Philadelphia Friday Sep 21st - OP UPDATE 9-17

Where: Will BYOB
When: Friday 9/21/18 8:00pm
Roster:
Ted and Joann - Cabernet
Jonathan - 1 Champagne 1 Bdx
Brian - 1 Cali Rt Bank, 1 Cali Left Bank, 1 Cali Cab, Cali Sparkler, mystery dessert wine
Christopher +1 - 1 Bdx 1 Sauternes
Dennis and Windy - 1 Cali Rt Bank Blend 1 Bdx 1 Riesling
Erich Sachse - Bdx
Joshua Roberts - 1 Bdx 1 Sparkler

Waitlist:
Jeff/Ann Vaughan

Theme: Blind Bdx vs Cali Cabs, brown bagged ahead of time.

Update: 9-11

5 days out so let’s sew up the loose ends.

• Please bring cash in order to make payment easier on everyone. After tip and tax the bill will be $110 per person.
  
  
  
• In order to see if we have enough wines from each side of the pond can folks chime in with whether they are bringing one or the other or both? Thanks!
  
  
  
• If, for any reason, you cannot make it please let me know in advance as I am personally guaranteeing full payment for all with the restaurant. We have a waitlist to fill in.
  
  
  
• Hopefully Florence does not create travel problems for anyone.

See you all next week.

Brian — I am clear for Sept 21.
Might be able to get some others.
But it would we good to see you on the East Coast!

————————

Brian,
Would love to meet and share a few glasses. Put me down as a strong tentative. I am 4 hours away in Ct but have no problem taking a road trip.

Ironically enough I was just in Philly last night for an offline with a few board members. We ate at Will byob. Highly reccommended. Food and service were exceptional.

I ate dinner at Will BYOB with Matt Denny last time I was in town. Loved it!

Damn. Just last week I booked a work commitment. I would’ve come down for this too.

Bummer! Would have liked to finally meet.

NY Based, but I can make a trip up to PHL

I should easily be able to make it. Add 2 to the count.

I think you would be coming “down” to Philly

Cool! This is beginning to shape up nicely.

Theme? If any?

I’ll let you guys fight over the restaurant since I’m the foreigner. So far we have Will and Laurel suggested. Been to Will and loved it.

Maybe he’s in Brownsville?

Happy to go back to Will, as it was fabulous, but my vote would be for Laurel as I have never tried it. If others have another choice fine. I propose old world wines i.e. Bordeaux Burgundy Barolo Brunello as a theme, or aged Cali Cabs would be good too. Free for all is great too. If anyone has other ideas fine, my cellar is pretty diverse. I will bring 2 btls, one of whatever the theme is, and the 2nd a bubbly either French or California {Under the Wire, or Ultramarine } Brian as you are the organizer, it should ultimately be your choice of locale and theme

As a FF, I can’t take the train to PHL. Have to fly south to get back north

OpenTable for Laurel opens 2 months in advance, and for such a big group at prime time, you had better call right on the dime to get a reservation. As I remember, the restaurant only has 22 seats. They also had an outdoor table in a patio for groups, but I’m not sure if that is still true.

Hard to get into, but well worth the effort. The best gnocchi I’ve evah had!

I think we went for the first time on their 2nd night open back in 2013 (this was before he won Top Chef and it started getting booked up 4 months in advance!).

Former Felon?

I’m the out-of-towner so I’m deferring to the locals for the most part. Laurel sounds amazing but for an offline? Just seems too structured and upscale for a Berserker wine event. Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m likely coming in Levi’s jeans, a Carhart shirt and cowboy boots and I remember Will being very casual. We’re pretty laid back in Sonoma County.

As for theme you lost me at Old World but I can hang. Whatever everyone is comfortable with is fine with me. Food friendly reds? Sleepers/Under the radar? Regardless I’ll bring something interesting.

Brian, philly byob’s are also extremely laid back so you could arrive in a batman costume and you would receive nothing but smiles. (Just don’t wear a Dallas Cowboy shirt or accoutrement…) As Jonathan and I and others recently dined at Will, I am confident that they could find a way to accommodate a group of us, and to make it easier on them, they might create a multi-course dinner around wine choices. However, I must give a “second” to Jonathan’s suggestion of Laurel as I would really enjoy dining there. Does anyone on the board have good relations with Laurel’s management to see if they would be willing to host what could very well end up being 8 to 14 people on a Friday evening?

Fortunately, as I am semi retired, enjoy research, I have dug a bit deeper and we might have a locale and theme, that works quite well. This proposal is based on a few nice conversations I just had with Brian, and the restaurant. I asked Laurel about dress code, and conveyed that a few of would be in casual attire. She said that many people are business casual, but that there is no dress code and they would be thrilled to have us. They can accomodate a group up to 8 people but not larger. This would be an outside table. There is no awning so there is no cover in case of rain. If that should occur they would reschedule or cancel with no repercussions. As there is not much rain in Sept. I don’t think that’s a very big risk. As weather forecasts are usually pretty acurate we could simply pick an alternate place if rain look likely a few days out. Personally I think maxing out the group at 8 folks is not a bad idea anyway. With that number it’s easier to keep track of what you have sampled, easier to talk with most of the people, and leaves enough wine for a decent pour and enough in the bottle to possibly revisit it. Brian also maxing at 8 isn’t a bad idea. If anyone wants to go bigger we could choose another location or see if they could do a table of 4 inside to supplement our group. The meal is a 7 course meal for $!05 + tax and tip. The seating would be at 7pm and they dont need to have another seating after us. They go home at midnight so they can pace the meal to our wishes.

Next up for theme, I have communicated with Brian and Chris a bit on this to try for some consensus. If anyone else wants to chime in please do. As I kind of suspected Brian has mostly new world, and Chris leans toward old world. I thought a fun theme might be sort of a juxtaposition. Considering a few different palates, I think that a Cal Bordeaux blend vs French Bordeaux blend shootout would be a blast. When Brian and I spoke, we thought either single blind or ideally double blind would be fun and very educational. I If we did do double blind,to avoid anyone knowing most of the wines each of could simply lay their claim to either bringing a French or a Cali and only know their own pick brown bagging before arrival. If others like it might be fun to do a $50 US sparkling wine vs Champagne blind flight to start out. If anyone likes this sub theme, I think choosing this pricing is the most fair way, since most tete du cuvees would have an unfair edge. If others like the first theme only great. If folks want to both great. I am bringing 2 btls, and will bring a bubbly either way. If we do a champagne flight blind I could provide both or do 1 bubbly and 1 red probably old world.

Sorry this is long. Alot to cover. If folks like the theme and restaurant great’ lets run with it, if not chime in. Chris, Myself, and Brian are all good with restaurant and Brian likes theme and serving blind. What say others ??

Laurel is fine for four people – but not for a wine night for a larger group.
Set menu - outside (boo). I love Will - which is right down the street but it does get noisy because it only seats about 30. A long table screws them up. I know Chris (at Will) very well and could speak with him about a dinner.

I do have a good “in” at Laurel but it wouldn’t be my first choice. Nick is a great chef and his crew is fantastic but I am not a fan of eating on the sidewalk on Passyunk Ave.

There are so many more “casual” spots from which to chose where we can sit inside and not have a set menu.