2002 Onyx Kroon

The 2002 Darling Cellars Onyx Kroon ($25) is from the Groenekloof region of South Africa. "Kroon" means "Crown." It is a Cape blend made of 55% Shiraz, 35% Pinotage, 5% Grenache, and 5% Cinsault. This is their Flagship wine so they use only their best grapes for this blend. It is also supposed to be a low production wine.

This evening, I opened a bottle with my dinner, a couple Kobe beef burgers (bought from the Butcher Shop in the South End). The wine is dark and rich, a powerful wine with a spicy finish with touches of smoke and even bacon. It is a bold wine and definitely paired well with the Kobe. Though I enjoyed this wine, I am not sure it is worth its price. For though it is very good, it is not exceptional. I would definitely Drink this wine anytime, but I don't think I would buy it again. The Hill & Dale Pinotage ($8-10) is a much better value from South Africa.

Toro

While in the South End, we were going to stop at Seiyo, to check out their wines and get some sushi. But it was closed. Luckily I noted that Toro was open. I was a bit surprised as I had thought that Toro was only open for dinner. Well, it was open for Sunday brunch too. So we eagerly went there.

Toro is one of Chef Ken Oringer's restaurants and is well known as an excellent place for Spanish food, especially Tapas. I had not yet been to Toro though it certainly was on my To Do list. I guess this was my Chef Oringer weekend, as I had also been to Clio on Friday night. This weekend has certainly given me a greater appreciation for Chef Oringer.

There were several tables outside Toro and most of them were filled. Inside, most of the tables were taken as well. It certainly was a popular spot. We sat at some empty chairs at one end of the bar. The mood in the restaurant seemed jovial and friendly.

I checked out the drink and wine list. There are about 16 Spanish wines available by the glass ($5-10) plus a number of Sherries. There are many more wines available by the bottle, starting at $20 and rising to $625 for a bottle of the Vega Sicilia Unico. There are plenty of affordable and good tasting wines on the list, covering many different Spanish D.O.'s. They also have beers and specialty cocktails.

I had a glass of the 2005 Vi de Nulles Tempranillo Rose from Tarragona ($8). This was a refreshing Rose, with a nice strawberry flavor. The fruit did not overpower and it was perfect for the summer day. I had never had this wine before but would definitely order it again.

As we had already been eating this day, we decided just to order light. We had a Tortilla Espanola, the Spanish omelet. It came with an intriguing salad that had greens, pine nuts and sweet yellow raisins. Everything was excellent and plentiful. We also had the Kobe burgers, two small sliders, that came with potatoes. The burgers were very juicy and tasty. I had also ordered a side of patatas bravas so we had plenty of potatoes. The patatas bravas though came in a spicy mojo sauce. These potatoes were cooked perfectly, nice and crisp on the outside and soft inside. There were all relatively simple dishes but done very well. Prices were reasonable.

Our server, Christina, was personable and attentive. We had no complaints at all about our service. The rest of the staff were very nice as well.

I view this Brunch as bit of a teaser as to the quality of Toro. It certainly whetted my appetite to return for dinner very soon. It certainly is a very good place for a Sunday brunch. I recommend that you check out Toro.

Toro
1704 Washington St.
Boston, MA
Phone: (617) 536-4300

The Danish Pastry House

I spent the day today with my mother and nephew wandering around Boston, Cambridge and Somerville. It was certainly a beautiful day for a bit of culinary adventuring.

We started in the South End, visiting the South End Open Market. There were a few food vendors there, mainly bakeries and a fruit/veggie stand. I was particularly intrigued by the stand belonging to the Danish Pastry House. They had a number of incredible looking baked goods, including huge cookies, cinnamon brioche rolls, ham & cheese croissants, muffins and more. I bought a box of pastries to go and ate a few there as well. Everything was obviously very fresh, and delicious. The ham & cheese croissant was flaky, and stuffed with lots of cheese and ham. The cinnamon brioche rolls were very tasty.

I was unfamiliar with this vendor but have now checked out their website. They have stands at six local markets, as well as a cafe in Medford and a bakery in Watertown.

I do know that I will soon be making a trip to Medford to check them out more closely. Stay tuned for a future report.

Turtle Creek Winery

Have you ever had wines from the Turtle Creek Winery? There is a good chance you have not but you should seek out their wines.

