Halfway through this week’s Truffle Dinner at Corkbuzz, the sommelier’s table was a chaotic jumble of half consumed bottles of Nebbiolo, along with a few extras, but still awaiting the Pedro Ximenez that would top off the experience. As usual, both the food and the wine were superb, and went well together, with little flecks of crunchy and earthy fungi complementing the courses. The Nebbiolos were served en masse, rather than paired, which allowed for a free sampling of food-wine combinations, although keeping the glasses straight for Corkbuzz’s customarily generous number of pourings required some tactical adjustments as the evening went on.

The truffle is one of the noblest creations of the earth, a flavor and a texture to be savored, and for the most part it was paid the honor it was due. What the dinner lacked was a dish that focused on the truffle as a dominant rather than a complementary flavor. The pasta dish pictured began hopefully in that respect, but all too soon a server came along to add a substantial dollop of sautéed trumpets to the mix, muddling the flavors and taking the focus off the truffle shavings.

It is also true that this dinner was a tad less educational than the others I have attended at Corkbuzz. None of which should be taken as a great criticism of a fine dinner offered by an establishment for whose food, drink, and people I have immense admiration and affection. That they shall see me again soon is a foregone conclusion.

For information on hours, menus, classes and wine dinners at Corkbuzz, click here.