Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado & Goat Cheese paired with Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut

Photo from RecipeGirl.com

I came across this recipe from RecipeGirl.com a while back and finally tried it this weekend. It was so delicious that I just had to share it with you! We love Avocados, Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese in my house so I knew this recipe would be a winner, and It totally was! I went even further and paired it with a bottle of Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut. What a spectacular pairing...the only thing missing from this scrumptious meal was a beautiful view of a vineyard! I hope you enjoy as much as we did ~ Cheers!

Pairings, Musings & More

Starting in April I will be sharing, presenting and discussing many topics that pertain to creating your own personal Wine Bar experience. My original intent with this website was to create a "Do-it-Yourself" Wine Bar resource and it feels great to be back on track. My hope is that if you're searching for inspiration, you'll come here first. From designing a specific space in your home, to making a special meal, to discovering an amazing everyday wine; it will all be here!

Also, I'd like to thank you for all your feedback and continued support during my hiatus. It's been a soul searching time for me and I'm so happy to be back. I feel refreshed and ready to share lots of new ideas!

I hope you enjoy reading my "Pairings, Musings & More" as much as I love sharing them with you. Cheers!

Eden Burger Bar ~ Posh without Pretense ~ An exquisite Wine and Gourmet Burger Bar experience!

Even though I’m on a bit of a hiatus right now from the virtualwinebar.com, I couldn’t resist sharing with you an experience I had over the holidays. As with most holiday seasons, we scurried around to many different parties and restaurants to be with friends and family. This year was particularly special because we traveled back home to California to visit my extended family. We were in the Los Angeles area for about a week and with everything going on we were fortunate enough to take some time with my brother and his wife. So, my parents (the grandparents) took take care of the kids while my husband and I stepped out with my brother and his wife for a rare evening for just the four of us. Like always, we laughed and had so much fun, but what made the experience even more special was that we shared it at Eden Burger Bar. You’ll have to excuse my amateurish photos but I just couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures with my phone to remember the experience.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of Eden Burger Bar, but if you’re in the LA area you’ve got to go! It wasn’t like any other restaurant experience. The ambiance was gorgeous. The colors were deep and rich hues of purple, gray, black and crème. The ceiling had a very interesting design that added intrigue. The modern understated décor was a perfect match to the gourmet burgers. There was congruency throughout. It was posh without pretense.

Upon our arrival we were greeted with a smile and the stellar customer service continued throughout the evening. Our server, Holland, was knowledgeable and a gracious host. She made excellent recommendations and left us to enjoy our meal at a leisurely pace. Another special touch was at the end of our meal when the Chef came by to greet us and ask about our experience. It was so much fun to chat with him. He told us a bit about his background and the future of Eden Burger Bar.

When we sat down we all decided to order the burgers. Holland joked that there are other menu items but the burgers are the star of the show. So, burgers it was! We truly wanted to experience Eden Burger Bar as it was intended (with no modifications and each burger cooked to the Chef's recommended temperature). They literally had the most creative and delicious gourmet burgers! We decided that the next time we go we’ll each order a different burger and then quarter them to share. I opted for a spicy burger, the Firehouse. I was not disappointed! It had just the perfect amount of spice. We all loved our burgers so much that when they arrived at our table all conversation came to a hault. There was a hush over the table and all you could hear was, “mmm” and “oh my goodness!” and more “mmmm”.

We each ordered burgers and we chose to share the Sweet Potato Fries and Truffle Fries that were recommended by our server. Since I live in the south there are plenty opportunities to have sweet potato fries but these were amazing. We loved the salty and sweet combination. Oh, and we cannot forget about the truffle fries! I love truffle oil and cook with it occasionally but adding them to french fries is such an interesting and tasty choice.

We finished the meal off with macaroons that were recommended by the chef. The macaroons blew us away. There were nine total and each flavor was once again creative and scrumptious! They really thought everything through when they designed the menu. The Chef even teased that we’d most likely only have a little room left in our bellies after the burgers so they only added small desserts to the menu. He was exactly right. The macaroons were delectable and rich. They were the perfect ending to a spectacular meal.

Last but certainly not least, the wine we chose was perfect! Let’s just say that we didn’t stop at one bottle! Even though they had a very original and interesting wine list, when we saw that they chose to offer their own label on their house wine we knew that was the one we wanted to try. The Cabernet Sauvignon was bold and fruity. It was heavy enough to stand up the burgers without overpowering them. The Cab was beautifully balanced with earthy nuances complimented by a bit of jam and spice. It was definitely the best “house” wine I’ve ever ordered. The best compliment I can offer is to say that all four of us loved this Cab.

As you can tell, we couldn’t have been happier with our experience at Eden Burger Bar. Be sure to check out their website. It too is fantastic and it'll give you a little sample of what the restaurant is like. I just wish I lived closer so that I could be a “regular”! Cheers to excellent food and fun with the family!