A South American Wine Dinner was hosted by restaurant owner JoAnne McMahon in collaboration with Jennifer from Winebow Imports last evening at 310 Park South. I personally feel wine tastings is a fantastic way to educate and refine my palate regarding wines. And since, I hadn’t reviewed 310 Park South; it was the perfect opportunity for my culinary escapades.
Perched right on Park Avenue, 310 South boasts a coveted advantage to the Winter Park restaurant and boutique scene.
The ambiance per se is casual but be assured that they take their food quite seriously.
Chef Bob Schwartz had created a 4 course menu, which included cooking with the paired South American wines too. 4 wines from Argentina and Chile were selected: Torrontes, Chardonnay, Malbec, and Carmenere.
Our first course was Peach and Gorgonzola Salad. Romaine spears and ultra mild Gorgonzola was tossed gently in Dijon mustard vinaigrette with a hint of balsamic vinegar, nicely done. Prosciutto holds a special spot in my foodie heart; personally for me it is best enjoyed thinly sliced and eaten fresh. That said the crispy prosciutto was unnecessary. In my humble opinion, bacon or pancetta would have enhanced the textural interplay more appropriately.
The second course was Scallops and Pork Belly. Pork belly is truly a labor of love. Cooked properly, pork belly is luscious, rich, and juicy. Chef Bob hits it right on spot with his perfectly braised pork and seared scallops. Pork belly is what I consider ‘dessert’ with deep flavors oozing in my mouth. Loved it!!
Our next course was Chef Bob’s bold attempt at reinventing Hush Puppies with Duck. It made me question if the dinner offerings were on the regular menu at 310? To my pleasant surprise, chef humbly explained that the menu was created exclusively for the South American Wine Dinner; kudos for flawless execution. Cold smoked duck, cooked medium rare and deep-fried; what’s there not to like?
The evening finished with Pork Tenderloin. The pork was cooked well, however it simply wasn’t seasoned enough and the marmalade was heavy on the sugar. A tad disappointing but certainly did not put any damper on the wonderful evening I had.
The wines were paired well, holding their own ground to the beautifully presented dishes. I left 310 Park South with both my gourmand heart and belly heartily satiated.
All in all, I had a wonderful wine and dine experience at 310 Park South. And I for one can’t wait to come back to try their regular menu dishes.
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