Intimate sit down dinner in south Tampa

Well, I certainly had a lot of fun cooking for some new clients in South Tampa. A small, intimate sit down dinner party of only 8 guests. My client is a wine collector and opened, among other fantastic bottles, a Jeroboam (double magnum) of 1987 Domaine Michel.

If you don’t know about Domaine Michel, we’re talking about one of the best wines in California. Constantly rated above 90 points and pretty hard to find, especially in a jeroboam size, this wine is extremely sought after by wine collectors. Domaine Michel was establised in 1979 and became Domaine Michel-Schlumberger in 1993. The Schlumberger family are Alsacian winemakers. They reduced production to about 15,000 cases a year and raised their quality.
Of course, thanks to the generosity of my client, I got to taste enough of it to absolutely fall in love with the wine. Of course, as expected, a big cab with plenty of fruits, but also a very delicate robustness and a looooong, spicy finish that was just delightful. A great pairing, by the way, with my menu.

Talking about which, the menu was as follow:

Hors d’oeuvres
Seared tunat toast with Boursin cheese
Roasted prunes with bacon
Duck mousse crostini
Paired with Laurent-Perrier brut rose’

First course
Lobster bisque
Paired with Alban Viognier 2005

Second course
Butter poached lobster with fresh truffles
Paired with Qupe’ Chardonnay 1992

Third course
Pear-champagne intermezzo

Fourth course
Niman ranch beef Chateaubriand with classic Bearnaise sauce
Domaine Michel 1987 Jeroboam

Fifth course
Chef Gui’s dessert tasting plate

Here are some photos of the courses:

Butter poached lobster with truffles

Niman ranch Chateaubriand with classic bearnaise sauce

Dessert sampler

1987 Domaine Michel double magnum