Hello everyone!
It is with a firmly set jaw that we figure out where in our old-fashioned brains to file away wines with New World names such as "You Are So Nice" and "Poivre et Sel."
Scratch that "we."
It is Cheryl who has a hard time figuring it out. Chef Paul orders what ever appeals to his highly discerning, but unbiased palate, and leaves his wife to figure out how to sell it.Take for example, the day this week that she came in and found four cases of California wine called Tablas Creek in the delivery hallway. Now, if it was four cases of a cheap wine, she would have assumed that Paul meant for her to bypass the main, all-French list and serve them by the glass because they were more economical than is possible with the dollar in the state it is against the Euro. Upon closer examination, she realized the four cases contained four disparate wines and weren't the least bit inexpensive and glass pourable.
"What is this?" she asked, with that thinly disguised, have-you-lost-your-freaking-mind, wifely tone.
"I dunno, I really liked them," Paul said distractedly as he fileted a side of some large animal.
"Am I supposed to sell them?" Cheryl asked gently. "Because, you may have noticed, we have 600 varieties of French wine and there is no California section. If I put California in as a section, it will pop up somewhere between Burgundy and Côtes du Catalan, which is a trifle geographically confusing."
"Yeah," said Paul patiently, "but these wines are the American experience of the Perrin brothers of the famed Beaucastel vineyards in France. And Robert Haas came to see me, and he's been so good for so long and he was standing right in front of me, and I lost it. There aren't that many people in the world that impress me, and Robert Haas is one of them, and the Perrin brothers and Beaucastel are among the others. I've been a fan for as long as I've been alive. And the wines are beautiful, and not in the California, enormous cojones kind of way. They are gorgeous and great food wines. They have beautiful fruit, but they are muscular and well constructed and they have an eye to age."
So now we have some California wines, but they are not for the people who come in with the: "I don't drink French wine, I only drink oaky California chardonnay" mindset.
Paul also handed over to Cheryl a few cases of wines this week with a distinctly modern, untraditional marketing sensibility.
The inexplicably named "You are So Nice" is a red wine by Christian et Nathalie Chaussard, and the Chez's chef's beleaguered wife is having a hard time figuring how to even put it on the list, since that massive great tome is arranged by geography, rather than a sense of humor. This wine is classified as a French "Vin de Table" which is not an appellation. A quick Google search a few hours after the cases arrived showed that the wines originated in Touraine, so we'll mark them as Loire wines, but they will be highly unusual because they are made from Pineau d'Aunis, rather than the typical Cabernet Franc of Loire Valley reds.
This strange, but delightful wine is the product of a love affair between Christian Chaussard and Nathalie Gaubicher. He spent his early career in public works before learning viticulture and oenology, and taught those subjects while running an estate in Vouvray in the Loire Valley. The climate turned on him, and he was forced to abandon his estate, so he quit teaching and decided to become a "new world" winemaker.
Before he got firmly established, he met and fell in love with Gaubicher, a Swiss-born actress with oenology and sommeliere diplomas. The couple traveled the world looking for a place to make wine, before they found themselves back in the Loire in 2002, in the Jasnières/Coteaux-du-Loir area in northern Touraine, 155 miles south-west of Paris between the cities of Le Mans and Tours.
By 2007, their estate had grown from 4 hectares to 11. The couple adheres to organic viticulture, using no pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. They decoct nettle and horsetail to spray the foliage; the vines are plowed and grass is allowed to grow between the rows. In 2006 they began the conversion to biodynamic principles. The harvest is done by hand in 10 kilogram boxes. Débourbage (first racking to separate solid matter from juice) takes place after 24 hours, then the must goes into four- to eight-year-old barrels for the alcoholic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation usually follows and is not stopped by any means. Nothing is added: there is no chaptalization, no selected yeasts, no sulfur, no enzymes, no de-acidification, no fining.
The Poivre et Sel wine by Olivier LeMasson is made from Gamay, the red grape of Beaujolais, and Pineau D'Aunis, the same magical mystery grape used by Olivier's neighbors Christian and Nathalie in Touraine. Olivier is actually a negociant who has vowed to make wines from vines with low average yields of 28 hectalitres per hectare to 40 depending on each year's growing conditions. His company, Vins Contes, buys grapes from certified organic producers and growers that work under organic processes. The grapes are harvested by hand, which is a little tricky given the fact that the vines are dispersed over 40 hectares. The spread of the vines gives Oliver a wide range of soil types to pull from. The reds are vinified using carbonic maceration without sulfur additions or pigeage and then are transferred to the barrel. The result is light and fresh with pretty black cherry, pine forest and spice notes. The finish is grippy in a way that defies the laid-back, sweet-tempered reputation of gamay.
