Kim and I went out with some friends for our 20th wedding anniversary (Poor Kim!) to the Black Lab Bistro, one of our favorite BYO’s, in downtown Phoenixville, Pa. Originally known for its manufacturing, and the filming of the horror movie “The Blob”, it has gone through quite a revitalization with hip restaurants and bars, live music, and shopping. This place has all the ingredients for a fun night out.

We supplied the wine, which the Black Lab complimented with some wonderfully prepared food.

Almond crusted Goat Brie with poached fresh Figs went beautifully with the bright acidity, grass, and grapefruit notes of a 2005 Merry Edwards, Russian River Valley, Sauvignon Blanc, big for a Sauvignon, try and find a bottle, it is worth seeking out.

Calamari with tomato coulis and Poblano pepper Aioli, some would say a boring menu item but one I love to try whenever we’re out did not disappoint. Tender, lightly fried, with just the right amount of sauce drizzled on, had its spiciness complimented by the aromatic Honeysuckle and Vanilla flavors of a 2004 Turley “White Coat”, a Rhone blend of Roussanne and Viognier from San Luis Obispo from the Edna Valley. In a word, this wine ROCKS!

We had two more wines to add the mix, actually there were supposed to be three, but there was an Irish Pub called Molly Maguire’s and a Grateful Dead cover band called Splintered Sunlight we had to attend to later. The third, a 2000 Chateau St Jean, Cinq Cepage we drank on Sunday with Broccoli Rabe and fresh pasta .

2001 Fiddlehead Cellars, “Lollapalooza Fiddlestix” Pinot Noir, Santa Ynez Valley ; dirt, earth, licorice, dark cherry, spice, medium bodied, reminded me of a Premier Cru Burgundy, it was a “Wower”.

2001 Turley “Pringle Family” Zinfandel, Howell Mountain; first time trying this one, jammy, prune tobacco, black pepper, chocolate cherry, alcohol, supple tannins long finish. Huge wine.

For the entree’s I’ll just list them, with a note here and there, you can decide what you think pared best, honestly it was hard to evaluate a wine/ food match with trying only a bite of someone else’s.

Pan Seared Scallops, Pecans with vermouth crème, nicely done, both the Merry Edwards and the White Coat were full bodied enough for the Crème sauce.

Broiled Salmon, Shrimp, Tilapia , & Crab Imperial, I think the richness of the crab went better with the White Coat, although the Fiddlestix liked the Salmon best.

Pan seared Duck breast & Diver Scallops with black currant sauce and braised chard. I would have liked to have tried all four wines with this dish. Again the “Fiddlestix” brought out the best in this entrée.

Porcini seared Buffalo Rib Eye topped with Arugula salad and Truffle vinaigrette. The “Fiddlestix” played 1st chair to the Porcini and Truffle, while the Turley Zinfandel met its match with the perfectly cooked Buffalo.

Dessert was really a no brainer; Flourless chocolate cake with peanut butter, think high-end “Funny Bone”, and a “Cinnabon” type pastry with Vanilla ice cream screamed for the “Pringle Family” , which pared beautifully with the richness of the former and the cinnamon spiciness of the latter.

My mouth is watering, I have to go now.