Unwind In Chile Without Leaving St. Louis

You work hard all week keeping your family happy and healthy.  Now it’s your time.  Time for some “no kids allowed” fun.

This week’s Great Escape is a trip to wine-producing Chile without leaving St. Louis.  Your tour starts at 6:30 p.m., Friday, February 18, with “Around the World Wine Dinner” at the Missouri Botanical Garden featuring a four-course Chilean dinner created by the chefs from Catering St. Louis.  Each course, hosted by a wine expert, will be paired with a wine from Chile.

The first course will be escabeche of shrimp and clams with crispy shallots.  Savor the tastes of the second course when you bite into an empanada of roasted pork, braised greens, raisins and garlic.  For the third course, taste the flavors of Chile with roasted cod loin in a Pebre sauce (a traditional Chilean hot sauce), quinoa salad and yucca straws.  Finally, wind up the evening by lingering over dulce de leche flan with coffee syrup and shaved chocolate.  Shannon Hughes, with Major Brands, will be speaking at the dinner and will explain why each wine pairs with each course. Wine pairings were not available at the time of publication.

Make it a girls’ night out or grab your special someone for a night of delicious food and exciting wines.  Science tells us there are many benefits to drinking wine and when combined with the company of your favorite people you’ll get a double dose of those good health benefits [this endorsement has not been evaluated by the scientific community].

The cost is $55 per person, plus 18 percent service charge and tax.  Advance reservations are required:  314-577-0200.

Make time for yourself and you’ll find you make a better parent.