On Saturday, a fine summer day, I organized a private tour and tasting of this winery for some members of the North Shore Winers. Turtle Creek Winery is not generally open to the public but they do sometimes run private tours. We were lucky enough to partake of one of these private tours.

Turtle Creek Winery is located in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Kip Kumler, the owner and winemaker, led our tour. Turtle Creek is a modest operation, producing only 500-1000 cases of wine per year. Thus, each of their separate wines consists of less than 100 cases. So, these are very limited production wines. There are several wine stores that carry their wines plus some can be ordered from the winery itself. But, as these wines are so limited in production, it can be difficult to find the wines. Which is why many people may be unfamiliar with their wines.

We began our tour outside near some grape vines where Kip gave a short talk on growing grapes in Massachusetts. He discussed some of the problems that grape growers in the region encounter including harsh winters, fungis/pests and a short growing season. Grapes can be grown but one has to deal with the potential problems. Kip detailed some of his methods for overcoming the limitations of the region. He does rely on technology to help overcome these matters, and does much research and testing to develop new and improved methods.

Presently, Turtle Creek plants Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Riesling. They also purchase grapes from California and New York. Kip discussed some of his growing practices, indicating that he aims for better grapes at the expense of yield. He clearly is not trying to mass produce grapes but rather is aiming for a superior product. This is a common denominator at Turtle Creek, the pursuit of excellence rather than the mass production of a mediocre product.

It was very clear from the outset that Kip is very passionate about his wines. He truly seeks to make an excellent product. That is clearly one reason why his wine production has remained so low for these years. He certainly seems to work very hard at ensuring the only wine he sells is some of his best. He mentioned that he has destroyed wine that did not meet his standards. He would not simply use the inferior wine for blending. It would end up a buried mistake.

Our tour then went inside where we got to see the fermentation area, the wine cellar, laboratory and more.

This is a photo of Kip next to the fermentation tanks. The tanks are specially made to maintain certain temperature levels.

This is a photo of Kip in front of his bottling machine. This is where the wines are also corked and labeled. Again, Kip uses technology to assist his work and make it easier to bottle and label. For example, the bottler does the corking in a vacuum so that the air pressure inside a corked bottle is proper without the need to sit out and wait.
This is part of the laboratory where Kip does testing and research. Again, he uses technology to assist him in his endeavors. It is clear he has invested much in his efforts to make a superior product.

Our final stop was the tasting room, where barrels of wine are stored against the walls. We got to taste five different wines and most of them were quite impressive. Four of the wines, except for the Cabernet Franc, were made from grapes shipped to the winery. The Cabernet Franc was grown on the premises.

I should mention that Kip aims for a more Burdgundian style in his wines. He does not want his wines to be like California wines. He aims for a more subtle style, an Old World style, rather than some fruit bomb.

Their 2005 Chardonnay was delicious. It sees only a minor amount of oak so is not overly buttery. The fruit flavors are more dominate, such as apple and apricot. It was crisp and refreshing. Though I am not a big fan of white wines, this was definitely a white wine I enjoyed. And I did buy a couple bottles as well.

The 2005 Pinot Noir was also good. It is a light colored wine with lots of bright cherry flavors. I have had others of their Pinot Noirs and have always enjoyed them.

The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon was a darker colored wine, more full bodied with lots of fruit and spice flavors. It would have gone perfectly with a steak. This is a wine you could easily cellar for a few years. I should note that his 2005 won a gold medal at a recent competition in California.

The 2005 Zinfandel was a big, bold, spicy wine. It was vibrant with flavor and complexity. This was a favorite of a number of the North Shore Winers.

The only wine I did not care for was the 2000 Cabernet Franc, which was the first bottling of their own grown grapes. It had too much of a vegetal taste to me. Kip though acknowledged that this wine had not really been as good as he hoped it would be. He is looking forward to making better Cabernet Franc in the future.

What makes these wines even better is their cost. I don't think any of the Turtle Creek wines cost more than $20. Most are priced from $16-18. For such low production wines, these costs are unbelieveable. And when you consider the high quality of these wines, then these wines give you a great value. These wines are well crafted and you certainly can't go wrong with them. The Winers certainly enjoyed the wines and a number of them bought the Chardonnay, the only wine available. I know if the other varietals had been available, cases of the wine would have walked out that door.

