A Dinner which did not Suck

On Saturday I had the honor of serving at an underground dinner by chef Andrae Bopp known as la Porte Brune. The meal consisted of six courses, each with its own wine pairing, and it kicked serious pork belly.

The underground dinners are currently held about once per month in Walla Walla, with expansion to Seattle in the works. None of the guests know the location of the meal until the day before the event, and this one was held at Corliss.

The main table

Corliss is spectacular. A non-descript brick building on the outside, upon entering the doors the building seems twice as large and infinitely more awesome. From the huge chandelier to the giant artwork on the walls the room is flawless. Perhaps the only issue is the lack of first growth Bordeauxs in the wine coolers – I only counted four 2000s.

Between delivering and clearing plates and pouring wine we were able to sample the leftovers with their respective pairings. Every pairing was good, but three of them stand out as the best food and wine combos I’ve ever tried. The winner has to be the first course, a shellfish ceviche with tomato water granita paired with the 2008 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre.

The dessert wine

The rest of the meal was also spectacular, but my favorite single course was no doubt the main course: the bacon and eggs. The whole meal stepped up a few notches when the bottle that the host, Michael Corliss, donated to the meal came out for dessert. My dream of drinking a 1983 Chateau d’Yquem out of a double magnum could finally come true. My wine life is now at a new level.

The wine was spectacular – so much so that Jeff and I decided it would be too cruel to tell Eric and Mike of the tale the following day. We combined the end of both of our glasses into a paper coffee cup, sealed it up, and stuck it in my cup holder. They both were later awakened well past 1 a.m. only to discover a paper cup with a couple ounces of 1983 d’Yquem on the table. They forgave our trespasses.

Jeff, Andrae, me, and d'Yquem

Among the dozen or so bottles Mike generously popped after the dinner was the 2000 Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard. That wine didn’t suck either, but never did I think a Cayuse would be completely overshadowed. It was. The courses are listed below for those who are curious.

Appetizer: Some sort of Green Pea ball with bacon bits served with a Blanquette de Limoux

1st course: Shellfish ceviche with tomato water granita served with 2008 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre

2nd course: Sous vide Hudson Valley foie gras terrine with Pacific ahi tuna tartar and brioche crouton served with 2004 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett

3rd course: Wild Alaskan sablefish with truffled Yukon potato foam and bacon brandy sauce served with 2006 Fogdog Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

4th course: Bacon and eggs: Thundering Hooves crispy pork belly with vanilla gastrique and a deep-fried duck egg served with 2005 Corliss Columbia Valley Syrah

Dessert: Hudson Valley foie gras profiteroles with salted caramel sauce and shaved bittersweet chocolate served with 1999 Le Caniette Sibilla Appenninica Vin Santo, and don’t forget the 1983 Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes.