Greetings!
I know it has just started but it sure feels like fall out there. Chilly, a bit overcast, thankfully not many leaves yet, although they’re coming soon. But it does feel kind of cozy, which isn’t all bad, plus it is a great season for Italian food & wine (along with a few others, but I digress). It just so happens that what we do at Fratello’s is provide you with quality Italian food & wine. Like this weekend, when we will be featuring Certified Angus Beef Delmonico Steak, Wild King Salmon from Alaska, and Monchong Fish from Hawaii. The place will be warm, the lights turned down slightly, the ovens will be on and the corkscrews at the ready - come join us, we’d love to see ya’!

A few changes are afoot on our wine board, with the addition of a Priorat from Spain, which is a Garnacha blended red wine, and a Nebbiolo from Italy for you to enjoy. This Nebbiolo comes not from Piedmont, its traditional home, but from Lombardi, to my understanding the only other locale in Italy that makes Nebbiolo. Nebbiolo is a medium to fuller bodied red wine, and is the source of the more expensive and very good Barbaresco and Barolo wines, which we also have on our wine list. This grape makes some of the best wines in Italy, and this feature gives you a taste of its potential at a good price point. Just a thought.

I hope you are adjusting in stride to our weather changes, and that you are well. Thank you for your continued support, and we hope to see you soon.

Ciao

Greetings!
It seems that we are at the crossroads of seasons. Summer today, fall this weekend, which is somewhat ironic in that I believe this weekend does mark the beginning of fall. For my part I will miss the summer, love the warmth and especially the long days. But fall is not too bad, at least until it gets too bad out there and that white stuff starts to fall. A little chill in the air can work sometimes, plus it is perfect to enjoy nice Italian food & wine with. Like what we offer here at Fratello’s. This weekend, for instance, we will be featuring Certified Angus Beef Strip Steak, Black Grouper and Queen Snapper. Consider joining us, we’d love to see ya’!

Queen Snapper

On our wine board the Syrah from France is gone, and I plan to add another wine from Europe for you to enjoy. The 2014 Priorat from Vegal Escal from Spain is a blend of mostly Garnacha, known as Grenache in most of the world, and this is a medium bodied red wine with a nice balance of spice and acidity, making it a good food wine. Priorat is from a region to the southwest of Barcelona and is among the more significant wine regions of Spain. You might recall that I am a fond of Spanish wines, both from a value and a quality perspective, and hence we have several wines from Spain on our list. In the wings waiting for their turn on the board are a Cabernet from Chile and another red blend from Treasure Hunter. As I have often said, there is a lot of juice out there, and I am confident that we have some of it here that you will enjoy.

As I mentioned last week, we are forging ahead with our plans for the Italian Wine Dinner on Sunday, October 21st, and I want to thank those of you who have signed up for it already. We have chosen the wines, all of which come from the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, and we will be serving two white wines, four red and a dessert wine. Enzo from Tenuta Carretta will be here to explain the wines, and he is an engaging spokesman for the winery. The dinner starts at 6:00, and costs will be $85/person, with tax and gratuity not included. Consider joining us, we are working on it being a good time for all.

We hope you are well and want to thank you again for your continued support for us. Take care, and we hope to see you soon.

Ciao

Greetings!
Well, except for the loss of daylight it’s not too bad out. It is still nice & warm, the evenings are getting cooler, the rain comes & goes - you know, par for the course around here. Speaking of par, it is still golf season, and time remains to enjoy the lake and your boat, if you have one, or simply the nice days we have before the start of fall. It also happens to be a good time to enjoy fine food & wine, as we try to do for you at Fratello’s. Take this weekend, for instance, when we will be featuring Certified Angus Beef Top Sirloin, Wild King Salmon and Halibut. Consider joining us, we’d love to see ya’!

On our wine board I have added a Syrah from the south of France for you to also enjoy. I am often asked what is my favorite wine to drink, and my response is usually that it depends on what I am eating at the time. This being said, I do have a fondness for the Syrah grape. It is a very versatile varietal, grown around the world, and it works with many types of food, including our dishes at Fratello’s. This wine is tasty yet simple, meaning it is designed to be a drinkable, enjoyable wine, not earth shattering, and I have enjoyed it with a Fratello lunch recently. We have other Syrah wines on our list, either stand alone or as blends, from many parts of the world, and I urge you to try them.

