Another fabulous dinner put on by Chef Jacques Imperato and Wine Importer Olivier Daubresse. Now that summer is in full swing my work decided to host a Parisien Bistro style dinner at Mediterranee Restaurant in Great Falls, VA. The inside of this quaint little restaurant is more Southern French, but we opened the windows and doors and imagined we were in the heart of Paris. The sun was shining, the breeze was crisp, and the wine was unending. It was quite a night.
As usual Chef Imperato put together a unique and very impressive menu for us to enjoy that night. I had glanced at the menu before I came, and my mouth was watering the whole way to the restaurant. It reminded me of my trip to France a couple years ago, and I obviously got the hankering to go back after our meal. Between the weather, the food, the wine, and the great people and conversation I would have to say that everything worked in perfect harmony.
We started with the Domaine d’Eole Rose 2008, a very classic Provence Rose, and the Merquez en Croustille.
This merguez recipe is Jacques’ personal recipe, and the spiciness of the meat paired perfectly with the refreshing crisp Rose. The mustard seeds sprinkled on top added a nice pop of flavor as well.
The next course was a Seafood Crepe Gratinee. This was paired with two extremely different wines. It was so interesting to try each one with the dish and see how both could be perfect matches. We had a very crisp almost citrusy Domaine du Pas Saint Martin Saumur Blanc 2009 from the Loire Valley in France, and a very rich, creamy,full bodied Domaine Larue St. Aubin 1er cru en Remilly 2009 from Burgundy.
This was by far one of my favorite courses of the night, if not my favorite. The seafood was tender and not chewy or too fishy, the cream sauce was not too heavy, and the crepe was perfectly delicate that it just melted in your mouth. The wine pairings were absolutely perfect as well. It was really fun to see how when pairing wines you either pick something with the same amount of richness or something completely opposite to off set the richness and weight of the dish.
The third course was very different, very original, but also very classic Paris bistro. We were served Oeuf Meurette, Frisee Au Lardon, with Fried Sage. Basically this was a poached egg in a burgundy sauce topped with a lightly fried sage leaf with a salad of frisee and bacon. It was quite a dish.
This dish was paired with two red wines. One was the St. Amour Cru Beaujolais 2009 and the other was a Bourgueil Cuve Grand Mont 2008. The Cru Beaujolais was a lighter fresher style red with a little more fruit, and the Bourgueil was Cab Franc, and definitely a little heavier and earthier. Both very interesting pairings since this dish was light, yet heavy all at the same time. If that’s even possible.
Following that very flavorful dish was the main course. Hanger Steak with a Black Peppercorn Sauce and Frites, or French Fries as we like to call them. Steak Frites is a very traditional Parisien Bistro meal. You can not go to a bistro in Paris and not get Steak Frites.
This dish was paired with one of my favorite Rhone wines, Domaine Philippe Plantevin Cotes du Rhones 2008. The steak was cooked medium rare and was covered in this amazing red wine peppercorn sauce that I couldn’t get enough of. A fork full of steak, peppercorn sauce, and french fries made my mouth very happy. The sauce was originally going to be a peppercorn cream sauce, but after tasting the wine while making the sauce the Chef decided to do a simple black peppercorn sauce instead. And I couldn’t have been more pleased.
I was perfectly content at this point, but of course there was dessert. The Chef prepared Oeuf a la Neige, also known as a floating island or an egg meringue in a Crème anglaise sauce.
After a large meal like this you want something light and refreshing to finish off the night. The floating island was absolutely perfect. The sauce had a touch of sweetness, and the candied almonds on top added a great crunch. I found myself really enjoying every bite of this dessert.
I’ve said this time and time again, but Chef Imperato outdid himself with this dinner! I really enjoyed everything, but my favorite dishes of the night were the seafood, steak frites, and floating isalnd. When the meal is over the Chef and Importer like to relax with the guests and let the talking and drinking continue. We like to close the place down.
It was a perfect night in Paris…kind of. 
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I *love* iles flotantes. Haven’t had one in ages…