All
Thanks for all your recommendations - we ended up at the Cellar in Fullerton and what an experience!
The wait-staff was stiff, didn't smile once (except when the check came), and pushed their favorite dishes on us even after we expressed no interest in particular dishes. (Example "Sir, you must try the scallops", Me: "Don't much care for scallops", Waiter: "But, sir, it is the best appetizer", Me: "Can you recommend another appetizer?", Waiter: "How about the seared scallops?". I am not kidding).
Wine selection is a unique experience. We ask for the sommelier and the waiter starts recommending wines to us. One of the guests thinks a Pinot would be a good starting wine. Waiter (who should be calling the sommelier by now): "You must get the Acacia - the Carneros region is very good". We once again ask for the sommelier. Waiter, posing as sommelier, dparts. After a long wait, an older gentleman arrives.
He is visibly upset about what the waiter has told him. [Turns out one of our guests has heard the waiter, in hushed tones, complain to this new fellow that we want a Pinot but will not accept a Carneros!]. Now this new guy (I refuse to call him a sommelier, you will see why in a second) starts by recommending Oregon for Pinot - that's it. No other choices - "If you like Pinot's you must look at some of the Oregon pinots". One guest: "I am not too fond of the earthy flavors of Oregon pinots - do you have one that is not too earthy?". Old man looks like he is going to pop a vein. Another guest wonders if we should consider an aged Burgundy. And that really pushes the old man over the edge ("they say they don't like earthy and they want burgundy?", he is probably thinking). He says:"You should go for a fruity California Cab!" and reaches out to the wine list in my hand and starts flipping the pages to show me the great cabs.
My guest gets annoyed and asks me to "just pick a CA pinot". I am still being polite to the old man. Having heard good reviews about Sea Smoke, I ask him for his opinion on the Sea Smoke Southing. He doesn't know since "the wine has only been on their list for the last few days!"
We go back and forth between the Southing and a Rochioli Reserve and the old man says the Southing is a light-bodied wine which my guest will not like! (How he suddenly remembers the wine he has professed ignorance about two minutes ago is beyond me). So we start with a 1998 Rochioli Reserve. Nice wine - everyone enjoys it. The dinner seems to be on the right track
, until .....
It's time to order the entrees (we have delayed this until we have placed the wine order)... and its time that somebody MUST have the Kobe Beef. You see, it is the best beef and it is hand-fed and it is from Japan, etc. Our guest wants a clarification, "is this authentic Kobe beef from Japan?" or "is this local beef fed a la Kobe from Japan?" (Now I think we are annoying the heck out of the waiter
) He comes back and explains it's the latter and hence the entree is only $34.95, a REAL Kobe beef would be at least twice as much. His disdain for this group is now evident for all to see.
The Kobe beef is panned (too salty, not done properly, etc), the duck I ordered is just so-so, but the Salmon, the peppered steak and the lamb shanks other guests ordered are quite good.
Dessert turns out to be good - the souffles get compliments from those who try them, and I get raspberries and cream thrust upon me only to find out that they are out of raspberries and will strawberries be alright?
I must admit this group of visitors probably didn't hit it off from the beginning and we must have pissed the waitstaff off for some reason. I cannot pinpoint anything specific, but we were not one of the well-liked guests that night.
Long diatribe, but bottom line - the 1998 Rochioli Res. was good, followed by a 1997 Ristow Quinta de Pedras, which was drinking fine (being forced to give this a rating by my guests, I venture a 91-92).
Aside: During the conference, some of our Cellar guests dined at Mr. Stox (good reviews) and The Hobbit (rave reviews). The Cellar disappointed.
vtyro
p.s.: The Cellar has different wine glasses displayed as one enters, but our Pinots were served in wine goblets - I did not have the nerve to ask for a swap by this time.
The Cab was served in proper stemware.