You just might like it as much as I do.

As I mentioned last week, we are forging ahead with our plans for the Italian Wine Dinner on Sunday, October 21st, and I want to thank those of you who have signed up for it already. We have chosen the wines, and at this point we will be serving two white wines, four red and a dessert wine, all of which come from the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The dinner starts at 6:00, and costs will be $85/person, with tax and gratuity not included. Consider joining us, we are working on it being a good time for all.

We hope you are well and want to thank you again for your continued support for us. Take care, and we hope to see you soon.

Ciao

Greetings!
September is here. The NFL starts tonight, prep football is rolling, including kind of a big game in our neck of the woods this weekend, the days are unfortunately getting shorter day by day, everyone is back to their studies, or should be. You know the routine, it’s the same each year. But there is still plenty of warmth and sunshine out there, and we are still trying to do our thing and provide you with good food & wine or other beverages to enjoy. Like this weekend, when we will be featuring Certified Angus Beef Texas Sirloin, a little bit of Lemon Sole from Maine, and Silk Snapper from the South Atlantic. You know September, along with some 11 other months, is a great time to head out for some fine food & wine. Consider joining us, we’d love to see ya’!

Our wine board is still stocked with the Cab from Joel Gott, the Sangiovese blend from Ferrari-Carano, Siena, the Sangiovese blend from Toscana, Santa Cristina, the Primitivo from Spain and the Rose from Italy, Il Rogito. This Rose comes from the south of Italy, and is made with the Aglianico grape, a local varietal which traces its roots to Greece. Rose is still a good option this time of year, consider trying it. Several wines await their turn to join the party, and first up is a Syrah from France that I enjoyed. As I have said before, I know we have a wine here that will work for you.

The wine news that I want to share is that we are hosting a Wine Dinner next month featuring wines from Tenuta Carretta from Piedmont, Italy. The marketing rep from Carretta, Enzo, will be here as well as our friends from Specialty Wines in Huron, and the date of the dinner is Sunday, October 21st. We are working on wines, menu and costs, and I will share this with you as soon as it is all determined, but consider joining us. Our Wine Dinners typically start at 6:00 on a Sunday, so they do not end too late. and Enzo is an engaging spokesman for his winery, who make very good wines. I will keep you posted, and contact me for details if you want, but consider joining us. We are planning on having good wines & food, perfect for an October evening.

Thank you for your support all these years that we have been here, it is very much appreciated. I hope you are well, and look forward to seeing you soon. Take care.

Ciao

Greetings!

Well, it has come. The late summer blues. The time when school starts up again, people are heading to campus, vacations are winding down, days are even shorter. But it is all part of the yin & yang of life, and still allows plenty of time to “seize the moment”. You know, like enjoying fine food & wine with friends & family, or even by yourselves. You could even enjoy such food & wine with our family at Fratello’s, when this weekend we will be featuring Certified Angus Beef Flat Iron Steak, Halibut and Swordfish. Consider joining us, we’d love to see ya’!

On our wine board the Locations E I brought out last weekend is almost gone, and the current distributor is out of stock on this wine for now. But fear not, we have other wines for your to enjoy, including the Primitivo from Duca di Saragnano that is still with us - an interesting southern Italian wine that drinks not unlike a Zinfandel - and I have a Tuscan red waiting for its chance that I have not featured for some time but is always a good choice. It will be available for you soon to enjoy. I also have several other reds from Tuscany that are not on our list but are worthy of your consideration - ask me about them. As I have said before, we have a lot of juice for you to enjoy.

I know it is a drag that the summer seems to be winding down, but remember, to everything there is a season. We are here for you, as you have been for us - now 25 years and counting - and we are very grateful for your support. We hope you are well, and hope to see you soon.

Ciao

Greetings!

I know the Browns play tonight, but I am not ready to give up on summer yet. Plenty of sunshine left, baseball, laughter & fun, and also plenty of time to enjoy a nice meal & beverage with us. Like this weekend, when we will be featuring Certified Angus Beef Delmonico Steak, Wild Alaskan King Salmon, and Flounder from George’s Bank in the Atlantic. It seems to me like it has been a wet summer this year as well, but hopefully the rain holds off for you to join us, we’d love to see ya’!

