A LA CARTE : BEAUJOLAIS NOVEAU.Byline: Larry Lipson The third Thursday of November is now celebrated around the globe as Beaujolais Nouveau Day. It's the day the current vintage of the red wine of the Beaujolais region of Burgundy in France is officially released to the public. So a week from today, the fruity 1997 nouveau will be first uncorked to its annual crowd of admirers. Which means that restaurants and wine shops locally get into the act, offering everything from a glass to a full dinner celebrating the event, though some prefer an ensuing day to the actual one. Coincidentally, this wine has a remarkable affinity for the upcoming festive turkey Thanksgiving dinner. Most experts suggest it should be slightly chilled before drinking (around half an hour to 40 minutes in the refrigerator). And because of its lightness and fruitiness, it is considered more of a gulping rather than sipping beverage. Here are a few Beaujolais Nouveau happenings worth consideration: Bistro Garden Address: 12950 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Phone: (818) 501-0202. Cuisine: Continental. Event: Reception and four-course dinner with split pea soup, beet and celery root salad, roast goose and glazed water chestnuts with potato dumplings and red cabbage, hazelnut souffle souffle /souf·fle/ (soo´f'l) a soft, blowing auscultatory sound. cardiac souffle any cardiac or vascular murmur of a blowing quality. and coffee. Wines are by Georges Duboeuf and Chateau de la Grande Grange. Chefs are Harry Klibingat and Karl Rohner. Date and time: Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m. (reception). Price: $45. California Canteen Address: 3311 Cahuenga Blvd. W., near Universal City. Phone: (213) 876-1702. Cuisine: Bistro French-Californian. Event: Buffet celebration includes numerous charcuterie items, also escargots baked in Beaujolais Nouveau wine with mushrooms, leg of lamb, potatoes gratin gra·tin n. A top crust consisting of browned crumbs and butter, often with grated cheese. [French, from obsolete grater, to scratch, scrape, from Old French; see grate1.] , mixed organic lettuces, cheeses and a glass of the wine. Date and time: Nov. 20, 6 to 9:30 p.m. Price: $15 per person. John Roberts Floriculturist flo·ri·cul·ture n. The cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants. [Latin fl  s, fl Address: 1424 Foothill Blvd., La Canada. Phone: (818) 790-0733. Cuisine: Assorted hors d'oeuvres. Event: This is a tasting of not only several Beaujolais Nouveau wines, but also of regular ``cru'' Beaujolais wines from among the 10 renowned districts. (Wines supplied by Red Carpet Wines & Spirits in Glendale.) Date and time: Nov. 21, 7 p.m. Price: $20. Fins Creekside Calabasas Address: 23504 Calabasas Road, Calabasas. Phone: (818) 223-3467. Cuisine: Seafood. Event: Regular menu and special dishes will be served in decorated festive atmosphere with a jazz trio entertaining. Beaujolais Nouveau of both Jaffelin and Georges Duboeuf will be poured. Date and time: Nov. 20, from 6 p.m. Price: Nouveaux wines are $18-$20 per bottle, $4 per glass. Regular menu prices for food. Pinot Bistro Address: 12969 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Phone: (818) 990-0500. Cuisine: Upscale bistro French-Californian. Event: Four-course dinner starts with seafood soup, then a choice of beet and lamb with goat cheese terrine ter·rine n. 1. An earthenware container for cooking and serving food. 2. Any of various dishes prepared or cooked in a terrine. [French; see tureen. , fruit and cheese salad, tower of pate or oysters. Entree is a choice of mallard duck, coq au vin coq au vin n. A dish of chicken cooked in red wine. [French : coq, chicken + à, with + vin, wine.] Noun 1. , cassoulet cas·sou·let n. A casserole of white beans, various meats, vegetables, and herbs, slowly simmered or baked in a slow oven. [French, stove dish, diminutive of cassolo, earthenware vessel or poached salmon. Dessert is a choice warm fig tart, chocolate and cherry tart or warm apple tart. Live French music and all the Beaujolais Nouveau you can drink. Date and time: Nov. 24, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Price: $42. Pinot at the Chronicle Address: 897 Granite Drive, Pasadena. Phone: (626) 792-1179. Cuisine: French-Californian. Event: Four-course dinner begins with butternut squash and shiitake shiitake, n See lentinan. soup, then a choice of warm cabbage salad, asparagus and garlic tart, watercress-endive salad or assorted oysters. Main dish is a choice of ribeye steak, lamb cassoulet, chicken breast with foie gras sauce or grilled halibut. Dessert is a choice of tarte tatin, pumpkin-pecan bread pudding or chocolate tart. Live French music and all the Beaujolais Nouveau you can drink. Date and time: Nov. 24, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Price: $42. Pinot Hollywood Address: 1448 N. Gower St., Hollywood. Phone: (213) 461-8800. Cuisine: French-California. Event: Four-course dinner starts with a choice of white bean and bitter green soup or roasted game birds consomme. Second course is a choice of Pacific oysters, beef marrow bone with turnip turnip, garden vegetable of the same genus of the family Cruciferae (mustard family) as the cabbage; native to Europe, where it has been long cultivated. The two principal kinds are the white (Brassica rapa) and the yellow (B. and potato, scallop scallop or pecten, marine bivalve mollusk. Like its close relative the oyster, the scallop has no siphons, the mantle being completely open, but it differs from other mollusks in that both mantle edges have a row of steely blue "eyes" and and frisee fri·sée n. See endive. [French, from feminine past participle of friser, to curl; see frizz1.] salad or a veal rib and green peppercorn pep·per·corn n. 1. A dried berry of the pepper vine Piper nigrum. 2. A small or insignificant thing. peppercorn Noun the small dried berry of the pepper plant gnocchi gnoc·chi pl.n. Dumplings made of flour, semolina, or potatoes, boiled or baked and served with grated cheese or a sauce. [Italian, pl. . Entree is a choice of sweet veal sausage and artichoke artichoke, name for two different plants of the family Asteraceae (aster family), both having edible parts. The French, or globe, artichoke (Cynara scolymus , salmon on lentils, grilled lamb tenderloin or chicken breast with celery and mushrooms. Dessert is a choice of double chocolate tart, creme brulee or caramelized lemon sandwich. Live French music and all the Beaujolais Nouveau you can drink. Date and time: Nov. 24, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Price: $42. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion