Course 1: Halibut and shrimp sangrita ceviche
When we first moved to Stamford and were searching for some good Nuevo Latino food like we had in Port Chester, our neighbor told us about Brasitas in Stamford. So we gave it a shot and what ensued next was probably the funniest moment of our dining out history. A guy in a shirt and jeans ran down the road and told us to give him our keys. Naturally, we were a bit confused because it just seemed like a random guy. Eventually he convinced us that, yes, he was just the valet. We gave him the keys and he said, “Okay, thank you…bye bye,” and pretended to steal our car. Well, he was the valet and we still chuckle each time we eat there.
So, wouldn’t you know it, there was a 5 course wine dinner at Brasitas on, of all days, Kristien’s birthday. That didn’t take much thought at all at $60 a pop. WinePort of Darien supplied the wine and Brasitas supplied the comida. This kinda thing goes down once a month at this spot. Here’s a breakdown of the courses along with the wine that went with it.
Halibut and shrimp sangrita ceviche. This was a fresh, light, and cilantroized, citrusy ceviche. The fish was fresh and the Trivento Torrontes, 2009, paired well. It, too, was fresh and vibrant, with hints of melon, honey, and citrus. The flavors of both married so sweetly together.
Course 2
Organic baby arugula salad. This was a small little summer dish that left us wanting more. Arugula with watermelon, candied cashews, manchego, were lightly covered in a blood orange dressing. The flavors and textures in the salad were so well crafted, but we wanted more dressing…there didn’t seem to be enough. This was paired with the Trivento Pinor Noir, a soft red with cherry and berry flavors and just a hint of spice. We’re not usually huge Pinot Noir fans, but this was great.
Course 3
Spiced pan roasted duck breast, butternut squash-chestnut puree with blackberry reduction sauce. To start off, Kristien was doubtful about this dish because she isn’t the biggest duck fan. But, the chefs at Brasitas brought her into the light. The duck was moist and cooked perfectly and went perfectly with the flavorful puree and sauce. This course was paired with the Trivento Gold Reserve Malbec 2008, a complex and fleshy wine that had soft tannins and had hints of fig, cocoa, and tobacco. This was a great wine, too.
Course 4 ;)
Grilled NY Strip with green chillies, Peruvian purple mashed potato & roasted pepper, garlic, parsley, capers, and pebre sauce. The purple mashed potatoes freaking rocked it, no doubt. Lots of flavor and good contrast to the steak that was cooked perfect for us. This was paired with the Marquez de Casa Concha Carmenere. It was reminiscent of a Merlot, with big plum flavor, was full, rich, and rustic.
Final Course!
Bread Pudding: warmed white chocolate bread pudding with vanilla ice cream, served with a dark rum sauce. If you’re hardcore Omnomivores and have made it to the end of this post, you know that Kristien’s favorite dessert of all time is bread pudding. So, what better way to celebrate another year? It was spicy, thick, and moist–a killer dessert and way to end things. Again, this paired up so nicely with Concha y Toro Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. This white was full of apricot taste with a nice subtle hint of honey, but wasn’t too sweet at all. This is hard to do with late harvest because many of them end up being super sweet.
So, this five course meal just friggin rocked it so hard. We loved the food and the wine pairings. Even more impressive? The bottles were on sale at the spot from WinePort, from $12.99-$24.99. Not too shabby. Brasitas is a gem in Stamford and has the cahones to beat the crap out of most restaurants nearby. We’ll be back soon–coursed dinner with wine or not.
Brasitas Noms: 4.25 Cost: $$$ Address: 954 East Main Street Stamford, CT 06902 Phone: (203) 354.7329 Site: http://www.brasitas.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/BRASITASRESTAURANT
OmNomCT 
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