I spent a warm hour or so indoors* at Seattle’s Westward during our recent run of 90 degree weather and wanted nothing to do with any food that would come to me heated. Luckily this restaurant had two things that cooled me down:
Gravlax and Jane Ventura Blanc Selecció 2014
You know I love Jane Ventura’s Cava. (Read all about it.) So I was tickled to see this Spanish producer also made still wines AND I could actually drink one!
The Jane Ventura Blanc Selecció 2014 is an unusual blend of four grapes:
- Xarel.lo (70%)
- Macabeo (15%)
- White Grenache (5%)
- Malvasia de Sitges (10%)
Wild, huh? The first two grapes are ones you’ll see in most Cavas, BTW. If you like dry white wines, this is your jam. It is extremely dry. Not for the faint of heart. But if you feel faint from the heat, this extra-crisp white (along with gallons of ice water) will chill your life out.
Here’s the gravlax I had. It’s house-cured sockeye salmon with rye bread, labneh, za’atar , and a beet/fennel salad. Uh, yum.
Normally I’m not a fan of beets. I don’t like their earthiness and weird texture when cooked. But these were (thankfully) sliced very thin, raw, and really good. You combo up this gravlax and Jane Ventura white wine and you can survive any heat wave. You have my ironclad guarantee. (Note: Guarantee subject to change.)
*Seattle friendos, I know you are wondering, “Why were you indoors at a restaurant with some of the most epic outdoor seating in the city?” Well, the patio was full and I was left with no choice but to pass the time indoors with no AC. Boo-hoo! (I did get some outdoor seating at twilight, though. And beer. I win.)
