Why can't WE do this? Wine Lunch at Zely & Ritz, Raleigh NC

On a recent trip to North Carolina I was blown away by the wine lunch at Zely & Ritz, a small chef-driven spot in the heart of downtown Raleigh. The concept is simple ... take a restaurant that is not usually open for lunch, plan a "family-style" menu and pair with great wines from local shops and distributors. Oh, and do it all for $15 / head. This is an idea that should surely spread around the nation ... please someone bring it to Boston!

Reservations are necessary and the tables are all set with silverware and glasses when you arrive. Then the wine guy (or gal) gets up and starts talking about the wine as the food is served.... in our case we had Devon from SourGrapes who was cute as a button and even more fun to chat with at the table. We also sat with the Chef (when he was done in the kitchen) and the Owner, as well as April from the wine store Sip in Cary. Couldn't have been nicer company with lots of fun conversations.

We had:
Mussels with apple and apple cider with an '09 Bauer Grun

Chef later told us this dish also included his house-made cider vinegar. I'm not a big fan of "sweet and meat" but the apples and mussels went together surprisingly well. The Grun is a cousin of one of my favorites .. Gruner Veltliner, and was a bright start to the meal.


Next up: Grilled Polenta with Rabe and local Blue Cheese with '08 Octavin Arbois Chardonnay

This Chardonnay was a particularly spendy bottle ($30) and it was quite good .. non-oaked and very light bodied. Not sure I'd ever purchase it but I was glad to get to taste it.


Finally, risotto of chicken with vegetables with '10 Las Lilas Vihno Verde Rose (favorite!)

The risotto tasted like Grandma's chicken soup with extremely flavorful shreds of chicken, some carrots and celery, and the creamy rice texture was comforting. But the wine! Now, I love some Rose in the summertime -- it's perfect to quaff when it's hot out but this Vinho Verde Rose was spectacular and my eyes have been peeled for it ever since. Real depth of flavor and low alcohol.


We were served a green salad with cucumbers, radishes and green apples with a light vinaigrette. All this plus very good fresh bread to mop and sop and a few more wines -- '09 Boisson Grenache and '08 Alto 3 Reserve Malbec. The pacing of the wine was kind of off, with the reds at the end coming much more quickly than the whites at the beginning. After the Rose the Grenache was a little stark and the Malbec at the end was just "there". But the whole meal was lovely and I'm still thinking about it weeks later.

So, I'm thinking some of my favorite restaurants in town aren't open for lunch. Maybe I'll send them this post and see what they can do. Being Boston, they'd charge about $50 for it, and quite honestly, I'd be happy to pay.