Here's The Thing About Wine Lists

This past April I took a trip to Spain (partially solo, the other part with my brother Luke) and explored as much as I could of Madrid and Barcelona. No trip of mine is complete without looking up hot restaurants and exploring the food. Did I tour wineries? Nope, this trip was about anything but work. Of course I can't help notice things that relate to work along the way, and this is a topic I knew I had to blog about when I got back: Wine Lists.

One would think that being in a country that produces so much excellent wine would mean that every place I went would have wonderful, interesting wines. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many of the places I went to eat the wine selection was mediocre at best with lots of mass produced juice featured prominently. While this seemed surprising at first when I thought about it made sense. These wines have known brand names, most restaurant owners know little about wine (this seems to be universally true) and putting together a great wine list is serious work. It requires wine knowledge, research, good relationships with small distributors, the aptitude to bring in wines in multiple styles and price points and a little bravery to feature wines that need to be explained to be appreciated. One exception was Bar Mutt in Barcelona. The food was divine, the wine list fantastic (recognized many of our labels) and the service dismal. Oh well, can't wine them all.

So the next time you visit an independent restaurant with a great wine list keep all that in mind when you order a bottle. A great wine list is a thing to be appreciated all on its own.

Make Your Reservations Today

Let's celebrate love!

We have been hard at work on a great menu for Valentine's Weekend and wait until you see it. It is prix fixe for the first three courses and the desserts are all new. We will have great wines just to pair with each course, to celebrate and just enjoy.

We are accepting reservations so please call as early as possible, 540-373-3338.

Our Valentine's Weekend Menu -

Starters
Arancini, Fried Risotto Balls w/Virginia Grayson Cheese
or
Kyle's Famous Baked Oysters with Creamy Bacon and Leeks

Soup/ salad
Roasted Tomato Soup
or
Fennel and Arugula salad

Main Dish
Sweet Paprika Garlic Chicken w/ Pasta
or
Tenderloin Tagliata

Desserts (not inclusive in prix fix dinner)
Buttercream Frosting Whoopie Pie
House-made Icewine Marshmallows


$35 per person, not inclusive of dessert, wine flights, tax or gratuity.

We will also be offering a flight of wines to pair with each course.

White Wine With Beef

Last night I sat down at the wine bar with my good friend Kellie to have dinner. This is always a risky proposition because the unspoken rule when you own/run a restaurant is if you are on the premises and needed, you are working. However I really wanted to eat the menu for restaurant week. Kyle had been working on it diligently and I had sampled enough of his trials that I knew it was going to be really good. So I took a chance, picked out a bottle for us to share and sat down.
It is always a challenge to pick out one wine to go with several courses, and mostly nearly impossible. However I had just tasted this new Spanish wine that had really impressed me and thought it's weight just might do the trick, even with the beef.
Ovo is a new import to the US and the kind of wine only a small, devoted wine shop can sell. It is a varietal not too many people have heard of (Albarino), from a relatively unknown region (Rias Baixas), that retails for $30 ($45 in the wine bar). Not exactly a slam dunk in the world of wine sales, but I had to bring it in even if I was the only one drinking it. Albarinos tend to be very fresh, clean wines with a zippy backbone and lovely orchard fruit aromas. This one is left on the lees in open cement containers for 6 months to become this rich, mellow white with flavors of pear, almond, orange peel and candied citrus. It is bone dry and unusual in the best possible way.
I am happy to report it went perfectly with all three first courses and stood its ground with the truffle-butter tenderloin very well. What this proves is that the rules of wine pairing can be broken, you just have to know when. That's what we are here for.

We Want to Wine & Dine You

Zingo Munger from Cape Classics (importer of fine South African wines) and kybecca are teaming up for another Wine & Tapas Party. We hand-picked the most interesting finds from their impressive portfolio and created mouth-watering dishes to highlight the unique character of the wines.

This is a fun way to try a variety of wine and food pairings. Not to serious, lots of great people to chat with fun and engaging hosts.

