On September 20th, 2008, eight friends entered the Chateau and enjoyed a meal from the Petrogasm gods.  Unfortunately, we didn’t open any Chateau Petrus. But, we did enjoy five courses inspired by the cuisine of Northern Italy and prepared using the freshest and most locally-grown ingredients available. This included two racks of lamb, which I picked up from the uber-sustainable Marin Sun Farms only about thirty minutes away from the Chateau. I should clarify that the Chateau to which I refer is not actually a chateau. Rather, it’s our home in Sausalito overlooking San Francisco and the Bay. But, for this one night, thanks to the generous support of Foodbuzz.com, we turned our home into Chateau Petrogasm, where wine and art flowed like the Pierian Spring . . . . Well, you will just have to see for yourself!

For those of you who are encountering Chateau Petrogasm for the first time, I welcome you! At Chateau Petrogasm we review wines with images instead of words. Following in this tradition, our guests put colored pencil to paper during the cheese course and sketched their impressions of the wine and the evening in general. It was an incredibly cerebral activity, but at the same time it seemed like everyone really enjoyed the change of pace. (I highly recommend doing this at any dinner party, just be sure to tell your guests how you came up with the idea!) Of course, this feasting of the mind was accompanied with a more-literal feasting:

Amuse Bouche
Thymed Cantaloupe
Fresh Roasted Almonds avec Stephanie’s Herbes de Provance
Fra’Mani Sopressata & Nostrano Salumi with a sprig of rosemary
Fantinel Prosecco

Beet & Goat Cheese Tartlet with arugula and a fresh pea puree
Fantinel Prosecco

Rack of Lamb rubbed with crushed fennel seeds and dried chili,
served with Saffron Risotto and garnished with raw fennel, fennel pollen, and gray salt
1999 Paolo Scavino - Barolo, Bric dël Fiasc
1998 Paolo Scavino - Barolo, Carobric

Cheese Course
Robiolia di Langhe
Piave Vecchio
Bocconcino di Pura Capra

Pear Tart with Cardamom-Pear Sorbet
2007 Vietti Moscato d’Asti

Micha, Jocelyn, & Ben

Jocelyn, Ben, & Stephanie

Ben, Micha, & Claude

Stephanie, Jocelyn, Claude, Irene

Ashleigh, (Rebecca), Micha, & Ben

Ben, Micha, Rebecca, Ashleigh

(Irene), Claude, Jocelyn, Stephanie

Ashleigh looking very serene

Ashleigh and Me (Risotto on the stove, Lamb about to hit the pan)

Micha and Rebecca

Referring to the above two pictures, Micha wrote, “Claude and Irene look very conspiratorial in one, as do my segments of lamb in another.”

The main wine offering for the evening

 The Drawings:

Jocelyn

Stephanie & Rebecca

Irene

Ben

Ashleigh

Micha

Claude

All in all, this was an incredible evening.  Thank you to all who came and to foodbuzz for making it possible!

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