Three chefs. Five courses. Five wine pairings. One unforgettable evening. If you haven’t attended a wine dinner at Bistro Nota yet, then I guess I’m sorry that your life is so sad and empty. The food is always faultless, the atmosphere cozy, and the pours generous. Honestly, I live for wine dinners at Bistro Nota–because it’s always the best way to spend an evening. This most recent dinner featured Scarpetta wines. These are Italian wines crafted by Americans. Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey and former French Laundry Chef Lachlan Patterson teamed up to create Scarpetta in 2007: named for the little bit of bread that you use to sop up the last remaining sauce on your plate at the end of a meal. The wines they’ve produced are accessible–as appropriate for a celebration as they are for everyday drinking. Enjoyable on their own: but best enjoyed with good food, good friends, and good conversation. Bistro Nota is an ideal environment for enjoying wines like this. The cozy, warm, welcoming vibe that they cultivate–in addition to their meticulously, thoughtfully crafted cuisine–are the exact companions that wines like this need in order to be enjoyed as intended. All that’s missing from the equation is you and your nearest and dearest. So, bestie and I attended the wine dinner. We’ll spill the tea this time but really, next time, you better not miss it. I won’t repeat myself.
The first plate of the evening was Spring Asparagus with crispy capocollo, celery root crumb, and lemon. This plate was vibrant and such a strong starting point for the meal. Earthy and verdant, but balanced beautifully with the crispy, salty capocollo and bright, acidic lemon.Though exceptionally exciting on its own–with its varied textures and bold flavors–paired with Scarpetta’s Prosecco, the dish truly sang. If you’re a Prosecco snob, skip this paragraph–or, maybe then again, don’t. This is DOC Prosecco that you can purchase for under $14. It’s like a square vs. rectangle thing. Expensive wine is good, but not all good wine has to be expensive. I mean this in the nicest way possible, this Prosecco is a little rockstar for being a cheap bottle of Prosecco. Uber floral on the nose and palette, with notes of melon and green apple–this dry bubbly is a good buy for all of your sparkling wine needs this summer. Whether porch sipping, pairing with pizza, or just popping a cork so your snacks won’t be lonely; consider Scarpetta’s Prosecco a solid option that won’t break the bank. This is an inoffensive Prosecco for Americans who like bubbly and aren’t snobbish about it.
The second plate of the evening was a Local Mushroom Tart: with buttery leeks, caramelized onions, melty gruyere, and creamy mornay. To balance this decadence, a small baby arugula salad. This tart was velvety. The flavors luxe; bordering on hedonistic. Would I call this tart sexy? Yes I would. The crust was more akin to buttery, soft bread than flaky pastry–but this was a necessary structural element to contain the absolute bacchanal of alliums, earthy mushrooms, and immorally cheesy goodness. Plus, the crust just tasted so damn good. Don’t change a thing. I’m in love and want seconds, please. While the arugula salad was heaven sent to lighten the decadence of the tart, the bunch of well-dressed peppery greens couldn’t hide how sinfully delicious the mushroom tart truly was. This plate paired with the Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio. Delightful notes of stone fruit, like peach and melon made this fuller bodied Pinot Grigio a really lovely sip. The high acid of this wine helped to cut through the intense, creamy, fattiness of the tart: because all good relationships are, after all, about balance.
Though difficult to choose a favorite plate of the evening, if I was held at gunpoint and panicking for an answer, I would probably say the Pan Roasted Salmon was my personal favorite. I keep going out to eat and falling in love with fish dishes. I don’t think it’s a ‘me’ problem, I think that fish is having a moment and chefs are giving it the princess treatment: ultimately exalting it and elevating it to its rightful place as the star of the show. This gorgeous pink salmon was served on a bed of spring pea-mascarpone risotto with prosciutto, Chef Butts’ famous morel mushrooms, and romesco sauce. I could eat this dish weekly and not get tired of it–especially when paired with Scarpetta’s Barbera del Monferatto. We love to see fish paired with red wine. Throw away the antiquated knowledge that your mommy may have passed down to you: seafood and red wine works when paired thoughtfully. This Barbera is intriguing, balancing earthy notes–like mushrooms–with red fruits and dark fruits. Notes of luscious, ripe berries and plums make this a juicy sip, while the earthy elements of terroir keep this wine interesting AF. The wine pairs beautifully with this vibrant, slightly spicy salmon because of its low tannin and high acid. This is another bottle I’d fully endorse picking up for your personal collection. It’s incredibly food friendly and, following a trend with Scarpetta wines, it won’t break the bank. If I get to have this salmon and wine combo just once more this summer, I’ll be a very happy girl.
