{"id":111425,"date":"2024-02-14T12:19:57","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T17:19:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/?p=111425"},"modified":"2024-04-28T14:27:38","modified_gmt":"2024-04-28T18:27:38","slug":"birthday-dinner-california-grill-february-2-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/?p=111425","title":{"rendered":"Birthday Dinner @ California Grill February 2, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the words of that great man of American Letters, Yogi Berra, and I quote: \u201cIt was dej\u00e0 vu<\/em> all over again.\u201d  The Cali Grill has been my go to place for the past 8 year to celebrate National Groundhog Day,<\/em> which conveniently takes place on the same day as my birthday.  And it also marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a wonderful mixture to Cali Grill\u2019s vibe.  Not quite boisterous, but not subdued; not cozy, but not crowded.  Not intimate, but not crazy busy.  Not stuffy; but purely suited for enjoying very good cuisine, very good wine and an opportunity to catch a pretty amazing view of Cinderella\u2019s Castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically I ask for a table along the window which offers a primo view of the fireworks display over Cinderella\u2019s Castle.  But this year I changed my request to get a specific server.  Walter was our server last year and he was hands down one of the two best servers we have ever had on Disney property (or elsewhere for that matter).  We lucked out getting Walter last year. I wasn\u2019t leaving it to luck this year\u2026  I happily sacrificed a window table in order to ensure being seated in his section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martini Time! Sadly Disney is running out their inventory of Tanqueray Gin. Not just at the Cali Grill but at all their other sit down restaurants.  But I could postpone making the decision to quit Disney over this egregious shortfall because Cali Grill still had a bit of Tanqueray N0.10 still in play.  Color me happy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The dinner at the Cali Grill is prix fixe <\/em>@ $89 for three courses.  A wine pairing is available for each course, and once again I opted for the higher tiered selection of wines  @ $69.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had hoped to repeat my first course from last year, Braised Beef Short Rib Wontons, which was a  fabulous starter. But it wasn\u2019t on the menu this year, so I opted for the Spicy Kazan Roll (Crab, Shrimp, Scallops, Tuna & Fireball Sauce).  A brief pause here.  I\u2019m not a fan of sushi, sashimi or any other expressions of uncooked, or nearly uncooked fish (although I regularly scarf down fresh shucked clams and oysters).  Kazan Roll?  I thought it was going to be a fish-based egg roll, with a crisp tasty exterior.  Wrong!  Walter instructed me on how to place some of the fireball hot sauce on each of the rolls, and armed with chopsticks I dug in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it was very good.\u00a0 And made better because I had a glass of\u00a0Trimbach Riesling Cuv\u00e9e Fr\u00e9d\u00e9rick Emile \u201915\u00a0<\/strong>as the pairing.\u00a0 I used the 2014 vintage in a tasting this past November and knew the wine is star quality in every vintage (it is only made in good years).\u00a0 And the 2015 indeed rated a shade higher than the excellent 2014.\u00a0 But to quibble over a point or two is a fool’s mission in a wine at this quality level.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For my main course once again I went with the Fire-Roasted Venison.\u00a0 I order Venison just about every time I see it on a menu (in fact I had Venison at Jiko in the Animal Kingdom Lodge two days earlier.\u00a0 Also excellent).\u00a0 I love a good cut of steak; but I can prepare that anytime at home.\u00a0 Venison is a treat.\u00a0 The Chef swapped out the sides from last year and replaced them with Butternut Squash Gnocchi, Parsnip-Almond Pur\u00e9e, Roasted Cippolini Onions, Glazed Apples, Chanterelle Mushrooms & Venison Jus. This dish was superbly prepared and I enjoyed a new vintage of wine that had been in the flight last year. The\u00a0Duckhorn Merlot Three Palms Vyd \u201920\u00a0<\/strong>was in perfect sync with rich flavors of the venison and the sides.\u00a0 Great wine in concert with a great dish \u2013 what could be better than that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last year I paired the dessert course (a Chef\u2019s Selection of California Cheeses) with the Ruinart Blanc de Blancs.  <\/strong> There was nothing noteworthy in the cheese board, so this year I opted for the Peanut and Banana Torte (Shortbread, Peanut Ganache, Miso Caramel, Nut Crumble and Caramelized Bananas).  Peanut and Bananas?  Isn\u2019t that an Elvis thing?  No matter, I\u2019m sure that the King would have knocked off a couple of plates of this dessert, and it was a definite upgrade over last year\u2019s cheese plate!   The key for me was the Champagne.  I would love that Blanc de Blancs with anything \u2013 including the Kazan Roll, the Venison and even a peanut butter and banana sandwich!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

THE WINES SERVED<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trimbach Riesling Cuv\u00e9e Fr\u00e9d\u00e9rick Emile \u201915 (Alsace, France)
<\/u><\/strong>The 2015 Riesling Cuv\u00e9e Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Emile is clear and intense but highly refined on the nose that perfectly blends mineral with concentrated lemon and smoky flavors. Round, concentrated and very elegant on the palate, this is a slightly sweeter than normal Riesling, but it is highly finessed, well-structured and perfectly salty with a long and tension-filled finish. Fine tannins reflect the limestone\/marl terroir of the Geisberg Grand Cru with the southeast-facing Osterberg Grand Cru. The 2015 will not go on the market earlier than 2022. 95+pts Wine Advocate<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Duckhorn Merlot Three Palms Vyd \u201920 (Napa, CA)
<\/strong>A cuv\u00e9e of 98% Merlot and 2% Malbec. The Duckhorn Vineyards Three Palms Vineyard Merlot is an iconic wine that always demands attention with its yearly release. The 2020 vintage is alluring, persistent, and classic. Epic, elegant and profoundly complex, this stunning wine draws you in with aromas of fresh cranberry, huckleberry, crushed rose petals, raspberry and graham crackers. On the palate, mesmerizing layers of black fig and cocoa powder mingle with the lush berry flavors, with a sophisticated note of minerality emerging on the long, resonant finish. 94pts Wilfred Wong<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs (Champagne, France)
<\/strong>100% Chardonnay. Based on the 2019 vintage and disgorged in 2022, Ruinart’s newly released NV Blanc de Blancs bursts with characteristically reductive aromas of yellow orchard fruit, citrus oil, iodine and toasted bread. Medium-bodied, pillowy and fleshy, with lively acids and a saline finish, it is an attractive Champagne that incorporates 20% reserve wines.
91pts Wine Advocate<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the words of that great man of American Letters, Yogi Berra, and I quote: \u201cIt was dej\u00e0 vu all over again.\u201d  The Cali Grill has been my go to place for the past 8 year to celebrate National Groundhog Day, which conveniently takes … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=111425"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111447,"href":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111425\/revisions\/111447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=111425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=111425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=111425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}