Mauritson Wine Dinner at Rumrunners in Cape Coral

Clay Mauritson, Vintner

Ralph, Jeff, and Todd

     Until owners/chefs Ralph Centalonza III, Jeff Gately and Todd Johnson open Rumrunners South in Naples, I'm happy to join those who appreciate the best, and continue to drive 1.5 hours from Naples up to Rumrunners in Cape Coral.

This terrific trio paired with Clay Mauritson of the noted Mauritson Wines from Heladsburg, CA to craft a wonderful 5 course Mauritson Wine Dinner on April 4, 2018.

First course was Seared Lemongrass-scallion Crusted Red Snapper, ginger-pineapple beurre blanc, and caramelized plantain, paired with an exquisite wine - 2014 Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc.

I bought a bottle to take home, it was that good!

2nd Course was my favorite duck- Crispy Jurgielewicz Duck Breast served with sweet potato cannelloni filled with confit, ricotta and Shiitake mushrooms, finished with cherry jus, accompanied by the  2014 Dry Creek Zinfandel. 

Duck Breast

 3rd Course was the oh- so-tender slow-roasted Niman Ranch Porchetta pork belly rolled with loin, ground shoulder and Iberico cured ham, with parsnip puree & fig, joined with the  2014 Rockpile Jack's Cabin Zinfandel.

 

Porchetta

The 4th Course featured what I think is the best cut of beef, the Spinalis cap of the Ribeye. This Sous Vide Black Angus Ribeye "Cap"came with charred farmers carrots and a rich root beer gastrique. The  2012 Rockpile Cabernet Sauvigon was later purchased by a few people, it was that great!

 

Dry- Aged Spinalis portion of the Ribeye

The pairings were spot on, as was pacing of the courses. We saved room for the 5th course; Chocolate Mousse with banana caramel sauce, a superb passion fruit curd, garnished with brûléed bananas and a petit macaron. 

The waterfront setting, five excellent courses, and four wonderful wines was nicely priced at $100 plus tax and tip.  As i met other diners, I learned that a half dozen or so diners drove the 1.5 hour trek from Naples to join with perhaps 60 other diners for this Wine Dinner. All left very, very happy!

Rumrunners, 5848 Cape Harbour Drive, Cape Coral,  

542-0200

Sasse's Restaurant's Wild Game Wine Dinner...and More Dinners to Follow!

Executive Chef and Owner Josef Zimmermann of Sasse's Restaurant  in Fort Myers started off Sasse's wine dinners on October 26, with this well-attended wild game dinner-a true sensual delight one might find in Germany or Denmark. Ah, a decision to be made. Two roads diverged in the wood  on this; dine without wine for $65, or dine with five different wines for $85. I chose the latter path and that made all the difference. A properly paired wine greatly enhances a dish's flavors.

Chef Josef Zimmerman is, hands down, one of THE top handful of chefs in Southwest Florida. I've had a variety of his dishes before, and I'll have quite a few different creations  more times in the future, be it lunch, dinner or a wine dinner.  Word of mouth fills Sasse's seats, off Season or in Season. The restaurant's setting is warmly cozy in size and ambiance. Seating is thus limited, so reservations are encouraged.

Sasse's cuisine leans toward Northern Italian and Mediterranean influences, With the menu changing weekly-you won't be  bored!  Chef Josef  combines his creativity with old school training, and selects the best local and US sourced foods for his culinary creations. The servers are professional, friendly, and second to none in their fine quality of service.  

This Fall themed game dinner started with  Essence of Creamy Wild Game Soup "Hubertus." 

This alone could have been my "happy meal" for the evening-it was that richly flavorful! Jalapeno-seasoned wild boar sausage in a sour cream and lingonberry sauce is the written description- that barely hints of the rich, earthy concentrated flavors, or the cool dollop of creme fraiche.  Tellingly, fellow diners used their baguette bread to sop up every morsel.

From the forest came the Wild Boar Cingale, a Tuscan specialty, with the ragout served over pappardelle paste, and paired with Castello di Cacchiano Chianti Classico Reserve. 

Wild Boar Cingale

 The tender boar was not "gamey"-this is a function of both getting a younger boar, and knowing how to spice and slow cook it. Some less experienced  chefs may overcook game meats.

From the sky descended  sliced Pheasant Breast with Onion,Apple wood-smoked Bacon and Tender White Grapes. 

Pheasant Breast with Onion,Apple wood-smoked Bacon 

The tartness of the Champagne sauerkraut, and pumpkin gnocchi pangrattato  (with Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs) put this over the top! Paired with a 2015 Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Kabinett, the sweet Riesling masterfully matched the sweetness of the white grapes, deliciously accenting the sliced pheasant's delicate flavor.

The pasture brought forth a Duet of Fallow Venison- Noisette and Loin. 

Duet of Fallow Venison- Noisette and Loin

This savory dish had a hint of fruitiness with the juniper berry sauce brightened with lingonberries, house-made German spaetzle, and a red wine-poached Williams pear. The Poppy 2013 Cab paired nicely with the fork-tender venison in both the noisette medallion and the longer loin presentations.

