Bill Klapp
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Posts posted by Bill Klapp
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Richie111, you inspired me to take a bunch of my associates, while on a business trip in Philly, to do the Big 4 (with Tony Luke's). I stuck to provolone and raw onions (nothing else). Pat's was the hands-down winner, and Geno's so bad that none of us would ever go back. Jim's and (get this) Tony Luke's tie for second. The Jim's meat flavor was there, but the sandwich was too dry (somebody forgot the water!). Tony Luke's bread works better for the roast pork/broccoli rabe/sharp provolone, as you noted, but the steak was so good that it ranked with Jim's. No small feat, considering that Tony Luke's steak might be its fourth, fifth or sixth best sandwich! (It being clear that the pork and greens, chicken cutlet and veal cutlet all outrank the steak, at least on paper, and I'm sure some would favor TL's roast beef and Italian hoagie over the steak.) also did the pizza steak at Pat's and Geno's, and again, Pat's was super and Geno's beneath contempt. I bootlegged 8 Pat's cheesesteaks and 1 pizza steak, along with 2 TL's pork/rabe/provolone sandwiches and one of its hoagies, back to NC on a small commuter jet, along with a big bag of soft pretzels and an assortment of tastykake delicacies. I funked up an entire aircraft! Two passengers made it as far as the third row (I was in row 8), then turned back and sat in any seat they could find in the first rows. Can you believe that there are people who find the smell of Pat's steaks with extra raw onions offensive?
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Mike, get the hell out of my house! I cannot abide being e-mailed real time from my own neighborhood when I'm not there! (And that was fresh ricotta, not mild goat cheese, with that balsamico, Mr. Fancy Pants!)
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Pia, I agree, but I think that the emerging debate is likely to be that Adria is a scientist and Scabin is an artist...
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pedalaforte, you make a PROFOUNDLY important point that I have failed to emphasize-even my Piemontese friends think that antine's panna cotta is without equal. I could not agree more! Sorry about the slim pickings at Vicoletto, but I can assure you that we are still talking Michelin-starred eats at about a third to a half what a meal in the old Vicoletto ristorante would cost you...
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akwa, I couldn't agree more re: Davide Scabin. I just returned from going ten rounds with his "menu creativo", and while I have not yet done the Adria thing in Spain, nothing I have read leads me to believe that Adria is serving up a superior meal. In fact, there are too many reports of mistimed courses and wine service screw-ups at Adria's place, and his experiments, while interesting, lack the whimsy and soul of Scabin's work, which uses traditional Piemontese and Ligurian ingredients and recipes as a lauching pad for some truly creative and delicious stuff...
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Just back from a couple of weeks in heaven, where I ate twice at della Posta. I was a little disappointed that we were not quite into the summer menu yet (mid-70s during the day, so outdoor dining was not available everywhere, including della Posta), but they haven't lost a step. I am at a loss to explain why Michelin hasn't laid a star on this quality. The 35 Euro degustazione remains the best food value on earth. Carne cruda, vitello tonnato, a divine baked onion stuffed with sausage and a creamy cheese sauce, agnolotti dal plin, veal osso buco and panna cotta! That notwithstanding, do not miss the torcione of goose foie gras with tiny cubes of Moscato d' Asti "Jello" and homemade fig preserves. The foie gras is from Friuli (surprisingly, not Mortara, the goose (and thus, foie gras) capital of Italia), and the best that I have ever tasted. Like many products that Italy and France have in common (goat cheese, blue cheese, foie gras and snails all come to mind), the Italian counterpart always seems to be missing the hard-edged aftertaste that marks the French product (Gorgonzola vs. Roquefort, for example), and the foie gras is no exception. You get all of the richness and complexity that you covet, but no pure liver aftertaste or slight bitterness. I loved it. More reports to follow soon, including my consumption of the "full monte" menu creativo at Combal.zero in Rivoli and two trips to the Slowfish event in Genova, just as soon as I get caught up at work! Ciao, ragazzi!
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Benvenuta, Pia! Sono piemontese io...
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But beware-some Bancomat locations take only Bancomat cards, which are exclusively of Italian issue...
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Search the word "Meridiana" and it may turn up the B&B Villa La Meridiana/Cascina Reine in Alba, which is in the Michelin Red Guide also (and, in the interest of full disclosure, run by close friends of mine).
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Blue crabs. If Italy had an unlimited supply in its waters (which would necessarily include soft-shells in season), it would (once again?) rule the civilized world!
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I think that everything that I have ever eaten at Giusti (which, by the way, is probably EVERYTHING) has been fantastic...
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Your mention of foccaccia at Giusti in Lucca brought tears to my eyes. I have decided to take credit for turning you on to Giusti, whether I actually did so or not!
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While good, Pongi, those things have always looked and tasted sort of German or Austrian to me!
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I was in a hurry on my first post on this. Robert is quite right to name the additional two, the latter being Peccati di Gola (fod and some wine upstairs, good-sized cellar in the basement that you are free to peruse). Peccati di Gola is up Via Cavour from Piazza Garibaldi (where the Saturday market is held) in the direction of the intersection of Via Cavour with the main drag, Vittorio Emanuelle II, on the right as you head toward the cathedral. I believe that, as you continue up Via Cavour toward the cathedral, Frachia is off a side street to the left (I think either Via Cerrato or Via Vernazza) a short block or two off Via Cavour, on the left. And I Grandi Vini is close at hand, on Vittorio Emanuelle II on the left (assuming that you are walking from the cathedral end toward Piazza Savona) , very near the cathedral end of that street.
