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A restaurant called Root 246 opened about a year ago in Solvang. This caused quite a stir because the chef is Bradley Odgen (yes, *that* Bradley Odgen). Needless to say, touristy Solvang, most notable for its kitschy Danish architecture, doesn’t have any other restaurants featuring award-winning, celebrity chefs like Odgen. Jason and I have eaten on the outdoor patio in the summertime. This time, in light of the fact that it is February (and cold), we opted to sit in the dining room.
Menu at Root 246
Odgen’s cooking style in three words is simply “farm to table”. Naturally, the menu changes often – depending on what is in season. Jason and I wanted to try many things on the menu so we decided to order a number of different appetizers in lieu of entrees.
Amuse-bouche of steelhead trout, shitake and a ginger soy emulsion
Shortly after ordering we received a delicious and beautiful amuse-bouche of steelhead trout and shitake mushroom dressed with a ginger soy emulsion. I love these unexpected, tiny treats from the kitchen.
We ordered the “Artisan Cheese Plate” which came with thin slices of warm, toasted raisin bread, almonds, local honey and house made blood orange balsamic jelly (which was so fantastic I wanted to take some home). All the cheeses sounded
Artisan cheese plate with house made blood orange balsamic jelly and local honey
so wonderful, we couldn’t pick just one. We ordered the cave aged Marisa from La Valle, Wisconsin. This sheep milk cheese is aged for six months in a cave. It was earthy and rich and really tasty. We also had the Ascutney Mountain cheese from Hartland, Vermont. It is made from raw milk and is aged for no fewer than eight months. It is firm, buttery and nutty – similar to a European alpine cheese. Lastly, we chose a French cheese, called Comte Reserve des Granges from (yes, you guessed it) Franche-Comte, France. Made from cow’s milk, this is a nutty and buttery cheese that melts in your mouth. Cheeses like this one are a perfect alternative to dessert (not that we’ll be skipping dessert).
Warm "Bautista Farms" spinach salad, La Quercia proscuitto, quail egg and Minus 8 vinaigrette
Next up was the warm “Bautista Farms” spinach salad, La Quercia proscuitto, quail egg and Minus 8 vinaigrette. The spinach was thicker and more crisp than any I’ve had before, rather more like swiss chard than spinach. Bautista Farms is located in nearby Arroyo Grande so the spinach is super-fresh.
Beef sliders with "atomic" horseradish
After the salad, we tucked into the beef sliders with atomic horseradish and fries with house made ketchup. These were off the bar menu which offers more casual fare than the dining room menu. The sliders were great except I really had my heart set on some spicy horseradish – after all, the menu said “atomic”. In reality, the kick from the horseradish was “sub-atomic”. With that said, it complemented the flavor of the beef and didn’t overpower the dish – which is probably what the chef planned. The fries, served in a paper cone (a fun little nod to street food fare) were warm and crisp and didn’t last on the plate very long. The sliders tasted especially good with Barrel 27‘s 2006 “Right Hand Man” Syrah. Barrel 27 is one of my favorites from Paso Robles. Winemakers McPrice Myers and Russel From are really making some fabulous wine up there.
Miso glazed pork belly with crisp pork and mushroom "spring roll" and soy caramel
We also ordered the miso glazed pork belly with crisp pork and mushroom “spring roll” and soy caramel! This was decadent – the flavors all melded together as the tender pork belly melted in my mouth. Nom, nom, indeed!
Obviously, Jason and I were enjoying our food, what I haven’t mentioned yet is great waitstaff. Our waiters (there were about 4 of them making sure we had enough bread, food, wine and water) were very attentive. When Jason asked about a particular wine, the waiter offered to bring him a taste. I really wish more restaurants would do this. It is a real drag to order an unfamiliar wine (and too often the waiter cannot tell you anything about it) only to find that it isn’t something you like, in the slightest. Thankfully the Root 246 staff is wine-centric enough to a) really know the wine list and b) offer a taste of a wine to a curious imbiber. Kudos!
