If you know Dr. Dettmer and his teammates at all, you know that the topics of food and wine are discussed at length on an almost daily basis. In fact, we start talking about food long before lunch on most days! Many of you also know that Dr. Dettmer loves to cook for his friends and family. With all of that in mind we would like to share some of our “favorites” with you and hope that you would contribute to the discussion as well.
Dr. D’s Dining Recommendations
Wheaton’s Luong Loi Restaurant (630-653-8250) offers a “unique” dining experience that we frequently enjoy. Featured here are Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines served in the most mundane of surroundings! Don’t visit Luong Loi if it’s ambiance you seek. This dining room is right out of the 50′s and can take a little getting used to. However, the food is outstanding. The menu can be daunting and the wait-staff are not particularly “user-friendly” so it’s best to go with someone who’s been before and can help with some choices. (Dr. Dettmer is always willing to make a trip, so don’t hesitate to ask him to go with you!!) While alcohol is not served you may bring your own beer and wine at dinner. Don’t visit without trying the Vietnamese spring rolls (dipped in carrot sauce which has been “fortified ” with red chili paste), the most interesting chicken wings you’ve ever tried (#6-Chicken Wing Delight) and what I consider to be the best fried rice on the planet (BBQ pork).
Lately, we have become fans of Adelle’s (1060 College Ave; Wheaton; 630-916-7497). The focus on “modern comfort food” and the “comfortable, stylish atmosphere” are inviting and refreshing. Service is good and the wine list is both broad and reasonably priced. Adelle’s offers “no corkage” every Tuesday and over 65 bottles at half price on Wednesdays. Thursdays feature live Jazz in the dining room. We would encourage you to give Adelle’s a try if you haven’t yet been there.
A relatively new addition to our list is Vitorio’s Ristorante in Glen Ellyn. As you might guess, Vittorio’s is an Italian eatery and they are located at 504 Crescent Blvd. (630-469-4745) just East of Young’s Appliances (the space that previously housed Sante Fe). The space is small and waits on Friday and Saturday night can be long due to their “no reservations for parties less than 5″ policy. We have had several excellent meals here already. The pasta dishes are particularly well-prepared and nicely thought out. A recent fish entre, while “supersized”, was unspectacular. Wines by the glass are numerous, but a lengthy wait in the bar can be challenging if there are many smokers nearby. My advice: Go early or call ahead, avoid the bar, and try one of the pasta specials.
Pat and I recently stopped on Sunday morning for brunch at Suzette’s Creperie (211 W. Front St.) What a pleasant change of pace for breakfast or lunch! We enjoyed a very nice meal, unhurried and away from the usual Sunday morning crowd and frenzy. The atmosphere was friendly, relaxed and “homey”. The decor and ambiance at Suzette’s is very European and you can almost imagine that you have stumbled into a small bistro somewhere in France! Even the coffee was strong, rich, and served in beautiful, one of a kind china. We would encourage you to try Suzette’s some Sunday when you have time for a leisurely breakfast. Oh, and by the way, don’t be surprised if you see your favorite dentist “working” in the wine bar with Anton, Suzette’s wine professional, on any given Friday night. I have recently joined Suzette’s as a member of the staff and am loving my new “hobby job”. Please stop by and talk wine with us!!!
Another “new” recommendation would be the Lemongrass Thai restaurant in Naperville (1124 W. Ogden Ave. 630-355-7420). This smaller “strip-mall” space serves excellent Thai food at reasonable prices. Beer and wine are available. I am particularly fond of this place as they are one of the few Thai restaurants I know of that ALWAYS have Fish Cakes available! Fish Cakes?? If you have never tried this Thai dish, please do! They are delicious and served with an “out-of-this-world” sweet cucumber sauce!
If you have a special restaurant you’d like to tell us about email us We’d love to hear from you.
Dr. D.’s Wine Thoughts:
When it comes to pairing wine with food the “new” paradigm is “drink whatever tastes good to you”, right? Not always!!
Is ketchup on vanilla ice cream OK just because it tastes good to you? I don’t think so! Many wines are simply NOT “food friendly”, and so, pairing them with ANY food is just a mistake. So, first, what does “food friendly” mean, which wines are food friendly and why are they food friendly?
Wine is such an interesting “foodstuff”! As a stand alone beverage it can be interesting, tasty, and satisfying. But, when paired with food it can be mind-blowing, ethereal, and mood-altering! It is an incredible beverage!! In the “old days” the rule was “drink white wine with fish and chicken and red wine with beef and game”. Today things have changed some, but some of the old “rules” are still valid. When pairing wine with food first and foremost remember this: The wine you’re drinking must ALWAYS be “sweeter” than the food on your plate. So what exactly does “sweet” mean? Sweet is not Annie Green Springs or Manichewicz! In wine lingo “sweet” is the opposite of “dry”. Sweet can be a synonym for “rich” or “full-bodied”, or “round” as in an Alsatian Riesling or a big, fat California Chardonnay.
So, what constitutes “sweet” food and what wines pair best with foods of all types? Think of most foods as VERY dry. Therefore, most food-friendly wines are still on the dry side, but sweeter than the food on your plate. Many wine “experts” think of the following as the classic “food friendly” wines:
o Riesling
o Sauvignon Blanc
o Chenin Blanc
o Pinot Noir
o Barbera
o Cabernet Franc
o Gamay (Beaujolais)
Notice any by their conspicuous absence? Cabernet Sauvignon?? Chardonnay?? (Australian) Shiraz?? Note also that these three grapes (wines) happen to be the most widely consumed (and sold!!) varietals in the United States.
