Dinner Menu

Le Bella Farms Foie Gras Torchon
With Castelvetrano olives, peach & jalapeno jelly, crispbread crackers.
2006 Chateau Boswell “Jacquelyn” Cuvee Blanc, Napa Valley

Warm Spinach Salad
Baby organic spinach, soft poached egg, mushrooms, croutons, bacon,
feta cheese & brown sugar sherry vinaigrette.
2006 Karl Lawrence Aldin “Red Wine” Napa Valley

Buffalo Chicken Confit
Slow roasted chicken thigh, with bleu cheese crème fraiche,
spicy carrots & celery leaves.
2006 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Niman Grilled Pork Loin
Organic farm raised pork loin, red cabbage-carrot slaw,
apple potato hash, apple butter.
2005 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve “Dr. Crane” Napa Valley

Tangerine Cheese Cake
New York Style with candied tangerines,
whip cream and fresh berries

Reporting from Ica, Peru

For decades the world market for pisco has been controlled by a handful of plus-size distillers in Valle de Elquí in the Chilean desert southeast of La Serena. Each is larger than the next. They’re sophisticated, have optimal efficiency and they produce not only pisco but also pre-mixed Pisco Sour and Cola de Mono cocktails that are sold alongside beer and Coca-Cola in Chilean supermarkets.

Their production of almost 50 million liters a year dwarfs that of rival Peru, where pisco was invented, which produces a mere 5 million liters. Yet today it is the grapier, more artisanal Peruvian pisco, made by more than 300 rustic mom-and-pop distillers scattered across the southern coast of the country, that has carved out a name for itself among mixologists and, since 2008, has actually surpassed Chile in sales in the U.S.

Most Americans who have tried pisco have done so only when it has provided the punch to a Pisco Sour cocktail, which combines pisco with lime juice, egg whites, simple syrup and bitters. But pisco purists are hoping that these finer liquors can compete with the recent influx of premium sipping tequilas and mezcals that have hit the U.S. market.

A good time to try

Peruvian pisco is distilled in copper alembic stills similar to the ones used to make Cognac. Strict rules ensure that no additives are used to alter any of the physical, chemical or organic properties of the spirit.

“The Peruvian government requires that pisco not have water added and that for the finished product to gain the title of pisco, it must be a completely clear liquid — no aging in oak to hide poor quality,” says Elizabeth da Trindade-Asher, one of two Harvard-educated Peruvian sisters who oversee Macchu Pisco, one of the country’s finer brands. “Peruvian pisco aims to be representative of the grapes used and their terroir without any meddling or trickery through oak aging.”

“Everyone is making really good piscos right now,” said Edwin Landeo Del Pino, an enologist in Ica. “Five or six years ago, that wasn’t the case.”

In Lima’s top bars and restaurants, premium piscos are sipped straight in snifter glasses, as well as being featured in a dozen or so cocktails — including variations of the Pisco Sour that use passion fruit or the Amazonian camucamu juice instead of lime.

“Right now we are still undergoing an educational effort to teach the market at large what pisco is in general,” says Da Trindade-Asher. “It’s similar to tequila, really. Whoever would have thought that today you would have 100 different sipping tequilas in the market, when at one point the only thing you heard people say is what a horrible hangover you got from it.”

Pisco is certainly gaining in popularity in the United States, and it’s about time. The spirit’s ties to this country date back more than 150 years. During the 1849 California Gold Rush, ships rounding Cape Horn picked up supplies from the Peruvian port of Pisco, including the local aguardiente, or liquor. It became the spirit of choice in San Francisco, where the legendary Bank Exchange & Billiard Room served Pisco Punch, a potent mix of pisco, gum arabic, and lemon and pineapple juices.

But Peruvian pisco never regained its popularity in this country after Prohibition in 1919. And in the latter half of the 20th century, as political instability and bureaucracy hampered Peruvian exports, Chile added Pisco to its growing list of products and soon dominated worldwide sales.

But Peru is fighting back. Since 2003, the Peruvian government has put in place strict legal regulations for distillers to maintain high-quality pisco, and sales have steadily risen. In 2008, Peruvian pisco sales jumped 48% in the U.S. from the previous year and production has since more than tripled, according to the Comisión Nacional del Pisco (ConaPisco).

Headed to the USA

Walk into any Wong supermarket in Lima and there are no fewer than 50 varieties of pisco, including a dozen premium labels locked in glass cases. In the U.S., only a few brands, such as the Chilean Capel and Alto del Carmen and Peruvian Macchu Pisco, BarSol, Montesierpe are available, and only in select states. La Diablada, Macchu Pisco’s second label, a blend of Quebranta, Italia and Moscatel grapes, is the first premium sipping pisco to make its way into the fold in the U.S., but more is expected to enter the market in 2010.

The spirit’s resurgence is partly due to the experimentation from a handful of top mixologists.

“It’s got fire, with lots and lots of body,” says Jackson Cannon, bar manager at Boston’s Eastern Standard. “I’m getting ready to put a version of the El Capitan, basically a Manhattan with pisco, on our cocktail menu. I love using it like that. Like cachaça, most mixing with pisco is with sweet and sour balancing.”

Apart from the Pisco Sour and Pisco Punch, several other pisco-based cocktails have been added to the menu at Yerba Buena in Manhattan, such as the Peruvian Kiss, made with chicha morada, a purple corn drink, and the Maté Sour, which steeps pisco with yerba maté and then combines it with lime and grapefruit syrup in a traditional maté gourd, served with a silver straw, or bombilla. “We’re serving 60 to 70 pisco drinks on weeknights and even more on the weekends,” says Yerba Buena mixologist Artemio Vasquez.

Despite the current craze, pisco is still in its infancy when compared with other artisanal spirits. For example, more than 10 times more Brazilian cachaça is sold in the U.S.

