Dan H @ Chez Mike, East Greenbush, NY, 9/7/2022

Dinner with Dan
Chez Mike, East Greenbush, NY, 9/7/2022

Dan Hammer was in town for his semiannual visit. A lot of the local winos were out of town. Fortunately, John and Linda were able to join us.

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We met at Chez Mike, one of the best restaurants in the Albany area. It has a very unassuming exterior in a strip mall on NY Route 4 (Columbia Turnpike) in East Greenbush, NY. But don't let that fool you, the food and service here are top notch.

We sat at the table on the left (but that's not us in the photo, which I found on the internet).

White Wines
Whipped Ricotta: Fresh Melon, Calabrian Chili - Honey, Fresh Mint, Crostinis:

2015 Château Pape Clément Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
[Pop and pour at room temp.] Crisp, fresh citrus nose. Bright, fresh. Quite tasty. Good with my Whipped Ricotta appetizer. (92 points)
2007 Sine Qua Non Body & Soul - USA, California
[Pop and pour.] A little too cold at first, but opens up over 20 minutes to reveal a big floral nose of lemon custard and spice. Complex and rich in the mouth. Long finish. Excellent match to a pork cutlet. (93 points)

Red Wines
Pork & Peach Milanese: Breaded Crispy Pork Cutlet, Arugula Salad, Fresh Mozzarella, Peaches, Pickled Onion, Balsamic Vinaigrette:

2016 Lewelling Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Wight - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
[Open for an hour or so before I tasted it.] Gorgeous nose of red and black fruit. Elegant, classy. Napa cab that's not overdone. Balanced, elegant, delicious. (94 points)
2007 Sine Qua Non Syrah Labels - USA, California, Central Coast
[Double-decanted at 5pm.] On first decanting, the alcohol is quite prominent in the nose and mouth. I put it back in the bottle and put the bottle in the fridge. At the restaurant, it sat out, so it was cool, not cold. I would serve this around 60-65 degrees F (15-18C).
Tasted between 8 and 9pm: Stunning nose of black fruit and spices. Huge and rich with a long finish. Has an elegance and harmony so typical of SQN reds and fairly rare in wines this big. (95 points)

People Pix

Dan and John:

John and Linda:

Everyone is looking to their left because a nice lady named Dorothy was interested in wine.

Conclusion

Another lovely evening of friends, food, and wine. The food at Chez Mike is superb. Michael Cohen is one of the best chefs in the Albany area. Moreover, the service is casual, but proper. For example, if you have leftovers (just look at the size of my Pork Milanese), they include a note from Mike:

Notes posted from CellarTracker.