As the COVID virus continues to rage across this country, you need to be more creative in searching for ways to enjoy restaurant food and a drink outside of the home. Cold weather introduces another level to your search. With the CDC advising not to travel for Thanksgiving celebrations and not spend time with relatives that don’t live under the same roof, it will be a very different Thanksgiving for millions of people across the country. My wife and I will be having Thanksgiving dinner with each other, but no one else. Still, we have much for which to be thankful. More on that next weekend.
In the meantime, I am thankful that on Friday, we had a great outdoor visit to the William Heritage Winery, where we enjoyed the mild autumn day with some of their excellent Pumpkin Hill Chardonnay. It is a delicious single vineyard Chardonnay, barrel fermented in French oak, with a full-bodied creaminess and a delightfully long finish.
My wife refused to be photographed and posted again on social media or in my blog, so you are stuck with a photo of yours truly (below). We had to make a reservation for a 90 minute time slot, but it was perfect. As you can tell by the photo, patrons are safely and comfortably spaced. Staff were conscientiously sanitizing tables and chairs after visitors departed. We were thankful for the nice weather and not needing a fire pit to keep us warm. The wine hit the spot and got us in the mood for our next stop-picking up dinner.
For dinner, we chose a takeout from Treno Restaurant on Haddon Avenue in Westmont. We had done a happy hour there a couple of years ago and agreed we needed to do dinner here in the future. My wife and I had planned on doing that at the restaurant (indoors). But that was before COVID hit. They do still have indoor dining (as of today), but that is not an option for us. So takeout it is.
The Appetizers
We started with two appetizers: Shrimp roasted in butter and herbs, with slices of crostini; and an order of calamari. I would have loved a couple more shrimp, but they were delicious.
The Entrees
For my entree, I chose their scallops over mushroom risotto. While there were only three scallops, they were large and delicious and the mushroom risotto was both plentiful and scrumptious. I chose Alba Vineyard Estate 2017 Chardonnay to pair with my meal.
My wife chose the Pasta (paccheri) with Bolognese (braised short rib, rustic ragu). This was also very good and gave me an excuse to have some of her Turis Turdo Barbera.
The Wine
I chose Alba Vineyard Estate Chardonnay 2017 to enjoy with my scallops and risotto. A great choice, with its creamy mouthfeel, a hint of pears and vanilla, with lively acidity. An excellent Chardonnay. My wife enjoyed a wonderful red from Turdo Vineyards-their Turis Barbera. It remains my favorite Barbera. It is medium-bodied and robust enough to stand up to the bolognese sauce, but exhibiting smooth tannins and lovely ripe raspberries and cherries. Awesome!
Cheers!
Gift Suggestion
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Coming Attractions
- Thanksgiving 2020
- Sushi & NJ Wines
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