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Sante South Wine Event at Highland Village

BRAVO! is proud to serve as one of the charter members on the committee of the Sante' South Wine Festival.  This year we will co-host the 4th annual Sante South Wine Festival - a most important fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Association -Mississippi Chapter.  This year's event will be held on Saturday, April 19, 2008 from 7:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M. in the Courtyard at Highland Village.

Sante' South is a "big city" wine tasting with more than 30 vintners of fine wines from across the globe, and the best in local and state-wide restaurant fare, as food and wine is celebrated outdoors in the beautiful Highland Village courtyard!

Ticket Prices: $75 in advance, $85 the night of the event. 

Tickets are available online @ http://santesouth08.kintera.org or using the mail in form – Download Sante' South mail in form.  Or you can call the Alzheimer’s Association Office at 601-987-0020, or come to BRAVO!, KATS Wine Cellars, or Briarwood Wine & Spirits.

More information available at www.santesouthwinefestival.com, including a video of shots from last year!  In meantime, to get pique your interest, take a look at the wine makers and wineries participating below, with links to each wineries website!  We hope to see you there!!!!

2008 WINE FESTIVAL WINERIES	PARTICIPANT	WEBSITE
ALEXANDER VALLEY VINEYARDS	KEVIN HALL, WINEMAKER	www.avvwine.com
ANDREW WILL	CHRIS CAMARDA, OWNER/WINEMAKER	www.andrewwill.com
ARESTI FAMILY VINEYARDS	VICENTE R. ARESTI, EXPORT MGR	www.broadbent-wines.com
BARNETT VINEYARDS	FIONA BARNETT, OWNER	www.barnettvineyards.com
BODEGAS WEINERT	IDUNA WEINERT, OWNER	www.bodegaweinert.com
BROADBENT SELECTIONS	BARTHOLOMEW BROADBENT, OWNER	www.broadbent-wines.com
BROMAN CELLARS	BOB BROMAN, OWNER/WINEMAKER	www.bromancellars.com
CECCHETTI WINE COMPANY	BOB BROMAN, WINEMAKER	www.cecchettiwineco.com
CELLARS INT'L/RUDI WIEST SELECTIONS	THOMAS HAEHN, NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR	www.germanwine.net
DRAGON'S HOLLOW WINES	DAVID HENDERSON, OWNER	www.dragonshollow.com
ELDERTON WINES	ALISTER ASHMEAD, OWNER	www.eldertonwines.com.au
EX CELLARS WINE AGENCIES	PHILLIP EDWARDS, SE REGIONAL SALES MGR	www.excellars.com
FIDDLEHEAD CELLARS	TERENCE LIVINGSTON, NATIONAL SALES MGR	www.fiddleheadcellars.com
JORGE ORDONEZ FINE ESTATES OF SPAIN	SARA FLOYD, MS, NATIONAL SALES
KARLY WINES	GARTH COBB,OWNER	www.karlywines.com
KING ESTATE	STEVE THOMSON, EXECUTIVE VP; GARY LYNN, DIRECTOR OF SALES	www.kingestate.com
LANDMARK VINEYARDS	BOB COOLEY, NATIONAL SALES MGR	www.landmarkvineyards.com
LARKIN WINES	SEAN LARKIN, OWNER	www.larkinwines.com
LORING WINE COMPANY	BRIAN LORING, OWNER/WINEMAKER	www.loringwinecompany.com
MARTELLA WINES	ANNE KROLCZYK, NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR	www.fogartywinery.com
MINER FAMILY WINES	JACK EDWARDS, DIRECTOR OF SALES	www.minerwines.com
NORTHWEST CORE COLLECTION * *(A TO Z, BERGSTROM, BETHEL HEIGHTS, PENNER-ASH, FRANCIS TANNAHILL)	ROB ALSTRIN, PROPRIETOR	www.nwcorecollection.com
PAGO DE LARRAINZAR	IRENE CANALEJO LASARTE	www.pagodelarrainzar.com
PATZ & HALL WINE COMPANY	DONALD PATZ, OWNER	www.patzhall.com
PEDRONCELLI WINERY	RICHARD MOREHOUSE, VP SALES	www.pedroncelli.com
RAMEY WINE CELLARS	DAVID RAMEY, OWNER/WINEMAKER	www.rameywine.com
ROESSLER CELLARS	ROGER ROESSLER, OWNER	www.roesslercellars.com
SADDLEBACK CELLARS	NILS VENGE, OWNER/WINEMAKER	www.saddlebackcellars.com
SPY VALLEY WINES	BLAIR GIBBS, GM & MARKETING MGR	www.spyvalleywine.co.nz
STELTZNER VINEYARDS	ALLISON STELTZNER, NATIONAL SALES	www.steltzner.com
THE AUSTRALIAN PREMIUM WINE COLLECTION	JOHN LARCHET, PROPRIETOR	www.tapwc.com.au
THOMAS FOGARTY WINERY	ANNE KROLCZYK, NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR	www.fogartywinery.com
VILAFONTE WINES	MICHAEL RATCLIFFE, PARTNER	www.vilafonte.com
VINE CLIFF WINERY	CHRISTINE PETERSON, MARKETING MGR	www.vinecliff.com
WARWICK ESTATE	MICHAEL RATCLIFFE, OWNER	www.warwickwine.com

