Pre-Taylor Offline, Friday Feb 28, 2014

[Andy Velebil]

For ease of planning I've split this off into it's own thread. Here's the details and who's coming so far.

ATTENDEES:
Andy
Tom D.
Roy H.
Bradley Bogdan
Sean C.
Dave Spriggs
Eric Menchen
Steve Pollack
Glenn E. (+1)
Marc J (most likely)

WINES/PORTS:
The theme is bring something nice to share. Let me know whenever you sort what you may bring. Or bring something blind. Whatever. This is an open theme so lets have fun.

MAIN DETAILS:
As there appears to a good number of us wanting to gather on Friday. Since Saturday will be at my house, I've checked with a place I do a lot of wine dinners at. As hosting two events at my house will probably be a bit much. The great part is this location has a hotel at the other end of the parking lot so no one will have to drive anywhere that night. Look it over and let me know if there are any objections.

I've made a reservation for 10 people. I can raise or lower that as needed but wanted to secure it now as it typically fills up early. Let me know if the following sounds good to everyone.

The location is at the California State Polytechnic University Pomona, Collins College of Hospitality Management. They operate a full multi-course restaurant that is really good. It is student operated with two Professors overseeing it. I do a lot of wine dinners here during the year and it rocks. Great location, great food, students wanting to learn, killer view of the hillside, and good prices. Typically, we do a "family style" dinner so everyone gets to try the variety of dishes they offer. You can check out the link to get an idea, though it changes a bit each new school Semester. The professors pair us with student servers who are typically working on a WSET or other Somm-type degree.

There is no corkage and we can bring as many bottles as we want. Typical cost is around the $40-55 per person (which includes the tip/tax). The tip is tax deductible as it goes to the schools program. We'll have a round table in the "presidents dinning room" so everyone can easily see each other and chat.

I'm checking on a group discount at the hotel the University runs, will report back on that. Regardless it's not very expensive if I can't get it, around $80-ish or so. But below is the hotel info. It's a nice hotel, nothing ultra flashy, but very clean and comfy. It's literally about 50 yards across the parking lot, so no driving for anyone. And best part is after dinner we can take our left overs back to the hotel and continue enjoying until we call it quits. There is a good free full breakfast in the am and a pool/spa.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP if you'll need a hotel room.

WHEN:
FRIDAY February 28th,

WHERE:
The Restaurant at Kellog Ranch
The Collins College of Hospitality Management
3801 West Temple Avenue, Building 79
Pomona, California 91768
http://www.csupomona.edu/~rkr/

TIME:
6pm dinner starts

HOTEL INFO:
Kellogg West Conference Center & Hotel
3801 W. Temple Avenue, Building 76
Pomona, CA 91768
1.800.KWEST.76 or 909.869.2222
http://www.kelloggwest.org/

PLEASE MAKE A HOTEL RESERVATION ASAP.

Here's a screen shot of the location, as the address is the main school's. Here's also the google map link so you get an idea of where it's at.
http://goo.gl/maps/pAhia

[Andy Velebil]

Tom D. wrote: Andy, I'll come up on Friday. How are the stems at this venue?

average, and not what we'd prefer as picky wine nerds.

If you're local please bring dry wine and port glasses if you can.

Those from out of town I'll bring extra glasses for you.

[Roy Hersh]

Thanks Andy, I'll book for Friday too.

[Tom D.]

Thanks Andy. I will need a room for Friday and Saturday.

As for stems, I'm used to traveling with mine, so let me know if I should bring my own.

[Steve Pollack]

Hi Andy, This sounds great, and I would like to attend and also reserve a room for both nights. Unless it makes more sense to stay somewhere else closer to your house on Saturday night. Thanks for putting this together.

[Andy Velebil]

Hi Andy, This sounds great, and I would like to attend and also reserve a room for both nights. Unless it makes more sense to stay somewhere else closer to your house on Saturday night. Thanks for putting this together.

Got you.

The restaurant is about 20-25 minutes from my house (if light traffic). May be a bit expensive cab ride on Saturday night unless several people share a cab to split the costs. Then it should be quite reasonable.

I can look for decent hotels closer to me. There is one that is a few miles away, but it just got redone and I want to look inside the rooms to make sure it's ok. Otherwise I'm in a bit of no-mans land for good hotels.

