New Year’s Eve Dinner (Debacle) @ Boulevard Restaurant

Individuals who love wine inevitably love food (ask my wife about my increasing waistline). Lovers of food tend to like to eat out a lot…and on special occasions aren’t afraid to drop some coin to get a good meal. Unfortunately, the cost of a meal doesn’t always translate into a fine dining experience. Take New Year’s Eve 2009. After narrowing down a number of restaurant choices to a select few, friends of ours got a bit nostalgic for an old standby named Boulevard Restaurant in San Francisco, at which I’ve been to probably a dozen times. Their tuna tartare used to be arguably the best in the city (although fans of Aqua will contest this one fiercely), and their filet mignon is consistently excellent.

Unfortunately, their standard of excellence was not upheld this particular instance. In fact, it was one of the worst meals I’ve had in a very long time…and at $175/head, was a HUGE disappointment. Now my expectations for pre-fix events like these are lower than normal…getting food out to dozens of tables at similar times is not easy. However, everything about this meal fell short…starting with the most uninspired amuse-bouche I think I’ve ever had - slices of bland beets sandwiching a ball of bland mozzarella. I was so distracted with how bad it was, I actually dropped most of it on the floor. Next to the table came a couple of tuna tartare dishes, foie gras, and a Maine lobster appetizer. The tartare was literally flavorless, the foie gras overcooked, but surprisingly the lobster (the only dish not recommended by the server) was outstanding. Other than the lobster, it was disappointment followed by disappointment. The meat dishes were tough and poorly cared for and what was marketed as “truffles” turned out to be finely sliced mushrooms with little flavor. Thankfully we were all pretty drunk by the time desert came around not to care about the thoughtless final dishes that were served.

Boulevard is an old standby that I’ve heard is getting more and more mixed reviews. Well my review is not mixed at all…I won’t go back…which is really a shame because their front dining room, with a beautiful curved brick ceiling, is one of my favorites in the city. They simply did not care for their guests on this occasion... and we had enough liquid courage to mention it to the uncaring hostess. The ingredients were poor in quality, the dishes were uninspired and poorly executed, and the service was mediocre at best. The saving grace of the evening is that we were with some of our best friends and we brought our own wine (with a $40/bottle corkage fee I might add) which we knew would be excellent (including an outstanding Cab from Frank Family). I suggest that restaurants don’t sit back on their laurels during these difficult economic times…be sure that I for one will start spending my dining dollars much more selectively.

Addicted to "Wines 'Til Sold Out" website

A friend of mine introduced me to a website called Wines'Til Sold Out...which was a huge mistake since I'm now addicted to it. I've passed my addiction on to other friends who's spouses have since put me on their sh*t list. These guys sell 1 item at a time until it is sold out...and then a new item gets posted for sale. There is a huge range from high end Italian Brunellos to New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. All are very high quality and usually a pretty good deal. Don't tell your wives you heard it from me!

Orropas = Saporro

I visited a beautiful little winery called St. Clement on one of my first trips to Napa Valley. I was with a group of friends and after countless tastings and a bottle of Sauv Blanc on their patio, we found ourselves rolling down their hill like school children…yes we were drunk. I LOVED this little winery. It was what a winery should be…small production, family run, awesome wines, and a warm and relaxed atmosphere to take it all in…until I found out that it was owned by Japanese brewer Saporro. It’s not that I’m not a beer lover (I actually brew my own beer), but this “little winery” lost its luster once I found out that it was part of a corporate machine. That was, until I returned a year later and splurged on a bottle of their signature red called Orropas. OK…I was back in love…corporate machine or not. This was an awesome wine. St. Clement has since been sold into the Beringer empire, and I must admit that I’ve enjoyed many a bottle of Orropas since my rediscovery of the winery. I was back at St. Clement a couple of months ago with a friend of a friend who works for Beringer…she was outgoing, extraordinarily generous, and very knowledgeable…and she taught me this little tidbit: Orropas spells Saporro backwards. I should have figured this one out on my own, but oh well (I’m not that bright when I’m buzzed). The name is a tribute to the wine’s history, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be changed. Thanks to my friend’s corporate discount, I left with a number of bottles of Orropas. I’ll always remember rolling down the hill in front of the little winery, and will surely enjoy drinking their wine for years to come…big business or not.