Matt's Fall, 2019 adventure with Club 33 and 21 Royal

[franandaj]

I'm another in the beef is best served practically mooing! I've had Wagyu a few times and it definitely should not be overcooked. Yours looked perfectly done.

 

[gerilyne]

Can you believe one member of our group refused to TRY the Wagyu because it was cooked perfectly (mine was slightly over for my taste, but still the best dish I've ever had)? She even had to be talked into the braised cheeks. I volunteered to have her's, but her hubby gobbled it up.

I am a steak and potatoes girl having grown up in Nebraska and I am drooling over this beef! I can't believe someone could refuse an opportunity to eat Wagyu beef. This is probably my favorite dish so far you have posted.

 

[whoever]

I am a steak and potatoes girl having grown up in Nebraska and I am drooling over this beef! I can't believe someone could refuse an opportunity to eat Wagyu beef. This is probably my favorite dish so far you have posted.

Best thing I've ever put in my mouth by far.

 

[Nonsuch]

Can you believe one member of our group refused to TRY the Wagyu because it was cooked perfectly...

One of our 21 Royal guests only tasted the Wagyu, but did not like it -- I made sure it did not go to waste

...I will usually prefer NOT to eat fish eggs, anything with tentacles, or things that look back at me. However, the BEST beef tongue I've ever had was in Japan at a quick restaurant in a train station...

I had abalone in Tokyo, the LIVE abalone was cooked on a teppanyaki grill
(there are videos on youtube)

 

[StormyCA]

Oh man, that beef is making my mouth water!!!!

 

[maleficent55]

The beef looks incredible! I’ve had waygu just once, real from Japan waygu, it was 2oz for $90 and it was split between my husband and I! It was insane, like butter smooth. So so good.

I’d chose the alcohol pairings but the gewürztraminer grape juice sounds so good because of the lychee and elderflower notes you mention, two flavors I love although I’m not sure I’ve had then together.

Great report...I can’t wait to see the desserts but I also don’t want this report to end.

 

[whoever]

The beef looks incredible! I’ve had waygu just once, real from Japan waygu, it was 2oz for $90 and it was split between my husband and I! It was insane, like butter smooth. So so good.

I’d chose the alcohol pairings but the gewürztraminer grape juice sounds so good because of the lychee and elderflower notes you mention, two flavors I love although I’m not sure I’ve had then together.

Great report...I can’t wait to see the desserts but I also don’t want this report to end.

Trust me the TR is far from over

 

[whoever]

One of our 21 Royal guests only tasted the Wagyu, but did not like it -- I made sure it did not go to waste

Isolate that person... clearly a human imposter.

 

[ten6mom]

I don't like my beef to be bleeding but even I know better than to turn that down!

 

[whoever]

I don't like my beef to be bleeding but even I know better than to turn that down!

Myoglobin is not blood. It's Flavor. You want flavor gone, cook it out... Just saying...

 

[ten6mom]

Myoglobin is not blood. It's Flavor. You want flavor gone, cook it out... Just saying...

A few visits to the Chef's Counter are curing me! Slowly but surely!

 

[whoever]

A few visits to the Chef's Counter are curing me! Slowly but surely!

A lot of people would call what I eat "bloody". Nope. Zero blood present. Blood actually spoils meat quickly for the un-initiated. You drain blood ASAP from any animal. It is JUICY though and rich. That's Myoglobin. You want a dry, flavorless steak, just keep cooking. You want a juicy, flavorful steak, let me take the reigns. Here's my lamb at home... SOOO good. (hint.. that's not blood).

 

[ten6mom]

A lot of people would call what I eat "bloody". Nope. Zero blood present. Blood actually spoils meat quickly for the un-initiated. You drain blood ASAP from any animal. It is JUICY though and rich. That's Myoglobin. You want a dry, flavorless steak, just keep cooking. You want a juicy, flavorful steak, let me take the reigns. Here's my lamb at home... SOOO good. (hint.. that's not blood).

Hmm interesting; thanks!

Is it HOT, at least? I mean does the temperature feel hot when it's cooked like that?

 

[whoever]

Hmm interesting; thanks!

Is it HOT, at least? I mean does the temperature feel hot when it's cooked like that?

I cook to specific internal temps using instant read thermometers and probes just like any restaurant does. It's all safe. I guess it depends on what your definition of "hot" is. I try not to let lamb/beef go over 130 degrees IT. Pork/Turkey/Chicken are different matters and much higher. Pork being the lowest at 145 degrees IT minimum. For shoulders, I do 205 so it's pullable. Turkey, NEVER more than 165 post-rest (I pull my turkeys 159-160). When it comes to meat prep/cooking, I know a thing or two about a thing or two.

 

[jessicaerv]

Lurker here - I am thoroughly enjoying your trip report @whoever! Thanks for allowing us to share in this culinary journey.

Also, add my name to the next 21R dinner. May I suggest a Pirates theme?

 

[whoever]

Lurker here - I am thoroughly enjoying your trip report @whoever! Thanks for allowing us to share in this culinary journey.

Also, add my name to the next 21R dinner. May I suggest a Pirates theme?

I WOULD LOVE a pirates theme!!

 

[whoever]

Method Man in our past, we moved on to our next wine. We were going to finish with something a little sweet. Matt loves dessert wines, whether they are late harvest wines like the one we would have, or ports or sherry. A little bit of something sweet at the end of a wine journey is a great way to finish, just like dessert is for a meal. What he was pouring for us a fun wine from Grgich Hills winery in Napa Valley. One of the more classic wineries specializing in Cabernet and Chardonnay. They make a little bit of this late harvest wine called Violetta. It is a tribute to Mike (Miljenko) Grgich’s daughter, Violet. This wine is late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer which are all left to develop botrytis on the vines. It has notes of honeysuckle and peaches.

