Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/164544
FOOD AND DRINK Ground for Gamay BURGERS & BEAUJOLAIS EXTENDS ITS MOUTHWATERING REACH by Rich Manning / photo by Leigh Castelli W hen Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits hatched its Burgers & Beaujolais program last year, their goal was to showcase how exquisite a meat patty with the right accouterments could be when coupled with George Duboeuf's excellent BeaujolaisVillages wines. While the program achieved its objective, it also created the side effect of involuntary salivation brought upon by merely hearing about the program, a condition you may be suffering from right now—not that we'd blame you or anything. This year, the Burgers & Beaujolais program has taken this Pavlovian power to California's Orange County and San Diego markets, where three restaurants that thrive on exploring the fun side of haute cuisine are welcoming the program with open arms, not to mention watery mandibles. Mum's (Not) the Word From Bo-Beau Kitchen in San Diego, this filet mignon burger includes bone marrow beurre, Beaujolais fig and shallot marmalade, French brie, portabella mushroom and arugula. Bo-Beau Kitchen is a place loaded with secrets. The San Diego restaurant has a clandestine menu. It has hidden tables within and without its cozy space. Even the first name of the restaurant's General Manger, Luna, is a secret. (Yes, we know what it is. No, we're not going to spill it). What isn't a secret, though, is the way in which Luna and Executive Chef Katherine Humphus uses the restaurant as a springboard for rollicking fun—the kind of vibe that takes the pretentiousness out of great food and excellent wine. With this in mind, it only seems natural that they would gravitate toward the Burgers & Beaujolais concept. "The program fits the restaurant's personality really well, since we consider Bo-Beau Kitchen Executive ourselves to be a casual restaurant that Chef Katherine Humphus features more sophisticated cuisine," feels the Burgers & Humphus explains. "Pairing a wine with Beaujolais program pera burger may look a little odd to some, fectly fits the restaurant's but then again, we're a little odd." intended vibe. From a flavor standpoint, the pairing is far from strange. The sumptuous complexities of the Gamay-based wine are the perfect match for the symphony of tastes that Humphus heaps on the filet mignon burger, which includes bone marrow beurre, Beaujolais fig and shallot marmalade, French brie, portabella mushroom and arugula. It's a marriage that the duo expects will turn heads. "Pretty much everyone likes a good burger," Luna states. "Plus, the Duboeuf name practically sells itself." september 2013 / the tasting panel / 101 TP0913_063-103.indd 101 8/22/13 9:24 PM