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Local Event Premier Host
Cost: $69.50 plus tax and gratuity includes all ten courses and all five drinks
Can't make it to the Big Easy for Mardi Gras this year? Then come here instead for Lundi Gras (February 24) or Fat Tuesday (February 25) anytime from 5:00 on for our twist on an authentic New Orleans style feast paired with five different libations. We'll start with an IPA from Abita (one of the only breweries in New Orleans), followed by two of our favorite California wines that can stand up to the intense flavors of Creole and Cajun cooking, followed by the Vieux Carré Cocktail (a New Orleans Classic), and finish with a Bourbon Milk Punch as served at the famous Commander's Palace.
Cost is a mere sixty-nine fifty plus tax and gratuity for everything including all five drinks and the entire 10-course Mardi Gras tasting menu. Hope you can join us! Here's the line-up. Wine notes and bottle prices are at the end of this announcement if you're interested.
NOTE: Due to the complexity of this menu we regret that we will be unable to accommodate vegetarian or any other menu modification requests.
1. Cornmeal Fried Oyster | Grilled Lemon + Basil Aïoli | Pickled Watermelon
~ and ~
2. Low Country Green Salad | Apple Cider + Sorghum Vinn | Cornbread Croutons
served with:
Abita "Wrought Iron" IPA ~ 4 oz. pour
3. Grilled Quail | Tasso Ham Braised Kale | Potlikker Gravy
~ and ~
4. Duck + Hot Sausage Gumbo | Boudin Dirty Rice | Cajun Boiled Peanuts
served with:
2017 Bokisch Garnacha ~ 3 oz. pour
5. Confit Pork Shoulder | Smokey Poblano + Apple Relish | Charred RapiniCollards
~ and ~
6. Southern Fried Pork Ribs | Maple + Pecan Pumpkin Puree
served with:
2016 Happy Canyon "Piocho" Bordeaux Red Blend ~ 3 oz. pour
7. Smoked Hanger Steak | Mustard Onions | Worcestershire Cream
~ and ~
8. Sweet Burn Glazed Short Ribs | Charred Onions | Creole Red Eye Ragout
served with:
Vieux Carré Cocktail ~ 1.5 oz. pour
9. Coconut Custard Pie Ice Cream | Salty Butter Cookie Crumble
~ and ~
10. Brown Sugar Blondie | Pecan Caramel | Bourbon Whip
served with:
French Quarter Bourbon Milk Punch ~ 3 oz. pour
RSVP ~ (619) 295-3939
Please make your reservations directly with Wine Vault & Bistro at 619-295-3939. We're very good about returning calls promptly, so please leave a message with the best time to return your call if you get the dreaded voice mail.
COST
Cost for the complete dinner including all ten courses and all five pairings is $69.50 per person. Sales tax and an 18% gratuity will be added to the cost of all dinners. Due to limited seating, CREDIT CARD RESERVATIONS ARE AN ABSOLUTE MUST. We accept Visa and MasterCard only.
SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS
Due to the complexity of this menu we regret that we will be unable to accommodate vegetarian requests. If you have any other special dietary needs, please let us know when you RSVP, not when you arrive. We will do our best to accommodate special dietary needs if we can and if given advance notice. Please be aware that last minute menu aberration requests without advance notice will be impossible for us to accommodate.
CANCELLATION POLICY
You may cancel your reservation up to 72 hours in advance without penalty. NO REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED WITH LESS THAN 72-HOUR NOTICE unless we are able to replace your cancellation at the last minute. (See below for groups over 4 people.)
LARGE GROUPS (OVER 4)
If you want to come with a group of friends, please make one reservation for your entire party so we can reserve a block of seats for you ... however, in the interest of fairness to others, we reserve the right to limit the number of people on a single reservation at our discretion. The cancellation period for canceling the ENTIRE reservation without penalty is doubled from the standard 72 hours (see above) to 144 hours (6 days). If you need to cancel only 1 or 2 people, the standard 72-hour notice still applies.
LOCATION & PHONE
Wine Vault & Bistro is located in the heart of San Diego between Little Italy and Old Town at 3731-A India Street on the upstairs terrace. Follow the black handrail up the stairs from the sidewalk to our front door. Our phone number is (619) 295-3939.
PARKING ~ FREE & PAID
On-street parking is usually available within a 3-block radius. Remember that it’s OK to park in yellow commercial zones after 6:00 and that meters are also free after 6:00. You can also park in the lot behind Shakespeare Pub two doors down, but do not park in El Indio's lot unless you want your car towed! If you can’t find parking next to the restaurant, there’s always LOTS OF PARKING on San Diego Avenue and the adjacent side streets just past the Chevron station across Washington Street. So please don't drive yourself crazy endlessly going around in circles waiting to pounce on that perfect spot when there's TONS OF PARKING less than three blocks away!
WINE QUANTITIES
We'll be pouring 3-5 ounce tasting portions of wine, beer and cocktails (see the line-up above) totaling 14.5 ounces, or the equivalent of about three-quarters of a bottle of wine per person. Pour buckets are provided for designated drivers.
WINE SALES
All of the wines poured at this dinner will be available for purchase. See below for prices.
WINE NOTES & BOTTLE PRICES
Abita "Wrought Iron" IPA
A brand new IPA (India Pale Ale) from Abita. Has an intense hop aroma, forged with Apollo, Equinox and Mosaic hops and brewed with pale ale malt for a deep golden color. A distinctly Louisiana IPA with the Equinox hops bringing tropical notes to the brew, and the name, "Wrought Iron," inspiring visions of the wrought iron balconies and gates found prominently throughout New Orleans. 80 IBU's (International Bitterness Units). 6.9% ABV.
2017 Bokisch Garnacha ~ $18
(Lodi) Winemaker's Notes: This wine has a light garnet hue with aromas of baking spices, French vanilla bean, McIntosh red apple, and cherry vanilla ice cream with a hint of smoke. Zippy flavors of pomegranate, cranberry, orange peel, and black pepper please the palate. This wine has a delicate, but firm, tannic structure with a bright long finish. Liz suggests pairing this with pork loin with a Medjool Date relish.
2015 Happy Canyon "Piocho" Bordeaux Red Blend ~ $24
(Santa Barbara) The flagship Estate wine that is the perfect blend of the five principal Bordeaux varietals based in Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, with the perfect amounts of Malbec, and Petit Verdot. This wine represents the history and heritage of Piocho, "Where two rivers meet and go to heaven." The wine has an attractive and seductive nose of sugarplum, black cherry and red clay with hints of toast and charcoal. On the palate the wine is bright, fresh and savory with flavors of red plum, and raspberry. The finish is lovely and lingering full of fine tannins and a whisper of earthiness and spice. It is stunning to drink today and will deliciously pair well with grilled red meat. The wine will age beautifully for the next ten to fifteen years.
Vieux Carré Cocktail
This drink was invented in 1938 by Walter Bergeron, the head bartender at the Monteleone Hotel in New Orleans, and is named after the French term for the French Quarter, le Vieux Carré, or the Old Square. It is a potent blend of Bourbon, Cognac and Antica Carpano Sweet Vermouth with a splash of Bénédictine and a dash of both Peychaud's and Angostura Bitters. Served on the rocks with a lemon zest twist garnish.
French Quarter Bourbon Milk Punch
A classic, old school cocktail typically served at brunch in New Orleans but that also works great as a dessert or after dinner drink. Our version is a simple but decadent and potent combination of 10-Year-Old Eagle Rare bourbon, half & half, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Served on the rocks.
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