La Balance Cuisine Wine Dinner

We visited La Balance a few times before and the food has always been spot on. This was our fist wine dinner here (priced at $89 a person).

While we waited for the dinner to begin we where welcomed with a glass of Barone Fini Valdadige. Normally we are not fans of Pinot Grigio, but this was a really good one. They also passed out little quiches, nothing special, but tasty none the less.

First Course – Gazpacho (honey dew, green tomatoes and crab cake), paired with Donati Unoaked Chardonnay Sisters Forever. I’m not a huge tomato fan, but you tasted more of the honeydew. This cold gazpacho was really good topped with a warm crab cake. I loved the presentation with the crab cake elevated on a slice of honeydew underneath.

Second Course – Duck Confit Raviolis (huckleberries red wine sauce), paired with Donati Claret Paicines. Not the prettiest dish, but the flavor OH THE FLAVOR! Wow you could taste the love from the time it took to for the duck to cook down. The huckleberry red wine reduction was the cherry on top! I can’t rave about this dish enough.

Third Course – Striped Black Bass (oyster mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, dressed in its own jus), paired with Donati Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek. The fish was cooked perfectly! The biggest treat for me was the jus sauce from the oyster mushrooms. I’m pretty sure I came close to licking the bowl to get the last drop.

Fourth Course – Buffalo N.Y. Strip (Lyonnais potatoes, blue cheese foam), paired with Donati Ezio Cabernet Blend Paicines. No complaints on this course either. The only thing is I could have used a little more foam.

Fifth Course – Sorbet (assorted fruit sorbets), paired with Donati Cabernet Sauvignon Paicines. After talking to the chef I totally have to agree with him. They wine guy brought the wrong one, which didn’t pair with the dessert at all! I couldn’t get enough of this home made sorbets the raspberry was my favorite it tasted just like cherries.

Meet the Chef – Huge thank you to Chef Manuel for an unforgettable meal and taking time out to talk to all the tables personally.

Overall I have to say this is up there as one of the best food and wine pairings we have had. The food is spot on and made with love.