“I think it will take many Peruvians championing the cause of pisco in this country and asking for pisco as an after-dinner drink, just like Italians do with grappa or the Japanese do with shochu, to gain traction here,” says Da Trindade-Asher.

If the rising number of Peruvian restaurants in the country is any sign, that day might be sooner than we think.

Champagne & Sparkling Wines Bottle

Familia Oliveda Cava Brut, Spain, NV 26
Perrier Jouet, Grand Brut .187ml 15
*Albert I Noya, Cava Brut, Spain, NV 35
Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Brut Split .375ml 40
Saint-Hilaire Blanquette Brut, 05 27
Scharmsberg, Mirabelle, Brut, NV 33
Sofia, Blanc De Blancs, California, 07 30
Jalliance Clairette Di Die Cuvee Imperial, NV 30

American Whites Bottle

Adobe Road, Dry Creek Valley, Sauvignon Blanc, 06 31
Brandborg, Umpqua Valley, Oregon, Gewurztraminer, 07 29
*Cass Estate Grown, Paso Robles, Viognier, 08 41
MRV “A wine by Frogtown” Lumpkin County Ga, 06 31
Talbott, Diamond (T) Estate, 02 98
Cline, Sonoma, Viognier, 07 44
Landmark, “Overlook” Chardonnay, 07 55
Bouchaine, Carneros, Chardonnay, 07 46
Alondra, Middleridge Ranch, Chardonnay, 08 48
Distefano, Viognier, Columbia Valley, 07 35
Nickel & Nickel, Searby Vineyard, 07 78
*Jayson, Napa County, Chardonnay, 06 55
Peter Michael “La Carriere”, 07 97
Merry Edwards, Sauvignon Blanc, 08 65
Tandem, Riche Vineyard, Chardonnay, 06 65
*Elk Cove Vineyards, Willamette Valley, Pinot Gris, 07 30
Littorai, Chardonnay, Thieroit, 07 66
PEAY, Sonoma Coast, Chardonnay, 07 56
Lioco, Chardonnay, Anderson Valley, 07 55
Crossbarn “Paul Hobbs” Chardonnay, Sonoma, 08 70
Darioush, Napa Valley, Viognier, 08 65
Sean Minor, Sauvignon Blanc, 07 30
Staglin, Rutherford, Estate Chardonnay, 06 164
*I”M Rose, Napa Valley, 07 34
Peter Michael “Belle Cote”, 07 84
MollyDoker “ The Violinist” Verdelho, 08 34
JACQ Cellars, Charmed Sauvignon Blanc, 08 38
Handley Cellars, Anderson Valley, Chardonnay, 07 31
*Kistler Chardonnay, McCrea Vineyard, Sonoma, 06 135
Littorai Chardonnay, Charles Heintz Vineyard Sonoma, 06 90
Morgan Chardonnay, Monterey California, 06 38
Hoopla, Sauvignon Blanc, Yountville, 07 45
*Seven Daughters, White Wine, NV 27

Pinot Noir Bottle

Adobe Road, Sonoma County, 06 54
Bergstrom, De Lancaellotti Vineyard, 07 98
Bergstrom, Shea Vineyard, 07 98
Candela, Mission Ranch, 07 35
Cuvaison, Napa Valley, Carneros, 07 48
Littorai, Sonoma Coast, 08 77
Cakebread Cellars, Anderson Valley, 06 85
Handley Cellars, Anderson Valley, 06 34
Hangtime, Arroyo Seco, 06 44
Harmonique, Anderson Valley, The Noble One, 03 56
Mara, Laughlin Road Ranch, RR, 07 94
Kosta Browne, Amber Ridge Vineyard, 06 155
Solena, “Grand Cuvee” 07 65
Kosta Browne, Kanzler Vineyard, 06 189
Kosta Browne, Koplen Vineyard, 06 194
Kosta Browne, Rosella’s Vineyard, 06 198
Kosta Browne, Gary’s Vineyard, 06 212
Le Cadeau, Oregon, 07 65
PEAY, Pomarium, Sonoma Coast, 06 100
Merry Edwards, Sonoma Coast, 06 76
Soter, Mineral Springs, Oregon, 06 130
Soter, Beacon Hill, Oregon, 06 100
Patricia Green, Balcombe, Dundee Hills, 08 84
Patricia Green, Four Winds, Mcminnville, 08 80
Patricia Green, Whistling Ridge, Ribbon Ridge, 08 86
Patricia Green, Estate Olde Vine, Ribbon Ridge, 08 90
Morgan, Double L Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, 07 110
Morgan, Rosella’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands 07 110
Morgan, Gary’s Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands 07 110
Morgan, Tondre Grapefield, Santa Lucia Highlands 07 110
Merry Edwards, Olivet Lane, 06 87
Merry Edwards, Meredith Estate, 06 84
Goldeneye, Anderson Valley, 06 110
Paul Hobbs, Crossbarn, RRV, 07 100
Paul Hobbs, Hyde Vineyard, 06 168
Sean Minor, Carneros, 07 65
Siduri, Chehalem, 07 66
Siduri, Santa Lucia Highlands, 06 68
Arcadian, Pisoni Vineyard, 03 110
Deponte Cellars, Dundee hills, 06 45
Paul Hobbs, Crossbarn, Carneros, 07 110
Carpe Diem, Edna Valley, 06 55
R-Stuart “Autograph” Willamette Valley, 06 65
Flowers, Sonoma Coast, 07 65
Lioco, Alexander Valley, 07 76
*Lioco, Carneros, Sonoma, 07 76
Flowers, Perennial Blend, 07 77
Lucia Santa Lucia Highlands, 07 75
Paul Hobbs, Hyde Vineyard 07 110
Pillow Road, RRV 06 85
Lucia Lucy Rose Of Pinot Noir, 07 45
Bjornstad, Sonoma Mountain, 07 120

