Eastern European Wine Dinner with Eric Danch
A multicourse dinner with paired wines - wine is included in the ticket price and bottles will be available for sale at the event. This is not a cooking class. Guests will be seated at communal tables, most dishes will be served family-style. Review our registration and cancellation policies here.
Join us for a night of Eastern European flavors and Hungarian wines in a collaboration between 18 Reasons and Eric Danch. We are so excited to work with Eric again and host you for an evening of magnificent pairings and abundant feasting!
Duck is at the center of this menu. Our head chef, Gracie, will butcher whole ducks from Liberty Farm in Sonoma and prepare them in 5 different ways, showcasing the versatility of this wonderful ingredient. Gracie’s menu is redolent with admiration for peak seasonal ingredients and is inspired by the traditions and flavors of her ancestors.
Alongside Gracie’s food, you’ll sip on incredible wines imported from Eastern Europe by Danch and Granger. As he pours wine, Eric Danch will share stories about each wine producer and share his extensive knowledge of Hungarian wine-making.
Burlap and Barrel, an award-winning spice company, is sponsoring this event with its exceptional paprika. Plus, the very best local and seasonal ingredients will be featured in every dish, thanks to our wonderful partner across the street - Bi-Rite Market!
If you're curious about the flavors of Eastern Europe and looking to expand your knowledge of both the wine and food of that region, or just want to have a rollicking good time and memorable meal, we invite you to join us!
MENU
To Start:
Seeded Rye, Langosh
Pickles
Duck Rillettes
Carrot Carraway Kraut
Roasted Leek and Green Garlic Dip*
Mustard, Dill, and Confit Garlic Butter
Wine Pairing: Kikelet Late Harvest, 2023 Şefu (Chard, Riesling, Furmint, Tămâioasă)
Soup:
Chilled Strawberry Soup - Roasted Duck Bone and Almond Broth
Chamomile, Crispy Duck Skin Crumble, Pickled Green Strawberry, Fried Almond, Strained Yogurt*
Wine Pairing: 2022 Sziegl Herreberg Kadarka, Hajós-Baja
Salad:
Marinated Beets, Walnut Coriander Dressing, All of the Beautiful Radishes, Crispy Duck Confit, Farmers Cheese, Cilantro
Wine Pairing: 2018 Fekete Béla Furmint, 2023 Tomcsanyi Szivhangok Red (Merlot, Syrah, Kekfrankos)
Entrée:
Smoked Duck Breast Roulade with Green Garlic, Morels
Spaetzle in Paprika Cream*
Wine Pairing: 2022 Tokaj Nobilis Furmint Barakony
Dessert:
Meyer Lemon, Sour Cream Poppy Seed Ice Cream with Rhubarb Granita, Cherry Blossoms
Wine Pairing: 2022 Oszkár Maurer ‘Sott,’ Fruśka Gora, Serbia
* - Features Burlap and Barrel Paprika
This menu contains the following common allergens: Dairy, Tree Nuts, Wheat. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.
Eric Danch's path to wine is a combination of 15 plus years working in restaurants, two years studying and working abroad (Copenhagen and Rome), 6 years working at a European cabaret meets Vaudevillian circus, a few harvest internships, and then being fortunate enough to be introduced to Blue Danube Wine Company in 2011. This was followed by 8 years of building the Bay Area into the largest sales channel for the company, managing parts of the portfolio, traveling to the regions, and feeding a inexplicable urge to learn as much as possible about the people, places and wines as possible. Founding Danch & Granger Selections in 2019 is a chance to put all of this together and see what comes next.
Gracie Schatz has been in the food industry for over fifteen years. In her career, Gracie has worked in a variety of places: as a baker and private chef in Eugene, OR, farming and cooking in Italy, raising pigs in the Sierra Foothills, butchering at the Fatted Calf in San Francisco, managing Avedano’s in Bernal Heights, cooking at Bay Area restaurants Molina and Cala and her own pop-up restaurant, Bread and Bones Supper. In Eugene, she started her own food justice nonprofit, Marigold Cooking Collective. After working with 18 Reasons as a guest instructor for the past 7 years, Gracie has decided to move from Eugene to San Francisco and join us as our head Chef. Her dream is to never stop learning about delicious food, to never stop exploring the many nuanced ways that food brings us joy, connection to culture, identity, seasons and community. 18 Reasons feels like the perfect place to explore this dream and she is so excited to be here!
