The Tulalip Resort Casino always has served me top quality dishes and wines. I was invited to a wine dinner at the Tulalip Resort Casino, and have below the fantastic hand-selected wines by Sommelier Tom Thomson to pair with the dishes that I, and some other food, wine, and travel writers from WA, had the chance to enjoy together.
The Tulalip Bay Restaurant is located at the back of the Casino, if you are walking in from the lobby entrance. It has windows and door to the casino, but once inside you cannot hear any of the sounds from the Casino floor, and instead you smell the great food and the smoke and crackle from the wood fire that is used for cooking the dishes. Enjoy my pictures and brief notes.
PENN COVE MUSSELS
Smoked Tomato, Foie Gras, Salsa Verde, Baguette
HEARTS OF ROMAINE
Mustard Infusion, White Anchovy, Manchego, Focaccia Crostini
The above were paired with Opalie de Chateau Coutet Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc, Barsac, France 2012
I never thought of having Foie Gras mixed in with salsa verde and smoked tomatoes, then served on top of Penn Cove Mussels, but it works. The Foie Gras added additional richness to the dish, but was not overpowering. The Opalie White Bordeaux blend was a nice pairing for this dish and the Hearts of Romaine salad. It neither overpowered or was overpowered by these dishes. It had the right amount of acidity to meet the richness of the mussels and citrus flavour to pair with the Hearts of Romaine salad.
PANCETTA PRAWNS
Sun-dried Tomato Caper Relish, Baby Basil, Ariadne Pure Olive Oil
BURRATA SALAD
Smoked Tomato, Arugula, Ariadne Pure Capers, Grape Reduction, Preserved Lemon
The above were paired with Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany 2003 (this came as a Magnum bottle!)
The Pancetta Prawns was my favourite dish of the night. You get a lovely crunch from the panchetta which was wrapped around the prawn; pairing that up with the deep, rich flavour from the sun-dried tomato, and the salt and tartness from the capers. A dish I would like to experience again. The Burrata salad was also very good. Smoked tomato and the pepperiness from the arugula, plus the zest from the preserved lemon, gave your taste buds lots to experience, as you took a bite of the burrata. The pairing was the Fritz Riesling, showing a mix of petrol, sweetness and dried stone fruits. The pairing was OK but I think if the wine was not off-dry it would have been much better. I still had some of the Opalie in my other glass, and tried it with these two dishes, to great success.
MAINE LOBSTER RAVIOLI
Lobster Glace “sphere”, Citrus Beurre Blanc, Basil, Arugula Oil
Jarvis Estate ‘Finch Hollow’ Chardonnay, Napa, California 2014
More buttery richness in both the lobster ravioli and in the Jarvis Estate Chardonnay. And as such, was a very good, complementary pairing. Cutting into the ravioli, the lobster glace sphere released its flavourful, earthy nectar, and to this you add the brightness of the citrus beurre blanc, and herbaceous basil and arugula oil. The Jarvis Estate ‘Finch Hollow’ Chardonnay is a big, buttery wine, full of citrus, apple, and oak.
NEW YORK STEAK
Sous-Vide, Thyme, Signature Butter, Garlic-Truffle Mashed Potatoes
Bodega Numanthia ‘Termanthia’ Tempranillo Toro, Spain 2010
My last pairing of a fantastic dinner, the New York steak was cooked to perfection to me. Very soft and tender, and supported by the creamy, garlic and truffle scented mashed potatoes. The thyme was there too in a supporting role. You don’t think about it, but it provided a nice herbaceous flavour to the dish. The full-bodied Tempranillo, with its structured tannins combined nicely with the protein in the meat. A carnivore’s dream.
There were a few more dishes to go, but I was so full I could not finish it all. If you want an excellent food and wine experience, visit the Tulalip Bay Restaurant at the Tulalip Resort Casino in Washington State!
Stay tuned for my upcoming article on the Leonetti Cellars wine seminar I attended as part of my Tulalip Resort Casino experience.
