Even though I'm not a gamblin' man, Potawatomi Bingo Casino still offers me a taste of Vegas. But it's not the clanging slots that transport me to the desert, it's the top-class dining at Dream Dance, which conjures the fine dining that, after the croupiers and their cohorts, is what distinguishes Las Vegas.
Last night, I was initiated into the Dream Dance lovers club at a wine dinner featuring the youthful and personable David Stephan from Jean-Luc Colombo vineyards in France's Rhone Valley.
The six-course meal, prepared by Chef Jason Gorman and his kitchen crew, deftly matched the wines (a number of which are relatively rare here in Milwaukee). So much so, that Stephan commented that the food that Gorman had prepared to highlight Colombo's wines is exactly the kind of food you'd be served if you visited the winery itself.
A sweet oyster with some kick from a Meyer lemon sorbet wedded perfectly with the aromatic and fresh 2006 Côtes du Rhône Blanc La Redonne, made with 70 percent Viognier and 30 percent Roussane.
The next pour was a lovely, fruity and full-bodied 2006 Côtes du Rhône Blanc "Les Abeilles," accompanied by a seared cube of La Belle Farms foie gras, topped with a hazelnut biscuit and a sweet strawberry compote. The floral nose of this young wine paired nicely with the richness of the foie gras and the sweetness of the compote.
Many might question pairing a delicious, crunchily-seared tuna au poivre with a 100 percent Syrah wine, but serving the 2005 Crozes Hermitage "Les Fées Brunes," with its own peppery notes, showcased Gorman's intuition and his willingness to step outside the box.
Syrah also plays a major role in the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape "Les Bartavells," which also has 30 percent Grenache and 25 percent Mourvedre. This young, herb-y red was a great compliment to a dish built around a breast and leg of quail topped with a chunk of Roquefort, a swirl of escarole and a red plum demi glace vinaigrette.
While all of the wines - and certainly all the courses - excelled, Gorman and Stephan saved the absolute best for last. Gorman's tender, cured buffalo tenderloin topped with potatoes aligot and a Bordeaux sauce was teamed with the stunning 2005 Cornas "Les Ruchet," for a culinary knockout.
This un-blended nearly black Syrah derives from vines that are more than 90 years old, growing in granite soils, and is aged for 18 months in a mix of new and old oak. The result is a complex, full-bodied wine that balances an herbiness with a dash of blackberry and a hint of vanilla. If there's a better wine to bring out the buttery sweetness of the rare, seared buffalo tenderloin, you can send it to me at the office. The brilliance of this wine combined with its rarity -- I think Stephan said about 600 bottles come to the U.S.-- make its $85 a bottle price tag seem like a bargain (even if it's normally way out of my budget).
As expected at a restaurant like Dream Dance, the service was attentive, knowledgeable but respectfully unobtrusive. Stephan's explanations of the wines was enjoyable and rounded out a perfect evening.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
