Wine pairing dinners are too often a rare occurrence, but Dominic’s Ristorante Italiano on Bridge Street wants to change that by making them a monthly staple. Featuring a different local winery each month, you get the sip your way through all the vineyard has to offer—experiencing their range of dry whites, bold reds and sweet dessert wines, all matched with tasting portions of favorites from Dominic’s menus. Oh, and did I mention it’s all just $35?
On the night of the inaugural dinner, we drank our way through Sand Castle Winery’s three whites while tasting homemade truffle-stuffed gnocchi in a prosciutto Alfredo sauce, crisp fried calamari with hot peppers, and luscious fettuccine with seafood and meaty shiitake mushrooms in a blush sauce.
A dry rose paired with sausage and rigatoni in a saffron blush sauce marked the transition into the meat portion of the menu, in which we sipped on four unique reds from Sand Castle. The beef carpaccio on field greens dressed with balsamic and nutty parmesan nuggets was followed by a petite version of Dominic’s filet tenderloin served with a Barolo wine sauce.
Manager Ryan Norris’ favorite dish, chicken Parmesan, was up next, and it is easy to see why it deserves his love—it’s mom’s recipe done perfectly. Fried cutlets of thin, tender chicken are dressed with just enough sauce to add sweetness without ruining the crunch, and then topped with melted cheese and a dash of fresh basil. Perfection.
The final savory dish, chicken in a marsala wine sauce with lots of portobello, shiitake and porcini mushrooms, is an amped-up version of the classic, thanks to the extra punch of mushrooms.
Dessert of course couldn’t be skipped, and cream puffs in a chocolate sauce (profiteroles scuro) were accompanied by Sand Castle’s sweet, spiced white wine blend (Alpine Spice) that fellow diners told us is excellent served warm during the holidays. Our final bite of the evening was a tile of single-origin chocolate from Bridge Street Chocolates, and I don’t think I’ve tasted better chocolate.
Keep an eye on Dominic’s Facebook for information about the upcoming December wine-pairing dinner, as well as a Sinatra night on December 7 and a Michael Jackson night on January 24.
Find Dominic’s at 150 Bridge St. in Phoenixville; phone: (610) 983-4300
