Back in June, Chef Michelle Matthews and Sommelier Ian J. Adams from 15 Romolo were declared the winners of the 6^th edition of the Copa Jerez. (Here’s a great recap from fellow sherry blogger Ruben at Sherry Notes.)

Ever since, I’ve been following 15 Romolo on twitter, anxiously awaiting a chance to go visit! The opportunity finally presented itself this past weekend. I had to fly through San Francisco to visit family in wine country. I decided to squeeze in a bite before heading to Sonoma. What better way to spend #FlorFriday than at a sherry bar in the city with friends?!

On a Friday night, this area of town is a busy place! The old hotel space was already packed with people by 18:30. My eyes went straight to the sherry list. They offer so many wonderful libations including two sherry flight specials.

To my disappointment, Ian J. Adams was not there that evening, but Daniel was very helpful with sherry suggestions. He brought out the Old & Rare flight which had a couple of my favorites, as well as two from Toro Albalá I’ve wanted to try for some time: Manzanilla Deliciosa en Rama from Valdespino, Amontillado Viejisimo (35 yrs) from Toro Albalá, “Apóstoles” Palo Cortado VORS (30 yrs) from González Byass, and Pedro Ximénez “Gran Reserva” 1983 from Toro Albalá. Daniel also surprised me with their signature sherry cocktail Maids of Cadiz.

We started with the Pork Croquettes and an order of a delicious Romolo Poutine! I decided to drink my Manzanilla first. It’s mild nuttiness and freshness helped cut through the richness of the dishes. The Amontillado Viejisimo was also a perfect pair. I loved this dry, aged amontillado for its toffee notes.

While I waited for my entrée, I had “dessert” first. The PX was full of raisin flavor yet a bit too sweet on its own. Daniel brought out a dish of blue cheese. It’s been suggested to me before to pair blue cheese and Pedro Ximénez, but until this moment I hadn’t actually tried it. On its own, I’ve never been a fan of blue cheese, but paired with the wine BOTH became total rock stars! I couldn’t get enough of either!

At their suggestion, I ordered the Yo-Mama Burger to enjoy with my Apóstoles Palo Cortado VORS and Maids of Cadiz cocktail. Yes, house-made peanut butter and bacon actually go very well on a burger, and the entire entrée went surprisingly well with the Palo Cortado!

The cocktail should have been enjoyed before the flight. The apple brandy really is the star here but a bit too thin to go head-to-head with a Palo Cortado and burger. Overall, it is a nice palette-cleansing cocktail to end a long week and kickoff the weekend!

Unfortunately, I did not leave any room for the dessert recommendation of their Chocolate Torte paired with the Oloroso Dulce “Matusalem” VORS from González Byass. I’ll make room next time! Yes, there will definitely be a next time!