living for life and love of food at LINEA d'OMBREA in Venice

Our final grand dining night in Venice was still a day away from departure, but our last dinner was a family one with Samuel and not worth mentioning. With our dearest friends, Mel & Juan, we headed to LINEA d'OMBRA (www.ristorantelineadombra.com) in Dorsoduro with a gorgeous view over the lagoon and yachts at harbor. We had made this final one month vacation farewell dinner through our friend Fabrizio Aielli in Washington who hails from Venice and as we discovered was born just meters away on the island of Giudecca. We are grateful to him, his friend, Marco and maitre d' Alberto who all made our evening an even more special treat. Getting to Linea d"ombrea is much harder than it should be depending on the time ofv year. It is only a stone's throw from Piazza San Marco, but it is right across the Grand Canal, which has no bridges at all except a 15 minute walk back up the canal (making for an over 35 min. walk). We had hoped to take the Traghetto, which is a gondola service that operates across the canal at various points where there are no bridges, like a ferry. We walked to the Traghetto station and a real rude guy told us the traghetti stop at 2pm! I tried to ask why, but he kept cutting me off. He and a gondolier finally said that if we wanted to get across we could pay 100Euros ($140) for the 2 minute crossing on a gondola! We proceeded to the vaporetto (water bus) stop and took it one stop across the canal for 6 Euros($8.40) per person...or a total of $34 for the four f us for a 2 minute ride! Someone needs to rethink the prices when
folks are only going one stop!

We arrived within minutes walking to the restaurant and immediately were warmly greeted by Alberto and all the staff for a very wonderful "last supper."

We wanted a prosecco, but had been disappointed with many we had tasted recently, so Alberto brought out a Spumante from CA' RUGANTE called "FULVIO BEO" from the Veneto region that was so amazingly like a French yeasty champagne with which we were all in love. Sadly, this wine is not available on the market and virtually ALL of the minimal production makes it to this restaurant!

It was impossible to decide on what to eat, so we decided to share a number of appetizers (antipasti), shar pastas(primi piatti) and then proceed with our entree (secondi). The first to arrive were plates of excellent quality raw seafood from the nearby Adriatic. Alberto insisted that Venice created the idea of raw seafood or sashimi style, not Japan; we did not argue. On the plate were branzino (sea bass), bluefin tuna, swordfish (which I had never had raw before and adored), scallop tartare and two types of prawns: the local Ciannocca (called Panocchia elsewhere in Italy) which was bizarre as we could not seem to separate it from its shell, and the much easier to nhandle scampi. With this came a plate called "grilled chrome" as it was prepared on the very hot chrome grill and included Scampi, Baby cuttlefish, scallops and a cream of celery to cut the burn on the grilling. These were all served with an amazing SANCIN MALVASIA 2005 from Friuli that was super-aromatic and almost creamy yet soft and perfect with the raw fish.

Next came the house specialty (it has even been written up in the NY Times): a MILLEFEUILLE of SCAMPI and ONIONS "Saor" Style with Green APPLE & Raisins. This has a somewhat sweet and sour antithesis going for it, but in the sense of what we call Chinese "sweet & sour sauce." We all agreed the dish was one of the most interesting combinations of ingredients and one of the best dishes we EVER had anywhere. Alberto asked if he could pair it with a rare wine called BUCCIATO made from the Garganega grape. We said "sure" and were blown away by the CA' RUGATE 2004 from VENETO that may have been the best pairing of wine and food in existence. There is an apple essence in the wine, but the food not only mimics this it complements it with the sweet onion and raisin elements.

Next came the pasta courses which were also sublime. We chose our favorite named pasta, STREZZAPRETI ("strangled priest") with SCAMPIU, PINE-NUTS & BASIL while Mel & Juan Chose the TAGLIONE with SICILIAN RED SHRIMP, Lemon Skin and Mint. For wine, Alberto suggested we try an amazing magnum of BENANTI Bianco Superiore from PIETRA MASINA 2003 at 400 meters up the slopes up Mt. Etna in Sicily. The grape was mostly Carricante and it really had an amazing mineral nose and taste, a true wine of terroir that reminded us of our wonderful days in Sicily earlier on the cruise and really just brought everything on this vacation full circle. It's really odd, but I am starting to choke up just writing this; the entire experience was so awesome.

Our entrees were less varied since three of us opted for the FILET OF SWORDFISH with e Reduction of COINTREAU and Fresh FIGS and WILD PEACHES. This was a perfect summer fish dream dish come true, and again the wine pairing was perfect. teh BITES OF SAUTEED TUNA with AUBERGINES(actually Melanzane Affungetto-eggplant) and Puree of CELERIAC was also quite excellent.

We could not even think of leaving without trying desserts, and we were happy we did. The TIRAMISU got rvaves and came with gelato to boot, while my CHEESECAKE with Chocolate was no less entrancing. Dessert wine came in the form of MUEGGEN Moscato Passo di "Pantelleria" 2002 from Salvatore Murau in Sicily--again closing our recent new love of the island, and also finding a new dessert wine we must try again.

I have one more report from Perugia..but that must wait until my return home as I am now in Munich Airport with Samuel and we board for DC soon!

CIAO BELLI!

a lucious lakeside lunch at LUCIANO in Passignano on Lago di Trasimento

We had a relatively quiet day today as we checked out of our luxury hotel (The Brufani Palace) in Perugia after a yummy buffet breakfast (all those tasty dried meats and cheeses and pates and pastries!) and decided to take it easy. We headed for LAGO TRASIMENO a huge lake in the center of Italy in Umbria (but very close to Tuscany) and opted to lunch at LUCIANO which is in the tiny town of Passignano on the north shore of the lake. It faces the lake and has a wonderful local ambience (with many Italians dining there to boot!). Sam had (guess what?) the Penne Pasta with Tomato Sauce while Will opted for the fabulous LINGUINE con TARTUFO (the exquisite black truffles of the region) and I could resist the mini fixed price lunch for 16 Euros which has several options. I started with a BRUSCHETTA of Local LAKE FISH which was a tasty perch rich with olive oil and seasonings. The entree was a LINGUINE with Local Fish as well and was a superb blend of tasty seasonings. Gelato was around the corner at the usual 1,50Euro per cup with two flavors for each of us...and we keep trying new ones. Today the hit was White Chocolate, while Same kept to Strawberry, but this time adding our new favroite sorbetto LIMONCELLO.

Palazzo Terranova (Umbria, Italy) takes a prize for mountain diningand LUXURY!

While we returned from our month in Europe earlier this week, I still have on amazing report to give. This very special place can only accommodate overnight guests as the road to the palace at the top of a mountain (well, big hill at 500 meters=over 1500 feet) is long, dirt, and one lane! So you must contact me to book the hotel for you overnight and have the amazing opportunity to visit and dine at PALAZZO TERRANOVA.

Restored to its original 18th century splendor less than a decade ago this magnificent villa sits atop the Apennine foothills on the Tuscan border of Umbria. The closest cities in Tuscany are medieval Cortona & Arezzo to the west and in Umbria to the east are Perugia(only 45 minutes away) and Gubbio. The closest small towns are Morra and Ronti with Citta di Castello 20+ minutes east. If you are in central Italy this luxurious palazzo is a destination not to be missed for its beauty and views atop the mountains, but also for its fine food and excellent service. There are only 10 rooms, yet the hotel offers an infinity pool, gym, spa services and even babysitting amongst many other amenities nearby (horseback riding,golf, tennis). Each beautiful room is named after an opera and quite beautifully appointed down to the wonderful Bulgari soaps!

The dining room, as I said, is open for lunch and dinner for hotel guests only (breakfast is included and is served in the breakfast room or on the terrace--we enjoyed ours as the morning fog rolled in below us and the sun shone above; we felt as if we were in heaven!) and is simple but has an antique feel with candelabra, huge fireplace, large tables and chairs. The night we stayed the hotel was almost full, yet only 5 tables were used accommodating four couples and a family of 6. As we went down to supper just before 8pm, we sat on the magnificent terrace to catch the setting sun's rays sipping Campari & Tonic with the local snacks of Umbrian PECORINA and honey (to dip it in) with fresh local ALMONDS.

We moved inside, and as always, not pacing ourselves ordered antipasti, primi and secondi. As we saw the food coming in monstrous portions around us, we quickly called over the maitre d' Giovanni and begged him to cancel one of our secondi (entrees) which we decided then to split.

We ordered a bottle of ROSSO di MONTEFALCO 2004 from CAPRAI having enjoyed this Umbrian red so much the previous days. This particular version has a 70% Sangiovese (the grape of Chianti) mixed with 15% Sagrantino and a 15% blend or Merlot and Cabernet, making it a big bigger than some other Montefalcos. A gorgeous amuse of FIOR di ZUCCHINI FRITTI (fried Zucchini flower in batter) came in a tomato & black olive sauce and was stuffed with a creamy rich and totally decadent MOZZARELLA & ANCHOVY filling. This amuse did give us an idea of what was to come, and we were happy we had chosen red wines and then proceeded to cancel one entree...as BIG & FILLING seemed to be on the menu here. When I say "big & filling," I must also add rich and also qualify that this was all top quality local food much of which was actually grown right in the gardens of the palazzo (which even sported several alpacas roaming nearby!).

We had always enjoyed the amazing "burrata" here in DC flown in from Italy to Dino's Restaurant, but we were not ready for the same day fresh and blow your mind BURRATA CON VERDURE GRIGLIATE e PESTO that arrived for both of us. The mozzarella was the finest ever and of course, HUGE as well. The soft center filling was melt in your mouth delish, and the accompanying grilled zucchini, eggplant and veggies were lightly drizzled with a tasty pesto.

