Tuscan Wine Dinner at Mick & Mack's

Thursday 1 August

We never thought much of Mick & Mack's, the slightly upscale branch of the UC Campus Food Monopoly; on the few (official) occasions we've gone there, the food was bland and overpriced, just as you'd expect.  But Sharon invited us to one of the wine tastings they hold there on the first Thursday of each month, and plainly someone is making an effort in the kitchen at those times. 

It was advertised as starting at 5:30, but our friendly waitress was ready to pour for us as soon as we sat down with our party (Sharon, her daughter Mieke, and friends Donna and Ken), and pretty much as often as we could get her attention.  Our first wines were Vernaccias, one from Fontaleoni, the other Le Calcinaie; both were good and crisp, and had more character than most Italian whites they ship to the States.                  

The starter, pappa al pomodoro, a cold yellow tomato-and-bread soup with a scatter of chopped red tomato and parsley, was served by our nice waitress.  After that, everything was buffet-style, with devil take the hindmost. 

So after dealing with a scrum at the buffet, we ended up with all the following piled onto the same plate: crostini di fegatini di pollo (which Holt avoided, as he doesn't like liver) drizzled with balsamic; "Margarita" flatbreads (just sliced tomato and a little mozzarella); pappardelle al ragu di cinghiale (wild boar in tomato sauce with red wine, topped with melted cheese; probably the best dish there); "passerini imbottiti" (crab-stuffed flounder in white creamy sauce, rather bland; those wrapped in prosciutto were more interesting); and spezzatino di pollo Toscana (another bland dish, stewed chicken with spinach and beans - it's not Tuscan without beans). 

That made it hard to actually do the "pairings" - the reds that followed were ll Palazzino Chianti Classico “Argenina” (very typical) and Monteti "Caburnio" Toscana - an inexpensive "super-Tuscan" so fruity that we took a bottle home (all the wines were for sale at around $20).

Luckily, the dessert was again served: Sambuca-sauced apple tart with ice cream.  A sweet ending to a very pleasant meal.  Thanks, Sharon, for thinking of us!