Do you notice anything strange about this wine label? Yes, that is a flying saucer you see there in the upper left corner! This flying saucer is an homage to a 1954 ordinance in Chateauneuf-du-Pape prohibiting flying saucers in it's vineyard. If you want to know more about this wine, the ’04 Cigar Volant Rouge Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre, check out my earlier post here.



I always thought that venison was another term for deer, but it turns out it is much more than that. It was originally applied to any animal from the families Cervidae (deer), Leporidae (hares), and Suidae (wild pigs), and certain species of the genus Capra (goats and antelopes), such as elk, red deer, fallow deer, roe deer, moose, reindeer/caribou, pronghorn, brown hare, arctic hare, blue hare, wild boar, and ibex (here). Venison is popular for a variety of reasons; it's low in fat, high in minerals, and most importantly is a nice change of flavor from the standard meats that are always in abundance. So if you're looking to shake up your palette, come try our Elk tartar with green salad, duck fat
french fries and grilled bread.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about our new Prohibition Era cocktails, one of which is The Brooklyn. I described how the beauty of this cocktail is the prominence of rye whiskey, but I didn't explain how we made that happen. Bulleit Bourbon is the answer! Unlike many other whiskeys, Bulleit is known for their high rye content. Also, as a side note, have you ever wondered what the proper way to spell whiskey is? I have seen it two ways: whiskey and whisky, always assuming that whisky was misspelled. Well, it turns out it is not that simple. Read here to learn the ins and outs of whiskey versus whisky.

Are these chanterelles making you drool? If so you should stop in and nibble on our Wild Mushroom Bruschetta with greens and shaved Pecorino. We use a mixture of lobster, porcini, king oyster, shitake and, of course, chanterelles. One of the best things about living in the Pacific Northwest is the wonderful variety of mushrooms. Chanterelle, crimini, morel, chicken of the woods and mazutaki are just some of the mushrooms available locally during fall.

If you're in the mood for a nice red wine, I invite you to check out the '06 Abbona "Papa Celso". Dolcetto is the wine that the people of the Piedmont region of Italy drink daily. It's a nice dark red with lots of fruit. Read more about it here.

Maybe wine isn't your thing, maybe you're in the mood for something a little stronger? Here's a list of our Single Malt Scotches: The Glenlivet, Edradour, Macallan, and Lagavulin. Lagavulin Single Malt is a single malt Scotch whisky produced at Lagavulin on the island of Islay. It has a powerful, peat-smoke aroma. It is described as being robustly full-bodied, well balanced, and smooth, with a slight sweetness on the palate.

I thought we'd start off today with a little wine, specifically Chimney Rock Elevage, a Merlot Blend from Napa. It has lucious black fruit with cocoa and
vanilla on the palate. It is supple and focused with a long silky Stags Leap District finish.

Now, onto a little food. Many people like to dip their bacon and/or sausage into a little maple syrup from time to time, but have you thought about combining those flavors outside of breakfast? We have with Maple braised pork shank with shell beans, braised greens and fall vegetables. Did you know that other than Quebec, Canada, the leading producer of maple syrup, the United States is the only other major producer and the leading consumer.


Finally, some Agaves. We offer a variety of tequilas: Sauza Gold, Sauza Hornitos, El Tesoro Platinum, Patron Silver, Gran Centenario and Del Meguey Chichicapa single villiage (Mescal). While they all have their own unique attributes, the Del Meguey is extra special. It is made by slow-roasting agave hearts in the ground and then mashing them and letting them naturally ferment. This gives the mezcal a slightly smokey flavor. Technically while all tequilas are mezcal, mezcals are not tequilas.

24 Hour Kobe Brisket

The Recipe for our new menu item "24-hour Kobe brisket with paprika red sauce on cheese curd potato puree
$21"
24 Hour Kobe Brisket
185 degree oven
1 Whole Beef Brisket
1 QT Red Wine
1 C Brandy......

3 QT Canned Tomato
3 # Mire Poix (peeled and chopped)
4 QT Veal Stock
Salt and Pepper

1) Liberally salt and pepper the brisket and bring to room temperature. Heat a heavy bottomed pan large enough to hold the brisket (or cut brisket to fit your largest pan). Sear both sides of the brisket and tranfer to a hotel pan.
2) Deglaze the pan with the red wine and pour over the brisket. Add the remaining ingredients, being sure the meat is fully submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and then foil. Bake at 185 degrees until fork tender (depending on size 16-36 hours).
3) Remove the brisket from the liquid and allow to cool. Skim the fat from the liquid and remove the bouquet. Strain the liquid into a pot and process the vegetables through a food mill back into the liquid. Simmer until it reaches a nice, saucy consistency. Season to taste.
4) Portion the cooled brisket into 6 oz blocks, re-heat in the sauce and serve