Ari Bendersky, erstwhile editor of aborted foodsite Eater Chicago, pops by ChuffPo to give his picks for three white wines to have on hand for a spicy food fest.
He and his dining companion find particular scorched-tongue salvation thanks to a a valiant Gewurztraminer called into play for dinner at Urban Belly:
The wine was just sweet enough and had a nice effervescence that worked with the non-spicy food (the short rib rice and bacon and squash dumplings – holy cow!). But pairing it with the special that night – the LA-inspired pork cutlet with udon, Napa kimchi, Chinese black beans and sweet chili pork broth – was like a team of firefighters putting out the flames in my mouth. The dish had enough heat to make my nose run, but didn’t get to linger long enough to impede the enjoyment of the meal, thanks to the wine.
The recs for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio as antidotes to a fiery turkey chili would have come in handy yesterday for your intrepid editor, as I attempted to douse a habanero-induced tastebud seizure with copious amounts of tequila, with predictably disastrous results. Wine might have been a more moderate choice.
Who Wants Wine? [ChuffPo]
Urban Belly [MenuPages]
Urban Belly [Official Site]
[Photo via quinn.anya’s Flickr]
