Tastebuds on Holiday!

Last night my husband and I had the rare treat of going out for the evening: AKA Date Night! Unfortunately he was feeling sick... perhaps the week of taking care of two little girls with strep throat, interspersed with two 16 hour days at the office, has finally gotten to him. After bailing on most of our plans for the evening we settled on sitting at the bar at Ripple, a lovely, comfortable, eclectic little restaurant in Cleveland Park, within walking distance from our apartment. Ripple's claim to fame is their local, organic, farm-to-table menu. This is no ordinary menu - it goes on for pages and is provided to you on a clipboard, which is essential because it takes at least half an hour to read the whole thing, and try to decipher the various ingredients and combinations of ingredients in each of their offerings. Take a look at it here because I really can't do it justice. We like to sit at the bar because we have quick access to the knowledgeable bartenders who will offer friendly advice with out making you feel stupid for not knowing what "fat-washed" cocktails are (not to mention all the intricacies of the many other menu pages.)

So, here is what we had - and seriously - it was like a staycation for the tastebuds, a little culinary adventure that reminded us that there's more to life than the unending daily grind.

My husband asked the (very personable and sweet) female bartender for a custom cocktail: lemony and rye-based.  I have no idea what she put into it (next time I will pay better attention) but it was summery and refreshing.

I was going to get a cocktail, but then I read the cheese menu and decided to go for a trio of cheeses and a glass of red wine. I chose the Qupe Syrah, 2009, Central Coast because it was listed as bio-dynamic, and is an American wine. I have been learning, with great fascination, about wine from my project team at the Smithsonian - and I have been loving the tidbits I hear about bio-dynamic practices such as burying a Cow horn in the soil under a full moon, etc... Very pagan and magical!

It was gorgeous and after about 10 minutes it evolved into something even better - especially paired with the trio of cheeses we selected. I am no wine reviewer, but I can tell you that it definitely had many layers to it. Here is what others have said:

What a beautiful relief. This is probably one of the most focused of California's claims to well-balanced, impeccably-structured Syrah, that compared to overseas productions, is less fruit-forward and sappy. The concept here is a fresh, accessible wine with all the brambly dark berry fruits and dark chocolate notes to accompany its mid-weight frame. The juicy currant and crisped mint notes were an added bonus. (Wine Director 91 Points)

Read more: http://www.snooth.com/wine/qupe-central-coast-syrah-2009-1/#ixzz1xObYNKEW



The cheeses were: (I'm copying the descriptions directly from the online menu)
1) Goat: Capricious • deep caramel flavor; rustic, pebbly rind; made in the style of california dry jack • petaluma, ca.


2) Cow: l'amuse “gouda” • astounding caramel complexity; aged two years; profoundly nutty w/ awesome crystalline texture • beemster, nl

3) Washed Rind: jasper hill farm “winnimere” • rich & assertive with notes of spruce; slightly smoky; from jazz-loving cows • greensboro, vt

The first two were mouthwatering, but the last was so nutty in flavor and creamy in consistency that it actually tasted like peanut butter. I wouldn't get it again.

Following the cheeses I was hungry for more to go with the remains of my Syrah, so I ordered the gazpacho. What a treat!!  The bowl arrives with a little pile of ingredients in the center: sliced sugar snap peas, pickled shrimp, chopped black walnuts, and a little mountain of white sesame seeds. The server poured a creamy green soup over the top of these ingredients and it formed the most fascinating combination of flavors! I'm not sure what was in the cold soup base, but it might have been cucumbers - with something tangy that really worked well with the combination of mellow earthy flavors of the walnuts and sesame seeds, and the sharper flavors of the pickled shrimp and crisp snap peas.  It was... an experience. A delicious one.

I love Ripple - if only we could afford to go there more often!