Petite Sirah / Zinfandel / Syrah / Shiraz Bottle

Amador Foothill, Shenandoah Valley, Zinfandel 06 46
Antiqv’s, Syrah, Gary’s Vineyard 05 67
D’ Arie, Petite Sirah, Shenandoah Valley, 06 60
Clos La Chance, Central Coast, Syrah, 06 45
Corte Riva, Petite Syrah, Napa Valley 05 66
Culler, Sonoma Coast, Syrah, 06 43
Painter Bridge, California, Zinfandel 07 42
Director’s Cut, Dry Creek Valley, Zinfandel, 07 40
Greenwood Ridge, Sonoma County, Zinfandel, 06 28
Mara, Dolinesk Ranch, RRV, Zinfandel, 05 94
Medusa, Lake County, Old Vine 05 44
*Napa Cellars, Zinfandel, Napa Valley 05 41
*Robert Foley, Petite Syrah, Napa Valley 06 88
La Dilgince, Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley Syrah, 07 65
Turley, Zinfandel, Cedarman, 06 95
Turley, Zinfandel, Earthquake, 06 87
Turley, Zinfandel, Howell Mountain, 06 90
Turley, Zinfandel, Ubberoth, 06 90
Two Hands, Lillys Garden Shiraz, 06 120
Rosenblum, Zinfandel, Rockpile Vineyard, 06 60

American Cabs / Merlots / Blends Bottle

Amador Foothill, Shenandoah Valley, Grenache, Syrah 05 45
AVV Two Barrels, Merlot/Syrah, Alexander Valley 07 38
Cain Vineyards, Cain Five, 05 150
Cain Vineyards, Concept, 05 66
Hourglass, Blueline Vineyard, Merlot, 07 175
Slingshot, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, 06 45
Janzen, Beckstoffer Vineyard, 06 128
Kathryn Kennedy, Estate Lot, Cabernet Sauvignon, 06 145
Salus, Staglin Family Estate, Rutherford, Cabernet, 06 200
*Trefethen, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley, 05 42
Stanton, Oakville, Cabernet Sauvignon, 04 140
Arns, St. Helena, Cabernet Sauvignon, 04 130
Karl Lawrence, Gary Morisoli Vineyard, Cab, 04 287
Revana, St. Helena, Cabernet Sauvignon, 05 200
Chateau Boswell, Beckstoffer Vineyard, Cabernet, 05 200
Carter Cellars, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, Cabernet, 06 220
Nickel & Nickel, John C. Sullenger Vineyard, Oakville, 05 94
Nickel & Nickel, Vogt Vineyard, Howell Mountain, 05 94
Draxton Elroy Blend, Napa Valley, 07 34
Peter Michael “Les Pavots”, 06 212
*Shafer, Stags Leap District , 02 265
Ehlers Estate, St. Helena, Cabernet Sauvignon, 06 75
Pina, Howell Mountain, Cabernet Sauvignon, 05 145
Fantesca, Estate Grown, Spring Mountain, 05 185
*Hartwell, Estate Reserve, Stags Leap, Cabernet Sauvignon, 05 200
Frogtown, Sangiovese, Lumpkin County, Georgia, 06 48
*Fidelitas M100, Columbia Valley, 06 45
Jericho Canyon, Cabernet, Napa Valley, 04 67

American Cabs / Merlots / Blends Bottle

Robert Foley, Claret, 06 87
Robert Foley, Mussel Man, 06 110
DR Stevens Estate, Moose Valley, 05 185
DR II Napa Valley, 05 110
Abacus “ZD Vineyards” 600
RUDD Estate, Oakville, 05 190
Quintessa, Rutherford, 06 140
Ghost Block Estate, Oakville, 06 120
Star Lane, Astral Cabernet, Santa Ynez Valley, 05 170
Niner, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bootjack Ranch, Paso, 06 55
Joseph Family, Cabernet, Alexander Valley, 05 68
Niner, Merlot, Bootjack Ranch, Paso, 07 44
Syncline, Columbia Valley, Seduction Red, 07 38
Ridge, Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley, 06 55
Hartwell Estate Reserve, Stags Leap District, 05 144
Ladera, Lone Canyon Vineyard, 06 120
Ladera, Howell Mountain Vineyard, 06 128
D’ Arie, Primitivo, Shenandoah Valley, 06 48
Seavy Vineyards, Cabernet, Napa Valley, 05 132
Skylark, Red Belly, North Coast, 07 32
Sweetwater Cabernet, Chalk Hill Sonoma, 05 44
Switchback, Merlot, Napa Valley, 05 110

International Reds & Whites Bottle

Cesani, Vernaccia Di san Gimignano, 07 32
Chateau Lafleur Gazurna, Pomerol, 04 65
Chateau Borie De Noaillan, Boudreaux, 05 34
Chateau Frongrave, Bordeaux, 05 33
Coteaux Du Languedoc, 08 35
Chateau Haut-Beausejour, Saint-Estephe, 05 50
Chateau Pesquie, Terrasses, 06 44
Fattoria Laila, Verdicchio, 07 43
Babich, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, 08 44
Mazzoni, Toscana, Rosso , 08 42
Domaine De La Serre, Cailloux, 05 32
Chateau Guiraud White Bordeaux Sec, France, 07 44
Felino Vina Cobos, Argentina, Chardonnay, 08 56
Jean Luc Joillot, Bourogne, 07 55
Bussola, Amarone della, Valpolicella, 03 76
Sous La Velle, Meurasult, 06 48
Domaine Taupenot, Bourgone, Pinot Noir , 06 55
Borie De Noillan, White Bordeaux, 06 44
*Jean Noel Gagnard, L Estimee, Chassagne- Montrachet, 04 55
Bran Caia, TRE, 06 66
Domaine Vincent Delaporte, Sancerre, 07 44
Chateau Preuillac, Medoc , 05 55
Vizcarra “Senda Del Oro” Roble, 06 44
Chateau Ducasse, Bordeaux, 08 30
*La Poussie, Sancerre, 05 55
*Chateau de Montort, Vouvray, 06 44
Chabils, White Burgandy, 06 43
Mazzoni, Toscana Rosso, 06 34
*Domaine Pichot, Vouvray, 06 44
Georges Dubceuf, Cote De Brouilly, 07 30
International Reds & Whites Bottle

