REVIEW: Mozaic Mediterranean Cruise Wine Dinner

From my first introduction to Mozaic Restaurant, it was love at first bite. The restaurant quickly moved to the top of my list of best restaurants in Sarasota. So it was with much anticipation that I attended Mozaic’s Mediterranean Cruise Wine Dinner. My confidence in Chef Dylan Elhajoui’s creative ability was not unwarranted. This culinary cruise with stops throughout the Mediterranean began with a Bon Voyage Reception. Sautéed mushrooms and chick pea salad, fresh melon soup with candied ginger, and rosemary shortbread with merguez sausage ragout accompanied by Louis Roederer Champagne Brut set the stage for a great journey ahead. The food and champagne made a winning combo, with the Roederer Brut being my favorite wine of the evening. I have a soft spot for melon soups, and this one was amazing; flavors of cantaloupe, mint and candied ginger melted in my mouth. Everyone at my table exclaimed with joy as we sampled each hors d’oeuvre. Sharing exultations with fellow diners is always part of the fun at Mozaic, but this seated dinner limited the contact. My preference would have been for a stand up reception rather than being seated at individual tables.

The first culinary port of call was Marseille, France where we dined on chilled seafood bouillabaisse terrine, rouille vinaigrette and panisse fries and sipped Chateau d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rose. Our table of four was divided on the terrine, but I enjoyed this refreshing twist on the typical terrine with the surprise chunks of seafood. The star of this first course was the panisse fries which had everyone at the table guessing the main ingredient. It turns out the simple medley of chickpea flour, basil and salt produced a magnificent fry that I would love to be able to replicate.

The next port of call was Cartagena, Spain where we dined on zucchini flower and fresh fig salad with warm Queso del Tietar goat cheese and romescu dressing paired with Casa de la Ermita Viognier. The blend of the fried zucchini, figs and goat cheese delighted the taste buds at our table.

Tangier, Morocco was our next port of call. Pan-seared yellow fin tuna mignon with preserved lemon charmoula sauce was served atop steamed eggplant and potato cakes and served with Amzigh, Beni M’tir Carignan. Whatever potato cakes you might be imagining as you read this review is a grand underestimation of what Chef Dylan produced. His Moroccan heritage shown brightly in this rich and lusciously spiced version that even had the spice expert at our table perplexed. I don’t think I will ever eat another potato pancake without yearning for this one. Likewise, the “steamed” description did not do justice to the eggplant that somehow tasted like it had been perfectly roasted with olive oil. While the tuna was delicious, I was eagerly anticipating the taste of the preserved lemon that was so mild, it was undetectable. Being a lover of preserved lemon, I was disappointed -- but only because I read the menu.

Porto Botte Sardinia, Italy was the only port where I would simply indulge in the Shardana Valli di Porto Pino wine on my next visit. While the idea of smoking the rack of lamb with rosemary sounded wonderful, the flavor of the lamb was overpowered by the smoke. Even the full enjoyment of the toasted fennel and prosciutto-stuffed vine ripe tomatoes was compromised.

Our final destination was Collioure, France where Chef Dylan’s talent as one of the most creative pastry chefs around was apparent. Mozaic is a restaurant where skipping dessert would be like missing out on a work of art, always inspiring the eyes as well as the taste buds. Tonight’s creation was raspberry and hazelnut chocolate marquis, orange anise sorbet, and Armagnac prune ice cream paired with another favorite of the evening, Les Clos Paulilles, Rimage, Grenache Noir. Chef Dylan has deserved a standing ovation every time I’ve dined at the restaurant; on this night, he finally got one.

Overall, this dinner was more about the food than the wine. The wine matched well with the courses, but the intervals between courses frequently called for the food to join the wine. On every other visit to Mozaic, my servers have been knowledgeable and forthcoming with descriptions of the food. However, I wish the servers had been more educated about the details at this special event. Part of the experience at a fine restaurant such as Mozaic is to savor the mouth-watering details prior to partaking of the food. With this small exception, service was impeccable, and servers readily rushed to the kitchen to retrieve the answers to our questions.

Every effort was made to make this culinary journey feel like a real Mediterranean Cruise. The serving of each course was preceded by the sound of a ship horn announcing our arrival at our next culinary port of call, and music from the Mediterranean played in the background throughout the evening. The women on board were entered in a raffle to win an original painting by Anne Meskey Elhajoui, a gifted artist who just happens to be Chef Dylan’s wife. Unfortunately, I didn’t win.

If you haven’t tried Mozaic yet, treat your self to a dining experience you won’t soon forget. Don’t let the prices deter you, you can make a meal of small plates.

Mozaic has more exciting events on the calendar. Every Saturday afternoon, Mozaic offers a food pairing and wine tasting between noon and 3:30 pm. For $15, you get to taste 5 wines matched with 3 small dishes by Chef Dylan AND you get a $10 gift certificate to use on a future visit to Mozaic! Now that’s a fantastic value, and as one of my food connoisseur friend’s commented “The food is 5 Star.” Anyone care to join me?

Also, beginning next Thursday, August 20th, Mozaic launches a new monthly event, "Women and Wine." Each month, one varietal will be featured and four of the wines will be sampled from various regions around the world. Chef Dylan will prepare one dish to pair with the wines, allowing diners to explore how the same varietal has different flavor profiles with one dish. "Women and Wine" begins at 6:00 pm on the third Thursday of each month and includes a short seminar and discussion on the wines. The cost is $20. August is Rose and September is Chardonnay. I’ll be away for the August "Women and Wine", but as that old song says “I’ll see you in September.”

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