Food, wine and conversation

Food and wine together are an irresistible combination. Especially on a weekend, when it’s time to let the hair down, rejuvenate and relax!

However hot Bangalore is turning during the day, the evenings are relatively pleasant. At least outside. So one Saturday evening, with a couple of friends, I decided to stroll through Indiranagar trying out different wines and restaurants. This is a frequent event organized by Poshvine (if you haven’t visited this site, do it right now! – it’s a treasure trove of interesting experiences in Bangalore and other cities). Christened the Jacob’s Creek Gourmet Stroll, it turned out to be quite a culinary experience. Not to mention a chance to sample some of their wines as we hopped along.

We began with Bricklane Grill, where we gathered in a rather charming and cosy setting by the poolside. We started our culinary journey with a sparkling Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay, just the right accompaniment to the delicious aperitifs and starters for the evening. The finger food kept coming by and I especially remember the mushrooms with cheese – simply divine.

After a round of introductions and a quick overview of where we were heading (in case it slipped our mind after all the wine!), we set off for our second round. It was quite an eclectic group, which had gotten together. A few Spaniards and an Italian, adding to the flavour of the gang.

Coming back to the stroll, we sauntered across to Terrazzo, just a short walk away on the buzzing 100 feet road. Here we had the Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay, which nicely complemented the bruschetta and the pasta dish we were served. My first experience with Terrazzo, but it probably calls for another visit later. The conversation was already getting louder and more animated by now. I chatted with a lady next to me, who confessed that she wasn’t a wine drinker, but never the less seemed to be enjoying herself.

It was time to cross the road again. Our next stop – the Smokehouse Deli, which opened recently and has gotten quite a few reviews. On my first visit, I had a mixed experience. The service was definitely iffy, but I could tell that they were struggling with the crowds. We had to wait a very long time. The salad wasn’t what I’d expected either. This second time around proved to be a better experience, but then they were prepared for our crowd (we were above 20 people).

With our main course, they served us the Jacob’s Creek Shiraz Cabernet, a relatively easy to drink red with balanced tannins and a smooth finish. I ordered the fish with it, which was excellent. But the rest of the main options like the chicken and the tomato/polenta looked equally interesting.

To end the night, we then walked across to 100 feet restaurant. I also realized it’s been ages since my last visit. Back in the days when I had first come to Bangalore, this was one restaurant that I visited regularly and it’s nice to see that it’s still around, what with so many closing down after just a couple of years in business.

I dug into the rather attractive selection and liked the cheesecake over the other sweeter tidbits. We had the Jacob’s Creek Rose with it and while I think a sweeter wine would do better with dessert, the experience on the palate wasn’t unsatisfactory either.

The clock struck around 11 pm by the time we were done with dessert – also known as the time when Bangalore’s cinderellas must head home. All in all, an evening well spent with wine, conversation and some great food. If you like the sound of it, the next one is just around the corner!.