Our menu is as follows:
Pairing One
Mulderbosch Sauv Blanc
Ripe Melon with Serrano Ham, Marcona Almonds, and Basil Oil

Pairing Two
Rustenberg Chardonnay
Grilled lemony shrimp on a bed of Italian Salsa Verde (Italian Salsa Verde is a parsley and basil puree that is out of this world, we dare you not to lick the plate!)

Pairing Three
Konakop Pinotage
Baked Fresh Oyster with Creamy Bacon and Leeks

Pairing Four
Rustenberg John Merriman X
Ravioli Frito in a House-Made Bison Marinara

Pairing Five
Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz
Mango & Curry Truffles

When: November 4, 7p
Where: kybecca wine bar
Cost: $50 plus tax (inclusive of gratuity)
Call 373-3338 to reserve your spot

Sometimes Doing it Right Isn't Enough

This recent article written in the SF Chronicle about the closing of a beloved and well rated restaurant really hit a particular note with me. It was written by one of the restaurants sous-chefs who talks about all the expensive choices the restaurant made in pursuing a business that sought to honor its suppliers, employees and customers. The economy has a significant impact on independent restaurants and retailers. Those who have been unwilling to trade down in quality to improve their margins, or to let valued employees go have been hit the hardest.

Eventually, it became clear my careful attempts at cost-cutting weren't nearly enough. We either had to start serving many more people each day, or dramatically lower our costs. By this time, we'd already tried everything we could to attract diners - lower prices, happy hour, an extended bar menu, more comfort foods, you name it. None of it did much good. The only choices that remained were to buy lesser ingredients and replace our cooks with cheap labor.

We couldn't do those things. We couldn't forsake our principles and our employees just to keep the restaurant open. Such a restaurant wouldn't have been our Eccolo, anyway.

Before shutting the doors, we decided to have a week of special dinners. We'd cook the food we loved to eat, be surrounded by our friends, and pay tribute to the purveyors whose work we'd so greatly appreciated.

We spent each day in the kitchen preparing a different menu of Chris' favorite dishes. Eccolo overflowed with people; regulars fretted about where they would now eat.

Chris and I just looked at each other and wondered, "Where were all of these people before this? How could it be that only now, on the eve of closing, Eccolo had become the restaurant we'd always wanted?" We kept hearing from people, "I wish I had come more." We wished it, too.

Regardless of what the money people said, I think these customers knew that we were doing the right thing - supporting family farmers, putting money back into the local economy, hiring people from the neighborhood. I just don't think most people realize how hard or expensive those choices are.

Amen to that.

Real Recycling

Ever stop to wonder just how much glass and can waste one restaurant produces and do they recycle all that waste? Unfortunately most places do not, which I really don't understand. It's simply a matter of separating things as they are used.
Above is what we accumulate in recycling during a slow week, and we are just one small wine bar. Imagine what a large, chain restaurant puts in the landfill. Going green is about more than buying a few local ingredients, its about making choices across the board that are better for our environment, from light bulbs to chemicals and recycling.

Using Local Produce

As we have grown and developed the wine bar it was always within our sights to develop relationships with local farmers who could supply us with fresh, seasonal produce. One of our favorites is Miller Farms who are located in Locust Grove (we also encourage you to go shop at their store on the farm, always great stuff).


They supply us with these lovely zucchinis which we use with our Romesco sauce ($4) and about which the Washington Post said:

We were most surprised at how much we loved a simple dish of roast asparagus with a romesco sauce of oven-roasted tomatoes, roasted peppers and sherry vinaigrette. We used up two baskets of bread trying to get every last red scrap.

We keep the Romesco sauce throughout the year and serve it with seasonal produce. Right now is also tomato season and we make sure to use perfectly ripe Miller Farms tomatoes in our Caprese salad. Get it while you can, because once the season has passed, the dishes are gone.

