Fantastic dinner with Mike Filigenzi and Mardi

The stars were all in line. Perfect 70+ degree sunny weather on the upstairs deck with wonderful wine, food and company. .Mike Filigenzi and his beautiful wife Mardi joined me to watch the Packers shellac the Chicago Bears.

The ribs Mike and Mardi brought were outstanding and had the perfect meat to fat ratio that resulted in a tender and flavorful rack. The 1999 Cedarville Syrah they brought was at its peak and delightful. The Spatlese that I cannot pronounce or spell was top notch.The 2005 La Roquette Chateauneauf du Pape was fantastic and was something that had very warm distinction and impressive appeal. Just the kind of wine Mike and Mardi would drink because they have such great taste and I am lucky they brought it along to share.

Even after knowing Mike for 15+ years I had no idea he was such an expert when it comes to creating the perfect salad. Mike constructed a persimmon salad that was absolutely outstanding. I hope he will post the recipe.

And the grand finale was a quince tart that Mardi lovingly made for us in a pretty, female version of McGyver. She ingeniously found the tools in a totally unfamiliar kitchen to create the absolutely best quince tart I have ever tasted.

If you are ever in the Sacramento California area, be sure to set up a meeting with Mike and Mardi. They are outstanding people and I can promise that you will enjoy every minute you will spend with them. They are the best.

Cheers!

We were very glad to get the chance to see you, Dave, and it was a really fun afternoon. I have to say that the real treats for us were the VT and the Musar you brought with you ('98 and '94, right?). Both drank well, with the Musar behaving itself very nicely. That VT was possibly the oldest CdP I've had and it was excellent. The array of cheeses and the guacamole were also delicious and made for a great start for a football-oriented day and my wife was very happy to see the summer sausage on the platter. You can take the girl out of Wisconsin, but....

And of course, all of the food and wine were beautifully complemented by the can of whupass that the Packers obligingly opened up. It was a great time all the way around. Thanks so much for having us over - it was a real pleasure.