You may be wondering where we've been. Three and a half weeks of the flu can suck the creativity right out of your bones. Well I'm back with a lot of stories to share. Sunday night at Upstairs got me inspired again.
This is consistently one of Montclair's best places without a doubt.
Upstair's has two entrances both rather mysterious. If you park in the lot west of Valley Road you'll see a bright sign that says Dia Kichi (Excellent Luck) which is the name of the fabulous Japanese restaurant downstairs. As you walk toward the rear entrance you'll see an unmarked glass door on your left opening to a staircase to the second floor where you'll find Upstairs.
Entering from 608 Valley Road there is a door to the left of Dai Kichi which leads to enchanting blue glass stairs. Upstairs has been open over a year now and I hear only good things.
Our drinks and dinner on Sunday proved the point, we enjoyed a great dinner on the way to see Lincoln, a great film by the way.
Upstairs has a very nice list of cocktails, wines, beers and spirits. Being a little chilled I order a Rye on the rocks and Diana had one of her favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.
We enjoyed these dishes, each one better than the last.
Fried oysters with chili mignotte and house pickles. Perfectly crisp on the outside, yet tender and moist inside, the sweet pickles and bright sauce contrasted nicely.
Grilled shrimp,with lentil salad on an orange vinaigrette, very nice with the Sauvignon Blanc and this lovely Granacha from Spain.
Lurra Granacha imported by Polaner Selections one of our favorite importers. This wine alos complimented the hearty duck confit that was so flavorful and just fell off the bone. With this we had a side of sauteed kale.
Concluded our dinner with this perfect cheese plate.
And two excellent Italian dessert wines, both by women wine makers.
Donna Fuggata Ben Rye Naturally Sweet White Passito di Pantelleria described as "An extraordinary meditation wine, it's the ideal
companion while reading a book or listening to music. We reccomend it as
sweet ending of an elegant dinner as well as your first date."Wine Maker
"Donnafugata is a Sicilian family winery launched in 1983 by Giacomo Rallo and his wife Gabriella whose family has been in the wine business more than a century." Iwine Review
We also loved the Le Pupille Solalto by Elisabetta Geppetti whose winery in Marrema has now joined the ranks of Tuscan superstars.
"It was Elisabetta Geppetti’s dream to create a wine in the Maremma that was affected by noble rot—as homage to the great wines of Sauternes. This sweet wine is obtained from the late harvesting of Traminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from vineyards in Scansano." Importer Winebow
Things to do, places to see, with food and booze
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