Martin Codax, Ergo, Rioja, Temparanillo, 07 48
Las Rocas, Grnacha, 07 44
Campo Viejo, Reserva, Tempranillo, 04 45
Georges Dubceuf, Saint Amour, 07 32
Mas Donis Barrica, Old Vine Montsant, 05 33
Chateau Frongrave, Bordeaux, 05 44
Pecchenino, Dolcetto Di Dogliani, 06 35
Marque Deposee, Roncier, NV 33
Chateau Villa Bel Air, Graves Bordeaux, 03 45
*Jean Paul Thevevt, Morgan, 06 65
Domaine de Boissieu, Beaujolias Villages, 06 41
Chevalier De Graund, St Julienne, 05 99
Domain du Salvard, Cheverny, 08 42
Domain de la Fruitier Chardonnay, France, 07 34
*Domain Du Viking, Vouray, 05 36
Domain Taupenot-Merme Burgandy, France, 06 62
Domain Vacher, Sancere, 07 32
Ducasse, Bordeaux, Blanc France, 07 44
*Gloria CH, St Julienne, 05 85
Jean Dauvissat, Chablis 1er Cru Montmains, 05 48
Fuedi Di San Marzano, Primitivo, 07 38
*Le Paradou, Viognier, 07 48
Maroslavac Legar, Puligny Montrachet “Corvees Vi”, 05 49
Pierre Sparr, Alsace Gewurztraminer Reserve, 06 33
Reverdy, Sancere France, 07 33

Large Format Wines Bottle

3 ltr. Bogle, Petite Sirah, Graton California, 06 156
1.5 ltr. Bergstrom, Cumberland Reserve, Pinot Noir, 07 276
1.5 ltr. Robert Foley, Claret, Napa Valley, 06 290
1.5 ltr. Chappellet, Prichard Hill, Cabrenet Sauvignon, 05 350

STARTERS
*Seared Day Boat Scallops 12
Seared scallop, bacon jam, green peas, port wine butter.

Buffalo Chicken Confit 9
Slow roasted chicken thigh, with bleu cheese whipped potatoes, spicy carrots & celery leaves.

White Bean Hummus 6
Canellini beans pureed with truffle-scented olive oil, roasted garlic & lemon juice served
with olive oil crackers.

*Jerk BBQ Quail 9
Bob White Quail with organic baby spinach & flash fried okra.

*Georgia Shrimp & Anson Stone Ground Grits 12
Sautéed Georgia shrimp with Tabasco scallion butter

Seared Chicken Livers 7
Sautéed garlicky spinach & balsamic glaze.

Le Bella Farms Foie Gras Torchon 10
With Castelvetrano olives, apricot jalapeno jelly, toast points.

Sean’s House Salad 6
Organic greens with mandarin oranges, grapes, apples, red onion, feta cheese,
baby tomatoes & cashews with apple cider vinaigrette.

Red & Golden Beet Salad 6
Organic beets, celery leaves, Pointe Reyes bleu cheese, & beet vinaigrette.

Butternut Squash Soup 5
with rustic nutmeg biscuit croutons

Artisanal Cheese Plate 10
Chef’s whim of cheeses, apples, olives, salami, & grapes.

Warm Spinach Salad 8
Baby organic spinach, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, croutons, bacon,
bleu cheese & brown sugar sherry vinaigrette.

Wedge Of Baby Iceberg 7
Baby iceberg, warm bacon, cherry tomatoes, & Pointe Reyes bleu cheese vinaigrette.

Grilled Caesar Salad 6
Hearts of romaine tossed with classic Caesar dressing & lightly grilled,
with anchovies, soft poached egg & parmesan.

Wines By The Glass “The 14 A.V.A.’s Of Napa”

Medium Bodied Sauvignon Blanc 7
Light Bodied Chardonnay 8
Full Bodied Chardonnay 10
Light Bodied Pinot Grigio 8
Medium Bodied Viognier 9
Light Bodied Rose 8
Medium Bodied Pinot Noir 9

Medium Bodied Merlot 9
Full Bodied Merlot 10
Medium Bodied Cabernet 9
Full Bodied Cabernet 14
Medium Bodied Syrah 11
Medium Bodied Zinfandel 11
Full Bodied Zinfandel 13

At S.A.B. we are committed to use organically grown, sustainable produce and sustainably caught seafood. We have made a public commitment to solely purchase sustainable wines by August 2009 and 95 percent of the menu proteins come from sustainably raised or caught seafood. It is our goal at S.A.B. to help our guest connect their individual buying decisions to the health of the oceans and the soil.

