Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Harvest Dinners at Castagna

I don't mean to pimp one restaurant over another since we consider ourselves equal opportunity eaters but, darn it, Castagna is one of our favorite haunts and their food is, to us, some of the best this town has to offer. Plus the fact that owners Monique and Kevin are the nicest folks you could hope to meet and are not only committed to food that is local and sustainably grown, but have helped to start the farmer's market explosion that we all take for granted.

And now, hot on the heels of their summer rosé dinners, they're offering a series of harvest dinners based on the French vendange, or grape harvest, where workers and friends come to harvest the grapes in mid-September and gather for a meal each day to share gossip, compare notes and enjoy the fruits of the harvest.

The dinners will feature appetizers, an entree and dessert with two glasses of wine for $50 and, if the rosé series was any indication, there may be more in store. An amazing deal for what is sure to be some fantastic food, the schedule is as follows:

  • Sept. 20, Loire Valley: Featuring fricassee de canard et cepes with wines from Chidaine, Touraine and La Grande, Saumur.
  • Sept. 27, Alsace: Featuring choucroute garnie with Zind-Humbrecht Riesling and Pinot Blanc.
  • Oct. 11, Burgundy: Featuring boeuf bourgignon with wines from Francois Gay and Chandon de Briaille.
Details: Castagna, 752 SE Hawthorne Blvd. (corner of 18th); Phone 503-231-7373 for reservations.

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