The Omnivore’s Dilemma

I have been puzzling for the last few days how to best describe Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. It is a book with a lot of ideas and it would be impossible to reduce it to a paragraph and do it justice. So I won’t try. Suffice it to say if you are interested in food, or for that matter, if you eat food, you should read this book. It is the most insightful examination of the modern industrial processes of creating and consuming food that I have ever read.

For those of you who don’t want to read another depressing Upton Sinclairesque manifesto on the evils of our modern industrial economy, please read this anyway. It has its fair share of disturbing information about the source of our food, but it also presents alternatives and as Pollan says at the end of the introduction, “.. this is a book about the pleasures of eating, the kinds of pleasure that are only deepened by knowing.”

- Daniel

Writing from the road: Kyoto and Osaka

After deplaning from the 12 hour flight from San Fran and Osaka, I was humorously greeted by the gentleman at customs in Osaka. As I lifted up my bags for inspection, he pulled out a large, two-inch binder filled with laminated pictures. He began to flip through a multitude of pictures that ranged from colorful Mexican coins, to what looked to be like really bad replicas of Picasso. Then he referenced my bagage with a point of a finger, connecting it with a page that looked to be straight out of a National ant0-drug campaign from the mid 70’s. Quickly realizing the pages were filled with fields of cannabis, used needles, coke, smack, boom, pow, whatever you call all that stuff, I raised my hands up “no way”, needless to say he pulled my bag aside for an extra careful inspection. 10 minutes later, and clean as a whistle, I walked down to the greeting area and travel terminal.

Hmm…I don’t really know who’s picking me up…oh, Misao…is that a guy or a girl? As I slowly descended down the escalator, is started scanning through the field of signs plastered with a world of names. Hmm, no House, or Johnosan, maybe one with Chehalem? Hmm, ah, a Chehalem newsletter! A beautiful, doll-like Misao graciously* greeted me, and we immediately moved toward the train to Kyoto, for a Chehalem-Elk Cove wine dinner at Le Bouchon was to take place in just a few hours. *Note: I do not use the term “graciously” lightly in any case in Japan, the people here are beyond what I’ve known in America. Going into my thrid day of residing in Japan, my initial impressions are only being fortified in that the people have a level of refinement, class and thoughtfullness that makes me think about how I’ve used those adjectives in the past…You know, what do they really mean? Refined (r-fnd) 1. Free from coarseness or vulgarity; polite. 2. Free of impurities; purified. 3. Precise to a fine degree. Even as Misao and I rode in the train to Kyoto, a couple with a crying baby apologized to us repeatedely, as if it were some vagary to have a tired baby. Anyhow, after a 5:30am rainy-Portland wake up, a 12 hour flight to Japan, a one and half hour train ride to Kyoto, a 20 minute cab ride to Le Bouchon, it is time to perform and eat classic French cuisine….wait a second! FRENCH cuisine?!?

That’s right folks, here are a few shots from a classic Provencal meal in Kyoto Japan:

Tourrine of the day, Bar at Le Bouchon , Hama and Shirley talking Oregon up! , Chocolate dessert, Gratine du Chocolate , My supposed Poussin du Jour, I’m pretty sure I got the fish of the day! .

And of course after all that eating and drinking we headed back to the hotel…or not! Who would of thought that after a French meal in your first few hours in Kyoto that you’d be going to a Champagne bar of all places?! Hey, I perk up when I hear bubbles. You’re not gonna want to know what I had, but it was oh so good, and who would’ve thought there would be a veritable selection of grower Champanges at fair prices? Larmandier Bernier Vertus NV , Perfection in service and opening a Champagne bottle .

So this is just what happened in my first few hours in Japan. What happened yesterday? Stay posted, and I’ll give you this hint…Hide Sushi + The beginnings of Lunch . Cheers, JHo

2005 Domaine Pavelot La Dominode at the Dundee Bistro

Sydney and I finally used our gift certificate to the Dundee Bistro last night. I think many of us in the wine industry have a tendency to order imported wines when we go out, and around here, more often than not, that means Burgundy. Last night, eating duck confit and roasted chicken, it seemed like a perfect option.

The 2005 Domaine Jean-Marc Pavelot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode exhibited a deep, dark red color. Pretty red/black fruit aromas with a touch of barnyard. Sour cherry fruit and cocoa flavors which showed a bit of leather after some time in the glass. A big, sharp hit of tannin and a bitter bite at the end.

