Well we made it to day two and it looked to be like a pretty good one. We had a tour of an organic farm set up followed up by a winery tour. Then after that a couple little sessions with some local companies. Not too shabby.
Well the fruit farm was amazing. The general manager was great and he took us on a very detailed plant tour and showed us the strict separation that they must keep from the organics and non organics. The company is currently shipping over 600,000 cases of organics to the US and hopes to be over a million in the next couple of years. Most of that product consists of Gala Apples with some cherries and blueberries mixed in. Very informative and interesting tour.
Then the GM told us to follow him to his private orchard see what he was doing there. This was the greatest part, the guy is a self proclaimed Hippie and the place showed it. The second we started walking down the dirt path between apple orchards and squash field we noticed the irrigation channels that he dug as well as the bee hives that he has going to make sure that pollination occurs all over the farm. He says it is the best way for all of the living plants to continue to flourish. Pretty cool! Then we get to this little cabin or cabana or something like that. It is the coolest little house and it is right in the middle of the fields. You have to check out the photos I am posting because I can’t do it justice. There was an old iron stove in the kitchen, a giant wood burning grill on the deck and a whole set of living quarters behind the first house. This is a place that all of us wanted to come back and stay for a while. Just to be in the fields and pick the freshest ingredients and cook and relax, this place was the perfect setting. We promised to make it back there someday.
When we got back into the vans that brought us there we got a bit of a surprise, no winery tour had been planned, and instead we were going back to Santiago to some offices. What? Not really sure what was going on but oh well. We got back to town and met with the Fruit council, I forget the exact mane, and they had a special lunch and presentation set up at their corporate office. It was nice and we got to learn about Chilean produce and enjoy a nice lunch. That lasted a couple of hours and then we set off to another meeting with a big berry producer. That was a little less inspiring and we set off for yet another stop. Another berry producer and another office building. It was nearing 6 pm and we had been in meetings all afternoon. It was just too much and unexpected. We did learn quite a bit so it was not a total loss.
Finally, dinner time, which down here does not really start until 9 pm or so. Nick made reservations at a place called OX. Supposedly this is where the mayor goes when he want a great steak. It sounded good so we went. We made reservations for 12 people but when we met in the lobby only four of us were still interested. That’s OK because the four of us were in the mode for a great steak and a great red wine. So we went over for our 9 pm reservation. The place was in a new trendy part of town and had a nice look about it. The menu was cool and had all kinds of meats on it, the wine list full of great Chilean options. But while we were checking out the menus we heard a huge boom from the kitchen area and saw a great flash of orange flames. The chefs were running from the kitchen and it was a little shocking. Everything went back to normal and we found out that one of the cooks changing a propane take had it catch fire and pop a bit. Nothing major, on with the food! We all started out with the traditional Pisco Sour, see earlier blog, and then started getting into the menu. We selected two items for appetizers; one was crispy sweet breads with lemon butter and mint butter as well as an entrée that we decided to split. This sounded too good to pass up, Waygu Beef Osso Bucco over a red wine Risotto and served with a truffled marrow bone, how awesome does that sound? IT lived up to its potential that is for sure. We each ordered steaks and a side of which the Corn Pudding was outstanding. A nice bottle from the Maipo Valley went rather nicely with that. It was nice a big and went with the steaks for sure. We tried a couple of desserts and had a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc with that, so delicious, it tasted like honey. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a box on the counter, could it be, why yes a nice stylish Humidor!!! And guess what was in it, my choice of a Monte Cristo #3 or a Cohiba, I went with the Monte as it is one of my favorites. I decided to go out side and start smoking while the folks finished desserts and called a cab for our ride back, it was about 11:30 pm by this time. Then Nick and the others came out and decided to join me, not just at the outside tables but there came the greatest waiter, Bernardo, with two more Cigars for Nick and Fernando. By the way, Bernardo was hilarious and a super great waiter all night. We had tons of fun with him. And since we were going to be there a bit, we ordered another bottle of red, a Syrah this time. It went great with the cigars and we just talked and laughed and joked around with Bernardo. When we were just about done he came out to us with a notebook that he keeps for all of his ‘Special” customers. I guess we did something right because we got to sign the book of fame. Too cool and a great way to end an awesome dinner. By the time we got back to the rooms it was 1 am and we were all wiped out. So that is also why this post is a day late.
