The mood was set by Melissa. She had an elegant table
setting with slim runners laid perpendicular to the length. She sat us ladies
on one side and the gents on the other. That way we sat facing our husbands
across our own little runner. It was well done.
The wine was difficult again…they asked for a Cabernet
Sauvignon not from Napa. There are
places in the world producing Cab, but they usually use it as a blend. Some
regions try to grow Cabs, but Napa has set the flavor expectation. It was a
challenge.
The first appetizer was Grilled Vegetable and Fruit Kabobs.
Second Appetizer was a rustic little Grilled Pizza with
Caramelized Onions, Fresh Mozzarella, Ricotta, topped with an Arugula Salad. Oh
man was that good! I thought I’d be happy with two or three of those little
pizzas … until the main course came out.
Mark made Beef Wellington with little Valentine hearts on
top of each one. The plate was pre-brushed with a cabernet reduction.
There was
also seared Sea Scallops and Roasted Asparagus. The scallops were melt-in-your
mouth tender.
Dessert was actually artwork. He made Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
with White Chocolate Filling and Chocolate Pinot Noir Sauce. Of course it was
shaped like a little heart.
The wine created a problem from the beginning. Let me say
that normally us couples rarely vote for the same bottle (i.e...Joe chooses
one, I choose another and so on). This time we had a three way tie. Each couple
voted for the same bottle, so there were two votes per bottle. We tried a
couple of different vote separators, but we still had a tie. So for the first
time in six years we couldn't send the medal home with the winner.
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