Thursday in Portland we went to Tempo Dulu in a lovely boutique hotel where we opted for the rijsttafel tasting menu. Lovely setting, nice service, good food: Two amuses- (watermelon/raspberry gazpacho shooter with salt, birds eye chi le and cilantro;crab salad with nasturtium leaf and lime gelee),also rice c rackers with sambal and peanut sauce. First course was scallops, caviar, citrus foam, and more. Second was lobster, sauteed water spinach, and peppers in an intense lobste r broth. Then the rijstaffel -jasmine rice with shallots, yellow rice in banana leaf , lobster/pork spring rolls, braised lamb, curried cod, egg in sambal, saut eed water spinach, pork satay.
But list leaves a lot to be desired. With varied menu we went btg. They did have a couple of whites and a couple of reds in "Coravin reserve" list, bu t I couldn't see $32 for a glass of '10 Donnhoff Kirsch. Spat, and red choi ces were bigger (Thackery Pleiades and an Argentine Malbec blend, also in $
30s) than I thought fit menu. We had a nice meal, but at $150/pp in Maine y ou should be able to drink better.From regular BTG menu:
2015 Prisma Sauvignon Blanc (Chile) Grapefruit, a little grass, decent acids. B/B-2014 Love Pinot Noir Actually wine list entry was 2014 Love Oregon Pinot Noir Willamette Valley California (waiter confirmed it was OR not CA). Light, cherry jam, a little cola, short, B-/C+
2014 Terre del Fohn Muller-Thurgau So surprising when a Muller-Thugau is WOTN (and Chilean SB in second place) . Ripe nectarine and apple fruit backed by nice acids, hint of sugar, nicel y floral. B2015 La Vie en Rose rose I had ordered a 2016 Sicilan rose, after 10 minutes they said fetching from cellar, after 10 more minutes they said they found it, but needed to be ch illed, did I want to try the French rose. OK, sure. Round, strawberry popsi cle, not too fresh. C+
Friday took Amtrak home. Waiting in Boston’s South station I had so me time and good excellent lunch from Bon Me truck in Dewey Square. Betsy ’s nephew got me in Stamford and we picked up Ruby from doggie day care. By time I dropped Gabe and played with Ruby I had little energy for c ooking. Found arugula and assorted mushrooms in fridge to saute, thawed som e Easter lamb. As it was Bastille Day stayed French, with the 1998 Ch. de S ales (Pomerol). Lighter styled Pomerol, some light dusty tannins remain, go od black plum fruits, cedar, and a little leather/saddle. Good, drink up. B
+Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a p arty where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivi ty, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.