Our wine board continues to feature the Primitivo from Duca Di Saragnano, which is a medium to fuller bodied red that resembles Zinfandel. This wine comes from Puglia, which is to the southeast of Italy and is among the many wine regions of Italy that most of us overlook. I have also brought back to the board, which is a Dave Phinney red blend from Spain. Primarily Tempranillo, this wine offers fruit and medium body, and is a good example why I think Spanish wines are both a good value and a good pairing with our menu. “E” is my favorite of his “alphabet” wines, and it has always been well received.

I also want to share with you that we have been awarded an Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator for our wine list and our wine program for 2018. This Award recognizes outstanding wine lists from around the world, and this is the second year and second time that we have submitted our list for such recognition. In reviewing applications Wine Spectator reviews the menu and wine list of the restaurant, and considers additional information that may be supplied by the restaurant. We are pleased and honored by the recognition and Award, and I invite you all to join us and sample some of the wines in our program.

We hope you are well and still enjoying your summer. Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you soon. Take care.

Ciao

Greetings!

Hard to believe it is August already, non? It is even, heaven forbid, the dreaded (well, for some) “back-to-school” season. For my part I am not ready to call it a day for summer yet, plenty of time to swim & boat, to garden & attempt to play golf, and for perhaps my favorite thing to do all summer (and the rest of the year as well, but I digress)…..enjoy fine food & wine. We can help you in this regard, and this weekend we will be featuring Berkshire Pork Chops, Atlantic Halibut, and Sockeye Salmon from Alaska. I know it has been a wet and rather humid summer, but it looks pretty good this weekend, so consider joining us, we’d love to see ya’!

On our wine board we are still running with the Revival 44 red blend from Paso Robles, which is a Zinfandel orientated blend and which has been well received. I am adding today a wine from Italy to the board, the 2015 Alchymia Primitivo from Duca Di Saragnano. Primitivo comes from the Puglia region of southeast Italy, essentially the heel of the country, and in the past Primitivo was thought to be related to Zinfandel. This notion is in doubt now, but its flavor profile is similar to Zinfandel, so if you like red Zins this wine might work for you. I liked it, hence we are featuring it. We also have some wines available by the bottle which are not yet on our wine list. Venture Wines is a negociant in that they purchase grapes from vineyards they do not own to make their wines. The 2013 Chardonnay comes from Russian River and is in the style of Chardonnay from Burgundy, France, meaning style and elegance, body and structure, but the oak is subdued and the malolactic is restrained. The 2016 Venture Cuvee is made in the style of a Right Bank Bordeaux, meaning a red blend wherein Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape. This wine is a blend of Cabernet, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and is the top wine in their portfolio. Elegance comes to mind with this wine as well, it has body and structure yet is not overly heavy. Lastly, for today, I have also added to our supply of Rioja with a new vintage of Luis Canas Reserva Rioja, which is excellent. As you recall, I am a fan of Spanish wines, and this wine at its price point is very, very good. Just a thought.

We hope you are well and enjoying your summer. Thanks for your continued support, and we hope to see you soon.

Ciao

Greetings!

Seems like it’s been a different type of summer, non? I think we have had plenty of rain thus far, yet my lawn still has brown spots. The temps have not been too bad, although we have had our share of steamy weather, plus the humidity recently has been off the charts making it seem all the hotter. Somewhat different and even inconsistent, which is something we strive to stay away from here at Fratello’s (not that we are always successful, however, but I digress). Take this weekend, for instance, when we will strive to offer consistent and well made meals for you to enjoy. We will be featuring Certified Angus Beef Bone-in Ribeye Steak, Silk Snapper from North Carolina and Chilean Sea Bass. All good choices, joining the Frats and Parms and all the other offerings on our new menu (well, several weeks old). Consider joining us, we’d love to see ya’!

