“G’day USA” Celebrates 10th Anniversary at Bouley Test Kitchen
If Chef Guy Grossi ever decides to leave the kitchen, the charismatic Aussie chef has a career awaiting him as a stand-up comedian.
One of Australia’s leading chefs and media personalities, Grossi is the owner and head chef of Grossi Restaurants, which include esteemed eateries in Melbourne and Bangkok.
In honor of G’DAY USA, an annual celebration of all things deliciously Oz, Grossi served as the G’DAY USA 10th anniversary celebrity chef for the numerous celebratory events around the States.
At the Bouley Test Kitchen in New York, Grossi worked his magnetic personality and his exemplary culinary skills in tandem with a splendid spread of wine pairings from Jacob’s Creek. With more than 160 years of winemaking in the fertile Barossa Valley, Jacob’s Creek was first released commercially in 1976 and is currently Australia’s largest wine brand, sold in more than 50 countries around the world.
Not content to remain in the kitchen, Grossi circulated through Bouley Test Kitchen, often bearing a smile, a joke, and a tray of his gourmet canapés that included baccala Mantecato crostini and a succulent tiger prawn sandwich dotted with nasturtiums. The toothsome savories paired perfectly with Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV, a sparkling, well-balanced wine with hints of lime and cashew nut.
“Once you get involved with food,” said Grossi, “your mind never really switches off it,” which was a point the personable chef made repeatedly with an imaginative menu that included smoked Australian ocean trout served with a poached quail egg as a starter, followed by a pasta course of orecchiette and Fremantle octopus. Wine pairings included two Rieslings – Steingarten 2012 and Reserve 2011 – that showcased the complexity and elegance of the first grape planted on the banks of Jacob’s Creek in 1847.
Apart from Grossi’s culinary creations, the star of the night for many oenophiles was the St. Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon 2009. Harvested from the renowned Coonawarra region, St. Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon was first released nearly thirty years ago and, subsequently, has been the recipient of numerous awards for a wine that is a superlative standard-bearer for one of the industry’s most iconic wines. Redolent of cassis and cinnamon, and silky on the palate, the 2009 St. Hugo was a fitting finish to an exemplary evening.
With price points under twenty dollars (save for the St. Hugo), the Jacob’s Creek line of palate pleasers are perfect host/ess gifts for a Super Bowl or Academy Awards soirée – and equally elegant as BYOB during New York’s Restaurant Week. Say “G’day” to 2013 – and toast to Oz.
LINKS: Jacob’s Creek
