Event Report: A Tasting of New and Old at Happy Hollow Club

Our December Holiday event has been an Omaha Branch tradition for 14 years now. This time, we invited the Council Bluffs Branch to join the fun. Besides the spacious ambiance of the Happy Hollow Club, we enjoyed the In the Moment Band and their jazz tunes. The chefs have always been top notch, and Brenden Brown is probably the most creative of them all. Brenden and host Duke Matz collaborated to combine traditional European cuisine (old) with modern flavors and wine pairings (new). Duke had the help of a professional somm to take us out of our vinous comfort zone.

After appetizers and top notch quaffing wines from our cellar, we repaired to table. Chairman of the Americas Zone Steve Hipple had some awards to distribute. President of both branches, Dave Thrasher, as well as Vice President of both branches, Mike Wilke, were awarded the Americas Silver Medal under the Council Bluffs branch. Both are selfless examples of helping their branches. Then Duke Matz with 17 years of devotion, and Tom Murnan, with 10 years of contributions, both to the Omaha Branch, were awarded the prestigious André Simon Bronze Medal. Congratulations to all the award winners, and many thanks for all the hard work. Course I was Consommé of Golden Beets, Stuffed Pasta, and Parisienne Vegetables. The slightly sweet broth matched the Domaine Huet “Le Haut Lieu” Demi-Sec Vouvray (Chenin Blanc) 2018. Demi-sec means half dry. I enjoyed this somewhat unusual match. Course II was a salad containing bacon and pickled onions with a Butternut Squash Purée base. In a bold move, this was matched to a red wine: Domaine des Bosquets Gigondas 2011. In my opinion, it was just an OK match. Course III was Marzipan Crusted Scallops. The marzipan added crunch and sweetness to the scallops which made them a bit cloying. Another bold wine selection was to pair this to a Hartford Old Vine Zinfandel, Russian River Valley 2015. This was not a marriage made in heaven to my palate. The marzipan was too sweet and seem like the clashing white headed step child ingredient. Course IV found us with Filet of Tenderloin Rossini. A very classical dish, it included truffle and foie gras, which had tremendous harmony with the beef. We had one old world wine with the Château Monbousquet, Saint Emilion 2010 and a new world wine, the Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2015. Both worked extremely well with the dish. Course V had a tasting of three different ways to use pumpkin in desserts. The Sandeman 20 Year Old Tawny Port went well with the flavor profile, but was a little overwhelming for the delicate pumpkin fruit (yes, it’s not a vegetable).

Many thanks to Chef Brenden, and his small army of kitchen help and servers. Service was spot on, as was the timing of all the courses. The cuisine showed out of the box thinking and creativity but did push the envelope towards a more intellectual, rather than sensual, comfort food, point. Thanks as well to Duke Matz and his somm consultant who experimented with taking us up the wine path less traveled with some of the pairings. It forced us to rethink our wine boundaries and get us out of complacency.