An Evening at Aggio

About a week and a half ago, Mallory and I and another couple met at Chef Bryan Voltaggio's newest establishment, Aggio. The same concept as Aggio in Washington, DC (though this one is stand-alone as opposed to within another restaurant concept), this is Chef Voltaggio's first foray into Baltimore.

His timing is perfect, with the dearth of good Italian restaurants in Baltimore (Cinghiale aside!). And the evening was near perfect as well.

Aggio is located just outside the "gates" of Power Plant Live, where the Asian restaurant Tatu was once located. It is a couple of storefronts down from the Power Plant Live plaza, which limits the noise and the hullabaloo and hopefully restricts some of their patrons from stumbling in. Entering the restaurant seemed to challenge some people, as we saw more than one group attempt to come in via the patio doors, which were locked. A series of planters block the main entrance, funneling diners entering from the west onto the patio. When you go, make sure to enter underneath the awning!

The footprint of the space is the same as when it was Tatu, though there is new lighting, upgraded seating, and a new color scheme. I'm not quite sure why, but Italian and Italian-American movies were being projected onto the wall near the front entrance.

Mallory and I sat down at the bar to wait for our friends and ordered a quick drink. The first thing we noticed? The lights are bright. If you don't like to feel as if you're in the spotlight, the bar proper may not be for you. Ask to sit at one of the tables against the side wall if that's the case. The second thing we noticed? The bar is top shelf. No displays of flavored vodkas or Pucker; just lines of top-notch Italian apertifs and digestifs, fantastic high-end spirits, and an upper shelf of quality whiskey and Scotch.

After our friends arrived, we were seated at our table. Again with the lighting! It was a great table far from traffic patterns and the bar area, but directly underneath a seriously bright, undimmable (trust me, we asked!) CFL. I'm all for lowering your energy costs, but a good doc could have operated by that light! After a few minutes, we spoke to our server and he graciously offered to relocate us to a darker section of the restaurant. We were much obliged.

After being handed the menu - and having a few minutes to look it over - our group decided to forgo main courses and instead make a meal of piccolo piatti, antipasti, and primi. It was a decision we did not regret.

Note: As I cannot speak to the plates our friends had, I will only be commenting on dishes Mallory and I had.

Upon placing our orders, we asked to meet one of the Sommeliers, Chris Coker, who happens to be a bit of a legend on the Baltimore wine scene. Chris has a history of working at some of the best wine-centric restaurants in the city. From Corks with Jerry Pellegrino, to Blue Grass in South Baltimore, to Jack's Bistro before moving to Aggio, Chris has a reputation of finding spectacular bottlings for the price point that pair amazingly well his chef's menus. He did not disappoint! We simply told Chris that we wanted two bottles - a red and a white - that would pair reasonably well with what we were trying to order (not an easy task when we had six plates total, and eight different dishes, to pair). His choices turned out to be perfect.

After we had ordered our food and wine, a server started the meal off on a high note with bread for the table accompanied by housemade whipped ricotta cheese and a Parmesan funnel cake. Yes, you read that right. Parmesan. Funnel. Cake. Now the housemade ricotta put any other ricotta I've had around here to shame. But this was Parmesan funnel cake! The same consistency of the stuff you get at the state fair (though not nearly as greasy!), but with a tangy twinge of Parmesan that elevated it to massive heights!

A few seconds after we were done fighting over the scraps of funnel cake, our wine arrived. Chris had chosen a 2013 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis to match our first few courses, and a 2011 Passopisciaro Etna Rosso as the red to round out dinner. The Roero Arneis went amazingly with the Burrata courses we had. The full bodied white wine matched the creaminess of the burrata and was unfazed by the peaches and prosciutto the cheese was resting on. Fantastic dish + wonderful wine = happy couple! Everything on the plate played off of and enhanced the other ingredients while leaving the burrata as the star attraction. The beets paired well with the wine also, as the combination of pine nuts, rosemary, and beets along with peppery arugula simply shined.

After a bit of a break, the first course of pasta arrived. First the Lasagna, then the Ricotta Gnocchi. We counted at least nine layers on the lasagna dressed perfectly with a lamb bolognese and accented with a unique smoked pecorino. Certainly the most labor intensive lasagna I've ever seen, and one of the best too. Next time, I'll take a double! Then, the Ricotta Gnocchi, which had just the right amount of heat on the back end thanks to chili flakes in the pomodoro, and just a bit of fat from pancetta that made it great with the Etna Rosso and not too bad with the Roero Arneis.

