Thursday, June 28, 2012

Dr. Loosen and Robert Weil Winemaker Dinner with Kirk Wille

In honor of Summer of Riesling, we invite you to join us in toasting to one the most celebrated varitals from one of the world's most renowned Riesling vineyard- Dr. Loosen (pronoucned loh-zen) wine estate. 

Leaving the steep slopes of Germany's Mosel Valley, Kirk Wille will host a winemaker dinner featuring older vintages of Dr. Loosen and Robert Wiel wines perfectly paired with the flavors of Southeast Asia. Dr. Loosen and Robert Weil Winemaker dinner will be held on July 6th at Wild Ginger at the Bravern in Bellevue.  

Here's the starting line-up:

Reception
Dr. L Riesling Sparkling

Flight/Course 1: Off-Dry Riesling
2008 Robert Wiel Tradition
2010 Dr. Loosen Kabinett, Blue Slate
2010 Von Schubert Kabinett, Grünhäuser Herrenberg

Flight/Course 2: Dry Riesling
2010 Von Schubert/Maximin Grünhaus Riesling Trocken
2009 Dr. Loosen Riesling Dry, Red Slate
2009 Robert Weil Kiedrich Turmberg Trocken


Flight/Course 3: Sweet Riesling
2010 Von Schubert Spätlese, Grünhäuser Abtsberg
2008 Robert Weil Spätlese, Kiedrich Gräfenberg
2002 Dr. Loosen Auslese Goldkapsel, Ürziger Würzgarten


The dinner is $99 per person and limited to 18 guests. To make reservations call Wild Ginger at The Bravern at (425)495-8889.

Win and Dine with Dine to Win


For the month of July, Wild Ginger at the Bravern will be participating in the Bellevue Local Table's Dine to Win contest. All lunch and dinner guests, who spend more than $10, can enter to win a grand prize, plus $50 gift certificates at a participating restaurant.

Grand Prizes :::

1) Hawaii trip for two ~ round-trip airline tickets and hotel accommodations for two to Honolulu.

2) Dinner for two for a year ~ $1,350 in dining gift cards to the DINE TO WIN participating restaurants.

There will be 7 weekly prize winners announced every Friday, through the month of July, with grand prize winners announced on Bellevue Local Table's website on August 9th. There is no limit to the number of times guests can enter to win, so grab your lucky pennies, toss some salt over your shoulder and make July "dine and win with Dine to Win" month.

Participating Restaurants ::: 
520 Bar & Grill
Bake's Place Bellevue
Basil's Kitchen
Black Bottle Postern
Cypress Lounge & Wine Bar
Danube Bistro
El Gaucho Bellevue
John Howie Steak
Jonah's Restaurant
KORAL Bar & Kitchen
Lot No. 3
Lunchbox Laboratory
Maggiono's Little Italy
Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub
Pagliacci Pizza
Palomino Restaurant
PEARL Bar & Dining
Pogacha Restuarant
Purple Cafe and Wine bar
Ruth's Chris Steak House
Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar
Tap House Grill
The Melting Pot
Trophy Cupcakes
Vovito Caffe & Gelato
Wild Ginger at the Bravern

More information, and contest rules, on the Bellevue Local Table website here>>

Monday, June 25, 2012

Vinolution 2012


Last Friday's Vinolution 2012 party was fabulous! After being greeted by a few of the darling and playful Atomic Bombshells, guests grabbed an empty wine glass and made their way around the room while noshing eats and drinks from some of Washington's select wineries and restaurants..even a distillery. It can't get much better than that.  


Big raindrops didn't stop the fun on the rooftop outside.. after all, this is Seattle - the birthplace of rain. We joined a few of Seattle's finest restaurants and passed out our signature duck sliders.
  

The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co. showcased a tower of bite size cupcakes that not only looked divine, but tasted equally so. The pancake cupcake, topped with maple frosting and sprinkled with bits of bacon, paired surprisingly well with a sip of The Wild Sky Cabernet Sauvignon from Zero 1 Vintners.


We can't wait for next year's event!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Soft-shell crab is back!

It's soft-shell crab season and Wild Ginger is featuring two distinctly prepared dishes  :::

Vietnamese Soft-shell Crab ~ garlic, shallot, black pepper and fish sauce
Cantonese  Soft-shell Crab ~ salt, pepper, golden fried garlic and red chilies


For those of you wishing to bring the tastes of Wild Ginger into your home, here is a soft-shell crab recipe we recommended :::

To start, live crabs are the best, but they're not very easy to find. When selecting your crab, your nose will tell you what's good. Trust your instincts. When fresh, crab smells clean and astringent mimicing the scent of sea mist. To clean, hold the crab in one hand and while using a pair of kitchen shears, cut off the front of the crab, about 1/2 inch behind the eyes and mouth. Squeeze out the contents of the sack located directly behind the cut you just made. Rinse and pat dry.

For the crust:
1 cup of peanut oul
1 1/2 cups of rice flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 eggs

For the sauce:
1- 1/2 Tbl thin sliced shallot
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 Tbl inely sliced lemongrass
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 Tbl fish sauce
1-2 tsp sugar (varying depending on prefence)
1 tsp black pepper

Heat oil in large saute pan until it reaches 325 degrees. Sift flour, salt and pepper together. Beat eggs in separate bowl. Immerse cleaned crabs in egg misture. Drain slightly then roll into flour mixture. Pan-fry until golden bwon (use caution as oil may splatter). Drain on paper towel. Remove all oil from the pan except one tablespoon. Fry shallots in this oil on medium high heat until golden, then add garlic and lemongrass, stirring constantly until fragrant, about one minute. Add chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar and pepper and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoinings to preference. Place crabs in pan and gently turn to coat with sauce. Plate and garnish with rough chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Don't fear the Riesling


Ask any wine fanatic and they'll profess, wholeheartedly, that summertime is synonymous with Riesling. Starting on the first day of Summer, June 20th, wine lovers all over the country come together to fill and toast glasses of Germany's Queen of all wine- Riesling. Wild Ginger doesn't plan on breaking this joyous tradition. With the longest day of the year approaching, we can excitedly proclaim Summer of Riesling is right around the corner.

The Summer of Riesling celebration all started when one bar in New York City decided to strictly feature Riesling on their glass pour menu in 2008. The project, simply started with the goal of diffusing the notion that Riesling was sweet, spawned into a country wide celebration paying homage to a misunderstood varietal.

Wild Ginger welcomes you to join the annual shenanigans!


Upcoming events:
June 21 6pm | The Triple Door private suites ~ tickets here>>
Burlesco DiVino: Wine in Rome
August 8-10 8pm August 9-10 10pm (21+) | The Triple Door ~ tickets here>> 

August 22 | Wild Ginger

Australian Winemaker Dinner
September 7 | Wild Ginger at The Bravern

Oregon vs. Washington, featuring Brennon Leighton from Efeste and Matt Berson from Love and Squalor
September 14 | Wild Ginger
To make reservations for desired event call the following locations:
Wild Ginger 206.623.4450
Wild Ginger at the Bravern 425.495.8889
The Triple Door 206.838.4333