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Ciao, Roberto! To my mind, Arco (Alba) is slipping, maybe a victim of being hyped by Slow Food. The evidence is that Boccondivino, which is essentially Slow Food's corporate lunch room in Bra, has declined in the estimation of many for the same reason, which I find too ironic for words. Lalibera is a much more reliable choice for food and wine at the osteria level in Alba. Please do a search on this board for Vittoria and Carmagnole, as I believe that I may have written on both. Carmagnole is unique, in that all foods and wines are chosen for you, to excellent effect. (A friend of mine wrote me a humorous e-mail recounting his most recent trip there, which I can forward to you if you like.) Vittoria is also wonderful, especially for a long Sunday lunch. Per Peter and others, Luna nel Pozzo's star is definitely on the rise. The chef is very ambitious, and while in the past, some of her experiments were less than totally successful, I can't wait to try it again when I return in June. Le Clivie was awarded a Michelin star in 1998, lost it and got dropped from the Michelin guide altogether in 2000 (I walked out of the place without eating in 2000, after waiting over 30 minutes and not receiving any service at all, and observed the diner next to me waiting all of that time for a check) and was awarded a new star in 2003. Have not tried it, but the dining room is (was?) beautiful. Finally, Noce is closed, as the chef shares the kitchen with Ugo Alciati at the new Guido in Pollenzo. Peter Rodgers and I have both reviewed the new Guido elsewhere on this board, and found it wanting. Buon appetito!
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Menton 1: It is great on ice cream, but even better on strawberries and other types of fresh fruit, and also drizzled over Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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You all are speaking of the candies of my people! The Ferrero candy (and Nutella!) empire is based in Alba. But beware, first-timers: two Pocket Coffees will get you high (the espresso shot inside appears to have a caffeine concertration well in excess of a normal shot of joe), and four Mon Cheries will get you drunk! For my money, Pocket Coffee may be the finest mass-produced chocolate product on earth...
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Had to deal with a little real world stuff over the past couple of months, but I'm back and I'm sassy!
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Torino (especially the Porto Palazzo food market!) and Genova are always winners, and not too much to handle in a long day (you can train to both from Asti easily), but the size and traffic of Milano, coupled with the lousy train service, make Milano a tougher pick.
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Marco, through an Italian friend, I quite literally bought truffles at the kitchen door of Tra Arte e Querce a couple of years ago, from Clelia. First-rate! The veal dish you describe sounds like vitello tonnato, a classic, but for the addition of the lemon. I caught living hell at home for daring to suggest that the new Guido was less than perfect, but with Peter Rodgers weighing in, too, I think that some improvement is in order there. I have not yet tried Borgo Antico, but it sounds as though I should move it up the to-do list in June. Great post!
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Gmd: I do most of my business with Enrico at Enoteca Grandi Vini on the main shopping street (Vittorio Emanuelle II, www.grandivinialba.com) in Alba, although I have also found some good bottles at Carosso, a food and wine shop on the same street (www.carosso.it). Also, Massimo at Vinolanghe (www.vinolanghe.com), which is exclusively an e-business with no shop (but which drops your wine at the cafe at the Piazza Savona end of Vittorio Emanuelle II), has also done well by me. I have not become similarly attached to any of the wine shops in La Morra, Barolo or Monforte d' Alba, as they have not proven to me that they can consistently deliver the goods. I also occasionally buy things at the affiliated wine and food shop across the way from the restaurant La Contea in Neive (the high part of the town).
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I am a big fan of Claudio in Bergeggi near Genoa. Great seafood, with a view and rooms.
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Hard to know, but I wouldn't mind having a copy. Where is it available?
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Loufood, I'm in the "it's part of a bigger problem" camp. And actually, I was (or should have been) calling MYSELF fat, but I am finally doing something about it. The Italians have taught me that there is no correlation whatsoever between eating all you want and being overweight. The only thing that matters is WHAT you eat, and as nearly as I can tell, the whole northern half of Italy has been on the South Beach Diet for several centuries now! And I could put my political agenda aside long enough to sample one or two of those deep-fried truffles, if only because it appeals to my Southern roots! I'm even thinking better than corn dogs or fried okra...
Philly Cheese Steak Adventure
in Pennsylvania: Dining
Posted
Sorry, Katie, but there was no time to get together wit youse guys! It was a business trip, and we were holed up about 40 minutes outside the city, except for arrival and departure at the airport. We may be back with more time later, so if you want to PM me some contact info, next trip may be a winner. And mrbigjas, at least a third of all cheesesteaks (and 100% of mine!) are ordered up with raw onions. Now don't get me wrong-the properly caramelized cooked onion is classic. However, notice that the "raw" onions at a place like Pat's or Jim's are actually in a big mound on the grill, waiting their turn to become cooked onions. Those guys sweat a little, and then when you dump them on the hot steak and cheese, they get sweet, but with a little raw onion bite still left and a decent crunch that makes the perfect sandwich for me. Lastly, sampled a Pat's wit Whiz, too, and while I am a lifelong provolone fan, I must admit that there is some interesting and delicious chemistry going on inside a Pat's Whiz!