the wine wall: Brian Polycn's New Place is Open

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Brian Polycn's New Place is Open

Brian Polycn's new restaurant in Michigan is open. He calls Forest Grill an American bistro and it's located in Birmingham. Lots of non-chef people probably don't know who he is. He is one of this country's foremost charcuterie experts. He has owned Five Lakes Grill in Milford, MI, for 13 years, is (or was) an instructor at the renowned Schoolcraft culinary school, and is the coauthor, along with Michael Ruhlman, of the book "Charcuterie", which came out about 2 years ago and is at the top of any chef's list of favorite professional cookbooks (though geared towards the home user).

Schoolcraft is an interesting culinary school because it's in Michigan, has less than ten instructors, but something like six or eight of them are certified master chefs (CMC), of which there are only something like 50 in the entire country.

In a previous book by Michael Ruhlman, "The Soul Of A Chef", Ruhlman follows the grueling ten-day exam to become a CMC at the CIA. Polycn is one of the star characters in the book, and certainly he and Ruhlman, who lives in Cleveland, formed a friendship over cooking and their Midwesterness. Incidentally, Polycn failed the test, which adds to the drama of the exceptional book. That was his second time taking test.

Maybe Polycn felt he needed to be a CMC to keep up with his peers at Schoolcraft. Ironically, he's the most professionally succesful chef in Michigan, and as far as chef's chefs go, in the country.

We've eaten at Five Lakes Grill and met the man, and he is definitely way cool. Good luck, Brian! Can't wait to try your new place when next back in Michigan.

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WA Wines for $8 & Under

Hogue 2005 Merlot, Columbia Valley - Pleasant easy drinker. Nice black cherry fruitiness but not particularly complex, with little to no tannin. We paired it with a vegetarian red sauce based pasta dish and it worked nicely. Probably wouldn't stand up to a good steak.
Covey Run 2006 Chardonnay - This is an easy drinking wine. It's got a slight apple nose and pleasant light taste, but no finish to speak of. Good for a quiet night at home and a pasta and salad dinner.
Columbia Crest 2005 Two Vines Sauvignon Blanc - Too much acid. We've noticed a lot of WA and OR winemakers going all stainless steel for fermentation to keep their wines "bright" and "fresh" but often that results in a complete lack of balance, especially at the lower end of the cost spectrum. This wine is a case in point.
Snoqualmie 2006 Winemaker's Select Riesling, Columbia Valley - TOO SWEET. Nothing about the label suggested this was meant to be a dessert wine, but it was really too sweet for food. Might be ok with a cheese plate.
Hogue 2006 Late Harvest White Reisling, Columbia Valley - this is one delicious dessert wine and a real bargain on sale at QFC for $6.99. It's full of fruit with a nice golden raisin/dried apricot nose. While full-bodied it's light acid keeps it balanced and its dry mineraly white pepper finish keeps it from feeling overly sweet.
Columbia Crest 2002 Two Vines Semillon Chardonnay - not sure if we should even review this one, since it appeared to be the last bottle of 2002 on deep discount at QFC ($3.99!). Despite the fact that this white was probably about to pass its prime, it was smooth drinking. It has a rich golden honey hue, mild pear and light fruit nose give way to a medium bodied, medium dry mouthfeel. It has a surprisingly flinty finish that eventually reveals residual sugar. This unusually earthy white paired perfectly with a supper of garden veggies - beets in red wine vinegar and tarragon and heirloom tomato bread salad.
Columbia Crest 2003 Two Vines Merlot, Columbia Valley - fruity without being sweet, medium bodied, well-balanced by light acid and tannin. Dark berry taste and meaty coffee nose with a touch of sweat make this perfect for pairing with steak or an equally bloody meat.
(8/28/07) Willow Crest 2006 Yakima Valley Pinot Gris - nice dry spritzy wine, good for a summer evening pre-dinner drink, tree fruit nose with a hint of strawberry, abrupt mineral finish.
(8/14/07) Barnard Griffin 2006 Columbia Valley White Riesling - while not exactly sweet plonk, it is a bit on the sweet side and there's not much complexity to it. We had it with a nice herby summer vegetable pasta and it was ok. But for $6.99 on sale (retails for $11) there are lots of other (better) wines to choose from. In fact, we were so disappointed that we're considering skipping this winery on our tour of the Columbia Valley AVA in September.
(7/21/07) Avery Lane 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - not half so good as the Columbia Winery cab we drank the night before, certainly not worth the $10 it normally retails for, but acceptable given that we only paid $3.99.
(7/20/07) Columbia Winery 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - not bad, normally retails for $13 but we got it on sale for $4.99. It was pleasant, fruity, and drinkable with none of the heavy leather tannins one normally expects from a cab. Perfect for pairing with food or a little after midnight Harry Potter reading.
(11/1/06) Hogue 2004 Pinot Grigio - better than a lot of the sweet plonk that shares it's name, as well it should be at $6.99 a bottle. The wine caused us to up the price limit. Was it worth it? I think so. Nice and minerally, light and spritzy. Adequate when looking for a wine to pair with homemade potato leek soup, a Tall Grass Bakery roll , and some America's Next Top Model. Added bonus, seemed to get better after sitting in the fridge for a couple of days, so good for folks who just want a glass or two a couple nights a week.
(10/6/06) Salmon Harbor 2004 Chardonnay , Columbia Valley - delicious and drinkable, light, appley wine, good with food or on its own.
(8/11/06) - Snoqualmie 2004 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley - grassy chrysanthemum nose, balanced acidity, mineral finish, paired with homemade mushroom pizza, using san marzano tomatoes, XX fino italian flour, and whole milk mozzarella to celebrate signing the lease on our Ballard Apt.!