Wine+Food=Baratin(AKA FnB)

I know it's old fashioned to post blogs these days with facebook swarming all over the communication networks, but I'm an old fashioned guy. And anyway I'll probably post this on facebook also.

Pavle Milic and Charleen Badman are tweaking the AZ winemaker's dinners a bit and moving them to their new enterprise Baratin. The evening will begin at 5:30 with wine sampling only and then segue into a three course pairing at 6:30. All the dinners look great, but ours on May 15 will feature the usual completely vegetarian pairing. Call for reservations. Here's the LINK to the flyer.

Vegetarian Wine Maker Dinner

Pavle Milic and Charleen Badman outdid themselves on Tuesday, July 19 at their celestial restaurant FnB. Pavle has taken his devotion to AZ wines to heart by arranging a series of wine maker dinners. This is our second such event. Joan and Kathryn and Ian and I are vegetarians and have long schemed about putting together a Cookbook that pairs wine with vegetarian recipes. I like to make food friendly wines. Food friendly wines tend to have subtle depth that is revealed best when closely linked to a mouthful of complementary food. Creative vegetarian cuisine has the same qualities.

When Pavle said it was time again for a Canelo Hills wine maker dinner at the restaurant, I suggested a vegetarian menu. Charleen can do magic with vegetables and recently quietly admitted to me, "I eat mostly vegetables anyway". We were on, and for the lucky restaurant full of patrons, it was magic.

What follows is definitely for wine and food geeks.





Course one was burrata perched on a big slice of heirloom tomato lying in a bed of Baba Ganoush, topped with preserved lemon relish. 2007 (disgorged in 2010) Sparkling Chardonnay was the wine pairing. Tart bubbles and lemon relish. Fruity Chardonnay and ripe tomato. Toasted eggplant and with the yeasty flavors of 3 years en tirage. Creamy burrata and the rich mouthfeel of Method Champanoise. Wow! I had never had burrata before. It is a soft fresh mozzarella with the texture of a perfectly poached egg and the mouth experience of a great kiss.

Segundo: A panoply of salad flavors and textures - padron peppers, sweet corn kernels, perfect fava beans, purple "green beans", purslane and baby bitter greens dressed with a romesco vinaigrette. A few cripsy peanut pieces were scattered about on the plate. Joining was the 2009 Malvasia. Malvasia in 2009 was beyond ripe and the intensely concentrated flowers and fruit of this wine resonated back and forth with the fresh vegetableness of the salad. Very ripe grapes make very high alcohol wine, 15.6% in this case, but the alcohol only served to soluble-ize the hidden fruit flavors in the salad. 100 mph fastball down the middle - smak, out of the park.




Troisieme: Fresh summer squash accompanied by fresh green peas simmered in a curry sauce was atop a freshly grilled naan and smeared with yoghurt. 2009 Sangiovese was the partner. Bing cherries + curry fruitiness. Spicy finish + curry heat. Tart mouth + creamy texture. I would have never thought of curry and Sangiovese. Now we've got another answer to "what would you pair this wine with?" A dream shot from beyond the half court line - swishhh, all net.

Quattro: Thinly sliced and grilled eggplant atop a bed of jasmine rice mixed with chickpeas and tiny lentils, topped with fresh cucumbers and a few leaves of mint. The eggplant was dressed in a sweet/sour, coriander sauce. 2009 Estate Tempranillo was up to the match. Dark, red, rich, perfectly balanced with notes of cedar, dark fruit, smoke and soft tannins. Penalty Shoot out, the Kick is Good - Team FnB wins.




Finale: Individual zucchini cakes with walnuts, marscapone, citrus, candied plums and plum sauce drizzle. NV Yummy Zin was just sweet enough, just caramelized enough, just fruity enough, just fabulous enough to reveal the flavors and textures of this dessert. SCORE!

I enjoyed visiting with old friends and meeting new ones. Seven patrons "came out" to me, quietly revealing they were vegetarians and were thrilled with this menu. Arizona wines made a good showing and I think there are some new converts. Thanks to Pavle and Charleen and the restaurant crew for putting together a fabulous dinner. Next time? Sometime after October. See you then.

Business + Pleasure

I was in Phoenix on Business this week, but ended up at FnB in Scottsdale for Pleasure. It's always a treat to experience chef Charleen's latest creations. Pavle and Emily were gracious and the dining experience was superb. Fried Ricotta Stufffed Squash Blossoms, Cold Cucumber Soup, Shishitos (flash pan fried small green chilis) and Grilled Spicy Broccoli. Notice a theme?

According to Pavle, the Vegetarian Wine Maker's Dinner at FnB with Joan and me on July 19 is a popular item. It might be too early to make a reservation, but perhaps not - 480-425-9463.

WMD @ FnB

That would be Winemaker's Dinner, a totally delightful affair this past Tuesday May 11 at FnB Restaurant in Scottsdale. I've blogged about this place before - the brainchild of Pavle Milic and Chef Charleen Badman, that features local Arizona grown produce and a totally Arizona wine list. Every Tuesday for the next several months an Arizona Winemaker is featured for a fix prix wine-food pairing. Joan and I (accompanied by Jim Wiskerchen of mywinehelper) kicked off the first event.








Sparkling Nebbiolo Rose started off the evening and prepared everyone's palate for the next three courses. 2008 Chardonnay was paired with goat cheese stuffed squash blossoms, lightly battered, quickly fried and placed in a puddle of lemon buerre blanc. Wow! That one worked. Fresh mixed sauteed mushrooms (I got morels and shitake and portobellos) on perfectly al dente garganelli with ramps and topped with lemon bread crumbs resonated with the 2007 Sangiovese Select. The profound earthiness of the mushrooms nailed the 22 month oak barrel aged wine.







The finale was quickly grilled squab dressed with zucchini, olive and almond relish for the carnivores and oven broasted halibut with toasted almonds in the same sauce for Joan and me. 2008 Estate Syrah was the wine match. Perfecto was the consensus. Chef Charleen tickled our palates with fresh peanut brittle and chocolate brownies as a finishing course. I can't wait until the next one.






And by the way be sure to check out the Arizona Republic news article that provides more of the back story of this unique restaurant and specifically mentions the 2008 Chardonnay.

Winemaker’s Dinner at FnB - May 11, 2010

Pavle Milic and chef Charleen Badman of FnB Restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona, have created a stir in the restaurant world by building a wine list that is entirely devoted to Arizona wines. Pavle is committed to the concept of focusing on local products and tastes, similar to what is the case in most of Europe. To support this vision he is hosting a series of winemaker’s dinners at 6 pm on Tuesday nights.

On Tuesday, May 11, Canelo Hills will be the featured winery and Tim and Joan Mueller will be presenting the 2008 Chardonnay, 2007 Sangiovese Select and 2008 Estate Syrah, perfectly paired with courses that will reflect the creative genius of chef Badman. The menu has not yet been set, that will depend on what fresh products are available in the local markets. We have eaten at FnB. The cuisine is inspired. The wine-food pairings will certainly be exceptional.

The cost for food and wine is $48 plus tax and gratuity. Space is limited to the first 36 people who call. To reserve a spot call the restaurant directly at 480-425-9463.

FnB Reprise

Thanks to Todd and Kelly Bostock for this link that connects to a Phoenix TV Channel 10 news story on the Scottsdale restaurant FnB that has a totally Arizona wine list. The food is exciting as well. We'll give a report of the visit we plan next week.