Christopher

Johnny Cash.

#1 I am fairly hard to nonplus tableside but it has happened. My favorite story is now 13 years old but it remains. At the restaurant Contrapunto we sauced our own desserts. Given time we would make designs on the plate and if we were in a rush it would be a quick zig-zag with the squirt bottle. During a night service I set down one of the hasty jobs and before pulling away from the table the woman commanded, "Stop! You've written something mean to me in the sauce!" I was speechless. She was so agitated that I knew it would be pointless to say that I had not, yet she was so adamant that I had. Stunned, I turned and walked away while she forbid her tablemates to eat the dessert until she figured out what it said. #2 Gramercy Tavern used to have a 1st course of sea urchin served in the shells. It was a beautiful presentation. A minimum of once a season though, the captain would return to the table and there it was, the guest with no clue EATING THE SHELLS! I need you to think about this. If you've never seen an urchin shell ask someone. #3 Sometimes a sense of humor backfires. One such evening has the highly alarming event of an elderly person collapsing at the table and the paramedics are called in. Everyone is over stimulated and hyper curious. So my idea of tension reduction was to answer the incessant question "What happened?! What happened?!" With a simple explanation: "Oh. He ordered the seizure salad." No one save for me found this amusing.

Funny, this dish rocked me. I still remember savoring it with a 1979 Gruner Veltliner. Not sure about the caviar. I believe I had it with Osetra but that could be faulty recall as it's been 4 years.

Penut butter and mayonaise sandwiches. I'm still not sure why

I wish I'd seen this thread earlier... I was duped by the add a few years back and was so grossly disappointed by the coffee I had to call them up to see if I'd received an off bag. The woman asked me to read the serial numbers from the bottom of the pouch and after we chatted I learned that my coffee (whole beans) had been roasted about 8 months prior! I asked if there was a way to have coffee roasted and sent out right away and after a long conversation found out that Gevalia has a warehouse of coffee waiting to be sent out and that they do not roast to order. I cancelled right then and there. Ed Behr in the Art of Eating #56 (In which he also gives Shaw a nod for his Zagat article in Commentary) recommends a roaster in WABatdorf who apparently DO roast to order and send out. They also specialize in heirloom coffee varieties.

Yes. A thousand times yes.

So look for some thing with volatile acidity and bottle sickness.

Steve: Abtsberg or Herrenberg? My question as well because I was surprisingly underwhelmed by the Abstberg at a tasing in Sept. I do have high expectations for Dr. Carl though and may have been more unforgiving ... OK, here's my list in no particular order all from this killer vintage. Best new vineyard (to me) wine Kloster Eberbach Hocheimer Domdechaney Riesling Kabinett Champion. Slate, stone, searing acidity and defined green apple flavors without being over tart - a wonderful discovery, especialy for the intense mineral quality. Surprising QbA's Kendermann Roter Hang Riesling Trocken At 12.1 degrees for a Rheinhessen QbA this wine clearly shows off the vintage. Blood oranges with hints of darker fruits. Incredible value. W.Z.-Graeff-Muller Weissbugunder Classic* QbA Pfalz 12.5 degrees with 9.4grams residual sugar and yet this was a slam dunk with raw oysters. The acid from this was shocking. Old Favorites Lingenfelder Goldberg Old Vines Scheurebe Spatlese I have a fondness for Rainer Lingenfelder and for his comittment to Scheurebe, whcih can be clumsy in the wrong hands. Yes, this is like drinking a grapefruit and I love it. Georg Breuer "B" a new bottling of Spatburgunder for Bernhard Breuer, which was really a barrel sample. Way too early but more and more I am looking to German Pinot Noirs when I'm not going for Burgundy proper. (Yes, I read the other thread and agree with SP all the way & I would drink from the Rheingau before California.) St. Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett Mineral and pine, almost too herbacious but the fruit keeps it in check. Johannishof Rudesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Auslese There isn't a wine I'd rather have with cheeses or certain game meats. Sweet, yes, but with clove, ginger and pepper with, of course, perfectly balanced acidity. New Friends Kruger-Rumpf Sekt. I think most Sekt could and should peel paint and remove rust. But Stefan Rumpf made a Sekt from Spatlese level Riesling grapes that was delightful and truly unique the varietal character really came alive. And from the Nahe. Basserman-Jordan Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Spatlese trocken Spice and lemon zest. L-O-N-G finish. I feel like the last guy to discover this winery. Now I see it everywhere. Donnhoff Oberhauser Bruke Riesling Spatlese This is what chardonnay thinks it is in it's wildest dreams. Riesling on steroids with character. $$$$ Most bizzare E. Gebhardt Markbreiter Sonnenberg Domina QbA Troken Pinot Noir crossed with Portugeiser * FWIW I think this whole 'Classic' and 'Selection' grading is ridiculous

I could live happily pairing food and wine with only three varietals: Riesling/Pinot Noir/Nebbiolo IMO there is no other white wine grape that can even play in the same sandlot with Riesling on a consistent basis. Of course the brews of the Rhone Valley are mind numbingly good, and I've enjoyed mature Bordeaux and Vega Sicilia at the hands of generous hosts, but overall I find I have a far greater flexibility with my three.

