By: Finance Foodie
Last night (May 18), the
P.F. Chang’s restaurant group celebrated the launch of
Vineyard 518, their new in-house wine, with a nationwide toast at….5:18pm. The
Vinyard 518 label, which currently comes in a Sauvignon Blanc and a Syrah blend, is stored in eco-friendly recyclable packaging to reduce its carbon footprint during shipment (environmentalists take note: now you can feel EXTRA good while you imbibe)!
At the Boston media dinner, I had a chance to sample both wines during a paring dinner after the toast. Our table started off with shrimp dumplings, spare ribs, and chicken lettuce wraps. I thought the shrimp dumplings and the lettuce wraps really brought out the crisp citrus tones of the Sauvignon Blanc.
For the main course, we had the VIP Duck (glazed with plum sauce and served with flatbread, scallions and cucumbers) and the Mongolian Beef (sautéed with scallions and garlic). I thought the duck and the Mongolian beef paired quite well with the rich and earthy flavor of the Syrah.
I’ve always though of P.F. Chang’s as a great place for the non-adventurous diner to gently ease into Asian cuisine. As someone who grew up on traditional homemade Chinese cuisine while living in Texas (aka land of BBQ and Chicken Fried Steak) – I have seen first hand how some said dishes can be….well, intimidating (cue traumatic incident with biscuits-and-grits loving Caucasian dinner guest when offered chicken and pigs feet). Although I do question the preparation and validity of certain dishes (what exactly is a “VIP” Duck? Do the “non-VIP” ducks get served at
Panda Express?), I do give P.F. Chang a lot of credit for making Chinese food more accessible, appealing, and appreciated by the mainstream Western culture.
And as an aside, since I am a fan of all things alliterative, I thought this “518” play was beyond ingenious – someone in P.F. Chang’s marketing department deserves a raise (and I mean more than a toast)!
P.F. Chang's
800 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199
(617) 378-9961
