cinghiale

Joe: I have always read with great interest your reports on dinners in S. Germany. I rarely make it to that part of the country, but I have made a mental note to reread your posts prior to my next to Bayern or Schwaben environs.

Agreed, Alberto. Been to Eisenach a number of times (auf der Wartburg!), parts of the north (Nordhausen, Sondershausen), and last summer made it to Gotha. And EVERY time I fill up on Thüringer. Next time I venture into "Deutschlands starke Mitte", I'll press on to Jena and look you up. Feel free to PM me if you want any further HH info.

Fellow eGer kellytree and I undertook a 48-hour blitz of Hamburg's St. Pauli and Ottensen neighborhoods, followed by a regenerative Sunday in the countryside. Here my report: The month of May being otherwise known as Spargelzeit, I gladly accepted an invitation to my friend Carola’s mother’s house on Friday for an asparagus lunch. I was given a peeler and pitched in cleaning the asparagus, which was then boiled. IMO, the Germans cook their asparagus too long, and the result is often a mushy etwas. This version was no exception, but when in Rome... The asparagus was served with a butter sauce with sauteed Brösel, roughly the equivalent of bread crumbs, along with simple boiled potatoes and a terrific Katenschinken, a cured ham Carola’s mom gets from a farmer at a weekly farmers’ market. Kelly arrived in time for dinner, and we made our way to the Portuguese quarter next to the harbor. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, and we settled on Beira Rio. A friendly enough spot, but the food really didn’t cut it. Back in the day, I frequented Sagres regularly, and I remember it being far superior to Beira Rio’s fare. Olaf presents a well-cleaned grilled sardine: From there, we proceeded back to Olaf’s Ottensen neighborhood. There are a wealth of bars and Kneipen, all within easy walking distance of one another. We spent an hour or so in Duschbar (Bahrenfelderstr.), the current hipster venue. Then it was on to Blaues Barhaus (Große Brunnenstr.), a dancehall/pub. Good crowd, good music, good drinks: IIRC, bars in Hamburg are required to close for two hours each day, meaning some stay open until 6 or 7. Familien-Eck (where Friedensallee and the Bahrenfelder meet) is one of those joints. Ooohh, bad craziness there. If interacting with trippy freakouts, leeches, and just plain wacked-out drunks is your bag (and it certainly was ours), then this is the place to be at 4 AM. Still, Kelly has a knack for sussing out people that can hold a conversation, too: On Saturday morning we meandered through the various Passagen downtown, stopping for a beer at the Alster Pavillion (Jungfernstieg), an outdoor café offering a nice view of the Inner Alster, Hamburg’s manmade lake. Then it was on to the Landungsbrücken (Hafen) for a disappointing Thüringer Bratwurst and a delicious Flens. I’m thinking Werner would approve of this shot of his favorite beverage: The latest fad in the Hamburg gastro scene are beach clubs, where tons of sand are trucked in and dumped alongside the Elbe, around which tacky clubs are built (I understand this is happening in Paris, too). We passed on these and instead made our way out to the venerable Strandperle (Övelgönne), a self-service bar/café on the Elbe. The pleasant weather made for long lines for drinks: Saturday dinner was at Stocker (Max-Brauer-Allee), located in the former workshop of the Children’s Theater next door. Chef Stocker is Austrian, and so is the cuisine. I’m afraid I was too busy socializing to keep many notes, particularly about the excellent wines our superb (and most entertaining) server selected for us. I arranged for a long Tafel to accommodate the 12 of us: First up was South Tyrolian bread salad (Südtiroler Brotsalat) with grilled quail. I’m ashamed to admit that this was the first time I’ve had this well-known Austrian specialty – essentially marinated bread with tomato, onion and basil. The quail was excellent. Next came a ramps soup (Bärlauchsuppe). Ramps is the current fad in German cooking. There are ramps in just about everything, making it hard for me to believe it’s like the truly wild, seasonal product we have here in the States. Cinghiale pronounced the soup quite good: The third course was Arctic Char wrapped in cabbage (Krautwickerl vom Saibling), served with a Riesling sauce. This was an intriguing combination of flavors and textures. A good dish: I asked that there be a choice for the main course: Either veal loin, served with a ragout of asparagus and a ramps pesto (rich, very nice): Or sea bream (Dorade) with spinach: Dessert was chocolate souffle with caraway ice cream and a crocant: Dinner broke up around midnight, perfect timing for a crawl through St. Pauli’s teeming nightlife. It happened to be one of Germany’s many holiday weekends, this time Pfingsten (Whitsun – what is that, anyway?), so the quarter was jam-packed. We started at the new Comet, which was depressingly way less fun that the old Comet, formerly located next to the Herbertstraße, the street that’s, umm, closed to women pedestrians. So we crossed over the Reeperbahn and hit the Hamburger Berg, a two-block street packed with at least 20 bars, ranging from hard-core dives to super-hipster joints. We passed on the too-crowded Ex-Spar (scene of a legendary riot between skinheads and anarcho-punks following Germany’s victory in the 1990 World Cup) and made our way to the even more crowded Rosi's: The heat drove us out after one beer, and we retreated to the somewhat saner Sorgenbrecher: From there, we wandered over to Toom Peerstall (Clemens-Schultz-Str.), where a recent renovation has robbed it of its flair. Gone are the transvestite barkeepers and the anything-goes atmosphere. Wary stares greeted this marauding crew, so me moved back over the Reeperbahn and spent a good time in Beat Club (nee Gun Club) (Hopfenstr.), still one of my favorite bars in Hamburg: Onward toward the harbor we stumbled and ended the night at Golden Pudel, which was filled to the rafters at 3 AM. No chance of moving on the dance floor, room only to drink a beer: As we left, my addled condition caused me to neglect having us check out the Fischmarkt next door, Hamburg’s open-air institution/circus/market open from roughly 4 AM to 9 AM every Sunday. Oh well. If Behemoth’s around, she’ll scold me. On Sunday morning (well, later Sunday morning), we drove north of the city to friends’ Grimms Fairy Tale-like, thatched-roof cottage. A regenerative breakfast was the order of the day. Here, porchetta and prosciutto crudo, brought by Kelly from Italy, together with wild boar liver pate, pork liver pate, Rotewurst in the glass, Johannisbeer (black currant) jam, and somewhere on the table Griebenschmalz, rendered pork back fat with porky bits, and a nice, cured, homemade Bauchspeck, all served on great German bread. A long walk, and then shrimp risotto for dinner (thanks to former Italy host Craig Camp for the recipe, found here), which Kelly very nicely tweaked by sauteeing in some of the prosciutto crudo. Shrimp, pork, cream, rice -- delish: Hamburg is a good eating and (it goes without saying) drinking town. I neglected to report on my trip last year, which included stops at Poletto (Germany's only *'ed woman chef), Tafelhaus (in a sleek new building in HafenCity), and the inspired Artisan, set hard up against the abbatoirs of the Schanzenviertel. While I usually focus on St. Pauli and environs, the city is cosmopolitan and, foodwise, very diverse.

