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Inside the Fess Parker Wine County
Inn and Spa Quickly becoming one of our favorite spots in the valley, Wine Cask Los Olivos offers something for everyone. If you want to get a drink with friends there is the charming patio of Intermezzo where Justin or Adam will make you the best Bloody Mary or Martini this side of Santa Barbara. If you want to enjoy fine dining in an elegant atmosphere, there is the main restaurant, Wine Cask, which offers impeccable service, creative entrees, and one of the most extensive wine lists on the central coast. One of my first experiences with Intermezzo and Wine Cask started last summer when they had zucchini fritters on the menu with a hint of cardamom. The staff and I still talk about them to this day. Other past favorites are the duck fat fries, which was always a hit amongst the men, and the goat cheese crostini. Right now they have Dungeness crab cakes on the menu, which go fabulous with my Bombay Sapphire Gin Martinis, dirty with two olives. After awhile we decided to go the extra yard and try out Wine Cask, the upscale version of Intermezzo. This is where you can get some serious fare, everything from veal sweetbreads, CT’s favorite, to juniper berry duck breast, which CT has also tried at a prior dinner. For this particular engagement we were meeting Susan Williams who is not only our very first wine club member, but also a Carina Cellars representative at our local Vintner’s Festivals, as well as a caterer for our various events, and CT’s mother. You can see why we were taking her out to dinner. We started with our 2005 Rancho Arroyo Grande Viognier, which will be in the November 2006 Wine Club shipment. This is our winemaker and David’s favorite Viognier out of the three that we made for 2005 because of its crisp acidity and elegant fruit texture. We paired this with our first course consisting of Heirloom Tomato Salad with capers, basil, and Burrata cheese, Crispy Veal Sweetbreads with toasted pecans and mushrooms, and the appetizer feature of the day, Tiger Shrimp with paprika and avocado. They were all lovely and made us excited to see what sort of tantalizing pairings our entrees might present. Our next wine of the night was the 2004 Syrah Clone 877, which we paired with a nice variety of main dishes. Susan opted for the classic syrah pairing, Roasted Rack of Lamb with Yukon gold potatoes and fennel gratin with wilted chard and natural lamb jus. There is a reason this is a classic and Susan highly recommends the lamb entree with a rich and spicy Syrah, like the Clone 877. CT, when given the option, will almost always go for a big, juicy steak, and more specifically a Kansas City Strip Steak. He can now tell you the pros and cons of individual restaurants K.C. Strip Steak options in detail. So, no surprise when he ordered the Wine Cask’s version that comes with Yukon gold mashed potatoes, roasted shallots, and natural veal reduction. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal and the wine pairing. I have always wanted to try their salmon entree and took this opportunity to order the Grilled Salmon with grilled vegetable cous cous and basil heirloom sauce. It was definitely one of the best salmon dishes I have had in the valley making me very happy with my order. For dessert we opened our 2004 Iconoclast and ordered three different delectable dishes. The winner hands-down was the Apple Cream Cheese Tart with a caramel cream anglaise. It was so good and the only dessert that we finished completely. With a crème Brule top and a nice balance of cheesiness to sweetness, it was one of the best desserts that I have had in awhile. The other two desserts were the Chocolate Flourless Cake with sassafras sauce, which is always good, and the Marion Berry Tiramisu with caribbean espresso and three liquors, which was the least favorite of the three. We left the restaurant full of great wine and food and looking forward to our next visit to the Wine Cask. They change their menu every couple months and always have some fresh seasonal options to keep you interested. I would recommend starting with a cocktail at Intermezzo and moving into the dining room for your main course. Buon Apetit!
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Featured
Restaurant (August 2006)