LIWINEDAD

  Back on the road for one more round of fall club pick-ups and lunch on the east end.  Today is a revisit to Sound Avenue Bistro , which has never disappointed in the past (Fig 01).  Due to the vagaries of traffic this time, we arrived ahead of opening time but no problem, we were warmly welcomed, and as this was a clear warm summer day, we were seated outside by the garden (Fig 02) and waterfall (Fig 03) on the patio (Fig 04).  We pursued the beverage menu for a bit (Fig 10) but opted for iced tea as we still had two wineries and a distiller ahead of us.  We opened instead with our traditional favorites, the Seafood Chili (Fig 05) and the Duck Wings (Fig 06).  The main entrée from the weekly special menu (Fig 10) was a Beef Steak Tomato stuffed with Lobster salad (Fig 07), which was fantastic.  Jo selected from the main menu (Fig 09) the buttermilk fried chicken with sweet potato fries (Fig 08).  The chicken; is done perfectly, tender, juicy, and flavorful.  The food, combined with t

  A new week a new expedition to wine country for a leisurely lunch, and a few quick club pick-ups with detailed posting for each stop to follow shortly (Fig 00).  The first stop was for lunch at an old friend, the Sound Avenue Bistro (Fig 01).   This time we sat outside by a small waterfall and pond, and the food was fantastic as always.   From lunch, it was on to Pellegrini Vineyards to collect the six-pack fall club (Fig 02).    The next winery is Sannino Vineyard for our four-pack club, and of course, we added on a three-pack of spiced wine.   Lastly was a long overdue visit to Long Island Spirits (LIV) to pick up some Vodka and the rough rider bourbon.  Overall, a well-paced 135-mile 5-hour lunch and club pick-up. #longislandwineries #vineyardviews #wineryvibes #liwine #licharacter #longislandwine #northforkwineries #longislandwinery #longislandnorthfork #northforker #discoverlongisland #topwineries #northforkwinetrail #liwinecountry #liwine #lisustainablewinegrowers #nywine

  To round out the food service at our Labor Day weekend gathering, we added to the menu a homemade Bucket-O-Shells, which are two large trays of mixed seafood cooked in a fragrant wine and garlic broth (Fig 01).   Overall, an easy dish to prepare, the most challenging part is the assembly of all the ingredients (Fig 02); the actual cook is quick and easy on a well-powered gas grill.  The most important is the approximately 18 - 19 Lbs.  of seafood.  In our case, the Seafood portion was generously supplied by friends and neighbors sourced from New Wave Seafood in Wantagh.   New Wave Seafood is an excellent source for all seafood; send them a list ahead of time, and they will have the order ready and waiting for pick-up.   All the base ingredients we chop, slice and seal in vacuum bags a few days in advance (Fig 03).   All the vegetables and chorizo sausage came from Stew Leonards in East Meadow, including the aluminum trays.   Also, do not skimp on the quality of wine and use a good

  The Labor Day weekend gathering looked to be the ideal place to try out the McCall Grass Feed beef compared to the more traditional beef, as all the people are well-developed carnivores.  We also tapped the cellar and had a fine selection of wine to pair with the beef and traditional steak sides.  There was also a large selection of seafood, but that will be the subject of a separate posting.  The beef weighed about 12 Lbs. before grilling (Fig 01) and consisted of  McCall Wines Grass Feed steak and some mid-western corn-finished beef via Stew Leonards .   The McCall steak is very dark and rich in color, with the mid-western corn finish notably paler in color.   Cattle ranching should not be surprising as Long Island has a long history of Cattle ranches, having the first one in the U.S. and dating back to the mid-1600 in Montauk.   However, McCall Beef Cattle has a unique history; starting to raise cattle in 2010, selecting a rare breed in the U.S., the Charolais Cattle , which

  Sunday, 04 September 2022, the day before Labor Day, is a warm sunny day, so a good reason to gather family and friends in the backyard for steaks, seafood, and wine.  To open the day, we started with a side-by-side tasting of two Pinot Niro’s from Seabold Cellars , the same vintage but different vineyards (Fig 01).   The wine was outstanding, and a follow-on post discusses everyone’s thoughts on the wine.   The beef was one of the two main Entrees and weight in at about 12 Lbs.   before grilling (Fig 02).   McCall Wines Grass Feed steak and some mid-western corn-finished beef via Stew Leonards .   Both grilled up fine and served medium rare (Fig 03).   There was a very noticeable difference between the two, with a separate write-up to follow.   The second entrée is a home concoction called a “bucket of shells” and is about 15 lbs of seafood (Thank you, New Wave Seafood ) steamed in white wine, garlic, and chorizo broth.   Accompanying the entrees are Sautéed Mushrooms , Caramelized

  After lunch at Barrow Food House , it was on to McCall Wine, two events in one place.   First, is the wine tasting discussed previously, and the second is McCall Beef.   McCall Wine is well set back on the south side of the main road in Cutchogue, just before Pellegrini Vineyards ( McCall Wine Google Map ).   To the back of the patio is a tasting barn, and beyond the bar on the inside is a separate room full of freezer cases packed with farm-raised beef ready for picking (Fig 01).   A cattle ranch should not be surprising as Long Island has a long history of Cattle ranches, having the first one in the U.S. and dating back to the mid-1600 in Montauk.   McCall Beef Cattle has a unique history; starting to raise cattle in 2010, selecting a rare breed in the U.S.   McCall selected the Charolais Cattle , which can trace back their origins to the late 800s C.E. (Fig 02).   The cattle are free range, Grass feed, within a minimal intervention environment producing fine quality beef.   T

  A week later, we are back on the road again to grab lunch, explore a new winery and ranch then do two pickups.  Four stops and 183 miles later, we had delicious lunch and lots of wine to replenish our stock (Fig 00).  The first stop was at Barrow Food House , a wonderful place to have lunch, which we found, through Sparkling Pointe Vineyard .   A few weeks ago, Barrow Food House provided the Lobster Roll to the Sparkling Pointe Lobster Roll , North Fork Potato Chip , and Pearl Street Caviar pairing event at the end of August.   The Lobster roll (Fig 01) was so good that we needed to come and check out Barrow Food House , and it did not disappoint with a detailed posting to follow (Fig 02).      The next stop was a quick pickup at Terra Vite Vineyards , which we had missed the week before (Fig 03).   The next was a duel stop for a wine tasting (Fig 04) and to acquire a block of fresh free-range grass feed beef from a long Island Ranch (Fig 05).   Yes, Long Island has had cattle r

  Sunday was perfect for a relaxed lunch at Sparkling Pointe (Fig 01, 02, 03).   We booked a Lobster Roll and chips pairing event with two friends at Sparkling Pointe Vineyards for the day that included a combination of a full tasting, pairing, and lunch in one sitting.   We opened with three tastings paired with a selection of North Fork Potato Chips , followed by a Lobster roll from Barrow Food House paired with a different sparkling wine and Pearl Street Caviar (Fig 04). The idea of pairing sparkling wine with Potato chips was new to me, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well the combination works together.   First up was a Sparkling Pointe 2018 Brut matched with Original Plain North fork Potato Chips (Fig 05).   The 2018 Brut blended Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier to produce a crisp, clean feel, with notes of lemon and apple that paired very well with the plain chips.   Next was a 2016 Reserve Blanc de Blanc teamed up with the North Fork Potato Chip – Sweet