City Gate Grille is the place for a romantic pairing of wine and Food for Valentine’s Day. Dinner menus that celebrate California wine along with the restaurant’s culinary delicacies that emphasize fine American cuisine. Fresh Seafood and hand-butchered Prime Cuts prepared with a European and Mediterranean flair combine to create an incomparable experience at Citygate Grille. Visit Citygate Grille.com for more.
Sinegal Estate Sonoma/Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2021 was the opening act. Its vibrant elegance was the perfect way to start a recent dining experience. With flavors of crisp green apples and bright citrus fruits, it awaked the taste buds. Paired with a salad of Butter Lettuce, Orange Segments, Toffee Candied Pine Nuts and a delicate Julienne of Honey crisp Apple and Blue Cheese in a Brown Sugar Mandarin Vinaigrette, this was a refreshing reminder that spring is just around the corner.
Mettler Chardonnay 2022 was a resounding reminder that California is the world’s leading proponent of this popular grape. A Napa Valley Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena won the top notch at the legendary Judgement of Paris wine competition in 1976, and California Chards have been coveted ever since. This exceptional blend of grapes was culled form several premium California vineyards to create a rich, buttery expression of the wine. It paired magnificently with a rich appetizer of Seared Scallops over Mini Sweet Potato Cakes with Sage Beurre Blanc (a buttery white sauce) topped with Crispy Prosciutto. The waiter mentioned that the Mettler Family had recently hosted one of City Gate Grille’s recent wine dinners to rave reviews.
Belle Glos “Dairyman” Pinot Noir 2022 was the next exceptional offering. The waiter poured a healthy portion of this outstanding Russian River Sonoma County wine to savor on its own in advance of the first course of house-made Pappardelle Pasta with Shrimp, Mussels and Lobster in a sauce of Lemon, Herbs, Garlic and Parmesan all bathed in a sauce created with the wine.
Dairyman Pinot Noir derives its name from the fact that the vineyard was once occupied by a dairy farm and cow pasture. Its rich soil served as the perfect location to plant a prime, virgin Pinot Noir vineyard.
With it deep bejeweled garnet color and abundant aromas of dark chocolate, black cherries and blackberries with a hint of aged cedar, this is a wine that offers layer upon layer of complex flavors. As the various nuances of the seafood mingled with sips of the wine, more unexpected flavors began to emerge, cinnamon, nutmeg and hints of rosemary. This was a wine and a dish to linger over, even to return to after the flavors of the seafood pasta sat for a while and mellowed.
Braised American Wagyu Short Rib was bathed in a stunning sauce created with the next wine, Bell Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley 2019. This was the premiere tasting experience of the evening with its complex fruit and herb flavors. A bed of Herbed Spaetzle, rounded out the dish. Spaetzles are a rough, free-form German egg noodle that happens to be one of my favorite side dishes. You hardly see it in restaurants anymore (hats off to the old Berghoff restaurant in Chicago’s Loop and Lincoln Park’s long-departed Zum Deutschen Eck).
Tamber Bey “Rabicano” Bordeaux Blend 2021 was the fitting finale to a fabulous tasting experience. Located near Calistoga in the northern reaches of Napa Valley, the winery is located within the confines of a working horse farm. In addition to an exceptional collection of beautiful horses, the vineyards are surrounded by the picturesque backdrop of Mount St. Helena and the Palisades.
A Dark Chocolate Creme Brûlée layered on top of White Chocolate Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream and Cranberry Coulis capped a perfect evening. The final dregs of Tamber Bey Bordeaux blend melded perfectly with the Dark Chocolate dessert.
City Gate Grille is located just steps away from Naperville’s luxurious Hotel Arista, which offers a unique and captivating guest experience with its relaxing, ultra-modern decor and attentive service. There’s even a chauffeur- driven private car service to transport guests to nearby City Gate Grille. For more, visit citygategrille.com and hotelarista.com.
