Food + Wine Pairing / Magnolias Pimento Filet

I knew outta the gate I wanted pimento cheese somewhere in this issue. Magnolias Uptown Down South cookbook by my old friend Donald Barickman provided me with a perfect complement to our 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I took the liberty of riffing on this dish easy to make for an easy meal. If you want the full tilt boogie recipe buy the cookbook.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 4 filets of beef 6-8 oz each
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil Salt + Pepper
• Pimento Cheese (we order it from Pawleys Island Specialty Foods)
• Smashed Potatoes
• Simple Green Salad

INSTRUCTIONS

Boil water with a spoonful of salt. When it gets rolling add smaller gauge potatoes (3 per person) and cook until tender when pierced by a fork (15 min. or so) Drain them when done. Heat a cast iron skillet to a little north of medium setting, add some olive oil, then the potatoes. Using the bottom of your fave, flat-bottomed coffee cup, gently press the potatoes until flat and about a half inch thick. When they start to crisp up, flip them and repeat. At this point, I like to sprinkle with some spicy red pepper and add a little butter to the pan. Turn off the heat and let those rascals bask in all that goodness. Light your grill! Brush filets with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place filets on a hot grill, close the lid and cook a bit below desired temp (depending on the fire’s intensity, a filet should cook about 8-10 min. per side to reach medium rare). When you get close to the desired temp, take filets off the grill, slather the tops with Pimento Cheese, put them back on the grill, close the lid and leave for another 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately. Assemble it all on a plate, toss a simple green salad with vinaigrette of your choosing, pour a big ‘ole glass of our ’21 Napa Cab and enjoy your feast.

Food + Wine Pairing / Balthazar Moules À LA Marinière

When Michelle and I are in NYC we always have a meal at Balthazar. The Balthazar Cookbook is a French bible to me and something I use throughout the year. The Foreword by Robert Hughes is a gift to all those that love the truth behind our most cherished food institutions. Their recipe for mussels nails with our Rose. I polished off a bottle last night while enjoying them with a baguette just to make sure I didn’t lead you astray.

A large crock of mussels seems glamorous late at night and workmanlike at lunch. Shiny and black, mussels evoke images of the Mediterranean, but they're also inexpensive and quick to cook. The broth itself is half the point and the crusty bread is as important as a spoon.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 T. unsalted butter
• 5 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the bias
• 4 sprigs thyme
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Freshly cracked white pepper
• 4 tablespoons crème fraîche
• 2 lbs. mussels, preferably Prince Edward Island
• 20 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• French baguette, grilled or heated just before serving

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over a low flame. Add the shallots, garlic, celery and thyme. Gently sauté for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not browned. Season with a pinch of kosher salt. Add the wine, pepper, and crème fraîche, raise the heat to high. Once the liquid comes to a boil, add the mussels, stir gently, and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the mussels open. Add the parsley and stir gently. Serve in large bowls (remembering to discard any unopened mussels), with crusty bread and chilled 2022 Whetstone 'Silvaspoons' Rosé.

20 Years of Whetstone | Chapter 1

The beginnings...

Charleston, South Carolina is a magical place, integral to me becoming me. Less James Dewitt Whetstone Jr, more Jamey Whetstone. One of the spots that indelibly imprinted the Low Country ideals of drink hard, play hard, work hard on my soul was Magnolias… Uptown Down South Southern Cuisine.  

The year was 1994. Two hour wait any-night-of-the-week with reservations booked for months in advance. No other front/back team like it ANYWHERE in the Carolinas at that time. I’d grab a case of Budweiser and a 5th of Jack Black on my way into work and give it to the kitchen pre-shift when I arrived to set up my station; I did this knowing I’d f@ck something up at some point during service and need a re-fire on the fly without any explanation. Fast forward to heat of battle at 8:30pm Saturday - order 2 rickshaws to cobblestone Lodge Alley side of the building, call Carolinas down the street and set up tequila shots with beer backs for 4 at the bar, confirm your station was handled by the Server Assistants for next 8 minutes, jump in rickshaws and have them ride like hell to Carolinas, jump out and cruise into their packed restaurant in full Magnolias uniforms (slick advertising right?!), guzzle said booze, hop back into rickshaws, re-enter your station with enough adrenaline and (smug) stoke to push through the rest of the shift.

Donald Barickman was the founding chef/owner of Magnolias and a good friend of mine. To say he set the bar for fine dining in CHS from the day they opened in July 1990 would be a gross understatement. He was the first I knew of to establish relationships with local purveyors of all things - rice, flour, seasonal vegetables and fruits, seafood, beef, poultry, dairy.

What follows are a few of my favorite recipes of his paired up with our wines:

Down South Egg Rolls with Red Pepper Sauce, Spicy Mustard and Peach Chutney + 2019 Whetstone 'Catie's Corner' Viognier

Spicy Shrimp, Sausage and Tasso Gravy over Creamy White Grits + 2021 Whetstone Rosé 

Chicken and Sage Hash with Poached Eggs and a Cracked Peppercorn Hollandaise + 2017 Whetstone 'Walala" Pinot Noir 

Grilled Filet of Beef Topped with Pimiento Cheese served with Grilled Tomatoes, Green Onions, Parslied Potatoes and a Madeira Sauce + 2019 Whetstone Cabernet Sauvignon 

Warm Cream Cheese Brownies with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Chocolate and Caramel Sauce + just cause you should ;)

Whetstone Endless Summer 2021

Let's get Dad ready for grilling season...

It's summer once again,
which means it's time for Jamey
to swap his Carhartts for his board shorts and
get the grill ready for another round of his famous ribs!
(check out the recipe below)

And nothing pairs better with BBQ ribs
than the perfect Pinot...

To make your backyard BBQ's righteous, check out our special gift packs for that rad dad in your life! 

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Father's Day Specials 

Choose any 3-pack special and include
a gift message in your order notes to
make gifting thoughtful and effortless! 

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Delicious meals and great bottles
have been keeping our stoke levels high...

Here is Jamey's famous rib recipe to keep you inspired:

CAUTION:
This recipe will cause an uproar amongst the slow-cooked, fall off the bone rib 
folks, and you will be the focus of ridicule and wild speculation as to your 
lack of knowledge on the subject…until they taste it. 

 

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Cheers to sunsets, grillin' outside,
great wine and gnarly waves! 

Shhhh....it's a secret!

My worship of all things pig are well known amongst Whetstone friends and family...

 

But my riff on a recipe by the famous Tuscany-born, American restaurateur, Pino Luongo, is not:

 

CAUTION:

1. This recipe will cause an uproar amongst the slow-cooked, fall off the bone rib folks, and

2. You will be the focus of ridicule and wild speculation as to your lack of knowledge on the subject…until they taste it. 

 

P.S. Don't forget to pair it with the 2014 "Pleasant Hill" Pinot Noir!