This is where the evening became a bit more interesting. As Aggio has pretty much impeccable service, they employ a team technique to your table, which means you are taken care of by a number of servers, seemingly without one in charge. It makes for a wonderful service, but holes can develop - which is what happened to us. Seemingly our team forgot to fire our second course of pasta! However, after about 40 minutes (thankfully the company - and the wine - was wonderful) Chris returned to our table, apologized for the delay and offered us complimentary dessert and another glass of wine to accompany our final savory course. This was completely unexpected, most welcome, and really topped the evening off. And the wine, a 2012 Bruno Rocca Nebbiolo Langhe, was spectacular, not to mention off-list. Oddly enough for a Nebbiolo, this was bright and fruity with only a hint of tannin for structure.

A few moments later, our final pasta dishes came out. First, the Corn Cappellacci. If anyone has ever been to Volt (Chef Voltaggio's first restaurant, in Frederick, MD), you know how wonderful the Corn Ravioli can be. This is just as good; seemingly summer on a plate with some basil and slowly cooked tomatoes accompanying a bright, fresh pillow of pasta stuffed with corn and ricotta. It was the highlight of the meal. Then onto the Strozzapretti, with an oxtail ragu highlighted by a bit of orange flavoring and bittered by dark chocolate that really hit it off with the Nebbiolo.

We wrapped up the meal with two wonderful desserts, Affogatto and Tiramisu. The Affogatto was the traditional dessert, with a perfectly pulled espresso poured over salted caramel ice cream (our choice!). It was a unique combination to say the least, but one that worked pretty well. But it was the Tiramisu that really surprised us, as when it arrived it looked absolutely nothing like traditional Tiramisu. Instead, it took a page from the Volt book of whimsy and came to the table deconstructed, with mascarpone ice cream, a coffee "cloud", and coffee-chocolate "soil" topping the dish. It was presented wonderfully, and came together rather spectacularly at the end.

After a wonderful evening, our group departed Aggio happy, satiated, and ready to return. The night was incredible, and Chris Coker and the rest of the Aggio team made a group of everyday people feel like the most important table in the restaurant. Though not perfect, Aggio took responsibility for their mistakes, and made things right - something not many restaurants are willing to do nowadays. For that reason alone, we would return. But the food, the wine, and the service made it an experience we soon won't forget. Aggio, we will be back.

Cain Vineyard & Winery - "I already love it and I haven't even put it in my mouth."

Oh, she said it alright.  That quote came directly from Mallory, my wife.

We were in the Napa Valley.  Or, to be a bit more specific, almost 2,500 feet above the valley floor, way up on Spring Mountain.  It was in the tasting room of Cain Vineyard & Winery, a medium sized winery that produces some pretty stellar Bordeaux-varietal wine.

Cain has about 90 acres under vine (on a 550 acre ranch) and an annual estate production of about 4,500 cases.  Their overall case production is about 20,000.  They only produce red wine, with a grand total of three wines seeing market: 

Cain Cuvée, an approachable blend of two vintages of Bordeaux varietals (Merlot is traditionally the dominant varietal in this wine) that comes from fruit harvested from a number of valley floor vineyards. This wine is never the same, as the winemaker seeks out variations year over year in order to build a "refreshing" wine that appeals to novice and seasoned wine drinkers alike.

Cain Concept is an energetic, Cab-heavy blend predominantly from the benches of Oakville, St. Helena, and Rutherford.  It is still a Bordeaux blend, though Malbec is not used (just like in the Cuvée). Certainly more complex than the Cuvée, this is a more refined bottle of juice.

And finally, Cain Five.  Their flagship blend of the five noble Bordeaux grapes is completely estate grown. The mountain fruit is enlivened in this blend, creating an herbacious exoticism in the wine that mirrors many of the wild herbs and flowers you'll find growing around their property.  It does not disappoint.  I have a strange feeling this wine will be "around" for awhile, so if you get it, don't be afraid to let it sit (though it's fantastic now!)

With that out of the way, I'll get on to our story.  We had started our day in the house we rented in the city of Sonoma, about 30 miles from Cain.  The issue is that only about 20 of those miles are "highway" - the other 10 miles are through some of the windiest roads you'll see this side of Portugal.  The drive takes you up the Sonoma side of Spring Mountain, through Redwood groves on roads barely wide enough for two cars to pass side by side.  We were with another couple, and I was thankfully in the front passenger seat.  Knowing the ride in front of us, my wife downed some Dramamine before departing the house.

