Crumbs in my 'Stache: A fine meal ends ‘common man’ streak

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

By Ben Cannon

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-I aspired to start off the New Year with a fresh, more egalitarian approach to this column. The first entries of 2010 have been less about me and more about people, and establishments that offer terrific food for less than 10 bucks. It felt good to get away from anything that even vaguely resembled fanciness.

Then, last week, I got an invitation to go to Wild Sage, inside the Rusty Parrot, one of the town’s top boutique hotels. The restaurant was hosting the first in a new series of dinners featuring several courses designed to pair with wines from a particular vineyard.

Although I have a few food-related ideas on the radar, I was broke and here was an opportunity. Should I have declined on principle this invitation to dine lavishly? I was in no position to. Besides, it’s a job perk.

The meal was tailored by chef Matty Love around wines by Phelps Creek, a small vineyard tucked in the Columbia Gorge growing region, which straddles the Washington-Oregon border.

Vineyard owner Bob Morus was there to present his wines. It was his first trip to the valley since he was a young man. Because the vineyard owner’s last name is pronounced like “Morris,” I was first under the impression that I would be sitting at a table with local icon “Capt. Bob” Morris, but alas that wasn’t the case.

Morus, himself a commercial pilot, bought his plot of land in the Columbia Gorge in the late 80s, before the region was so popular for its vineyards – a time, he told us, when many of his neighbors were still growing pears.

Nowadays, when he’s not captaining flights to Asia for Delta airlines, he lives la dulce vita in Pacific-Northwest wine country.

Today, the area is known for growing a wide range of grapes in a relatively tiny region.

Dinner kicked off with some lovely diver scallops “dusted” with citrus zest and served on top of a red lentil hash. The dish paired gorgeously with a Phelps Creek dry reserve Gewurztraminer, a style of wine often associated with sweet but on the contrary was very dry and full-bodied. The Phelps Creek Gewurztraminer is available at some local wine shops for about $20 a bottle.

I just don’t see the purpose in giving a run-down of a one-time menu that will probably never be recreated as such.

So maybe it would be better to just say that Love, the chef, is one of the young kitchen talents in the valley. He ably assembled a menu that worked with each wine, and I got the feeling that I wasn’t the only one who walked away impressed. And stuffed! With subsequent courses like Moulard duck breast and rocky mountain elk loin, I definitely got my money’s worth. Except you already know that I didn’t have to pony up any money. At about $100 per person, which includes tax and gratuity, it all depends on your idea of value.

The next wine dinner is set for Feb. 18, when a vineyard owner from Oregon’s Willamette Valley will bring his wines, and Love will design food for them. It would make a good present for Valentine’s Day. Then, on March 18, Spanish and Portuguese wines will be the guest of honor.
And lastly: Who Dat! JHW

Wild Sage is located inside the Rusty Parrot Lodge, 175 N. Jackson St. 733-2000.

COURTESY PHELPS CREEK VINEYARD
The view of Mt. Hood from Phelps Creek Vineyard.


PERMALINK:
Crumbs in my 'Stache: A fine meal ends ‘common man’ streak | Planet JH News Article: Restaurants And Dining

Leave a Comment