An Excellent Substitute

Last night a friend from Taipei was in town, and a few of us got together with him as it's been a while since our last gathering. I had completely forgotten that Thanksgiving this year was a little early, but as it turns out we had an excellent substitute for turkey...since the venue I chose was San San Trois.

We started with some South African oysters, which were amazingly sweet and creamy on the palate, but at the same time felt very solid and chewy in texture. Not a bad start.

Next we had the two sushis: seared kama (tuna neck) and foie gras. I have always had the seared toro sushi but this was the first time I've had the kama done as sushi (I usually get big pieces of it grilled). I have to say that this was very well-received.

The first courses were paired with the 2003 Guigal Saint Joseph Lieu-Dit, a wonderful Rhone white. Although I did not find it so, my friends commented on the wine being "super dry." In any case, this is a wine that I love from my favorite winemaker in the region.

Next was angel hair with abalone and salmon roe. Normally this is done very nicely, but somehow I'm a little disappointed today with the quality of the pasta - too flabby and soft. We were also served a bit of grilled fish neck.

The highlight of the evening, of course, was the roasted Bresse chicken. As usual, this was done to perfection and so delicious. The crispy skin paired with a thin layer of fat underneath (in some areas) impart wonderful flavors to the meat.

We drank the 1999 Kistler Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, which received good comments from a friend. I thought it was the perfect accompaniment to the chicken.

Finally we had the slow-cooked US ribeye steak. Normally this is served in thin slices, but today the chef decided to serve it to us as whole pieces of steak, to better complement the 1995 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection. The steak was tender (although again, slightly disappointing compared to previous experiences) and the wine was classically full-bodied. Looks of satisfaction all around.

We were all too full for dessert, so we left early for the next round of drinks...