Will opted for the TAGLIATELLE all'UOVO con RAGU d'ANATRA which we know and love at home as Homemade egg tagliatelle with duck ragout, and while it was tasty, it needed just a bit more ragout. My SPAGHETTI alla CARBONARA con SALSICCIA d'UMBRIA was heavenly and truly one of the best Carbonaras ever (the other having been the one we tasted on our last night in Rome!) It was sprinkled generously with local Umbrian sausage and wonderful pieces of local bacon. Rich, creamy, and total overload is the only way one can describe this amazing preparation. We asked for a long rest as began to enjoy our second red, a truly magnificent and velvety NOBILE di MONTEPULCIANO (another great wine town that is close by over the Tuscan border) SIMPOSIO 2001 from Angelini. This is a wine to buy and drink now or later as the balanced tannins make it just one of the best red wines around!

We took a long break before our entree arrived, the daily special of STRACCETTI di MANZO al ROSMARIO con CIPOLLE ROSSE di TROPEA, a saute of beef loin strips scented with rosemary and braised in the famous local red onions of Tropea with red wine and a hint of raspberry. The onions were sublime as was the sauce, only the meat suffered a hint from being a bit overcooked and dry; a solution which we should have anticipated and asked for the meat medium rare! I know that we were so full, that we could not even think of dessert, but Will asked for a simple "bite" of chocolate and received a huge plate of fresh chocolate hunks!

Incidentally, I must add that while we were dining downstairs, Samuel was doing the same thing in our room above. After a swim and a bit of relaxing ion the afternoon, the chef came to the room at 6pm to ask what Samuel liked to eat. About an hour later, Giovanni returned with a cart full of treats including the most gorgeous local garden field greens salad loaded with fresh tomatoes and yellow and red peppers (all from their gardens). His entree was a perfectly and simply prepared fillet of fresh fish (we never did find out what kind) over a bed of fresh sauteed French beans (although, these were clearly Italian and local!). He was one very happy camper with his room service and so were we. We all hope to return to PALAZZO TERRANOVA someday and I hope that I can help you ALL get there as well!

Bravo to LA BASTIGLIA in the teeny weeny town of Spello near Assisi

One of mour best meals in Italy was had last night as we drive to Spello (30 mins from Perugia and about 10 mins from Assisi) to discover the single Michelin-starred LA BASTIGLIA. We were lucky our car was not too wide, as one has to traverse the town's medieval gate and walls and make way through narrow stone streets to find a grogeous view over the valley from the outdoor terrace of this wonderful spot. Sadly, it had rained part of the day, and the weather was iffy, so we dined inside in an eclectic old-style room with lots of artwork both modern and ancient. The star last night was, however, the food of chef MARCO GUBBROTTI, who incidentally was the first chef in any restaurant we have dined at in Italy to come around and greet the guests after dinner!

We started with a wine from Spello itself the VILLA FIDELDIA blend of Chardonnay and Grachetto (the local white grape of Umbria) 2004 from Sportoletti Winery which was a French style chardonnay with an amazing flavor that works with so many dishes.

The amuse was a four-in-one with a Fresh fig and slice of prok cheek (cured and cooked like bacon) wedged into ir; a wtaermelon jelly with mussel and licorice that was quite tasty and had only a hint of licorice so as not to displease me; a melon & bottarga (Sicilian raisin and dried fish egg) shooter(!!!) that was totally refreshing and tasty; and a Raw Local Salami wrapped in paper thin cucumber. All of these were clear cues that what was to come would be a truly wonderful experience in local Umbrian cuisine. Chef Gubbrotti prides himself on modern cuisine, but uses only the ingredients native to Umbria and Italy to their best possible advantage. Our tasting menu at an amazing 60-something Euros started with TUNA THREE STYLES: Raw tartare served in a cylcinder on apple and vegetables diced so small we could not decipher what they all were with fresh fennel and fennel flower as well for an added burst of taste; SMOKED with PISTACCHIO crust and served with a grated flash frozen BUFALA MOZZARELLA which came out like a fluffy parmesan but with mozzarella taste(an ingenious treatment to a fabulous cheese); STEAMED in a mini-jam jar with EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL. It was hard ti choose which was my favorite since all three were so good, but I think the Smoked with Pistacchio & Mozzarella won first place for taste and ingenuity as well.

Next came PIGEON with a Roasted Breast and a Rare(cooked rare that is) Salami (of Pigeon) formed into a crucifix(!!!) with a salad of cooked mixed cherries. Again the use of fresh spices abounded with spicy mint, rosemary, fennel flower and more.The dish was another coup (although I wish I had a light red for this course).

We moved on to a wonderfully presented TOMATO SOUP with basil and a cylinder pilaf of thinly shaved OCTOPUS and RICE in the middle. The octopus was so tender and the soup was the best tomato (which I am not a big fan of) that I have ever had. The bowl looked like it had been made from Sister Bertrille's nun's hat in the Flying Nun with a big hollow in the center for the soup.

Our red wine was another dreamy local treat from the local organic winery of Paolo BEA, a 2003 MONTEFALCO ROSSO (the bottle was actually numbered due to small production-we got #1996) which here was a blend of 70% Sangiovese,15% Sagrantino and 15% Montepulciano. With this deep intense red we started the heavier courses with a superb ROASTED GOOSE RAVIOLI with a sauce of Celery, Citara Anchovies (very mild from Napoli) and Pantelleria Capers. The entree of ROAST SUCKLING PIG was both a success and a disappointment with a PORCHETTA TERRINE made from the pig, and served on a SWEET PEPPER GATEAU. The roast pig itself was a nice piece but served without anything and abit simple and dry with Raw Vegetable Pinzimonio-a local treatment of crudite served with extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper.

With dessert we were back in the swing with APPLE on "THREE" consisting of ANNURCA APPLE SORBET, TATIN of GOLDEN APPLE and SABLE of WALNUTS with GREEN APPLE. The Sable (shortbread-like) cookie was super with the apple as were both of the other treatments, and a glass of young calvados was graciously added on the side! As if this were not enough, next came a BANANA SORBETTO with Honey and ALCHERMES(?) which was a rich creamy and caramel-like treat. I was told the difference between sorbetto and gelato is the addition of eggs, but this banana sorbetto tasted more like rich gelato to me! Of course, more tasty treats arrived and we gobbled them all up to keep us going for the 30 minute ride back to Perugia in the rain. A refreshing icy ALMON MILK Shooter was a real cleanser, but we returned to rich and creamy with a PANNA COTTA of ROSEMARY & CHOCOLATE. The spongy AMARETTI Cookies were lighter than air and were the best I have ever had. Small FRUIT Biscuits and DARK CHOCOLATES (which Will insisted looked like male sex organs) rounded out the adorable plates. I must say that despite the small piece of dry pork, the entire meal, service and experience wins an A+ from us both.

prepare for PERUGIA--the center of Italy and heart of her cuisine

We are here in the center of Italy in Perugia for two nights and last night we headed to a small local eatery with Samuel which was simply excelllent (I think probably anything here is like that), La LOCANDA DEGLI ARTISTI is located just outside the Porte Erculano at Via Campo Battaglia 10 and offers both outside and quaint inside seating. As this was the first night in over three weeks abroad that the temperature had dipped below 70, we opted to head inside. Our servers were helpful and friendly. Samuel insisted that his simple (yes, again) Pizza Margherita was the best he had ever had in his whole life. While, I felt that Rome's pizza was better, he is entitled to his own opinion. We started with a bottle of CASTELLO de MAGIONE MONTERONE 2006 GRECHETTO which is as local as you can get here in Umbria (Perugia is the capital) and it was crisp, refreshing and wonderful with the CROSTINI al TARTUFO, which were slices of bread (a bit too hard for me) with a bruschetta topping made from the amazing local black truffles (along with some parsley and garlic). The plate of mixed meats came with local salami, the local prosciutto nad bresaola all of which were spectacular.

Will and I split the local pasta special, UBRIACELLI (sp?) all NORCINA which were spinach and wheat thicker than spaghetti pasta with a magnificent cream-black truffle-sausage sauce that was to die for. We switched to a superb red from Domenico Pennachi SAGRANTINO di MONTEFALCO "Terre di Capitani" 2003 that was intense but not tannic and had a slight sweetness as well, but not like a sweet wine--more like sweet cherries and chocolate--thing BIG chianti without the tannins.

Our first choice for entrees was the Beef with arucola and balsamic (another local specialty) that they were out of, so we had the simple grilled VEAL CHOP that was superb, but nothing spectacular, though we did adore the local rustic and spicy SALSICCE (Sausage) before we headed home without dessert as we were so full. Sam did enjoy a big bowl of yummy PEACH Gelato.

On our second night, we headed about 30 minutes east, just past Assisi to the town of SPELLO to discover the Michelin-starred LA BASTIGLIA in the hills of this beautiful tiny town.--more on this later.

Palermo-old style Sicilian at Osteria Altri Tempi

Our cruise is now finished, but we visited some amazing and wonderful places, foremost of which I wish to return to is Sicily. Sadly, we only had one lunch there and many of the restaurants seem to be either closed for summer break in August, and if not, on Tuesday!

We finally chose OSTARIA ALTRI TEMPI (roughly translates to Old Style Inn) in downtown Palermo at Via Sammartino 65/67 which was great because for 20 Euros each we got unlimited table wine, bottled water (which is first poured into a carafe, making it seem very suspicious, but we later found out that this is quite common), and the most wonderful array of antipasti. The setting is small with arched ceilings and lots of local older Sicilians hanging around chewing the fat; there is also an outdoor area in front if you don't mind the heat and the street noise.

