Nothin' But Blue Sky On York Beach

  

Mac the Dog is exactly right.  I've been enjoying life post-election, very much.  Part of that enjoyment was a prix fix Merriam Vineyards Wine Dinner at Blue Sky on York Beach, Lydia Shire's local restaurant, with Lydia in the kitchen and co-host of the evening, along with Peter Merriam, who summers in our village. 

Before we get into details, let me just say, it was a divine evening.  We went with two of our favorite people, so the company was perfect.  Plus, there's a reason that Lydia Shire is one of the original celebrity chefs and she pulled out all the stops for this dinner.  After dinner, she shared that one of the challenges of this dinner was to provide outstanding, unique dishes within the price ($65.00) point that had been set.  With rising costs, even using local foods, it was difficult. 

The first amuse, served while people were finding their seats and finishing their pre-dinner drinks, was a tempura sardine accompanied by a fresh tomato puree.  I'm not a sardine fan, but this was light and crispy and very tasty.  I finished off RG's. He promised to taste everything, but he did not agree to clean his plate. 

The "official Amuse" was one chilled Maine oyster and a Hot Buttered Oyster Stew, served in a demitasse cup.  The oyster was (as almost all oysters one buys in Maine are) exceptionally fresh and served very cold.  The buttered stew was divine.  Rich, with one large oyster in the bottom of the cup.  We all agreed that the stew should be added to the permanent menu. 

The First Course was Trotter Ravioli with Truffle Foam and Purple Kale.  It was accompanied by an '03 Windmere Merlot.  The truffle foam paired well with the delicious complex tastes of the ravioli filling and the kale.  The Merlot was more rich than many Merlots, a bit heavier (a plus, I thought) and it held up well with the trotter. 

The Second Course was my favorite.  It was a Halibut with a Porcini Crust and Garlic Sauce, topped with the thinly sliced potatoes, crispy fried and accompanied by an '05 Cabernet Franc.  The halibut was divine.  The garlic sauce added enough 'zing' (very technical term there--can you tell I'm no food critic?) to the dish so that the wine didn't over power it.  As for the wine, this was also my favorite of the night. I love BIG wines and for years, Cabernet Sauvignon was my wine of choice.  This wasn't as big as a cab sab but it had definite overtones of cherry and raspberry, a wonderful complexity, and fine finish.  Delish, delish, divine. 

The Main Course was a Venison Loin with a Risotto of Pear and Taleggio Cheese, paired with an '03 Cabernet Sauvignon, Block 21.  Venison is one of my favorite dishes and I almost always order it when it's on a menu.  This was not my favorite venison plate.  It was topped with a pom sauce that was too tart for my palette and I didn't think that the risotto was flavorful enough.  The Cab Sab was good, but not great.  It finished well, without over-much tannins, but it was too young, I thought. Overall, it was a good plate, and had it not been served after the perfection of the previous three courses, it would have been very good.   But never mind all that because we were on to dessert:

Chocolate Souffle with perfect raspberries and creme' fraiche.  Lordy, I have never had a dessert as wonderful as that. I told my husband that now that I've been introduced to a perfectly prepared chocolate souffle', I'm hooked.  Oh, I've had them before, just not done as well as this. 

The 'boys' had coffee and Jameson Whiskey.  We had another glass of red wine to pair with the chocolate.  Happily, there was some of that Sauvignon Frac left over. 

And at the end, the one Republican and we three Democrats toasted President Elect Obama and agreed that it was a great moment for our country. 

Comments

[MaineMom]

Ugh, now I'm HUNGRY! That sounded delicious and fun!

[jo]

Dare i say...*Le Sigh!* Sounds heavenly, I love the sound of all the fish courses, but then again, you know my feelings about Lydia, it would be hard not to love her.

[Marie]

It is almost "time to go home Friday" and that Jameson whiskey is looking appealing. But for sure sign me up for the halibut dish.