tanabutler

The menu says it's mint rice with the Tandoori prawns, so that's what I put in. A good friend is visiting NYC next week and I insisted he eat at Amma. He will if he can manage it with his obligations.

I finally got my pictures downloaded. I think next time I will eat when there is still some light outside, as the lighting inside is tricky. Nevertheless: 1) Appetizers: Shrimp Balchao, Nan (?), Idly Upma. 2) Indian wine (so good!) 3) Main course: Tandoori Prawns (right) with okra (left), and not certain about the green rice in the center. EDIT: it's mint rice. 4) Dessert. Swoonworthy. Rose Panna Cotta (front) and Coconut Flan (rear). Heavenly. Just heavenly.

Castle Rock wines are regularly at my local Safeway on sale for $5 a bottle.

This is a good point. I don't need much adornment when I seek a chocolate hit.

I've always been devoted to Scharffen Berger, though I've tried others. Recchuiti is good: they've got a joint now at the Ferry Plaza building (where Scharffen Berger was one of the first stores to open). By an incredible coincidence, I met Robert Steinberg (one of the two founders of Scharffen Berger) on Monday night while dining at Amma in New York City. I am happy to report that he is one of the nicest people you could imagine, and that my happiness at being his loyal customer is complete. (He invited me to bring my daughter and tour the factory. I can't wait to meet the Oompa Loompas!) Scharffen Berger's got a new Extra Dark bar I hadn't tried until Wednesday, when I visited the Ferry Plaza store....but I'm sticking with Bittersweet as my very very favorite. Down Santa Cruz way, we're very very blessed to have Donnelly Chocolates. Their cardamom truffles are the living end.

Bonny Doon produces a pink wine that I really like: Vin Gris de Cigare. From their website: Actually, talk about terroir: I believe there are subliminal hints of cannabis sativa that manifest in the wine. (Bonny Doon, in Santa Cruz county, is an old dope growers/dealers hangout.) It's just lovely. Retails at $11. And I see they've got a new Big House Pink (to go with their Big House Red and White line). We'll have to try that one, too.

Pipe a gorgonzola/cream cheese/walnut "paté" (1/2 c. each, in food processor until smooooooooth) onto apple slices. (You would definitely want to toss the unpeeled slices in a little lemon juice first so they don't go brown.) From Epicurious: CROSTINI WITH ROASTED GARLIC, GOAT CHEESE AND APPLE CHUTNEY GINGERED APPLE SLAW APPLE CHUTNEY

Thank you, Nina!

As a proofreader without any real credentials except a damned good eye, lowercase varietals just look wrong to me. Despite my lowercase log-in name here at eGullet (which was an accident that I came to enjoy), I enjoy the proper use of capital letters. And if the food section of the L. A. Times is going to capitalize varietals, that just tells me they're smarter than the news branch.

It's on the other side of the overpass as Carl's. And Stone isn't the only one who found it. He just posted first. It's funny, at my other online community, Readerville, when I posted about it, all these people popped up to say, "THAT'S so SPOOKY! We just ate there! We found that place!" Except it's pretty much the only thing of note between SF and Tahoe. It's not like a hole in the wall, because it's so distinct, but that uniqueness gives you the feeling it's a hole in the wall. Bombdog, you're gonna love it. EDIT: Walt, if you're going to Reno, there is an incomparably good Italian place called La Vecchia there. I posted about it somewhere at eGullet, but haven't got time to find it now. (I'm at a hotel, pressed for time this morning.) A beautiful Italian woman named Patricia opened it when she couldn't find good Italian food in town. She imported her crew from Italy, and eats there daily. It's worth a trip. Fabulous food.