A memorable trip last December (reported here) prompted a return to fantastic Marche, with this visit focusing on points along and north of the Jesi-Fabriano axis (other than a side pilgrimage to Cassette d’Ete and Tod’s). Fellow eGer kellytree was kind enough to put me up in her home near the Grotte di Frasassi, affording not only fantastic views for the afternoon aperitivo but also easy access to major points of interest. I arrived on a Monday, and things got off to a terrific start with Tuesday lunch at Trattoria Martellò, a favorite of truck drivers, located east of Serra San Quirico in Angeli di Rosora. As Kelly mentioned in the earlier post, there is no menu – you get whatever the owner’s cooking. In this case, we did have a choice of tagliatelle or gnochhi. But it was the plate of perfectly, perfectly prepared vitello tonnato that hooked me. I’ll be back. Paid another lunch visit to Raul, above Serra San Quirico, and I again recommend this comfortable restaurant in the woods. Had the tagliatelle al ragù tipico, a hearty tomato sauce with bits of pork on the bone, and formaggeria (sp?) tipica, three cheeses served with a very nice honey. Attempted a lunch at Symposium, but after fighting my way through the hills to reach Cartoceto, I discovered that the restaurant is in Cartoceto (Fano); I was in Cartoceto (Pergola). No matter, as I discovered the latter to be home to several terrific varieties of marmelade. I continued on to Urbino, and had a very nice lunch at Vecchia Urbino, just off the main piazza. Did make it for lunch to Le Busche (*) in Montecarotto. The restaurant is an understated yet meticulously restored farmhouse. Primo: gnocchi rigati al ragù bianco di coniglio calamaretti arrostiti (€15): A signature dish. The rabbit and squid were a perfect pairing, accented with sage. Dentice cotto in olio a bassa temperatura con olive taggiasche e carote vichy in crema (€22): The sea bream was firm and flavorful, the sauce light but well-paired. Semifreddo with almonds: The wine was a verdicchio (DOC) from the house vineyards next door. With the arrival of the weekend, Kelly flexed her well-known and highly regarded hostess muscles and threw a pizza party. Judging from the praise Kelly's pizza elicits from seemingly every one of her many friends in the greater Genga area, it has attained something bordering on legendary status. The view didn't hurt the appetite: Brick oven, fronted by garden: The fire: The fixins, including sourdough: First rule of pizza-making: Be sure to open a beer for Mom: Kelly shows daughter Elisa the finer points of rolling: Simple oil and rosemary pie to start things off: Out of the inferno: Direct out of the oven: Apprentice's pie still needs work: My favorite: sauteed onion and sausage: Saturday's rather late-going affair was succeeded by a day at the sea, at Falconara Maritima, a mere 30-min train ride away. While the grown-ups cured their hangovers, the kids has a great time: The beach bar's slim offerings sent the girls out in search of frito misto, with success: And it hit the spot: Other highlights included porchetta panini and diverse foccacie from the vendors at the Frasassi Caves; fresh produce, salumi, enormous porchetta at the Saturday market in Fabriano; delicious Visner di Pergola, a local sweet red wine (might this have cherries in it? Visner sounds like Wishniak, our local black cherry soda here in Philly); and an oligatory trip to the regional enoteca in Jesi. Lots to see and eat in this region, people.

