Happy Birthday Goldfish!

So I may have outdone myself this year, pulling off the perfect birthday party for Goldfish and a few of her closest friends that was also tax deductible by virtue of being an item from the Channel 8 fundraising auction a couple weeks ago.

It really doesn't do me any good to lovingly describe this event, since I would sincerely love to attend it again, but I love our Channel 8 even more and I guess it is my perverse dream to  not be able to afford to  attend next year if it comes up as an auction item, so here goes . . . .

Picture this - Margaret's Bay Cafe is completely empty except for a table set for you and 7 of your closest friends.  Rich, the executive chef at the Grand Aleutian, and Lisa, the food and beverage manager, have been collaborating for days to come up with the perfect food and wine pairings to make this a remarkable event.  Rich comes out and describes each of the 7 courses before they are served, and Lisa educates with handouts and lectures on each of the wines.  The wines are amazing, the food is amazing, and yes - they do taste better together, one and one does equal three.  The printed menus are personalized for you.  And afterwards, you are free to stay and visit with your friends, there is no hurry because there is no other seating, this is a unique one-of-a-kind event.  You are pleasantly full of perfectly prepared food, you have tried some fantastic wines, and you will look back on this evening as something special for years to come.  Seriously, if this comes up again, are you really going to let me attend three years in a row???  Because believe me, the last thing on your mind at the end of the evening will be how much you donated to a non-profit to attend such a spectacular event . . . .

Appetizer course, from left to right:  A DLT - crispy duck skin (just like bacon!), lettuce and tomato; crab salad, wonton, pickled onion and pepper nestled in avocado; and my favorite - foie gras slathered in kumquat marmalade on toast (pure genius).  Served with a sparkling J Brut Rose.

Seared scallops, covered with an Italian salsa verde on a bed of white beans, served with a 2007 Australian Massena.  Rich gave us a good talk on how to buy good scallops.

This was braised pork shoulder stuffed in a roasted mini sweet pepper, sprinkled with queso fresco and cilantro, in a very tasty pomegranate mole.  Served with a 2006 Chateau Ste Michelle-Dr. Loosen Eroica Reisling.

A classic combination - perfectly cooked sockeye salmon with black trumpet mushrooms, on a bed of lentils and onion and served with a very tasty 2008 Oregon Pinot Noir.

This was a universal favorite - Moroccan chicken served with a 2007 Argiolas Costera Isola dei Nuraghi from Italy.  Lots of lip smacking around the table . . .

Oh man . . . beef short ribs, cooked for hours until they are fork tender, in a wine and beef stock demi glace, served on polenta rounds and paired with the oldest wine available at the Grand, a 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon that is holding up well.  Astounding pairing.  Hard not to make it a favorite.

The wine line-up after Lisa got them all photo-ready.

And finally, the dessert trio of a chocolate bon bon, chocolate mousse, and a chocolate bouchon, served with a glass of 2003 Vintage Port.

Birthday girl blows out her candle - happy birthday Goldfish!  38 years young . . .

Many thanks to Joe, Lee, Ricardo, Alicia, and Elaine for attending - and Rich and Lisa for a perfect evening!