Washington Post Pays kybecca a Visit

Our Washington Post restaurant review came out this last Sunday in the magazine (you can access it here) and the response has been great. Only about 50 restaurants a year get a Sunday review and we are honored that they would include a little wine bar in Fredericksburg in the mix.
We found out a few weeks ago that they were doing an article on us through the arrival of the photographer. A lovely French woman called and said she was with the Post, coming to take pictures and could we have the following dishes ready? Of course we complied, but we still had no idea what the article was about or what section it would appear in. When she told us it was a Sunday review in the magazine, I was in shock. It was more than we could have hoped for, by a large margin. It has been difficult to get top-tier media interested in the Burg for a variety of reasons and this was definitely a top-tier spot. I credit our excellent PR company, a little good luck, and lots of hard work from the whole kybecca staff. Without any of them this would not have happened.

Before I get to the daily menu offerings, let me just say a few words about Kybecca's Sunday brunch menu: This, my friends, is why you get into your cars and suffer the drive on Interstate 95 to get to Fredericksburg.

Sit outside under the bright red awning, sip a glass of chilled prosecco and dig into a plate of slow-braised corned beef hash topped with a poached egg and a drizzle of vinaigrette (one of Kyle's home recipes). Or try one of the crisp, yeast-risen waffles sprinkled with local berries. Or a crepe filled with spicy, locally made chorizo and scrambled eggs.

Cheers

Valentine's Day at the Wine Bar

Lots of people have been asking us what's going on at the wine bar this Valentine's Day. We have lots of great things going on. Starting at 8:30, Singer/Songwriter Kyle Davis will be performing. Also, for this one night only we will abandon our 'no reservations' policy.

Starting tomorrow, Wednesday the 11th, you can phone us at (540) 373-3338 to make a reservation. Credit card number required to make a reservation. You will only be charged for a no-show, $25 per person. No groups over 4 people. We also have a special menu prepared:

Red Wine Cheese Plate - A selection of cheeses specially to pair with red wine. Includes Epoisses, Oregonzola Blue, Sweetgrass Thomasville Tomme, and Hudson Valley Camembert

White Wine Cheese Plate - Specially prepared to pair with white wine. Includes Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor Chevre, Fromage d'Affinois, 5 Spoke Tumbleweed Cheddar, and Everona Dairy Marble Sheep's Milk Cheese.

Citrus Shrimp Ceviche - Shrimp marinated in orange juice, mustard seed and tumeric. We make this one at home every Thanksgiving.

Lolla-Rosa Buttermilk Blue Salad - A collection of red greens and walnuts with our buttermilk blue cheese dressing.

Red Pepper Goat Cheese Salad - Roasted red peppers stuffed with truffled goat cheese, greens, and a citrus vinaigrette.

Mussels in Curry and White Ale - Our newest creation and already a hit. Individual portions of mussels in a sauce made with curry and Floris Belgian White Ale (witbier).

Mac and Cheese - Bowtie pasta with a cheese sauce made from 18 month aged cheddar from New Zealand, with a crust of Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and Pecorino.

Bison and Blue Cheese Sliders - This one is inspired by our love for steamed burgers you get at some fast food joints, although for this one we take it to the next level. Three sliders made from locally-raised Bison meat, steamed buns, blue cheese, and chopped cornichons (French pickles).

Chocolate Truffles paired with Voulet Casorzo - Our house-made Chocolate Truffles with Voulet Casorzo, a semi-sweet Italian wine that's always been hugely popular and that we have found to pair very well with chocolate.

Pound Cake Panino paired with Elio Perone Bigaro - A panino made with pound cake, nutella, and strawberries paired with Bigaro, a delicious pink frizzante (semi-sparkling wine). You really must try the Bigaro if you never have - it really is an all new flavor experience.

So there you have it. Sounds good, no? Come join us on Saturday from some great food and, it goes without saying, great wine.

Restaurant Week Downtown Fredericksburg

I have always been conscious of spending my money with independent retailers and restaurants. Independent studies have shown that up to 40% of the money spent in a locally owned business goes to directly back into the community. Even more than that though is the unique perspective independents bring to their craft. Food and wine is not created with the idea of being exactly replicated across the country and with that comes the freedom to be creative. All great reasons to forgo the big boxes and patronize the small guy/gal.
That's why I love downtown's restaurant week so much. The Road to Salivation allows anyone to sample the best of what independents have to offer.