I'm assuming you're talking about NP dry (white). I can NEVER find NP sweet (red), which beats all other vermouths big time for my drink of choice -- negroni. I'm forced to get it at Canal's. Why is only NP dry stocked?

Had dinner there in March. I can't recall at all what I ate, but I do remember that everything was mediocre. Oh yeah: "pastrami-crusted" somefishoranother that was waaaaay too salty. Service was lousy. Everything was obscenely overpriced for the fare. Had a late table, so by the time the mains came, people were dancing and milling about the diners. As a smoker, I can say the smoking-permitted lounge-y room downstairs is a nice touch, albeit filled with young, unapproachable B&T-ers.

How about Mixto (12/Pine)? Not BYO, but reasonable. Food is kinda mass quantities-style but pretty tasty. Atmosphere's nice, especially when the front windows are open onto the Pine Street-scape.

Made it in last night just ahead of the thunderstorms. Place is squeaky clean and bright, a vast improvement. As are the cases, which feature a good number of meats, fish, salads, and pastries. Started with the chopped liver special ($7), which has greens mixed in. Serving is about the size of a small meatloaf. Pretty darn good, but not mind-wrecking. The front of the menu features the usual sandwiches, but at the back they have a series of special sandwiches, where each is named for a restaurant the "family" (?) had in the NYC area over the years. Can't recall the name, but I had a corned beef/pastrami/swiss/Russian dressing monster ($14). Forgot to take a snapshot, but this thing easily measured 10" top to bottom (I barely got through one half). Both of the meats, particularly the pastrami, were quite good. Comes with a side, and I ordered latkes. They're actually more like little potato fritters, but still tasty. Complementary cookie comes with the check. The menu is pretty wide-ranging, with more than simple sammich and breakfast fare. Open til 9:00 every night, I think.

Yeah, I tried bringing my own Spiegelau in awhile back, bein' all cool and shit. Discovered that one of my bottles pulverized one of my (yes, not very well packed) glasses on the walk over. Like I said, sooo cool was I. So now it's just "gimme the crappy cafeteria ware and I'll suffer in silence."

