Please The Palate |

A Memorable Meal at Il Buco Sorrento

Seeking out memorable meals is something that pleases my palate. So, after an amazing week in southern Italy, which included winery visits, historical tours and a boat trip down the Amalfi coast, I capped off the week with a meal in Sorrento at Il Buco, considered one of the best restaurants in Sorrento.

Located in the heart of Sorrento, near the sea, Il Buco has been serving food worthy its Michelin Star. Open for more than 20 years, Il Buco has held its Michelin Star for 14 years! I arrived for my 8pm reservation and was taken down a few steps into the the dining room which used to be the wine cellar of an old monastery. My table was waiting for me, set for one person. Unlike in some restaurants where I am given a funny look when I ask for a table for one, the staff at Il Buco made me feel welcome immediately. I was offered an aperitivo of sparkling wine or a cocktail but decided to pass as had read about the large curated wine cellar and was planning to do a wine pairing. Before I was given the menu, I was presented with an amuse of marinated anchovy with tomatoes and sliced toasted almonds. The sweet fresh tomato against the salty fish woke up my palate and the toasted almonds added a nice touch.

10 September, 2019

The 15 Best Restaurant Wine Lists In Los Angeles

As good as the food is at a restaurant, what can make a meal even better is the wine selections to pair with the food. It is not about the size of the list or having the correct list of wines. It is about understanding the cuisine of the restaurant and the customer and then creating a list to appeal to both. My recent story in California Winery Advisor listed 15 of the best restaurant wine lists in Los Angeles and you can read it here. ************************************************************** Wondering who has the best restaurant wine lists in Los Angeles and why? It is not the size of the wine list. It is not because it has a list of every aspirational, expensive, highly scored wine. And it is definitely not a good list when the list consists of generic mass-produced brands that can be found on the shelves of the local grocery store. A good wine list is one that is curated by the wine director of the restaurant to pair with the food on the menu. It is a list that offers a range of price points and combines familiarity as well as uniqueness. With so many exceptional restaurants in Los Angeles, a good wine list is what can set one apart from another. Here are 15 restaurants offering some of the most interesting, exciting and appropriate wine selections for the customer.

02 July, 2019

Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Pairing Wine with Brix Chocolate

Although wine and chocolate seem like a cliché, the fact is that they do not pair easily together. Either the chocolate is too sweet or it is too bitter and dominates the wine. Chocolate, like wine, has tannins and tannin-heavy red can clash with a piece of dark chocolate. But, if you like dark chocolate and you like wine and you want them to work together, than the answer is Brix chocolate. I found harmony in a pairing of Brix Medium Dark Chocolate and a glass of McCay Cellars Syrah from Lodi. That is why pairing wine with Brix chocolate is the Please The Palate pick of the week.

Crafted to pair with wine, Brix chocolate is a single origin Ghanaian chocolate, known for its red fruit tones. The Ghanaian chocolate is mixed with confectionery chocolate to create four specific blends.

04 May, 2019