This strikes me as a wine being consumed about a decade too soon. As the wine sat, the tannins eased a bit and the bitterness mellowed, although it didn’t entirely disappear. Eating it with the duck, and even the chicken, contributed to making the wine seem softer and rounder and the fruit on the palate really pop.
Everything about this young wine is beautiful and balanced until the finish, when things go a little ajar. While showing some very lovely qualities, the La Dominode is running a little rough which fits with everything I have been reading about the evolution of the 2005s. I gather they are going to sleep, not to awake for many years, at which point the expectation is that they will amaze. In the meantime, we will have the 2006s to keep us occupied since, by all accounts, they won’t require as much time in the cellar to shine.

Now if only the dollar would come out of the hole…

The Pavelot La Dominode is carried by our good friends at Triage Wines.

- Daniel

Restaurant: Sel Gris, Portland, OR

The Portland restaurant scene seems to be at a high point right now. Well established chef’s like Vitaly Paley at Paley’s Place and Greg Higgins at his eponymous restaurant are as consistent and creative as ever and newcomers to the scene like Le Pigeon’s Gabriel Rucker and Andy Ricker at Pok Pok are garnering acclaim from beyond the northwest. Eric Asimov from the New York Times claims that Portland is experience a “Golden Age of Eating and Drinking.” I find it hard to disagree with him.

Case in point: I finally had a chance to dine at Sel Gris, the latest of Portland’s exciting and innovative restaurants. Chef Daniel Mondok is producing excellent food with an unsurpassed attention to detail. Everything is delicious, but what sets Sel Gris apart in my mind is the artistry with which food is assembled. Every dish comes off the line looking like a work of art.

On Friday we ate at Sel Gris for my wife Sydney’s birthday . At the chef’s counter, we had the opportunity to see the precision of the kitchen operations. The space is tight and so each person has to stick pretty close to his or her station, but everything was perfectly planned, or at least appeared so. A few highlights:

Regrettably, I did not have a camera with me, so I wasn’t able to capture the beauty of the Calamari Frito Misto, a simple but visually gorgeous dish with delicately fried pieces of squid highlighted by the greens and yellows of green beans and preserved lemons. Similarly the Foie Gras “Two Ways” showed off Mondok’s culinary and visual artistry: The salt-cured Au torchon with sweet candied ginger and the lovely pan-roasted with a delicate salad of slightly-bitter greens.

For entree, I had the salmon, something I rarely do because, frankly, I tend not to find too many preparations for it that I like more than my own simple applewood grilled. A delicately butter-poached prawn, foie-gras melted leaks and a bed of perfectly cooked risotto complimented the firmly cooked, almost meaty, salmon. Sydney’s grilled Escolar with lemongrass coconut broth was also lovely.

We allowed Mary, our server/bartender and the Sel Gris winebuyer to pair each dish, which she did well. The highlights were the 1996 Kristoffel Riesling which she matched with the Escolar and a sweet Moscat (which unfortunately I didn’t get producer or vintage) which paired perfectly with the salt-cured foie gras and the sweet ginger on top of it.

The desserts, an apricot bread pudding and coconut cream tart, were also excellent, although I must admit that I was getting pretty full by this time. Next time, I would forgo dessert or else split one dessert and one appetizer; servings are substantial and much of the food is very rich.

Finally a word on atmosphere: the space is certainly impressive, particularly the open kitchen and glowing glass bar. However, the feel is much different than many of Portland’s best restaurants. Very clean, almost slick, the interior feels like restaurants and bars I have been to in larger cities. It doesn’t have the homey, comfortable feel of Le Pigeon or the cozy bistro feel of Higgins. This place is, for lack of better terms, urban and contemporary. This is not a complaint–I rather liked it–but it is a little more formal than the Portland norm.

In short: very impressive. Add Sel Gris to your list of restaurants-not-to-miss; my list is pretty long at this point, especially since I want to go back to so many of them again, and again and again…

- Daniel

Hello from Daniel

Greetings everyone! Welcome to the new weblog!

I want to introduce myself to our new online community. I work at the winery in the marketing department, focusing primarily on direct sales. Since I am already quite into blogging, you will probably be hearing from me pretty regularly. As a committed foodie and homebody, most of my posts will probably revolve around food and wine consumed at home: food pairings, great bottles of wine I have had, interesting recipes, and the like. I am sure the odd restaurant review will appear as well.

So, please, comment if you have time. I would love to hear from you!

Daniel