I hope all of you have had a wonderful Valentine’s Day! I certainly did. First of all I had the pleasure of helping with my godson’s class’s Valentine’s Day party. Wow! Nineteen second graders jacked up on a sugar high. Enough said there. Then my sweetheart came home and we got ready to double date with the Padovas. Donald found a great Valentine’s deal, and I want to tell you all about it.
Sher Bliss is a “wine/candy/epicure/gifts” shop in Gahanna at the corner of Morse Road and Cherry Bottom Road. This was the first time I had been there and I certainly plan to go back! The selection of wine is quite amazing. They also have some very interesting beer. And do they have chocolate! Lots and lots of chocolate! Even chocolate dipped bottles of wine!
But what I want to tell you about is the dinner we just attended. It was absolutely lovely. Each course was paired with a wine chosen to complement the food. Now understand, I’m not that big of a wine drinker (that’s Bob’s thing). However, I was pleasantly surprised! I truly enjoyed three of the four wines that were served. And the one I didn’t care for, well let’s just say I didn’t exactly have to twist Bob’s arm for him to take it off my hands.
The table settings were quite lovely. Candlelight and crystal glittered, waiting our arrival. There were five couples enjoying this intimate, romantic dinner.
The appetizer was not listed on the menu, however for me it was one of the highlights of the meal. It was a mini black bean cake with bits of chocolate, served with white tortilla strips, salsa, sour cream and a slice of perfectly ripe avocado. I know, I know. You’re saying “chocolate in a black bean cake”? It so totally worked. I loved it. I wanted more. It was served with Il Folio Rose Prosecco. This was also the wine served with the first course.
The first course was chilled strawberry soup with white chocolate shavings. First of all, it was so pretty. And seeing how we eat with our eyes first, I wanted to gobble this up! Truly it was the essence of strawberries. (Okay, I stole that line from Bob. He declared this after his first bite and I simply do not know how to say it better myself. And he’s my husband, so I can quote him and call it my own anytime. But I also know he’s likely to read this so I’m giving him credit ... in the interest of connubial bliss ... I’m sure you all understand.) The soup contained some of the prosecco we were drinking and it was a beautiful complement. Pour this in a tall glass with a straw and I’d be a happy girl!
Next was the salad course. This was a pear and spinach salad topped with Roquefort cheese and chocolate vinaigrette. This was served with Morande Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. The salad was incredible. I do not know how the chocolate vinaigrette was made, but I sure would love to! It rocked! The interaction of the chocolate and the cheese and the pear were unbelievably delicious! The chocolate in the vinaigrette was so unexpected. The wine was a late harvest so it was sweet, almost a dessert wine. The pairing was perfect.
I was really excited for the entrée. This was the part of the dinner I was most looking forward to. The entrée was chocolate rubbed chicken breast with peanut sate, served with Indian spiced chocolate cauliflower and rice. The wine paired with it was “Sensual” Cabernet Sauvignon. This was the wine that didn’t excite me. But that’s not to say it wasn’t a good wine! It’s me. I’m just not much of a red wine drinker. The chicken was really good. While I’ve had coffee rubbed chicken, I can honestly say I’ve never even thought about chocolate rubbed chicken. It was very tasty! The peanut sate was oh so good! The cauliflower with Indian spiced chocolate sauce was yummy. And the rice; well it’s a starch and we all know how I feel about carbs. I ate every last grain.
We had arrived at dessert. This was paired with our choice of Port or Choco-Vine. Our whole table opted to go with the Niepoort Ruby Port. I’m awfully glad we did, because it was beyond good. It was good enough to dance with the desserts! We were served lemon mousse on a graham cracker square, chocolate covered strawberries (milk and white) and a chocolate covered grape cluster spritzed with gold gilt. The dessert plate was not only delicious but also gorgeous to look at. The grape cluster was so unique and pretty!
We had a wonderful time tonight. We truly enjoyed the company, truly enjoyed the food, and truly enjoyed the libations.
Thank you, Donald for arranging such a wonderful evening!
Thank you, Sher Bliss for a lovely Valentine’s dinner!
Sher Bliss
1394 Cherry Bottom Road
Gahanna, Ohio 43230
Phone (614) 428-WINE (9463)
Fax (614) 428-9467
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