By: Laurie Wallin
Capital Cooking Contributor
I love wine, and more
importantly, I love learning about wine and discovering new ones…and if the
wine is paired with an amazing dish? Even better. The Wine Kitchen on the Creek,
in Frederick, MD, offers all this and more, with its extensive variety of wine
flights, hand-crafted cocktails, spirits, and delicious food. Located in the
heart of Frederick, enjoying a leisurely three-course lunch was a wonderful way
to spend a recent Saturday afternoon.
The Wine Kitchen on the Creek, as
its name suggests, offers over 40 different wines by the glass and specializes in wine flights.
There are around 10 different flights offered at any one time, with creative
names such as “Triple Bubble” (sparkling wines), “Local Flavor” (focusing on
wines from Maryland), and the one I chose, “Pinot Evil” which featured three
Pinot Noirs, one from California, one from France, and one from Oregon. Even
better, the flights are all accompanied by tasting cards, which details the
wine including the winery, the varietal, where the wine is from, and the year (“who,
what, where, when”), as well as a detailed description of the wine’s nose and
flavors. My favorite wine from my flight was the 2012 Noble Vines 667 Pinot
Noir from Monterey, California.
Of course, here, wine is only
part of the story. Executive Chef Jeff Beard is creating truly delicious dishes
that pair wonderfully with the extensive wine list. My lunch began with a Baby
Beet Salad with arugula, apple, walnuts, cider vinaigrette and mascarpone
mousse and Tuna Tartar Tacos with avocado, cucumber, and jalapeno. Both the
salad and the tuna tartar tacos were extremely fresh, with the mildness of the
mascarpone mousse pairing nicely with the apple and beets, and the tuna tartar
tacos had quite a kick from the jalapeno which was balanced by the creaminess
of the avocado.
I had the opportunity to sample
the House-Made Pappardelle with country ham, sage, butternut squash, brown butter,
and country olives and the Grilled Rainbow Trout with chanterelle mushrooms,
haricots vert and spring onion pesto. Between the mushrooms and the spring
onion pesto, the trout was like eating spring in a dish – the mild fish was
complemented beautifully by the spring produce and paired wonderfully with the
Tomaiolo Pinot Grigio 2013 from Italy. The pappardelle was cooked to a perfect
al dente with the butternut squash pairing nicely with the ham and sage – a classic
food pairing!
Dessert began with a Dulce de
Leche Pot de Crème with housemade granola and Chantilly cream and concluded
with a Banana Split Trifle with bananas, an ice cream trio, chocolate sauce,
flourless cake, and brittle. The Banana Split Trifle was delicious; a wonderful
dessert for chocolate lovers! The Dulce de Leche was incredibly creamy and
paired beautifully with an Expedition Canoe Ridge Vineyard 2011 Chardonnay from
Washington – one of the best desserts I’ve had in a while.
The Wine Kitchen on the Creek is
a charming restaurant, with its exposed brick walls and warm, inviting lighting.
The bartenders are incredibly friendly and helpful and always willing to offer
a suggestion. The restaurant is located in charming Frederick, right on the
creek, and while it poured the day I visited, I could easily see myself on
their patio enjoying a flight of wine when the weather is nice. In addition,
they also offer happy hour and bar specials – I wish I lived closer so I
could visit more often!
The Wine Kitchen on the Creek adheres
to the idea of “Eat, Drink, Simply” and with the high-quality and delicious
food coming out of the kitchen paired with their extensive wine list, I
completely agree! For more information, please visit http://www.thewinekitchen.com/frederick/
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