But the best dinners happen when the wine maker attends and, with the chef and others, discuss the food and wine with attendees.
That’s what happened at a recent dinner at Meridien in Centerville, which is known for its small plates, cocktails, wine and more. Christof Höpler, the wine maker for Höpler wines in Austria, flew all the way to Dayton for a special evening. (He also presided over a dinner at NCR Country Club the following evening).
Höpler last traveled to the United States eight months ago, and he met with Meridien executive chef Adrian Madrigal Mendiola and Jessica Barnhill of the Heidelberg Distributing Company, Together, they tasted the wines and created a menu enjoyed by a few dozen diners at the downtown Centerville restaurant.
I expected this to be a top-tier dinner because of the venue, chef, and wine. The reasonable cost of $125 per person (plus tax and tip) made it more enticing. Additionally, the wines were available for sale at the venue and are available at retailers on the area. I’ve added prices as listed at Meridien in parentheses.
First course: Endive and feta amuse-bouche with the Pannonica white ($13.99)
Endive can be bitter, but this dish wasn’t. The two small leafy greens were filled with whipped feta and pickled baby beets with crushed pistachios, honey drizzle and kumquats. The feta took care of any bitterness while balancing the sweet and tart kumquats.
The hors d’oeuvre was the perfect size as it was just enough to tingle the taste buds.
The white wine had a full mouth feel with hints of light citrus, mostly lime. It’s a white blend with 35% Chardonnay, and that’s what I tasted most. This pairing had pepper, sweet, tart, crunchy and soft textures, and showed the expertise behind it.
Second course: Petitte crab croquettes with sweet onion soubise with the Höpler pinot blanc ($21.99)
My wife doesn’t like crab cakes. Never has. Then, she tasted the ones served at Meridien and finished them both. Me, being selfish, hoped she would pass them my way, but nope. I had to make good with the two on my plate. These are crab cakes as they should be with a nice crunchy exterior and a soft interior with mostly crab meat.
I had conflicting thoughts on the sweet onion soubise (or sauce). On one hand, it was amazing, with a buttery sweetness that, with a French baguette, could have stood on its own.
On the other, I wondered if this dish was a case of less is more. The plate was covered in the soubise, and as delicious as it was, I didn’t need that much to enjoy what was otherwise a marvelous pairing. The pinot blanc was another light white with mostly pineapple and a long finish.
It was so good I bought three bottles for my wife. Chrisof Höpler said the wine goes well with spicy dishes, and I can’t wait to try that pairing.
Third Course: Meatballs with chitarra pasta with a Pannonica red ($13.99)
Meatballs and pasta? Sign me up. The description noted the chitarra came with a “savory red blend-infused sauce,” which I found interesting. I thought the deeply rich sauce had to have beef stock in it, but I was wrong. Chef Adrian (as he is known) told me he made the sauce by reducing the wine while adding garlic, herbs and butter.
The sauce was just enough without it being overwhelming. With two large meatballs and pasta, I had enough to take home for lunch the next day. The wine had hints of blackberry and tannins but was light enough to balance the robustness if the chitarra, which is named after the tool that shapes it.
Fourth Course: Herb roasted lamb with parsnip puree with Höpler blaufränkisch ($29.99)
The impressive artistry of the dish was as important as the taste. Lamb can be gamey, sometimes overly so, and that can turn people off. But this dish cut the gaminess with some impressive touches. The mild parsnip puree provided a nice creaminess for the chops, but the pureed beets that formed a semi-circle on the plate were the winner.
To me, beets are like techno music — I could take it or leave it. But these beets, sweet and slightly bitter, tamed the lamb’s gaminess. Again, there was so much food I took my wife’s lamb chops home and made lamb quesadillas. (I know, not traditional).
The deep, rich blaufränkisch, with dark fruit and cheery, was my favorite wine of the night.
Fifth Course: Pavlova rosé served with Pannonica rosé ($13.99)
Pavlova, the merengue-based dessert, is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. For me, it was a reminder that diners who don’t think they like a particular food item should give it a try. This pavlova came with raspberry rosé couli.
Raspberries are OK, but in this case, they were elevated with a touch of the rosé. The slightly sweet wine had a nice touch of pear, which was perfect with the pavlova.
Pears (sweet) and raspberries (tart) make a nice dessert pairing and are a common combination in tarts, cakes and pies.
Grading wine dinners can be tough since they’re not all created equally. For every elevated dinner like Meridien, you have others that don’t have the advantage of a trained chef, winemaker and distributor at the meal.
It’s fair to expect more out of these top tier experiences, and Meridien delivered.
Could I nitpick? Of course. But that would do injustice to a well-crafted evening that provided elevated food, great conversation and camaraderie.
That’s worth the ticket price.
THE REVIEW
5 = outstanding, 4 = above average, 3 = average, 2 = poor, 1 = terrible
The review: Meridien, 28 W. Franklin St., Centerville
Wine: 5 out of 5. Every wine was one I would have at my home.
Food: 5 out of 5. I almost made this a 4.75 because of the crab cake observation but that would be nitpicking. And the pasta course was exceptional.
Ambiance: 5 out of 5. It’s hard to transform an existing space but the long table made for an enjoyable evening of conversation, and it was nicely set.
Service: 5 out of 5 (really, 10 out of 5). The servers did an excellent job paying attention to each person at the table. And the restaurant even served from the bar afterwards for those who wanted. Nice touch.
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