While the Cartilage Salad was the least pleasing, it was NOT awful, just a bit chewy. The MARINATED FAVA BEANS were a treat as was the Eggplant CAPONATA, and I truly don't like eggplant. It was superb; loaded with onions and seasoning. Fresh SUN DRIED TOMATOES with Local Cheese was so good, we asked them to pack up a tray to take back to the ship which we served all around the dining room at dinner to great acclaim. A seafood salad had clams, mussels, octopus, calamari and more, and I seem to have forgotten the several other items that just seemed to keep coming. A plate of tempura-like cauliflower and slices of fried dough from chick peas came after all this, so we had to ask our server to simply give us the pasta that followed and nothing further as we were filling up fast.

Two pasta dishes arrived with local long hollow spaghetti (bucatini) and a sauce of eggplant on one and cauliflower and pine nuts on the other (that we were instructed to sprinkle breadcrumbs on, not cheese--this is because in the 19th century Sicilians were so poor they could not afford grated cheese for their pasta and used breadcrumbs instead!). These were true old style dishes of the Sicily of the 19th-early 20th century.

As if this were not enough, along with the coffee came a plate of cookies and little strawberry and lemon sorbetto scoops each decorated and served in small paper thimble. Watermelon arrived as well with three chilled bottles of local liqueur: the always loving Limoncello, a Bay Leaf drink that was sweeter and tasty, and a very licorice- tasting Fennel liqueur. We were rolled back to our minivan tour, but will never forget the wonderful warmth we enjoyed at this adorable spot and in Sicily in general.

Barcelona's tops in tapas: CERVESERIA CATALANA / fishing for food in Palma de Mallorca at LA DORADA

As we have been at sea almost 3 weeks now, I am virtually losing track of the dates unless I look at today's on my digital watch. Last week we spent two days in Spain, the first of which was in Barcelona. We specifically told our guide we wanted tapas and he steered us to the excellent CERVERSERIA CATALANA at Carrer Mallorca just off the Rambla de Catalunya, a block from the fashionable shopping street of Passeig de Gracia.

It was an excellent choice, and while we ate many items that we had no idea of what they were, everything was superb. Highlights were the BOQUERONES ANDALUZA, fresh marinated anchovies, the amazing sauteed cod in garlic sauce and the salad of cod (bacalao) almost like a ceviche. I wish I could relate more, but we moving so fast touring all day, that I really could not take proper notes.

The next day we found ourselves at the small seaside town of Port d'Andratx in Mallorca (the Balaeric Isalnds) dining at LA DORADA (Avenida Mateo Bosch 31B) overlooking the port and sea. We thought we were in for a touristic nightmare, but the food was excellent. I started with a brilliant PASTEL DE CAP ROIG or pate of scorpionfish which was tasty with a yummy garlicky aioli and a large fresh salad on the side. I forgot to mention the bread comes with this super aioli and some of the tastiest green olives around(they apparently come from some of the oldest olive trees), and the tomatoes on the salad were almost like the heirlooms we get back home--of the best quality. Other folks liked the Gazpacho and, PRAWNS with GARLIC SAUCE as we downed two tasty dry white local wines: JAUME MESQUIDA Blanc and a slightly fruity MACIA BATLE Blanc de blancs.

The entrees were also excellent from a wonderful moist BACALAO GRATINADA with a huge piece of fresh fish in a creamy sauce not too heavy on the cheese and my PARILLADA de PESCADO y MARISCOS a huge platter which could easily feed two (I shared lots) of grilled frsh fish and shellfish. There were clams, mussles, pranws, crab claws, tasty halved langoustines and huge pieces of SILVIOLA, a superb local whitefish and MEGLUSA, more like a flaky swordfish full of amazing
flavor from the superb local olive oil. While this place is only 20-30 minutes from the capital of Palma de Mallorca, it was easily worth the drive,

Today we are finally back in Italy on our cruise which nears an end in two days.

munching in MONACO--cuisine at CASTELROC

On our day ashore in Monaco earlier this week we were so lucky to be able to plan to meet my dear client and friend, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmore and her darling sisters (they are ALL THREE darling!) Kathy & Wendy. While touring the town, we ended up at the Place du Palais in front of the Prince's Palace right after the 11:55AM changing of the guard. The top recommended place around fro dining is CASTELROC which turned out to be a real treat, and 1/2 the price of the previous day's awful lunch at La Posta Vecchia and this was for SIX people instead of FOUR! Indeed Sam's STEACK HACHE (hamburger) and FRITES (Fries) was a superb burger seasoned and cooked to perfection and included an ice cream for an amazing 11 Euros (quite a deal compared to several pieces of bland pasta the day before for 50% more!).

The location is right on the square facing the palace and the sea with breezes flowing and a wonderful terrace setting that was still classy with linens and crystal (I loved the odd oblong water glasses!). We all chose local plates of small Monagesque (not, Monacan, please) specialties. Mine included a selection of them all featuring a Spinach quiche with flaky amazing pastry various "petits farcis" or onion, zucchini and tomato with stuffing and the truly native BARBAGUIANS a beignut pastry like bowtie filled with spinach. The plate was completed by another tasty local dish of farina or cous-cous mashed into a thick French fry like oblong. A delicious Rose and the best butter and fleur de sel (salt) for the bread filled us up. Even the coffee (cafe au lait) was superb and came with a plate of fabulous chocolate mini-souffle like muffins and mini-palmiers (flaky Elephant ears).

Yesterday's pizza in Pisa was good but uneventful and tomorrow we will hopefully have a tapas report from Barcelona!

ALAN at sea somewhere south of the French Riviera.

pass on LA POSTA VECCHIA on the Italian coast of Lazio near Rome

Today, as we had a break between two 10-day back-to-back cruises in the Italian port of Civitavecchia here on the Italian coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea we decided to visit LA POSTA VECCHIA just 30 minutes away (and less than an hour from Rome, and under 30 minutes from the Rome Airport as well. This property attracted me due to this wonderful seaside location and the fact that the 17th century Post House was owned by J. Paul Getty until it became a luxury hotel of some 19 rooms. It sits next to a castle on the coast and is truly a gorgeous setting.

Lunch, however, was not as enjoyable an experience as it should have been. While Sam gobbled up his PENNE al POMODORO, I was in shock with the 15euro ($21+) for a child's portion that was extremely small to boot. We loved the delicious homemade breads especially the Rosemary Focaccia with nice large chunks of sea salt, and the delicious JALE Chardonnay from SICILY was a superb reminder of our first visit to this exciting and fabulous island the day before (sadly, we had no time to dine on Sicily--just grab pastries and do a quick wine tasting on the slopes of Mt. Etna--where we had some of the best coffee ever at the summit!). Anyway, The amuse can be described as odd at best and a sad foreshadowing of what was to come. The chef has a penchant for the now passe in the USA "foam thing" and we got a tomato skin in a foam of mozzarella that simply had no taste and was quite boring. If this was an amuse, I wanted no more amusement.

The ROMBO e GAMBERONE appetizer was described as a carpaccio of shrimp with other items and peach as well...it was mushy and totally disgusting in texture.

The ACCUIGHE FARCITE BACCALA was anchovy with cod that was much better, but one must consider the former priced as an appetizer at 23 euros ($32+) to be a rip-off. We tried the pastas as entrees and the GNOCCHI di RICOTTA were quite nice, but no prize winner, another pasta (I can't remember the name) was bland and quite small, while my TAGLIOLINI were coated with a superb cheese sauce making it the winner of the day in a meal that was so sad for the most part.

Finally, the sticker shock would have set in for even Mr. Getty with a 2 scoop gelato dessert for Samuel costing 15Euros ($21+) and the entire bill for four adults and Sam came to 258 Euros with beverages or a cool $363 (or about $90 per person for under 2 courses each) which I have actually NEVER spent on a 2-course lunch before even at JOEL ROBUCHON in Paris!

As we sail away, I can only hope for better prices and food in Monte Carlo for lunch tomorrow!

PROTO-dining in Dubrovnilk for $$$$

Our first port on this 20 day Mediterranean voyage was DUBROVNIK, which I think anyone would fall in love with instantly. After a three hour walking tour and another 1/2 hour on the city walls in the 95 degree heat we were ready to chow down.

I had several suggestions from tour books, magazines and even the on-board port lecturer. We decided to listen to our private guide (which I WON'T DO next time) and dine at PRONTO in the center of the Old City. A simple wooden ceiling restaurant with linens, china and good service, we were in extreme shock when we saw the prices on the menu. Yes, the kuna (local currency) is 5.4 to the dollar, but when the appetizers are all over $10 and entrees tending to $30 and up for lunch in a city when the huge ice cream cone is under $2,00 it is daunting to say the least.

Luckily, the food was excellent. As always, the "cover" includes bread for about $3.00, but here also included a simple amuse of a small piece of bread with marinated anchovy, lemon, olive and tomato that was a true amuse...a hint of what was to come--excellent seafood. The wine was a POSIP KRAJANCIC dry aromatic Croatian white from the region that excels in wine (this IS where Mike Grgich, the famous Napa winemaker came from!). was tasty, but we had no clue what type of varietal or what it was akin to. The waitress said it would be great

with our seafood choices, and she WAS right on. The COLD OCTOPUS Salad featured tender large cylinders of meat with olives, tomato, potato and olive oil and while simple truly accented the fish itself. The SCAMPI ADRIATIC STYLE was served with Melon and Avocado, which apparently is eaten in small rock-hard scoops locally, something I can still not fathom, as when I tried to chew it I was forced to spit it out; rubber is not my favorite consistency for avocado. I would love to know if any of you know any Croatian folk that can verify this odd culinary fact? The sauce was a light mayo base with dill. The cheese platter had gorgeous olive-oil drenched SUN DRIED TOMATOES and two types of cheese: a crumbly OLIVE OIL CHEESE (that we never did get a name for) and a magnificent harder cheese from the nearby island of PAG that was a local treat, especially for us.

