#chicagocut

Cheers: To Perfect Valentines Gimmick! 

  Oh, Valentines Day! Where do I begin with you? Technically, you are just a designated calendar day of consumerism and glorified affection. Do you secretly feel so insignificant that you have to bring attention to yourself to get the world to recognize you? Well, you win. The flowers and frills you swindled in on just about every storefront in Chicago got me thinking. Maybe you really are worth celebrating.

Cupid is the personification of “falling in love.” Tonight, whether you are single, spoken for, or unsure of your title, it has no bearing. The love you have for yourself affects the love you are able to give to someone else. So, tonight should be about you! If the day is about love and love comes from loving yourself first, then today takes on an entirely new meaning. It should be celebrated with people that simply bring out the best in you. 

  For this week’s #foodiechats #perfectpairings we chose a 2006 Chateau Pavie Decesse St. Emilion Bordeaux Wine (94+ RP). This powerful, fruit forward and tannic wine offers a terrific full-bodied taste and still no heaviness! Gentlemen, I’ll let you in on a little secret. When a woman says she does not agree with all the commercial love gimmicks of Valentine’s Day, don’t believe her. Her ears (and heart) will surely perk up once she hears Chateau Pavie andChicago Cut Steakhouse! We raised our glasses to four awesome individuals (Taki, his mom, my brother & myself!) and celebrated Valentines Day together!

    This incredibly concentrated wine fills every area of your palate with dense, ripe and decadent berry and vanilla sensations. Pricey? Yes. Is it worth it? Definitely on Valentines Day! No matter how strong of an exterior people present to the outside world, they deserve to be wooed today. Our server, Kevin, did just that! He gave meticulous service, offering purse hooks, customized cocktails, and guided us through their distinguished menu. While allowing the wines bouquet of flavors to appropriately open up in the decanter, we dipped our crispy bread bites in a flavorful Lobster Escargot. All I have to say about this herbed butter concoction: Want. Try. Love.

One heart shaped pendant given on this specific day may not come close to a year’s worth of laughter, listening, friendship and surprises, but a dinner at Chicago Cut sure comes close! Skirt Steak, Bone-In Filet Mignon and Fennel & Artichoke Barigoule Salmon were tonight’s contending champions. The way the dishes were prepared created an intensity of flavors that cried out for a spicy, velvety wine. One would think steak would remain its favorite partner, but everyone agreed that the citrus flavors in the salmon dish helped to proportion out the lack of acidity in the wine.  

 We finished off the night with surprise chocolate covered strawberries delivered to our table before heading back to the house to try out my first attempt at a homemade apple and pear pie. While very seductive now, this wine has many more years of good and enjoyable drinking. That said, celebrating “loving yourself day” at Chicago Cut with a 2006 Chateau Pavie sounds to me like a tradition that should be kept!After all, Valentine’s Day gimmicks may be pricey, but the smiling faces of the staff at Chicago Cut were not!

Chicago Cut Steakhouse, thank you for confirming the love we have for Valentine’s Day. 

Photo Credit: Jackelyn & Taki