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There's No Mistake in this Pairing at Faux Pas! Chef Diego Bernal of L.A.'s Faux Pas Bistro found his inspira- tion before he reached the bottom of his fi rst bottle of Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages. Seeking a complement to the bright, sweet fruits of the wine, Diego reinvented his burger from the bun on up with the wine's unique qualities driving his recipe choices: His three-beef blend of sirloin, skirt steak and short ribs sits on a slider- sized sweet Hawaiian bun, with a dollop of fi g jam and a topping of crispy shallots to add sweetness and crunch and provide the French twist that defi nes much of Faux Pas's menu style. But the burger isn't alone on the plate; with it comes a taste of Maytag Blue cheese and fresh raspberries that Diego chose to round out the experience with the perfect fl avor accompaniments to the robust fruits of the Beaujolais. This burger is incredible on its own (indeed, after one taste you may never eat a burger again without fi g jam on it) but tailored so specifi cally for its Beaujolais pairing one can hardly imagine another wine making sense with it. A summer promo may make permanent conversions of a whole new generation of burger lovers to burger/Beaujolais junk- Diego Bernal, Faux Pas Bistro, Los Angeles, with his Beaujolais-inspired gourmet sliders. ies: Having launched the burger on Bastille Day, July 14, Faux Pas offers a "7/14" special through August ($7 for two sliders alone, or $14 with a glass of the Beaujolais-Villages)—a bargain that many will fi nd hard to believe, let alone resist. �J. B. A French Native Develops an American Classic at Et Voilà With four decades of classical training and experience both here and abroad, you might think that creating a burger might evoke a little ennui for Chef José Dahan (Et Voilà, San Luis Obispo, CA). However, the enthusiastic French native fully embraced the challenge of pairing his version of the American classic with the 2010 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages. "A burger is one of those foods where once you have the founda- tion, you can go wherever you want. It becomes a product of your imagination—but it needs to start with quality meat," he said. At his restaurant, Dahan already serves an "Unburger, " a bunless half-pound of organic top sirloin topped with a classic Bordelaise sauce and caramelized onions, and served with organic greens and housemade potato chips. For our concept, he upped the ante with a freshly baked bun and a heaping dollop of crispy, chopped duck on top. "The Bordelaise sauce obviously goes very well with red Chef José Dahan of Et Voilà in San Luis Obispo, CA. meats," Dahan explains, and from there, you've got the crispy duck balanced with the soft sweetness of the onions. He admits that a knee-jerk wine match might be a bolder wine such as a Syrah, but the lighter-style Beaujolais presents nice red/black fruit notes to play off of the duck, bright acid to deal with the beef and just enough sweetness to showcase the onions. Also, if you take Dahan's tip and serve the wine just slightly chilled, it's a perfect go-to burger wine for summertime dining. —Katy Budge SEE PART TWO OF THIS STORY IN OUR SEPTEMBER ISSUE! august 2012 / the tasting panel / 123 PHOTO: ERICA BARTEL PHOTO: JEREMY BALL PHOTO: JEREMY BALL