1) Near Sacramento is the fabulous Mister Taco, a legend with eGulleteers and foodies everywhere I know. Scroll down for my photo. A do not miss. 2) Santa Cruz: Tacquerias: there are two places that locals squabble over who's best. Chef David Kinch, in this month's San Francisco magazine, is firmly on the side of Tacos Moreno, on Water Street near the Staff of Life grocery store. I personally prefer Tacqueria Vallarta, far and away. There are many locations: downtown SC, on Soquel Avenue by Shopper's Corner (one of the best grocery stores in town), Capitola down 41st about five (?) blocks from the ocean, and maybe elsewhere. I think I recommended the best Mexican place in the county in that other thread, though. The one with the odd name in Watsonville. If it were me, I'd head there and skip Santa Cruz. UPSCALE MEXICAN: Definitely El Palomar on the Pacific Garden Mall. I just ate there last week. The chicken chimichanga was just bursting with flavor. Fresh, warm tortilla chips with two kinds of house-made salsa. Highly recommended, EMSG. GELATO: here I can help you. There is a brand-new gelateria in downtown Santa Cruz that is awesome. Right on the Pacific Garden mall: Gelato Mania. It's a real Italian man from Bologna with his family's recipes. Pricey but to die. There is also a great market in Aptos, Rancho Del Mar Blvd., called DeLuxe Foods. (We call it the DEElux, all Southern-y.) You should stop in there: among other reasons, they've got a gelato maker from Watsonville selling his stuff by the pint. Take some home, dude. Also, the cheeses there are just wonderful, and they have samples out. You will love that store. ICE CREAM: Marianne's on Ocean Street and Marini's on the Pacific Garden Mall are good. I don't do much ice cream. Also good eating on the mall: Zoccoli's Deli (it's at the very "top" of the mall, just a block or so past the post office). Go there and get one of their sandwiches. It's just a fantastic little place, and a real fixture for years and years here. None finer. PIZZA: Well, what used to be the best, Pizza My Heart, has gone downhill in my book. I would have to say that, though it's more expensive than some other places, Pleasure Point Pizza (end of 41st Avenue in Pleasure Point/Capitola) is worth a stop. The Santa Barbara pizza, with artichoke hearts, is making me salivate as I type. Do NOT go to Tony & Alba's Pizza. DO NOT. They are the most insanely over-priced, over-rated junk ever. I am convinced that they stuff the ballot boxes on reader polls in local papers. $25 for a basil pizza? I think not! Don't go there under any condition. Talk about your nekkid emperors. I will give some thought to the "unique" thing. I am traveling right now and will be home later tonight. Hopefully my DSL will be fixed by then. Hope this helps.

Listen to Doc.

