Gifted Gourmet

If you are within an easy commute of a Costco locally, you might just find fresh, boneless, skinless slabs of salmon to make your own gravlax ... and, more than likely, at considerably less than $10 a pound ... here in Atlanta, it runs between $3-4 per pound and I buy several packages to make my gravlax ...

As further validation for your choice, how about this? Julia Child moved out to Santa Barbara, California (from Boston to retire in the warmth) and said in an interview, "I do love that In and Out burger!" Could anyone ever doubt the chain after that esteemed culinary endorsement by a national icon? Must be something special indeed ... but not yet in Atlanta ... here we have Johnny Rockets which also makes a burger from scratch ... and as for the chains, I vote as so many did, namely Houston's ... the food is good, not especially innovative however, but the silverware is heavy and I like that ... usually means something is of substantial value in the overall ambiance ... and the restrooms are superb ... a personal point of interest for me ...

and my only daughter grew up with highly traditional Jewish fare here at home and with my family ... and, as a child, she devoured those meals with gusto and laughter ... update now? She is a California vegetarian .... so, farewell to the heavy stuff we consumed and reveled in ... now it is tofu and ginseng and organic everything, which is great but, come on, deep down I know she'd kill for a slab of my greasy brisket and kugel! Hopefully, she'll long remember those festive meals of her youth .. while openly chiding me for serving those poor dead animals! punchline? she'll probably live a healthier, longer life .....than my grandparents.... who lived into their 90's ... go figure!!

The meal prior to the fast is basically boiled soup chicken, noodles, challah, potato kugel, and a dessert (cinnamon apple cake is my usual) ..light on the salt so not to encourage need to drink water during Yom Kippur ... after the fast is always something dairy (and lighter than the aforementioned meat meal) usually homemade cheese blintzes, potato soup, salmon with a buerre blanc, fancy cheesecake dessert with fresh berries ... my thinking is that after a fast, go for it!!

ain't that the all-time truth? I have tried to "sex up" (as the Brits now say) our high holiday cuisine to somewhat disastrous effects ... for example, the time I spent days preparing gravlax with a honey-mustard dill sauce on pumpernickle ( am I channeling Marcus Samuelsson??) only to hear, "Where's the gefilte fish and horseradish? It's not the same!" ... I cringe at my family's lack of gastronomic adventurousness ... but then it's always at that precise time that the voices in my head begin singing to me "Tradition!" in Tevye's voice, with the full orchestration from the soundtrack, no less ........ or the time I foolishly substituted an exquisite potage with delicate quenelles only to be brusquely chided by the folks, "Where's our chicken soup with matzo balls??" I shrug my shoulders, wipe my tears, and think, "culinary Neanderthals all ... perhaps I was adopted and have the real DNA of Brillat-Savarin..." .... but, that said, this year I will drag out my usual brisket, fully accompanied by the heavenly hosts of garlic and onion, and the requisite potato kugel and tsimmes, heavy honeycake, and my amassed throng, yearning to eat their usual Vilnaesque cuisine, will "Ooooh and ahhh" rather than kissing their fingertips and acclaiming my newly acquired culinary abilities ... but then who am I to challenge tradition at such a holy time of year???

I loved all the meals I've had at Avanti and Restorante Italiano as well! That town is a foodie heaven, if there ever was one ... would love to read your "best of" list ... being sure to include the Nick and Bookshop (my daughter is a manager there) .. The food in that area is completely divine ... how about the great places on Soquel Drive? Golden Buddha and the Creperie are tops ... and the groceries? Shopper's Corner and New Leaf and Trader Joes .. I come back here (Dunwoody) and feel positively "deprived" .. and always miss the Bay and the wharf and Gilda's Seafood, Stagnaro's, etc. among other cool fish places ... sigh ....

I have been spending the last seven years vacationing in Santa Cruz because my only daughter lives out there ... I live in Atlanta, Ga. .... but I simply love the wide range of choices available for fine and just plain good dining there! One of the best and my all time favorite is: http://www.bittersweetbistro.com/index.html Consistently wins awards and justifiably so! Make a reservation and enjoy the warmth and variety of great stuff on their menu. Also second the mention of Oswald's in downtown Santa Cruz, and Gabriella Cafe is terrific! Breakfasts are superb in that area as well... check out Walnut Avenue Cafe and Zachary's .. huge breakfasts with local ingredients. Local open air Wednesday markets provide a wide array of fresh produce brought in by local farmers ... a lot of organic stuff as well... and, do stroll on West Cliff Drive .. joggers, dogs, lovers, roller bladers, surfers, and the beauty of Monterrey Bay plus the waves crashing on the rocks .. wish I was there right now!!

I do frequent my local Costco here in Atlanta primarily for their enormous, skinless and boneless slabs of fresh salmon. I make large amounts of gravlax at home and this is absolutely perfect for my needs! Sometimes, they have terrific produce (i.e. fresh asparagus, fresh cherries,etc.) which I buy but, since there are only the two of us in our household, the amounts are often quite staggering and, as fresh produce is bound to do, it goes bad too quickly. Costco also stocks things which I do use in glass jars and cans ... hearts of palm and olives, just to name two of my favorites ... and those I enjoy using over a long period of time. And, on occasion, their selection of frozen food contains some unexpected delights not found in regular area grocery chains. Whether or not it is worth one's time and the cost of a membership, is an individual choice but, in general, I usually go there on the average of once every two months. Their Christmas food selection is amazing indeed!

"Into the Fire" is a weekly food reality show that takes viewers behind the scenes and into the heart and heat of America’s most renowned restaurants on their busiest nights. While traditional food programming brings the professional chef into the viewer’s home, "Into the Fire" brings viewers directly into the home of the professional chef - the restaurant kitchen. Every week, viewers will become voyeurs in a different restaurant allowing them to embark on a thrilling rollercoaster ride through the professional culinary world. Last night Commanders' Palace in New Orleans was the subject of the evening .... Ella Brennan and her family and top notch staff were among those involved in the show ... the concept of the "open kitchen" and how the expert staff was able to deftly handle various crises with charm and good humor .... perhaps it was this level of professionalism which explains how Commanders' deservedly won the James Beard "Top US Restaurant" and "Best Service" awards... this show is far superior to "The Restaurant" on NBC. Do give it a look... you won't be disappointed!

Looks like "The Restaurant" part deux was really having its problems with their staff and the comments on the quality of the cooking were dreadful ... so what was their point in this episode? Has reality truly set in for Rocco et al? Will Rocco finally throw in the towel, throw his hands up in the air, and beg his mother to save him? Guess you have to tune in next week ... Although I thought the initial episode was fast paced, albeit even quite frenetic, this episode had me looking at my watch and visibly wincing with sympathetic, no, empathic, pain.. the staff appears to be a product right out of "Central Casting" and is still woefully uncomprehending of how the Italian dishes should work, ingredient-wise ... spaghetti al olio? duh? The acting of the guy who fell and broke his arm was truly horrendous ... all told, I am less than excited to go to Rocco's when I visit NYC ... now his Union Pacific is actually superb and will be his best legacy to the trade.