Tria

I just came from what had to be one of the most delicious and memorable meals of my adult life!

Let me start with the company. Bruno (Marianne) has been my best friend for over a year now. She knows my inner most thoughts, feelings and desires in life. We have been through the best of times and by far the worst. I have made her cry and she has made me laugh. Through it all we have always been a part of each others hearts no matter what. Next to my other love, KK, she is and always will be, My Constant.

Now, Bruno DOES NOT drink wine, she does not like wine nor would she pick to drink wine if it were the only thing around. She is a vodka and coffee drinker. Those are her passions, next to her beautiful four kids and amazing husband! So, when she suggest we go to Tria for our New Years/her Birthday dinner, I thought, 'wow, really? How is this going to work?' You see, Tria is a Wine and Beer cafe' known for their exotic collection and AMAZING cheese. I sat online for about an hour last night trying to find an alternate location for us to go so that we could both enjoy it, but the beautiful heart that she has, she really wanted to join this journey with me.

Set in the beautiful Rittenhouse Square this intimate cafe had more of a food and wine selection than even I could ask for, so with out further hesitation, I give you our menu, now warning...these are small plates, so don't go judging that we over indulged...well, maybe a little, but it was well worth it!

SNACKS:

Warm Tuscan White Bean Spread with Baguette $3
Roasted Beets with Bulgarian Feta Cheese $3 1/2
Truffled Egg Toast with Fontina Cheese $5 1/2

BRUSCHETTA:

Smoked Mozzarella and Tomato $3 1/2

SALADS:

Arugula wit Beets, Goat Cheese, Crushed Almonds, Red Onions and Balsamic Vinaigrette $8

SANDWICHES:

Grilled Artichoke, Spicy Tuscan Pepper, White Bean and Bulgarian Feta Panino $8

SWEETS:

Nuttella with Banana Panino $4
Lemon Square with Ginger Compote $4 1/2


Brunos Wine List:
Cotes De Gascogne, Sancet, '08 (Southwest France)
Mouthwatering Colombard blend from SW France full of zesty yet tropical fruit and peach fuzz finish

This wine was light and easy for her to drink. It was her second out of the three favorite wines. If you are not a big wine drinker, this is a very safe option.

Grillo/Viognier Blend, Feudo Si Santa Tresa, '06 (Sicily, Italy)
Sicily Meets France in this sun-kissed beauty with some notes of vanilla, tropical fruit and citrus

Not her favorite, but fine to start the night off. Unsure how to pick the right wine, she felt that it was not a hard wine to drink but preferred the sweetness of the other two whites.

Riesling Spatlese "Hautte," Von Hvel, '03 (Mosel, Germany)
Mature rarity made fro late-picked, single vineyard grapes-hone, peach, petrol, apple and stone.

This was by far and away her favorite wine and proclaimed over and over again, "I would buy a bottle of this." I think we may have a wine drinker here everyone!!!!

My Wine List:
Rose' Bordeux, De Ramage, '07 (Bordeaux, France)
Bordeux beauty that's pretty in pink-blend of grapes with cherry, strawberry an herbal flavors.

By far not my favorite, but as I learned last night, the second sip is much better than the first and this glass got easier to drink as it went on.

Shiraz Blend "The Red One," First Drop of Wines, '08 (South Australia)
An explosion of juicy/spicy and earthy tones make-up this elegant, unoaked red Burgundy.

This glass was my favorite, it was like slipping on that sexy little black dress and knowing you could dance the night away. Bruno even liked this one!

Petit Verdot, Truchard, '05 (Trentino, Italy)
Dark purple grape from Bordeaux seldom bottled solo: black cherry, hints of cedar, tobacco and vanilla

A very rich and heavy body. If you were going off of smell, then you would never like this wine, but get past the heavy cedar and tobacco aroma and you have a beautiful flavor.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS:

We had an amazing night, reconnecting, laughing and just being girls. The food was far and away the best meal we have had in ages and I actually brought out the wine drinker in a non-conformist.

To create a menu for you we suggest the following:

Truffled Egg Toast with Fontina Cheese, this dish made our eyes roll back in our heads, our mouths water with anticipation of the next bite and the hair on our necks stand up. I will be spending the rest of my life trying to figure out how to recreate this dish.

Arugula with Beets Salad, the almonds had a hint of spice and smoke cut with he goat cheese it could not be pared better with the glass of Shiraz or Sancet.

Grilled Artichoke Panino, the spice was cut with the sweetness of the artichoke, the saltiness from the cheese complimented all aspects of this sandwich.

Finish with the Nutella Panino, because how can you go wrong with Nutella???

Our wine picks for the night were the Shiraz for me and Riesling for Bruno!

So my faithful readers, I bid you a good night, and a happy weekend. I leave you for the next few days for a well needed vacation. I shall return come Monday night and I look forward to entertaining you with my journey through wine! Drink safe, be well and love full!

Cheers!