Hope it was worth the wait.
Ciao
Well the fruit farm was amazing. The general manager was great and he took us on a very detailed plant tour and showed us the strict separation that they must keep from the organics and non organics. The company is currently shipping over 600,000 cases of organics to the US and hopes to be over a million in the next couple of years. Most of that product consists of Gala Apples with some cherries and blueberries mixed in. Very informative and interesting tour.
Then the GM told us to follow him to his private orchard see what he was doing there. This was the greatest part, the guy is a self proclaimed Hippie and the place showed it. The second we started walking down the dirt path between apple orchards and squash field we noticed the irrigation channels that he dug as well as the bee hives that he has going to make sure that pollination occurs all over the farm. He says it is the best way for all of the living plants to continue to flourish. Pretty cool! Then we get to this little cabin or cabana or something like that. It is the coolest little house and it is right in the middle of the fields. You have to check out the photos I am posting because I can’t do it justice. There was an old iron stove in the kitchen, a giant wood burning grill on the deck and a whole set of living quarters behind the first house. This is a place that all of us wanted to come back and stay for a while. Just to be in the fields and pick the freshest ingredients and cook and relax, this place was the perfect setting. We promised to make it back there someday.
When we got back into the vans that brought us there we got a bit of a surprise, no winery tour had been planned, and instead we were going back to Santiago to some offices. What? Not really sure what was going on but oh well. We got back to town and met with the Fruit council, I forget the exact mane, and they had a special lunch and presentation set up at their corporate office. It was nice and we got to learn about Chilean produce and enjoy a nice lunch. That lasted a couple of hours and then we set off to another meeting with a big berry producer. That was a little less inspiring and we set off for yet another stop. Another berry producer and another office building. It was nearing 6 pm and we had been in meetings all afternoon. It was just too much and unexpected. We did learn quite a bit so it was not a total loss.
Finally, dinner time, which down here does not really start until 9 pm or so. Nick made reservations at a place called OX. Supposedly this is where the mayor goes when he want a great steak. It sounded good so we went. We made reservations for 12 people but when we met in the lobby only four of us were still interested. That’s OK because the four of us were in the mode for a great steak and a great red wine. So we went over for our 9 pm reservation. The place was in a new trendy part of town and had a nice look about it. The menu was cool and had all kinds of meats on it, the wine list full of great Chilean options. But while we were checking out the menus we heard a huge boom from the kitchen area and saw a great flash of orange flames. The chefs were running from the kitchen and it was a little shocking. Everything went back to normal and we found out that one of the cooks changing a propane take had it catch fire and pop a bit. Nothing major, on with the food! We all started out with the traditional Pisco Sour, see earlier blog, and then started getting into the menu. We selected two items for appetizers; one was crispy sweet breads with lemon butter and mint butter as well as an entrée that we decided to split. This sounded too good to pass up, Waygu Beef Osso Bucco over a red wine Risotto and served with a truffled marrow bone, how awesome does that sound? IT lived up to its potential that is for sure. We each ordered steaks and a side of which the Corn Pudding was outstanding. A nice bottle from the Maipo Valley went rather nicely with that. It was nice a big and went with the steaks for sure. We tried a couple of desserts and had a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc with that, so delicious, it tasted like honey. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a box on the counter, could it be, why yes a nice stylish Humidor!!! And guess what was in it, my choice of a Monte Cristo #3 or a Cohiba, I went with the Monte as it is one of my favorites. I decided to go out side and start smoking while the folks finished desserts and called a cab for our ride back, it was about 11:30 pm by this time. Then Nick and the others came out and decided to join me, not just at the outside tables but there came the greatest waiter, Bernardo, with two more Cigars for Nick and Fernando. By the way, Bernardo was hilarious and a super great waiter all night. We had tons of fun with him. And since we were going to be there a bit, we ordered another bottle of red, a Syrah this time. It went great with the cigars and we just talked and laughed and joked around with Bernardo. When we were just about done he came out to us with a notebook that he keeps for all of his ‘Special” customers. I guess we did something right because we got to sign the book of fame. Too cool and a great way to end an awesome dinner. By the time we got back to the rooms it was 1 am and we were all wiped out. So that is also why this post is a day late.
Hope it was worth the wait.
Ciao
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