Phil Masturzo
| Special to the Akron Beacon Journal
Meals Beacon Journal restaurant reporter Tawney Beans ate in August
Take a look at the eateries Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans visited in August and what she thought of their food.
Nero d’Avola and eggplant go together like milk and cookies. It only makes sense because Sicily is Italy’s largest eggplant producer and Nero d’Avola its most widely planted red grape.
La Vera Siciliana is a wonderful red blend of Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese, and Frappato from Sicily. It’s the perfect wine to have with eggplant parmesan, fried eggplant, eggplant rollups, and one of my island favorites, pasta alla Norma – every Italian nonna in Northeast Ohio has been harvesting eggplant from their garden for weeks now.
The versatility of this $17.99 wine is uncanny and shouldn’t be limited to eggplant dishes.
Not sure if Lawson’s chip dip has made its way to the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, but it sure pairs nicely with this wine. I was nibbling on a few chips while my pal Rich Kirk was making his tasty short rib sliders. An excellent accompaniment with this Sicilian red that boasts seductive red raspberry and cherry flavors.
I like to push the envelope as they say, and picked up a second bottle to taste at a recent private wine dinner with chef Beau Schmidt. I was floored at how well this red paired with three of the courses served – scallop nicoise, arugula watermelon salad with pork belly and tangerine vinaigrette, and pan-seared sea bass with beet farro salad, crabmeat, candied walnuts with a poached cherry reduction. The wine surely shined with the awesome cuisine.
Buy this wine at Beau’s Bistro and Bar in Copley, Krieger’s Market in Cuyahoga Falls, Mustard Seed Market in Montrose, Corkscrew Johnny’s in Richfield, Heinen’s in Hudson and Brecksville, and Meyers Lake Beverage in Canton.
Cheers to Ben Curtis foundation’s wine event
The Ben Curtis Family Foundation is holding its annual wine event, The Tour, on Oct. 9 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Fairlawn. Kent State graduate and former British Open champ Ben Curtis and his lovely wife Candace are raising money for their nonprofit organization that helps fight childhood food insecurity in 15 local school districts in Summit, Portage and Stark counties.
It has been my absolute pleasure to help curate more than 30 amazing wines that will be poured at this event. I am excited to announce that my dear friend Francesca Bonfadini is flying in to pour her wonderful Italian sparkling Franciacorta wines.
To add a bit of local flair, Tony Granata, who co-owns Implicit Cellars along with Leary Cox of Akron, and Ed Kuchar of Bath, will be pouring their wines made by Napa Valley icon Kirk Venge.
New Philadelphia native Jim Demuth, the proprietor of Gregory James wines in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma, will join Francesca and Tony in the VIP room. Ryan Faddis will also be on hand from Newberg, Oregon, to pour McCollum Heritage 91, the wines of GlenOak graduate and NBA star CJ McCollum, who now plays with the Washington Wizards.
A live auctioneer will add spice and excitement to the event while taking bids on several premium experiences, including a golf package with Ben as well as a private wine dinner with Firestone High School graduate and Napa Valley rock star winemaker Drew Neiman.
Gather your friends and join us for an unforgettable night that will also include tasty small plates made by chef Beau Schmidt. Admission into the VIP hour, which starts at 5:30 p.m., is $225 per person. General admission, which runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., is $125. All wines poured at the event will be available for purchase. It will be a great opportunity to stock up your wine cellar while helping a most worthy cause. Click on the link bit.ly/bcffthetour to purchase tickets.
THC beverage sampling
Meyers Lake Beverage in Canton is having a THC-infused beverage sampling from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 2. Tickets are $5 at the door to sample four unique cannabis-infused beverages.
You can reach Phil Masturzo at philyourglass@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @pmasturzo_philyourglass
Dining and Cooking