As the wine was being poured, Matt asked if we had looked at our menus, noting that they had changed and he would reprint us new menus to reflect what we are actually eating. Even though it’s a big deal for the chefs, the menu and course had changed and they were now calling it “Hurry Back”. The reason for this change was that the original dessert just didn’t complement our theme.

The dessert course was originally going to be as follows:



Hearts of Stone



Warm Peach Melba Cake, Lemon Curd, Peach Ice Cream



Wine



Grgich Hills Violetta, Late Harvest, Napa Valley 2014



Instead, what they had for us today was the Chocolate Marquis Cake. Inside was a milk chocolate mousse with a dark chocolate cake with a dark chocolate ganache on top and finally topped off with another chocolate shortbread, so it’s chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. On the bottom, they have a clementine sauce and macerated cherries on top. This desert should be a great texture as it had been tempered for 30 minutes at room temperature.

The official description is as follows:



Hurry Back!



Chocolate Marquis Cake, Sauce Clementine, Macerated Berries





Chef Daniel came in and introduced his chefs. Jason and Frank. Without them, this dinner would not have been possible. A round of applause erupted. They thanked us for giving this beautiful platform and coming into their home to express their passion and really express what the room was created for.



(Jason on left, Frank on right)

Chefs always want the guest to have a certain level of satisfaction at the end of the night, so they know some want a little bit of everything, so that’s why they presented us with a little cake, a little sweet, a little savory, a little bitter, a little sour. They made us a homemade chocolate chip cookie, but don’t have more than one… lots of butter, you’ll break out. Then there is one with the gold leaf on the top which is a raspberry bitter. The savory one is the salted caramel. Then there is a chocolate and passion fruit bon-bon. Lastly, the one with the pearl is the rosewater shortbread cookie.

We were also offered coffee with our dessert and we had roughly 12 minutes before Fantasmic! was to start.



Paul mentioned something very intriguing to me. There’s an interesting dynamic between 21 and the Club. They are NOT considered CMs at 21. For some reason, this really intrigued me. I digress… while we were eating, Paul and I bantered until at just a few minutes before 9, he opened up the doors again and we were invited onto the balcony.

 

[ten6mom]

I cook to specific internal temps using instant read thermometers and probes just like any restaurant does. It's all safe. I guess it depends on what your definition of "hot" is. I try not to let lamb/beef go over 130 degrees IT. Pork/Turkey/Chicken are different matters and much higher. Pork being the lowest at 145 degrees IT minimum. For shoulders, I do 205 so it's pullable. Turkey, NEVER more than 165 post-rest (I pull my turkeys 159-160). When it comes to meat prep/cooking, I know a thing or two about a thing or two.

Cool. Next time you host dinner, call me! I'll make the drive into downtown!

 

[bethwc101]

Method Man in our past, we moved on to our next wine. We were going to finish with something a little sweet. Matt loves dessert wines, whether they are late harvest wines like the one we would have, or ports or sherry. A little bit of something sweet at the end of a wine journey is a great way to finish, just like dessert is for a meal. What he was pouring for us a fun wine from Grgich Hills winery in Napa Valley. One of the more classic wineries specializing in Cabernet and Chardonnay. They make a little bit of this late harvest wine called Violetta. It is a tribute to Mike (Miljenko) Grgich’s daughter, Violet. This wine is late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer which are all left to develop botrytis on the vines. It has notes of honeysuckle and peaches.

As the wine was being poured, Matt asked if we had looked at our menus, noting that they had changed and he would reprint us new menus to reflect what we are actually eating. Even though it’s a big deal for the chefs, the menu and course had changed and they were now calling it “Hurry Back”. The reason for this change was that the original dessert just didn’t complement our theme.

The dessert course was originally going to be as follows:



Hearts of Stone



Warm Peach Melba Cake, Lemon Curd, Peach Ice Cream



Wine



Grgich Hills Violetta, Late Harvest, Napa Valley 2014



Instead, what they had for us today was the Chocolate Marquis Cake. Inside was a milk chocolate mousse with a dark chocolate cake with a dark chocolate ganache on top and finally topped off with another chocolate shortbread, so it’s chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. On the bottom, they have a clementine sauce and macerated cherries on top. This desert should be a great texture as it had been tempered for 30 minutes at room temperature.

The official description is as follows:



Hurry Back!



Chocolate Marquis Cake, Sauce Clementine, Macerated Berries





Chef Daniel came in and introduced his chefs. Jason and Frank. Without them, this dinner would not have been possible. A round of applause erupted. They thanked us for giving this beautiful platform and coming into their home to express their passion and really express what the room was created for.



(Jason on left, Frank on right)

Chefs always want the guest to have a certain level of satisfaction at the end of the night, so they know some want a little bit of everything, so that’s why they presented us with a little cake, a little sweet, a little savory, a little bitter, a little sour. They made us a homemade chocolate chip cookie, but don’t have more than one… lots of butter, you’ll break out. Then there is one with the gold leaf on the top which is a raspberry bitter. The savory one is the salted caramel. Then there is a chocolate and passion fruit bon-bon. Lastly, the one with the pearl is the rosewater shortbread cookie.

We were also offered coffee with our dessert and we had roughly 12 minutes before Fantasmic! was to start.



Paul mentioned something very intriguing to me. There’s an interesting dynamic between 21 and the Club. They are NOT considered CMs at 21. For some reason, this really intrigued me. I digress… while we were eating, Paul and I bantered until at just a few minutes before 9, he opened up the doors again and we were invited onto the balcony.

What are they called if they are not CMs? Are employees at C33 considered CMs?

 

[whoever]

What are they called if they are not CMs? Are employees at C33 considered CMs?

21 Royal Hosts.