Thursday evening I met my friend Dawn at Pairings Food and Wine Market in Minnetonka for dinner and a glass of good wine. This was only the second time I had been there and I was really impressed with the wine selection and the food.
Dawn is a white wine drinker so we spent some time browsing the wine shop for a good bottle of white that we would both like. I wanted something light, crisp and NOT oaky. So that eliminated Chardonnay but we did settle on a delicious 2008 Elk Cove Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley. One of the few whites that I actually really like! It retailed for $18 a bottle and was really good.
We each opted for a panini and chips, Dawn had the Cubano with a side salad and I had a roasted squash with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese. Every time I have a panini it makes me want a panini press but then I think about just how often I might use it
Dawn and I sat and talked for a few hours and it was good to catch up, we discussed their upcoming trip to Italy and all the other places we each want to go. Sigh, I need to win the lottery so I can go on a trip around the world/
I love the concept of Pairings and hope it is doing well. It is fun to be able to go buy a nice bottle of wine and take it into the restaurant and enjoy it right there. I am guessing that bottle would have been $50 + out in a normal restaurant.