see the glass as half-empty, I'm definitely a half-full kind of person.

Sometimes though, by grace and mystery, my cup not only fills completely, it overflows. Like the other night. Picture this setting: I'm deep within the bowels of Howell Mountain, off the Silverado Trail in the Napa Valley...having dinner prepared by a classically trained chef (a graduate of the Ecole Ritz Escoffier at the Hotel Ritz in Paris)...while drinking wines prepared by the chef's husband, who's a classically trained (in Germany, no less) winemaker...while overlooking their Ghost Winery. Not only is G. with me, but so too are my good friends G. and R., and my friend K. and her husband C. And the chef and winemaker eat with us. It just doesn't get much better than that!

Let me introduce Richard and Leslie Mansfield. Leslie is the classically trained chef and has written 10+ cookbooks. Richard presides over Mansfield Winery, which produces ultra-premium wines. Together they host (on a referral basis only---it is their home) private dinners where they not only prepare the food and provide the wine, but dine with the guests.

For our meal, Leslie, who collects vintage menus, prepared a vintage menu for dinner. It reads like a what's-what of an incredible meal. Crostini with fig-olive tapenade; escargot from the Ritz; rack of spring lamb; mint orzo; apricot parfaits with late harvest Sauvignon Blanc toffee. With each course, Richard matched an appropriate (and, to me, perfect) Mansfield Winery wine. In short, it was the type of meal that one has maybe once every ten years. Maybe. Incredible, incredible, incredible.

My specific likes and thoughts? I've only had escargot once before in my life, and was a little hesitant this time, but it was wonderful: hearty yet not chewy (and, as Richard said, it's basically a distribution system for butter and garlic). The hit of the night was probably the orzo, the rice-like pasta with the bright summery mint. While I enjoyed all the wines, my favorite remains The Mansfield Winery's Umpqua Valley (OR) Riesling--clear, with amazing feel and, to me, clean without the heavy sugars so many rieslings have to me. We ate and drank and laughed. And there were no mishaps, either. C. kept his pants on (long story). G. and K. successfully passed through the metal detector on the way out so no vintage silverware went missing. And R. and G. invited us, on the spur of the moment, to another party the following evening.
As enjoyable as the food and wine were though, perhaps the highlight of the evening was simply the laughter among us all. To dine well and to do so with special friends...now THAT makes a meal truly a feast. The evening made me think about those special times and special moments in our lives. When our cups runneth over, what spills out isn't wasted, it isn't lost; those spilled nutrients, that spilled-over life, I like to think, fertilizes the world around us, leading to more great meals, fun times, and deeper connections with the special people in our lives.

12 comments:

ckderum26 said...

Your rendition of the evening is nothing less than spot on. Sauteed Halloumi wrapped in Proscuitto and the Escargot were the highlights of the food experience for me. The wine was perfectly matched and the company could not have been better. Thank you for inviting C and myself. It was truly an evening we'll remember.

Big Night Fan said...

The Halloumi and Escargot were two of the highlights for me, too. Had you had Escargot before? Are you a "fan" so to speak? It's crazy, but now I'm developing a serious craving for La Gare. Do that "French thing" RIGHT.

ckderum26 said...

Yes. . I had it once on Maui (I know that sounds strange - more likley a place to order fish); OK, we did order fish for dinner. It was an appetizer so we thought we'd give it a shot. I don't recall raving over it as we did on Monday, but it wasn't a bad experience, which is why I had no reservations about diving in! butter? yum garlic? yum escargot - just a fancy word for snails, but something about the romance of the French language makes you forget that I suppose!

La Gare - yum. . . haven't been there in a while!

Anonymous said...

Tim--why didn't you invite me? Remember that time in Vegas, when you needed cab fair to get to the airport.... I was there for you then, buddy. JZ

Big Night Fan said...

KD, I am going to have to ask Leslie more about the escargot. On the menu, it says that they're from the Ritz. Do they fly them in? Can you freeze them? Inquiring minds (or at least mine) want to know....

ckderum26 said...

oooh yeah.. hazelnuts in the escargot. . I forgot about that! Headed to Langley's on the Green in Windsor this evening for our anniversary. I'll be sure to let you know all about that food experience ;-)

Anonymous said...

The Mansfield Winery Merlot is out of this world.

Anonymous said...

How interesting to eat a meal from a vintage menu? WOW.

Azy Does It said...

When our cups runneth over, we are reminded of how truly blessed we are. Good friends, good times, great food and wine... In turn, it does, "fertilize the world around us" by offering a much needed perspective on things. I really loved this piece, and the last paragraph was beautiful!

monkeyporkbun said...

Oh my! Just reading this I slipped into a heaven I dare not describe. I must ask you this - How *do* you stay thin?

Big Night Fan said...

Hi MPB. I'm glad that you called on Friday, and that we re-connected. Well, as you know, a big part of my staying thin is my genes--high metabolism, etc. However, since middle age is creeping up on me, it is easy for even me to put some weight on. What do I do? Eat lightly MOST meals, especially lunch. Exercise 50 minutes 6 days a week (walks, biking, etc.), and I am blessed with being able to sleep soundly. I think that's a big one: the more I sleep, the more weight I seen to "burn off" while I'm out. But you can't beat good genes!!!!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE escargo too!