Reported by Dawn Harvie

There were many Guild members eager to dine at ambiente since almost everyone had heard good things about it from friends and family. We were greeted at the door by Guild VP Martin Carrière and Guild Director Antonio Mauriello and a glass of Bortolomiol Valdobbiadene Prosecco ‘Bandarossa’ from Veneto. A lovely, fruity, creamy wine; easy to sip while chatting with friends, of whom there were many!

Once seated, our servers Leslie and Brandon, assisted by David, the Front of the House Manager, served up the delightful seasonal creations of Chef Michael Guy. There were two appetizers. The first was Smoked Trout in a Dill Sauce. The vegetarian dish was an absolutely mouth-watering white onion soup—so good I wanted to lick the dish clean! (Okay, I obviously have a few more descriptors for the vegetarian dishes!) The second appetizer was Seared Scallop with Leeks and Proscuitto, which everyone seemed to quite enjoy, while the vegetarian option was a delicious Sunchoke and Roasted Garlic Soup. The Inama Soave Classico Superiore, 2004, Veneto, had lots of fruit, some mineral and lemon notes, and food-pairing acid. The wine was a very good match with the fish-based dishes; it did not overpower them. However it was probably not the best match with the vegetarian appetizers, but each was very nice on its own so there was no disappointment! The second course was Wild Boar Raviolo, and some thought that a little more zing was needed in the sauce, but everyone thought that the dish was generally very nicely done and the wine, the Il Conventino Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Reserva, 1998, Tuscany, was a very nice match—a very good value Sangiovese with black cherry, cedar, spice, dark chocolate, and tobacco. The vegetarian second course was mushroom stuffed cappellotti with swiss shard and pine nuts. This dish was so heavenly I had to remember to breath after each bite! Absolutely wonderful and the wine served it quite well.

The main course was Roast Lamb Sirloin with Rapini and Truffle Scented Mashed Potatoes. The vegetarian main was a caramelized onion in a puff pastry shell with the rapini and mashed potatoes. Delicious! The wines, the Rocchetta ‘Sant Emiliano’ Barbera d’Asti, 2000, from Piedmont, and Masi ‘Serego Alighieri’ Valpolicella Classico Superiore ‘Anniversario 650 Anni’, 2000, from Veneto, were both wonderful. The ‘Sant Emilliano’ was the lighter of the two. It had notes of meat, fruit, mushroom, and leather, and it had good acidity. The ‘Serego Alighieri’ was delicious with lots of spice, black fruit, coffee, chocolate, and prunes, and also had great structure. I had the opportunity to visit other tables—plates were empty and everyone thought the wines were an excellent match with the lamb.

Dessert, Vanilla Bean Pannacotta, was lovely. The Montellori Vin Santo, 1997, Tuscany was apparently a very good match. It was full of figs and marzipan with a touch of orange. The vegetarian option was an absolutely amazing caramel ice cream with poached pear. Yum! What a wonderful evening, and although it’s perhaps starting to get a little cliché, I don’t care! I never tire of these evenings filled with good food, good wine, and good company!