Harry's Tap Room

This past weekend, I was in the Washington, DC area. Local friend of mine PSith Master Loweeel of The PSycho's Path recommended Harry's Tap Room in Arlington, VA for brunch, and I would like to share that recommendation with you! It was so fantastic that we ended up there for brunch on both Saturday and Sunday.

Brunch begins every day with a basket of muffins and scones with fresh strawberry compote and cream.


Saturday:
I selected the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Benedict (above), and my companions had the New Orleans Benedict (below) and the Traditional Benedict. Selected libations were Harry's Kir Royale and Classic Sparkling Mimosa.


Sunday:
There were 8 of us on Sunday, and I can't remember what we all ordered. I had the Steakhouse Omelette, various Benedicts were ordered, and the French Toast with fresh strawberries. Coffees all around, and again the Mimosa and Kir Royale found their way to the table, as well as the Weekend at Harry's Coffee.

From the menu:
Harry's Kir Royale - "A classic cocktail with a new flare. Made from sparkling wine and Chambord liqueur, garnished with a sugarcoated strawberry."
Classic Sparkling Mimosa - "Made with fresh-squeezed orange juice and bubbly."
A Weekend at Harry's Coffee - "When you need a wake-me-up and elixir at the same time. Made from Kahlua, Amaretto di Saronno, and Bailey's Irish Cream."

The setting at Harry's is upscale casual, with a friendly atmosphere and terrific staff. The food was all incredible, and unlike many restaurants that just plunk down your food on a plate, the chefs here put effort and thought into their presentations, which always makes the food that much more enjoyable. The portions are quite generous, and made from quality, fresh, local ingredients. The preparations seemed to be simple, but the best flavors were brought out because of this. I would highly recommend that if you're in the area, you visit Harry's and check out their menus - including their lovely wine list.

Twisted Oak Viogner and BBQ Chicken

So tonight's lovely pairing is this:

Wine: Twisted Oak 2006 Calaveras County Viognier

Meal: Chicken Bundles with grilled baby potatoes and steamed sugar snap peas

Tasting notes on the wine:

Color: 5/5
Clear liquid gold. Perfectly clear at the edges.

Nose: 10/15
Subdued - I really had to concentrate to be able to pull out the individual scents. Honey predominantly, with notes of melon and apricot.

Flavor: 8/10
Silky smooth. It's a little oily on its own, but bring food into the picture and that goes away. No heat on this one. The nose carries through to the palate with apricot, and adds on some peach and honeydew. Add in a bite of the chicken, and it pulls out grapefruit and mango, and a hint of vanilla. Bright but I wouldn't necessarily call it crisp.

Finish: 7/10
Lasts about 10-15 seconds with touch of oak. You get a little bit of a bite at the back of the throat, and the apricot is back. Have some potato or peas first and you'll also get some toasted sesame seed.

Aging: 2/5
I don't think this one will last for a super long time in the cellar, but should last at least another couple of years. Drink through 2010.

Overall: 4/5
I've had better stuff, but this is very nice. The cork broke while I was opening it, so that may have played a role. Not a super complex wine, but it's an easy drinker. Drinks pretty well on its own, but is much better with the food.

Total: 86pts

The BBQ sauce on the chicken was made to be a little bit on the spicy side, and the wine really cut that nicely. I could see having this with plenty of spicy Asian dishes, particularly Thai or a spicy Indian curry.

Want to make this meal?

Chicken Bundles
These are a childhood favorite of mine that my dad used to make all the time.

If you can't find a spicy BBQ sauce, you can make your own very simply by mixing together:
2 Tbsp sweet BBQ sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder

For each serving:
5oz boneless skinless chicken breast
2 slices bacon
1oz cheddar cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp spicy BBQ sauce

Soak 2 bamboo skewers in water for approximately half an hour, or use metal skewers.

Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breast until it is evenly 1/4" thick all around. Try not to pound all the way through the meat and tear it - easiest way to keep it safe is to lay it between two pieces of plastic wrap to pound.

Place the cheese cubes in the middle of the chicken, and wrap the chicken around it. Wrap the bacon slices around the chicken in a cross. Skewer the chicken, one skewer in each direction following the lines of the bacon.

Grill over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, then flip and grill for another 5 minutes. Brush the BBQ sauce on each side of the chicken and grill for an additional 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 180 degrees and the BBQ sauce has set.

Serve with grilled baby potatoes that have been skewered and placed on the grill for the duration of the chicken (turned at the same time as the chicken), and steamed sugar snap peas.

Enjoy!

a·pair·i·tif

a·pé·ri·tif - n. a small drink of alcoholic liquor taken to stimulate the appetite before a meal.

a·pair·i·tif - n. a small blog of wine and food pairings read to stimulate the appetite before deciding on a meal.

I won't make any promises to the regularity of this, but as I open up new bottles of wine and decide on meals to eat with them, I'll share these adventures with you. What qualifications do I have? Probably the same as anyone else out there! I enjoy wine, I enjoy food, and I enjoy finding ways to enjoy wine and food together. This blog is all about learning new wines, learning new foods, and learning new ways to have simple meals at home that can turn every day into a special occasion.

So I hope you'll choose to embark on this adventure with me, and maybe we can learn a little from each other on the journey!