We held our spring dinner at the charming SEL, located in Old Town Scottsdale. The restaurant is owned by Brandon Levine who is one of the top chefs in Scottsdale/Phoenix. We were lucky to dine on the heated patio, which we had to ourselves. Our regular attendees were joined by some newly-vaccinated members whom we missed while they were socially isolated.

Chef Levine has a 20-year career in contemporary fine dining and kitchen management, catering and banquets within leading resorts and restaurants. He is known as a culinary innovator who produces top quality, creative dishes. With his wife May he opened SEL in 2013.

We began our evening with a sit-down, “plated reception” featuring beef tartare with pommes paillasson (straw potato cakes), smoked horseradish cream and Kaluga caviar, as well as tamarind BBQ Spanish octopus taco with fennel-seaweed slaw, pickled shallots and smoked chili. These delicate dishes were generously accompanied with perfectly-chilled glasses of the excellent Champagne Veuve Clicquot NV.

And then our dinner proper began.

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Maine diver scallop aguachile
passion fruit, Serrano chili, cucumber gelee
red spring onion
Chablis 2018 - Simonnet-Febvre, France

Matsutake ponzu marinated black cod
chicken skin chicharron, cauliflower espuma
black trumpet mushroom broth
Vietti Roero Arneis 2018 - Piedmont DOCG, Italy

Chili-glazed quail
pumpkin mole sauce, Mexican cuitlacoche
chapulines, Wagyu fat flavoured blue corn tortillas
Emeritus Pinot Noir 2015
Hallberg Ranch, Russian River Valley, California

New Zealand venison leg
smoked shallot and parsnip puree
black truffle egg ravioli
red pepper chimichurri sauce
Turley ‘Old Vines*’ Zinfandel 2018
[Ed. California “Zin” by one the best producers]

Foie gras custard éclair
black truffle-hazelnut praline
roasted pear ice cream
Jules Taylor “OTQ**”
Late Harvest Sauvignon 2018
Marlborough, New Zealand

This was one of the very best dinners we have had in the past 12 months. The food was extraordinary. The wines were a perfect match. We had an extensive wine commentary from our server. The pace of the evening was perfect. Chef Levine described each course for us as it was being served sharing his passion in so doing.

Based on an article by Bailli Albert Jacobs which first appeared in the May 7th edition of “Cuvée”, the on-line magazine published by the Bailliage of USA

* Turley Old Vines is made from grapes sourced from a variety of sites that are either too small to make a designated vineyard wine or are “new” to the Turley estate. Vines age from 41 to 129 years old and are thus a true representation of California old vine Zinfandel.

** According to the Jules Taylor website, the “OTQ” idea started with a perfect parcel of Sauvignon Blanc grapes, hidden at the back of the cellar in an old barrel, and kept “On The Quiet” from the rest of the world until the very last moment. The OTQ wines are all limited release, single vineyard parcels crafted in tiny quantities and made only in the best vintages.