What to do with all this Produce...
Every time we turn around, another farmer is trooping in through the backdoor of the restaurant with a flat of freshly picked tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants, red peppers, onions, or garlic. The only logical thing to do is make ratatouille.
We have the rare seasonal pleasure of saying that are ratatouille is not only delicious, but is made entirely of locally grown ingredients (with the exception of the olive oil, salt, pepper and herbes de Provence.)
We're expecting a shipment of local pork loins from Flying Pigs Farm in Shushan this weekend, as well as local chickens and eggs. Flying Pigs Farm is owned by Jennifer Small and Michael Yezzi, who raise a small herd on a lush hillside in the Battenkill Valley. The couple became farmers about a decade ago and their pigs roam freely in large enclosures scattered around the 130-acre farm. Because of the large spaces, the pigs have a chance to root and roam as nature intended, making them healthier and less prone to disease. The high-quality flesh is marketed to a very small audience that is willing to pay a little extra to guarantee delicious, healthy meat that is farmed with the utmost attention to biological diversity.
Beauties from the Sea
This weekend we are expecting gorgeous and halibut and pompano, as well as a load of lively, two-pound lobsters. Pompano is a lean, light fish with firm flesh and mild texture. Halibut is a large, flaky fish whose named is derived from haly (holy) and butt (flat fish) probably because the right-eyed flounders were commonly eaten on holy days. They can grow anywhere between 25 and 900 pounds. (Try reeling one of those babies in with a Barbie fly rod.) When they are born, they have eyes on each side of their head and swim like salmon. As they age, the left eye migrates to the right side of their flat head, making it look more like a flounder. While one eyes is inching over the top of the fish's head, they other develops a blackish-grey pigment, while the other side stays white. This allows the halibut to blend in with the ocean floor when viewed from above and blend in with the light from the sky when viewed from below.
And the Band Played On
We continue to stay open past our advertised hours for patrons and performers of the Philadelphia Orchestra with advance reservations. We also have ample early-bird seating before the night performances and offer a beautiful brunch before the early shows on Sunday. For more information about the orchestra's schedule, visit: http://www.spac.org/article.php?articleId=21ee29c4-adf8-102b-ab32-c3b6463d6028
Normally in the summer, we stop seating people for our full dinner menu at 10 p.m. and we stop taking orders for our light fare menu at 11 p.m. But if you would like to eat after a performance of the Philadelphia Orchestra, just call ahead and we'll hold the kitchen staff on for you.
We also start serving at 5 p.m. so people can eat dinner early and still easily make curtain. On matinee days, consider us for lunch or brunch.
Bubble Bar
We invite everyone to stop in and try out our Champagne Bar, which features and impressive list of more than a dozen bubbles by the glass. We find ourselves positively giggly at certain times of the day. The list currently includes true Champagnes, as well as sparkling wines from the Loire, a red Syrah sparkler from Australia, a couple of Proseccos from Italy and a Cava from Spain. To see the full list, visit http://www.chezsophie.com/events.htm.
Parking
Some of our guests continue to be confused by the gates that have been installed at the entrance and exit of the parking lot behind Chez Sophie and The Saratoga Hilton on Maple Avenue. They DO NOT mean that the parking lot is closed or that valet parking is the only way to get in there. When you enter the parking lot, there is a gate that rises to allow you in after you take a ticket. With validation from Chez Sophie, parking is FREE for the first hour and $1 for up to four hours. (It's $5 for people we don't get their tickets validated.) There is also free parking along Maple Avenue and in the City Center parking lot on the other side of Maple when it is available. The gates are designed to encourage people who are not customers of Chez Sophie and The Saratoga Hilton from using our parking lot rather than choosing one closer to their destination. They have been very effective at making sure there is ample parking for our guests so far.
Until the end of track season, there is also an outside company offering valet parking service from the traffic circle behind the hotel. That company charges $12
for Chez Sophie guests and $18 for hotel guests.