I am in New York City for another few hours. I arrived at 6 PM at the Waldorf-Astoria, and it took about two hours to get me settled into a room. Alas, I had to change into a FOURTH room at about midnight, so I am presently as jet-lagged and tired as I have ever been. Neverthless, I am going to transcribe the notes I made last night, when I dined alone at Amma. I had no prior plans to go there, but my dining plans fell through at the last minute. So I called Amma (I'm only four blocks away) and was told they would hold the last table for me. I didn't indicate that I was an eGulleteer or anything. Didn't want to. I was placed at a table I'd photographed previously, facing the door but not too close. I saw Bikky and Hemant almost immediately, and I settled down with my book. (More on the book in a bit.) These are my notes and thoughts, below, for the most part. Green indicates "I'm adding this now, this morning. Oh, and a funny thing. Owner Anju Sharma saw me scribbling and thought I was trying to get the recipes so (ha ha hahahahahahahhahaha) I could cook these dishes myself. I told her that was impossible, but that I just wanted to take good notes to describe what I had so that Others Could Live Vicariously Through Me. ------------------------------ Wine #1: I asked Bikky to try something different. Why not the Indian Blanc de Blanc? I knew little about Indian wine (who does?), and trusted Bikky to bring me something wonderful. (Note: "Wine #1" was, in fact, the only wine I had all evening. I loved it and didn't want to stray from the infatuation. For the record, it was a Grover Vineyards Nandi Hills Blanc de Blanc 2001, from Bangalore. Bikky told me more about it, that it was produced in collaboration with Michel Rolland of Bordeaux, France, in what is, I believe, soon to be the biggest vineyard in the world.) I am too tired to know what I am tasting or smelling -- to analyze or deconstruct it--but if I had one word: SUMMER. Surely this is Indian terroir. Without even seeing a menu, a dish arrives. Hemant knows me: it's Bombey bhel puri. Also on the plate: cashew roll and spinach tikki (both cylindrical) with mint and tamarind sauces. Bombay bhel puri: my love. There are little hidden tomato jewels that surprise this time. The cashew is warm and nutty, earthy like meat. It's perfect with the tamarind. The earthiness of the cashews is a nice weight against the lighter spinach and bhel puri, which is airy. All three sit prettily on a leaf-shaped glass. (Note: I had brought my camera but was reluctant to use it after the results I'd had last time. I did eventually take some pictures but lack the capacity to upload them here, so will have to wait until I'm home.) I take miniscule bites, savoring each bit. This technically wasn't the best strategy because Hemant was timing his courses like a pro, and I'm dawdling so long that the planes are stacking up to land, if you know what I mean. Soon, spinach chaat arrives, another favorite. The mung beans are especially sweet and yet crisp. Like peas. The wine perfectly cools the heat—the effect of the sun and a dip in the brisk ocean. (I am especially happy that Amma is full on a Monday evening, and at 9 PM, no less.) Now the flavor of the tempura crust, with the acid and softness of the tomatoes, come through and my mouth wakes up some more. But I think I "chaated" too much with Bikky and Hemant, as the crust is a teeny bit chewier than normal. I'm certain they held it back while I played "Slow Eater Tiny Bite Taker," and resolve to hasten the speed at which I am nibbling molecules, trying to figure out flavors. Another trio arrives, and now I have to get out my camera. One is a normal-sized piece of shrimp with a basil leave (shrimp balchao), along with idly upma and a bread-like thing in the middle. It is my fault I couldn't get the name of that item, but when I post it, Suvir can enlighten us. The shrimp and its sauce taste almost Italian, but they are red-hot. Not too hot, but definitely Indian. Little fried basil leaves are a surprise: they sit under each item. I wasn't sure how to eat everything, but the bread did a good job of soothing the heat in my mouth. No complaints. It was bracing. The opposite of a jump into a cold pool, and climbing out onto a warm towel. Reverse the sensations. NOTE: There were two tables of Indians (that I saw) that evening. Would love to have their feedback. NOTE: I didn't want to get out my camera but finally did if for no other reason than to get the names of the things I couldn't spell. As it turns out, I got what promise to be very good shots. I fully blame Bikky for my previous visit, for plying us with so much wine that photography and coherent note-taking were absent. NOTE: Being a single diner, I appeared with a book--Bourdain's A Cook's Tour)--which I pretended to read. It gave me the appearance of having a reason to take notes, but some people were looking at me as though I were a food critic. Right. The unbelievable and noteworthy, nay, STOP THE PRESSES! I actually ordered okra. I, who fled Georgia to escape the slime-trail of okra, have actually expressed my preference for it as a side dish to the tandoori shrimp I ordered. (I didn't go with the tasting menu, being not that hungry, as if that would stop Hemant from sending new things to the table.) The okra is so wonderful. It balances the tandoori so well, with its light saltiness. The true flavor of the okra itself is liberated with Hemant's touch. The tandoori shrimp are the size of rollerskates. Volkswagens. The scent is like heat and earth, and brings to mind those photographs of things shimmering in the heat. My new favorites are the wine and the spinach tikki. I'm trying to eat slowly. Each morsel is so flavorful. Why cram them into my mouth? And finally, with two prawns and most of the okra left, I surrender. Almost. Nibble. Okra. Nibble. Salt, meet heat. Wow. Around me, the Amma team hums and bustles. They move quickly and gracefully. I have noticed new background music, very beautiful, in the background. Now it's an aria, but I can't remember the name, I am very glad I'm here "by myself," although I don't feel alone,. I have solitude between creations. Hemant better understand why I can't order dessert, especially since I had told him, "I am committing chocolate blasphemy in saying this, but the coconut flan I had last time was the best thing ever." I'm getting the whole thing to go. Otherwise I pop. [END OF NOTES from the evening.] ----------------------------------- Well, if all that wasn't enough, an amazing thing happened. A couple of times in the course of my meal, I heard the words "San Francisco" from the table behind me. Hemant was telling the man and woman there about the restaurant he'd opened in Sunnyvale. At one point, he asked me if I would write down the details for the gentleman at that table. I turned around to meet them. The woman turned out to be Karen DeMasco, the pastry chef at Craft in NYC. Now that is a big WOW for me, as every word I've read about Craft is that it's just wonderful. And the references to San Francisco applied to her dining companion. She asked if I'd ever heard of Sharffen Berger Chocolates. Well, who hasn't? It's arguably the best chocolate in the United States. I met Robert Steinberg, one of its founders. What wonderful people these were: and it felt like Amma wove some kind of magical spell that I got to encounter them there. We talked for a long time about a lot of things, and the upshot is: I've got to get back to NYC and go to Craft, and I want to get Robert Steinberg to an Outstanding in the Field farm dinner. He knows some of the Santa Cruz farmers from the Ferry Plaza farmer's market. He said something about some writer featuring Scharffen Berger chocolates as part of a "perfect day" in San Francisco...they're at the Ferry Plaza Market building. I told him (faux indignant) that I'd written such a piece myself, in response to a query in the California board about how to best spend four days in San Francisco. (I wonder what someone else had to say about that perfect day?) So, that is my third trip to Amma in six months. It was simply wonderful. Wonderful to return, wonderful to dine and sip Indian wines...just so worth flying 2500 miles and finding such an evening at the end of my day. I'll try to post photos when I return. I fly back to San Francisco tonight, and drive back from the city tomorrow afternoon. Then I have to deal with getting back online at my house. (DSL modem and router both died on the weekend.) Thanks, Hemnant and Bikky and Anju and Team Amma. (Alas, I didn't get to meet Suvir this time, so I'm pretty sure he's invisible or only appears to good children or something like that. ) Amma. Sigh.

