by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
The Wine Cellar has been a Jacksonville staple for more than twenty years, but that doesn’t mean that it should be forgotten in favor of some newer bistro. For the Southbank’s Wine Cellar, the buzz has died down and the press assumes that everyone already knows about this gem. They don’t. Oh, they have their regulars, who come in and ask for menu items long gone (the kitchen is happy to accommodate), but there’s a whole generation of foodies hungry for fine French faire who haven’t heard of the Wine Cellar. It’s my sovereign duty to make sure that they do.
Traditional French cuisine can be harder to find these days because of the invasion of “fusion” cooking. Chef Adam Markowitz says that there are few items on the menu that are concessions to the fusion movement (like their highly recommended seared sashimi tuna), but most items “stick with traditional French sauces and cooking.” Seduced as I had been by fusion, until I started eating my meal at the Wine Cellar, I’d forgotten how much I’d missed pure French cuisine. Chef Adam’s sauces were exquisite beyond reproach. Entrée prices range from just $17 to $55. Everything I had was worth the menu price.
The restaurant itself has a very traditional feel, with brick walls and a wall of wines. It’s larger than it looks and can hold enough people for a medium sized wedding reception, with rooms that are easily sectioned off for private parties.
Asparagus has become a standard at most fine restaurants, perhaps because it looks elegant and because the flavor sets off so many different kinds of dishes. The Wine Cellar doesn’t serve their asparagus in the usual manner; their asparagus is snugly encased in a deep-fried jacket of breadcrumbs, served with lump crab meat and béarnaise. Appetizer descriptions made me want to try them all. Those who don’t have an affinity for seafood should skip down to the salads and accompaniments, because every appetizer involves seafood of some kind.
For my second course I dove into a well-presented salad of fresh Bibb lettuce, a spring mix of greens, lush berries and generous portions of warm pecan encrusted goat cheese. What set this salad apart was the combination of flavors and the sweet vanilla bean-champagne vinaigrette. I wished that the goat cheese had been broken up in the salad more, but I appreciated that they don’t skimp on the cheese. Another salad that caught my interest on the menu was the spring mix sprinkled with walnuts and feta cheese, with a strawberry vinaigrette. I’ve had a long and meaningful relationship with both feta and strawberries and I like the idea of both of their flavors on the same plate.
I tasted the almond encrusted grouper finished, with an orange Amaretto sauce, and proceeded to fall in love with both the sauce, the fish and the perfectly sautéed vegetable medley. This fish made me want to try others on the menu, like the dill encrusted salmon served over rice pilaf, a cucumber-red onion relish and finished with a lemon hollandaise. Alas, I could only eat so much in a sitting, and marked the salmon for another occasion.
Perhaps the star of my meal was the New Zealand rack of lamb, roasted with a cabernet and honey glaze and a drizzle of a fresh mint and ginger syrup. I was happily surprised at the amount of lamb and I enjoyed the creamy mashed potatoes. The excellent execution of the sauce and the fairly liberal amount on the plate makes this item well worth its price. Meat lovers can also order a filet mignon or hearty eaters can get a 16 ounce grilled certified Black Angus Prime New York strip steak.
For dessert I reveled in their bread pudding. The sweetness in this dish was lent by ingredients, not by tons of sugar. It hit just the perfect balance of flavor and texture with a sprinkling of fresh berries and fresh whipped cream.
Name: Adam Markowitz
Restaurant: Wine Cellar
What’s your culinary background?
AOS in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America. I’ve been around food since a very early age and I’ve worked at all aspects of the business.
One cooking utensil on a desert island: what would it
be and why?
Knife. To cut things I might find along the way.
What’s your favorite meal to eat?
Rack of Lamb.
What’s your favorite meal to cook?
Braised Osso Bocco
What’s your favorite sauce to make?
Demi-glaze
What spice or herb do you use most?
Rosemary.
What’s the most unusual ingredient you’ve ever used in
a dish?
Squid Ink.
Ingredients:
12-14 ounce rack of New Zealand lamb
¼ cup honey
4 tablespoons Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tablespoons apple flavored mint jelly
3 leaves fresh mint
1 ounce chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup water
salt
pepper
Method:
1. Salt and pepper your rack of lamb
2. In a separate bowl, mix honey and cabernet together
3. Brush rack with mixture and roast the rack at 425 degrees, meat side down, for 10-12 minutes.
4. In a separate pot, mix the rest of the ingredients until they come to a rapid boil.
5. Lower the heat and reduce down to syrup consistency.
6. Take your rack out of the oven, cut them up into chops and drizzle on the syrup.
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