BlackBerry Chronicles: Friday Night Lights

This was my view for most of the night this past Friday.

Lights, cameras and Bizarre Foods action!

I was the sommelier for a one night dinner created by Andrew Zimmern. He was hopping around town shooting all over LA last week with the finale being a 5 course spread at Royal/T. All proceeds went to charity and some of LA’s best chefs were in the kitchen lending a helping hand- Michael Voltaggio, Lee Hefter of Spago and Ari Rosenson of CUT (my Wolfgang Puck homies from back in the day!), among others.

SO. The menu…

The menu was all about introducing the average diner to sea creatures and parts of animals they might not be accustomed to. There was uni, geoduck, pig-face bacon, pig’s blood, lamb and cow tongue, pig intestine among other things. What wine to pair with such fare? How about wines the average drinker might not have ever tried or would think to try; a 12 year old rosé, a sans soufre red blend from a whacky Spaniard, a grape called pignoletto, a pink pet nat topped with a crown cap…

Jill and I came up with the following, in order of course pairings:

2009 La Grange Tiphaine “Rosa Rosé Rosam” // 2009 Tedeschi Spungola Bellaria Pignoletto

2000 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rosado // 2010 Mendall “Poc a Poc” // De Bartoli 10 yr Marsala

Everybody loved everything! Warren Sapp, even.

PS- Pardon the truly shitty photos. But guess what? This is the last of the BlackBerry Chronicles. Why? Cause momma got an iPhone. Prepare yourself for Instagram Tales! Memoirs of an iPhone? I’ll figure something out.

What’s For Sipper, David Rosoff?

Hey. Psssssst. Hey you! Can I be nosy for a second and all up in your business? Pretty please? Yes, you say? Thanks!!

And such is the way I get all these nice people to let us read about what they like to drink and eat. And where they like to do those things in case we want to secretly stalk them. The newest super nice and talented person that let me dig into his brain? The General Manager of the always incredible Osteria Mozza. If you don’t know what Mozza is, I beg you to get out from under the miserable, not delicious rock you’ve been hiding for the past 4 years.

Name: David Rosoff. Hometown: Los Angeles. Current location: Los Angeles

Favorite Winter beverage:  N.V. Marco De Bartoli Marsala Superiore Riserva 10 anni

Favorite cocktail or spirit:  Manhattan Rocks: Rittenhouse Rye 100 proof, Carpano Antica, Angostura Bitters, Maraschino Cherry.

Favorite place to grab a drink: Eveleigh or Short Order

Favorite toast: Rye

Favorite post-dinner quaff: Ramazzotti Amaro

Favorite food & beverage pairing:  Cru Beaujolais and a simple roasted chicken.

If you could travel to one region of the world right now for its food and/or drink where would you go? Northern Spain, Piemonte or Oaxaca.

What’s for sipper? Fidencio ‘Pechuga” Mezcal

David always looks super sharp. Homeboy can definitely rock a 3 piece suit.

Top photo courtesy of LA Weekly, bottom photo by Lucy Lean.