Ai Fiori (Langham Hotel on 5th Ave)
Tasted Friday, February 2, 2018 by MC2 Wines with 213 views
Another awesome wine dinner @ Ai Fiori. We're planning a trip to Piedmont in November (suggestions welcome!) and wanted to do some 'research' before the trip. I had not realized that Barolo has some similarities to Burgundy where a number of producers are making wine from the same vineyards and there are some iconic vineyards. Also learning my way through producers, but must say I really enjoyed these wines.
Due to some flight issues I arrived at the restaurant a few hours before the dinner and without having had lunch. Luckily there was a sparkling and oyster special which I could partake of while finishing up some work for the day.
Vitello Tonnato
classic tonnato sauce, capers, lemon, black truffle
I am not 100% sure this was the best pairing mostly because this dish was so good it almost stole the show a bit from the wine.
(I should note there was a chardonnay and hors d'oeuvres course before this, but as I'm not big on chard and I had some sparkling left over I passed on that)
Piccione
pan roasted squab, beluga lentils (should also have had mushrooms but I passed on those)
Excellent pairing - the sauce on the squab hit just the right note to bring out the cherry in the wine. Very nicely done.
Agnolotti
braised veal parcels, crispy sunchokes (should also have had beech mushrooms but again passed)
This is one of my favorite dishes at Ai Fiori and so always a treat to have. Just little bundles of goodness.
Brasato di Manzo
red wine braised short ribs, root vegetables, pommes puree
Delicious, just melts in the mouth and was a nice pairing with the wine. Unfortunately by this point in the meal I was basically full (I did after all clean the plate of agnolottis).
Cioccolato
hazelnut praline, white espresso gelato
Really nicely done. The bit of crunch adds a good texture to the chocolate.
Not done with Barolo we ordered a bottle off the restaurant wine list. I will say I much preferred the wines we had with dinner which were more thoughtful and elegant. On the heels of those this came across as a bit more gloppy and overly fruit forward. Interesting comparison point.
Overall an excellent dinner. Some of the older stuff was just awesome. The 2004 was singing and that 2008 was a really special wine. Fun to try across a few vineyards and then to dive deeper into the Cannubi. Very well organized and thought out and the food was excellent as well.
2011 Antica Fratta Franciacorta Brut Rosé
Italy, Lombardia, Franciacorta DOCG
Off the by the glass list at Ai Fiori in NYC. And it was on a bit of a discount for the happy hour special. This is nice and light and easy drinking and meant to be paired with the oyster special. I liked the way the fruit complemented the saltiness of the oysters. It's just the faintest hint of wild strawberries and rose petals. Enjoyable.
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