Here is the second installment of our most recent trip to Shola Olyunloyo’s Studio Kitchen. For those of you that have never had the opportunity (or missed my article about the last time we were there), Studio Kitchen occurs in Shola’s apartment where he prepares a meal for 8-12 people. The first part if the evening can be found HERE.

Here again is the menu:

The third course (Scallop. Artichoke. Foie Gras. Green Coriander). I have never tried to keep it a secret that I am a sucker for scallops. Interesting because my mother will not touch one with any size pole. Pair it with foie gras? Well, you had me at Jerry McGuire. I must admit that I never would have thought to pair the two together, but, well, that is one of the many reasons I am not Shola. I started with the scallop which was seared and then cooked sous vide (or perhaps the other way around). Upon tasting it, I immediately declared it the winner. Then I had the foie gras (which was in a ravioli). New winner.

Third Course: Scallop. Artichoke. Foie Gras. Green Coriander

1980 Lequin Roussot Bâtard-Montrachet: I bought this because, well, Bâtard-Montrachet is one of the greatest white wines in the world (and I got it for about $15). I decided to open this with this crowd since I was anxious to try it with people who might appreciate a 32 year old white wine. Opening the wine was quite the adventure. The cork broke followed quickly by the second half of the cork being sucked back into the bottle and about a half a glass worth of wine rocketing into the air and then all over my shirt. If only the wine had been as exciting. 1980 was not a great year for Burgundy, so I should not have been expecting much. It was interesting from a science experiment point of view, I guess. Tired and stale (but no real oxidation) basically devoid of any fruit.  Oh well…. Interesting but not ‘Good’.  Not rated.

2004 Louis Latour Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru: This was brought by friends of ours and it was very nice. Bright and acidic with only a hint of oak, it started with a bit of pineapple and Meyer lemon.  Nice all the way through, but not spectacular as many a white Burgundy. Very Good. 89 points.

2006 Vincent Girardin Meursault Les Genevrieres 1er Cru: The winner of the course in my opinion. While both of the Meursaults were very good and had similar general flavor profiles, the Girardin had more depth and much more complexity. The oak was more evident, but in no way over powering. The finish was long and wonderful. Outstanding. 92 points.

Shola and Deb.

The Fourth Course: (Black Bomba Rice. Baby Octopus. Chorizo. Pimenton).  I will be honest right off the bat–I have no idea what pimenton is. I guess I could have googled it and then pretended to know, but that is not really the way I roll (see how hip I am with the lingo?). I do know that the black bomba rice gets its color from the addition off squid ink, though, thanks to our buddy Frank. This meal was perhaps my least favorite of the evening (one had to be, right?), but it was still incredible. The octopus was so tender and there was a hint of heat, which is always good in my book. I put the aforementioned Frank in charge of the wine for this course and he did not disappoint.

Fourth Course: Black Bomba Rice. Baby Octopus. Chorizo. Pimenton

2008 Köfererhof Grüner Veltliner: So this German sounding producer, making a wine from the perhaps signature grape from Austria is actually in Italy. Some folks in this part of Italy even speak German and cross the border into Austria to mail items destined for Italy! Crazy place. Time for more honesty. I am not the biggest fan of Italian wine. I love pinot noir and sparking wine (in reverse order) and the Italians do not have an over abundance of quality in either of those. Now before you get your boxers in a bunch and start rambling on about some mind blowing Prosecco or the most incredible Pinot Nero from Alto Aldige, get a grip, I live in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania where the state (aka the PLCB) determines what we can drink—and they only have the most rudimentary prosecco and have no stinking clue what pinot nero is (they probably think it is the brother of one of the stars in The Godfather Part II). If you are still adamant, well, bring it over and I will give it a swirl….  Rant over. Back to this wine.  Bright and cheery, this had plenty of acidity, but lacked the heft (or sweetness) to stand up to the heat that was on the octopus.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved this wine, but it was whelmed by the dish.  Very Good. 88 points.

2007 Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Kessler Grand Cru: More honesty coming your way. I studied in Alsace and consider it my second home. It will take a significant event for me to speak badly of an Alsatian wine, especially one with this pedigree.  Grand Cru? Giddy up. This wine was rocking what the Grüner lacked in body, this had in spades. If it were not for the heavy weights all around her, this wine would have certainly been in the running for WOTN (Wine Of The Night for you neophytes). Quite complex with several layers of flavors (hey that rhymes!), incredible balance throughout with now of the longest finishes (outside of the ’96 Dom) of the night. Outstanding.  92-93 points.

The Fifth Course: (Ramp Gnochetti. Clam Sauce. Ham Croutons).  I do not have a lot of experience with ramps (I could make some cheesy car pun here, having grown up in the suburbs of Detroit, but I respect you far too much for that). The picture below does not really do this dish justice. First, the gnochetti were an almost iridescent green—a color so vibrant it certainly did not look real. Second, the key to this dish, at least to me, was its aromatics: the ramps, ham, and clams were intertwined into something otherworldly. Normally, my wife lets me finish off her plate. Not this one—it was that good.

The Fifth Course: Ramp Gnochetti. Clam Sauce. Ham Croutons

For the wine, we still had a bunch from the previous two courses, so we revisited those.  The Schlumberger was still rocking so I Bogarted that one off to the side (don’t tell anyone).

The Sixth Course: (Lamb Shoulder. Curry Granola. Carrot. Cardamom). Being the pinot freak that I am, I am a big fan of lamb and this was over the top. Cooked sous vide and then braised, the meat just melted.  The curry granola added some spice (obviously) but also an interesting crunch, which was a perfect foil for the tenderness of the lamb.

Sixth Course: Lamb Shoulder. Curry Granola. Carrot. Cardamom

The wine: I have no idea what we drank for this course. I have written to all of those there to inquire, but they do not remember either! Quite a shinning moment for the ‘Wine Guy’.

The Seventh Course: (Lemon-Brie Sorbet. Strawberry Financier. Yoghurt Powder). The dessert was perfect for the night of debauchery that had preceded it.  Light and not overly sweet, again with varying levels of flavor and texture. Even though I have no idea what we drank with the Sixth Course, I am fairly certain we did not drink anything with dessert. But that could be wrong. Who knows? Obviously, I was three sheets to the wind at this point. I had even forgotten to take a photo of the dessert until I had bull dozed half way through it, thankfully my wife realized this and took an unadulterated photo.

Seventh Course: Lemon-Brie Sorbet. Strawberry Financier. Yoghurt Powder

My photo of dessert by the time I remembered to take it.

Well, there you have it. I am still determined to find out the wine for the Sixth Course, if I do, I will let you know.