Kip certainly is a good spokesman for his wines. He was very knowledgeable, personable and accomodating. He evidences a true passion for his work and it shows in his products.

If you want to try some excellent wines, especially good values ones, then seek out Turtle Creek wines!

Clio

For my birthday, I could choose any restaurant I wanted for dinner. Would it be an old favorite or some new hot spot? After much consideration, I chose Clio. Why Clio? I had never been there before yet had read much positive press about it. It was always one of those places on my To Do list but that I had not yet visited. I wanted something special, a place that had innovative cuisine. From a review of the menu on the Clio website, I was very intrigued.

The Chef at Clio is the famed Ken Oringer, who also runs several other local restaurants, including Uni, Toro, La Verdad and KO Prime. Uni is a sushi/sashimi bar located in the same building as Clio. Toro is a Spanish tapas restaurant which has received much acclaim. His two newest places, La Verdad and KO Prime, are respectively a taqueria and a steakhouse.

Clio is located beneath the Eliot Hotel and they do have valet parking ($15). We were nicely greeted when we entered. The restaurant is very modern looking and elegant with a small bar near the front door and the dining area to the left. To the right, you can go to Uni. The room is designed well so that you really do not hear the other diners near you. This helps provide a more intimate feel.

The food menu contains some very diverse choices with appetizers, about $15-20, and entrees, about $20-40. You can also choose the Tasting Menu ($135) which contains 12-13 courses. You can get wine pairings ($100), about ten different wines, with the Tasting Menu. We opted for the Tasting Menu but without the wine pairings. I wanted to experience many different dishes and flavors, to see the range of the restaurant.

The wine list is very diverse as well, with wines from all over the world. There are few wines below $60 but this seems more that they have chosen better wines than just being overpriced. Based on a few wines that I knew their retail price, it appears Clio may only double the price, or even a bit less. As an example, the wine list had the 2004 El Nido Clio (a very appropriate named wine) which retails for $50-55. It is also a superb wine which I happen to enjoy greatly. Clio sold it for $90, which is less than twice the retail.

I should also mention that they have a full bar and a menu of special drinks, including some Liquid Nitrogen made concoctions. I did not that a couple of the drinks had Sake as an ingredient, yet the wine list did not include any Sakes. I did ask if they had a Sake menu, which they did though it appears it is used mainly in Uni though all the Sakes are available in Clio. I do think the Sake list should be added to the Clio wine list. I feel it would give even more options and the Sakes would pair well with many of the dishes in Clio.

For the first wine of the evening, I selected the Poochi-Poochi Junmai Sparkling Sake ($20 for 330ml). This is a nice alternative to Champagne though it reminds me more of a Spanish Cava as it tends to me more sweet than yeasty. It has a mild carbonation and a nice, refreshing taste. It was a good choice. I should note that they served the Sake in small Sake cups and kept the bottle chilled in an ice bucket. Nice touches.

Then the procession of courses from the Tasting Menu began to arrive. In all, we ended up with about fifteen courses, depending on what was considered an actual course. They did not rush us at all, and we were at the restaurant for over three hours. It was nicely paced.

I should start by mentioning that our dinner presented many examples of what is known as "Molecular Gastronomy." This is basically the application of science in cooking and can lead to interesting ways to prepare food, from foams to powders, the use of liquid nitrogen and such. It can lead to the creation of many culinary wonders that look as great as they taste.

We started off with the "Soda Inspired By Nature." This dish consisted of a special soda, one being a ginger beer and the other a lemon verbena. Then you had a "cone" which contained popcorn, cheese and more. You ate the entire cone and it was very tasty, though a bit messy. finally, there was a tiny chocolate bon bon. A very intriguing way to start our dinner.

Next we had the Tomato Water Martini with Basil Oil, Caper Berry and Tomato Popsicle. This is what it says, a drink in a Martini glass, that is rather clear but has a definite tomato flavor. It too was very interesting and delicious.

We then had a sashimi dish, a plate of Isaki with Green Yuzu Kosho and Papaya Salsa. Isaki is Japanese Three Line Grunt. I had never had this type of fish before. It actually has three differently colored areas, from a whitish part to a reddish area. It was delicious, with a nice smooth texture, melting like butter in your mouth. I would certainly order Isaki elsewhere if I saw it on the menu.