After all this delicious (and beautifully presented) food, we thought it best to order dessert, actually desserts. As usual we couldn’t pick just one. Jason ordered the butterscotch pudding “taster” with coffee-chocolate fudge cookie. Both the pudding and the cookie were really wonderful – and the size of the dessert is perfect for one person to have a few bites of sweetness at the end a meal. I ordered the 246 donut “puffs”, served with little cups of hot fudge, Tahitian vanilla bean custard and apple compote. I’d pictured donut holes in my head when I ordered this, so I was very surprised to get sticks. The sticks are meant for dunking into any of the little cups. It was a fun and tasty riff on donuts.
Every shelf shows the date that the fruit arrived
One of our wonderful waiters asked us if we wanted a tour of the kitchen. I cannot imagine why he asked me this question…maybe it was the fact that I kept photographing the plates of food? hmmmm… Of course we took him up on his offer! I learned that Root 246 doesn’t have a freezer – everything is fresh. The produce is used within two days from when it is delivered. Immediately upon delivery, all the fruit and herbs (organic and as local as possible) are washed and then stored on dated trays or in see-through bins. Root 246 uses local, organic foods whenever possible. You can taste the quality and the freshness – just take one bite of the spinach salad! But don’t take my word for it – go check it out yourself. And if you like to watch FoodTV, be sure to request the table *in* the kitchen! It is tough to get that table on Saturdays, so call a few weeks ahead to make your reservation.
Here are a couple more photos we took on our tour:
Jason and Anne - interlopers in the Root 246 kitchen
Chef de Cuisine Church in his element
Gotta dig the Converse! No Crocs here.
Pork belly - it's not just for breakfast anymore!
Spices in the Root 246 kitchen
How can you screw up auto-focus? Sigh. Jason, Bradley Ogden, Anne
There are only a handful of days that the Margerum Wine Company is open to the public – the rest of the time it is open by appointment only. February 13th was one of those public days, so my husband and I headed on down to the winery to go taste some vino. We bumped into our neighbors Pamela and Albert who asked us to join them for dinner at the Ballard Inn. Jason and I are big fans of chef Budi Kazali’s creative and flavorful menus so this was a welcome opportunity to go there with fellow foodies. More on this later!
Here is the list of wines from the “official” tasting list of the day (which didn’t include all the surprise bottles that winemaker Doug Margerum opened) and some comments:
2008 Margerum Chenin Blanc – light yellow color, crisp on the palate, flavors of white grapefruit – perfect wine for scallops and other seafood.
2008 Pinot Gris – fermented in 75% stainless steel and 25% barrel, high acid, lean wine
2006 Grenache – my husband Jason (a dedicated Grenache fan) really liked this one. It is expressive, but not dark or big or high in alcohol. It is subtle and would complement many foods…salmon or pork loin came to mind while tasting this wine.
2007 M5 – Jason and I have been fans of Doug Margerum’s M5 blend for many years. The 2007 offering had some interesting notes of sasparilla that I don’t recall from previous vintages. I’d recommend cellaring the 2007 M5 one 3-5 more years to increase the flavor integration. While we were tasting the 2007 Doug opened up a bottle of the 2008 M5 which is scheduled to be released in mid March. The 2008 is fruitier and very approachable now. You can drink the 2008 M5 this one while you are cellaring your 2007.
2006 Syrah “Alisos Vinyard” – This is an absolutely beautiful Syrah from its color all the way the finish. The only bad part was that so few bottles were made…only 50 cases.
2006 Syrah “Alondra De Los Prados Vineyard” – This was my favorite wine of the day – which is a high compliment because I tasted some beautifully made wines. The Alondra De Los Prados Syrah or ADP as it is called for short, is actually 5% Viognier. The Syrah and the Viognier are co-planted and co-fermented. The resulting wine has some floral notes which Viognier is known for the Syrah takes center stage with its intensity and power. Margerum recommends that this one be cellared for a few more years, but I will have a hard time keeping the corkscrew away from the case I bought. Only 125 cases were produced, so I highly recommend ordering a few while you still can.
2006 Syrah “Black Oak Vineyard” – This was another great example of the fabulous Syrahs that Doug makes – mmmmm…black cherry and hints of anise.