~Please notify us of any food allergies, we also offer gluten free as well vegetarian options~

ENTREES

*Niman Grilled Pork Loin 16
10 oz. organic farm raised pork loin, red cabbage-carrot slaw, apple potato hash, apple butter.
Wine pairing: Medium Bodied Zinfandel Glass (11) – Turley Cedarman, Zinfandel (68)

Sean’s Coq Au Vin & Dumplings (is a French braise of chicken cooked with wine, bacon, mushrooms) 14
Slow roasted free range chicken, button mushrooms, smoked bacon, carrots, garlic & parsley
Wine pairing: Full Bodied Chardonnay Glass (10) – Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc (54)

*Pretzel Crusted Arctic Char 18
Pretzel crusted Iceland Char, grain mustard beurre blanc, green beans,
lemon-chive whipped potatoes.
Wine pairing: Light Bodied Chardonnay Glass (8) – Peay Vineyards Chardonnay (68)

*Dungeness Crab Cakes 24
Sautéed Dungeness crab cakes served with lemon chive whipped potatoes, & garlicky green beans
Wine pairing: Light Bodied Sauvignon Blanc Glass (7) – Elizabeth Rose (38)

Sean’s Bistro Linguine 14
Crushed San Marzano tomatoes, roasted garlic cloves, parsley, lemon zest, chili flake,
E.V.O.O. & fresh mozzarella tossed with linguine.
Wine pairing: Medium Bodied Cabernet Sauvignon Glass (9) – Fidelitas M100 (45)

*Parmesan Crusted Grouper 21
Wild mushrooms, creamy stone ground grits
Wine pairing: Medium Bodied Merlot (9) – Bogle Petite Syrah (38)

*Lobster Risotto 23
Lobster morsels, shiitake mushrooms, green peas, baby tomatoes, & sweet basil risotto
Wine pairing: Full Bodied Chardonnay (10) – CASS Vineyards Roussane (46)

*Sean’s Bistro Steak w/ Bleu Cheese Butter 26
Grilled 8 oz. center cut beef tenderloin, with house cut fries, baby spinach, Bleu cheese butter
Wine pairing: Medium Bodied Cabernet Sauvignon (9) – Clos La Chance Syrah (36)

Duck Confit Gnocchi 24
Roasted garlic, wild mushrooms, spicy bacon butter, baby spinach & beurre fondue.
Wine pairing: Medium Bodied Merlot (9) – Patz & Hall Pinot Noir (50)

Sean’s American Bistro Three-Course Dinners For
$22.50 Per Person
Pair with wine for an additional $12.00

Tuesday: Veal Meat Loaf
Wednesday: Fish & Chips
Thursday: Shrimp Hoe Cakes & Remoulade
Friday: Slow Roasted Prime Rib
Saturday: Artisan Sausage & Onions
Each feature includes soup or salad and dessert.

At S.A.B. we are committed to use organically grown, sustainable produce and sustainably caught seafood. We have made a public commitment to solely purchase sustainable wines by August 2009 and 95 percent of the menu proteins come from sustainably raised or caught seafood. It is our goal at S.A.B. to help our guest connect their individual buying decisions to the health of the oceans and the soil.

~Please notify us of any food allergies, we also offer gluten free as well vegetarian options~

TODAY’S word, people, is spätburgunder. Let’s say it slowly: SHPAYT-bur-GUHN-der. That’s German for pinot noir, and the time has come to say it out loud.

Trouble is, in the United States at least, hardly anybody has tasted it, much less heard of it. Most people don’t even realize that Germany produces any red wine at all, let alone some very good pinot noir. Few wine shops carry a selection of spätburgunders, and even those in on the secret may have only one or two bottles at a time. A strong restaurant culture provides a natural setting for showing off a nation’s wine, but German restaurants in the United States have gone the way of the Victrola, beyond a few beer-oriented rathskellers and old-fashioned oompah joints.

Of course, the Germanic names and nomenclature work against the wines in the usual way.

So I had good reason to be excited last month when two of Germany’s best pinot noir producers, Klaus-Peter Keller of Weingut Keller and Caroline Diel of Schlossgut Diel, came to New York with 19 different spätburgunders from the 2007 vintage. The wines were to be served with dinner at Seasonal, an excellent Austrian restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, in the absence of a German alternative. Now, 19 wines are a lot to think about with dinner, too many, really, for proper evaluation and appreciation. But faced with a drought, a man can’t complain about a deluge.

To call Keller and Diel pinot noir producers is a misnomer, I suppose. Riesling is far more important at both houses. By comparison, they make microscopic amounts of spätburgunder, though that may change in the future. Pinot noir production and consumption in Germany has risen sharply in the last 30 years. In 2008, roughly 11.5 percent of Germany’s vineyards were planted with pinot noir, up from 3.8 percent in 1980.

German pinot noir may seem like a new idea, but it has existed for hundreds of years, ever since the 13th century when, just as they did in Burgundy, Cistercian monks planted pinot noir vines along the Rhine. If spätburgunder is not spoken of with the same reverence as Burgundy, it’s not surprising. While pinot noir was perfectly suited to the Côte d’Or, it struggled to ripen in the cooler German climate. Until recently, most German pinot noirs were lean and pale. The tangy refreshment they offered was not without charm, but far from the depth and complexity of good Burgundy.

You can still find those leaner spätburgunders, and I must admit I enjoy them. But climate change has made it easier for pinot noir to ripen, and not just in Baden, the southernmost German wine region and long the leading producer of German red wines. Ahr, northwest of Koblenz, and one of the northernmost fine wine regions in Europe, specializes in spätburgunder.

Even the Mosel, south of Ahr but paradoxically cooler, which did not permit the planting of red grapes until 1986, is now a source for some exceptional pinot noirs. The biggest surprise for me at the Seasonal dinner was a Mosel spätburgunder produced by Markus Molitor from the Graacher Himmelreich vineyard, famed for its wonderful rieslings. This was a lovely, delicate, balanced wine with gorgeous fruit and smoke flavors.

“The past few years have definitely become warmer,” Ms. Diel said before the dinner. “I’ve personally never had a bad vintage, like they talk about in the ’60s and ’70s.”

