Thursday September 29th, marked in the inaugural Fall Kitchen Table Series at Gabriel Kreuther restaurant at 41 West 42nd St. And to kick off the series, Jean Trimbach traveled from Ribeauvillé, France, carrying along a stellar selection of his finest Trimbach family wines.
Seven lucky diners were treated to seven exceptional courses by Chef Gabriel. Sommelier extraordinaire, Emilie Perrier, expertly paired each Alsatian dish with Trimbach's Alsatian wines, and the results were nothing short of magical, and perhaps even inspired an unexpected burst of song at the end of the night!
The night began with a Trimbach cocktail, 2 weeks in the making, and currently on the bar's cocktail menu.
Aptly called the Mirabelle, it contains Trimbach Mirabelle plum brandy, Aperol, La Caravelle champagne and garnished with a slice of plum. The combination resulted in a balanced blend of bitter and sweet, smooth and sparkling. And was the perfect libation to lubricate the greetings and salutations among the group.
Jean Trimbach, who admitted he drinks wine exclusively (with the occasion single malt scotch), said it was the best cocktail he had ever had!
Once we were all settled, the fun really started! First, an amuse-bouche of rumbutan gelée with orange blossom and yuzu, and a jackfruit tequila pâte de fruit, served with Muscat Reserve 2012.
A dinner at Gabriel would never be complete without the classic tarte flambée topped with smoked bacon, onion, crème fraîche, and fromage blanc - if someone can bottle this as a fragrance, please give me a call! Heavenly! The pairing with the Muscat was beyond perfect.
One thing that cannot be ignored about Alsatian wines are the elegant bottles!
For the first course of Icelandic Osetra caviar with compressed cucumber and Sicilian pistachio espuma, Emilie opened a 2 foot tall, slender and sexy magnum of Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 2009.
Trimbach Tip: If you can find a magnum of the Cuvée Frédéric Emile from 1967 - BUY IT! It is extremely rare and drinking beautifully!
For the second course, a foie gras terrine with Marcona almonds, duck prosciutto, and cantaloupe melon coulis, paired with a gold label 2007 Gewürztraminer with notes of blood orange and gingerbread.
The third course was one of Chef's specialties! A starburst of sturgeon & sauerkraut tart with Riesling mousseline and American sturgeon caviar from the Yellowstone River. This signature dish was paired with a just-released 2008 Clos Ste Hune Riesling...grapevines that go back to their first vintage of 1919!
And for the fourth course, grilled maine lobster with preserved lobster mushroom and pinot noir essence, served with a gold label Grand Cru 2010 Pinot Gris, which is only produced in good years.
For the fifth course, an artfully-presented squab & foie gras croustillant with autumn vegetables, paired with a 2005 Réserve Personnelle Pinot Noir...a rare red in a sea of white.
Trimbach Tip: If you can find Clos Ste Hune from 1959, 1967, 1983 or 1989 - BUY IT! Per Jean, these are legendary wines!
The whole night embodied the French term of "la classe" - the food, the wine, the table settings, the special proximity to the kitchen, the company and the conversation.
And what would an Alsatian dinner be without a little song to cap the night!
Trimbach! Trimbach! Oh bring back my bottle to me, me, me!