This Thursday, November 17, is Beaujolais Nouveau Day, and French restaurants across the city are throwing parties to celebrate. What is Beaujolais Nouveau Day? Here's Stranger food writer Tobias Coughlin-Bogue to explain:
Amid the sodden misery of November in Seattle, there is always one bright spot: Beaujolais Nouveau Day. This is the day that France's most famous vin de primeur (a wine that may be sold the same year it is made) is released upon the world. Due to an ancient French wine marketing conspiracy, it always falls on the third Thursday of the month.Why do you give a shit about some obscure French wine? Well, because Beaujolais Nouveau is such a magical, overabundantly fruity wine that it can help you forget that you live in the end times. Yes, the storm drains look like they're on the verge of an actual apocalyptic flood, the sun is blocked out by your work schedule, and an unhinged megalomaniac is about to seize power, but there you are, sipping a bright, buoyant glass of Beaujolais Nouveau, nibbling on something delicious, and perhaps even closing your eyes for a moment to imagine that you've expatriated and are enjoying all this lovely food and wine in some cozy cafe in Lyon. Au revoir, President Trump.
See our complete list of Beaujolais Nouveau events happening on Thursday in Seattle below, or on our food & drink calendar. Plus, don't miss the Columbia Tower Club's Beaujolais Nouveau celebration on Friday.
1. Bastille Cafe & Bar
Imagine yourself in Paris' revolutionary center and sip a taste ($4), down a glass ($8), or slurp a whole carafe ($24—actually, please share) of Beaujolais from Domaine Vissoux and Domaine Dupeuble. Additional Beaujolais wines from Cru villages will be available, as well as small plates and dinner. Just a sample of what's on offer: an $8 pair of "giant gougères" (cheese puffs), a $16 meal of beef tartare with russet potato chips, and $14 sardine tartines. (Ballard)
2. Belle Epicurean
The Belle Epicurean hosts a night of "fun, wine, food and live music" to celebrate the Gamay grape and its wonderful yield, Beaujolais wine. (Madison Park)
3. Bottlehouse
Live jazz from Angela Petrucci and The Common Chord Duo, a Parisian menu, and a Cru and Beaujolais Nouveau tasting including a "Drouhin special release": a pretty fine harvest-time celebration. (Madrona)
4. Le Pichet
Celebrate the first new wine of 2016 with a "traditional cafe-style celebration" that will feature wine by the glass, pichet, or bottle, as well as a special menu of traditional street food and live music. (Downtown)
5. Maximilien
Maximilien has created a menu to complement the new Beaujolais, including pumpkin bisque, stuffed pheasant or braised monkfish, and île flottante meringue dessert. Get the dinner only for $45, or add three samplers of Beaujolais for $59 total. (Downtown)
6. RN74
With a nod to their deep wine cellar with true French treasures (among others), RN74 will be uncorking the holiday’s traditional wine of Beaujolais Nouveau, meant to be opened young, for $7 per glass as well as three special Cru Beaujolais wines to celebrate the quality and diversity of the region for $10-20 per glass." This is a great way for those who already know and love Beaujolais Nouveau to get to know Gamay more intimately, and perhaps even enjoy some oxtail croquettes while they're at it. TOBIAS COUGHLIN-BOGUE (Downtown)