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Circle Bistro Fall Blowout Dinner for dr.com


hillvalley

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Our annual fall Blowout Dinner will be held at Circle Bistro, home of our own Chef Brendan Cox, on Thursday, September 21st.

Chef Cox has generously agreed to allow BYOB. More information as to what wines pair well with the dinner will be provided closer to the date.

The six-course (six-course!) dinner will be $78.00 - that includes everything: tax and tip and all corkage fees.

If you would like to join us please PM me. In your title put your screen name and the number of spots you would like. It should look like this:

Hillvalley-2 spots.

In the body of the PM please include your real name, repeat your screen name and if you would like to bring a guest. Please do not add any other information such as your email. I'm trying to keep this simple on my end. Following the two simple steps above saves me tremendous amounts of time and stress further on down the line. Thanks!

As always, each member is allowed to bring one guest. If you and your SO are both members of the board we ask that only one spouse/significant other put their name in for the dinner. Chef Cox can host 40 people.

I look forward to seeing you on the 21st.

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I'm pleased to announce that everyone who expressed interest in the dinner will be able to join us. If you are just finding this thread, all hope is not lost. I am starting a waiting list so if you would like to join us let me know. I have never had an event where everyone was able to attend. People always have to drop out at the last minute.

If you received a PM from me please reply to the email address I provided as soon as possible. I'd like to get the PayPal emails out in the next couple of days.

Payment deadline for dinner will be Monday, the 11th, which is 10 days before the dinner. Your payment is your reservation so be sure to take care of that PayPal as soon as you receive it.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

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All PayPal emails have been sent. If you did not receive one it is because I do not have your email. Please Email Me, from the email attached to your PayPal account as soon as possible.

If I have not heard from you by noon on Friday you will lose your spot and make people on the waiting list very happy.

*Also, please note that it is assumed that if you signed up for the dinner you and your guest are interested in coming and are available on the 21st. Obviously unexpected life events come up that may change your plans, but if you have signed up please plan on coming.

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Glad to hear you had such a good evening. Your menu looks great. I'm excited for you all to see our menu-having the two to compare will be a great illustration of Chef Cox's talent.

Dinwiddie-how were the portion sizes? Big enough to save a bite of each course to take home as a late night treat for someone? Just kidding, but seriously, did you come away stuffed or pleasantly full?

Ahem, those of you who still need to pay. Here is your reminder, again!

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Tasting portion size, 5 courses over a period of about 3 hours, not stuffed but pleasantly full.

What he said. Some of them were so good (especially the mushroom and corn polenta) I wished they were three times as big, but they were of sufficient size to be enjoyable yet not so large as to make you wonder if you could finish the last one. Of course having 10 bottles of great CA Pinot Noir, a bottle of Champagne, and two half bottles of dessert wines to go with the Foie Gras makes for a very filling evening, even if there are ten of you drinking the wine.

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Apparently people have figured out that the dinner is the same night as the Grey's Anatomy season premire and decided that it is more important to watch that. I now have a couple of spots open if you would like to come. Shoot me a pm and let me know.

Here is a list of those who are attending. If your name is not on it let me know.

Agm

Alan7147

Barbara

Billy DeLion

Cjsadler

Clayrae

Colliej

DanielK

Eoksala

Ferment Everything

Heather

Jlock

LaShanta

Legant

Mktye

Pete

Porcupine

Ustreetguy

Vandyhoo

Next week we'll get started on the BYOB.

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Working at my paying job :) As always I ask everyone to understand if it takes me a day or so to get back to you. I return PM's as soon as I can but often real life and my real job keep me from getting back to you right away.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be pushy, I was concerned about trying to get a spot at the last minute before someone else smarted up!

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Too early to talk BYOB? Specifically: is it ok for me to bring beer, as I'm not much of a wine person? I can bring a couple of 750ml bottles if that will make it less of a faux pas. Or is corkage strictly a wine privilege?

It's not that big a deal if I can't, but I had to ask :)

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Too early to talk BYOB? Specifically: is it ok for me to bring beer, as I'm not much of a wine person? I can bring a couple of 750ml bottles if that will make it less of a faux pas. Or is corkage strictly a wine privilege?

It's not that big a deal if I can't, but I had to ask :)

A meal without beer would be a lesser one indeed

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If you've recently joined, or have hesitated to come to a dr.com dinner, come to this one. You can bring your own wine, the event has a low-key environment, gentle pricing, and elegant, ambitious cooking by a future-star chef. Trust me on this one: I've seen the menu, and it's a kick-assed effort by a kick-assed cook - you may as well start remembering the name Brendan Cox now, because you'll be hearing it a lot in the future. Even if you're coming solo and don't know a soul, come anyway. You'll be more than welcome, I promise! Please write me personally if you have any questions. Cheers, Rocks.