Up until high-school I thought the name of the dish was steak medium well becuase that's how my father always said it. It was one word as far as I was concerned.

Yup. Everyone listen to Macrosan. Upselling in restaurants used to be when a guest would order a Gin & Tonic and the waiter would respond "Tanqueray, Beefeaters or Bombay?" as if those were your only three choices. The upsell there was from the well brand which was usually garbage. This tactic died around 1988 when most decent restaurants decided to feature 'premium' spirits in their rail.

Last time I was there they had a tremendous Bourbon selection. Is it gone?

1. What was your family food culture when you were growing up? Standard suburban fare. Staggered breakfasts during the week, as we each had different morning departure times. A predilection for healthy foods ( Ovaltine not Hershey's )"Healthy"&"Natural" brown bag lunches for my sister and me. All sandwiches made on Roman Meal Bread and small baggie of sunflower seeds with an apple. Dinner was the meal that we all ate together no matter what. Was meal time important? Dinner was. Yep. We sat down to dinner. Always. Phone calls were not allowed. If a neighbor happened to knock on the door my mother would explain that it was dinner time and they should come back later. We always sat down to a set table. We always had silver, china, linen and water goblets. I think that this is why I am so comfortable in a restaurant dining room such as GT. I don't see the 'trappings' of a formal service as restricting but rather as comforting and familiar. We ate Meduim-well Flank Steak, a browned ground beef version of spaghetti, fried chicken etc. The wine was Liebfraumilch. Was cooking important? It grew to be. Certainly during holiday times we always had family classics that I still hold a sort of reverence towards. As the years rolled along my father (a displaced Texan) worked hard to recreate what he understood to be an 'Authentic' Tex-Mex meal by curing his own peppers, making salsa. He also bought a tortilla press, which was quickly abandoned. In the mid 70's a family from Chile moved in across the street and we were quickly influenced by their cuisine. The first time I saw cooking as important on a daily basis was when I had dinner with a friend whos mother was Bavarian. This woman went to the market everyday and was always creating new dishes. She sought recipies everywhere. What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? Too severe to mention. Not nearly as severe as reaching across the table for salt. Who cooked in the family? Mom, predominantly. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occassions? Special occasions. When my father travelled we would get to go to Pizza Hut. My father hated pizza and lasagna. I have no clue as to why. When it was the whole family we would go to El Palacio for Mexican or my favorite, the Polynesian Steak House where I was allowed to order bananas flambe, prepared tableside. Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? No. We all ate togther always. When did you get that first sip of wine? I don't remember but I know it was Liebfraumilch Was there a pre-meal prayer? Of course! You're going to serve BLUE NUN and not 'Say Grace'? Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? No. Sunday brunch after Mass was the same but that's about it. How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Roast Leg of Lamb is my favorite meal and German whites remain my first choice always.

I didn't think to ask. These had been wood roasted and I ate them with the other vegetables so it's quite possible they were helped along by the company they kept.

