“Big Night� Lunch at Piccolo Paradiso in Beverly Hills, CA
Remember the movie? That was what it was like at our lunch at this wonderful Italian eatery. Scott Nagle, Frederic Hemon of Ortolan, Kevin Riggs of Fireside Cellars and Mark Stepanek of Paterno Wines and I did not even order off the menu. We left our lunch up to Norberto Zandi of Piccolo Paradiso. We were there to taste through Sokol Blosser wines with food – it’s the best way to enjoy Sokol Blosser wines by the way. We told Norberto generally what works with the wines and he did the rest. My advice for anyone who wants to go for lunch: cancel your afternoon appointments, leave your watch in your pocket and simply enjoy one of life’s true pleasures - a long relaxing lunch in the middle of the work week!
Norberto paired our 2002 Pinot Gris with mussels and calamari. He paired a radicchio salad with our 2001 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Then fresh pasta with wild mushroom gravy with our 2002 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir followed by veal Saltimbocca with truffle mashed potatoes with our 1999 Watershed Pinot Noir. To top it all off, just for fun, two kinds of incredibly fresh sorbet to finish this incredible lunch. Sokol Blosser and talented foodies are always a winning combination. Piccolo Paradiso also had a section on their wine list that was dedicated to wines made from organically grown grapes. That was the first that I have seen and applaud Piccolo Paradiso for taking this bold step in the right direction. Since 2002, Sokol Blosser estate wines are made from organically grown grapes. Next time you’re in the area, stop by Piccolo Paradiso and let Norberto serve you an incredible meal paired with Sokol Blosser wines. Ciao!