Vive la Chaîne in Steinbeck Country!

John Steinbeck aptly described the cacophony of Spring color that served as a background for the Monterey Peninsula Bailliage of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs celebration of World Chaîne Day in Carmel Valley when he wrote in East of Eden, “The whole valley floor, and the foothills too, would be carpeted with lupins and poppies….  And mixed with these were splashes of California poppies. These too are of a burning color— not orange, not gold, but if pure gold were liquid and could raise a cream, that golden cream might be like the color of the poppies.”

Nestled in the verdant hills of Carmel Valley, Maître de Table Restaurateur Tim Wood’s new restaurant Woody’s at Del Mesa which provided a perfect venue to celebrate the art of the table, fine wines, and good company for World Chaîne Day. Celebrants were greeted with glasses of Legras and Haas Champagne Brut, which encouraged many toasts as members made the rounds introducing themselves discovering that, yet again, the bounty of the Monterey Peninsula Bailliage was to be enjoyed with many special guests members hailing from the Napa, Sacramento, and Silicon Valley Bailliage.  

Passed bites of ahi tuna made in the vernacular with accents of seaweed and Big Sur citrus, and tartlets made from Carmel Valley’s Secret Creamery cheese married with locally grown vegetables in a Californian Provincial cured garlic presentation let diners know that they were in for an evening of culinary delights.

As guests took their seats in the dining room surrounded by California oaks festooned with Spanish moss, Bailli Glenn Hammer, welcomed the group and Chef Tim Woods introduced the foods he would be serving for the evening.

In the first course, local food ingredients continued to shine in the wild mushroom soup en crute, with chanterelles that grew in secret locations throughout the Carmel Valley area during the recent winter rains, blended with truffles and decadent foie gras. The 2021 Hindsight Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect foil to the richness of the soup.

Not to be out done by the gifts of the land, local spot prawns highlighted the the second course of seafood for which Monterey Bay is so well known and was complimented by a 2020 Olivier Leflaive Meursault.

With the main course came the moment that all had been waiting for… each member of the Bailliage brought one of their finest magnums of wine from their private cellar to share with other members and guests. Laughter was heard as bottles were passed and tasting notes were shared.  Neither pistachio crusted lamb, nor veal tenderloin, nor roast beef (New York Steak cooked by a New Yorker!) could be outdone by some super star wines including a Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1974, Saxum Broken Stones 2018, and William Selyem Pinot Noir 1993.

No Chaîne des Rôtisseurs meal would be compete without a sweet end and Chef Tim Wood provided just that with a chocolate pot de crème accompanied by elderberries and Meyer lemons, grown in his neighbor’s yard. The evening was capped as a 2008 Château Suduiraut Sauternes was served. 

Cheers of “Vive la Chaîne” could be heard as the golden sun set behind the oak covered hills and on a perfect dinner with the Monterey Peninsula Bailliage of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs in celebration of World Chaîne Day.

Sadie Peyser, Vice Chargée de Presse