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We're full :)

Just to clear up confusion-there will be No Corkage Fee if you bring your own wines. There is not a wine pairing option because of the waiving of the corkage fee. The closest wine shop I know of near by is The Wine Specialist if you want to pick up a bottle or three on your way over.

Is anyone looking to share a bottle or two?

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We're full :)

Just to clear up confusion-there will be No Corkage Fee if you bring your own wines. There is not a wine pairing option because of the waiving of the corkage fee. The closest wine shop I know of near by is The Wine Specialist if you want to pick up a bottle or three on your way over.

Is anyone looking to share a bottle or two?

OK, OK, maybe I'm confused; but, will we NOT be able to purchase wine by-the-glass at this event? I don't have a problem bringing some wine, I just wish I had a clue as to what we will be eating. And, the Bell Liquors on M Street, between 18th & 19th Sts., NW, has MUCH better prices than the Wine Specialist. Knowledgeable staff, too.
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OK, OK, maybe I'm confused; but, will we NOT be able to purchase wine by-the-glass at this event? I don't have a problem bringing some wine, I just wish I had a clue as to what we will be eating. And, the Bell Liquors on M Street, between 18th & 19th Sts., NW, has MUCH better prices than the Wine Specialist. Knowledgeable staff, too.

Post #20 up thread talks about the types of wines that would be good to bring.

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We're full :)

Just to clear up confusion-there will be No Corkage Fee if you bring your own wines. There is not a wine pairing option because of the waiving of the corkage fee. The closest wine shop I know of near by is The Wine Specialist if you want to pick up a bottle or three on your way over.

Is anyone looking to share a bottle or two?

I'm planning to go to Schneider's tomorrow and get a bottle or two of one of the reds that were recommended. They always give good guidance. My husband may have one glass and I'll have more than that :) That means if I bring two bottles, we will have some to share.
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Post #20 up thread talks about the types of wines that would be good to bring.

Thank you :)

Sancerre, Red Burgundy or Oregon Pinot, and somebody will probably like a Bordeaux or CA Cab [for the second to last dish]

Also, the list in post 25 does not include +1's. Just the name of the member who signed up. If you paid for a +1 then we are expecting them :)

I am waiting for confirmation from Chef Cox that we will be able to buy wine by the glass but I can't imagine we won't be able to.

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I had previously read item #20 on this thread, but it didn't answer either of my two questions: 1) what will we be eating [although I am happy to be surprised]; or 2) will we be able to purchase wine at the restaurant. I have no intention of bringing four bottles for the two of us to drink :) .

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Just like dinners in the past, the menu will be a surprise until the night unfolds. The recommendations are what Chef thinks will go with courses #1-4 and #5. I encourage people to use the thread to find others who would like to share bottles. Based on previous dinners, as long as people are willing to share I don't think any bottle will be left unemptied (is that a word :) ).

And again, I think we will be able to buy wine off of the menu, but until I have confirmation from Chef I do not want to make any promises. I will let you know as soon as I hear from Chef.

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Just like dinners in the past, the menu will be a surprise until the night unfolds. The recommendations are what Chef thinks will go with courses #1-4 and #5. I encourage people to use the thread to find others who would like to share bottles. Based on previous dinners, as long as people are willing to share I don't think any bottle will be left unemptied (is that a word :) ).

And again, I think we will be able to buy wine off of the menu, but until I have confirmation from Chef I do not want to make any promises. I will let you know as soon as I hear from Chef.

I just PM'd hillvalley that the entire wine list is available for those inclined to order form it, also there is a nice wine shop a block away called The Wine Specialist if you feel like having a broader selection than the 90 or so wines we carry.

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If I were you I would stop eating now to make room for the delights that await us. Dinner is at 7 and should start promptly. When you arrive at the restaurant please let them know you are with the DonRockwell.com party and head to the dining room. We've been asked to not take over the lounge before hand.

If you have a last minute emergency please PM me and Don as a back up. I may not be able to get to a computer reliably and he will be able to get in touch with me.

Click here for the Circle Bistro website with more details on how to get there or click here for a Yahoo map.

I look forward to seeing everyone!

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Unfortunately we are full for tomorrow night but I hope you will join us for another event.

