A Matter of Taste: NICK’S 1014 CAFEWine Tasting Dinner

NICK’S 1014 CAFE
Wine Tasting Dinner
1014 North Third Street
Midtown Harrisburg, PA
717-238-8844

by Dawn Eckenrode

The coolest thing happened to me the other day. A series of unrelated, coincidental events conspired to present me with one of the most enjoyable evenings of wine, food, and socialization a body could hope to enjoy.

Let me tell you about my dog. (No, you don’t need to re-read the title, this is still the dining review). I have this really cute, really red Irish setter, named Sassafrass, who has more friends than I do. Well one of her friends is a slick, sleek and full-of-herself black lab named Maya, whom she plays with regularly in Riverfront Park. Over the course of several months, Maya has become one of Sassafrass’s best buddies. That was innocuous event one.

Scene two: One recent Sunday afternoon, I was kneeling in my garden, patiently plucking tiny weeds away from the tender shoots of my newly sprouted basil patch. I looked up to see Maya’s dad, (a nice man who’s name I didn’t remember — we always refer to him as ‘Maya’s dad’) smiling with this cat-that-ate-the-canary-grin. "What are you and your husband doing for dinner this evening?" he quizzed. "Nothing - no plans that I know of," I replied. "Well," he said, "I have these tickets to a wine tasting dinner, and we can’t make it - it’s at six o’clock." He then proffered two yellow tickets, printed with the recognizable logo of Nick’s cafe. ‘Wow," I said. "Gee, are you sure you can’t go?" "‘Nope! Have a good time." he turned and was gone.

So , I bid my basil farewell, and frantically dashed in to check the time and get ready for dinner and WINE! I was cutting it pretty close, but managed to get myself cleaned up and presentable with enough time to spare for the short walk through midtown to get to the party. (Not so fortunate as me, though, was my husband, who had gotten called in to work for an ‘emergency’ and wasn’t back yet). I left his ticket on the table with a note that promised my undying love but that I had left him for food and wine, please join me there.

Scene Three: Nick’s Food and Wine Tasting Dinner. I walked into Nick’s with the happy attitude of someone that has won a 100 bucks at the lottery, and was greeted by a friendly hostess in black formal attire. I handed her my ticket, and after consulting her list, asked with a look of puzzlement, "Les...?" "Oh yeah, Les (that’s his name!) couldn’t make it, he gave me his tickets," I explained. So without further ado, she seated me at my own booth complete with a white linen formal setting, four - count them - four wineglasses.

(Tony Ricci(r), owner of Nick’s 1014 Cafe, and Sal Pantano Chef for the special Dinner.)

The menu that greeted me on my table listed five courses, each one paired with a selection from the featured Australian winery - Seaview Winery, McLaren Vale, Australia. In addition to the wines being offered, the reception period featured a refreshing Vanilla Wheat Beer from the Whitetail Brewery, which is a local micro-brewery in York. As I sipped the beer, this great kicky low jazz, you know that Grover-Washington-uppy-swing-groove stuff that makes you feel good, staredweaving through the crowd. The waitress came by with bruschettas with tomatoes marinated in garlic olive oil and calamatas, and offers of more beer.

After allowing the crowd to socialize and finish their appetizers, the representative from the winery took the floor. He supplied us with a short history of the vineyard, and a description of the featured grapes and wines that are produced there. Then, the "Wine emcee" gave us a description of the wine that we would be sampling with the first course. It was the Seaview Sparkling Wine, 1995, which runs about $9-11/bottle, and scored 90 points in Wine Spectator. A Brut composed of mainly pinot noir grapes, with some muscatel and others, it was a good start to the first course of rolled fresh perch fillets stuffed with a coconut shrimp mousse.

After that lovely start, the second course was rolled in. This wine was an absolutely superb must-try Chardonnay 1996. It is no wonder it was chosen Wine of the Year and received 92 points! Even red wine drinkers will find this one a jewel. This lovely wine was paired with a salad course of spring greens with goat cheese and toasted walnuts, tossed in a creamy tarragon vinaigrette, garnished with red grapes and enokis. The salad was a joy to behold, and the goat cheese, walnuts and little grapes were an exquisite taste pair to the Chardonnay.

After enough time to thoroughly enjoy the salad course and that beautiful Chardonnay, the Wine emcee came out to tell us about the next wine on the list. It was a 1994 Shiraz with a taste of blueberries, aged in used oaken casks to enhance the berry flavors and minimize the oak and spice flavors. A delightful pairing to the jumbo shells stuffed with spinach, veal, and ricotta cheese, covered by a plum tomato sauce finished with cream. You must get Sal to make this dish for you someday (I don’t think it’s on the regular menu) - it was perfectly balanced and would have passed muster with even my Italian grandmother.

My pick of the evening, both wine-wise and entrée-wise, was the fourth course. The Seaview Cabernet 1994 arrived ruby red and berry flavored, with a chocolate hint. By that time, we were applauding the Wine emcee when he came out to talk to us about the selection. The entrée was rolled tenderloin of pork, stuffed with sausage, garlic and roasted peppers, with a blackened onion and pepper coulis. Absolutely delectable.

And of course, last but certainly not least, was the dessert course, which was a definitely homemade, amazingly luscious mocha cheesecake with caramel topping, trimmed with a dollop of real whipped cream, and dark chocolate covered coffee beans. This luxurious confection was accompanied by a dessert cordial that was a unique and wonderful after dinner combination. It was espresso extract, with sambuca - (I think I got that right, I was pretty relaxed by then and the notes got kind of sketchy).

As a final note , they were kind enough to put all six courses in separate containers (labeled in proper numerical order no less!) for my poor absentee spouse. And so that is the story of my serendipitous evening of fine food and wine at Nick’s 1014 Cafe.

The bad news is, though, that at the incredible price of only $35 per person for free flowing beer, wines, and six gourmet courses, this is only a twice-a-year event. How can we get this to happen more often? Go eat at Nick’s, enjoy their great regular menu, super crab cakes, pastas, cigar evenings and great social hours. All the while, lobby hard for more Food and Wine Tasting Dinners. And get your tickets right away, ‘cause you don’t want to miss the next one! (By the way, thanks Les :-)

Nick’s 1014 Wine Tasting Dinner

All-inclusive meal price: $35

Dining Time: 2 hours +

Location: Easy to Find

Parking: Street & Lot

Handicapped Access: Entranceway

Exterior Appearance: Clean

Initial Interior: Double-Door Foyer

Reservations Necessary: Weekends

Preferred Dining Attire: Neat & Clean

Wait (to be seated): None

Wait (for service): None

Lighting: Fine

Meal-time Music: None

Dining Area Appearance: Newly Redecorated

Noise: Conversation

Climate: Fine

Tables: Fine

Chairs: Comfortable

Booths: Small

Table Setting: Full

Your Meal: Special Menu

Appetizers: Creative

Salads: House Specialty

Dressings: House

Vegetables: Wide Selection

Desserts: Cart/Wide Selection

Coffees: Cappuccino/Espresso

Staff Attitude: Friendly

Staff Appearance: Dress Uniform

Hospitality: Served Efficiently

Cleanliness: Very Good

Wash Rooms: Clean

Crowd (Qty): Busy

Crowd (Attitude): Casual/Laughter

Food (portions): Very Satisfied

Food (prices): Excellent

Overall Service: Attentive

Payment Accepted: All Major Credit Cards