As always, BRAVO! is proud to participate in the annual Taste of Mississippi: Homegrown Hunger Relief benefit for Community Stewpot.   This year "Taste" (as it is popularly known) is celebrating it's 20th anniversary and will boast food samplings from more than 35 area restaurants; a live auction featuring artwork by Mississippi artists and a hand-knotted traditional Serapi rug from The Rug Place of Jackson; a silent auction featuring Viking Range products, local art, dinners and merchandise; and live music by Pryor and the Tombstones.

Taste of Missisippi is hosted by Highland Village and is scheduled for Monday, March 31, from 7 to 10 p.m.   Tickets are $50 in advance; $60 at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased at Be-Bop Record Shops, the Everyday Gourmet, Fresh Ink and by calling Stewpot at 601-353-2759.

Tickets are also available online at www.tasteofms.org.

All proceeds from the event will benefit Stewpot Community Services, whose mission is to provide for the needs of the poor, elderly and disabled in Jackson’s metro area.  Please join BRAVO!, Broad Street, Sal & Mookie's and 32 other area restaurants as we support this important ministry!

SEE YOU AT TASTE!   

The Queens are Coming! The Queens are Coming! HIDE YOUR MEN!!

The annual Sweet Potato Queen™ Big Hat Luncheon will once again be held at BRAVO! on Friday, March 14th from 11’ish til 2’ish.   This is the ONE AND ONLY TIME EACH YEAR WE CLOSE THE RESTAURANT FOR LUNCH AND CATER ONLY TO THE VISITING QUEENS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY... AND WORLD!

Chef Louis LaRose and Chef/Owner Dan Blumenthal lay out quite a spread of Sweet Potato-inspired treats including sweet potato bisque and sweet potato cheesecakes!

As Jill says on her website www.sweetpotatoqueens.com the event promises FABULOUS FOOD, LOTS OF SUCKING UP BY THE VERY CUTE WAITSTAFF and THONG-MODELING BY VERY HUNKY/HANDSOME OWNERS JEFF GOOD AND DAN BLUMENTHAL.  Err, ah, umm... about that last part.... we dunno....

VISITING SWEET POTATO QUEENS NEED TO MAKE THEIR RESERVATIONS BY CALLING 601.982.8111 AND GIVING A CREDIT CARD NUMBER TO GUARANTEE ADMISSION!  SEE YOU ON THE 14TH!

Bobby Flay visits Jackson... and BRAVO!

We were very fortunate to be selected as the caterer for this year's Mistletoe Marketplace Preview Party hosted by the Junior League of Jackson.  What an honor it is to work with these amazing women as they put on the nation's premier holiday shopping event - a four day tour-de-force with as many events as there are vendor booths!