The entree of SHRIMP ADRIATIC STYLE was completely different from the "Scampi Adriatic Style" starter above and had larger local shrimp in a tomato-based almost puttanesca (slightly spicy) style with super polenta and a drizzle of balsamic over the top of that. We had more touring so skipped dessert and had wonderful (though not as good as Italy) gelato (the melon and green apple choices were refreshing) around the corner!

Congrats to CAMPONESCHI (7/19/07)-Rome's perfect pizza at La BRUSCHETTA

Our final night in Rome took us to the elegant CAMPONESCHI situated on the beautiful Piazza Farnese which has special significance to me being an opera fanatic. It was in the Palazzo Farnese (now the French Embassy) facing our table (as we sat outside) that in Act II of Puccini's opera Tosca that our heroine stabbed to death the evil Baron Scarpia. I completely felt the drama as children played in the piazza and we glanced around at the various historic buildings.

Our meal was indeed an operatic production as we were treated to some of the best olives on earth (marinated with lemon and pepper) and the most amazing Bufala Mozzarella that was bathed in heavy cream as we sat down. After a tasty Campari & Tonic, we tried a tasty VERMENTINO di GALLURA 2006 from Sardegna (Sardinia) that is made from the FUNTANALIRAS grape varietal that was another refreshing white wine we felt was just right to start a meal with. The bread seemed to fare better here than in many other places as well. The tables were covered with thick ivory linens and a silver charger with a doily was at each place with handsome china and crystal as well. I had forgotten to mention that the crystal the previous night was pretty inferior and that even at lunch yesterday my simple glass of white table wine was served in a decent glass at the RISTORANTE di CAMPO di FIORE just a block away. Indeed on a sidebar, yesterday's lunch, while quite pricey, was truly a treat. Samuel wolfed down PENNE alla POMMODORO (that's Italian for Tomato Sauce) and loved the sparkling lemonade. Will had a tender and refreshing CUTTLEFISH SALAD while I reveled in my SPAGHETTI with CLAMS in a spicy garlic sauce. What made this dish special was that the sauce was very buttery, rich and slightly thick as opposed to the runny clam sauces one tends to find.

Meanwhile back at Camponeschi, I started with a beautiful presentation of LOBSTER in RASPBERRY VINEGAR Sauce with Black Truffles. A claw and tail were large and succulent meat in a beautiful presentation with "lobster head" adornment and antennae: the black truffles were actually melded into an aoili for dipping. The MILLE FEUILLE of RED MULLET was marinated and the cute fish perched atop a salad that was like seaweed in an aquarium (it looked like it was swimming!) and served with a WAFFLE of PECORINO CHEESE & Vinaigrette. MIXED STUFFED SHRIMP were Deep Fried in ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS and stuffed with SEA BASS. A creamy versus crunchy dish with remoulade that could have been an entree it was so huge. Our server ANWAR suggested the TOCAI DEL COLLIO FRIULIANO (from Friuli in the north) 2005 from SCHOPETTO that was a treat--so crisp yet floral and tasty with the seafood. We thought we had done something wrong when the Cypriot Ambassador, a large man with a huge party sitting at the next table, got up and moved inside, but we were told he needed the A/C! His mansion faced the Palazzo Farnese and was impressive as well.

When in Italy one must have the pasta course (or secondi) and we chose some new ones for a change. TROFFIE (coiled & short) with PRAWNS and "FOSSA's" Pecorino Cheese was okay, ROMBETTI (short papardelle) with SCALLOPS and PORCINI Mushrooms fared much better and my most novel NEAPOLITAN STYLE PASTA in BEAN SOUP with SHELLFISH consisted of shreds of pasta in a thicker-than-bouillabaise-like soup with tons of shellfish and fish that was slightly spicy and most tasty. The winner was Juan's simple RIGATONI alla CARBONARA which was a beautifully "ridged" rigatoni served with the traditional egg and bacon, which here was a spicy delicious speck.

Entrees were all excellent with Mel & Juan opting for the French CHATEAUBRIAND with Bearnaise sauce and Will & I heading the fish route. He chose the TURBOT with PORCINI Mushrooms and Potato and I had a superb GILTHEAD SEA BREAM (also Dorado, called Orata in Italian) with Artichokes in a very light ANCHOVY SAUCE. The fishes were superb and so fresh. We switched to a rich CERVARO DEI MARCHESI 2004 from ANTINORI in Umbria that was creamy and rich and brilliant with the fish and between courses, while Mel & Juan opted for glass of house red that was good as well,

Desserts brought what I thought was a mediocre TIRAMISU due to the excess of cocoa and too much cream, a superb VANILLA SOUFFLE (there are many French dishes on the menu) and some yummy mignardises such as a Pastry Cup with Cream & Strawberries and simple MADELEINE Cookies. DRIED RHUBARB Pieces were deemed a digestif as we coiffed our LIMONCELLO and headed back to the Excelsior Hotel for our last night before packing and boarding the ship yesterday.

I must also write about a small pizza place around the corner from our hotel called LA BRUSCHETTA E.... which features pizza, pasta, bruschetta and more for some of the best prices in Rome (and prices ARE HIGH). It is located just of the Via Veneto at Via SARDEGNA 39/41 and may just have the best pizza Rome offers. The five of us had a total of 4 meals there since just kept going back for lunch or dinner. The pizza with ANCHOVY, SQUASH BLOSSOMS and MOZZARELLA was a hit as was the SPECK & SMOKED CHEESE. Samuel, of course, always chose the Margherita(tomato & cheese) but "without the leaves, please" as he seems to now not care for fresh basil leaves. The antipasti of vegetables is huge and superb and the berry tart a treat for dessert!

On board the WESTERDAM now for 20days we find the food to be excellent and won't be communicating with you, save for a lunch here or there off the ship worth reporting! Keep cool and eat well!

Next stop: DUBROVNIK

Hostario dell'Orso de Gaultiero Marchesi; some raves for Rome's one Michelin-starred historic spot

Buon giorno tutti from Rome, Italy where we have started our month-long European jaunt, and while we will be on board our cruise ship for much of this time, we intend to get some pre and post-cruise fine and local dining in.

One of yesterday's highlights was a stop at GIOLITTI, perhaps Rome's #1 gelateria, and it was no disappointment whatsoever. We were happy to brave the 10-minute wait and make our way to the dozens and dozens of choices of clearly the creamiest and best ice cream around. Samuel opted for the simple yet fruitiest STRAWBERRY, while I took a combination of WHITE CHOCOLATE and FRUTTI di BOSCO, literally meaning fruits of the woods, but here a combination of wild berries with small chunks of fruit in the berry delectable gelato. Will, feeling a need for refreshment from the 95 degree heat we have been having daily, stayed on the fruit side with PINEAPPLE (actually with chunks of fresh pineapple) and a tasty LIMONCELLO, that fabulous tart lemon after-dinner drink that we can't forget to enjoy while here! Giolitti is a must not miss stop on any gastronomes tour of Rome and is only blocks from the Pantheon or your no-way-I-can afford-this shopping area on the Via del Corso.

Since the 14th century HOSTARIO dell'ORSO has been operating without closure(save for during the two world wars) as in inn on the banks on the Tiber River just blocks from Piazza Navona. Located on the amazingly narrow and adorable medieval-like Via dei Soldati (#25c) the restaurant also sports a piano bar and disco. During the summer the dining room is moved to the entry level with the tables outside, and I am confident that the one Michelin-starred chef GUALTIERO MARCHESE barely makes an appearance during this season from June to September. Nonetheless, he has created a menu that survives the summer heat and makes the most of the wonderful fresh ingredients we have come to love so well in Europe. We started with a glass of Prosecco and enjoyed four small amuses which included a refreshing high quality grade raw tuna with a wild blueberry on top that was a bit bland, pasta-based cornetti (horn shaped) filled with ricotta cheese and herbs (which we giggled at as our server Roberto pronounced it "harabs" making us think he had said it was filled with "Arabs!" Pineapple and Salmon was an interesting combo, but the hit was the tiny pastry filled with a creamy Black Squid Sauce and tiny chunks of Octopus.

Our first wine was a SANNIO FLANGHINA 2006 from Santiquaranta-Molinara in Campania of the south of Italy. I can't recall ever having this sauvignon-like refreshing wine which had a huge grassy nose with a sharp refreshing essence on the palate that dies fast and makes a great aperitif. When our adorable serving assistant showed me the bottle, I could not help saying "I like the bottle...and...." but left it at that. Our second white was a revelation from ASCEVI LUWA in the north region of Friuli, a 2005 COLLIO SAUVIGNON (Blanc) "Ronco di Sassi" that also had a huge nose and was drinking a creamy basket of citrus fruit. The manager/sommelier Luciano knew we were happy, especially since he had recommended some excellent wines so reasonably priced in the 30-40 Euro price zone (I should add that while the Euro now costs about $1.38, the buying power of one euro is perhaps barely equal to that of $1,00).

The several types of bread and biscuits could have easily been forgotten, but the breadsticks were delish. A second (well, really the fifth) amuse came in a gorgeous Ginori bowl (with the concentric) striations around the rim in the form of a superb miniature tomato filled with a puree of Italian white beans and some small pieces of tuna (that were so salty, I could have sworn they were anchovy!).

