Tag Archives: Flannery Beef

The Tasting Menu Experience at Michelin-Starred Protege

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An artful sea trout-stuffed crepe heaped with caviar at Protege.
An artful sea trout-stuffed crepe heaped with caviar at Protege.

I have enjoyed the exquisite food at Palo Alto’s Michelin-starred Protege many a time.

In the lounge with the a la carte menu. Dining outdoors on the same. And even with takeout during the throes of the pandemic.

But I had never ever tried the tasting menu that’s offered in the restaurant’s more intimate dining room.

Until last week — when I finally decided it was the perfect time to do so to celebrate a late-birthday dinner.

It’s a 7-course menu for $225 with an automatic 20 percent gratuity tacked on that requires a full prepayment. Any cancellation must be made at least 48 hours in advance.

Unlike the lounge, which has a bar with seating and an view into the kitchen, the dining room is more serene, done up with a tufted banquette and curved leather chairs.

Co-owners, Chef Anthony Secviar (right) and Master Sommelier Dennis Kelly (left).
Co-owners, Chef Anthony Secviar (right) and Master Sommelier Dennis Kelly (left).

Owners, Chef Anthony Secviar and Master Sommelier Dennis Kelly, met while working at the French Laundry. So, it’s not surprising that there is an air of precision to everything. What’s not so expected is the touch of whimsy and light-heartedness here and there. It all makes for an upscale experience that makes you feel well cared yet in an unpretentious manner.

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Getting To Know Amarone

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Dry-aged beef to go with a wine made with semi-dried grapes.

Dry-aged beef to go with a wine made with semi-dried grapes.

 

With a charred juicy steak, my drink of choice is usually Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon.

So when the folks at Masi Agricola asked me to try a sample of one of their Amarones with a prime steak instead, I was game to see what that pairing would be like.

It’s an unusual type of wine in that it’s made from semi-dried grapes. An age-old tradition in Italy’s northeast Veneto region, it involves laying out the grapes on drying lofts for up to four months to concentrate their sugars before pressing.

Masi Agricola is the leading producer of Amarone. Its Masi Agricola Costasera Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2011 ($62.99) is a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes. Of the three varietals, the Corvino is the only one to develop botrytis or noble rot, the prized fungus that causes the grapes to lose nearly all their water content, thus concentrating their flavors to the max.

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