The dinner was organized by Stephen Bitterolf, wine director at Crush Wine and Spirits on East 57th Street, who is one of New York’s leading proponents of spätburgunder. Mr. Keller chose a sample of German pinot noirs to serve at the dinner. The list was by no means complete — one of my favorite spätburgunder producers, Rudolf Fürst of Franken, was not in the tasting, nor was Meyer-Näkel, one of the best-known producers of the Ahr, whose wines I’ve unfortunately never tried.

These were high-end pinot noirs, which, if they were available in the United States, might retail for $70 to $140. They were selected to illustrate the various styles of German pinot noir today. Aside from the Molitor, memorable wines from the evening included the J. J. Adeneuer Ahrweiler Rosenthal from the Ahr, a chiseled wine tasting of minerals and flowers, and the pure, balanced Diel Cuvée Caroline from Nahe, named for Ms. Diel by her father, Armin Diel.

August Kesseler of the Rheingau is one of the few German producers as well known for pinot noir as for riesling, and the power of the two Kesselers in the tasting showed a fascinating contrast to the laserlike focus of the Molitor. Of the two, the Assmannshäuser Höllenberg seemed far more structured and substantial than the disjointed Rüdesheimer Schlossberg. They both will need a few years to come together.

Some of the spätburgunders indicated a dismaying preference for oakiness and power over purity and finesse. Two of the more popular wines at the dinner were Hommage from Friedrich Becker in the Pfalz, which I found far too oaky, and the Wildenstein Reserve from Bernhard Huber in Baden, which I found overly powerful and unwieldy. These wines will have their partisans, though.

I had no such reservations about the two Keller wines served at the dinner, which included the remarkably precise and luminous Frauenberg and the rounder Dalsheimer Bürgel. I was not surprised to learn that among the many places Mr. Keller trained before taking over his father’s domaine in Rheinhessen were two Burgundy estates, Hubert Lignier and Armand Rousseau, renowned for their pure, focused wines.

Mr. Keller told me that he conceived of his spätburgunders as red rieslings. “The most elegant grape we have in Germany is the riesling, and pinot noir is its sister,” he said. “Either you love their finesse or you miss the concentration, it’s very easy.”

The proof that Germany is now making some exceptional pinot noirs is there for the tasting, if only more people in this country could taste it. Among the barriers to finding spätburgunders in the United States, I forgot to mention one: It’s so popular in Germany, they drink most of it up.

BY now, most of the reviews of the decade-that-just-was have been filed, and a consensus has emerged: If not “the worst decade ever,” as Time magazine put it, the ’00s were awful.

Unless, that is, you spent the decade drinking. That sounds like a joke but isn’t, because among all the things that didn’t improve in the last 10 years — macro stuff like the global economy, geopolitical stability, the environment, etc. — one thing, admittedly micro, did improve: the drinks we drank, for pleasure or, considering the above, analgesia.

If you observed the ’00s from a barstool, and limited your reading to cocktail menus (as I did, as author of this column for almost four years), you’d be forgiven for deeming the decade a bona fide golden age. For my final column, then, a toast: to 10 years of fizzes, slings, juleps, sours, cobblers and rickeys, to a time when the avant-garde seemed to shift almost nightly, to the best decade in generations.

We greeted the decade with sugary, vodka-based “-tinis” — which, despite their suffixed claim to noble descent, were in some ways extensions of the neon drinks of the ’80s: alcoholic candy.

Yet a quiet revolution was already under way. Building upon the work of Dale DeGroff, the former Rainbow Room bartender, young bartenders, casting aside process mixers, were gleaning inspiration from their counterparts in restaurant kitchens and perusing antique cocktail books like scholars combing the Dead Sea scrolls. The first half of the decade saw a wave of creativity and experimentation come crashing through barrooms in cities like New York and San Francisco and Portland, Ore., followed, in the decade’s second half, by a counterblast of earnest classicism.

The cocktail was no longer a fashion accessory, as it was in the ’90s. It was fashion itself. What had once merely lubricated conversations became the subject of conversations, in much the same way that dinner parties, with the rise of foodie-ism in the ’90s, became more about the dinner and less about the party.

Bar patrons broadcast their selections over Twitter. Home bartenders blogged about their latest experiments. Surrendering your drink choice to the bartender, the way diners at sushi restaurants request whatever is freshest, became the ’00s hippest drink order.

By the end of the decade, bottle service, once a mark of downtown sophistication, had come to be viewed as the province of rubes. The cocktail — especially the classic, painstakingly made variety, served with hand-cracked ice or in recherché glassware — had triumphed.

And not just here. You can get an expertly made bourbon daisy in Cleveland, an impeccable sazerac in rural Mississippi. Not long ago, in an excruciatingly remote village in the Australian Outback, I was startled to see a bartender in a cowboy hat measuring out a classically proportioned French 75 — something he’d picked up on the Internet, he told me.

Call this a fad at your own peril. Some peripheral aspects of the cocktail renaissance are doomed to pass, and in some places already have: speak-easy chic, bartenders in affected period costumes, an overwrought reverence that smacks of wine snobbery. But we do not go backward from here. Pardon the pun, but the bar has been raised.

Of course, not everyone drank well this past decade. Twenty years from now, when bars are promoting nostalgic ’00s theme nights, the dominant drink special will almost certainly be vodka and Red Bull. Or maybe the mojito, which introduced many Americans to fresh produce in their drink, as well as to longer wait times — owing to the bartender’s need to muddle the fresh mint leaves —associated with the craft cocktail movement.

But Red Bull and vodka was a club land novelty, caffeine disguised as a highball, and the mojito was that weird exception in a decade of booming cocktail progress: a good drink that suffered from its popularity, with a flood of processed mixers corrupting the bracing integrity of the original.

No, the real story was in rediscovered in drinks like the aviation cocktail, a sublimely floral combination of gin and maraschino liqueur (and later, as cocktail historians dug deeper into its origins, the violet-flavored crème de violette) that was a Web sensation before bars like Milk & Honey started featuring it on cocktail lists.

