Beautiful evening al fresco. 8lbs of crab, and 2 bottles of German riesling – one being a memorably heady and superbly structured 1976 Auslese. Add a sprinkling of bulgar salad, wood-fire grilled veg and honey-garlic apple-smoked pork chops + some interesting beers with good friends. I wish I could say it was blockbuster, as it reads well on paper, but unfotunately it was an evening generally fated to ‘meh’s and critique.
Years ago it hit me with music. Then almost with wine. Now with food? There’s a great quote in Mondovino from a senior Wine Spectator guy referring to the cost of reguarly subjecting something you love to disection and critique – it inevitably damaging your love for whatever it is you’re scrutinizing. Getting stuck analyzing the minutae and generally missing the bigger picture. I have some work to do to avoid going down that road with food.