504139 Sat Mar 29 20:05:15 -0700 2008 5 2 Los Angeles Area 0 3541860 This past Tuesday my girlfriend and I were lucky to have enjoyed a special Spanish wine dinner at Max. It was 6-course tasting menu for $68/person, that also included wine pairings with each course. With the wine pairings included this meal was an exceptional bargain. With the quality of the food, this was a steal. I could go on and on about how much Max continues to impress me with each visit, but I'll just let the menu speak for itself: 1st Course: Trio of Tapas: Tortilla Espanola, Escabeche of Ahi Tuna, Shrimp in Garlic Sauce Wine: 2003 Marques de Geilda Brut Cava This course was a great start. The brut was a good wine to open the palette and each of the 3 tapas were terrific. I thought the garlic shrimp went the best with the wine. 2nd Course: Sopa de Garbanzo: Garbanzo Bean Soup with chorizo and smoked paprika oil. Wine: Dios Baco Fina Sherry I thought sherry was an interesting combination with the smokiness from the soup, which was earthy, silky, and smoky. Very tasty chorizo. 3rd Course: Bacalao: Salt Cod with potatoes and tomato-fennel fondue Wine: 2005 Vina Sila Naides This was one of the standout dishes for me. I liked the wine/fried fish combination. The wine had good balance that paired nicely with the sauce. 4th Course: Pez Espada: Swordfish with romesco sauce Wine: 2003 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Coleccion Privada Another great course. The GF just about licked the plate clean. 5th Course: Brochetas de Filete: Filet Mignon Skewers with salsa verde and piquillo pepper relleno Wine: 2003 Finca Allende Tinto Allende This course was nice. The filet pieces were skewered with rosemary which made for a nice presentation and more flavor. The wine in this course was probably my favorite of the night along with the wine from the 3rd course. Dessert: Torta de Tres Leches: Tres Leches Torte with caramel and strawberry granitas Wine: Jorge Ordonez Seleccion Especial As if I wasn't already stuffed, to top off the night they brought out generous portions of the torta, which was quite good and the Jorge Ordonez was a great pairing. There were reps from the wine distributor that talked about each of the wines, location, production process etc. Chef Guerrero discussed his love for his personal history with Spanish food and discussed the concept of the dinner, which was an tribute to recipes he remembers from childhood. The entire event felt very intimate. All the patrons arrived at the same time and we all ate and chatted together. I really hope that they do this sort of event more often. Sat Mar 29 20:05:16 -0700 2008 72196 spoggly 1 3541994 Talk about the wine in course #3. Henry Wine Group provided the wines and they generally do a very good job. I had tickets to Disney Hall, and thus could not attend, but really wanted to. sounded like you enjoyed yourselves! Sat Mar 29 21:20:30 -0700 2008 3541860 10359 carter 1 3546303 Do they advertise this on their website or have an email list? I would have loved to go, as we just returned from Spain and are on the look out for food/wine from Spain. Mon Mar 31 12:08:49 -0700 2008 3541860 14124 CarlieInLA 2 3547882 The Flask Fine Wines on Ventura near Vantage has a fine selection of Spanish wines. They have a wine tasting bar and you might want to call and see when they are doing Spanish wines. (818)761-5373 Mon Mar 31 19:48:31 -0700 2008 3546303 12033 Hughlipton 3 3549456 Thanks for the tip! Tue Apr 01 10:41:43 -0700 2008 3547882 14124 CarlieInLA 2 3547976 I heard about it directly from them, but also signed up for their email list on their website and did receive an email about it. Mon Mar 31 20:26:24 -0700 2008 3546303 72196 spoggly