Serbia: Bermet, the flavorful flavored wine

For those looking for an unusual sweet treat, I highly recommend looking for a bottle of Serbian Bermet. Ok, chances are you won't find it in the US, but if you do stumble across it, or there is a trip to Belgrade in your future, you have to give it a try.

This is an infused wine. It has spices and herbs added to it. Technically you could call it a Vermouth, but the style is not similar to traditional Vermouths. However as with Vermouth it also comes in red or white versions.

No two producers make exactly the same wine, so I can't give you a definitive idea of what it taste like, but the red I tried was heavily spiced with cinnamon and cloves and tasted almost like cherry pie. It was served at room temperature to us, but it would probably make a nice hot wine as well.

The white version was similar but with a noticeable vanilla character. This one I would stick with serving chilled, but who knows? Perhaps reduced it could make the basis for a great sauce.

This is no wimpy wine. The strong spice flavors and abundant alcohol (16% is common) help make a little Bermet go a long way. Still, we had no problem finishing one of the red versions off while watching the strollers pass by in the heat of the noon day sun.

I am not known for espousing the virtues of flavored wines, but variety is part of wines charm, and this one is definitely different. A charming change of pace, although I don't know that I would make it a regular part of my routine.

Hungary, Restaurant Review: Onyx Restaurant

We found a semi precious gem in the middle of Budapest. Onyx Restaurant not only served us a meal on a par with any we have ever had, they managed to do it at a cost that was surprising affordable, amidst a city that is surprisingly not.

Located just a few steps away from the tourist trap district of the Vaci strolling mall, the Onyx is a blend of old and new both in decor and cuisine. Contrasting the staid furnishings a group of LCD monitors displayed vibrant and ever changing abstract images, sort of like a soft focus fractal. I found the effect soothing and a perfect counterpoint to the near stuffy ambiance.

The service was white gloved and attentive, and the staff was knowledgeable and more than eager to share their passion for their craft. I was especially delighted by the wide variety of remarkable local wines available by the glass. As always wine details are saved for readers of the newsletter .

You on the other hand get a look at the seven courses we delighted in.

Leg of Veal Carpaccio with Foie Gras on a Roast Red Bell dressing
A savory treat for foie gras. The flavors were great, although the carpaccio was a bit tough. It was thankfully chopped into strips making it easier to enjoy.

Hungarian Grey Cow Goulash Consomme
A delightful twist on the ubiquitous Goulash Soup of Budapest. Fragrant and perfectly spiced.

Salmon Steak with Jelly, Sweet Potato Cakes with Puy Lentils, and a Cannoli stuffed with Sugar Peas and Radish Curry with Bean chips 

Visually stunning, so much so that I am adding a rare photograph. Each of these tastes are completely different from the other, but moving from one to the next was an exploration in flavors.

Elderberry Sorbet
Sweet, but not too. The ideal refreshment.

Roast Suckling Pig, with Chitterling Ravioli and Beets with Parsley Root Froth and Mini Black Pudding on Leek Bed
Like most Americans Black Pudding (also known as blood sausage) is not a taste I am used to. None the less it was rich and flavorful and went well with the tenderloin and cheek of roast pork. The ravioli and beets gave a respite from the rest of the rich flavors.

Goat Cheese with a Pistachio crust and Dried Sour Cherry Jam
This local goat cheese was as smooth and creamy as any I ever had. It was quite remarkable and perfect after the rich pork dish.

Tainori Chocolate Cake with a taste of 1995 Royal Tokaji Aszu Essencia
Royal Tokaji Essencia is the wine made just from the dried botrysized grapes and is one of the most rare and understandably expensive wines in the world. It is no wonder then that they literally give you a single spoonful of this luscious quaff to accompany the sinfully delicious chocolate cake.

In a city where a continental breakfast start at $20 and goes way up, this 7 course delight, complete with wines that I chose to match ran us only $150 a person. There are few restaurants or experiences I have ever more heartfelty recommended than the Onyx in Budapest.

Serbia, Restaurant Review: Dorian Gray

If you are not the literary type you may not see the irony in naming a restaurant after this Oscar Wilde character. Then again, it was Dorian himself who had the chance to live the good life, while it was his picture that suffered. For those looking for the good life in Belgrade, Dorian Gray Restaurant is a good place to start.

A charming restaurant with a large outdoor terrace, Dorian Gray is a bit of civility that seems all but out of place with less sumptuous cafes of the area. Sporting a fine wine list with both local and international wines, the menu itself is an eclectic mix of everything the world has to offer.

Pulling off such a diverse repertoire is none too easy, and a trick that many a lesser establishment has failed at. Dorian Gray does a nice job; perhaps not rising to the potential of a specialist, but far from falling flat in their diversity.

We started with a Pate de Foie Gras which was shaped in a truncated pyramid and served with a red currant jelly and whole pieces of toast (rather than a more traditional toast points). Very nice, although I failed in my attempt to have an accompanying glass of Sauternes or similar tart dessert wine.

The Boneless Rabbit was served with of all things, the bone in. It was paired with fresh gnocchi and a dark demi-glace sauce. The dish was delightfully rich and successful. A traditional Continental dish from a bit further east than the traditional continent.

The Fried Duck was more Asian inspired, complete with sesame oil and a shiny and rather unctuous sauce. It was tasty, but a bit much about half way through.

The wine service was most notable for being very careful to ensure a sound bottle of wine. The wine steward himself tasted and rejected the first bottle, and after the second bottle was also found to be suspect we changed to a different producer.

It would have been easy for the Dorian Gray to skimp on the service or the flair of the menu, since it seemed to be wasted on the mostly water drinking clientele we saw, but they took the high road and brought a bit of elegance to Old Belgrade.