The main meal started and we all chose to order a la carte rather than opt for one of the many tasting menus (going from a vegetarian option at the price of somewhere around 50 Euros to the chef's choice at 145 Euros) which just seemed to be too much in the heat. The starters were SEARED SEA SCALLOPS on a salad with a zingy GINGER & PINK PEPPER dressing, GLAZED QUAILS and their EGGS, my refreshing and light Carpaccio of SICILIAN RED PRAWNS with Seasonal Vegetables and the largest chunk of FOIE GRAS I have ever seen on a plate with MELON SOUP, PINEAPPLE & PISTACHIO that there seemed to be enough of for everyone to share multiple bites of.

The pasta courses were enjoyable, but not truly revelations as I would have hoped. Will's RABBIT RAGU (I forget on what type of pasta) was the lightest ragout I have ever tasted, and actually was quite nice for the summer, the HOME MADE TAGLIOLINI with a light creamy sauce of SEA URCHIN & TOASTED ALMONDS was also good, but needed some zing, perhaps a small piece of fresh sea urchin or a touch of caviar. The heaviest was the BASIL & POTATO GNOCCHI with EGGPLANT MOUSSE, TOMATO & Smoked Cheese, which was amazing, but just to rich for me. Our friend, Mel could not stop raving. We did notice that while Hostaria sports a Michelin star and the staff is kind, helpful and courteous; they seemed to be a bit rushed and busy at times (perhaps someone didn't show up for work?) and they often cleared the plates haphazardly and not at the same time (a pet peeve I find bothersome). The worst offense, however, was the men's room that clearly needed cleaning despite its adorable risque prints on the wall.

We all gave in and ordered the highly recommended by Roberto VEAL "ROSSINI" di Gualtiero Marchese which had a filet topped with a large piece of foie gras (from Perigord in France) and a magnificent nose of Italian BLACK SUMMER TRUFFLES as the four plates wafted towards us. A small dish on the side held some yummy spinach with raisins and pine nuts that we wished there was more of. The meat was perfection, but it was the truffles that made it "over-the-top we are all very happy now campers." Luciano suggested and amazing 2004 MONTEPULCIANO d'ABRUZZO "Aldiano" from Cantina Tollo that was simply perfect with the food and as I said to our adorable assistant server "It's bigger than what I expected"....to which Mel responded, "It's what we pray for." Now giggle a lot, but it was so funny, because this drop dead gorgeous guy spoke a halting English and clearly could not understand the innuendos, but we were all so happy it did not matter.

After a nice break (everything was served at perfect intervals) we opted to share a cheese plate which came with a nice TALLEGIO,an UBRIACO from Tuscany that packed a small bite, a boring TOMINO (I was told also spelled Tommino sometimes) from Trentino on the Adriatic north of Venice and crumbly tasty PARMEGGIANO REGGIANO and one of the best GORGONZOLA's I have ever had that was mild yet so rich and creamy it resembled a French triple-creme. Four fresh fruit sauce accompanied the cheeses. Luciano again recommended a perfect dessert wine in a TERRE die CHIETI PASSITO 2004 from Tollo in Abruzzo that I would enjoy
after any meal because it is sweet, yet not too intense (especially in the heat, which still was strong at almost midnight!).

The desserts were a wonderful MEDITERRANEAN CHOCOLATE (it was dark, yet not bitter or intense) and TOMATO JAM CUSTARD CREAM with Balsamic Vinegar that got stars just for the jam itself. A LEMON TARTKET with WILD BERRIES, LIME JELLY and Meringue and some creamy flavor-filled homemade gelati. The mignardises were promptly finished by the four of us and included a spoon of SPICY GUAVA Gelled Fruit, a boring chocolate cup with cream, a superb BABA Au RHUM (which Roberto told us originated in Naples), but the piece de resistance was a small bar of CHOCOLATE covered in COCONUT that I saved for last and made me feel that while the meal was perhaps not all perfect, there were so many sweet moments, the overall experience was a truly great start to a month abroad with two great friends, Juan & Mel.

Incidentally, after dinner Roberto gave us a quick tour of the gorgeous upstairs dining room which has original frescoes and some amazing original wood beam ceilings from the 15th and 14th century.

1789 still superlative with Rising Chef Winner Nathan Beauchamp

First I just want to say that this will be my LAST posting here in the USA this month. We are off to Europe where you will get some periodic fine dining experiences, but we will be onboard the Westerdam, so I don't really talk much about their food, as fine as it is. I also want to thank our dear friend PETER VOTH who has created a BLOG for all my reviews which may make it easier for you to find specific ones. The address is http://phyllistines.blogspot.com

Last night we joined four friends for a fabulous meal at 1789 where they are running a $37-or-so 3-course summer special which includes the regular ala carte menu, and what a selection of choices that is (with surcharges only on the lamb or beef fillet!). All this comes from this years winner of the Rammys RISING CHEF award Chef NATHAN BEAUCHAMP.

We had a bad bottle of Cotes du Rhones blanc which we quickly sent back to try instead a POUILLY FUISSE 2005 DOMAINE des VIEUX MURS which was crisp and refreshing with some nice fruit and a touch of oak. It was super with my FRESH PORTUGUESE SARDINES so lightly breaded and sauteed over a bed of ONIONS with GOLDEN RAISINS & PINE NUTS. Ther fish were not salty at all nor bony and I just reveled in their flavor.

The other super appetizer at the table was the STEAK TARTARE with QUAIL EGG, Caperberries and Flatbread.

We were thrilled to be treated to some extra appetizers which included PAPPARDELLE with Dandelion, Homemade Sausage and Toasted Garlic, a yummy VEAL SHORTRIB with Grilled Corn, Smoked Paprika and Pickled Shallots, a Risotto with again Roasted Corn (a regular appearance), Basil and tasty CHANTERELLE toped with sliced of SUMMER TRUFFLES. All are on the menu and brought raves!

The first red wine we chose was a light bodied Pinot Noir/Sangiovese which was not as great as we had hoped but was nice between courses...it was IL BACIALE 2004 from Monteferato. Our final red was a big improvement and full bodied and warm from PIRRAMIMMA in McLaren Vale, Australia a 2003 PETIT VERDOT that would make anyone happy with its rich berry flavors.

The entrees were all impressive and very filling as well. KIROBUTA PORK CHOP with Fried Green Tomatoes, Bean Salad & Aged Balsamic and YELLOWFIN Rare TUNA with Arugula, Piquillo Peppers, Botarga and Fennel (a great lighter summer dish), the SCALLOPS and my excellent ROASTED VEAL TENDERLOIN & SWEETBREADS with Market Carrots, Basil and a rich but not overwhelming Madeira Sauce.

Desserts are no less impressive from Pastry Chef Fabrice Bendano. There was a Chocolate DOME for chocoholics and a RASPBERRY "Napoleon" with Conbava (like Meyers Lemon) Sorbet and Hibiscus Essence, a BERRY TART with super Sorbets of Blackberry & Strawberry and my beyond superb, over-the-top, yet-so-simple GLAZED APRICOTS with VANILLA SHORTBREAD, RASPBERRY SORBET and PISTACHIO ICE CREAM all served in a giant brandy glass with a crunchy sweet pirouette-type cookie that made me want more...but nooooooo...this week I have eaten too much!

See you all NEXT WEEK in ROME!

McCormick & Schmick's - seafood and variety

We were invited out to dinner last night with Samuel and I suggested McCormick & Schmick's on K Street as it has been years since we went and Samuel always seems to like fish. Oddly, the children's menu has no fish or fish stick type option, so we went for the standard CHICKEN FINGERS and FRIES. He devoured the latter and ate much of the chicken, passing on the included ice cream, so we knew something was wrong. Indeed, he had a fever when we got home, but is fine today!

Meanwhile, one our first past trip to McCormick & Schmick's I was quite amazed at the quality and VARIETY of the seafood. The preparation and taste is not at the level of say, DC Coast or Kinkead's, but is should be considered as an option on occasion. We enjoyed a refreshing LOIMER "Lois" 2006 GRUNER VELTLINER which hade huge apple notes and went very well with the fish dishes. I started with a superb bowl of STEAMED MANILA CLAMS in WHITE WINE & HERBS which were as tender as could be and I had to mop up every bit of the delectible sauce. I had considered the Mussels in Red Curry, but our server (after specifically asking) warned me they were a bit small that day! Will enjoyed the FRIED COCONUT SHRIMP with TROPICAL FRUIT SALSA and the Gazpacho got a rave as well.

The GRILLED SOCKEYE COPPER RIVER SALMON with Swiss Chard & Hen of the Woods Mushrooms was only marred by being slightly overcooked for my taste, but the fish itself was superb, flaky and tasty. The SEA SCALLOPS Seared with CAJUN SPICES and Pineapple Sauce were only mildly spicy and just the right amount. Since we were celebrating Will's recent acquisition of US citizenship, he felt required to order the HALIBUT FISH & CHIPS which needed a good dose of vinegar, but were moist and beautifully fried.

My ALMOND CRUSTED TROUT with LEMON BUTTER was a beautiful huge piece of fish totally encrusted and also just cooked about a minute too long, but still fine. The tasty accompanying mashed potatoes didn't compare to PS 7's the night before, nor did the basic veggie accompaniments of asparagus and julienne carrots.

I couldn't help feeling that while McCormick & Schmick's has variety that for many items the finer dining spots in town can do so much better.

PS 7's pretty spectacular for new DC dining

It's funny that I completely forgot that Saturday was 7/7/07, but was reminded with an adorable choice of tasting menu on arrival last night at PS 7's (777 I St, NW -www.ps7restaurant.com). PS 7's opened last year and was nominated for best new restaurant and best pastry chef for this year's Rammy's, and I am confident after last night's meal, that we will see many more nominations in the future.

