WTN:Talula's Table Food and Wine

Talula’s Table. 1/18/09

A group of friends gathered at this latest “in” restaurant in suburban Philadelphia. The owners are the originators of “Django” in Philly that when they sold had a restrictive covenant in the sale price. So eventually they ended up in Kennett Square. They initially opened a high end take out but so many of their past customers demanded more, so they started a one table (8-12 people) a night fixed price multicourse dinner. Soon heaping praise from Philly and NYC papers brought a huge rush of customers that they are now only accepting reservations 1 year in advance(!) (Best gossip of the night was the ‘new’ owners have shuttered Django-I missed this news.) Anyway, here are my notes on the food and wines we had. As an aside, I included what wines were suggested for the dinner by a neighboring wine retailer that just happened to carry all of their suggestions.
Wine Ideas:
Sparkling Domaine Barmes-Buecher Cremant d’Alsace is a delicious way to begin. Drink it as you mingle and carry it into the first course. The Chef loves Verdicchio and thinks it would be very fitting with the next two courses (try San Niccolo - single vineyard). A lovely and light Barbara might be nice with the Cod and the Pheasant and then shop for a bigger red or pull one from your cellar – Also, a little glass of a fragrant semi-sweet wine is perfect with cheese and dessert (Vouvray perhaps).

1-Petite Potato Crepe, Pine Smoked Salmon, Farm Egg Foam, Leeks, and American Caviar
I find the caviar and its saltiness overwhelm this dish. Kind of an updated blini and sour cream with caviar. The wine we had was a 1990 Charles Heidseick Vintage Brut. A touch oxidized, which I find in a lot a Champers with some age, but I kinda like this, especially as it mellowed the saltiness with the acidity. For the Wine 92/100, for the wine/food mix A-.

2-Hand-Cut Noodles, Wild Black Trumpets, Tarragon, Béchamel, and Garlicky Snails
This sounds wonderful, but its actuality was a hair less that it sounds. Everything was very winter, which to me is thick, earthy, Umami. This needed an acid source-perhaps lemon zest? The wine served was a 1995 Pillot Chassagne-Montracht Chevenottes. A wonderful showing, golden color with floral, honeyed nose with lemony rich taste. This provided some of the needed acid in the dish.(95/100) I felt the best mix of w/f of the night. A.

3-Sausage Fried Scallops, Creamy Polenta, Toasted Almonds, and Chile Emulsion
This dish was one of the best by itself. The wine was the 2006 Araujo Sauvignon Blanc. This was a pale yellow. Nose of a freshly picked herb garden with lemon. Taste was richer than expected and went well with the course served (wine-93; w/f-A-)
4-Crispy Salted Cod, Celery, Seville Olives, and Remoulade Sauce
This dish was a good mix of interesting flavors. Wines served were 2 Prosecco, both NV. One was il Cortigiano-very like a lower end Champers (90) and the second was Zefero-less interesting (85). w/f-B
5-Tamarind Glazed Pheasant, Candied Turnip Gratin, and Foie Gras Torchon
This dish was polarizing. I found it odd, the flavors somewhat fought each other, others liked it better. The wine was a 1999 Bonnefond Cote Rotie. This was as expected for a rich year CR, all black fruits, bacon, herbs and an acid kick on the end (93) w/f-B

6-Confit of Meadowset Lamb, Rosemary Dumplings, and
Parmesan Crusted Vollmecke Hubbard
This again suffered(?) from being ALL winter with an acid lift again needed. The wine was a 2000 Lafleur Petrus. Even with a few hours decanted, the taste was closed shut. The nose promised what wonders to come with tobacco, black fruits. The wine rated 90+ and the w/f was A-.

7-Four Scoops.. Soft and Runny Cheeses, Pine Nut Brittle, Chocolate Bark, and Toast Points
A word about this. I only remember 2 of the cheeses, but overall this bordered on horrible. Yes, I know, how can cheeses and wine be a bad thing. Well, a more wine unfriendly group of cheeses I have never seen. The first was Explorateur with sweet nuts (this was the best mix but I find generally hard to mix with wine.) The second wine I do not recall. This was served with the chocolate bark. Odd. The third was the other cheese made by the people that make Epoisses. It made Epoisses seem sweet. It was served with the pine nut brittle-Odd. Lastly the whey from Gorgonzola-it has a different name, served with some cracker-oid thing. Odd. Served a course early was the 2002 Zind Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Gewurztraminer. I swear I could see the cheeses and the wine fight before my eyes. Wine was a lychee/lemon mix. Taste was all bitterness-a mix between that bitterness that is Gewurz and botrytis. Wine was a 90 and the w/f-D-. I tried some remaining wines from the other courses, nothing that we had helped.
8-Ricotta Cheesecake “Button”, Hazelnut-Sea Salt Crust, and Blood Orange Sorbet
This was a successful dessert and I felt second best course. The blood Orange sorbet was wonderful. The Gewurz was a better match with this, but my rating for the wine is unchanged, the w/f-B+.
Overall an interesting night, and wonderful to catch up with old friends, but I’m not sure a year wait was well spent.

[David M. Bueker]

Not only winter in flavor - the meal sounds rather unpleasantly heavy. Not to mention way too much going on for wine pairing.

Thanks for the note on the 1990 Heidsick by the way. I've had that same bottle in and out of the queue recently, and it sounds like it needs to go back in.

David, these muticourse dinners that emphasize the season tend, IMO, to be much better in Spring/Summer as the ingredients available show the chef's whole palate (Pallate?) Even Shola's Studiokitchen I've enjoyed better in the warmer months. The winter ingredients tend toward the richer/earthy. And part of my criticism may reflect my personal preference for a more varied menu. Perhaps it was the phase of the Moon?

[Jenise]

Harry, very interesting report. Tell me, the sausage fried scallops: I'm interested in knowing exactly what this would be--scallops fried in sausage grease for extra flavor?

[David M. Bueker]

Having only eaten at Shola's in January, I have no basis for comparison, but I think I know what you mean. There's just so much more that can be done with ingredients from the other 3 seasons.

David, these muticourse dinners that emphasize the season tend, IMO, to be much better in Spring/Summer...

As a vegetarian I tend to agree since I'm so excited by fresh vegetables but I don't think any serious restaurant meal can not reflect the season. It's the definition of real cooking.

There is no legitimate way to serve fresh spring verdancy or luscious summer ripeness in January in Pennsylvania but the menu you had could have been lightened without being any less 'wintry'. All the cheeses, cream sauces, and candied turnips just sound to me like an unconfident chef who took the easy route towards grease and sugar. Top quality fish, game, mushrooms, winter vegetables, with some creative preparations can be very wintry and very thrilling. Unfortunately this was not one of those meals.

Jenise, yes I believe you have it correct. It looked like some nicely browned Scallops-top and bottom, leaving the sides more white. These were cooked perfectly. I suspect the sausage part was in the frying/what was in the pan.
Ras., I agree.