WineLovers Discussion Group

Nice dinner last night. I celebrated because I have 5 days off in a row. I had the butcher at my store cut me a bone-in ribeye. It was about 3.5 inches this and weighed in at 2.5 pounds! I seared it in a cast iron and then baked it at 375 for about 25 minutes (just like a 1 rib roast).

Roasted Rib Steak
Boiled and sauteed Russian Banana Potatoes with butter and thyme
Arugula salad with Walnuts and Pecorino Romano, S&P, EVOO

'03 Cheyanna Zinfandel

The wine was a little weak for the dinner. I was expecting more from it. I have a thread going in the WLDG with my tasting notes.

The dinner was good for the weather. We have a cold snap here in Austin.

Sounds great. I don't remember getting an invite.

We went to a magazine party held for its writers at a good restaurant, Graze. Since it was in trade for advertising, the publisher told us to eat and drink as much as we wanted. I reluctantly agreed.

It was buffet style: crab cakes, scallops, ribs, a HUGE wedge of bleu cheese and some other cheeses, etc. Tres good. And I had a variety of drinks, one of which was a glass of Simi cabernet sauvignon for $13 (I'd never spend that much). My wife had a glass of Wattle sauvignon blanc that was pretty good (only one; she was my ride home).

I was a guest at a fantastic dinner at Graze about a month ago. I really like that place, and I am glad to see Mike doing good things with it since Jennifer James and the owners, um, parted company professionally speaking. We almost always do the small plates, but last time my dining companion opted for a new large plate selection and was really impressed.

What impresses me the most is the details in the service. I don't know how it would be for a buffet kind of event, but when dining it is excellent.

(Disclosure: Mike, the owner, and his wife, are friends of the friend who took me.)

I had never gone to Graze before because I wasn't interested in a little saucer of food for twice the price, no matter how good. Sorta like the time I was convinced to go to a high tea. The profit margin must have been huge because the portions of the few items on the plate were postage stamp sized, but the price wasn't. Never again.

Larry Greenly wrote:Sounds great. I don't remember getting an invite.

We went to a magazine party held for its writers at a good restaurant, Graze. Since it was in trade for advertising, the publisher told us to eat and drink as much as we wanted. I reluctantly agreed.

It was buffet style: crab cakes, scallops, ribs, a HUGE wedge of bleu cheese and some other cheeses, etc. Tres good. And I had a variety of drinks, one of which was a glass of Simi cabernet sauvignon for $13 (I'd never spend that much). My wife had a glass of Wattle sauvignon blanc that was pretty good (only one; she was my ride home).

Sorry about that. I'll drop you a line next time

Graze sounds good. I love crab cakes. And anytime I see the words HUGE and bleu cheese I begin to quiver with excitement.

I'm with you on the Haute Cuisine portions these days. I went to a restaurant here in Austin when it first opened. The portions on all four of our entrees could have been barely enough for me. And I'm not a huge eater all the time.

In general, Albuquerque restaurants must have ample portions or they don't show up in the next phone book.