Revolve True Food & Wine donates to Cooking with Class

Event date: Thursday, September 13, 2018

One of the fabulous-as-usual raffle items at Cooking with Class this year are two tickets to a wine dinner at Revolve restaurant in Bothell, along with a bottle of wine to take home.

We had the chance to attend a wine dinner at Revolve on August 5 and thought we'd share what it was like, so you have an idea of the quality of auction and raffle items you'll find at the event.

If you've been to Revolve, you know how lovely the restaurant is, with dark wood and great lighting. You may have noticed the circular stairway going down. It leads to a beautiful private dining area where their wine dinners take place.

Capitello Wines' owner/winemaker Ray Walsh was on hand. From New Zealand originally, he brought Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir he made from both New Zealand and the Willamette Valley (he now lives in Eugene). He talked about the flavor profiles and the difference between them. The New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was distributed by Ray's family to the U.K. and won top honors as the best SB.

Chef Adam Gerlitz (left) and Winemaker Ray Walsh (right)

Revolve Chef Adam Gerlitz took time from the kitchen to talk about each course just before it came out. Both he and Ray talked about the interplay between the wines they had paired with the dishes. Adam had a five-course menu planned, but last minute had two changes. First, he was able to get some beautiful fresh, local cucumber, so he added a cold soup to start the evening: cucumber, dill, yogurt, drizzled with olive oil. A chilled crab salad followed with cucumber crème fraiche and roasted chili. This was served with a 2017 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough.

Seared albacore tuna followed, served with purple carrot-radish slaw and green apple vinaigrette. This was paired with a 2017 Sauvignon Blanc from the Willamette Valley.

Crispy lamb belly with blackberry habanero jam and hazelnut-sunchoke puree was a personal favorite. It was crispy outside and tender inside. It was served with a 2015 Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley.

The "main" dish was grilled pork tenderloin with the pork coming from Carlton Farms. It was served with piquillo pepper sauce, pea vines, and cheese stuffed squash blossoms. This was the second change. Originally, Adam planned to use goat cheese, but instead stuffed the blossoms with house-made ricotta. Delicious.

Revolve's pastry chef ended the evening with blood orange-rhubarb panna cotta with blueberry dust. It was served with Café Vita organic coffee.

Whatever Revolve serves has to meet owner Dusty Dubois' exacting standards: all menu items are free of gluten, grains, MSG, preservatives, trans fats, refined or cane sugar, emulsifiers, GMO and soy. They serve only animal proteins that are natural and raised humanely, without the use of antibiotics and added hormones. Guests enjoy wild seafood, organic farm fresh eggs and seasonal organic produce, knowing the quality of food they're putting in their bodies.

We've been to a number of wine dinners over the years and it's always interesting to talk with other people who attend. At this dinner, I kept hearing people talk about things they can't eat, food issues they have, etc. And yet they were able to eat every course (except for one guest who couldn't have dairy-and the staff was totally on top of that). For people who have food allergies, gluten issues, etc., this is a wine dinner experience you can have without qualm.

If you'd like to take a chance at winning a wine dinner at Revolve, or bidding on having a chef dinner in your home or "sleeping around" the Northwest, come to Cooking with Class, cook with local chefs, eat what you make and pair it with amazing wines. It's an evening you won't forget.

Details:

Event: Cooking with Class
Day/Date: Thursday, September 13, 2018
Time: Check-in starts at 6 p.m.
Location: Salty's on Alki
Why: Fundraiser for low income/homeless seniors through the Pike Place Market Foundation
Cost: $175 per person. Includes appetizers from Salty's, bites from B & E Meats and Seafood, sips from the Esquin Wine tasting
table on the front deck, wine and beer at the inside tasting table, three cooking classes, fun raffle, live auction, great gift bag (seriously).

Reserve your spot: www.seattledining.com/cwc

Questions: Call Connie at 206-898-7687

August 2018