2006 Syrah “Colson Canyon Vineyard” – Aromas of florals, cassis and anise with flavors of cherry, black plum and white pepper. I bought a few of these to cellar for about 5 years. If you’re into wine scores, Stephen Tanzer rated this one a 90.
2006 Syrah “Great Oaks Ranch Vineyard” – Wines made of fruit from Great Oaks tend to have spice characteristics that I really enjoy. This intense wine offers flavors of anise, cracked pepper, coffee and black cherry.
2006 Syrah “Purisima Mountain Vineyard” – Flavors of cassis, dried cherries, black plum, blackberries and some earthy notes. The finish was long and lovely! Wine Spectator gave this wine 90 points.
2006 ÜBER Syrah – This is an extremely well planned wine. Margerum sourced Syrah fruit from seven different vineyards, and then picked and co-fermented them over 45 days. Then he blends in carefully selected barrels of single-vineyard Syrah – resulting in a powerful, dense wine. This is one of my favorite Syrahs because there is so much going on in the glass – rich, powerful and layered. Drink ÜBER and treat your mouth to an adventure. =)
1995 Antinori Solaia
There were a few other wines that we were able to taste that weren’t on the official list. The most exciting one for me was the 1995 Antinori Solaia. This is one of the most famous “Super Tuscan” wines in the world, made by the Antinori family who have been making wine for six centuries. Needless to say it was a real treat to taste this wine! It is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc. The years in the bottle were well spent, leaving soft, well-integrated tannins. On the palate, flavors of blackberry, currant, boysenberry lead to a long and fruity finish.
The evening's lineup of wines.
After the event at the winery was wrapping up we headed over to Doug Margerum’s house to continue our wine tasting adventure. (Thanks again for your hospitality Doug!) Doug opened a number of wines from his collection including a 2001 Vieux Telegraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Châteauneuf-du-Pape happens to be one of my favorite wine-producing regions in the world. Clearly this is my lucky day!
After enjoying Doug’s hospitality and some really interesting conversations (“Hi” to Fisch and Blaine), Pamela, Albert, Jason and I headed over to Ballard Inn for dinner. We ordered most of the appetizers – *all* were wonderful, but my favorites were the “winter turnip soup with duck confit and Fuji apple salad”, the “red roast Kurobata pork belly with Napa cabbage fondue” and the “panko crusted sweetbreads with Madeira sauce”. It was hard to choose an entree because they all sounded so good. The “pan seared duck breast with sweet potato puree and balsamic reduction” is what I usually order, but the “Australian rack of lamb with creamy farro, leeks, fennel and star anise glace” sounded amazing. I eventually settled on the “crispy skin arctic char with roasted fingerling potatoes and horseradish nage”. Everything was beautifully presented and incredibly flavorful! Kazali’s food was the perfect ending to a decadent and fun-filled day!
Disco ball hung in the doorway to the Margerum Wine Company barrel room
Jason, Pamela and Tony in the barrel room at Margerum Wine Company
The aftermath of some serious wine tasting at Margerum Wine Company
Pork cracklins + sparkling off-dry German Rieslings = Strangely wonderful wine/food pairing
The text on this painting from Doug Margerum's collection reads "wine is good living". I couldn't agree more.
On the way out to Los Olivos for a wine tasting event, we stopped at Brander. I’d served Brander’s 2008 Purisima Sauvignon Blanc at a wine dinner a few weeks ago. I’d been meaning to come back to buy more ever since. One of the guests at the wine dinner, a self-proclaimed “reds only” guy, tasted it and said “I’ve been wrong about white wine my whole life”. Truly a high compliment – and a worthy wine. Many Sauvignon Blancs, especially those with aromatics of grass or “cat pee”, are totally lost on me. This Sauvignon Blanc has heady floral aromatics and a great balance of fruit and acid. It will be a great match for seafood! In addition to the Purisima Sauvignon Blanc we tasted a number of other wines from Brander. The 2008 Cuvee Nicolas, a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon, was another well balanced white from Brander. It spent 5 months in neutral French oak before it was bottled. It is slightly rounded on the palate, though it still has good acidity. An all-around great food wine! We also tasted some of Brander’s red wines. The 2008 Brander Merlot is really wonderful with flavors of black cherries and chocolate. It only spent 5 months in French and American oak – so the flavor of the fruit really shine. Priced at $20 a bottle (or $216 a case), this wine is an incredible value – lots of bang for the buck! Another great red is the 2007 Brander Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Even though it is young, there is already fabulous flavor integration and it is drinking well now. I grabbed a few of these so that I can have Cabernet to drink while I am waiting for my Napa Cabs to sufficiently age. =)
Bob Lindquist, Ethan Lindquist and Paige Lindquist
After Brander we headed to Los Olivos to the Qupe tasting room where winemaker Bob Lindquist lead a tasting of all the wines that Qupe makes from the Bien Nacido Vineyard. It was an impressive lineup of whites and reds:
2008 Qupe Bien Nacido Cuvee – this is a blend of 50% Chardonnay/50% Viognier. Qupe has been making this blend since 1992. For this blend the Chardonnay fruit is picked underripe and the Viognier is picked slightly overripe – resulting in good structure, freshness and balance.
