tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post2337605449727656284..comments2024-02-28T21:09:17.490-08:00Comments on Samantha Sans Dosage: Speaking Another Language....Samantha Duganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05214278596698698245noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post-6407643484225212982010-02-25T18:54:52.851-08:002010-02-25T18:54:52.851-08:00Hey they could've asked for pied franc.Hey they could've asked for pied franc.TWGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02592548268341500443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post-31188728090512183062010-02-25T15:02:15.822-08:002010-02-25T15:02:15.822-08:00Derrick,
Welcome. If I keep getting all these fa...Derrick,<br /> Welcome. If I keep getting all these fancy pants writer here I might end up looking all legit. I can think of few things that would trigger my gag reflax sooner than banana and Syrah. Amamzing thing about that is that they did in fact create a memorable experience but not likely the one they were hoping for.<br /><br />Annie,<br /> Very well said girlie!<br /><br />Ron My Love,<br /> Sounds like your old boss was a wise man, had to be...he hired you didn't he? I think bleu cheese cheescake is simply nasty and exactly the kind of foofing that must stop...vile. You?! In the horny camp?! Get the fuck oudda heah...<br /><br />John My Dear,<br /> I did read that and thought they guy was off his rocker. There may in fact be a not horrid pairing for everything but a good pairing for everything...doubt it.Samantha Duganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214278596698698245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post-53706668992589329202010-02-25T11:19:06.084-08:002010-02-25T11:19:06.084-08:00Sam - did you see Steve Heimhoff's post on Dem...Sam - did you see Steve Heimhoff's post on <a href="http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2010/02/04/demystify-this/" rel="nofollow">Demystify This!</a> back on 2/4? Tim Hanni says there is some oddball wine pairing out there for every food! Actually I'd like to sit down with this guy and pick his brain for a while to see if there is any "there" there (probably better than picking his nose). Yep, your experiences here remind me of why I don't miss retail - better you than me, for your customers' sake.John M. Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18343670865804216103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post-74566096958436243962010-02-25T09:16:50.205-08:002010-02-25T09:16:50.205-08:00My Gorgeous Samantha,
My old boss at Pacific Dini...My Gorgeous Samantha,<br /><br />My old boss at Pacific Dining Car used to say that he was tired of going to restaurants where the descriptions of the food on the menu were better than the food itself. Somewhere along the line restaurants developed the Parker Syndrome of writing elaborate, florid menu descriptions perhaps to make themselves seem fancy. Doesn't work.<br /><br />In real life, we cook and then we go over to the wine rack and see what might be pleasant and not completely offend the meal. Nothing fancy about that. Like Derrick, I can remember some amazingly awful pairings. Once, at a winemaker dinner I organized, the chef insisted on a Bleu Cheese Cheesecake with a Dessert Riesling. I thought the customers were going to have a Circle Puke. The room smelled like athlete's foot. Funny how we remember the worst pairings as well as the best.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I definitely fall into the horny camp when it comes to wine descriptions. Surprise!<br /><br />I Love You!<br /><br />Your HoseMasterRon Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post-35085905294668618542010-02-25T08:51:19.809-08:002010-02-25T08:51:19.809-08:00Ohhhh dear. I'm with Sara...sometimes it just...Ohhhh dear. I'm with Sara...sometimes it just doesn't work and you have to go with a martini or a cold beer! Wine is almost always great with food, but sometimes food is way too finicky and foofy. Sometimes I just order the wine I want and then worry about the food as an after thought...sometimes I just don't care and I drink Cab with macaroni and cheese cuz that's the kind of day it was. <br />I think people (the sweet confused couple) try a little too hard to create a wine/food magic when there just isn't any. <br />Anyhooo, sounds like you rocked it! Cheers!Annie Brownehttp://www.hootnannieblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post-7240372282148079042010-02-25T07:39:39.567-08:002010-02-25T07:39:39.567-08:00Your watermelon/wine story reminds me that a coupl...Your watermelon/wine story reminds me that a couple months ago I was at some winery dinner tied to an event. They were pairing their wines with the dishes (all of which -- the dishes -- were quite good). <br /><br />Things were going fine until the dessert, a chocolate-banana bread pudding with an orange-caramel sauce (I think). <br /><br />The winery paired that with their jammiest, heaviest Syrah. <br /><br />It was one of the worst pairings I've ever tasted. I kept thinking that the winery should have a) not served a wine with the dish or b) served firm cheeses, perhaps or c) said "Hey, our friends down the way have this great dessert wine, and we wanted to share it with you." Instead, whenever I see the winery's name, I'm reminded of how awful that syrah tasted next to the dessert.Derrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05974720556627635894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post-21891392672781821382010-02-25T07:18:50.095-08:002010-02-25T07:18:50.095-08:00Michael,