Just returned from the Salzbar here in Kassel/DE, where I jumped for joy at finding Enzian Schnapps and remembering this thread. First, an ode to Heino: In Bavaria, this would be a schnapps called Enzian (which means gentian). But it's not reallly gentian flavored so much as merely made from gentians. It mostly tastes like a jolt of pure alcohol, although it's typically only 40%. It's usually pretty rough stuff, though. Okay, very rough stuff. ← Um, "jolt"? "Rough"? I´ve had grappas that would fit that bill. The version I was served (know store, don´t know brand at this point), however, was very pleasant on the palette. A delightfully floral aroma, enzian eben, nice on the nose. Smooth. This will mosdef be my new fav degustivo. Yes, while I was in France a gentian cordial was the local specialty liquor in the rural, mountainous area I was in. Most houses make some of their own, and every shop in the region sold it’s own variety. I am not a fan, but I don't generally like herb-flavored liqueurs. It was a very bitter, medicinal flavor in a lurid greenish-yellow sweetened liquid. ← This was a clear schnapps. Not bitter, not medicinal. Again, unless you classify all eau de vies this way.

Well at a minimum, if not everyone is doing the menu, those who don´t will spend a lot of time watching menu-opters eating. My menu was really enough for two. Really. And I´m a pretty big eater. I didn´t ask about splitting the menu (but hinted that it would be sufficient so), but during this early phase, pre-opening, and as a new establishment, I think they´d be silly to refuse. Offer to pay for the extra amuse and the palette cleanser. No harm in asking; the most they can say is no. Let us hear how it was.

Last night featured two episodes, including the landmark 350th, but it was #351 that rocked. "Scammer and Z-Dog" vending machines are installed in Springfield Elementary, and Bart ends up getting so overweight that he's sent to fat camp. This episode was almost purely food-related. My favorite scenes included: * The fat camp instructor exhorting overweighties Kent Brockman, Rainer Wolfcastle and one other I forget to tame their ice-cream cravings by talking disparagingly to the stuff. Wolfcastle: "Now here's the scoop: Your Haagen days are over. I'm Baskin in your pain. I'm Robbin you of your life." * Bart attempts to destroy the vending machine, which then threatens him with, "Yo! I'm gonna cap a pop in your ass!" * Homer claiming, "I'm not too fat. I'm alive, aren't I?" There were so many other good lines. Thank God for TiVo.

IIRC, it's a quenelle-shaped serving of saffron-scented, creamy mash. Still, too subtle (or seemingly so to my attenuated palate).

Aber wie!!! If this is a question (but how?) here is the answer: ← Not to go all didactic, but it means (with an exclamation point) "And how!" Nevertheless, thanks for the recipe. I usually just use the bagged stuff. From scratch, this I must try.

