Last night was one of my favorite things to attend- a L'Albatros wine and cheese dinner hosted by General Manager and Sommelier Brandon Chrostowski. They host these events a couple of times a year, and we now never miss them after experiencing our first one last year. Actually, "R" no longer allows Girls' Night for the cheese dinners after attending his first this past January. It is a night filled with delicious cheeses and bold wines, as Brandon takes you on a journey.
Our journey was through Ohio last night. The event featured eight cheeses and eight wines that Brandon found not too far from our fine city. Many people were familiar with the wineries featured, including Firelands Winery, Grand River Cellars, Markko Vineyard, Chalet Debonne Vineyards, Harpers Field Vineyard, Saint Joseph Vineyard, and Laurello Vineyard. Our favorite white wine was the Chardonnay from Markko, and I enjoyed a couple of the reds. Starting the night off with some bubbly from Firelands wasn't a bad way to begin the meal either!
But, of course, the real star of the event was the cheese. Ah, the glorious cheese.
Eight different cheeses, both hard and soft, mild and bold. Our favorite was the hard Ludlow cheese (pictured at 6:00 on the plate), but we did purchase three at the end of the night. That's the best part! You can purchase any of the cheeses beginning at a 1/4 pound, and all of the wines are available as well. You get to continue the fun at home. While this wasn't my favorite cheese event that I've attended, it was fun to explore our own state. Most of the cheeses were just a tad mild for my personal taste.
For $70 (including tax and tip), it certainly isn't a cheap night. But this is an experience that you can't find anywhere else in Cleveland. It also includes live music, passed appetizers, and a dessert course. If you enjoy cheese, this is worth doing at least once. Keep an eye on their Facebook page and Twitter account for notices. They only happen a couple of times a year. Mmm, I can't wait for the next one already...
L'Albatros Brasserie & Bar
11401 Bellflower Road
Cleveland, OH 44106
216-791-7880
Our journey was through Ohio last night. The event featured eight cheeses and eight wines that Brandon found not too far from our fine city. Many people were familiar with the wineries featured, including Firelands Winery, Grand River Cellars, Markko Vineyard, Chalet Debonne Vineyards, Harpers Field Vineyard, Saint Joseph Vineyard, and Laurello Vineyard. Our favorite white wine was the Chardonnay from Markko, and I enjoyed a couple of the reds. Starting the night off with some bubbly from Firelands wasn't a bad way to begin the meal either!
But, of course, the real star of the event was the cheese. Ah, the glorious cheese.
Eight different cheeses, both hard and soft, mild and bold. Our favorite was the hard Ludlow cheese (pictured at 6:00 on the plate), but we did purchase three at the end of the night. That's the best part! You can purchase any of the cheeses beginning at a 1/4 pound, and all of the wines are available as well. You get to continue the fun at home. While this wasn't my favorite cheese event that I've attended, it was fun to explore our own state. Most of the cheeses were just a tad mild for my personal taste.
For $70 (including tax and tip), it certainly isn't a cheap night. But this is an experience that you can't find anywhere else in Cleveland. It also includes live music, passed appetizers, and a dessert course. If you enjoy cheese, this is worth doing at least once. Keep an eye on their Facebook page and Twitter account for notices. They only happen a couple of times a year. Mmm, I can't wait for the next one already...
L'Albatros Brasserie & Bar
11401 Bellflower Road
Cleveland, OH 44106
216-791-7880
7 comments:
I really wish I wasn't allergic to dairy. I'd be there in a heartbeat. I miss eating good cheese. I attended several similar dinners at a little gourmet store in Bonn, Germany when I lived there and really learned to appreciate good cheese. Of course, that was before the allergist diagnosed me and I suffered for several days afterwards :-( Sounds like it was a lovely evening! I love L'Albatros.
Is it $70 per couple? Or per person? Sounds fun but I agree the price seems steep. Maybe I'd have to see how much wine and other food they give you to justify it. :)
It is per person.
I agree, I'd love to see the other food that was involved too. I love their cheese!! I wasn't too keen on spending $70 for Ohio wines but I plan on going to one SOON!
They provided three different passed appetizers, which were offered to us at least four times, and then the dessert course included three different types of small-bite desserts. It also includes unlimited bread service to pair with the cheese.
Cheese for dinner - I'm in. I haven't heard of this before, sounds like a lot of fun. Do they offer a non-wine-drinker price?
I don't believe so, but it's always worth asking. Or you can just go in for cheese on your own one night and build your own cheese plate from around 20 different cheeses offered daily.
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