Tequila For Dinner

I've been to countless wine dinners, a rum dinner but never a tequila dinner; that is until last week at Agave Southwestern Grill in Naples, FL. The restaurant recently upgraded and updated the regular menu but I knew on this night we were in for an extra special treat from the kitchen.

We had four courses of food and different 1800 Tequilas. The tequilas were poured on their own, in addition, they were mixed into  specialty mini-margaritas.

The first course set the bar pretty high; butter-poached lobster over a roasted mushroom and gulf shrimp crepe. It was paired with 1800 Blanco, the youngest spirit of the night. The blanco was also mixed in to a refreshing lemon rosemary tart-rita. On it's own it added spice to the dish and in the margarita it cut through the heavy butter for a near seamless combination.

Next up, a pan-searted yellow tail on top of spiced sweet potato sticks, a chipotle-corn nage and avocado tomatillo relish. The 1800 Reposado was richer with a bit of a butterscotch on the palate. It was also mixed into a ginger pear margarita that was not as sweet as I was expecting. The combination worked well.

Third course was braised short ribs with roasted root vegetables, whipped boniatos and chile negro. I could taste more oak and vanilla in the 1800 Anejo. The aged spirit was also mixed into a pomegranate sage margarita. I liked the spicy tequila with the sweet roots and the sage was a great companion to the tender meat.

The last pairing was my least favorite; margarita cheesecake with orange-lime marmalade and lime dust. The dessert itself was outstanding, but I did not like it paired with the 1971 Cream tequila and the berry cobblerita. The cream tequila on it's own reminded me of a Baileys; try it for something different. However, when mixed in the cocktail it separated and tasted like bubble gum. Hey three smashes out of four ain't bad!

Agave often has tequila dinners, so check their website or call the restaurant for upcoming dates. You can even plan your own. This particular night was a special event put on by Impact Initiative as a fund raiser for the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida. I think I can speak for all of the ladies in attendance when I say we had one heck of a festive, fun time while raising money for a great cause!