Helping that couple was such a mine fi...Michael,<br /><br /> Helping that couple was such a mine field. They were really sweet so that made it easier but trying to cram a wine into that idea was just never going to give them a great wine experience. I had to just give them a great wine store experience.<br /><br /> It was interesting this deal with the caterer. These people while not wine people er se, were into the idea and honestly tasting each wine with each course...they were great to deal with. We were given a menu and we picked a few wines we hoped would go, got together at the caterers and tasted everything. Most things we nailed which I was so happy about but that salad...<br /><br />So funny thing about language. When we got the menu the first thing that hit my eye, "Red Miso Broth with Green Onion Frappe, Brie and Sweet Soy Sauce noodles Finished with a Chili Capsule"...I swear I read that and thought,, "Fuck you". I was that one dish that had me freaked about the whole deal, just had no idea what it would taste like and what the hell is a Chili Capsule?! We went with Reisling, (told you) and I have to say, that soup was the single finest thing we tasted all day. So delicate and subtle...savory, fresh, clean and not too hot, the Riesling was stunning with it. But the thing that really got me thinking about this whole language deal...chefs using far too many buzz words or lisiting each and every thing in a dish which can just look silly and never really tell yo anything about what you are about to taste. That soup that made me flinch....divine. That salad though...<br /><br />Thomas,<br /> As a matter of fact we did try some Rielsing with the salad...not good, not good at all. All those flavors just ended up robbing the wine of anything pleasurable. Oh and I did forget to mention, (as you so beautifully demonstrate) some of us are in fact bilingual.Samantha Duganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214278596698698245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post-23384631426645392722010-02-25T06:09:56.872-08:002010-02-25T06:09:56.872-08:00Geez, Sam. Why didn't you recommend Riesling w...Geez, Sam. Why didn't you recommend Riesling with the salads???<br /><br />Oh, you want a nerdy response: Riesling with residual sugar (Auslese, maybe) does ok next to balsamic.<br /><br />Riesling with steak; Riesling with hotdogs; Riesling with chocolate moose--never with chocolate mousse; Riesling with popoff corn; Riesling with long, sensuously sliced carrots...Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07322028233207741737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post-40482570730559222702010-02-25T05:12:18.613-08:002010-02-25T05:12:18.613-08:00I love your description of interacting with the co...I love your description of interacting with the couple because I totally feel ya. You want to give them a great wine "experience" as well as the most important thing which is a great customer experience. Because when you boil it down we are just in the service business & I think that gets forgotten. <br /><br />Poor poor poor wine/food pairing. If they were trying to pair that watermelon salad with wine I can just imagine what the rest of the menu looked like. <br /><br />Sometimes fusion just equals confusion.Michael Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11593120496257449050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post-6378489424479187382010-02-25T00:39:30.619-08:002010-02-25T00:39:30.619-08:00Ha, I think the waffer cookie skeeves me out most ...Ha, I think the waffer cookie skeeves me out most in that picture.<br /><br />Your comment is perfect Sara, something about certain foods just scream, "something else"...now the mood thing, that's a whole other deal. For that I go for Champagne. The sweet young couple, and they were so sweet...they bought a 2005 old vine Bordeaux for thir meal...sigh.Samantha Duganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214278596698698245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4819829113979242722.post-81476288342065987672010-02-25T00:25:24.213-08:002010-02-25T00:25:24.213-08:00The carrot in the picture is freaking me out a lit...The carrot in the picture is freaking me out a little. <br /><br />I love my wine, I don't pretend to know very much about it except that I know what I like, and what I don't like (I can't do reds from Chile) but for me, when I'm eating Thai, Chinese or Indian, I usually go for beer, unless it's been a bad day, then I'll order a bottle of something, but that has less to do with the food and more to do with my mood.<br /><br />Did the young couple end up buying anything?Sara Louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06058056977783867772noreply@blogger.com