Having watched Tatooed Mom’s softball team put a hurting on Doobies at Palumbo Field last night, I decided to stroll over for some gnocchi at Forte. I noticed that the door to Meze (9/Catharine) was open, so I strolled in. The owners have wrought a dramatic change from dreary Longano, where I had a very tired plate of carbonara during its death rattle. Gone is the bar, replaced by tables and a service station tucked into the corner. The walls are a monochromatic olive, soon to be lightened a bit with artwork. The floor is now sleek stone tiles. Even the entrance door has been refurbished. Meze (the owners say Meh-ZAY) is the product of an Italian-American and a Greek-American, Joe Olivera and Nick Papanikolas. They seek to take their respective heritages and expand them, circling the Mediterranean from Turkey to Portugal, according to Joe’s, well, expansive reading of the geography. They’ve brought in a creative young chef, Val (Stryjewski, if the website is correct), whose stops have included Lacroix and Django (yet another Django alum in the QV/BV ‘hood). They are, and intend to remain, BYO. Meze had its fam-and-friends party Wednesday night, meaning last night was the first with paying tickets. What the hell, I thought, I’ll try the Meze Menu, which promised a tour through Chef Val’s vision. In general terms, the service was warm and not intrusive, particularly given that the staff is jonesing to get going and there weren’t many diners last night. The serviceware was diverse and attractive. Pacing is obviously still in its infancy. And presentations were, with one exception, outstanding. So, for $55, I had the following outrageous amount of food: ● With my order, bread and truffled butter. The bread was awful, portending bad things, but Nick said that they’re still looking for a good purveyor. They’re a bit reluctant to fall back on Sarcone’s, just across the street, since flatbread-ish items would be more in keeping. They eventually hope to bake inhouse. The butter was a nice surprise. ● Amuse: marinated mussel with saffron ice cream and caviar. Plumb, moist, flavorful. Very nice start. ● Dips: tzatziki, melitzano, hummus, foie gras parfait. Omigod. The tzatziki was tangy yet slightly sweet. The melitzano was light and airy. The hummus included roasted chard. But my fav was the foie gras dip. It’s more of a mousse or sabayon, light as a feather but deliciously foie-y. Each dip serving was more than ample. The plate came with toast, flatbread crisps, and both pancetta and eggplant “chips”, basically thin, dessicated slices. A cool idea. ● Mezedes: dolmades and grilled calamari. This was awesome – three dolmades were filled with a kind of beef risotto, creamy and rich, and served with grapes and a wine reduction. In a “duh” moment, it was pointed out to me that this is basically Grapes Three Ways: leaf, fruit, and juice. The calamari were two grilled tentacles – one served in a vinaigrette with watercress, nice and peppery. The other was stuffed with lentils, to terrific effect. ● Soup: caldo verde. The menu calls for salad here, but they were kind enough to meet my substitution request. The soup bowl come with potato cakes and, I believe, shredded chicken, with a poached egg mounted on top. The broth is then poured in from a cocktail shaker. The broth was good, but the cakes were a bit too hard, and I don’t recall seeing any kale. The poached egg was a very nice touch. Once the yolk is pierced, the yellow oozes into the earthy broth and just looks cool. ● From the Grill: shrimp, beef, and chicken kebabs. All three were perfectly prepared and served with roasted tomatoes. The char was just right. ● Intermezzo: heirloom tomato and oregano sorbet with sea salt. Surprisingly fruity. A nice palette cleanser. ● Fish: loup de mer. I really like sea bass, and this was prepared in a pretty conventional manner, en croute and pan-fried. While the fish was very tasty, the plating really suffered here. The potato “taffy” was rather bland, the sauce was non-descript, and the fish was accompanied by the usual suspects: cauliflower, carrot, mushroom. This one needs work. ● Meat: bife de casa: I was really starting to struggle at this point. A generous portion of what appeared to be filet (the menu says rib-eye), served on a bed of garlicky spinach together with a ragout of white beans and linguica sausage. I wasn’t asked how I wanted the steak prepared, and it unfortunately came somewhat north of medium. The ragout was delicious. ● Dessert: baklava, rice pudding, semifreddo. The baklava came out first – three small squares topped with goat cheese ice cream, each with a different filling. I can only recall fig, which was very good. Nick’s grandmother has taught the pastry crew how to make and roll their own filo. Jesus, they make their own filo. Since the menu called for three dessert items, I assumed that was that, and stepped out for a smoke (restaurant is non-smoking), relieved I was able to make it through. But I was called back in for dessert course II, the rice pudding. I begged to be let off the hook, but the staff insisted I try it. It’s served in a coffee cup (again, a very generous portion) and is done, for lack of a better word, creme brulée-style, with a caramel topping. The pudding was rich without being cloying. Then came the semifreddo, oh help me my taste buds were shutting down at that point. The garnish of carrot shavings I found to be a nice, “healthy” touch. I found myself thinking that the restaurant lies roughly halfway between Effie’s and Dmitri’s. The cooking, though, couldn't be more different than at either of those two establishments. Nick said the restaurant will have its grand opening on May 11, when they will be offering cocktails and samples from a wide range of dishes from their menu. I told him to come to his senses before then: the Meze Menu is simply too much food, especially at that price. Two people could easily share it and be fully satisfied. I was happy I only had two blocks to waddle home. Edited to add the link to their website