2008 Qupe Chardonnay Bien Nacido Y Block – This wine is made from fruit picked at varying times which means that the wine is both crisp (from earlier picked fruit – at 21 brix) and lush (from later picked fruit – at 25 brix).
2007 Qupe Chardonnay Bien Nacido Reserve Block 11 – This Chardonnay has 22% Roussanne blended into it which gives the wine headier aromatics. Bob Lindquist says that “this wine can age beautifully for 10-15 years.”
2007 Qupe Roussanne Bien Nacido Hillside Estate – Roussanne is a challenging grape on many different levels. It is difficult to grow well and it is also challenging in the cellar. This wine is fermented and aged in barrels that were used once for Chardonnay. This year’s vintage is more crisp and minerally than past vintages and should develop into a more complex wine over time.
2006 Qupe Roussanne Bien Nacido Hillside Estate – Named “Best New World Wine” by Decanter magazine, this is a perfectly balanced 100% Roussanne grown in Block 10 of Bien Nacido. The vines are Tablas Creek clones; these are originally from Chateau de Beaucastel in the Chateauneuf du Papes.
2000 Qupe Roussanne Bien Nacido Vineyard – At 10 years of age, this balanced wine is drinking really beautifully. The fruit for this wine was the first crop off of a custom planting at Bien Nacido. It was fermented and aged in one year old Francois Freres French oak barrels (that had been used once for Chardonnay) for 15 months.
2007 Qupe Syrah Bien Nacido – 3% of the Syrah fruit was sourced from the new Sawyer-Lindquist Vineyard. The weather during fruit set was very windy, which caused yields to be low and increased the intensity of the flavors. Lindquist says that this one can be cellared for 8-12 years.
2006 Qupe Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate – The fruit for this Syrah is from a 5 acre southwest facing slope called Z block. This block is farmed organically to Qupe’s specifications. This is Qupe’s 20th vintage of Syrah.
2006 Qupe Syrah 25th Anniversary Bien Nacido X Block – The block where this fruit was grown is farmed biodynamically by the Bien Nacido team. Lindquist used 50% whole clusters in the fermentation which adds layers of spice and complexity. He made this wine specifically to cellar – he says you can lay this one down for 20-25 years.
1999 Qupe Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate – Lauded by critics (96 points from Wine & Spirits magazine) since its release in 2002, this wine is drinking beautifully in 2010 with flavors of fruit, spice and smoke. 1999 was rainy and cold and the grapes ripened very slowly. In fact, the grapes for this wine were harvested on November 18 at 22.5 degrees brix – later than any other Qupe vintage to date.
Lindquist was clearly in his element pouring wine with help from son Ethan and daughter Paige. After we tasted through the entire list of wine, Lindquist told stories. He said that Paige’s first word as a child was “cheese”. Of course! We also played a few rounds of 1960’s music “name that tune”. Jason and I didn’t recognize a single song; sadly we didn’t win any wine. Oh well, we didn’t go home empty handed – we picked up a few bottles of the 2007 Qupe Central Coast Syrah, 2006 Qupe Syrah Alisos Vineyard (one of my favorites!) and the 2007 Qupe Grenache Purisima Mountain Vineyard.
Wine Nation Underdog 
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