Salute to 24!

Last week I said ‘Salute’ to 24 in a super memorable way!

My roommate, Jordyn, surprised me with tickets to a wine tasting at one of my favorite restaurants, The Sipp on South Lamar, to celebrate my birthday. Located on the Square, the Sipp is nestled behind a boutique and office building with their own outdoor patio – the perfect spot to catch up with friends over a fun cocktail and tasty tapas during the warmer months.

The restaurant's interior makes you feel like you are in a modern, high-end speakeasy with its dark, intimate setting, plush chairs and booths, grand bar, and glass walls displaying all of their wines. Every time I enter, I always feel like I am treating myself to something more than just a dinner on the Square or a “girls night out”, it’s an event in and of itself. Their waitstaff, dressed in all black seem to blend into the space rather than stand out like other places. They even bend down to your table to talk with you, tell you the specials, and take your order which makes you feel like they are invested in your experience.

On this particular night, the restaurant’s event was themed “Tastes of Tuscany”. Private to only the 25 guests attending, each guest’s $30 ticket included a specialty cocktail and three 3oz. glasses of Italian wines, as well as two Italian inspired tapas uniquely crafted for the event.

We started off the evening with an Italian cocktail similar to the Garibaldi. The tangerine colored drink is famous for blending the two tastes of Campari from the North and South Italy and is most commonly used as an “aperitif” as it stirs up hunger, making it the perfect drink before all meals.

Once finished with our cocktails, servers flanked the room with our wine flights followed by small plated tapas. A member of the Sipp staff welcomed us for the evening and began describing the “tastes of Tuscany” we had in front of us. He explained each of the three wines, their flavor profiles, their heritage, and how the first two paired well with the meatball-like tapas in front of us.

The first wine, Centine ‘18, had an intense ruby red coloring followed by fragrant dark fruit and floral nuances. The medium-bodied wine had flavors of black cherry and plum, and a hint of spice. The second wine, Santa Cristina ‘18, held scents and tastes of raspberry, black cherry, green tea and spice. It had lovely floral aromas and its flavors had a delicate finish.

Next, we sampled an Italian crusted pork chop over a cauliflower/polenta mash topped with an Italian slaw. That dish paired perfectly with our third wine, Villa Antinori ‘18. The full bodied wine was well rounded with supple velvety tannins and a long savory finish. It had complex notes of wild berries; blueberries and blackcurrants, as well as notes of toasted hazelnuts, spices and vanilla.

As we were finishing our plates and sipping on our delicious wines, the chef came around to each table and introduced himself, shook our hands, and asked about our evening. He wished me a happy birthday and asked for us to come back again for another meal to taste some of the new dishes they are working on. This spoke volumes to me, not only for the event, but to the restaurant’s chef and their management. I could maybe count on one hand the amount of times a distinguished chef has come to ask me personally what I thought of not only his food but of the event and my experience. It made me feel special, valued, and like a priority.

The event, while private to the 25 guests from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., it continued beyond its hour timeframe. Not because that the restaurant was behind, but rather that even after the tasting, wine glasses empty, and plates practically licked clean, attendees stayed, chatting with friends, partners, staff, etc. Our waitress for the evening came around and asked us if we would like to order anything off of the menu or if we were interested in another glass of one of our samples as if it was an invitation to continue the celebration. We never wanted the night to end!

Key Takeaways:

This event was memorable in more ways than one. The atmosphere, the service, the food, the wine, the cocktails, the company I spent the night with… the list goes on and on. While we didn’t know what our $30 ticket would entail beyond “delicious tastes from Italy”, I was amazed at all the event included and how prepared the staff was. Thankfully I don't have any food allergies and am willing to try anything at least once, however other guests might not have been so lucky. I am not sure if they allow for food substitutions when it comes to these themed, "one night only" menus, but they may need to disclose what is in each food item like they have describing the wine so everyone stays safe and healthy.

I am excited to announce that the Sipp has already scheduled other tasting events for the upcoming months and I will without a doubt will be back for more!