Tell her to find Austrian Grunver Veltliners. They're the bomb.

Blue Hill is opening their Stone Barns restaurant at the beginning of May. It's in Sleepy Hollow. Blue Hill Stone Barns (the website isn't really up yet, but that's where it will be.

"The posture of a land shrimp."

There is something to be said for splitting your trip up into halves. And driving on winding roads. So with that in mind, perhaps staying in one of the recommended locations is worth it. I don't know those lodgings so well, but I do know that The Girl & The Fig is the place that most of my foodie friends at Readerville exclaim about.

Jim, just a note. I switched web hosts yesterday, and had not realized there were so many problems with the transfer. Some photos weren't loading at all. I'm trying to make sure everything's functional. I blame...Bill Gates!

Dear Biggest Flan, What is a web geisha? Best, Jim "Geisha" means "art person." Go see my website. I create "visual haiku" online.

Here is a vote that all of your threads can be merged, Florida Jim, so you can hold court properly. Eventually, of course, you could publish your poetry just from gleaning the single, glorious thread. Signed, Your biggest flan

If you are like me, s'kat, stay in the beautiful little town of Jenner. It's at the end of the Russian River, and it is one of the most beautiful little nowhere spots on earth. Rent one of the cottages from the Jenner Inn. (The best thing about Jenner is that cell phones don't work there. I personally welcome that when I'm on a retreat.) Eat at least one meal at River's End restaurant (winner of Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence 2002). You can't miss it: it's at the mouth of the Russian River overlooking the ocean. Everything is local, organic and seasonal, and lovingly prepared. We had one absolutely stellar meal there one night. Photo taken from the balcony at River's End View from inside River's End A great view of the river at sunset River's End also rents little cabins there, but I haven't seen inside them. We bustled about Sonoma county all day, and then drove out, following the Russian River, to the coast. It was so sweet, so lazy, so quiet. The loudest thing there was the ocean. River's End recipe for fennel slaw at Epicurious Travel & Leisure write-up of Napa and Sonoma: Hope that helps!

So, s'kat, do you prefer bustling or quiet lodgings?

Tommy? You're MARRIED?

I've seen the website, Sean. It's gaw-geous, as my mama would drawl. Maybe I can get to Nashville in the autumn when it's not so hot.

That is so well said, Daniel. I love living vicariously through these posts.