Bonny Doon Wine Dinner at Jasper's

The Shops at Legacy in Plano is a neat shopping / dining area. West Plano is a long way from East Dallas, but I thought it would be worth a trip up there for a dinner with a reportedly interesting wine maker at an excellent restaurant. It was worth the trip.

Randall Grahm has the reputation of being a rather interesting fellow. You can read about him on the Bonny Doon website. I expected a flambouyant, entertaining individual. But Grahm presented as a hippie who is serious, intellectual and romantic about terrior, biodynamic growing and wine. I liked all of the wines and would like to visit one of the Bonny Doon tasting rooms, which are reportedly pretty trippy.

The Menu

- Wood Roasted Judith Point Moonstone Oysters with Spanish Chorizo-Herb Butter; Grilled Eggplant with Curried Lentils and Green Chili Papadam, Ca’Del Solo, Albarino 2007
- Butter Poached Main Lobster “Pot Pie,” Bonny Doon, Le Cigare Blanc 2006

(During the passed hors d'oeuvres and the first course, they kept filling our glasses. Yummy, but yikes. Fortunately they limited us during the other courses or I would have had to stay in Plano. We were all suprised by the generous pouring.)
- Ca’Del Solo Nebbiolo Braised Lamb with Homemade Pappardelle and Royal Trumpet Mushrooms, Ca’Del Solo, Nebbiolo Monterey 2005

(An interesting note on this Nebbiolo... Grahm spoke a bit about the wines. He said this one was incredibly tight and needed to decant for many hours. I liked it very much. I would love try it after it had seen some air and note the difference.)
- Texas “Kobe” Meat Loaf with Brie Scallop Potatoes and Roasted Cipollini Demi, Bonny Doon, Le Cigare Volant 2003, Bonny Doon, Le Cigare Volant 2004
- Bosc Pear-Brie Strudel with Toasted Almond Honey, Bonny Doon, Le Vol Des Anges 2006

(I loved the savory-sweet dessert and its compliment to the notes of honey in the wine.)

Some of the wines through which Bonny Doon and Grahm became well-known - Cardinal Zin, the Big House wines - have been sold off by Grahm. He clearly wants to be small and focused. And it works. All of the wines were enjoyable and well-paired with this menu.

I went with friends Elle and her beloved, and we had the good fortune of being seated with two nice couples. How often does one end up at a table full of over-30 people who are childless by choice who love their pets as children?

Another Bonny Doon note - They make a Viogner port. Who ever heard of such? I would like to try it, but I think it is available only at the tasting room.

Best New Restaurants

Three of the Dallas Morning News' 2008 Best New Restaurants are in one building, One Arts Plaza. Thank goodness my office is not in that building - I would be broke and even more rotund than I already am. I recently had the pleasure of enjoying lunch at Dali Wine Bar and Cellar and dinner at Screen Door. Something was blowing up at work the day I ate with friends at Dali. So, sadly, I did not have wine. My lunch was delicious, and the other ladies liked theirs too. The space is really strange. It is tiny and the location of the front door is not obvious or convenient. It's small, like being in the bar space of a restaurant. But best I could tell, that room constituted the entire space.

In contrast, the interior of Screen Door is fabulous - natural and clever and luxurious all at the same time. The wine list is long. The chairs are comfy. The tables are roomy. I even liked what the servers wear. The menu is essentially contemporary Southern cuisine. The food was very good and very well prepared. If I am paying $19 for fried chicken - something we ate often in my home growing up - it better be perfect fried chicken. It was mm mm good. No breading tops my mom's, of course. But this was super juicy chicken with crisp and well-seasoned breading. The greens were perfectly cooked. The fried catfish gets equal praise and was teamed with red potatoes and crisp slaw. I enjoyed it.

When the Wyly theater and the Opera house are completed, these restaurants should be wonderful for outdoor seating and will be places to see and be seen on event nights. Right now there are lots of cranes and dust.

Also in the building are Tei An (the other of the "best new"), Fedora (owned by a Campisi?) and Jorge's (an outpost of the Austin establishment).

Things I haven't written about yet, but will...

lunch at Dali Wine Bar
dinner at Screen Door
Gloria Ferrer bubblies from CA
Bonny Doon wine dinner at Jasper's
This is really just a reminder to myself of all the stuff I need to write about. But right now I am sleepy.
Buenas noches.

Whites

I drank white tonight because I felt like poo today. I didn't have the internal fortitude for red, though Veritas has Inwood Estates Cornelius 100% Tempranillo on the BTG menu. It is SO good. I will have it next time. I have only had it at tastings twice, so I am interested to drink a full glass.
2006 Santos Beck Chardonnay-Viognier blend - This wine is very light. You could drink a bottle on the patio. I always think it is hard to find a wine that is good with salad, but this would fit the bill with most, I think. It seems like a summer wine, but would be a good pre-dinner wine, especially if you aren't sure of your guests tastes (or if there is something wrong with you and you don't want to serve bubbly).
Tonight I also tried a Roussanne for the first time. It was a new grape for me. It was interesting. It provided a full, thick mouth on the outset, but had a very acidic finish. I don't know the winemaker or what it was blended with (if anything). As Brooks said, "Needs food." I wouldn't want to sit around and drink a bottle, but it could be enjoyable with the right meal. I am not sure what that meal would be, however.
Also had another glass of the St. Supery SB. Liked it even better this time.