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"Remarkable Display of Talent & Class"
In a truly remarkable display of talent and class, Faultline Brewing Company in Sunnyvale blew the minds of nearly 100 appreciative attendees during their Inaugural Cigar Dinner, April 21, 1996. To put it mildly, I was impressed. The meal was exquisite, each course beautifully displayed and graciously served on appropriately chilled or heated dinnerware. We began the evening with a Montecruz La Romana Robusto provided by world-renound tobacconist Dunhill and proffered by Giuseppe Scimeca, Dunhill's representative. This mellow, pleasant smoke was accompanied by a '94 Kenwood Sonoma Valley Chardonnay, followed by our first course, a beer blinis (pancake) with hickory-smoked maple leaf duck breast gently wading in a pool of sage creme fraiche. The service shadows slipped us our next round - a grilled asparagus and portobello mushroom salad with watercress - well matched with Faultline's Pilsner and Giuseppe's next offering, the Dominican Monte Cristo #1, one of my favorite cigars. The pre-entree palate cleanser, a Meyers lemon sorbet with a basil twist (yes basil!), had a pucker-power factor of eight and an intrique factor of 10. Warning: This tasting was done by a professional. Do not try this at home! Butter soft grilled Angus filet mignon, done melt-in-your-mouth superb, was nestled in caramelized garlic mashed potatoes and accented by the sweet crunch of baby carrots and asparagus spears. What could top that? A '93 Kenwood Jack London Cabernet Sauvignon - rich, smooth and oakey - with a Honduran Hoyo de Monterey Excalibur to savor with dinner and dessert. The final touch for the evening was a hazelnut chocolate decadence, a cloud of cream with chocolate thunder that was heart-stopping good. A table companion generously shared an Ashton Maduro Churchill, a cigar built for chocolate - or a serious stout. The capper for the evening was a Fonseca Bin 27 Port and Faultline's Old Battle Axe Barley Wine, my favorite beverage of the night. The Barley Wine was fruity, refreshingly clean - not heavy or syrupy - with raspberry overtones and a toung-clicking finish that would complement our final cigar, the Ramon Allones Lonsdale Crystals. Am I being effusive? Yes, and trust me, Faultline truly earned this praise. Let's just say they went off the Richter scale with this inaugural event. If you missed it, their next Cigar Dinner will be held June 23, 1996, starting at 6:00 p.m., with more emphasis on beers and featuring a different celection of cigars. Faultline does have lovely outdoor seating and an in-house humidor with a selection of tne cigars, allowing patrons to light up with a pint on-premises.
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