From January 22-31, the city of Fredericksburg will host its 4th annual Restaurant Week: The Road to Salivation. During the week, indulge on three-course prix fixe meals from some of the city’s finest restaurants. Lunches are just $10.08 and dinners are only $20.08. Chefs will feature special menus to showcase their house specialties. Participating restaurants include: Claiborne’s, Bistro Bethem, Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen, kybecca Wine Bar, Capital Ale House, Kenmore Inn and Caroline Street Cafe. Fredericksburg’s charming historical district boasts more than 40 chef-owned restaurants.

We went to Poppy Hill last night and sampled their offerings, it was fantastic. At kybecca wine bar we are serving:

• Gougères - cumin scented cheese puffs
• Lolla Rosa Salad - brightly colored greens with our house-made Buttermilk blue dressing
• Braised Lamb Shank with leeks and carrots
• Choice of artisan cheese with fresh fruit or house-made dark chocolate mousse

Checking Out The Bison at Cibola Farms

In preparation to unveil our Bison & Blue Cheese sliders at the wine bar, Kyle and I took a trip to Cibola Farms in Culpeper, Virginia to check out the facility and the beasts we might be eating. If you have not seen a bison up close, that is quite an experience. They are huge! We have always been interested in supporting local farmers and using bison in our cooking, so sourcing our meat from them seemed like an easy fit. At Cibola Farms they grass-feed their bison through a thoughtful program of field rotation, not unlike what New Zealand farmers do with lamb. This results in a leaner, more flavorful and healthful meat. All sounds good to us.

Southern Living Loves Downtown Fredericksburg

We have known since last December when Southern Living came around that there would be a piece on Fredericksburg's downtown and now it is finally out. As picked by veteran Southern Living travel reporter Tanner Latham we have been included in his top five picks.

Click here to check out the piece.

The Opening Act

The Low boys have opened all the kybecca locations to date and in keeping with tradition The came to be the first group to play the new venue.

Jeff Gandee of Fredericksburg Painting Services and Chris Park Fredericksburg Renovations by day join together at night to create an amazing, unique sound.














Showcased in the window on William street allows all inside and out to enjoy live music.

Thanks fellas!

Check Out The Nearly Completed Wine Bar

Click on this link to see a panoramic photo of the wine bar. A big thank you to Bob German for taking these photos.
We are open as it stands now and will be completing the upstairs kitchen over the next couple of weeks.

Building the Concrete Bar

Check Us Out

Check out our progress!

This is the bar where the enomatics will be located and the metal boxes below will house bottles of wine. The top has been handcrafted from cherry. The picture also gives you a peek at the newly sanded floors which are looking so great. We hope to be open very soon.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

If you haven't been by yet this week, just follow the noise! Lots of exciting changes taking place...among them, breaking through the wall where the beer cooler used to be. Sounds of sanding melodiously remind us of the beautiful hardwood floor that is being revealed. The paint is on the walls...the lights are hung...and a beautiful rounded countertop adorns the cool steel wine bottle shelves. It's all very exciting and coming together at last (the floor is stunning, by the way!)

And yes....we still have the beer cooler. It's right at the bottom of the steps, still full of your favorites (FYI - Borman's Belgian is BACK!!!)

Saving The Original Floor

This old floor that will now be supporting our wine bar has seen many business over its 100+ years. As a result the floor was in terrible shape. We agonized over saving it because of the tremendous amount of effort needed to do so. In the end decided to go ahead with salvaging it because of the warmth and one of a kind look it will add to the wine bar.

A New Panoramic Shot

Bob German, a local photographer has kindly taken another panoramic shot of the wine bar for us. Click here to check it out.

Update: things are moving along quickly now and it already looks more finished than this picture.

Lobster Salad With Fresh Mint & Lime

Is our latest special. Yum, yum and yum. Get it while you can
because this is a limited time item.

*Update* This has been so popular we may consider putting it on the new menu. Give us your feedback.