Personally, my wine preferences are all over the board and all over the world! I drink whites, reds and even the occasional pink! As in French Rosé. (Which is not even from the same planet as White Zinfandel, but that’s another lesson for another day!) Lately, I have been drinking mostly Sauvignon Blanc (California, Chilean, and French), UN-oaked Chardonnay, Champagne (and other “sparlkers”) and southern Rhone blends. Let’s focus on red blends.
The Rhone River valley is really 2 distinct areas. The Northern Rhone valley produces many elegant wines which are predominantly Syrah based. In the Southern Rhone valley as many as 23 grape varietals are grown and blending these grapes is typical. Like most Southern Rhone blends the world famous Chateauneuf-de-Pape is a blend of many grapes, but predominantly and most typically Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre (“GSM”). Other Southern Rhone areas of note are Gigondas, Vacqueyras, the Côtes-du-Rhône, and Tavel, noted for its superb Rosés. In France the use and blending of these grapes is strictly regulated by the governing body, the Institut National des Appellation d’Origine (INAO).
But I digress!
The rest of the world has also learned to blend grapes. In Italy where wine laws strictly regulated the grapes used in the production of Chianti, wine growers started adding Cabernet Sauvignon and other “international” grapes to the blend to create the now famous (and incredibly pricey) “Super Tuscans”. In Spain, once a bastion of cheap jug wines, things have changed dramatically. Tempranillo, the signature red grape of Spain, is now being blended with other international grapes to produce some exciting and very drinkable value priced wines. Areas like Priorat, Somontaro, and Montsant are now on the cutting edge of the Spanish wine front.
In California the crafting of “Meritage” wines has hit incredible highs and some very unusual “lows”. Some producers such as Duckhorn, Mondavi, and BV (Tapestry) have held to traditionally successful formulas (Bordeaux and GSM blends) while others have marketed some unexplainable (but drinkable) concoctions blending any number of recognizable (and sometimes, not so recognizable) grape varietals. My list below contains bottles from all of the categories described herein.
Most of the wines on my list are “value” priced. Anyone can spend $25 to $60 (or much, MUCH more!) on a “status” or “trophy” bottle and not only enjoy a great bottle of wine, but impress their wine geek friends as well! The trick, for me anyway, is to find a $10 to $20 bottle of wine that is equally as enjoyable AND a great bargain as well! That, my friends, is how you impress ME! And PLEASE, email me with your great value finds which I will taste and add to my list provided they are worthy “In My Humble Opinion!” Go to www.madwine.com/90awin20.html for “someone’s” list of “90 point” wines for under $20.00. Personally, I DON’T enjoy many of the wines on that list, but you be your own judge!)
Below is a list of (mostly) value priced wines that I think are worth your time. Try them and let me know what you think.
o Pillar Red Box (Australia) 65% Shiraz, 25% Cab, 10% Merlot ($10.50)
o Penfolds Koonaraga Hills (Australia) 50 – 65% Shiraz, 35 – 50% Cab ($8.50)
o Spencer Roloson Palaterra (California) 59% Syrah, 24% Valdigue, 12% Petit Syrah, 4% Carignane ($17.00) (A favorite of mine!)
o Lyeth Reserve Meritage (California) 58% Cab, 36% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot ($13.50)
o Guenoc Victorian Claret (California) Cab, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Petite Syrah ($8.50)
o Beckman Cuvee Le Bec (California) 50%, Grenache, 28% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, 7% Counoise ($18.00) Outstanding!
o Escudo Rojo (Chile) Cab/Syrah/ Carmenère (< $15.00 Whole Foods)
o Columbia Crest “Vineyard 10” Red (Washington State) Syrah/Cab Franc/Sangiovese ($6.00!!) Perhaps the best $6 bottle I’ve ever tasted!!
o Ste. Michelle Orphelin (Washington State) 56% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, 10% Cinsault, 8% Grenache, 4% Cab, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Touriga, 1% Pinot Noir, 1% Viognier (Now that’s one GOOFY Cuvee!!)
o Altos de Luzón (Spain) Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo (<$15.00 Binny’s)
o Andezon Côtes-du-Rhône (France) Mostly Syrah ($17.00 at Binny’s)
o Duckhorn Decoy (California) 2007 Cuvee = 43% Cab, 43% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc, 4% Petit Verdot ($30.00) Definitely a “status” or “trophy” bottle in my mind!
There are SO MANY wines in this category that I simply don’t know when to stop!! Start with some of these and then go out and find your own. Don’t get hung up on labels or “names”. Oftentimes at the restaurant where I serve wine (Suzette’s in Wheaton) I will get a customer who simply “loves” the wine I have served them and insist that I “write it down for them”. The sad part is that they will likely never find this particular wine at retail and will therefore end up frustrated. My advice is to go to your retail source (Binny’s, Cabernet and Co.) and tell them you are looking for a “whatever” (Bordeaux, French white burgundy, Chianti) in the $XX range. They should be able to help you find several representative examples in your price range. You will be amazed at how eager these people are to help you! You buy “a few” bottles, take them home and taste them at your pace and then go back and stock up on the ones that you really like. It’s really just that simple! Now go out and start quaffing!!