Nice review. Thanks. I'd read about the owners' history at Tra Vigna in Napa, which I enjoyed several years ago (although there's dispute about the restaurant on the CA board, I guess), so I'm looking forward to trying it. On a related note: Has anyone else noticed the sudden emergence of marlin? It's the new ahi or something. I've seen it on three menus in the past two weeks, including Southwark. What gives?

jas pretty accurately summed up the innards experience. I personally prefer the bookleaf tripe (so THAT'S what it's called) to the honeycomb, but hey, I like chewy stuff. I think both have a terrific taste. I wasn't enamored with the chicken gizzards. The taste was a bit too intense for me. Worth a try, though. Yeah, BinG was packed alright. Sure wish they had more than Yuenling Lager and B&T on tap (keepin' this about food). The Peryton was shot at Ben's warehouse. I really dug the dungeons and dragons piece, Nights of the Round Table. Hilarious!

Do we mean fusillade? ← GAAAK!!! But for 9/11, that would be hilarious. No wait, it's hilarious anyway.

Went last night. Everything said upthread about buffet selection, quality of ingredients, and service still applies. Still BYO. Thought I might add a few pix: The place is very roomy, clean, and spiffy. I wondered how much 20+ exhaust hoods cost them, and how much their monthly electric bill must run. Slight digression/plug: my dining companions included Wayne and Christine, fresh off their victory in the 48-Hour Film Project. See it tomorrow at Blue in Green; details here. The meat buffet, with two tripes middle right and chicken intestine opposite: Front view: Veggie/fruit/sushi table: Grill starters (comes automatically): Mussels, shrimp, fish balls, squid, with the kimchi (somewhat disappointing) et al. We also had the kimchi and oyster pajuns, and I second jas's comments: Two beefs, two tripes, and pork belly, all excellent: Working the (as Katie noted) smallish grill: P&P makes for a fun, affordable evening. I'll be back.

Michael Klein reports today that Jake's now serves Saturday brunch.

I thoroughly enjoyed I Sette Consoli in Orvieto (Piazza Sant'Angelo). The kitchen is run by a talented woman, who until recently had a *. In Torgiano, near Perugia, the restaurant in the Hotel Tre Vaselle was quite good. Torgiano is also home to the Olive Oil Museum, which is worth a visit. At any moment, you're sure to hear from DaleJ, who will rightly sing the praises of Taverna del Pescatore, just south of Trevi. Pretty difficult to find, but definitely worth the trip. €30 won't get you very far, but Vissani (**) is on the road from Orvieto to Todi. If you make it as far east as Norcia, be sure to try Granaro del Monte (lentil soup rocked).

Man, I can just imagine when you guys get deep into your Guinness and Jameson and break out into "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" or somesuch, it must be pretty awesome! Welcome to eGullet.

Yeah, I can say that in the reverse case -- "straight-friendly dining in gay establishments" -- the same holds true, in my experience. I was never made to feel uncomfortable dining with my wife at the recently departed Inn Philadelphia (except for grimaces at my off-key singing). Or drinking at Woody's or that old place just off of South. Or eating and drinking at Sisters. I was always prepared for a bit of attitude, but I never received anything but warm service.

Sounds like the owner of La Pianella da Raul, in the hills above Serra San Quirico (and spitting distance to kellytree). I had lunch there last December at eGer Angelo Recchi's recommendation. Terrific veal guanciola served in a very rustic dining room. They also have outdoor tables, making a return visit this spring almost mandatory.

In from Philly for a few days, I found this thread very helpful in satisfying my craving for a Cubano. HC ambience reminds me of the burrito joints in the Mission -- very down-to-earth. Not like the "hipper" place btwn 20 & 21 (though they serve liquor there). 1. Bread: Sure seemed like the real deal to me. Can anyone elaborate? 2. "Wonderfully moist": I found the roast pork to be dry and somewhat tough. Otherwise, the sandwich was superb. 3. "Garlicky": mosdef. Loved it. 4. Had the Galician style soup. Very rich broth, nicely spiced, highly recommended. 5. Had a can of the mate soda. Tasted like ginger. Can anyone clue me in to what mate is? Thanks for the good info on this thread.