Tra Vigne (September 2, 2002)St. Helena, CA We ate here on our previous Napa visit, and found this to be a great Italian restaurant. So here we are again... 1/2 btl 2000 Icardi Moscato d'Asti Well, now that we know about Moscato d'Asti, we have to get more for the lovely lady, right? I seize the opportunity to try a top-notch Brunello, and I am not disappointed. This is a bold dry red, meant to be consumed with a big meaty dish. Which, as you'll see, I manage to do. Antipasti sj: "Pomodoro" assorted tomatoes in basil oil You really can't go wrong with fresh garden tomatoes and basil; it's as simple and perfect as a salad can be. I go for the classic prosciutto-melon combo, and frankly, pretty much anything with prosciutto on it is going to taste good. 1st course We split the first course, I guess because we both wanted to try it, and we weren't sure we had the capacity after the previous day's adventure. This was a really nice pasta dish; the mushroom flavor was right there in the light cream, and the sage is a good match for the salty fish. Strong flavors, but they blend together nicely. I should point out that our server was very good and very helpful. He gave us good descriptions of dishes, and when we asked for recommendations between different courses, he asked us what kinds of flavors we liked, and then steered us along. Friendly, knowledgeable, and professional service, the kind that I've given up ever finding in Pittsburgh. Somewhere in here is when the Altesino arrived. The server, clearly native Italian, opened the bottle, and as he did so, he asked what my main dish was going to be. When I told him, he smiled, and said "you have paired these very well." Now, who knows if he knows that or not, but it has the desired effect; I'm really eager to get behind the next dish. 2nd course Her roast pork dish has a lovely flavor, and it's bold, just what you want out of a hearty pork dish. And under normal circumstances, I'd be scavenging off of her plate eagerly. But what I have on my plate is maybe the single best dish of the trip (I keep saying that a lot, don't I). The polenta bed is creamy and delicious, but the ribs are otherworldly. It turns out these are cold-smoked for a full day before being braised. The meat just falls off the bone, the sauce is a gorgeous dark brown glaze that demands a bread crust to mop it all up, and the smoke flavor is balanced with the flavor of the meat. And, yes, the wine is exactly right with this dish. For the third time this trip, I go into a little food reverie and tune out pretty much everything else. dessert: I think the idea of a port flight for dessert is pretty cool, and it's interesting to try them and compare them, although at this point, after a 1/2 bottle of a strong red, I'm pretty impaired. But, to be honest, I think I would have done better getting the dessert Stacey had. Another great dining experience.
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