The high point of this year's event for many was the cooking demonstration featuring Chef Bobby Flay of  Mesa Grill fame (and six other restaurants!) one of the American Iron Chefs, the host of a myriad of cooking shows and the author of many excellent cookbooks.  The recipes for his demonstration BOBBY FLAY HEATS UP THE SOUTH can be found on the Junior League's website (www.jljackson.org).   

Chef Flay is a powerful personality and an outstanding restaurteur.  So, you can imagine our thrill when we were asked to host an after party for Bobby and the Junior League leadership team!

Bobby's comments about his trip, the demo, the junior league, and his evening at BRAVO! can be found on his website (www.bobbyflay.com) under BOBBY and then BOBBY'S BLOG.  The text of the entry is reproduced below for your convenience:

Bobby's Blog:   Jackson, Mississippi

After doing a cooking demonstration based on healthier ideas for the holidays in front of about 2000 people, I work up an appetite that needs to be satiated.  The lovely women from teh Junior League are not only professional, first rate fundraisers, they know how to party!

They assemble a group of about 30 who'd worked for the last 18 months to put together the fund raiser they call "Mistletoe".  Word on the streets of Jackson is that they may have toppled the 1 million dollar mark for the year... Awesome!

The after party is at a local favorite called BRAVO.  The restaurant serves Italian food with a Southern twist is what I'm told by the long time chef. 

We start with celebratory Champagne and shots of silve tequila (I told you these woman could party) and then the barrage of food comes flying out of the open kitchen... A brick overn pizza with eggplant, spinach and caramelized onions, thin noodles with fresh crab and my favorite of the night, gnocchi with a ragout of pheasant that I believe was a victim of a locals bullet.

It was a short stay for me (about 19 hours) but I always have a great time in the South!

Oh, What a Wine Night/Flight - Guest Posting by FARLEY WALKER formerly of BRAVO!, now of Thomas Fogarty Winery

Editor's Note:

Farley Walker works at Thomas Fogarty Winery, mostly in the tasting room. She also assists with various other projects, especially writing. She credits Bonny Doon, though, for the decision to enter the wine business. While in graduate school for creative writing, she was struck by the clever labels for the Big House Red and other such wines and thought, "Hey, I can do that!"

Many of our regulars will remember Farley from the years she waited tables and bartended at BRAVO!.  Dan and Jeff are proud of the fact that Farley's interest in wine was sparked at BRAVO!, and we are thankful for the roll that Lesley McHardy played in helping bring Farley along.

Here is a posting from Farley's personal wine blog concerning a trip to BRAVO! when she came home to Jackson over the Christmas Holidays.  (you can see more of Farley's work at http://www.wineoutlook.com.   Thank you for your kind words regarding your old stomping grounds, Farley!  We miss you!

I just pulled tasting notes from dinner a few nights ago out of my purse. A little worse for wear, with water stains, drops of wine, and what looks to be a bit of sauce, at least they’re readable. The whole experience was one of the best I’ve had all year, winewise and otherwise, so I thought I’d share the reviews and assessment.

The sommelier and I met up at BRAVO!, where she works and I once did, for dinner with two other friends. After much discussion (i.e. pouring over the 400-bottle wine list), we decided to begin with the 1994 Domaine Zind Humbrecht ‘clos hauserer’ Riesling from Alsace. It was one of those situations that makes the search worthwhile. You read about older Rieslings giving off the aroma of petrol, but until you have the chance to drink one, you’re not really sure how it works. As soon as I put my nose in the glass, there it was—a lightbulb went off. On the palate were spritzy flowers, slightly sweet in the middle, and crisp on the finish. Fantastic pairing with the rosemary-infused mushrooms over crispy polenta.