(BTW-to send a PM click on the PM button under the member's screen name where they have posted. Also, I always include a link to my member page, where you can click on Send a PM on the right side, in the orignial posting. If something is underlined in the post there is a very good chance that it is a link to another page.)

(Someone really needs to write a How To mannual for using the board. Any volunteers?)

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... the menu will be a surprise until the night unfolds.

Dah-um! That was good. Only two disappointments: Chef Cox will not share the biscuit recipe (which would so nicely complement the upcoming beef/pork/turkey scrapple brunch); and, only the dessert is on the regular menu.

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For the curious, here was the menu:

Housemade Pate de Campagne

I: Bluefin Tuna Crudo, Frozen Gazpacho Vinaigrette, Organic Cucumber Coulis

II: Agnolotti del Plin, Sage Butter, Velvet Piopinni Mushrooms

III: Carnaroli Risotto of Organic Beets, Pipe Dreams Farms Goat Cheese

IV: Roasted Wild Alaskan Halibut, Fresh Corn Polenta, Chesapeake Crab, Basil

V: Ridgefield Farms Short Rib, Organic Baby Vegetables, Chanterelles

VI: Mascarpone Cheesecake, Bruleed Mission Figs, Fig Condimenti

And for those who stuck around long enough to help me drink:

1995 Samuel Adams Triple Bock

Glen Garioch 15yr

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Dah-um! That was good. Only two disappointments: Chef Cox will not share the biscuit recipe (which would so nicely complement the upcoming beef/pork/turkey scrapple brunch); and, only the dessert is on the regular menu.
The biscuit was just amazing. I think I'm obsessed. I'm going to try to make a stab at recreating it. The two clues I remember him giving were parker house roll recipe and Crisco. (Were there others?) At first bite, it seemed like a hybrid of sugar cookie and conventional biscuit. In discussion at our table, we decided it was a cross between a British biscuit and an American one.

Thanks to Chef Cox and the restaurant staff for a thoroughly enjoyable meal. We had to ask for an extra bread basket to soak up the last bits of sauce from the bowl for the agnolotti and mushroom course :) . It was great meeting more people, too, though I tend to be good at meeting a few people at a time :) .

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Since nobody else has taken a crack at it, here is my review of the meal:

Housemade Pate de Campagne

Just a lovely start to the meal. I thought the pate was sliced a little too thin, as it was ever so slightly overwhelmed by the crusty bread.

I: Bluefin Tuna Crudo, Frozen Gazpacho Vinaigrette, Organic Cucumber Coulis

I loved this. The tuna had real flavor, not just raw fish. And the balance of the sweet cucumbers and the frozen gazpacho was perfect.

II: Agnolotti del Plin, Sage Butter, Velvet Piopinni Mushrooms

My only complaint about this course was the large gap before and after this course in the pacing - it made the volume of this course seem a bit skimpy. I was very hungry at this point and could have eaten a whole plate of this!

III: Carnaroli Risotto of Organic Beets, Pipe Dreams Farms Goat Cheese

Waiting a minute after getting this dish for the cheese to melt really made a difference. I'm not usually a big beet fan, but this was fantastic.

IV: Roasted Wild Alaskan Halibut, Fresh Corn Polenta, Chesapeake Crab, Basil

To me, this was the highlight of the night. The halibut was perfectly cooked, and I loved the corn "polenta" with the crab. The addition of the basil rounded out this dish perfectly.

V: Ridgefield Farms Short Rib, Organic Baby Vegetables, Chanterelles

Yay! It's Fall! Short ribs are back! Yay!

VI: Mascarpone Cheesecake, Bruleed Mission Figs, Fig Condimenti

This was nice, but didn't thrill me. But I'm not a fig person. DR.com Blowout Dinner Chefs - Chocolate desserts are NOT trite. Please bring them on!

1995 Samuel Adams Triple Bock

click

Glen Garioch 15yr

Duh.

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It was duck and veal, I think. Two great tastes that taste great together, IMHO.
That dish had a luscious meatiness to it. I remember our server saying veal, but I think she also said something else. I agree with Daniel that the pacing around that time made me wish the serving were much larger, though I liked it so much, I might have felt that way regardless :) .

The halibut/crab/polenta combination was fabulous, and the basil added a perfect note to it. I'm not sure I could pick a favorite course. I got too full to finish the short rib, which I loved, but my husband was quite happy to polish off my portion as well. Beyond its other delights, short rib was always the cut of meat my mother used for beef vegetable soup, so it has an extra comfort food association for me.

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