Armand de Brignac Champagne Pairing at Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard

I can count on less than half a hand the number of restaurants I would drive for more than 40 minutes to dine at, and Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant in West Kendall always tops the list. When I was invited into her precious sanctuary for a specially designed feast paired with the the princely Armand de Brignac, I would have walked all the way from Miami for it.

Armand de Brignac, better know as the Ace of Spades or Jigga’s (Jay-Z) champagne company is a ridiculously smooth champagne which will set you back $300 pops a pop. The Iconic shining gold clad bottle grabs the attention of even the most discerning of South Beach bottle rats. I’ve had many wine tastings, a Michelin Star fruit juice tasting, but never a champagne tasting. Now that this is crossed off the list I am waiting for a Cali dispensary to invite me in for an “Herb” Tasting.

 

The night began with an amuse bouche that made my eyes widen in euphoria. These were the best bites of the night. The Quail egg, shallot, truffle and Osetra caviar and the Crostini charcuterie with truffle dijonnaise and cornichon caperberry relish portrayed why Chef Adrianne is a flavor Goddess and excels at Maximum Flavor (her motto). These bites were utter perfection! Having them paired with a $450 Armand de Brignac Rose has the entire table feeling quite regal.

The first course was a vichyssoise (thick soup made of puréed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock) with smoked salmon croque monsieur. The smokiness played very well against the cream and I loved her version of a fancy bagel and lox.

The second course was a blue fin tuna on a crispy wonton with caper shallot cream and Osetra caviar.

After this course we transitioned into the Armand de Brignac Brut Gold, a $300 blend of “Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. It is complex and full-bodied with a lively pear, nectarine, honeysuckle and sweet butter, plus an undercurrent of spice, ginger and lemon pith.” Twas bold, smooth refreshing and endearing.

The third course was the creamy burrata with candied clementine, lavender, capiacoloa and balsamic. After one bite of the burrata I knew it was from Italy. The creamy and tender nature of it can not be found in America. The thought whisks me away to my Italian foodie trip of a lifetime.

The fourth course was uber supple short rib braised for a day in addition to prime NY strip along with caramelized pearl onion soubise and potatoes aligot. Her short rib is famous and with good reason. Just let it evaporate into your purring mouth.

The fifth course was a Goat cheese cheesecake with a poached pear and caramel sugar art. The cheese cake was one of the best I had ever sampled and I could barely allow myself to share any with my dining partner. Do not be scared by the usually pungent goat cheese. The cake tamed it wonderfully and made you appreciate some of the subtleties usually lost in the goat.

Dining at Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant is always an honor, but with the addition of the fabulous Armand de Brignac…Heaven just got a bit more cozy and sublime.