The next course was completed tableside. This was the LN2 Gazpacho with Wild Strawberry, Anago and Pistachio. They made like a strawberry sherbet tableside using liquid nitrogen and this then topped a plate with the pistacho sauce/soup and fruits and veggies. The strawberry was not really sweet but gave more of a vegetable flavor, complementing the rest of the dish. Very inventive and a nice variation of traditional gazpacho.

Once we finished our Sparkling Sake, I then ordered a bottle of the Mizu No Shirabe Ginjo ($55 for 720 ml). This is a superb Sake, both light and smooth. It complemented the food well and certainly did not overpower anything. This is the type of Sake I could drink all night long.

Our salad course was a Composed Abstract of Yellow and Red Watermelon with Heirloom Tomatoes, Green Garlic Scapes and Bitter Almond. A very interesting dish with a nice mix of flavors. Everything tasted vey fresh and there was plenty of watermelon.

We then moved on to the Ribbons of Tairagai with Honeydew Melon, Trout Roe and Dehydrated Serrano Ham. Tairagai is a Pen Shell Clam, another type I have not had before. It is different from the traditional claim and actually consists of a long strip like a ribbon. It was tender and tasty, especially with its accompaniements. I am usually not as big Roe person but enjoyed them in this dish. I was glad to get to taste fish that I never had before.

Next was a Garden Sorrel Soup with Mussels, Chamomile and Potato Feuillantine. Another excellent dish, flavorful and different. The Mussels were tender and tasty.

Our next course was a Two-Hour Egg with Asparagus, Ham Foam and Foraged Mushrooms. Yes, they actually slow cooked the egg for two hours. The yolk was still soft. Great flavors and such an intriguing idea. We are both quite happy at this point, savoring each and every dish that has been brought, and anticipating what might come next.

Then came the Maine Butter Poached Lobster with Mousserons, Sea Beans, and Vin Jaune D'Arbois. This included meat from a lobster claw and a tail. It was so succulent and buttery. Pure bliss! They have this as an entree of their main menu and I would highly recommend it. Such amazing flavors.

We did order another bottle of wine, this time choosing a 2004 Mas De Can Blau ($75), a Spanish red from the Montsant region. This wine was a blend of Mazeulo, Garnacha and Syrah. I thought it was a superb wine, with rich berry flavors and smooth tannins. It had a long, satisfying finish and was not too heavy. It would go very well with our next dishes.

We moved on to one of Clio's signature dishes, the Lacquered Foie Gras with Rhubarb, Strawberry Jam and Lavender. I love Foie Gras and this was one of the best I have ever had. Silky, buttery smooth. Great mesh of flavors. I could have eaten an entire plate of this. Another highly recommended dish.

Next came the Elysian Farm Rack of Lamb with a Melange of Vegetables, Chocolate Mint and Haricots Coco. We were told that only five restaurants in the country have this type of lamb. Well, it was wonderful. Tender, delicious and meaty. It went very well with our wine. This is on their main menu and I would definitely recommend this as well. If you love lamb, then this dish will satisfy you.

We then moved onto a Cheese Selection before a couple of desserts. The desserts included a Blueberry Tart with Cream Cheese Sorbet & Passion Fruit and a Chocolate Sorbet with Cucumber and Chartreuse Soup. All three of these courses were very good. A very nice ending to our meal.

We did get one final treat. I had booked my reservation online at Open Table, mentioning it was my birthday. They did take notice and presented me with a banana "lollipop" with Happy Birthday written on the plate in chocolate. A great touch and good to know they pay attention to what is written in Open Table.

The food was all fresh, inventive, delicious, and flavorful. I especially enjoyed how the dishes combined several different flavors together, flavors you might not normally put together, but which worked well. There was plenty of food. We left very satisfied.

Service was impeccable. Our main waiter, Christopher, was attentive, personable and knowledgeable. He certainly enhanced our dining experience. The rest of the waitstaff was excellent as well. They were attentive as well without being overbearing.

Overall, this was a superb dining experience and I am extremely pleased I chose this restaurant for my birthday celebration. Yes, it is expensive but you definitely get your money's worth. Phenomenal food, great wines, excellent service. This is a place that will impress and is worthy of any special occasion. Clio receives my highest recommendation.

Clio
370 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston, MA
Phone: (617) 536-7200