DaleJ

F.G: Four stars?

Pizza is, of course, the solution. My favorite is Pizzaria Remo in Testaccio. Take the Metro to Piramide, walk west on via Marmorata past Volpetti and turn left into Testaccio. Ask anyone for directions since its a neighborhood institution. Prepare for a wait if you want ot dine outdoors.

Malawry: I believe that eighty percent of the island's population comes from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Atlanta which may account for the variety of cuisine.

Curious: Living on an island in the Alantic and there isn't a lobster to be found out side of the nasties in the supermarket counter. A "city" of about 40,000 without a fishmongerso I don't cook lobster often (if ever).

Messed up the last post somehow. As of now the courses are: 1. Shrimp sandwich. Jumbo shrimp previously cooked in butter (ala Keller's lobster) between discs of grilled polenta with layers of marinated red peppers and maybe spinach (?). Sauce of concentrated shrimp stock. 2. A room temp custard of peas and mint from the Babbo book, sauce to be determined, Fabbio Picci's spicy cold tomato gelli, over my best Umbrian extra virgin oil, and a fan of leek previously slow cooked in olive oil. 3. The ravioli. 4. A cold "spaghetti" salad (from Kaller's oyster dish) of shredded cucumber, carrot and zuchini (the last two parboiled first) topped with a few strands of deep fried spaghetti. (The topping is from last month's terrific pranzo in Sorrento.) 4. The three little pigs. 5. Batali has a recipe for goat cheese balls with mint and walnurs that I think I will surround with some home made mostarda that has been in the frig for a month or two. 6. An olive oil and rosemary cake from Babbo with whipped cream. Currently thinking of cutting all of the sauces with a token bit of whipped cream. We'll see. Looks like this has shrunk to six courses. Would like to put something cleansing between four and five. Help?

curiousone: A great deal of composition is, of course, organization and sequencing. For instance my upcoming extravaganza wil be mostly cold or room temp dishes. At least currently the hots are Mario's duck liver ravioli because home made pasta cooks in two or three minutes and the main, for now, is called three little pigs and will consist of a slice of cotechino on mashed lentles, a disc of slow cooked pork shoulder with some kind of takeoff of BBQ sauce and a fan of sauteed guanciale strips. All of the ingredients can be held for some time in a 200 deg oven. Anyway, thats today's plan.

Malawry: I am the architect of record for Iguana John's. They're having a soft opening Sunday night so I'll have a better understanding of the menu after that. It is not Tex-Mex for sure. The place is a combination custom furniture and accessory store-Tommy Bahama clothing store-bar and restaurant, if that makes any sense to you. My friend who owns it is very savvy about all parts of the ideas behind the combination so I expect it to do well. (I hope it does since I'm a very small investor.)

I've lived on the island for twenty four years and can recommend: Italian: Michael Anthony in Orleans Plaza Mulberry Street Trattoria over the bridge on 278 (first left after the Moss Creek light) Il Carpaccio in Pineland Station La Famiglia on 278 near Palmetto Dunes Mexican: Santa Fe Cafe on 278 (same little center as La Famiglia) Inexpensive dining and retail seafood: Captain's on 278 mid island BBQ: DoSiDo's in Moss creek Village (first light over the bridge) Swinging bar: The Metropolitan Lounge in Park Plaza (near Sea Pines Circle) Rocks well into the wee hours and giltterati will be in attendance And a project that I have been involved in will be open next week: Iguana John's at Palmetto Bay Marina.

Guilty. I've obsessed for the past few days about a dinner party for six on the 28th for God's sake. I'm pirating ideas from Keller, Batali and the River Cafe and attempting to reform their stuff into my stuff. The seven or eight courses change hourly.

uberleet: I owe you. Just bought The Hour. Thanks.

All of this reminds me of a thread I started a year or so ago. A dear friend gave me a xeroxed copy of Bernard De Voto's little essay called "The Hour" about thirty years ago. It notes, among other guideance, that the martini is never consumed in rusticity but only in sophisticated surroundings. I've lost my copy and would give anything for another.