I get comped a lot. It's the nature of the business where Quid pro quo is necessary and expected. It's rare, though, that what is provided elicits the paralinguistic response I gave to the amuse sent over to me by chef. I popped into my mouth a bite of salmon with yoghurt and red beet supported by a crouton size cube of bread. I uttered an impulsive Wow, causing a smile on the face of chef. I've had this pairing of salmon with beet and some sort of sour dairy in the past but for some reason it worked better tonight than before. I elected to sit at the counter of TAPPO (East 12th and 1st Ave) one of the many choices of seats offered by the eye candy hostesses (yeah, I'm a pig that way) and even though I am watching the chef less than five feet in front of me there is a waiter coming 'round to serve me and take my order. A very good waiter BTW who steered me into two nice glasses of wine and more importantly, away from one that looked promising. He had that great combination of enthusiasm and knowlegde. The bottled list was extensive, quirky (some from Croatia!) and I look forward to returning with a group to work through some of the selections. I initially balked at the $4. charge for olives seeing as how they arrive complimentary at many establishments but my objection eroded when the generous plate was sevred. I identified Gaeta, Picholine, Nicoise, Berguette, Grossane, Verdale des Bouches-du-Rhône, but there were others. In short this was a sensational tasting of olives. A non descript basket of warm bread arrived served with the obligatory plate of olive oil, only this one had a dime's worth of balsamico in it. Clean, as far as EVOOs go, not nearly green enough for my taste and so the vinegar sent it over into the 'too sweet' category. My order placed, a second amuse arrived. A composed to order chestnut soup with jerusalem artichoke puree and poached lobster. The lobster meat was so succulent and really came through the puree. I asked chef about this and he said that as opposed to boiling the meat, he poaches slowly in a lobster stock to heighten the rich sweetness of the meat. This was damn good and I was sorry I hadn't asked the chef to prepare a tasting for me. I elected the 1st course special of Porcicni Risotto because I generally hate risotto. My experince thus far with the canapes led me to believe that if I was going to like it, it was going to like it here. I did. I usually find risotto way too cloying and heavy. It puts me in the mind of over- done cream of wheat. This was an elegant preparation and the earthy musrooms were well incorporated. A main course of duck was beyond ample. Confit with Roasted Breast is common enough but again the execution was flawless. Only after I began eating the medium rare breast (under a generous layer of scored and seared fat) did I realize that I was never given a choice of how I wanted it to be cooked. Did the waiter forget? Or was this by design, a chef making a decision as to how he wanted the dish to be served? The confit was less salty than I am accustomed to and so therefore did not offset the roasted meat as sharply as I've experienced before, but the flavour was there so - no quibbles. In such as case as this, it is what the bird is paired with that makes the meal. The vegetables here could stand alone: A half bulb of slow cooked fennel with roasted brussels sprouts and a sauce of Sumac, which was new to me. This is component cooking at it's best. The mixed preparation of the proteins with the anise/bitter/sour quality of the garnish provided a complex main course washed down with a now forgotton Sicilian Red. The wines by the glass are really by the 9oz carafe and offer good value although I would have liked more from Piemonte given the white truffle special ($35 risotto) which I passed on precisely because there were no nebbiolos, dolcettos, or barberas. Dessert was an honorable mention poached granny smith apple mille-feuille. The highlight being a dense, just made, almond ice cream. What worked was the searing acidity of the granny smith just barely tamed through poaching and ice cream Micella d'Oro was the name on the esspresso cup and it erred on the side of bitter with a light crema. The chef, formerly a sous at Atlas and originally from Israel, is cooking with intellegence, passion and care. I look forward to a return visit and given that Tappo has large communal tables, suggest it for an NYC egullet gathering.

Which is why they get so much press right off the bat. The same thing happened with Barossa Shiraz. These huge heavily extracted low yeild reds draw a lot of attention and praise because they are so bold and I think because they are seen as an alternative to huge highly extracted cult cabs from CA. It's certainly a popular style and one that commands a lot of money, but it begets misleading generalizations about the wines from the country. Spain is curious because older Rioja's made in the traditional manner are beautiful wines that can mimic the finesse of older Nebbiolos. These wines are nothing like the wines of Priorato. As a side note, there is a specific type of clay that exisits in Priorato and then goes way underground only to reappear in the Douro Valley. I make a connecetion between the extract of Priorato and the dense inkiness of Touriga Nacional. It's only one component. My favorite region is Ribera del Duero. Very much new world without being cloying. Most of the wines I've enjoyed from there are good to go right now. Tinta del Pais is low in acid so I'll have to wait and see if these wines age but their value is remarkable.

I gotta stop working nights

I worked as a Captain and orchestrated many tasting menus paired with wines for each course and have had a great number of these experiences as a diner as well. For my tastes this is not the best way to enjoy a meal as even when it is done well with solid matches throughout the dinner there is a certain fatigue on the palate as one moves through the different wines. I much prefer to have one or two bottles of wine to bounce the many courses off of to see how the wine changes with the food. I have learned more this way and discovered some improbable matches that I might otherwise have missed.

I second Bar Veloce.

And of course ... WILDCATS REVENGE By Claude Balls

How did I miss this post? I saw AIA over and over again on Broadway and also love reading the script, although it's been a few years. Harper's final monolgue about the souls of the dead forming a web that repairs the ozone - Brilliant.

For my taste, the best balance of aromatics in the spirit itself is found in Boodles. While the juniper is certainly the main essence, the other botanicals are in better proportion than say Tanqueray and provide spicier high notes that really work well with the tonic.

OK I'll bite ... GUEST: Waiter I SERVER: Yes? G: I S: You would like G: Yes S: To G: To decant S: The Burgundy G: The Burgundy S: The '85? G: The '85? S: Yes, the '85 for G: The main course S: The entree? G: No. (pause) Wait. Yes but I thought S: You thought? G: I thought entree meant ... S: You mean in Europe. In the European model then. G: I guess so. S: With the lamb then? With your ... G: With my ... S: Lamb. G: Yes please. S: I G: You S: I understand G: So do I S: You do? (pause) Yes. I think. you do G: Good. S: Yes. Good.

Food Related: Always thumbing through Ed Behr's The Art of Eating Not Quite Food Related: Modern Psychoanalysis of the Schizophrenic Patient - Hyman Spotnitz.