First, I will apologize to myself and hope to remember my camera next time I go out to dinner. I'm not a person for whom a camera is "must have" gear...it is often an after thought and usually long after. Julie is trying to convince me that I need one of those "does everything but wash dishes" phones. Maybe, if I could figure out how to use it without kerfluffling everything and not knowing how to get back where I want to be.
We took friend Rebecca who we know from the Y. Well, to be correct--she took us. All we had to do was drive to her house and she drove us over there (people who live in Coppell have a trick way to get to Grapevine that avoids all the construction which is different every time we go through and very confusing), and dropped us right at the door! We are taking her again!
Maureen and John (also from the Y) joined us. So, great conversation ensued with lots of laughter (more as the evening went on) over tales of travels, work, and family. As we conversed, we had our choice of Pinots--Noir or Grigio. Of course, TR, I, and Maureen took the Grigio. John and Rebecca had the red. I love D'Vine's Pinot Grigio, it is light, fruity, and not too acidic.
Our first course was Tarragon Stuffed Egg with a Sauvignon Blanc. The pairing was wonderful and the egg was smooth and flavorful. It was just one egg and, thank God, my allergy allows me to have just one.
The second course was a Panzanella Bread Salad with Tomato and Cucumber paired with D'Vine's White Symphony (which is a dry blend of three wines.) I don't think I'd ever had a bread salad and wasn't expecting much, but it was mild though well seasoned with just a touch of a vinegrette and the tomato and cucumber had been marinated. It was fresh and refreshing. Though I'm not a fan of dry wines, this paired really nicely with the salad, not overpowering its mild flavor.
The entrée was Balsamic glazed Pork Tenderloin stuffed with Chevre and Sun-dried Tomato. A couple of us found no stuffing it theirs and, since the stuffing seemed to have been injected, there wasn't much in anyone's. The pork was almost to the point of being overdone, but not quite. It was quite flavorful and, since it was accompanied by Seasoned Asparagus with Romesco Sauce, I was quite happy. You can never go wrong with Asparagus! This was paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon which was fruity enough to set off the pork quite nicely.
The dessert was Chef-made Lemon-Basil Gelato with fresh Raspberries and a Lemon Shortbread Cookie. The ice cream was rich and tart, which I love, as well as very creamy. And, of course, you can't go wrong with raspberries. I also love shortbread, so the cookie was also a hit--wished I could have bought a box of them. It was paired with D'Vine's Enchanted Granite (a Pomegranate Red Zinfandel) which was sweet enough to not get lost in the ice cream--always a challenge with dessert wine.
We had a great dinner and a wonderfully fun time. The caterer was again All In Good Taste Catering who, we were told, would be doing the next dinner in October with a German theme. Since German is their heritage, we were told by the owner of D'Vine that he is expecting a great meal.
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