The second bottle was interesting, but not nearly as fulfilling as the first; it was the 1997 Clarendon Hills ‘Liandra’ Shriaz. The nose was incredible—pizza sauce immediately jumped into my head—tomatoes and oregano. The taste took longer to come around, and when it finally did, it spoke of chocolate, olives, acidity, and smoke. As more time went by, it got smoother and the nose gave off hints of a dirty martini to match the olives on the palate. While the wine alone was not something I’d dish out such cash for again, it was quite perfect with my pork chop topped with a double mustard cream sauce. It’s the kind of sauce that’s so good, you’d look for something, anything to dip in it so as not to waste any.

When the Shiraz started to get low, we ordered the 2004 Garretson Cornbread Nation Cuvée. The least expensive of all the bottles that night (and not even officially on the list yet), it was quite a treat, especially for the price. Maybe it was the power of suggestion, but it literally was like the South in a bottle…the nose reminded us of cornbread, how a black iron skillet smells with butter melting in the oven and then when the batter is poured in and starts to sizzle. There were also hints of strawberry, molasses, and vanilla. Yum.

The last bottle I’ll mention, which was not necessarily the last one we had, was the 2003 Louis Guntrum Eiswein. I had to have it because A) Eiswien is not super easy to find and B) it had penguins on the label. While I was too full at that point to take notes on the wine, it did go amazingly well with the crème brulee topped with bananas. Other than that, it was not as rich as you’d expect an Eiswein to be and probably not quite worth the price.

Overall, the evening was an mind-blowing succession of good food and good wine, made all the better by the perfection of the pairings, and of course, the company of good friends.

Try the BRAVO! To Go Window!

Just because you're on the go doesn't mean you have to settle for dull, greasy fast food.

When you don't have time to linger over dinner, you can still treat yourself to the delicious cuisine at BRAVO! Our to-go pickup window makes it easier than ever to enjoy your favorite BRAVO! dishes ... even when you're on the run.

Minutes after you call in your order, we'll have it boxed and waiting. Because the To Go Window conveniently opens onto the terrace outside the restaurant, you can pick up your meal and be back in the car as quickly as possible. No lines ... no waiting!

Chocolate Flourless Torte

Ah, the perfection of the BRAVO! chocolate flourless torte!

As desserts go, the chocolate flourless torte is a model of understated elegance. If your idea of a perfect restaurant dessert is a four-pound slab of dry cake slathered with canned frosting, this is not the dessert for you. If you're looking for a mile-high slab of gaudy ice-cream cake, there are dozens of chain stores in Jackson that can oblige.

But the BRAVO! chocolate flourless torte is in a class by itself: a generous wedge of velvety chocolate -- decadent, but never overstated. Accent each bite with a touch of tart raspberry drizzle and finish with a sip of coffee. It's pure chocolate heaven … the perfect ending to any BRAVO! dinner experience.

TIP: Driving around town, looking for a great dessert? Why not stop in at the BRAVO! To Go window and grab a chocolate flourless torte for the road?

Make Mine a Milk Punch

Our friend Aurbrey's only claim to fame is his flamboyant mother, Myrtle.

Myrtle was living in Hawaii during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Until very recently, Myrtle thought nothing of driving across country, alone, on a whim. Myrtle's polite, but she doesn't mince words.

Not too long ago, Myrtle grabbed her best girlfriend, Cara Jean, and dropped in on the bar at the local country club. When the bartender asked Myrtle what she'd have, Myrtle replied, "We'll have a milk punch."

The BRAVO! Comment Card

Dan Blumenthal, Jeff Good, and our entire staff want every visit to BRAVO! to exceed your expectations.

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BRAVO! Downloadable Menu

Most of the people visiting BRAVOBuzz.com come here looking for our menu.

Whether you're planning ahead for tomorrow night's dinner out or considering options for today's office lunch, our downloadable menu provides all the details you need. Dining with vegetarians? Following a low-carb regimen? No worries -- at BRAVO!, we've got a wide variety of selections -- something for everyone.

So why wait? Download a copy of our menu in PDF format and print it out at your leisure -- the whole process is fast and easy. (The hard part will be making up your mind which of our delectable dishes to try first!)