Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 24, 2015

8

FOOD AND DRINK

Mountain View News Saturday, January 10, 2014

Recently, I was the recipient of an exceptional question from reader Amber Moyes of Covina. It 
appears that Rodeo Drive and their wine list may have migrated to a location near us. Amber was 
at the Langham Hotel and enjoyed a glass of Black Stallion Cabernet ($15), and she asked this writer 
to investigate how establishments come up with prices of wines by the glass. I dream of a day when 
a poor restaurant critic may soothe his many worries with an exceptional glass of wine and not be 
required to carry a bag of diamonds as payment. Like the majority of us, Amber strikes me as a 
regular consumer of wine; a person who is not cheap but searches for value when she is dining out. 
I must admit I, too, like the gentle view from the Tap Room over looking the 50 acres of greenery.

I reached out to my many sources in the industry and this is what I found out. Ian Blackburn, founder 
of Learnaboutwine.com, said, “That ($15) is common for a good glass of wine and the math works 
out to ($52) for the full bottle at that price per glass.” While many chain restaurants use a Libby wine 
glass which costs a couple of bucks, upscale restaurants use a higher quality glass, so you can guess 
that the cost of the glass might be just a bit lower than what they paid for the entire bottle. My next 
call was to Randy, who owns the Domenico’s restaurant on Washington in Pasadena. He tells me that 
his wine purveyors suggest to “tripling the cost of 
the bottle”. This means if you see a bottle for $30 at 
your favorite restaurant, by this rule of thumb, they 
paid $10 for it.” 

Ok, so how about corkage fees? Most restaurants 
charge $4-$15 for this service because, yes, they 
still have to open your bottle and clean the glasses. 
I find it that is unacceptable to bring in a bottle of 
wine that is already listed on the restaurant’s menu. 
If it is an owner-occupied restaurant, often it is a 
good gesture to let the owner sample the wine that 
you have brought in. Who picks the wine? Erudite 
wine broker Eddie Ramirez offers this insightful 
advice, “Always have the wine list when ordering, 
and I do not recommend asking the servers for a 
wine recommendation unless you do not have any 
issues with the price.” My suggestion to Amber and my readers is it to never blindly let the server 
choose the wine for you and be careful on the “ House Wine” I stayed at a resort in South Laguna just 
a few years ago and my bill was $110!!

I hope this helps. I learned something as well. Join me on Sunday Night at 7 PM on Charter Channel 
188 for Dining w/Dills follow me on Twitter #kingofcuisine

Listen to my new radio show 12 Noon Sunday KLAA AM 830

Closing: Trattoria Neapolis

Just Opened: Del Frisco Grille on S Lake 


GARLIC CLOVE 
CHICKEN

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com

INGREDIENTS

Nonstick spray coating

1 1/2-2 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks), skinned

25 cloves garlic (about 1/2 cup or 2 to 3 bulbs)

1/4 cup dry white wine

4 teaspoons lemon juice

Salt

Ground red pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray coating. Preheat skillet over medium heat. Add 
chicken and brown over medium heat for 10 minutes, turning to brown evenly.

2. Place chicken in an 8-inch square baking dish. Add unpeeled garlic cloves.

3. In a small bowl combine wine and lemon juice; pour over chicken. Lightly sprinkle chicken 
with salt and ground red pepper.

4. Bake, covered, in a 325 degree F oven 45 to 50 minutes or until chicken is tender. Makes 4 
servings.


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