Or the old-fashioned, once dowdy but reinvigorated by bartenders like Don Lee, who recast it as the celery and nori old-fashioned at Momofuku Ssam Bar, and Phil Ward of Death & Company, whose Oaxaca old-fashioned — with tequila standing in for whiskey — proved how versatile a spare, 200-year-old formula could be.

These were artisanal drinks with history and gravitas and a contrapuntal range of flavors — sweet, sour, savory, bitter — that hadn’t been balanced in generations. They’re representative of a lost American art — the art of the cocktail, as practiced by pre-Prohibition bartenders — that, after the ’00s, can no longer be called lost.

Star Lane Wines

A Philosophy Based on Terroir
The French invented the word, terroir, to describe the relationship between winemaking and the natural growing conditions that grace a vineyard. At Star Lane, we take our terroir as seriously as the French. We understand that the land shapes our wine style.

But while it’s true that “wine is made in the vineyard,” it is equally true that what happens in the cellar directly affects the quality in the bottle. Winemaker Nick de Luca is a firm believer in gentle handling of the grapes, the use of natural, indigenous yeast, and picking the grapes only when they have achieved optimum ripeness. (Sometimes this can prolong harvest to a nail-biting finish extending into late November!)

Nick says, “Terroir is important. But so is vintage. And, if you are using natural yeast, then your winery becomes part of your terroir. Finally, the wine must reflect the personality of the people involved. All of us, from owners Jim and Mary Dierberg to the vineyard and cellar crews are part of our terroir.”

French oak barrels are used to age the wines, and-true to principal-no wine is bottled until it has had time to integrate the properties of the vineyard and the vintage into a consummate whole. For the red wines, firm but velvety-soft tannins provide structure; for Sauvignon Blanc, bright natural acidity provides backbone. This white wine is partly fermented in oak barrels and partly in stainless steel drums. Both red and white wines are supremely influenced by the land and the weather. This is what makes them unique, from vintage to vintage.

Ultimately, it is a confluence of knowledge and good taste that helps guide our winemaker to create wines that truly reflect the essence of our estate. We are delighted to share them with you.

2005 Santa Ynez Valley “ASTRAL” Cabernet Sauvignon

In every vineyard, there exist select parcels of land that yield exceptional quality. Since arriving at Star Lane, winemaker Nick de Luca has consistently observed this special nature in three vineyard parcels—blocks 24, 25 and 29. Not surprisingly, they are all contiguous and located along the ridgeline at the highest elevations in the vineyard which surpass 1,500 feet at the pinnacle.

These parcels form the nucleus of Star Lane’s vineyard selection Cabernet Sauvignon, Astral, a Latin-based word that means, “Pertaining to or proceeding from the stars.” According to Nick, “Block 25 is always the guts of the wine. It’s typically the first harvested and has enormous body.” Block 24 lies at the highest elevation and is the most even ripening. This section of vineyard is planted with vines whose provenance is purported to be from the original clonal material at the famous Beaulieu Vineyard in Napa Valley. Planted in 2001, Block 24 is “own-rooted”—that is, the vines are not grafted to phylloxera-resistant rootstock. It’s a calculated experiment designed to explore the essence of the way Cabernet Sauvignon was once grown for centuries in both the Old and New World. Block 29—the third parcel in the Astral trio—is among the last to ripen at Star Lane. “These grapes always add nuance and pedigree to the blend,” Nick says.

The 2005 Star Lane Astral Cabernet Sauvignon shows immense concentration, with huge, lush tannins that frame tightly layered cassis, blackberry, plum, coffee, chocolate, spice, vanilla and smoke flavors. Sporting a suppleness that belies its youth, the wine is drinking beautifully now. But we suspect it will offer collectors many years of pleasure to come.

Ladera Vineyards is the home of estate grown and produced Cabernet Sauvignon focused primarily on our two designated wines, the Lone Canyon Vineyard Cabernet and the Howell Mountain Appellation Cabernet. Behind our fine wines is our historic 1886 restored and renovated stone winery and underground barrel caves.

2005 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml
Blend
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Howell Mountain

Vineyard
The Howell Mountain Vineyard is located at an elevation of 1,600 to 1,800 feet, with gently rolling terrain. The soils are iron-rich, red, clay loam with an abundance of gravel which allows for excellent drainage. The climate at this vineyard is very unique. Because of the high elevation, the vineyard sits above the fog line and so receives sun for a longer duration during the day. Furthermore, the temperatures are cooler in the day and warmer at night than the valley floor. This longer sun exposure and warmer nights allow the Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen evenly and to full maturity every year.

Winemaking and Tasting Notes
The 2005 growing season started with rains in the spring and early summer, jump-starting vine growth. The growing season was also long and cool which was perfect for developing grapes with good maturity and flavors with sugar levels coming in somewhat lower than past vintages. Cooler weather, large crop sizes and lateness of the harvest had everyone anxious about getting the crop into the winery before the winter rains. Fortunately, a few late season rains didn’t affect the tough skinned Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, the long, slow ripening allowed the grapes to reach their full expression in the glass.

Fruit from this blend arrived at the winery on dates ranging from October 4 – to November 3, 2005. The wine was aged for 21 months in 50% new French oak barrels with the remainder one, two and three year old French barrels. Fermentation lengths on average were 13 days with native yeasts contributing to approximately 65% of the fermentations. The wines were pressed at dryness with no extended fermentations. The wine is unfiltered and unfined. The blend is comprised of lots from 17 different vineyard blocks of which most were planted in 1997 and the remainder planted in 2001. The wine was bottled on August 6, 2007.

