Rodney Strong Spring Wine Dinner

Held at the Palm Restaurant on Friday, April 19, 2013

Address:

250 W. 50th Street

New York, NY 10019

www.thepalm.com/Palm-West

Lovely event held in a private back room of the Palm (in Midtown West) by the Rodney Strong winery.

Organizers went out of their way to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. I arrived a bit earlier than my sister, and after checking in was immediately offered a glass of either red or white wine. I chose the Davis Bynum Pinot Noir 2010.

I was then escorted to an assigned table (though thank heavens no assigned seating!).

At each plate, was a detailed menu outlining the evening’s offerings:

Rodney Strong Spring Wine Dinner Menu

My sister showed up in time to enjoy some of the chef’s selection of hors d’oeuvres. They were serving grilled chicken brochettes on skewers and I believe some minced shrimp salad on a toasted cracker. It was supposed to have been paired with a sauvignon blanc, but both my sister and I had chosen to start out our evening with a glass of red wine. My sister critiqued that we should not have been offered a choice, but merely given the wine that had been selected to be paired with the hors d’oeuvres.

No matter, our glasses were never allowed to be empty. Wine was freely flowing throughout the entire dinner.

First Course

Mint Gremolata Crusted Spring Colorado Lamb Chop

prosciutto and fontina potato au gratin

paired with Davis Bynum Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2010

Absolutely delicious! Favorite dish of the evening. The meat was soft and easily fell off the bone. The pinot noir and the lamb were a perfect pairing. The potato au gratin worked well to lessen the pungency of the meat.

Second Course

Tender Bibb Lettuce

Danish blue cheese, cucumber, radish, grape tomatoes, and white balsamic vinaigrette

paired with Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay 2011

One of our dinner companions actually had the absolutely brilliant idea to order a side of blue cheese dressing. It was all about that dressing. Without it, it would have been just a course of eating roughage. I also found the chardonnay to be a bit too bold and heavy for the salad.

Third Course (2 options)

35 Day Aged USDA Prime NY Strip (14 oz.)

oven roasted golden Yukon fingerling potatoes and roasted shallot cabernet pepper-corn demi-glace

paired with Rodney Strong Alexander Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

I of course ordered the steak, prepared medium. How could I not order the steak? I was at the Palm—what else would I order? It wasn’t the best steak I ever had, but it was hardy and with the side of garlicky broccolini it was truly yummy. Also, I left more than enough on the plate to request a take-home bag that I was able to eat for lunch the next day.

Best of all, though was the pairing with the cabernet. Favorite wine of the evening! It was also beautifully served. The pourers had decanted the wine and poured it from a lovely decanter as opposed to the bottle. Allowing the wine to breathe assured that the taste would be rich and aromatic. It was bold and smooth, without any oaky aftertaste.

Second third course option was:

Prosciutto Wrapped Chilean Sea Bass Fillet

shaved fennel and asparagus salad

paired with same chardonnay from second course

My sister ordered the fish. Her comment was that she should have ordered the steak. I had a bite of the sea bass and it was meaty, but rather tasteless. And she also requested the cabernet for her wine pairing.

Fourth Course

Panna Cotta

fresh strawberries and aged balsamic vinegar

paired with Rodney Strong True Gentleman’s Port 2007

The hostess of the event was also seated at our table and kindly ordered a serving of donuts for the table as that happened to be her favorite dessert from the Palm. What a treat! I had one and it was good, but I LOVED the panna cotta. Sweet and smooth and quite refreshing. It was a wonderful palate cleanser from the hearty meal that was just enjoyed. The port pairing was a lovely finishing touch.

Overall comment: A truly special night that I will never forget as it was also the night that the Boston Marathon Bomber suspect was captured. So it seemed like the right moment to celebrate!

Brief Bio information: Rodney Strong was a professional dancer who after retiring decided to buy a winery.  He was also somehow was involved in helping Morgan Freeman begin his acting career. He either paid for his union dues or acting classes. Can’t quite recall after having had so many glasses of wine.