you know those friends that just make your heart overflow because they see you, understand you and lift you up? that is exactly why my wednesday night happy hour turned dinner turned late night living room lounge session with dana made my entire week exponentially better. it only makes sense that someone who so effortlessly makes my heart full does the same with our tummies.

if you are new to my blog, do yourself a favor and take in all of the wonder that is verde supper club. the one i attended last summer was truly an experience but let me tell you – not just the cuisine but the venue (starr lake vineyards) of the second one i attended was TO DIE FOR.

since my friend got sick shortly before my first supper club, i flew solo. luckily, dana surrounds herself with phenomenal people so the conversation at dinner was captivating. for this one, i was fortunate enough to have my friend melissa join me. with her being a fellow foodie and wine lover, i knew we would be in for an incredible evening from start to finish. as always, dana did not disappoint.

let’s dive into the menu!

as someone who eats smoked salmon a couple of days per week as part of my breakfast, this is something i knew i would love. the fried capers added great flavor and texture.

the la girl in me could not get over the shrimp aguachile. it tasted like summer, especially when paired with the vibrant aqua fresca. from start to finish, it was so fresh and flavor packed.

dana frequently has me venture outside of my comfort zone. while mezcal is not something i typically seek out, if this pineapple and mint agua fresca with vida mezcal was available by the gallon, i would be all over it.

my love for seafood truly felt catered to, especially with this being the third dish in a row with seafood. there was such variety in terms of the type of fish and more importantly, the preparation. many of us at the table were not people who would seek out a chardonnay and were pleasantly surprised with how much we enjoyed it, specifically when paired with the vichyssoise.

there is no circumstance where i would be saying no to a homemade tortilla, especially when it has bacon fat. this taco was so phenomenal that one of the guests (who ended up sending me a magnum bottle of pinot noir after losing a bet) walked into the kitchen to request another one. they were that good.

i am a sucker for lamb and this homemade sausage was not too gamey, even for the people at the table who do not typically consume lamb. it was smart of dana to not serve us carbs on this plate because we needed space for the next dish…

even after midnight in our hotel room, melissa said, “do you know what i would give for that braised short rib rigatoni? literally anything.” did i laugh? yes. was it to avoid crying because we did not have any? also, yes. the braised short rib was so tender. the rigatoni? just al dente enough to carry the weight of the short rib. the petite sirah? our side of the table couldn’t just have a single pour because it not only tasted wonderful with our pasta, it tasted wonderful all on its own.

if i was choosing a single dessert for the rest of my life, it would be ice cream. dana does me in every single time because she makes all of her ice cream from scratch. added bonus? it was not a dessert drowning in chocolate. i would gladly take fruit flavored ice cream (especially something like lemon) daily if possible. the almond poppy seed crumble is something i would have been happy to just eat by the handful.

i did not think it was possible but somehow, dana created an even more spectacular supper club menu than the one i had attended months before. who could say no to a traveling, intimate, multi-course dining experience with wine/beverage pairings? i will be back as many times as she will have me.

to find out when and where the next verde supper club is, follow them on instagram!

xoxo,

k.tap