I don't have a website for I Sette Consoli but it is easy to find. I recommend that you park at the train station in Orvieto Basso. It has a large parking lot and the funicular to Orvieto Alto is right there. I Sette Consoli is only a few blocks from the top of the funicular.

Now that I have your attention I will nominate another enjoyable dining experience: Il Bacco Felice in Foligno. I don't have the address, but its in the center of the town. I'm sure most anyone can direct you since Salvadore is a memorable man. His exuberance is legendary and his tiny place hums at lunchtime. Everything is local from the olive oil (from a friend of ours) to the Sagrantino from nearby Montefalco. Worth looking into.

As noted above, I heartily recommend Taverna del Pescatore in PIgge. We were there a couple of weeks ago for both lunch and dinner a couple of days apart. The restaurant is now operated not by Sr. Menichelli, but by the son of the man who built the restaurant. So it is no longer closed on Wednesdays but now, I believe, Sunday evening and Monday. The current chef is, I think, trying very hard to please and the outdoor dining area under the big tent is still spectacular. Please also consider my current favorite restaurant in all of Italy: I Sette Consoli. We lunched there again a couple of weeks ago, too. In fact, I rented a Hertz car instead of Avis because Avis has closed their Orvieto office. Orvieto is a perfect place to return a rental car because the train ride to Rome is only an hour long. I Setti Consoli is, for my money, the best in food, wine and service. The chef is an aquaintance and fan of Lidia Bastianich and her presentation (and product) is sensational. Unfortunately the outdoor dining area was not open this early in the year, but its worth asking for when the temperature rises.

You win, Judy.

I think I've posted this before, but...Corti Brothers in Sacramento will ship you both stoccafisso and baccala. Phone 916 736 3800. When I ordered baccala they sent me a several page of essays regarding both dried fish, their similarities and differences. Engrossing.

Lido Bianco is in the Slow Food Osteria book.

I spent a week in Puglia a couple of years ago (Monopoli based). One of the most memorable events was a Sunday pranzo at Lido Bianco in Monopoli, a large restaurant on the water. There had to have been a hundred families of all sizes. As I recall, no menus and they brought every sort of seafood until you made them stop (including urchins). Raucous pandemonium and thoroughly enjoyable. Puglia is siingular.

What a pity that we in the good ole' USA can't bring back this wonderful stuff.

If the beginning of the end of next week includes 12 March, that is Winefest on Hilton Head Island (about 50 miles north of Savannah) attended by about four thousand people who will sample from 1,000 wines assembled. There will be food, music and live and silent auctions featuring collectible vintages. Tickets are $30 at the gate at Shelter Cove Community Park. The event is held in tents, rain or shine.

Judy: The accepted name is Orso 80 and, indeed, the antipasti are staggering. One need order no more. However, since this place is so notorious it is tending to be "touristy". I, too, wouldn't think of visiting Rome without dining at 'Gusto. It is, BTW, at the corner of via della Frezza and via del Corea, several blocks northwest of Piazza di Spagna (west of the Corso). The hyperactivity of the waitstaff and the assorted Roman glitterati are worth the stopping in. Everything from a plate of cheese and vat wine to high style dining in ultramodern surroundings. While I haven't been, they are reported to have an excellent sunday brunch. Perhaps will try same in April. My vote for pizza is Pizzaria Remo in Testaccio. Some locals put me on to it a few years ago. Take the Metro to Piramide, walk west on via Marmorata past Volpetti, turn left into Testaccio and ask anyone for directions. Its a local institution. Great outdoors in the evening.

Kevin: SMASHING!

FWIW: Guanciale is available at Niman Ranch on line.

Although its gutter gin, my nightly martinis are made with Barton's. How could the originator of the Red Cross do one harm?

FWIW, in a recent phone conversation with Darrell Corti, he noted that baccala served in Venice is really stoccafisso. I find this interesting since I have produced baccala montecatto from a reliable recipe with baccala and find it very like that enjoyed in Venice. BTW, my appreciation of your efforts is undiminished.