Chef/Owner PETER SMITH was executive chef at Vidalia for many years where he garnered a James Beard Award and now has his own home in a subdued elegant setting with brown putty earthy colors, smoked glass, votive candles and while there are high ceilings for airiness, the noise factor is subdued. The feeling extends to the rest rooms which are oddly dark with black tiles and very low lighting and the most adorable pair of goldfish bowls (with fish) mounted into the walls! I loved the sunken glass sinks with lighting from underneath.

The warm feeling does not stop with the decor, as the staff is very friendly and helpful as well. There are a number of novel and rare ingredients which are carefully explained. When we asked about the TONKA BEAN, it was Chef Smith himself who appeared to welcome us and show us the bean and break it in half for us to smell. It turns out to be akin to vanilla rather than a legume and looks like a smoked almond.

We ordered one bottle of each color to share with our guests and both were super hits in their own ways in the $40 range. The creamy (from oak) J Vineyard PINOT GRIS 2005 form Russian River is a wanna-be chardonnay with more fruit, yet that odd oak flavor that makes it so wonderfully creamy and great for most fish. The SARAH's VINEYARD 2003 "Besson Vineyard" ZINFANDEL from Santa Clara (Gilroy, California) had a 16.4% alcohol level from Old Vines and really was a flavorful (you could not taste the intense alcohol) wine with lots of berry fruits and only a hint of pepper, but some mild spices; a great wine for any meat on the menu.

Our meal started with an amuse (shooter glass) of CHILLED ASPARAGUS SOUP with Lemon LAVENDER CREME FRAICHE which was cold and so refreshing in the 95+degree heat! Indeed the lavender theme was carried through the meal and was quite nice for a change.

The appetizers were all top notch from a super-rich yet not too creamy LOBSTER BISQUE loaded with chunks of lobster to two very complex presentations that really were not only beautiful but intriguing: BABY BEET SALAD with Crisp FRIED GOAT CHEESE NAPOLEON, Honey & Grapefruit Marinated BABY BEETS and the Beet & TONKA BEAN Vinagrette. Even more fun was Chef Smith's version of the DPJ or "Duck Peanut & Jelly" made from CRISP DUCK CONFIT& Toasted SPICED WALNUTS sandwiched between POTATO TUILES with PICKLED MUSCAT GRAPES and DUCK PROSCIUTTO & MIZUNA. How fun this was!

The warm bread arrived as well and it was literally impossible to resist, so we asked for MUCH more. There were COTTAGE CHEESE & DILL mini rolls and CARAMELIZED ONION & WALNUT mini rolls,but the touch of heaven was the perfectly flaky APPLE BACON BISCUITS that melted in our mouths (over and over indeed!).

I opted for the $47 Three course 7/7/07 menu (there was also a $57 four course) as this was a holdover from the weekend and most welcome to my palate. I started with LOBSTER STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS with Braised BABY LEEKS and NEW POINT COMFORT OYSTERS (from the Rapahannock Northern Neck of Va.) in a Tarragon & Oyster Cream. It was called Oyster "liquor" but this is misleading as it contains no alcohol. The dish was heavenly with the huge blossoms fried to crispness and filled with a mousseline like lobster filling. To top it off that J Pinot Gris was brilliant with this rich shellfish preparation.

My entree was the CHERRYWOOD SMOKED PORK which comes (as many of the dishes do) in a trio format on a large rectangular divided plate. On one side was GLAZED BABY TURNIPS, in the center the Smoked PORK over MUSTARD GREENS with Cracklin's in Pistachio Oil and on the other side a superbly crunchy slice of PORK BELLY (which I often find too fatty, but here was perfect) over CARAMELIZED ONIONS. Each element was wonderful and made the dish a brilliant whole.

Other plates at the table were the SAUTEED SEA SCALLOPS with MOREL Mushrooms, very spicy ASPARAGUS, House Cured Bacon, Market Corn and Black Plum Vinaigrette. A side order of Mashed Potatoes were creamy and rich.

The POPCORN CRUSTED HALIBUT is another novelty in ingredients with Wilted WATERCRESS, SMOKED (Pop)CORN, House Cured Bacon, CIPPOLINI Onions, and that TONKA BEAN-POPCORN EMULSION. It disappeared so fast, I failed to get a taste but the emulsion was delish.

Will opted for another trio which was the BRAISED VEAL BREAST with WILD MUSHROOMS a la CREME, ROASTED SWEETBREADS and Pommes Dauphin. This was one of the largest entrees I have seen recently and was superb to boot with rich (and huge) sweetbreads and tasty tender veal.

Desserts come in Little Sins for $7 and Big SIns for $12. We tried three little sins which were the VANILLA LEMON CREME BRULEE, the ICE CREAM SUNDAE of Chocolate Ice Cream, Fudge Brownie, Bruleed Bananas, and Caramelized Hazelnuts. If we thought that Pastry Chef NAOMI GALLEGO had succeeded here we were blown away with the simple MINI-DONUTS with Dipping Sauces. My menu included a spectacular dessert of STRAWBERRY-RHUBARD TARTINE with Lavender Creme Fraiche and STRAWBERRY RHUBARB SORBET. The excellent oblong flaky pastry of hazelnut broche was covered with wonderfully marinated fruit (fresh chunky compote) and sat on a sweet slash or raspberry sauce.

We got a plate of mignardises that we sampled but ended up packing up fro home. There were so many options it was mind-boggling. Starting with the RASPBERRY DARK CHOCOLATE and COGNAC DARK CHOCOLATES to MUSCADINE TRUFFLES, Chocolate covered Hazelnuts that were divine, Mandarin or Peach Jellies (a bit too much sugared for me), LAVENDAR MARSHMALLOWS (more on that theme!) and finally the piece de resistance that I think must end every meal at PS 7's, Naomi Gallego's brilliant SALTED CARAMELS.

Kudos to our server Nick who was informative, pleasant and just plain great and the whole staff who made this meal even better. I know we will be headed back again soon!

EXTRA VIRGIN varies but satisfies

With yesterday being 7/7/07 I thought we would have a memorable meal, and while the food at EXTRA VIRGIN in Shirlington (Arlington, VA) was very good last night, the service was a bit lackluster. Chalk it up to our server being new or such, but we just needed a little more attention like having our wine poured and getting our courses well properly spaced. I asked for time in between and it almost became over 30 minutes!

Three of us ordered the excellent GRANCIO SOFICIE or Tempura "stile" (that's how THEY spelled it) Soft SHELL CRAB over Arugula with SPICY Tomato Sauce.It was really a crunchy saute with no batter on the crab really emphasizing the shellfish itself and luckily the yummy but very spicy sauce was on the side. The fourth appertizer of simple MELON & PROSCIUTTO turned out to have been in the fridge so long it tasted like it, so they quickly switched it to the Crab on request; well handled and super efficiently!

We started with a refreshing VERDICCHIO from Marche (Italy) 2005 Castelli di Jesi from Garofoli and went on to a wonderful also crisp VERNACCIA di SAN GIMIGNANO 2006 GEOGRAPHICO. With these 90 degree temperatures and such yummy seafood, it seems the only way to go these days.

Our entrees were all superb fish dishes from the BRANZINO in PADILLA (Roasted Sea Bass with Sweet & Sour Eggplant in Yellow Bell Pepper Sauce) to the excellent fleshy Pan-Seared GROUPER with a Yellow Pepper Sauce and a huge VEGETABLE TIMBALE. My SPIGOLA in PADELLA con CARCIOFI E PORRI was a buttery sauteed fillet of WILD ROCKFISH in a lemony sauce of Olive Oil (it said spicy, but was not) loaded with ARTICHOKES & LEEKS.

It was odd that we mentioned we were all headed off to Italy next week and one of the waiters who knew us from before had the chef bring out a plate of complimentary desserts: TORTA al CIOCCOLATO is a warm almond and chocolate cake that is rich, yet not gooey like a fondant, with a scoop of vanilla gelato. The APPLE PIE got varying reviews from all of us, but the AMARINA GELATO made from Amaretto & Cherry was a treat, novel to us all!

We headed to the theater (once we got the bill) after a round of coffee, espresso and excellent cappucino.

Restaurant 2941 always a number 1 for me

We returned to 2941 (Falls Church, VA) after more than a year and realized how much we had missed under the toque of Chef Jonathan Krinn at this beautiful establishment, which now boasts a huge new Salvador Dali sculpture in the gardens (I asked why the couldn't afford to fill all the holes in it :-)).

We were in the excellent hand of server DAVID VORHEES, who won Outstanding Restaurant Employee of the year at this year's Rammys and every second was sheer enjoyment from the first sip of PHILIPPE GONET BRUT ROSE Champagne poured by Sommelieuse Kathy to our last bite when we were the last folks to clear out of the place (as it so often seems to be when we go there)!

Indeed, the ONLY thing that went wrong was that our first bottle of sparkling San Benedetto water was flat. How often does one get to send the WATER back? Quickly rectified, we laughed a lot about it.

The first amuse was a SEARED YELLOWFIN TUNA with ROASTED YELLOW PEPPER, SCALLION and a SHERRY-GINGER Sauce that got us excited, but not a much as what followed with the DUO OF SONOMA FOIE GRAS with a seared FOIE GRAS with CARAMELIZED BLACK MISSION FIGS on one side, a slash of 25 year old Balsamic dividing the plate and a TORCHON of FOIE GRAS with Fleur de Sel and a dab of APRICOT CHUTNEY....it was genius on a plate and so decadent we gobbled up every last drop.

The main tasting menu began with HAWAIIAN KAMPACHI TARTARE with Lychee, Kaffir Lime, Market Radish, Habanero Pepper and Basil Seeds. I loved hint of heat and all the exotic fruits and flavors that combined to perfection especially with the perfectly paired RIESLING KABINETT-Weingut JJ CHRISTOFFEL ERBEN, Urziger Wurtzgarten 2005 from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Region of Germany.