Cain was our first tasting of the day, at 10:00am.  To get those 30 miles from Sonoma, we had to leave at 9:00am.  By the time we reached the winery, my buddy's wife was so carsick she could barely move.  That's how windy those roads were.

But oh, was it worth it once we got there!  Beautifully manicured grounds overlooked the vineyards about 500 feet below.  The facility itself was made of stone, and looked like it had been constructed in the early 1900's (Cain Vineyard & Winery opened in 1980).  It simply belonged there.

Following a brief tour of the winery, we were led into a gorgeous tasting room with windows that opened to the outside.  It was there we were seated with a couple from Georgia who were on their honeymoon.  Cain was the very first winery they chose to visit.  They chose wisely, but had no idea what they were getting into with our group.

Matt, our guide for the morning, led us through a tasting of all three of the current releases, as well as a historical comparison for the Cain Five.  It was this 2004 edition of Cain's flagship that led to "the quote".  Matt poured us the wine, starting with my wife who was seated on his left side. I was seated to Matt's right, next to my buddy.  His wife sat next to mine, and our newly married friends from Georgia sat across from us to complete the table.

As Matt sat back down, our group started through the ubiquitous swirl and sniff routine.  We had barely begun when it happened.

"I already love it and I haven't even put it in my mouth."

My first look was to my right, and after a couple of seconds of silence, I countered with, "That's what she said."  The entire group lost it, with Matt just shaking his head, muttering, "I didn't want to say it."  Our Georgian friends were absolutely horrified.

Well folks, that's what you get when you travel with our group!  It completely set the tone for the rest of the day, both for us and seemingly the newlyweds as well.  Sorry guys.

While appearing to wrap things up, Matt asked my wife and I what we typically drink.  Without thinking, we pretty much spouted out in unison, "Syrah!"  Matt disappeared for a moment and came back with Cain's Estate Syrah, an experimental wine made in microscopic quantities and released only through allocation.  It was a huge treat.  The Cain Estate Syrah is quite simply the best Syrah I have ever tasted from California.  Hands down.  Better than Plumpjack's bacon-bomb and even better than the Rhone Rangers I've been able to sample, Matt allowed us to purchase one bottle, but I would have taken a case if I could have.  Should you ever see this wine, buy it, no questions asked.  You can thank me later.

Our visit to Cain Vineyard & Winery was a huge success.  If you're out in Napa or Sonoma and can stomach the drive, I highly urge you to get in touch with Cain to schedule a visit.  And be sure to ask for Matt. 

Beginnings

"I already love it and I haven't even put it in my mouth."**

No, this won't be that type of blog, but it will be that type of blog!  You see, I'm doing this for myself (and, well, maybe a bit because of the pressure from my wife, Mallory, and friends!).  Therefore, what I put on this blog will be what I want to be on there.  It won't be about telling you what to eat or drink, or where to go next.  It will be telling you about what I ate or drank, where I went, and where I want to go next!  That means that every now and then, you're going to get quotes like the one you see above.

This blog will be about tales of friends eating and drinking together in the best establishments around Baltimore and the world (totally our opinion, mind you!), thoughts I had about a certain meal or bottle of wine, and musings on our travels around this planet we spend our time on.  I've been told that it is I who (apparently) have the book knowledge about the things we do and the places we go, and my wife who has the ability to put her senses into words.  That means I'll get this out of the way now - The "notes" you may see on this blog about various wines will probably give you more background about the wine itself and what it may pair with, but will be a bit lighter on what you're "supposed" to smell or taste.  If you read about a scent or a taste in a post from me, it's most likely because it smacked me in the face like Daniel Plainview slapping Eli Sunday in There Will Be Blood. And you will almost never see me referencing a "score" or "points" in anything I myself write.

You will also most likely not see photos of dishes or presentations.  I'm really not one to pull out a camera in the middle of a dark dining room to take multiple-angle photographs of something that will be in my stomach a few minutes later.  For me to do so, the plate - or the place - needs to be absolutely striking.

Therefore, I truly hope any who comes across this blog enjoys what they read and maybe learns a thing or two.  The posting schedule might be a bit erratic at first until I get a rhythm down, and hopefully my blogging skills will improve the more I do post.  It will be my pleasure to share this aspect of my life with you, so please enjoy!

**To be explained in my first "real" post.