I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays, eating and drinking well with friends and family. I had a busy one, but found one evening in the last days of the year to enjoy a six-course meal at Park Place Cafe in Merchantville. Chef Phil Manganaro opened the restaurant just for our group, and he really outdid himself. His cuisine is centered around local foraging and preservation techniques.

Each of us chose a course to pair wines with. We started with a bottle of champagne for an aperitif. The champagne was Ployez-Jacquemart Brut Extra Quality Brut NV. Laurence Ployez is a third-generation winemaker at her family’s estate in Champagne. Stone fruit and red berries, brioche and vanilla notes, fine mousse (bubbles). 12% ABV. Available at Wineworks for only $37, a great value for Champagne.

The first course was Hamachi Loin Crudo with New Jersey Pine Mushroom Dust, Magic Oil, and Atlantic Sea Salt. This was paired with a 2008 Schoenenbourg Grand Cru Alsace from Domaine Marcel Deiss, an off-dry blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir from one of the most famous hills in Alsace, France. Honey and wet stone minerality. $112 online from Wine Chateau.

The second course was Spanish Octupus and Crispy Pig Face Chips with North Atlantic Red Seaweed Cloud. This was the course I chose, and I paired two Raul Perez wines from Bierzo, Spain with it: a Godello for the octopus and a Mencia for the crispy pig face. The white was a Castro Ventosa 2019 El Castro de Valtuille Godello. Aromas of pear, melon, and vanilla on the nose were joined by lemon, pear, and fennel on the palate, and a honeysuckle and mineral finish. 12.5% ABV. $20 online Wilmington.

The red was a Castro Ventosa 2019 Valtuille Vino de Villa Mencia. I love Mencias; they smell very elegant but taste a little rustic. Aromas of strawberries and white flowers on the nose, with red fruit, spice and mineral notes on the palate. 13.5% ABV. $30 online or in person at Liquid Culture in Wilmington. An incredible value for the price.

The third course was Bronze Cut Garmiga Venison Bolognese with Shaved Dark Chocolate and Parmesan Cheese. We finished the Mencia with this course. No, the venison was not local (Canada).

The fourth course was Colorado Lamb Saddle with Golden Raspberry Preserves and Lamb Bone Reduction. This was paired with a 2010 Chateau Malartic Lagraviere Pessac-Leognan Grand Cru Classe de Graves, a 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot Bordeaux blend. Aromas of black cherries, cassis, and smokey notes lead to blackberries black cherries on the palate, with a long finish. 14.5% ABV. $88 online.

The fifth course was Braised Veal Tongue and Cheek, with Crow’s Garlic Butter, Pickled Crow’s Garlic Bulbils and Natural Reduction. This was paired with a (signed) 2016 Vermiel Wines Legendary red wine blend from Napa Valley. The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel from fruit sourced from Frediani Vineyards in Calistoga (where Dick Vermeil grew up). 14.5% ABV. $50 online, with a portion of the proceeds going to retired NFL players.

The sixth course was Sugared Lard Cookies with Purple Mulberry Granita. This was paired with a Paul Dethune Ambonnay Grand Cru Brut Champagne NV. Made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this is a grower champagne from a small, family run Champagne house. Crisp white fruit, lemon creme, minerality, toasted brioche, fine mousse. 12.5% ABV. $50 online, if you can find it in stock.

Thanks again to Chef Phil for putting together this incredible holiday menu for us. If you have not been to Park Place in Merchantville, you are missing out!