October 3, 2013 | Posted in:Dining out, Special Events
I was recently invited to Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster’s Cutting Board Series: Watches & Whiskey dinner. The decadent evening showcased the wonderful food of Christner’s, the craft whiskey of Palm Ridge Reserve, the artisan watches of Orlando Watch Company and the premium spirits from Edrington Group. The exclusive event was held in one of Christner’s private rooms, which allowed for a leisurely pace and lent an intimate feel to the evening.
Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster prepared a sumptuous four course meal to highlight the spirits we were sampling, menus at each place setting tempted us with the details of the meal to come. To start the evening, Marti and Dick Waters of Palm Ridge Reserve greeted guests individually and discussed the finer points of their craft whiskey, explaining the process and hands on time required for aging. Each five gallon barrel is hand rocked daily for up to seven months, to ensure the maximum exposure of the whiskey to the charred barrels.
Christner’s Watches & Whiskey Menu, Loop from Orlando Watches and Palm Reserve Whiskey.
The Palm Ridge Reserve recipe is made from corn, barley malt, regular malt and toasted flake rye. After the whiskey has aged, the resulting flavor is deep with Carmel notes and hints of vanilla. Our tasting pour was served neat and was equally delicious on the rocks, if that is your preference.
Up to seven months of aging in charred American oak barrels help provide the deep, rich color of Palm Ridge Reserve Whiskey.
Made in micro batches, this award winning whiskey was a fantastic way to start the evening and open our palate. Mr. Waters was very entertaining while taking questions from the group as we sampled.
Dick Waters of Palm Ridge Reserve and Alice Christner
After a brief introduction, Alice Christner warmly welcomed the group and toasted the evening. We were then introduced to Scott Heisler, the owner/watchmaker of Orlando Watch Company located on Park Avenue in Winter Park. Scott’s love of watches started prior to graduating from the Bulova School of Watchmaking, as his family was in the business. Now, twenty-six years later, he has a lauded career as a certified Rolex & Breitling trained technician and successful business owner.
Scott Heisler of Orlando Watch Company shows the internal watch spring of a Rolex.
Scott showed us rare and unusual timepieces from the inside out. His enthusiasm, knowledge and arsenal of cool gadgets had the room entranced. As we dined on our first course, Scott took us through recent world history rich with incredible timepieces.
Fresh Tomato, Onion and Blue Cheese Salad.
The first course of stuffed shrimp was delicious. The jumbo shrimp was butterflied and overflowing with blue crab stuffing, which pleased this former Marylander. The second course was a fresh tomato salad with sweet onions, blue cheese and house made Italian dressing. The tomato was served at its peak of ripeness, accented by the acidity of the onions and creaminess of the blue cheese crumbled over top. My dining companion and I discussed the pleasure of a perfectly ripe tomato- it was Indian summer on a plate.
Ahi Tuna, perfectly done.
The main course was a split plate of Filet and Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna. The sushi grade Ahi was perfectly seared and nicely accented with the toasted sesame seeds, ponzu sauce and a wasabi cream. The two sauces were nicely balanced and did not overwhelm the fresh flavor of the beautiful fish.
Filet Mignon Medallions with Peppercorn Béarnaise and Hollandaise Sauce.
The filet was served with a Peppercorn béarnaise and a Hollandaise sauce. Upon cutting into the medallions, the appropriate pink signaled the meat was cooked exactly to my specified medium rare. While knives were present, one was not needed to cut through the fork-tender medallions. Finishing out the entrée course was steamed asparagus and Christner’s famous Potatoes Au Gratin. A hush fell over the guests as we tucked into our wonderful meal. Paulina Vidal of the Edrington Group introduced herself and walked us through the characteristics of the Macallan Whiskey and Highland Park Whiskey, in both the 15 year and 18 year selections.
(Left) Macallan 15 year and 18 year alongside the (right) Highland Park 15 year and 18 year.
All samples were poured neat and after our initial taste Paulina encouraged us to add ice to our 15 year pours, to experience how they opened up. I was very surprised to taste more prominent vanilla with the Macallan and felt the Highland Park smoothed out more. Listening to the other guests compare and discuss, this seemed to be the universal consensus. The 18 year pours were something to behold, velvety smooth and beautifully balanced.
Having the opportunity to taste though these finely aged whiskeys side by side was a moment to savor, something that was not lost on any of the whiskey enthusiasts filling the room. Paulina relayed the finer points of the different barrels used as the dessert course was served.
Dessert of Bread Pudding with Jack Daniels Whiskey sauce.
The bread pudding was exactly the right note to end the lovely meal. The bread pudding had a caramelized exterior crust, which lent a nice crisp texture against the softer custard-like center. The buttery Jack Daniels sauce was not too sweet, with just enough whiskey essence to keep the dessert in check against our whiskey pours. I did not see a bite left on anyone’s plate at the finish of the meal. I’d recommend pairing something similar if you are enjoying a finger or two of Macallan or Highland Park at Christner’s or on your own at home. Paulina pulled out a few surprises from Edrington’s vast portfolio for the group to sample, which was another unexpected indulgence. At the close of the meal, Scott invited us up to his work bench to use the loop and tools we were given as a gift.
After dinner, Scott showed us various watches and mechanisms in various states of disrepair.
While I won’t be fixing valuable timepieces anytime soon, I certainly have an intense appreciation for the skill and craftsmanship involved in handling such intricate timepieces. Also gained, a deeper knowledge in tasting and dissecting flavor nuances in craft and luxury whiskeys.
Scott from Orlando Watch Company encouraged us to try our hand at watch repairs.
The dinner I attended started at the advertised time of 7:00 PM and lasted until after 9:30 PM. Guests were encouraged to chat and linger as long as they wished. The Cutting Board Series events are held quarterly at Christner’s Prime Steak and Lobster for intimate groups. Seating is limited, the evening is $110 per person (tax & gratuity included). Previous Cutting Board Series events have included “Meat and Greets”, with wine pairings. For more information on this interactive series, contact Christners@rockawaypr.com to be added to the Christner’s email list for special event notifications.
Christner’s Prime Steak and Lobster
729 Lee Rd
Orlando, FL 32810
(407) 645-4443
Disclosure: I was a guest in connection with the Cutting Board Series: Watches & Whiskey dinner. No other form of compensation was received and the opinions in this post are my own.
Lisa Wilk
Hello, I'm Lisa Wilk! I'm a freelance food, wine and travel writer, photographer and presenter based out of Orlando, FL. While covering local restaurants and food events in the #1 tourist destination in the US, I find endless cooking inspiration when dining out. You'll often find me in the kitchen putting my own spin on those elevated chef creations to enjoy at home and when entertaining. I have a love and enthusiasm for wine, wine education and wine pairing. Find me about town teaching and demystifying wine as part of the popular @TheTastyTrio in the popular Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Perfectly Paired program series I've co-developed. Taste, Cook and Sip along with me on Twitter and Instagram at @TasteCookSip and @WineChix! Cheers!
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