DaleJ

Flying to the city this weekend. Where is Osteria Morini?

I took Au Pied de Cochon last weekend off the bookshelf lasst weekend. My problem with it is that I believe I gain six or seven pounds just paging through the pictures.

Whoever published Silver Spoon (Phaedon? I'm not at home) has just published a book called "Pasta". Its about half as thick as Silver Spoon, but is all pasta. I just got it a week or so ago and haven't thoroughly done it yet.

And he provides jobs for a couple of thousand people.

KATIE: The Clos de los Siete arrived a few days ago. What a bomb! This tannin freak has put in for another case.

Alas, Riviera Oaks closed its doors around Christmas. For cocktails and small dishes the best place is Wise Guys Lounge. Run by the Serg Group of Frankie Bones, Black Marlin, Giuseppis, One Hot Mamas, The Lodge and The Boathouse Grille fame. Its just off Main Street at the north end of the island. THE current popular gathering place. I'll be at the bar Friday at 5:30. Still my favorite places are Michael Anthony's on New Orleans Road (south end), Mulberry Street Trattoria (over the bridge and the first left after the Moss Creek light) Il Carpaccio (at the back side of Pineland Station, north end). All are Italian. BTW, Il Carpaccio serves excellent wood fired, thin crust pizza. We had a good brunch a couple of weeks ago at the Boathouse. Its on Squire Pope Road (north end) just beyond Hudson's. Parking can be difficult, but its right on Skull Creek with plenty of outdoor dining opportunities. We're not much into deserts, so I'll pass. Enjoy the island.

KATIE: As an indication of respect for your judgement, I just ordered a case of Clos de Los Siete. Can't wait.

In my too infrequent cross country trips SFO and Napa, I have found a couple of favorites. Black Stallion is a relatively new place, but their premium bottle is over a hundred bucks. Nice place and nice people. They send me a couple of bottles every other month. Usually good stuff. Hess Winery is at the top of Mount Veeder in southern Napa valley. It occupies an old monastary with some 100 year old vines. Upstairs is two floors of art gallery. Some big money stuff, too. A twenty foot square Frank Stella metal collage among other goodies.

FWIW, Cook's Illustrated has a "Summer Grilling" magazine out that has a recipe for "South Carolina Pulled Pork" including a recipe for mustard sauce.

Has Zuni fallen from grace?

NAYAN GOWDA: Thanks for all the good advice as to content and organization of a wine journal. I bought a leather bound journal yesterday (only 12 bucks) and will begin my tasting-writing this weekend. NAKJI: For what its worth, I have had great success purchasing wine on line. My favorites are Wine Library in Springfield, NJ, their offspring: Cinderella Wine, and Wines 'til Sold Out. All usually heavily discounted and dependable sources.

Alas, I have no tips. Your post is going to prompt me to buy a little bound book of blank pages to post my wine experiences. I have come to wine only in the past several years, but have a couple hundred bottles stored and none, I believe, are less than $30. I, of course, can't remember where some of them came from but your post makes me think that it would be a good idea to record the particulars of each bottle, including the tasting particulars. Thanks for the idea.

Referencing the OP, I am an architect and have been involved in several bar designs. I would never attempt a bar design without serious input fron the bartender. If this person is not on board during design I consult with a friend who has kitchen and bar expertise in spades. Without this kind of consultation during design I know that I would be responsible for the inevitable miscues. Something that I insist upon however is some sort of thought of the organzation of the back bar in, for instance, a "U" shaped bar. As a patron the visual aspect of the back of the bar is always there. It is important to somehow minimize the junk. I always wonder why bars in this country don't have the sort of instant little dishwashers so prevalent in Italian bars. Still wondering. BTW, when Seagram owned the Seagram Building the revolving whiskey tray in the center of the bar was weighted to place Seven Crown always at the front.

Ronaldoebt: I just saw your post and recommend Pizzaria Remo in Testaccio. Take the Metro to Piramide, walk west on via Marmorata for a few blocks (just past Volpetti's), turn left and ask anyone for directions. You will be a block or two away. Remo is a local institution. IMO, the best pizza in Rome. Also try the fried baccala.

I've gotten cotechino from Corti Bros. in Sacramento. I assume they have a website.

Take a look at chuckeats.com for a generous review of chef Brock's efforts.

Judith: We had a wonderful Trevi black celery stuffed lasagna primo about this time last year at l'Alchemista (upthread). Had never heard of the celery before. There was, however, no secondo since the four of us demolished about ten plates of antipasti.

And it goes without saying that if I were to mention presalting my wife's eggplants I would need to investigate alternative housing.

An interesting coupling: My wife's extensive garden currently is producing an alarming number of eggplants and I received a gas grill a month or so ago. I brush 3/4" slices of eggplant with olive oil and grill them for a few minutes on each side. Like a charm.

I live two hours from Charleston and drive there occasionally and stay overnight just to dine at McCrady's. For an interesting read google Chuckeats for his generous review.

FWIW, We have enjoyed EVOO from Mauro Colonna of Le Case Gialle, a km or two from Gualdo Catanio, Umbria, for the past ten or so years. He has 700 trees and has won several national awards for his oil. Google Le Case Gialle. His oil is about 12 euro and shipping to the US is about the same. His six packs get to us in less than a week.

l'Alchemista is in the central piazza in Montefalco. I mention it upthread.

How could I have forgotten to mention Salvatore's place, a prominent part of this weekend's conversations with an old friend from Umbria. Infact, my visit to l'Alchemista last November was because my friend, Mauro, was unable to get Salvatore on the phone because he was in, of all places, Napa Valley, giving cooking lessons. Salvatore is an event all by himself. A local linstitution, he was the subject of a long article in one of the food mags a couple of years ago. Much of the servings are from his own farm. In the typical Italian manner, on one occasion I laid out all my money at the end of the meal and Salvo, in his usual style, elaborately penciled all of the costs on the butcher paper table covering. The sum, of course, exactly matched my holdings.

Mine? Nine .75L bottles of Beefeater. One .375L bottle dry vermouth

I'm certain that I've done this litany several times, but I'm always up to noting my Umbrian favorites. I usuallly base at Le Case Gialle, about five or so km west of Bevagna. Bevagna is large enough to have a couple of good macelerie and alimentari plus a fresh pasta and a good wine shop. In the center of Bevagna is Osteria Piazza Onofri, a pleasant place with good local food and wine. Sometimes eventful in the evening. Within a half hour drive are a handful of good eats. Just south of Trevi, and on the other side of the road, is Taverna del Pescatore, alongside a stream with rapids and swans. Lunch under the big tent is worthwhile. Watch attentively for the single little sign on the road. At the top of Spello is a nice hotel, La Bastiglia. Great views and an adventurous kitchen. Bring money. And in the main square of Montefalco (home of Sagrantino) is l'Alchamisto. Its in an enoteca and down the basement. Fine local food and worth the effort to find. We were taken there by Mauro and Silvana from Le Case Gialle. A real find. Perugia is nearby, and in the other direction are Spoleto, Norcia and Casteluccia. And, although a long way away, I never fail to visit I Sette Consoli in Orvieto Alto. My favorite in all of Italy. Bring money. Buon viaggio.