“Everyone knows the steakhouse, the table-sized Caesar, ribeye steak and things like that,” Gates said. ”So, I’m going to reimagine it through, not just a plant-based lens, but it in a way you’ve never seen before.”
I’ve never been to a vegan dinner and was fascinated by the preparation, complexity and work involved. For example, a good steak has its own natural flavors that require little more than salt and pepper. Plant-based cooking involves combining several flavors to create a well-rounded taste profile.
Gates is more than qualified. He won the all-vegan cooking competition, Top Vegan, which was at Columbus State Community College and aired on YouTube. He and his brother, Larry, own Invoke, an eatery that focuses on healthy meals at the Second Street Market.
For example, his “chef’s bite,” which he presented as an amuse bouche, was a take on tuna tartare, a simple and tasty dish traditionally prepared with sushi-grade tuna, soy sauce, lime juice, and ginger. His version had compressed watermelon marinated in soy sauce and other rich umami flavors before it was mixed with shallots, Dijon mustard, dill, chives, lemon juice and pepper.
It was served on a rice cracker, and I was surprised how the taste approximated tartare. But it took a number of extra steps to build the dish, and a lot of mixing, tasting, remixing and retasting to balance the flavors.
Gates started preparing five days before the dinner. He shopped for ingredients, tested recipes, and did some early prep while his wife Lindsay set the table and created an elegant ambiance for the evening. Brent Wagener, a long-time local wine executive who now owns the consulting group Wines with Wagener, paired the wines for the evening, which proved a bit complicated since two of the diners didn’t drink alcohol.
Opening act
For the first course, Gates prepared a French onion croquette with Caesar touches. Three fried and crisp croquettes filled with caramelized onions were arranged with lettuce and a vegan Caesar dressing.
The Famille Savary petit Chablis has well-balanced citrus with lemon zest and grapefruit. The wine changed the taste of the salad dressing from a heavy to light almond that I found more enjoyable. I quickly appreciated how the right wine can elevate a vegan meal.
For those who didn’t drink alcohol, Wagener selected the Dr Lo Riesling N/A, a sweet and sugary product with hints of mango. I’ve tasted several non-alcoholic wines and as they go, this one wasn’t bad (but I’ll stick to the alcohol).
The butternut squash trifecta featured large rounds of squash with a warm squash broth, microgreens and puffed wild rice, which added a much-needed crunch to the soft rounds. The dish was served with a Zlatan Otok kvalitetno Blanc, a Croatian I wine never heard of.
Now that I’ve had it, I want more. It’s a smooth dry white with green apples and lemon that’s not overly sweet and would work with most dishes.
It was my second-favorite wine of the night behind the Haut-Bailly HB Bordeaux rouge, a well-balanced rich wine with blackberries, currant and oak. It had median tannins and a long finish, and I would have happily drank that all night long.
This Left Bank wine retails for about $35 and shows you don’t have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on first or second growths to enjoy excellence.
The ‘mane’ dish
The wine paired with lion’s mane fillet, a big, thick and meaty mushroom meant to approximate meat. Much like a fillet, it came with black peppercorn sauce and also leeks and gnocchi. The mild taste and the texture reminded me more of lobster than meat.
But I found the gnocchi much like the pasta (or dumpling, depending on who you ask) I make at home. Gates used the standard flour and potato, but also an egg substitute and a vegan Parmesan cheese.
Gates called the impressive dessert a pretzel salad riff with cream cheese Mousse, and a tangy strawberry compote with a crunchy pretzel base. More than the taste I was impressed by how this all come together, with the strawberry inside the Mousse making for a beautiful presentation. The Schramsberg Brut rose sparking wine was dry and acidic and complemented the fruit.
At $170 per person plus fees and tip, the meal won’t be for everyone, and Gates knows that. He’s trying to create a more exclusive, private experience in which diners get an excellent meal, chic ambiance and one-on-one interaction to discuss the food and learn about the wine.
Judging from those in attendance, this effort was a success. You can always tell that from the plates, which went back to the kitchen empty.
Ray Marcano’s Fine Wine and Dine column explores the best wine and dining options in the Dayton region. He can be reached at winedineddn@gmail.com.
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