Let me know if you prefer staying an extra night at the University hotel and cabbing it, or closer to my house?

[Andy Velebil]

Thanks Andy. I will need a room for Friday and Saturday.

As for stems, I'm used to traveling with mine, so let me know if I should bring my own.

If you have favorite stemware you like bringing/using, no problem there. If not I will make sure you have good stemware so as not to carry it.

Copy on rooms...see my above post

[Tom D.]

Andy, I'm fine sharing a cab as needed. Or I'll drive, as I am a lightweight and will most likely be spitting

[Andy Velebil]

Ok, I've let them know rooms for Friday night for the following people so far (Others please let me know so I can add you to the list)

Andy V.
Roy H.
Tom D.
Bradley B.
Sean C.
Dave S.
Eric M.
Steve P.

The cost is $79 per night.

They need each person to call and book their room for the hard reservation. Please reference the "Pre-Taylors Port dinner" so they know you're with our group.


They have rooms for saturday nights available. I know a couple people indicated that they don't mind staying. and between a couple cabs (and maybe Tom, but he won't be lightweight after we help him with his ) staying a second night at the Univ. would work out nicely. If so, you can book two nights when you call (cancellation is 24 hours prior to stay, so best to rsvp as soon as possible).

[Eric Menchen]

I'd split a cab too. Being near Andy has an appeal for the second night, but so does staying in the same place.

[Bradley Bogdan]

I'd be down to stay there both nights and split a cab as well.

[Glenn E.]

Booked a reservation for the nights of 2/28 and 3/1, but they couldn't find anything about a "pre-Taylor Port dinner" in their records.

I'll want to split a cab on Saturday as well!

[Bradley Bogdan]

I just gave them the number Andy sent us by each name and they had it going by that.

[Andy Velebil]

....but they couldn't find anything about a "pre-Taylor Port dinner" in their records.

I'll check on that, as they wanted a name to book it under when people called. Thanks for letting me know.

[Bradley Bogdan]

Question, are people planning on just sticking to Portugal for the pre-Taylor dinner? Or may we bring whatever? Most of the things I have that would be worthy of a table of fine palates aren't from the Iberian peninsula.

[Andy Velebil]

Question, are people planning on just sticking to Portugal for the pre-Taylor dinner? Or may we bring whatever? Most of the things I have that would be worthy of a table of fine palates aren't from the Iberian peninsula.

While I'm sure it will end up being mostly Portuguese, feel free to bring whatever. This is an open evening.

I plan on bringing some upper end Douro wines and a port (maybe two). Of course I may slip in something else blind cause that's just how I am lol.

[Andy Velebil]

I should add, we will also need Port. :)

[Tom D.]

Um...whatever the mix of wines, if we don't start off with Champagne, I'm leaving!

[Andy Velebil]

Um...whatever the mix of wines, if we don't start off with Champagne, I'm leaving!

Can you be sure to leave your wines/Ports behind for us

[Andy Velebil]

Ok, a serious question which requires a majority answer.

We've been offered up the wine cellar to have our dinner at. The cellar is the building next to the restaurant (about 20 yards away). It is a private room and table that is adjacent to the glass windows to see into part of their large wine cellar. We would be the only ones there, or around for that matter. They don't offer this to many people, and even as much as I go there we only get to do it about once or maybe twice a year. It's a cool local as we won't be in the main restaurant.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks/differences and I want people's input first.

The space/table in the cellar is a little tight and narrow with 11 people. The table is rectangle and basically sits one on each end and the others on the long sides. The outside view of the hillside, etc. isn't there as it's inside with no windows sans the windows into their wine cellar. All food/water/etc is shuttled down from the main restaurant.

If we chose to stay in the President's dinning room we'll have a large round table, panoramic view of the rolling hillside and garden and we'll be in the main restaurant, the presidents dinning room will be private with just us in it. If we want more food of a certain type it's easy to get more of.

I've attached a pic of part of the table so you get a sense of the cellar table. And of the round table in the President's Dinning room.

----

Here's my personal thought. While I love the cellar, with 10 or 11 of us it'll be tight at the table and won't be as comfy. it'll also be harder to order more of certain foods we really enjoy. So I'm inclined to vote for staying in the president's dinning room. But I'll go with the majority here.

Top picture is the round table, bottom is the cellar table