The CARAMELIZED SEA SCALLOP was smothered with OSETRA CAVIAR (I know we got more than average), MAINE LOBSTER and a WHITE ASPARAGUS NAGE and served over a :macaire" or Potato Pancake with Frizzled Leeks. It was another heavenly dish with a rich butteriness to every bite with magnificent shellfish and a magnificent SAINT JOSEPH BLANC 2005 from Domaine Coursodon in the Rhone that e just had to ask for more of between courses.

GENTLY SAUTEED Atlantic TRUBOT was a firm fish with a SWEET ONION FONDUE, those long awaited CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS, Capers and a Brown Butter Emulsion. The acidity of the accompanying PULIGNY MONTRACHET 2004 from Domaine BZIKOT in Burgundy eventually mellowed as the wine opened up.

The TOURNEDO of ELYSIAN FIELDS LAMB had a distinct Mediterranean feel with Capiscum (Red pepper), Summer Squash, Nicoise Olives and Lamb Jus. It was delicately paired with a VINO NOBILE di MONTEPULCIANO 2003 from Caterina Dei, a winemaker I would love to taste more from.

The main entree was an amazing combination and even moreso with genius double pairing of wines (Kathy insisted we try a second wine along with that from the menu). The SPICED MILLBROOK VENISON LOIN had a peppery spicy topping and the preparation was of WHITE PEACHES, GARDEN PEAS, LONG SQUASH and MAPLE SMOKED BACON with Oyster Mushrooms. The slightly sweet peachiness of the sauce was amazing with the PAX "Cuvee Christine" 2005 Sonoma Syrah while the ZINFANDEL(with big fruit and pepper) from PELLEGRINI FAMILY VINEYARDS "Eight Cousins Vineyard" 2005 in Russian River really paired to perfection with the spice of the meat.

AMARETTO FRENCH BRIOCHE TOAST with Vintage Port Reduction and Black Cherry Frappe (in a shot glass on the side) was dessert number one and paired with a glass of BANYULS 2004 from Domaine du Mas Blanc in Roussillon. We persevered to conquer the amazing dessert number two of CARAMEL CROUSTILLANT GLAZED BANANA with Vanilla Creme Brulee, but the rest is a bit hazy. The magnificent BRUNDLMAIER RIESLING BEERENAUSLESE Zobinger 2000 from Heiligenstein in Austria may just be a new favorite for me with its intense richness and that always loving apricot flavor.

The Blackberry Shortbread and Cream Candied Pistachios followed with the requisite COTTON CANDY and we hauled ourselves home with extra cotton candy for Samuel and a couple of loaves of bread. One can never forget Chef Jonathan's dad's (Mal) bread which consisted of Chocolate Cherry, Olive, French, Pumpernickel, Jalapeno Garlic, and a new super APRICOT PISTACHIO which I am going to munch on right now!

I can only say that I won't wait a year before heading back to 2941!

STARFISH Cafe can be a bargain

We moseyed over to Capitol Hill the other day and discovered a wealth of adorable little spots including STARFISH CAFE at 539 8th St, SE which has exposed brick, bright lively colored fish paintings, eclectic, yet cute decor with tables of woven mats underneath glass tops and wooden chairs in need of cushions. There is a cute bar up front under the visage of the Virgin Mary!

Start with a mojito or margarita with her, and then go onto the inexpensive yet tasty wines in the $20 range such as the DURBANVILLE South African 2005 Sauvignon Blanc with gooseberry flavors and a hint of grass or the NEWHAVEN 2006 Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand that reeks of grapefruit.

Some of the dishes are a downright steal and bargain, others not so. Try the TOULOUSE STUFFED MUSHROOMS with Anduille (that's how they spell it) Sausage and Crabmeat with a hint of Hollandaise. They are deep fried, as many of the items are, including the spicy HUSHPUPPIES, so watch your fried calorie intake! I would probably avoid the CHILLED SEAFOOD PLATTER which can be ordered as an entree or split as an appetizer. We easily split the $20+ dish three ways with four plump BLUE POINT OYSTERS, 4 "Cajun" SHRIMP (which were simply your everyday boiled large shrimp with cocktail sauce, but plump, juicy and tasty), a bowl of miniature crab claws that are more of a pain if you can find the meat and avoid the fin, and finally an order of the tasty SCALLOP-SALMON CEVICHE (which can be ordered by itself) which suffers only from too much shredded lettuce.

We also tried one of the CRAB CAKES which cen be ordered ala carte for $7.00 each and a 5 ounces are quite large and tasty, and while they don't compare to the haute cuisine cakes at DC's top seafood emporia, they are a real bargain!

Our entrees were the SOFT SHELL CRAB SANDWICH which has one huge fried crab on a bun with SPICY FRIES on the side and at just over $12 is another bargain. For twice the price there is a SOFT SHELL PLATTER with two of the huge crustaceans, GARLIC MASHED POTATOES and a hint of ASIAN PLUM-GINGER-BUTTER SAUCE (more would have been welcome). These are indeed some of the biggest softshells I have ever seen, but they were breaded and deep fried just a tad too much.

The VEAL OSCAR is a cream dream with Crabmeat, Asparagus and Hollandaise, but I think the desserts carry cholesterol warnings! DULCE di LECHE BAKED ALASKA is less indulgent with Raspberry & Vanilla Sauces and has ice cream cake with piles of tasty caramel meringue. CHOCOLATE TORT is a triple chocolate mousse torte with the same two sauces and Whipped Cream--ask no more.

While Will and I sahred the Baked Alaska, we were still quite stuffed and wished we had not ordered so much...good advice for next time!

NEW HEIGHTS now with WABECK and OPERA NIGHTS

Last night we returned to NEW HEIGHTS where I have been going for over 20 years and always enjoying myself thoroughly. Owner UMBI SINGH has recently sold his 2nd venue, Butterfield9, and moved "back home where he belongs"(someone should have sung him a variation of "Hello Dolly") to the beautiful 2nd story location on Calvert Street (www.newheightsrestaurant.com) with gorgeous decor by his sister (who owns SANSAR in Bethesda) and great views over RockCreek Park's greenery.

It was even more special last night as Karen Shannon, who used to own Petito's which was around the corner) returned to the neighborhood as well to present OPERA & BROADWAY nights. The menu was a $60 plus tax and tip fixed price with over 2 hours of fantastic music performed by elegant and versatile soprano DIANE ABEL and the young up and coming tenor JOSEPH HAUGHTON. I am so happy that these nights will be repeated again in JULY and we are hoping to attend on AUGUST 22nd! CALL New Heights at 202-234-4110 to reserve now! It's well worth it!

We ordered an extra course off the ala carte menu as we so desperately wanted to try Chef JOHN WABECK's superb SAUTEED SOFT SHELL CRABS with Cucumber, Fingerling Potato Salad, Cilantro and Vindaloo Oil. This is a pure presentation of the shellfish with no batter, just sauteed to perfection and served atop the wonderful smokey infused oil with hints of curry floating about.

The actual fixed menu started with a cool welcome tasty and tart GAZPACHO. We chose a bottle of ELIZABETH SPENCER 2005 PINOT NOIR from the SONOMA COAST that was new and quite satisfying with slight hints of acidity and lots of fruit. Of course, one always forgets that Gazpacho does not work too well with wine...so I tried to refrain for this course. Will's BLACK BEAN "RILLETTES" is served in a flip-top Mason jar with Guacamole and Chipotle Crema making it quite a rich mixture. It is an excellent variation on the Black Bean Pate that started at New Heights 21 years ago and has been going all this long on the menu. I loved the LAMB CARPACCIO with Yellow Tomatoes and Cilantro Mint "Chutney" which was actually a Jalapeno infused cream (the mint was barely tasted) that packed a punch.

The entrees were no less impressive with Will going for the GRILLED NY STRIP STEACH with Potato Puree and Mushroom-Horseradish Crust while I enjoyed the MAPLE LEAF FARMS DUCK BREAST with Baby Bok Choy, Preserved Shitakes and Duck Sauce. A bottle of STAGS LEAP 2004 PETITE SIRAH got us through the entrees and kept us going during the remainder of the excellent performance as well. The wine is a treat and a great rare bargain these days as so few US Petite Sirahs are around!

The FRESH BERRIES were perfect for me for dessert and the CREME BRULE was indeed one of the best around!

A wonderful performance in the kitchen, on our plates and by the able singers!

more raves for RASIKA and the perfect pre-theater dinner

Last night we returned to RASIKA (www.rasikarestaurant.com) in the Penn Quarter for a pre-theater dinner before seeing "Hamlet." We were concerned about filling up too much on a hot night before the 3+ hour show, but Rasika has the perfect pre-theater menu for $28.00 TOTAL not including tax and tip which is probably one of the best deals in town! and at the winner of this year's RAMMY (Restaurant Award) for Best NEW RESTAURANT!

There are 4 choices in the appetizer and entree category and 3 for dessert, so while this menu is a good deal, it might get boring after several visits, unless it is changed periodically. Will & I started with the MALAI CHICKEN TIKKA which comes with a green sauce of Coriander & Goat cheese along with the delicious moist grilled chicken pieces and the CALAMARI with CHILI & GARLIC, which packed a super punch, but not lingering, and was beautifully presented on a banana leaf and silver/bronze dish. We shared these two which were large enough portions to boot. While Will sipped the Indian beer, I enjoyed a crisp refreshing glass of HOFER 2005 GRUNER VELTLINER.

