Last week, the Tavern on Brady hosted it’s first “Swine and Wine” wine pairing dinner. Ray Coursen of Elyse Winery in Napa Valley was in Tulsa and served up his delicious wines with the gourment Bar-B-Que prepared by Grant Vespasian of the Brady Tavern and Kurt Fleischfreser of the Coach House in Oklahoma City.
Guests dined al fresco on Main Street, right in front of the Tavern. Tables for 10 were set for a casual and relaxed evening. Red and White Sweet Pea and Queen Anne’s lace filled bottles and mason jars and were arranged, along with jars and lanterns with candles, on a piece of burlap in the middle of each table. White napkins were wrapped in burlap and then tied with a honey colored raffia. The evening’s menu fit perfectly between the two.
The evening began with a wine tasting and lecture led by Ray Coursen. Following the tasting, guests picked up a glass of champagne and headed outside to enjoy the beautiful weather, hors d’oeuvres such as deviled eggs and music by members of the Tulsa Philharmonic.
Dinner began with a Crispy Pig Ear Salad served family style.
The buffet followed and included a whole smoked Heirloom Yorkshire Pig. It was served along with warm potato salad, andouille sausage, Three Springs Farm grilled asparagus, Rancho Gordo heirloom beans and sous vide glazed carrots.
Blueberry Lavender Cobbler and Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream followed the meal and were served with a cobbler cocktail.
It was the first dinner of it’s kind in downtown Tulsa. The weather was perfect and the food, wine and conversation were even better. There’s sure to be a second annual “Swine and Wine” next year, so mark your calendars – it’s an event you don’t want to miss!
“A meal with wine is dining – it’s a conversation, an event. It’s what wine is all about.” -Ray Coursen
