Last Wednesday I went out with the guy who I thought I slept with, but hadn’t. I thought we would try a little place called the Butcher Shop. Yes, the butcher Shop; not necessarily the best name for a restaurant, but still quite an experience. A salute to the European boucheries, this place is definitely one to write home about. It had gone up 20 ft from where I used to live 2 months before I left. I was quite disappointed but happy to finally experience this new neighborhood addition.

The name implies just that; a Butcher Shop, complete with gourmet hot dogs, fresh farm-stand eggs, and homemade chutneys. As you walk in the bar is to your right, to your left begins the counter tables. The counters are arranged in a very intimate and almost claustrophobic fashion; they serve as tables for parties of 2 to 6. There is no room for shyness, I bumped the woman next to me several times lightly in the elbow during dinner; par for the course in a joint like this.

At the end of the bar is a massive butcher block that doubles as a holding place for people waiting for tables and as the run off for thirsty locals at the bar. On the very back wall are two larger glass refrigerators holding the dairy, Foie and other tasty treats. The menu was creative and utterly mouth watering. We had 4 dishes, 2 vegetable and 2 meat. Luckily our waiter knew to course it out sparing us the task of finding more room; we could barely keep the B&B at the Pellegrino on the table.

First course was an Heirloom Tomato salad with mozzarella di bufala. I am just as sick of it too, believe me, but if you ever had Heirloom anything - especially tomatoes you would be on it like flies on shit. We ordered Kobe meatballs over bruschetta to enjoy with the tomatoes. For seconds we paired an order of root veggies with a Hangar Steak dressed with mushroom vinaigrette. The veggie arrived to us in parchment paper. I had heard of that technique but had never seen in front of me. It is now on my list of “must try’s.” The steak was superb, although too rare for my date.

I asked the waiter for a recommendation on the wine since they were all new to me. The Coturri Albarello struck my fancy for some reason. When I asked the waiter to describe it he wisely offered me a taste instead. I have a new favorite. It comes from an organic vineyard in southern Sonoma. Organic wines in my experience taste like mud or a compost pile. This was nothing of the sort. The blend is predominantly Zinfandel and Petite Syrah with a small percentage of young Burgundy and Carignane. It was absolutely perfect. The nose is rich and approachable. The Zinfandel gives the wine deep, well-pronounced fruit without being too jammy, the Petite Syrah lends great acidity and the tannins are so integrated that they are fleeting. The finish is something to be savored; lingering on the back palate so long that you don’t want to eat out of fear of spoiling the experience.

For dessert I noticed they carried not one but 3 Banyuls. I LLLUUUHHHUUUVV a Banyuls. It is a fortified Grenache from the Rhone Valley. Usually used as dessert wine, done right it serves as an anytime wine. While I was contemplating my choice in agony, I overlooked the small print stating that they offered all 3 as a flight. Sold. One was a Blanc that was smooth and powerful, like a well done Muscat. Out of the two remaining I opted for the one done the way I know Banyuls; raisin aromas subtle coffee tones with a feel of autumn in every sip. The other one was the runt; a tawny that drank loosely and faded away easily in the shadow of its counterparts. For the actual dessert plate we chose a pumpkin bread pudding, fall is in the air. I must say that was by far one of the most enjoyable well-executed dining experiences this guy has had in a while. Rita, if when you come back YOU HAVE TO TRY IT!!!

This entry was posted by Johnny on Saturday, September 2nd, 2006 at 1:43 PM and is filed under Photos, Food & Wine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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