On our wine board I have added Revival 44, which is a Zinfandel, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre red blend from Paso Robles. This is an easy drinking wine that does not need food to be enjoyed, and with Zinfandel being the dominant grape there is a bit of sweetness to the wine, although it is still a dry wine. The Boen Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands is still on the board, although it is running low, but I have a wine from Italy waiting off stage ready to join the party. This week I also added a new Sangiovese based wine to our list, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from Podere le Caggiole, which aside from being a great wine to pronounce is an excellent wine, full of body and flavor. This wine is a Riserva from 2008, and is drinking very good now. One last wine to bring to your attention is also called Montepulciano, but this wine is not a Sangiovese but made from the Montepulciano grape, the 2011 Montepulciano D’Abruzzo Riserva from Contesa. This wine also is fuller bodied with fruit and structure and merits your attention. There are many good wines in Italy and we have a bunch, so consider one on your next visit.

We hope you are well and enjoying your summer. Thanks for your continued support, and we hope to see you soon.

Ciao

Greetings!
If this is not the perfect summer day, I don’t know what is. Bright sun, low humidity, warm but not roasting, rain holding off, what’s not lacking? Well, maybe, just thinking, does not a beautiful summer day lend itself to good food & wine? For our part, we at Fratello’s, this very weekend, will be featuring Certified Angus Beef Strip Steak, (not one, not two, but…) Triple Tail Fish from Panama, and Alaskan Wild King Salmon. Hey, we’ll be here, the food & wine should be good (if not, let me know), and we’d love to see to ya’! Consider joining us!

Our wine board still features the Cab from Joel Gott, from Napa, and the Sangiovese blend from Ferrari-Carano, Siena, both of which have been with us for some time, entirely because they continue to drink so well. There is also the Syrah/ Cabernet blend from Bell Winery from Napa, The Scoundel, and the California Pinot Noir crafted by Joe Wagner at Boen, which sources from the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey. All of these wines are very good in their own right, and will work for you. Other wines await you on our list, and I urge you once again to consider a Rose wine this summer, of which we have several on our wine list and I plan to feature a new Rose all summer by the glass. This week’s Rose is from Calabria in Italy, and I urge you to try it.

I want to thank you again, as always for your support for what we nightly try to do at Fratello’s. We hope you are well, and especially to see you soon. Take care.

Ciao

Greetings!

It’s looking like we might get a break from the heat this weekend, that is if the weather guys & gals are to be believed. Don’t misunderstand me, I like the warmth of summertime - we wait something like 9 months for it to arrive - but sometimes it seems to take the ambition out of everything, even - heaven forbid - going out to dinner. But this weekend it is looking like a perfect time to head out for some fine food & wine, although truth be told I am a little flexible on this account. For our part, we will be featuring Beef Funghetto, tenderloin medallions with a mushroom/marinara sauce, Swordfish and Mahi-mahi. It should not be too hot to head out, so consider joining us, we’ love to see ya’!

On our wine board we continue to feature the Pinot Noir from Boen from California, which joins our friends the Cabernet from Joel Gott, the Sangiovese from Ferrari-Carona, Siena, both of which have been with us for some time simply because they continue to drink very well, and the Cabernet/Syrah wine from Bell Winery, The Scoundrel. The Pinot from Boen is an effort by Joe Wagner, whose family is known for the acclaimed Cabernet, Caymus, and Joe is also responsible for another excellent group of Pinot Noir wines he makes under the Belle Glos label, some of which we also have in our wine program. His wines are all very fruit forward driven, as is Caymus, and this Pinot comes from the Santa Lucia Highlands area of Monterey and also is a fruit driven wine. Very lush and friendly. The Scoundrel blends Napa Cabernet with Syrah from Sonoma, and this is a marriage that works very well. It is very good with our menu or simply by itself. I have also added this afternoon a Rose to the board, and it comes from the Calabria region of Italy. Calabria is the toe of Italy that seems to be kicking Sicily, This Rose is made from the Gaglioppo grape, a red grape which hails from Calabria, and this wine shows deeper color and body than many other Rose wines, yet is still medium bodied and very friendly. As I have mentioned, Rose wines come from all over the world, and I think are the quintessential summer wine. Give them a try, pink wines do have their place.

The other news I want to share is that we have launched a new menu this week, and there are several new items for you to enjoy. Do not be concerned about losing some of your favorite dishes, as many if not most of your menu “friends” are still with us, but we felt it was simply time to make some modest changes. Join us and see if you can make some new “friends”.

We hope you are well and have enjoyed your summer thus far, which hopefully still has a long way to go. Thank you for your continued support, and we hope to see you soon.

Ciao