Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/869846
98 / the tasting panel / september 2017 photos by Jeremy Ball Befitting of the beautiful Santa Barbara, California, coastline where it resides, the Belmond El Encanto Luxury Resort is a five-star hotel (among other things) that harbors one of Santa Barbara's best restaurants. Marc Fialip, Belmond El Encanto's Executive Assistant Manager, tells us the restau- rant's "cuisine and essence of the experience is based on Californian coastal fare with a strong focus on sourcing and showcasing the diversity of our local products." "Our Executive Chef Johan Denizot loves to go to the market and visit local farmers to source the best possible meat as an example," he continues. "We have created with our Resident Sommelier, Jeremy Sewell, an extensive by-the-glass program to ensure we are offering relevant varieties in term of grapes, region and character." After opening res- taurants in London, St. Tropez, Gstaad and Paris, Fialip brings a strong background to the Belmond El Encanto. Says Fialip, "I went back to Paris to participate in the opening of L'Atelier by Joël Robuchon." From Marc Fialip, Executive Assistant Manager, Belmond El Encanto, Santa Barbara, CA. Belmond El Encanto Executive Chef Johan Denizot. Everybody has Moët! Taittinger is a better Champagne in quality and price, and not everyone has it. There's also a great family behind it. It's truly a great product and it's marketed in an elegant way. Taittinger is the right product for us. We offer the Cuvée Prestige by the glass and bottle, the Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs by the bottle and the Brut La Française in smaller formats for our mini-bars." Guinehut offered a few of his favorite, albeit nontra- ditional, Taittinger pairings at NoMo. "We sell many grouper fish tacos with a glass of Taittinger. People really love it. You take your first bite of the taco and you're going to feel the complexity afterward. It's the same with the Taittinger Prestige; you drink it and you have that freshness, but you feel the complexity afterward. They combine very elegantly. These are not your typical fish tacos—slightly-fried battered grouper with cabbage and aioli sauce, a recipe that comes from the south of France . . . With our striped sea bass, like the Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, you get that complexity right away." An unexpected pairing: NoMo's Mediterranean-style turkey burger and Champagne Taittinger Cuvée Prestige. NoMo's striped sea bass and Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs.