The menus are here! THE MENUS ARE HERE!
If the folks organizing Charleston Restaurant Week were trying to build suspense by keeping this year's special menus under wraps for so long, it sure worked.
I fielded a ton of calls these past two weeks from readers wondering if I knew when the menus were going to be released. Or if I was able to give them a sneak-peek. Or if I thought they should go ahead and make reservations at their favorite places anyway.
Because many of these spots will fill up pretty quickly, don't you know?
They're right, I gasped, recalling my own disappointment when I couldn't get tables at two of my favorite places last year. Not wanting to endure that pain again, I got caught up in the panic and booked a couple of reservations last week myself, menus unseen.
Now that we can (finally!) get a glimpse at what's in store, I hope to make a few more today. And I hope to see many of you out and about during one of my favorite weeks of the year.
nnn
You know I love a good wine-tasting dinner, and this one sounds like a winner.
The Block Restaurant and Wine Cellar is hosting a five-course affair at 6 p.m., next Saturday, Jan. 28, at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club, during which a wine expert will discuss the elegant selections he's paired to complement the evening's culinary offerings.
On the menu:
n Mushroom bisque, paired with Santa Carolina "Nimbus" Savignon Blanc from Casablanca Valley, Chile (2015)
n Wild baby arugula salad with shaved fennel, orange segments and honey Dijon vinaigrette, paired with Laguna Ranch Chardonnay in Sonoma County, California. (2014)
n Ovoline mozzarella served with slow-roasted tomato reduction and basil vinaigrette, paired with Jasci & Marchesani Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Italy (2013)
n Duck confit with Moroccan couscous and asparagus, paired with Purple Heart Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot from Napa Valley, California (2013)
n Poached pear with vanilla bean glaze, paired with Mia Dolcea Moscatto from Piedmont, Italy (2015)
The dinner costs $65 per person (plus 18% gratuity and 6% tax) and must be paid in advance. Reservations are required and can be made by calling The Block at 681-265-9074 or Sleepy Hollow at 304-757-9416, ext. 4.
nnn
Speaking of wine, do you have any leftover partial bottles from holiday or New Year's celebrations that you're not sure how to get rid of?
HA! Me neither.
So it was especially funny when I recently received a press release entitled, "Tips for storing leftover wine."
Clearly, they don't know me.
But if you're a quitter who leaves a scant amount of wine in the bottle at the end of the night, the folks at Santa Margherita offer these suggestions for using it up before it "oxidizes." Which is a fancy way of saying "turns bad."
If you'd like to save the wine for later consumption, keep the bottle away from heat or light, preferably storing it in a dark cupboard around 5 degrees. Better yet, refrigerate it. Colder temperatures will extend its preservation.
Just be sure to take reds out of the icebox about 20 to 30 minutes before serving (and whites about 5 to 10 minutes) for optimal drinking temps. Pour any remaining wine into ice cube trays to chill your next glass or a pitcher of sangria - or use these cubes to flavor stocks, gravies, sauces and glazes.
Freeze leftover wine into freezer molds (with a little fresh fruit, if you'd like) for grownup "winesicles."
Sparkling wines are especially nice for that last tip. A Prosecco Popsicle? Don't mind if I do! Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and an occasional food blog at blogs.wvgazettemail.com/foodguy. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by email at wvfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook as "WV Food Guy" and on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest as "WVFoodGuy."