The Omaha Metro
Event Report:
A French Dinner at Dolce
IWFS Rhine Cruise: Strasbourg’s Cathedral de Notre Dame
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IWFS Rhine Cruise: Strasbourg’s Cathedral de
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Notre Dame
By Tom Murnan. Photos by Tom Murnan
The Cathedral of Notre Dame sits on the site of a Roman fort. Other churches had occupied the spot before the current structure was begun in 1015 AD. It began in the Romanesque style, but that was destroyed by fire. By the time reconstruction began in the 12th century, the Gothic style of architecture had taken hold of France. Its pink sandstone exterior changes with the color of the sky and time of day. It was completed in 1439. Victor Hugo called it “a skillful combination of monumental size and delicateness.” It has only one spire, which at 142 meters, was the tallest building in the Christian world until the 19th century. Its numerous statues provide a picture book to the mostly illiterate congregation, teaching about the saints and Catholic religion.
Over the centuries, it has endured damage from the French Revolution and subsequent wars. In the Franco-Prussian War, the choir loft and roof were set afire. During World Wars I and II, all but one of its bells was removed. Hitler was planning to use the building as a tribute to the German soldier, but postponed that until after the war. Hitler also ordered the stain glass windows to be dismantled. They were found in 1945 in a German salt mine by the Americans who returned it. It has an astronomical clock built by mathematicians and artists that has a green ray of light that marks the spring and autumn equinoxes.
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It has been a while since we have been at Dolce. Seems like that was right after Chef Erwin Siegler died on 9/11/2020. I’ve always had a good meal at Dolce, so I was excited to not only have the French theme, but Chef Anthony Kueper’s imaginative cuisine. We had six courses plus appetizers, which consisted of oysters on the half shell, four kinds of cheeses, grilled Brussels sprouts, cashews, charcuterie, and Crab in Phyllo. The last was my least favorite as it was quite a dry bite, seemingly needing some sauce to moisten it up a bit.
All the wines were from the Bordeaux region in keeping with our French theme. Our cozy group of 33 filled the restaurant. We sat down on our First Course, which was Scallop atop Parsnip Purée, Lemon Preserve and Arugula. Beautifully presented, the accent of the plate was the Lemon Preserve, which enlivened the whole dish. I asked the Chef about it, and he said it was very simple to make. “You supreme your lemons, meaning you cut them up and remove the seeds and white parts, add fresh thyme, olive oil and salt and a pinch of sugar and put it in a vacuum seal pouch for 72 hours. The best things are simple.” I mentioned Chef’s cuisine was imaginative. This was imaginative, and easy enough for the home chef to accomplish. The original wine was unavailable, so Dolce upgraded it to a Château Guiraud “Le G de Château Guiraud” Blanc sec 2022, which was a really good match. Course two featured Escargot over a Grilled Baguette Slice, Maitre d’ Butter and a splash of Pernod, which gave it a licorice kick. Goudeau Saint Emilion 2016 was the wine, which needed to be red to overcome the garlic flavors in the snails. Third was Coriander Salmon, Vichy Carrot, Cippolini and Beurre Rouge. Moist and expertly cooked, the fish melted in the mouth. Cippolini, by the bye, is a flat shaped onion native to Italy, which is mild and sweet. Since the coriander was strong, it needed a strong wine. The Pedesclaux Pauillac 2016 filled that role nicely.
The main proteins followed. Fourth was Roast Duck with Cannellini Beans, known elsewhere as cassoulet. It was not a true cassoulet since the duck was not braised in the liquid but cooked separately. I thought a Pinot Noir would have gone a bit better with the delicate duck than the Château Tour St Cristophe St Emilion 2016, but it was an okay match. The Wagyu Beef with Foie Gras, Oyster Mushrooms, Baby Potatoes, and Sauce Bordelaise was quite satisfying. The Wagyu was so tender it must have been braised. Château Siran 2015. From Margaux, it was named a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in 2003, but today they choose not to have a classification on the label. We finished with Poached Pear, Gorgonzola Mascarpone, Pecan and White Chocolate with Blueberries and Mango Caviar. The latter was house made mango gelatin piped into small balls with juicy insides. Quite unusual and toothsome. Instead of a Sauternes, a J.C. Calvet Crèmant de Bordeaux Brut Rosé was a different approach which to me, worked only partially well since the dry character of the wine did not meld with the sweetness of the dish.
Many thanks to Chef Anthony and his experienced crew for working on their day off. At only $165, this was a great bargain with more food than I could eat and nicely selected wines. Thanks Amanda and John for returning us to Dolce for a gourmet meal à la Française!
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