Refuge pastrami dances with Bourgueil

The Refuge. Pastrami. Their other food is excellent too, and not being a huge fan of pickled meat, I used to order Philly cheesesteak. Last week, my friends and I made the pilgrimage (for all of 20 min from Palo Alto to San Carlos), and I decided to finally give that famous pastrami a shot.



Dude! If you still haven't heard of or been to the Refuge in San Carlos and haven't had their Pastrami sandwich (in a few different variations, like Swiss & mustard or Russian dressing, or sauerkraut, on a few different bread options) - you are majorly missing out! Apologies to vegetarians - that place ain't for you. But for the rest of us - the Refuge is it. They specialize in Belgian beers too, but for a bona-fide wino, you owe it to yourself to bring a bottle of a Loire red - such as Bourgueil (pronounced "boor-geye") - a light-to-mid weight "tobasco-ey", spicy, veggie-laden, metallic tasting, acidic wine made from Cabernet Franc. (I know I know - that sounds very appetizing).

The environs of the Loire Valley are a smorgasbord of grape varieties and fascinating food-friendly wines of all kinds - white, red, pink, sparkling, and sweet. Around there are the neighborhoods of Chinon and Bourgueil - where Cab Franc reigns supreme as the undisputed king of red, reaching its uniquely iron-rich, food-friendly expression. Normally I would not be caught dead with either pastrami or Bourgueil, but at the Refuge, they fit together like a glove, the wine's juicy spice and minerals dance with the savory meat, and that fits me just fine!

Comments

Do Bianchi said…
dude, that's some serious pastrami porn.

Cabernet Franc pairing sounds awesome... Only thing better, I think, would be killer Lambrusco.
Iron Chevsky said…
Jeremy, you are SO right about Lambrusco. I was thinking about that flavor profile with pastrami, and salivating!

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