Birthday Boy

This past weekend I celebrated my 34th birthday which also happened to be the 10th birthday I've celebrated in Memphis. A lot has happened in 10 years.....anyway, you don't want to hear about that.

To get us started I popped a bottle of Elk Cove Brut 1999



What a lovely way to start the festivities this outstanding bubbly from one of the best Oregon wineries was exactly what I wanted. Toasty, crisp, a hint of creaminess, nice notes of dried fruit & this beautiful golden color. I absolutely MUST get my hands on some more of this.

Max, Marlinee, Kelly & I arrived at Restaurant Iris to some ice cold Hendricks martinis & Zardetto Prosecco. The restaurant was buzzing with energy, people smiling, digging into delicious plates & sipping wine. It all had a glow about it. We were seated at our table & our lovely server Rickie went over the menu with us. Max & I settled on a bottle of Michel Turgy Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Sur Oger Champagne to sip on while we decided on our meals. When I saw it, I just knew I had to have it: rabbit. Not just any rabbit but Braised Mississippi Rabbit with Potato Gnocchi & peas. I love love love rabbit & in the hands of the incredibly talented Chef Kelly English it was elevated to something spectacular.



The rabbit was tender, moist, almost melting in mouth with a rich sauce & pillowy, light gnocchi. Perfectly matched with William Fevre Champs Royaux 2008 Chablis. The acidity of the wine perfectly sliced through the richness of the dish. Plus the minerality & medium weight were so damn enjoyable.

Next we had Tennessee Foie Gras with Shallot Confit & Pepper Gelee. Rich, fatty, unctuous & pure decadence.

Then arrived my lamb sirloin



Oh....my....god. Cooked to a perfect rare & anointed with a dill flecked foam it was pure heaven. Many times throughout this meal my eyes rolled back into my head. The pairing of this absolutely amazing dish with a bottle of Brogan Cellars My Father's Vineyard PInot Noir 2004 Anderson Valley. The earthiness that came out of the wine & the mesmerizing dark fruit made for a wild pairing up against the slight gamy flavor & wonderful toothsomeness of the lamb.

I also received the best birthday present ever!!

Return to Le Pigeon

Last July I had a spent an extra day in Portland (PDX) after my incredible trip to Pinot Camp. After such a grueling 3 days drinking wine, sitting in on seminars on soil & viticulture, eating incredible food & meeting cool people...ok it wasn't grueling it was immense fun...I needed a relaxing evening in the city. I'd heard about Le Pigeon because I make it my business to be aware of all the delicious food being produced all over. Gabriel Rucker is one of the most talented chefs out there & his food is absolutely delicious. Not only that but he seems very humble, down to earth & just cool. So naturally I wanted to take Kelly to eat there when we were in PDX a few weeks ago. Before we headed to dinner Kelly & I detoured to the Gilt Club for a cocktail. This place is known for cocktails using house infusions & fresh ingredients. Trust me, they are serious about drinks.



What we have above was a serrano & tangerine infused vodka muddled with dill, lemon & lime topped with soda. It was super spicy at first but mellowed out to a nice heat. I'm all about savory cocktails so this was a welcome treat.

After polishing off that spicy little number we walked down to Burnside & hopped on a bus to head to the east side. It was obviously a good sign that our bus stop was literally 20 yards from the front door of Le Pigeon. We strolled in & were immediately seated at the open kitchen bar stools.



We decided to go for half bottles so I snatched up this little beauty.



It was gorgeously earthy, sensually textured & brimming with electric acidity. Perfect with my venison heart dish.



Yes that's right I said venison heart. It was tender, only slightly gamy & so delicious served with fried broccoli, capers, onions & a creamy green goddess like sauce. Amaaaaazing.

After we finished the Patty Green half bottle we ordered a half bottle of Alain Graillot 2007 Crozes Hermitage. This bad boy was meaty, earthy, smoky, barnyardy & super chewy. Perfect alongside my double thick pork chop with local haricots verts, hazelnuts, dried chilis & bacon.



This gorgeous piece of pork was sous vide, then grilled then roasted in the oven which gave it such an incredibly sensual & luscious texture. The chilis gave a nice heat which contrasted the sweetness of the haricots verts. Absolutely wonderful.

But wait...there's more. I did not want dessert because I was so jam packed full. However, while I was at the bathroom Kelly ordered me Honey Bacon Apricot Cornbread with maple ice cream & a prosciutto "magic shell". I have no words for how delicious it was. Truly. No words.

Dear Gabe Rucker-you & your staff are amazing.