Weekend Brunch
Our weekend Brunch on Saturday and Sunday (August 23 and 24) will feature pan-seared trout meunière with oven-roasted fingerling potatoes ($18); citrus-glazed roasted Cornish game hen with wild rice pilaf ($18); barbecued pork loin with a baked stuffed potato ($18); and sautéed shrimp in a bacon-white wine cream sauce over squid ink pasta ($18).
Appetizer specials include Rhode Island Littleneck clams steamed in white wine, garlic and herbs ($13); a salad of mixed baby greens tossed in a red wine vinaigrette ($7); crabcake with lemon caper mayonnaise ($16) and soup of the day ($8).
The brunch specials run from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The complete menu, offered from 7 to 2 p.m., includes a Continental assortment of muffins, bagel, pastries, fruit, yogurt, frittata, coffee and juice ($15) omelettes ($13 to $15); pancakes du jour ($12); the All in One, which includes 2 eggs any style, homefries, toast and sausage or bacon ($12); waffles with sweet cream butter and local maple syrup ($11); and Irish steel-cut oatmeal ($8).
Cole in the House
Jazz composer Cole Broderick plays the baby grand piano from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday during brunch and on Tuesday and Friday night (barring special events that preclude live music.) He also comes in on nights he is not normally scheduled, such as Thursdays and Saturday nights, if he feels like it.
Slated for release this fall, Broderick’s forthcoming eighth CD will feature original solo piano arrangements of such Beatles’ hits as Can’t Buy Me Love, Come Together, Eleanor Rigby, In My Life, Love Me Do, Penny Lane, and Ticket To Ride. A ninth CD featuring additional solo piano arrangements of some of Broderick’s all-time favorite hits by The Beatles will be released in 2009. Cole, who won a Billboard Critic's Choice Award for his 4-CD set of jazz compositions: "Seasons in Saratoga," recently released his seventh CD "Chez Sophie Jazz." Some of the cuts of the CD can be heard at http://www.chezsophie.com/.
You can also mail-order the CD's for an additional $4 shipping and handling. (Cole is available to play special events on piano or electric keyboard both at Chez Sophie and other venues, if you like his style.)
Artist-in-residence Joseph C. Parker
Chez Sophie founder Joseph Parker has a piece - a small steel dancing figure, untitled - in The Arts Center Gallery on Broadway. The exhibit, SARATOGA INSIDE - OUT, runs until July 26th. The Juror is Erin B. Coe the Curator and Deputy Director for Hyde Collection. (A different JCP piece, "Throw Me the Ball, Daddy," a rare foray into the abstract for Joseph, has been on display at the Hyde since the late '90s and can be viewed in the back courtyard.)
Joseph has installed a new exhibit at Chez Sophie to highlight the Saratoga summer season. The pieces are for sale, and range in price from $500 to $30,000. One of them sold the day after he installed the new exhibit. Congratulations, Joseph.
Tasting menus
The Chef's Choice seven-course tasting menu is available each night. The menus are designed based on the best and most creative dishes Chef Paul K. Parker is serving each evening. We will pair wines for you at an additional charge or you can order from our extensive wine list.
Cost: $85 to $200 per person for seven or more courses, plus tax and tip. Everyone at the table must partake in the tasting menu.
If you're feeling less impromptu, you can call ahead to arrange a special tasting menu with the number of courses and wine pairings designed to suit your capacity, dietary restrictions and budget.
Tasting menus arranged in advance will be printed on commemorative vellum scrolls personalized with the name of the host or the reason for the event.
Cost: Depends on the number of courses and the wines selected; available for one to 75 guests. Call Cheryl to make arrangements at 518.583.3538
The Pink Plate Special
is on vacation until after Labor Day.
Notes on Nico and Léo:
"What are your favorite foods?" Mommy asks idly at the table while watching her daughter dismantle and torture the contents of her dinner plate. Léo, who lives in her own two-year-old moment, looked at the plate in front of her and said: "I wike da chicken and da pineappah and da noodahs and da cucumber."
"Then why did you just spit cucumber on the floor and throw the rest of it onto your brother's plate?"
"Because I don't wike cucumber," she responded agreeably.
"Okay, what is your favorite vegetable?" Mommy asked.
Five-year-old Nico pipes up: "Broccoli!"
Léo counters: "Noodahs!"
"Noodles aren't vegetables, Léo," Mommy says.
"Yes, they are," she says indignantly. "Think about it."