The five course meal finished on a sweetly earthy note with the Fall-inspired Pumpkin Crème Brûlée.

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

Chef Josef Zimmermann (on right)

Chef Josef  deftly torches each ramekin's sugary top to a glassy  firm finish before serving. Paired with a good glass of hot coffee, it had just  enough pumpkin flavor with a hint of raisins within the delectable custard. This was then topped with a tiny "pumpkin cake" He sparing incorporated  the oft-overused pumpkin "spices"so as to not overwhelm other flavors.

Not a wine drinker? Have a Krombacher wheat beer with your meal, or a glass of black coffee with dessert. After partaking of this wild game dinner's dishes from forest, sky and pasture in Sasse's warm setting with chilly winds outside, it brought back frosty memories... of stopping by Vermont's woods on a snowy eve. You get a true bonus-to savor Chef Josef's culinary creations through all four seasons, while being a short drive from Florida Beaches!

Check out Sasse's  schedule for upcoming monthly multi-course dinners-they are well worth your time and wallet. Lunch and dinner are served Tuesday-Friday from 11:00 a.m., to 8:30 p.m.. Dinner is served 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Sasse's is closed Sunday and Monday.

Sasse's Restaurant, 3651 Evans Ave, Fort Myers, Phone: (239) 278-5544, http://www.sassesrestaurant.com

Lee County’s Queen of Cuisine – Chef Gloria Jordan d’Cabral

Why is Chef Gloria Naples Herald’s “Chef of the Month?”  That’s easy!  While crafting two successful Fort Myers restaurants, Chef Gloria has always generously given back to the community through numerous charity events, including PACE Center for Girls, Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest, Radio Daze, and Thanks-A-Lot. She personally trains each chef and staff member.  Only Chef Gloria has customers asking to be trained to be rockstar-like servers in her restaurants!

How did Chef Gloria get her start in Fort Myers? Well, she loved dining at her favorite “hole in the wall” 10-seat restaurant in Fort Myers so much that she wanted to buy it. Alas, they sold it to a couple, and she was very disappointed.

A mere two months later, after updating and remodeling it as ‘La Trattoria Cafe Napoli’… they had to put it up for sale. She bought it this time- that’s how it all began back in 2005!

Skipping ahead a decade...Seeking a new challenge, she decided to craft a second restaurant, Mermaid Garden Cafe,  decorated with soft oceanic greens and pale sea-foam accents, and walls bedecked with pretty plates,  teapots and tea cups in what she once described as an endearing “girly-girly” style. Unlike La Trattoria, Mermaid serves only breakfast and lunch-healthy fresh foods that a Mermaid would eat, of course!

Read the whole article at: http://naplesherald.com/2016/08/01/lee-countys-queen-cuisine-chef-gloria-jordan-dcabral/  

Rosy Tomorrow’s Hundred-Acre Jazz Brunch

Your summertime will swing, swing, swing, as you first experience Live Jazz and a bountiful country brunch at Rosy Tomorrow Heritage Farm-a truly working farm set on picturesque pastures.  Come to a monthly Hundred Acre Jazz Brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; it may well be one of the most memorable and fun Sundays you’ve ever had!

Rosy Tomorrow is unlike any other farm you could imagine, for several unique reasons. Adults and children alike gape in wonderment as they tour this hundred-acre Lee County farm, coming almost cheek to jowl with 500-pound heirloom Red Wattle pigs and their piglets, Texas Longhorn cattle that could star in a Western movie, hundreds of  chickens pecking in their shaded pasture, and proud turkeys strutting and gobbling for all to admire!

Read the whole article at:
http://naplesherald.com/2016/06/16/rosy-tomorrows-hundred-acre-jazz-brunch/

Food Truck Wars at 6 Bends Harley Davidson's Top Rocker Field in Fort Myers, FLorida

This is an optimistic Post Mortem on the April 16, 2016 Food Truck Wars at 6 Bends Harley Davidson's Top Rocker Field in Fort Myers, Florida

"Half a league, half a league,  Half a league onward,

Into the valley of the Top Rocker Field

 Rode the Six Thousand.

"Forward, to the Food Trucks!

"Charge for the craft beers!" he shouted.

 "Get on line now, dear,  for the pork sliders and fish tacos," she pleaded.

Into the valley of Dehydration

 Rode the Six Thousand.

The Good News is that the attendance by the well behaved crowd at the goodly assortment of nicely chosen food trucks  exceeded the promoter's expectations. (Note: 6 Bends Harley Davidson was NOT the promoter.) Many are willing to attend next year, IF some much needed changes are made.

The Bad News can be listed on a few Food Trucks' long chalk menu boards. I'll cover the highlights. 