The final savory course of the evening was Beef Teres Majors: a familiar dish from Bistro Nota’s menu. However, the accoutrement that shared the plate with the beef fully transformed it from the menu item we all know and love into something even more special. An intensely crusted potato-eggplant rösti served as companion, as well as haricot verts, sauce bordelaise, and toasted garlic. To pair, the Colli Orientali del Friuli Cabernet Franc. Imagine tasting the Barbera from the last pairing and then saying, “Bet.” This Cab Franc is incredibly complex for a bottle that rocks in around the $20 mark. Notes of red fruit, like raspberry, are balanced with green bell pepper, and characteristics of oak like leather and clove. This wine is fruity, herbaceous, and subtly peppery. This is something I’d happily sip on its own: but it works nicely with food, too.
So, I know that I said the salmon was my favorite plate of the evening. But, what if I lied? Chef Cam crafted a Due Crema Cheesecake with burnt honey caramel and pine nut brittle. This thing rocked my fucking world. I’m a nice girl, but I’m also a bitch. I can be both at the same time: I checked the rule book and it’s allowed. I have strong opinions on cheesecake and one of those opinions is that most of the shit people serve up and refer to as “cheesecake” is actually just some garbage monstrosity of cheap cream cheese and too much sugar. People who make bad cheesecake should be ashamed of themselves. Also, they should stop. I don’t trust many people who say they’re going to serve me cheesecake. If someone says they’re going to give me a slice, my brain immediately wants me to ask, “Are you sure?” If it wasn’t purchased on Flatbush in Brooklyn, how do I know it’s good? Enter Chef Cam with the most divinely creamy, silky, stunning cheesecake I’ve ever enjoyed. Fuck Flatbush. Fort Wayne is now officially where you can find the ultimate cheesecake indulgence. What Chef Cam has crafted puts all other cheesecakes to shame: a cheesecake so creamy it’s almost otherworldly. Did Chef Cam really make this or was it crafted by the gods? I’m not necessarily buying that any mere mortal could create something so divine. To top, a burnt honey caramel. Now, honey is sweet by nature. Burnt things tend to go bitter. So, imagine that you’ve applied heat and caramelized some of the honey’s natural sugar to the point of burning: the end result is a complex, warm, sweet-bitter, ooey-gooey, sticky caramel. And then the man goes and adds pine nut brittle! Earthy, buttery, mildly sweet, perfectly crunchy: the pine nut brittle took an exceptional dessert and made it matchless. Can somebody please give Chef Cam an award or–at very least–a high five and a nice glass of wine? To pair with this masterpiece, the Spumante Brut Rose Timido: a gorgeous pink pour with notes of fresh flowers and strawberries. This is the bottle that you give to someone who you have a crush on. It tastes like young love and summer nights: nostalgic but new, all at once. I can’t imagine a more dreamy way to end an evening.
Alright, so, this is the point where I’m supposed to do the “talented writer” thing and tie the whole piece together with a neat bow. I ramble off some witty or poignant bullshit and try to convince whoever is reading that their life is damn near meaningless because they missed out on this wine dinner. If I’m doing my job right, the reader is left with a desire to book seats at the next wine dinner–to fill the empty space in their life and avoid impending FOMO. But, let’s just skip the song and dance this once–because, honestly, I’m a little tired of it. The wine dinners that Bistro Nota has been hosting are remarkable. If you are someone who values expertly prepared cuisine carefully and considerately paired with spesh wine, then you should have already attended one of these dinners. I shouldn’t have to rave on about it. Either you already know that there are remarkable things happening in the culinary scene in Fort Wayne or you’re wrong. Either you’re already eagerly waiting for Bistro Nota to announce their next wine dinner or you’re not the kind of person I’d want to spend an evening with, engaged in delightful conversation, over expertly prepared plates of food, and several glasses of wine. That’s fine if you’re not that kind of person. But, if you are that kind of person, and you want to fill your world with more like-minded people, you’ll always know where to find me. Bistro Nota has crafted a space for people like me. All I’ve ever needed is good company, good food, and good wine. What more could you possibly need?
Plonk & Pleasure 
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