[Restaurant TR] Ate too much, slightly drunk, can't move...

[offTopic]

For those of you in the SF Bay Area, I just got back from a special dinner at A Bellagio in Campbell. Pino, the owner has started opening on Mondays, and about once a month has a "special" menu. My wife and I went to the first one, which featured pork ribs prepared five ways. We missed the duck night, but tonight, they paired with the Hook & Ladder winery. Here was the menu (with wine pairing):

<u>Appetizer &amp; Salad:</u>
Antipasto Mare e Monti
-From the Sea to the Mountains
Bellagio special salad
Pair wine: Hook &amp; Ladder Rose 2003

This was actually three dishes...a large, grilled prawn, followed by gnocchi with artichokes, and then the salad. The rose was a little on the acidic side, though.

<u>
Soup: Zuppa di Aragosta</u>
-Lobster Bisque
Pair wine: Hook &amp; Ladder Chardonnay “Third Alarm” Reserve


This was a touch on the fishy side for me, but was very rich and flavorful. I prefer a more buttery chard, and this was fairly dry, but still matched the bisque well.

<u>1st Course: Crespelle Al Salmone:</u>
-Homemade crepes stuffed with salmon in a vodka sauce
Pair wine: Hook &amp; Ladder Chardonnay “Third Alarm” Reserve


Wonderful. Probably my favorite dish of the evening.

<u>2nd Course: Risottino all Champagne e arancio</u>
-Italian rice served with champagne and fresh orange
Pair wine: Carpene Malvolti Prosecco Chardonnay

The risotto was very creamy, with a strong cheese accent. I quite frankly didn't find this chard to be that different.

<u>
3rd Course: Spiedino Di Pesce al Forno</u>
-Combination of seafood on skewer baked with fresh herbs
Pair wine: Tuscan Ridge Blend Tre Collin

A smaller prawn, a scallop, and a piece of salmon, offset with onions and red peppers and a light cream sauce. Quite good, and I was pretty full after this. I was surprised with a red to go along with this dish.

<u>
4th Course: Filettino al Pate D’Oca</u>
-Angus Filet Mignon with duck pate in a port wine sauce
Pair wine: Hook &amp; Ladder Cab Sauvignon “Third Alarm” Reserve
Dessert: Frutta Fresca al Forno

Can it go on? The filet was too done for my taste, but still very tender, and married well with the pate and the sauce. We actually had to pack this home. The cab was not too heavy, which was good at this point of the meal.

<u>
-Fresh seasonal fruit served with Italian custard finished off in oven</u>
Pair wine: Alpha Domus Leonarda Late Harvest Semillon dessert wine

A fine finish, not too heavy for dessert, and the wine was crisp and fruity.

Just a tremendous amount of some really good food. If you keep an eye on the website at abellagio.com, you can see when Pino has a special next time, and if you like the key ingredient, I highly recommend going!