   |  Hometown Pairings - Issue #1July 16, 2008 at 12:10 am by john Hometown Pairing
We're going to start a series of hometown wine pairings every once in awhile here in the newsletter. For us, hometown means our very own Eagle Rock. For those customers outside of Eagle Rock, hopefully this will encourage you to try some of our fine dining establishments if you haven't already. For those locals out there...you've probably had the food, but try the wine pairing. Trust us...it's damn good. First we're going to begin with Oinkster. Chef Andre Guerrero branched out in Eagle Rock as his third venture, after MAX and SENOR FRED in Sherman Oaks. The idea was to do gourmet fast food, keep the menu small, provide a cool outdoor space, and watch the crowds roll in. Well after dozens of shining reviews including comments from Jonathan Gold suggesting they had some of the best roasted chicken and fries in Southern California, they're doing rather well. But, I digress. I'm here to talk about pastrami. House cured pastrami, to be exact. Oinkster cures their pastrami for two weeks, rubs it with a special spice blend and smokes it with applewood. It's messy, it's complex, it's fantastic. So how to make it better? Wine, of course. Our suggestion is the Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah 2006, Columbia, Washington ($23.99/btl). We love virtually everything that Owen Roe bottles, but this one specifically is a dead ringer for the Oinkster pastrami. There's enough fruit to balance out the spice in the pastrami, but also enough spice and smoke to compliment to the toastiness of the applewood. We stumbled upon this pairing a few months ago when Jennifer and I were exhausted from a long baby week (parents...you get it) and we happened to have the Ex Umbris open at the bar when we grabbed Oinkster take-out. It's as if the pastrami and syrah saw each other across a crowded room and walked in slow motion to each other's arms. It was that dramatic. Seriously. We were crying while eating just thinking about it. That could have been exhaustion, but we choose to think it was the love affair between our wine and food. Try it. You'll agree. Also, have other perfect pairings with restaurant items in your 'hood? Comment below.
Leave a comment  ES said:Bless your souls for pairing wine with Oinkster's pastrami! Magnifique!!!!! July 17, 2008 3:54 PM |
I have to say that a bottle of Prosecco went great with everything we had at The Oinkster for my friend's birthday! We brought the bottle, we brought the glasses, they cooked up the goods and all was great!
July 17, 2008 7:35 AM