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USA Virtual Dinner

Bailliage of La Jolla, United States of America
La Jolla, September 20, 2020

Zoom feast featuring freshly-foraged truffles
" Everything needed for the dinner was confidently delivered to members' doors "

Owner Randy Smerik and Chef Filippo Piccini of Solare Ristorante in San Diego, along with winemaker Michael Keenan of Napa Valley’s Keenan Wines, created a Zoom culinary feast for the Bailliage.

Everything needed for the dinner was confidently delivered to members’ doors with heating instructions and wine descriptions.

Bailli Marie Addario encouraged creative table settings, Chaîne rules including the wearing of Chaîne ribbons - of course! With Chef Filippo and winemaker Michael also on Zoom for the event, conversation tickled, astounded and informed all participants.

Launching the feast, Randy Smerik described the first course of “Gamberi sulla Lava”. It featured a large succulent shrimp floating in a fissure of spicy tomato sauce. Flanked by cuttlefish black ink rice to resemble lava rock our eyes were amazed. Keenan paired this visually stunning fish course with his 2018 Spring Mountain District Chardonnay - a uniquely special Napa wine not to be missed.

Tuscany-born Chef Piccini brought on his riot of freshly-foraged Italian truffles in both his pasta course and again in his Châteaubriand of Angus beef.

With the house-made pasta dish incorporating truffles, Mascarpone and Parmigiano, Keenan partnered his 2016 Syrah - a 40th vintage bottling of the luscious red wine.

The beef was topped with truffle butter and slices of truffles. The amazing Keenan Cabernet Sauvignon - also a 40th vintage bottling - was a superb accompaniment.

A stacked pastry of cream, peaches and strawberries, Chef's millefoglie (mille-feuille - lit. a thousand layers) proved a perfect dessert ending to a perfect meal.

Vive la Chaîne!

Marie Addario
Chargée de Presse Honoraire
Acting Bailli of La Jolla

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