At first, I was concerned because who eats a meal at a grocery store, much less at a bar!? The smart people do - that's who! If it wasn't for my cousin who used to be the seafood bar chef there, I wouldn't have done it and that had to be one of the best pieces of advice he ever gave me. No wait, the only piece of advice he ever gave me or that I would listen to from him at least... but I digress.
I have eaten at the seafood bar numerous times but hadn't been in awhile and was just longing for it this past Saturday. I ordered the sea scallops entrée which is my go-to meal. The scallops are always perfectly cooked; not chewy or rubbery. The citrus soy sauce that goes with them is divine. Usually, I have the mesculin greens salad but this time they had green beans so I chose those as my side and am glad I did. I dipped them in the citrus soy sauce and pretended they were Asian french fries. YUM!They are cooked in the Wegmans herb basting olive oil which is also delicious and which you can buy and take home with you. I use it quite often when sauteeing seafood at home. I literally take my time and savor every single bite of scallop. I never want them to disappear.
The crabcake entrée is also delicious and is shown here with the mesculin greens. I am extremely picky when it comes to crabcakes since I learned how to cook and clean my own Maryland blue crab when I under the age of five. Thanks to my amazing family! I also am a crabcake snob because I want a crabcake with NO FILLER. Wegmans crabcakes are fantastic - all crabmeat - and they come with that remoulade sauce!
The seafood bar's wine selection changes often, although I don't know how often. I've always found a nice Chardonnay on the list which goes well with my scallops or crabcake. The one I had Saturday was the Wohler Bridge Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley in California. It is a beautiful crystal clear golden wheat color. Citrus, lemon and a fresh, clean crisp scent on the nose with a light, refreshing, hint of vanilla on the palette.
It looks pretty with the flowers in the background too. What a photogenic wine!
Something to note:
No matter what position I rest my knife on the plate it always puts itself in this position - must be weighted somehow. I'm telling ya, magical things happen at the Wegmans seafood bar!
I always enjoy shopping at Wegmans but after drinking a glass of wine it sure does make the grocery shopping experience delightful. As much as I prefer animals over people, I tend to become pretty friendly after a little alcoholic beverage so I was chatting it up with total strangers and even making them smile. Nothing obnoxious, don't worry. Wine makes me happy, remember?
Even though I had no intention of buying any wine (snicker, guffaw), I HAD to walk through the wine section before I left the store. To my surprise, not only was there a wine tasting going on but there was a beer tasting as well! I am not a beer fan but over the past couple of months I have found it enjoyable to go to breweries and try different beers. I have even found one that I enjoy and another that I could fathom.
Because the Super Bowl was the next day, George, the beer guy, had a free beer tasting of two beers from Seattle and two beers from Denver! So, of course, I had to try them! Why? It was free, the obvious Super Bowl theme and because I love "oldies". George was just precious and he also helped me along and KNOWS beer!
What did I learn?
1) I do not like IPAs. Why? They are too hoppy. Some say hoppy, I say disgusting. To me, the more hops, the more disgusting. It is what it is.
2) I did like Audible Ale made by Red Hook in New Hampshire. This is former ESPN Sportscaster Dan Patrick's beer. It was very drinkable and light. I could definitely drink that again.
3) George gives very generous pours - I like George. Oldies and puppies - where my true heart lies.
I turned around to leave and what was behind me?
A free WINE tasting!!
This man was not as helpful or nice - pretentious wine snob, I suppose? I tried a Concannon Chardonnay from California and a Pinot from Sonoma. They were drinkable but obviously nothing to blog about since I took no notes and don't remember anything about them. It was nice that they gave us a piece of cheese to try though.
I look to the left and what do I see?
ANOTHER beer tasting!
This one is Stella Artois, a well-known beer but not one I've tried. These were paired with Wegmans brand DARK CHOCOLATE!
Get the hell out of here!
A chocolate and BEER pairing!!
What has this world come to?
It was delicious. I could tolerate the lager (although I wouldn't buy it) but I LOVED the Stella hard cider. It was delicious and I absolutely regret not buying a four-pack. It's on my list for the next trip to Wegmans.
On the way to the checkout, what do I find? Another wine tasting but this time it was a Moscato (which is way too sweet for me) and a Sangria. I don't like to waste, so I didn't try the Moscato but I did try the Sangria. It wasn't bad but made me long for summer and to pour it over angel food cake or fresh berries and pound cake.
There goes another fantastic trip to my happy place grocery store!!
As my girlfriend said, "Only YOU can make grocery shopping look fun!"
Hell, yeah, EVERYTHING should be fun!
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