Restoration Kitchen Features Italian Wine Dinner

The email I received from Restoration Kitchen in Torrance was too good to be true. A four-course pre-fixe meal paired with fine Italian wines for the price of $87 including tax and gratuity? Four-course wine dinners usually start at $100 and that doesn’t include tax and gratuity.

Co-owner Wesley Takiguchi gave us a quick overview of what we were going to enjoy that evening. He quickly turned it over to representatives Natasha and Lou from Wine Warehouse to describe each wine and to answer questions. Finally, Takiguchi introduced Julian Kimbrough as their new chef.

Great chefs use the best ingredients they can source and let the result speak for itself. An example of this was the Heirloom Tomato Salad with prosciutto, burrata, and arugula. The tomato was full of flavor and the flavor combination of burrata and arugula nicely complimented the dish.

The Porcini Mushroom Fettuccine was a simple pasta dish made with porcini and wild mushrooms. The sauce was creamy and the marsala wine nicely added to the overall taste. Fresh parmesan topped the pasta.

When I read the email from Restoration Kitchen, the mention of Veal Osso Buco stood out prominently. A generous 16 oz veal shank was topped with gremolata garnish. Chef Kimbrough oversaw this dish throughout the day and it showed. The veal was tender and the gremolata topping nicely complemented this dish.

A traditional tiramisu rounded out our meal. The ladyfingers were moist and mildly flavored with espresso. This was paired with a Saracco Moscato D’Asti.

I seldom drink Italian wine and I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about their wines. The reps from  Los Angeles Wine Company provided a map of Italy denoting the various wine regions. They taught us about the different Italian wine regions and their specialty varieties.

A Venica & Venica Pinot Grigio Jesera was paired with the Heirloom Tomato Salad. The wine’s alcohol/acid ratio nicely balanced the acidity in the heirloom tomatoes.

The Fontanabianca Barbaresco DOCG 2014 is a medium bodied red wine that had notes of raspberry. This wine pairs well with many Italian dishes such as pasta with mushrooms.

Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2013 is a Sangiovese with a lot of critical acclaim. This is a full bodied red wine with a very nice finish. Robert Parker and Wine Spectator gave it a 93 out of 100 score.

We received a bonus tasting between dishes, the Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2014. This is a full bodied red wine that has notes of vanilla and licorice.

If you like wine, the wine dinners at Restoration Kitchen are a no-brainer. The food/wine pairings are exceptionally well done. The service is both helpful and friendly.

Restoration Kitchen, 1437 Marcelina Ave, Torrance, CA 90501; 310.328.8100
restorationwinebarla.com