The Other Opus

When I hear the word "Opus" the first thing that comes to mind is wine; Opus One, a high-end Bordeaux style blend by Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. The name alone conjours various adjectives from wine-lovers; perfection, over-rated, pretentious, delicious, status symbol, but almost always quality. So naturally my expectations were high when I visited a new restaurant in Punta Gorda, FL by the name of Opus.

The word "Opus" actually means an artistic composition, especially music. I'll say the food at Opus was  music all right....music to my mouth.

We started with the Opus Pate' (bacon-onion marmalade, pear conserve, marinated olives, cibatta toasts) and a glass of sparkling wine. The pate' was creamy, the olives fresh and salty and bacon makes everything better! So does bubbly! Great way to kick things off.

I ordered the Grilled Endive salad, expecting it to be sliced lengthwise then grilled. Instead it was cut into chunks, mixed with: pancetta, fresh pears, dried cherries, blue cheese and tossed with a lemon and basil vinaigrette. It was a great balance of flavor and texture.

The entrees we tried included a delicious, fatty but meaty, Roast Duck Breast (mango chili glaze, sweet corn griddle cakes, grilled asparagus, soy basil caramel). And a fresh, flavorful Pan Roasted Grouper with a mango butter sauce. Both dishes were keepers, but the art hanging on the walls was not. It's a new place so of course we gave it the once over while waiting for our food. The decor was on the trendy side but the paintings were of Florida sunsets and landscapes; perhaps more suited for the walls of a seafood joint. The art was beautiful, it just didn't seem to fit. That being said, we went to Opus for good food, not artwork.

Our night out at Opus was the same night as the June "Gallery Walk", so the otherwise sleepy downtown was full of energy. Gallery Walk is an evening of music, art and food; held the third Thursday of every month by the Punta Gorda Downtown Merchants Association. Try something new this month. Make dinner reservations at Opus and check out the next Gallery Walk (July 21st)!

Good Bottle Gone Bad

A dear friend of mine recently had a birthday and not only did he get gifts, he gave gifts. Delicious gifts from his wine cellar; Opus One and Stag's Leap S.L.V. He arrived at Fleming's Steakhouse with a bottle under each arm and asked our server for permission to uncork. Most good restaurants are open to BYOB of wines they do not have on their list. Opus One and Stag's Leap are often found on reserve wine lists but not vintages like these; 2002 and 1998 respectively. My mouth was watering as the wines were decanted. Thankfully they lived up to my expectations.

It's always good etiquette to buy a bottle when you bring one and Fleming's list has a multitude of great choices. We all agreed to a bottle of one of my favorite Cabernets; Chateau Montelena (2007).

Our server poured a small taste and handed it to the wine connoisseur sitting next to me for approval. When he put his nose into the glass, it was obvious he was contemplating; but we didn't know exactly what. When he swirled the wine again, even I could smell the mildew. Being a fan of the wine, we knew the bottle was "corked" or bad. It happens; even in the best restaurants. Our server poured another small taste, disappeared with it and returned shortly with a new bottle that was outstanding.

I'm writing about this so if it happens to you, you wont settle for drinking an off-bottle because you are embarrassed to speak up or afraid you might be wrong. Yes, some wines smell like a barnyard. If you're not sure: swirl it in your glass, let it open some more, sniff again, then taste.  If you are still not sure, ask your server to inspect. Restaurant managers can get credits or replacement for bad bottles from their distributors so it's not like you are sticking them. Even more important, they want you to leave their establishment with a good taste in your mouth, literally.