TN: Two Burgs with Jerry

always fun to go to dinner with Jerry who just opens his cellar, so hard to keep pace with his generosity. Last night was NoMad, a very edgy Left Coast resto of the 11MP folk. I was too old and un-edgy to get in by myself, but with a musician at my side, I sailed right in. Service was slow but that was fine; we had time to talk and to watch the wines unfurl. A Bibb salad was boring, too much bitter radicchio. Jerry’s scallops had a lovely caramelized side and he devoured them. The hallmark dish is a (small) whole roasted chicken with foie and truffle under the skin, presented tableside and then carved in the kitchen, breasts left whole and some remaining bird bits in a delicious rice. The carver wasn’t too scrupulous in ensuring removal of all the meat and server wouldn’t let me take the carcass home. My Jewish mom taught me how to get 3 lbs of meat off a 2 lb chicken and I wanted the chance with this delicious bird, but it was not to be. The morsels were delicious with the wines.

But on to the wines. 2008 Ramonet Montrachet was brilliant, a huge incredibly powerful libation of the essence of young Montrachet, dense like a black hole and full of green and yellow fruit, slowly opening and just detonating on the palate, just an electric wine. The wine needs two more decades and was painful in intensity to drink. Amazing.

1985 DRC RSV was pretty, pretty like Lauren Bacall or Sophia Loren is now, but hinting at better days—tea, sous bois, rose petals, but very tertiary and not much lacy sweet fruit. Amazing fill, the bottle was bought on release by Jerry and hadn’t moved till last night.

All in all, a lovely night with a good friend. Next time at NoMad, I want my own bird for two and a chance to carve it myself tableside.

Good to know about the 85 RSV in 750 ml, thank you. Helps to gauge the other 85s in larger format.

Stock pot priority and kitchen munchies rule.

Alan, love your efficient style of tasting notes. But not sure if you nailed the RSV. Hate to tell you this, Bacall has been dead for about four years. Not sure how pretty that would be …

NoMad in DTLA is in a 1920’s building that was the Bank of Italy. It has a very Moorish/NYC vibe and the very hip crowd to go along with that. So what were WE doing there? Having some great food and wine with friends. The menu only has a few choices but in the two times we’ve been the food has been excellent, except maybe the radicchio heavy Bibb lettuce salad last night. The service was spotty with no one taking our order for a while, but the conversation is always good with us so that was ok. But when the salads came out, my order of scallops was nowhere to be seen. By the time the others had finished, I finally got the scallops and white bean dish, which was very good. But the chicken dish was presented before I had started the third of the three scallops. With no room on the table for the chicken I had to gulp down the rest of the scallops as they were placing the chicken on the table. But the chicken was the star of the food - truffles, foie gras, brioche, and butter all stuffed under the crispy skin. And the dark meat was used in delicious rice. Dessert was called Milk and Honey - an ice cream and crunchy cookie goodness.

So much for the food - this night began as a major wine night. “Bring a white and a red and we’ll see what wine wins, and open one of each” The challenge was on. I brought a PYCM '11 Chevalier and the 1985 DRC RSV. Alan brought 2008 Ramonet Montrachet AND a 2002 Raveneau les Clos and a 2001 Roumier Bonnes Mares. An easy decision and the Monty and RSV were opened.

The Ramonet held on to its lofty reputation of all the past vintages I have loved from the 70’s and 80’s. Light in color, but viscous in the glass. Full bodied texture and a finish that lasted until the next sip. As usual the wine opened over the course of the dinner to show its weight and power, while still having the refinement of a great wine. This bottle was nearly perfect, with the being reached only with more time in the bottle for a little more complexity.

The DRC was bought on release and had been in professional storage since so the bottle was pristine. I used the Durand to open it as we sat down so the wine would have a chance to breathe. This was the first time the Durand hadn’t successfully gotten an older cork out - there was an edge of the bottom of the cork that eventually fell into the wine. But as I poured after the wine was opened, the cork came to the edge of the bottle’s rim and I was able to take it out before it got into a glass. The wine was appropriately colored with a brick edge and a muted red. The nose of tea, sous bois, and tertiary flavors showed its age. Not much fruit left but still a treat to taste and as Alan mentioned it was like Sophia Loren, still beautiful, but an aging beauty.

I think we’ve got enough great wines to do another night with a chicken per person. And plenty of carcasses for Alan.

great notes

Don’t mean to overstep my bounds, but the service sounds atrocious. Perhaps a little less hipness and a little more efficiently would be in order. Curious what a restaurant with attitude has for corkage.

Dinner and wine always taste better with good friends, Alan I’m with you on the chicken, chicken soup at a minimum with the carcass.

$40 per, 2 b max. Zalto glassware. Asked for a decant and somm said yes but never returned to do it. We took care of opening and pouring for ourselves. Had offered him a taste initially but, as noted, he never returned. Wines likely weren’t hipster enough.

After the last report on NoMad LA, I would have thought you’d have a cadre of sommeliers lining up to collectively decide whether your bottles were in good shape. You probably lucked out.

Nice job guys. Sounds wonderful.

I guess orange wines are more exciting than Montrachet and DRC. I guess I am glad I was never hip.

As alluded. Had one of my worst experiences at Nomad.

They still serve Canard a la Rouennaise (Pressed Duck) at Antoine’s but it must be arranged in advance.

Lovely couple of bottles fellas.