The 2005 Ladera Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is abundant in fragrant aromas of blackberry, vanilla, lilac and sweet oak. With a graceful and rich entry of dark cherries, blueberry and blackberry on the palate, the taste buds are awoken with hints of cocoa, mint and anise. Firm yet supple tannins carry this concentrated wine through to a well-structured and long finish.

2005 Lone Canyon Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon

Statistics
Blend:
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Lone Canyon Vineyard

Vineyard
The 2005 Ladera Lone Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon is truly an expression of the Lone Canyon vineyard itself. The unique terroir of this vineyard allows the fruit to showcase the vintage at hand. The Lone Canyon Vineyard is located on the flank of Mt. Veeder in the southwestern hills of the Napa Valley. The ranch consists of 480 acres of which 75 are planted to vineyards. The topography is very steep in some areas with elevations reaching 1,100 feet above sea level. The elevations, as well as its specific location in Napa Valley, contribute to the cooler climate at Lone Canyon. The clay loam soils are of moderate depth and are very well drained. The average yields for 2005 were 2 tons per acre. For the 2005 vintage, young vines which were planted in 1998 and 1999, make up 62% of the blend. The older vines were planted in the mid 1980’s, on St. George rootstock. For the younger vines, a multitude of various clones are used including: clone 4, 6, 7, 8, 169, 191, 337, 341 and Weimer.

The 2005 growing season started off with unseasonably late spring rains which delayed flowering and posed a threat for mold problems. Fortunately, the season progressed with warm, nearly perfect growing conditions. The summer had few extreme heat spikes. This allowed for even ripening and longer hang time on the vines. The end result of this unique growing season was a late harvest of high quality but also bountiful quantity.

Winemaking and Tasting Notes
Our 2005 Lone Canyon Cabernet’s were cold soaked for upwards of 5 days before the commencement of fermentation. The fermentations primarily used native wine yeasts with a limited use of commercial strains. The average fermentations lasted 13 days with the wine often coming off the skins before completion in many cases, depending on the tannin profiles of the wines at this stage. The skins which were then pressed at several intervals of pressure; determined by taste and tannin intensity. The wine was then barrel aged for 22 months in French oak barrels ( 71% new ). The wine was bottled August 8, 2007.

The 2005 Lone Canyon Cabernet is a perfect example of how rich, bold and extracted the wines from this property can be. This wine shows intense color and the aromas are dominated by figs, dates, and black cherries. The nose is further complimented by spices, black licorice, brown sugar, blueberry and brambly undertones. A full bodied entry hits the palate with enticing flavors of blackberry and cassis. The wine is layered with textures that are bold and masculine yet maintain tannins of a velvety character. The dark and ripe fruit flavors intertwined with the tannins carry through to a long and plush finish.

Our Wine

After years of tackling Napa Valley’s rugged mountain fruit, Proprietors Pat and Anne Stotesbery, who are also the creators of Ladera Vineyards on Howell Mountain in Napa Valley, soon became interested in the finesse of California Pinot Noir. In March of 2006, after scouting multiple vineyard sites, Pat and Anne visited the Pillow Rd location, a small Pinot Noir vineyard lined with old Gravenstein apple orchards. Immediately taken back to their roots, Pat and Anne knew that the area would perfectly complement their family farming traditions and trust that the Pillow Rd story is a true tribute to one of California’s most celebrated agricultural areas.

Statistics

* Blend : 100% Pinot Noir
100% Russian River Valley
* Alcohol : 14.3% pH : 3.63
* ——> Barrels : Aged for 11 months in 34% new French oak barrels and 66% 1 and 2 year old French oak barrels.
* Bottled : 974 cases bottled on August 11, 2008

Winemaking

The 2007 Pinot Noir was fermented in many small (1 to 2 ton) fermentors, some with a small amount of whole clusters. The grapes were put in the open top tanks via gravity, after hand sorting. The must was punched down as much as 6-7 times per day. All wines were fermented with natural yeasts for about 7 days, after a 5 day cold soak. After pressing at dryness, the wine was put in barrels by gravity for an 11 month barrel aging in Burgundian French oak barrels.
Tasting Notes

The wine was made with the idea of simplicity and finesse in mind. We wanted this wine to express the fruit from the vineyard with as little manipulation as possible. The style of this Pinot Noir is just that; pure elegance. The 2007 Pillow Road Pinot Noir has fresh aromas of strawberry, raspberry and quince. The entry is soft and rich yet lively. The mid palate shows silky tannins and true but gentle flavors. A balanced acidity leads to a long and satisfying finish that is clean, complex and vareitally true.

2008 Balcombe Vineyard: Balcombe Vineyard is simply one of the best vineyards we work with and every year it produces wines of terrific quality that are absolutely true to the Dundee Hills.

2008 Eason Vineyard: This vineyard is perhaps our favorite site. Located toward the bottom of Breyman Orchard Rd in the Dundee Hills this site is now 24 years old. We have been working with this vineyard since 1994 and the care we have taken managing it over those years continues to come out more and more as the vines move into full maturity.

2008 Estate Vineyard, Old Vine: The 26 acre Estate vineyard is an amazingly diverse site given its 360 degree hilltop planting, multiple vine ages and clonal differences. This is why we split it into different bottlings based upon specific characteristics. From 5 different blocks with vines of 19, 22, 23 and 25 years of age we created a wine that displays the elegant characteristics of Pinot Noir and Ribbon Ridge.

2008 Four Winds Vineyard Pinot Noir: This vineyard site had been in our hands since 1997. This is not only the best bottling of Four Winds we have ever done (by a long shot) it is one of the best wines of the vintage. It is simply incredible in every way.

2008 Eason Vineyard: This vineyard is perhaps our favorite site. Located toward the bottom of Breyman Orchard Rd in the Dundee Hills this site is now 24 years old. We have been working with this vineyard since 1994 and the care we have taken managing it over those years continues to come out more and more as the vines move into full maturity.