Renault Winery Resort

On the final leg of our 2010 US visit, our friends from the Garden State of New Jersey took us to this well-kept estate that sits on 1,400 acres in the small town of Egg Harbor City (a 20-minute drive from Atlantic City's casinos). Founded more than 140 years ago, Renault Winery Resort is a winery, a vineyard, a 7,000-yard golf course, and  most of all a place that serves award-winning gourmet creations.

After touring the estate and sampling their wine specialties, we ascended a ramp through a giant redwood wine barrel and proceeded to their main restaurant (The Renault Gourmet) specializing in a 6-course gustatory menu.

Two main courses were highlighted and sampled that evening:

First was the Grilled Fillet Mignon With Wild Mushroom Ragout, served with Buttered Asparagus and Truffled Whipped Potatoes. The thick cut of meat was expertly executed,  posing no resistance and intermitting with slight fat and full flavor. Best of all, it fuses harmoniously with its sidings.

Second was the Italian Marinated Chicken Breast Stuffed with Broccoli Rabe, Sharp Asiago Cheese and Fire Roasted Peppers. The Chef's marvelous plating makes it hard for us to mess-up this dish. But once we got our "hands and feet wet" we first appreciated how moist and tender the meat was. Consuming the dish further, we marvelled at how it is sufficiently stuffed,  thus enabling it to burst with full-flavor.

This is arguably the gastronomic highlight of  our trip! At they say, "it pays to have friends in the right places." Many many thanks!

72 North Bremen Avenue, Egg Harbor City, New Jersey