 No one correctly estimated the crowds that would arrive. The saying "Piss Poor Planning Prevents Proper Performance" comes to mind.  Those who arrived by car at the start, 11:00 a.m., were guided by police and volunteers into one of two pathways-to the left, or to the right. There was no walkie-talkie communication among the parking attendants  for coordinated parking. There was No back up system to handle the increasing flow of cars already trapped in the long one-way parking routes   when the parking  spaces ahead were already  overfilled. Soon, as the lots filled, people spent 20" en route to an already filled lot on the left side, then 20 minutes later, were directed into yet another filled lot on the right. Thus parking could take 45"+. There were a lot of unhappy campers.   Piss poor planning, or inadequate expectations?  I favor a bit of both.

 The small Top Rocker Field was maxed out with  about 40 food trucks. Planners  intended it  to hold perhaps 3,000 people, spread over 7 hours, from 11 am to 6 pm . The promoters were not prepared for the crowd of perhaps 10,000+, concentrated instead over 4 afternoon hours.  What a "Cluster Truck" mess ensued.  Once parked, it was yet another 45" line to just get in the gate. People were NOT happy, and that was before entering!



 Once in the Field, they were told that craft beers were sold out. That was the vendor's responsibility, not the promoter's, as back up kegs could have been planned.  Free water was not available in the heat, only $3.00 small bottles. Those fortunate to had had a beer or two were likely to have a touch of dehydration.  There was not ANY shade to escape the sun. That's POOR planning. There were no Porta Potties at all in Top Rocker Field. NOT SMART, guys. Nearest bathrooms were a few hundred yards away in the beautiful 6 Bends Harley Davidson dealership.  A steady stream of ambulances lined up to take away a steady stream of people, aged  from 40's to upper 70's,with heat exhaustion (not the more serious heat stroke.)  

  Once in the small Top Rocker Field, the wait time on lines for each food truck ran from 20" to 50 minutes!! Fifty Minutes! There were insufficient order takers. Orders were written by hand on paper tickets, instead of using multiple order takers with iPads for more efficient order taking.  Groups of 4-6 friends, or families, hoping to try the wares from 4-6 different food trucks realized the absurdity of the situation. Then, instead of ordering one top item from each of several  food truck, they backed off and wisely instead ordered 3 or 4 items from one or two trucks, and called it a day.

My group of friends struck culinary gold at famed Robin Almodovar's Palate Party Gourmet Food Truck, truly "A Party in your Mouth." We had read in advance of that she was a Hell's Kitchen Top 6 Finalist, and won Best of the Best Food Truck from Miami New Times.

That whet our appetite.

 

Robyn's tacos on left , Short ribs on right

The  BBQ short rib grilled cheese ($10) came on deliciously crisped bread enclosing hot crispy onions, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, with roasted garlic aioli. HIGHLY Recommended!

The Slow roasted pork sandwich with caramelized onions, arugula, tomato jam and garlic aioli ($9) was juicy! Most added a fried  egg on top, for $1 more! Recommended.   With such competition for a palate, the quite nice Crab cake sliders with sweet chili tomato jam , aioli and mixed greens offered goodly crab, however the taste of the sauces were not sufficiently different in ingredients to stand out from their more highly regarded brethren. The Soft shell crab, and fish tacos were other top sellers.
  

Cucina Bambina Gourmet Italian Eatery was manned by friendly efficient folks. Only in service for 3 months, the tiny truck did not have a following yet, and the line was just 5 minutes long. Hallelujah! 

We enjoyed their "Bambina Sandwich" ($10) with a big hunk of fresh mozzarella, Prosciutto di Parma, salad with arugula, roasted peppers and balsamic on a torta roll. Recommended.

 

Food was inspected by the pros

Red Zeppelin Rockin' Lobster Roll was tops with a generous amount of real Maine Lobster on a roll for $15. Highly Recommended.

Moca Loca had a great chocolate shake.

We tried 3 items from another truck. Let's just say that we left most of the forgettable pulled pork and other items on their plates. Yuck. Better vetting of a truck's wares before accepting them to the Food War is in order.

The judges had it a little easier!

Guy

Shana

With the long waits for food at each overwhelmed food truck, one of our group bugged out early. We left earlier than anticipated, having tried far less food trucks than we wished. Bummer.

Attendees dodged the rain

I'd go to the next Food Truck War/Rally. Really, I will. This was the inaugural event-a first time for the promoters, trucks and attendees. Hopefully lessons were learned. Next time have it at Jet Blue, with oodles of parking spaces, bathrooms easily accessible, free water to avoid dehydration, and better crowd control. Did I mention SHADE?  Many table and chairs are needed for tired customers.  It's an endurance contest standing on lines for hours.


 So cut customers a break, and give them ample table spots (in and out of shade)  to put their food, drinks and tired bodies, PLEASE!! Vendors need  more efficient order taking. They need to create dishes that are quicker to prepare. Better vetting of trucks to maintain high quality of food across the board is hoped for- this is subjective.

Thank you 6 Bends Harley Davidson, for letting the promoter use your Field!




PS, my car-ful of friends were so emotionally distraught from the experience (and lack of beer)  that we cured it with  Norman Love chocolate therapy, followed by

Fort Myers Brewery's "medicine!"