A ticket to any one of eleven 15th Annual Beaufort Wine & Food Festival (https://beaufortwineandfood.org/) wine dinners was mine for the asking. So why, then, did I ask for a ticket to the Dank Burrito Wine Dinner?
Because honestly, wouldn’t you want to know what a wine dinner at a burrito joint would be like?
Setting the stage:
Host Chef and Dank Burrito Owner: Clarke Merrell
Chef de Cuisine: Josh Macklin, Circa 81
Guest Chef: Drew Smith, bu.ku, Cary (opening soon)
Guest Winery: Van Duzer Vineyards, Williamette Valley, with Ryan Woolfolk, Marketing Manager
Courses: Eight, each with a paired wine. Whoa!
FIRST COURSE
(Chef Clarke Merrell, Dank Burrito & Chef de Cuisine Josh Macklin, Circa 81)
Sequatchie Cove Creamery Dancing Fern, served with Accidental Baker flatbread and Garner Farms strawberry compote.
Van Duzer, Pinot Noir Rosé Estate (2018)
This was my official introduction to Van Duzer Vineyards and it was a happy one. Van Duzer’s Rosé lent a fruity, but not too sweet, counterpoint to this earthy raw milk cheese. And it didn’t cross over to cloyingly sweet when sipped with a bite that included the strawberry compote.
SECOND COURSE
(Chef Drew Smith, bu.ku)
N.C. flounder ceviche, aji amarillo, leche de tigre, choclo, sweet potato, and plantain.
Van Duzer, Pino Gris Estate (2017)
Loved this fresh, crisp Pino Gris by itself and with this beautiful ceviche! When this dish was set before me, I just sat there looking at it and sipping wine for a few minutes before taking pictures and exploring the dish. So pretty. So tasty.
I was especially intrigued by the choclo, a large-kernal variety of corn from the Andes, sometimes known as Peruvian Corn. Might have to see if I can get a hold of some of that for home cooking.
THIRD COURSE
(Chef Clarke Merrell, Dank Burrito & Chef de Cuisine Josh Macklin, Circa 81)
Anson Mills farro verde salad, pepitas, dried Braeburn apple, Marcona almond, and mint.
Van Duzer, Pinot Gris Estate (2017)
Put a bowl of cooked, warm grains, nuts, seeds, and mint in front of me and I’m happy. You might think this dish would be bland, but It was wonderfully subtle with a slightly smoky, earthy taste.
Kind of the polar opposite of the crevice in flavor, but still paired well with the Pino Gris.
FOURTH COURSE
(Chef Drew Smith, bu.ku)
Cheshire pork belly, charred broccolini, N.C. mustard, (savory) bread pudding, and sage.
Van Duzer, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (2016)
I mean, really. Look at that perfectly cooked pork belly. And that bread pudding was just savory enough and had a great texture that, if slightly depressed, would bounce back.
FIFTH COURSE
(Chef Drew Smith, bu.ku)
Seared duck breast, smoked potatoes, maitake mushroom, Brussels sprouts, and duck jus.
Van Duzer, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (2016)
Funny story about this course. The woman sitting at the table next to mine apparently wouldn’t normally eat duck. Her husband got the attention of the two women sharing their table, as well as me, and pointed to his wife’s cleaned spotless plate. She just smiled.
There wasn’t too much left on my plate, either. That duck basically melted in my mouth. Pinot Noir report – it went as well with duck as it did with the pork belly. This is a wine I’d like to serve to dinner guests or even have with “just-us” dinners at home.
“Fruity scents of cherry and wild strawberry, herbal notes of basil, ground pepper and eucalyptus, along with sensual, barrel-driven aromas of bourbon, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon.” ~ Winemaker Notes
SIXTH COURSE
(Chef Clarke Merrell, Dank Burrito & Chef de Cuisine Josh Macklin, Circa 81)
Black cherry braised Cheshire pork cheek, herbed goat cheese polenta, Lusty Monk mustard, and crispy serrano ham.
Van Duzer, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Dijon Blocks (2015)
Pork Cheek and Cherries. Can’t go wrong with that, right? Especially when those cheeks are tender as tender can be. Add a piece of cherry to your bite of meat for a juicy, sweet-tart, pop. The crisp bit of serrano ham was a nice touch.
The same wine was served with this course and the next. Read on.
SEVENTH COURSE
(Chef Clarke Merrell, Dank Burrito & Chef de Cuisine Josh Macklin, Circa 81)
Five spice elk, tomato chutney, gouda, heirloom carrot, and hibiscus flower.
Van Duzer, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Dijon Blocks (2015)
Look at the color of that rich, deep Pinot Noir. It’s a beautiful wine, smooth and creamy with tasting notes I can verify: “On the nose, scents of dark cherry, juicy strawberry plum and subtle cranberry notes buzz with floral undertones of lilac and violet. Earthy sage, licorice and star anise combine with barrel-driven vanilla, licorice and cedar aromas.”
Loved the slight licorice/anise flavor that came through as I exhaled after each sip of this Pinot Noir with both course six and this one.
This was a nice dish with eye-catching composition. The photo doesn’t do it justice, though. Lovely seasoning on the elk, but it could have been a little more tender.
EIGHTH COURSE
(Chef Drew Smith, bu.ku)
Strawberry tart, rhubarb, poppy seed shortbread, pickled berries, and basil ice cream.
Van Duzer, Willamette Valley Riesling (2017)
And finally, this dessert was one of the evening’s stars. The basil ice cream was fantastic! Imagine an ice cream bordering on savory. I did wonder if the “pickled berries” would be tart, but they weren’t
I thought it was interesting to finish with a Riesling, but “made intentionally off-dry to showcase the balance and acidity”, it was lovely.
As each course was served, Ryan Woolfolk, Van Duzer Vineyards Marketing Manager, described the paired wine and why it was chosen. He was nice enough to come over to sit with us every now and then throughout the evening to talk about the wines and ask for our feedback.
After dinner, the chefs, including the Pastry Chef responsible for that wonderful dessert, and the vineyard representative came out to talk about the meal after a good long round of applause. Thank you chefs, for a wonderful evening. I appreciate the work that goes in to a dinner like this.
So the answer is, a good wine dinner is a good wine dinner no matter where it takes place, even in a burrito joint.
Dank Burrito (https://www.thedankburrito.com/)
Morehead City, Beaufort, and Raleigh, NC
Circa 81
Morehead City, NC
bu.ku
Cary, NC (opening soon)
Van Duzer Vineyards
Dallas, OR