For the entree we both had the LAMB KESAIR KORMA which were moist tender and huge chunks (quite a large amount as well) of meat swimming in the wonderful yellow korma of coconut, saffron, cashew, mace and cardamom. A bed of rice made the most of the sauce which we mopped up with the wonderful NAAN and not as good ONION KULCHA (the onions were oddly raw). To boot, these breads are INCLUDED in the pre-theater, which are a la carte for the regular dinner! I tasted the moist TANDOORI SALMON (also on the fixed price) and the excellent TANDOORI GROUPER (a la carte) which were the same preparation using the same sauce from our chicken appetizer that was also great.

On top of this all you can have the most wonderful (and way too filling) dessert of CARROT PUDDING with Cinnamon Sabayon which is a huge disk of shredded cooked and sweetened carrots falling somewhere between a pudding and cake with golden raisins and cashews in a light sauce just for flavor. Our only complaint was that this really did fill us up and we all joked about how we would fall asleep so fast at the play! "To sleep or not to sleep? that is the question." For the most part, the play was good, and we managed to stay awake for the important parts, but knowing we would return to RASIKA again soon.

Incidentally our server was great and I also love the elongated flatware and impressive dishes!

Kinkead's always comes through for us

We returned to Kinkeads (www.kinkead.com) here in DC for the first time in over a year and had forgotten how much we love the place. There are many new faces on the staff and in the kitchen, and we truly fell in love with our server Stephanie, who is a dream! That aside, we had, as always, a spectacular meal with only two small shortcomings. The new scallop entree should have FOUR scallops not three in our humble opinion, and the coffee cake in my dessert was really dry and forgettable.

The four of us sat down to a wonderful bottle of KARL LAGLER GRUNER VELTLINER Federspeil "Burgberg" 2005 that was slightly fizzy, creamy and very citrusy; an amazing aperitif on a hot Sunday afternoon. It also works quite well with the many different spices in the appetizers which were all a HUGE success. The YUCATAN Style TUNA SOUP with Tomatillos, Chilies, Lime, Sour Cream and Tortilla Strips now has two huge chunks of rare tuna in the middle of the soup making it even more filling than before (and was always a great dish!), the CHILLED GORGONZOLA SALAD with APRICOTS, Baby Arugula, Frisee, Spiced Walnuts, Pancetta & Port Vinaigrette got raves and our top notch CORNMEAL CRUSTED SOFT SHELL CRABS with Shrimp, Tasso Ham, Lemon, Garlic & Crab Ragout were some of the best ever. They also had a grilled artichoke heart, potato and string beans all with a slightly spicy sauce that was heavenly.

We had moved on to a terrific MONTAGNY 1er CRU "Les Coeres" 2004 from Staphane Aladame in the Cotes Chalonnaises that was a perfect chardonnay with little oak from the Burgundy region. It was also perfect in between courses before we moved on to our last red a super Burgundy Pinot Noir PERNAND-VERGELESSES 1er CRU "En Caradeux" 2003 from Follin-Arbellet which was wonderfully light (to work with the scallops and other dishes) and full-fruited, but not the least bit
wimpy.

Entrees were also all of the best quality with the SEARED NANTCUKET SEA SCALLOPS, Favas, Ricotta Gnocchi, Chanterelle Mushroom Ragout-dried tomato, pancetta, basil lemon broth only missing that one fourth scallop needed to fill out the plate.

The BRIK DOUGH WRAPPED ALASKAN HALIBUT Stuffed with Mushroom Duxelle, Creamed Spinach, Mushroom Agnolottis, Chanterelles, Baby Beans and Porcini Cream Sauce is a lesson in fish perfection while the GRILLED ROCKFISH, Zucchini Parmesan, Dried Cherry Tomato Relish with Lemon Rosemary Emulsion was a revelation of fish combined with the sour cherry tomatoes which tasted almost like a sour cherry relish! My HAWAIIAN RARE TUNA had two towers of the perfect meat with
MACADAMIA NUT CRUST a heap of TUNA "poke" (tartare), TARO PANCAKE, HEARTS of PALM and two options of dips: CHILI WATER (which was intense at first, but the heat was so fleeting, I kept dipping) and SOY GINGER.

I have to say I love the booths at Kinkead's, but our table last night was oddly opposite a two-top for a couple which was facing us. It's hard not to stare at lovey-dovey couples when you are right next to them, but they seemed into each other and their food!

A movement in the kitchen of pastry chefs may be the cause for the problem with the coffee cake on my COFFEE & CAKE (also called COFFEE Sampler on a different menu) which sported a way too dry SOUR CREAM & WLANUT Coffee Cake, a superb lighter-than-Sacher-torte MOCHA OPERA CAKE, a tasty demi-tasse of COFFEE JELLY & ESPRESSO CREAM and a scoop of BAILEY's IRISH Ice Cream. The CARROT PECAN ROULADE with Rum Raisin Ice Cream and Butterscotch Sauce is ALWAYS a hit and two of us opted for the yummy HAZELNUT CAKE with Crunchy Waffle Layer, Chocolate & Hazelnut Mousse, Coffee Sauce and Praline Ice Cream.

Hopefully the new scallop dish will grow soon and the coffee cake will get an extra douse of sour cream in the mixing, cause we know we are always headed back to Kinkead's!

a quick musing on MIE N YU

We have always enjoyed MIE N YU in Georgetown, and Samuel always has had fun there as well. We all love the decor with a Middle Eastern cushy feel almost like a seraglio. Indeed, our evening ended the other day with Samuel being MESMERIZED by a belly dancer who came to our table to dance for quite a while!

Samuel had a good time playing with a new friend, the 7-year old daughter of a friend of mine who joined us with her husband and 2 girls. The evening turned sour when he tipped over one of the big candles and got hot wax in his hair; these really are not the safest things to decorate with. Sam was not as happy with the food this time as he would not touch the LACQUERED DUCK SPRING Roll which is a Mandarin Pancake (think burrito) wrap with lots of meat and a very spicy sauce luckily far removed from the plate's center. He did enjoy some of the delish BANANA HUMMOUS which is a huge portion and we even asked for more fried plantains. As always, he adored his tropical fruit sorbets! Our server, John was most accommodating, but we sometimes had to search him out as the place was quite busy.

John also told me the $65 THAI NAA RAAWN 6-course tasting was very spicy, and I later joked that he must think ketchup is spicy. He said anything with vinegar is spicy; so I need to gauge next time. Indeed the first course was the spiciest of the tasting and one of the best, but nothing was intense after that. The VEAL & CRUNCHY THAI BASIL came in a Coriander & Scallion Pancake with a Thai Red Finger Chili & Kaffir Lime Dipping Sauce that packed a nice punch. We had already finished our first wine, a creamy WIMMER CZERNY 2005 GRUNER VELTLINER, as our friends were not familiar with the varietal (I think they may
have found a new wine!). The spicy food went great with our second wine an Oregon PINOT GRIS from ELK COVE that had a very sweet nose, but was dry and worked so well with the foods. The NORTHERN CORN FRITTER had interesting Pickled Chilis and Shallots but was an uneventful dish, while the ROASTED SQUID SATAY was special because of the Chopped Peanut & Chili Relish that was different but still many of the lime & coriander ingredients were repeated a bit too much. The
highlight was the SOFT SHELL CRAB with Red & Green Curry, Stir Fried Pineapple and Grape Tomatoes. We had moved on to a magnificent ELK GROVE 2005 PINOT NOIR "La Boheme" that is a lesson in how to make wine--BIG fruit, rich and smooth...a wine I forgot was so fabulous. The largest course of the tasting was the DUCK VERMICELLI which had the most chewy fried rice vermicelli on top of a huge beautiful panko crusted Duck, Shrimp, Black Mushroom, Crab & Sweet Chili Sauce mixture.

Sadly the meal ended with a PAPAYA SOUP that was marred by two gummy Sweet Coconut Rice Balls that could have been left out, or replaced with something much more exciting.

Will felt the spice was lacking in his PULLED DUCK & LOBSTER SHUMAI appetizer and freaked with the shrimp heads and lobster shells in the tasty SHRIMP & LOBSTER IMPERIAL with Fermented Black Beans, Sherry, Ginger & Pork Fried Rice. Our friends seemed to like their dishes, but I can't help feeling that some of the spice was missing, although we had a great time just being in the casba-like setting with friends.

Luscious LACROIX & gorgeous gelato at CAPOGIRO (Philadelphia)

The weekend took us to Philadelphia to celebrate Samuel's 4th birthday at Sesame Place with some of his friends. We had a great time in the fun waterpark, but I strongly suggest if you head there, to bring a bag lunch. The food is AWFUL; even worse than that!

Over the weekend we stopped in at CAPOGIRO, Gelato Artisans (www.capogirogelato.com) located at both 117 So. 20th Street (Rittenhouse Square) and 119 So. 13th Street (near City Hall) and this has to be one of the NOT-TO-MISS places around these days. We begged them to think about opening in DC! While the kids enjoyed the simpler MEXICAN CHOCOLATE and SWEET MILK called FIOR di LATTE(almost vanilla), Sam was adventurous with the STRAWBERRY TARRAGON. DULCE di LECHE was pretty good, while THAI COCONUT MILK was dreamy. The highlight however was my CUCUMBER VODKA Sorbetto that was truly amazing, creamy, tasty and heavenly!

Dinner on Saturday for the two of us was at LACROIX at the Rittenhouse where Chef Matthew Levin has taken over from the legendary and now retired Chef Lacroix. He has done a superb job and introduced many international styles of food as well as methods of preparation that joggle the mind and challenge the palate.

We opted for the tasting menu which can be done in 3,4, or 5 courses PLUS dessert for $69,$78 or $85 respectively. There are many categories to choose from and we were even allowed a substitution from the ala carte menu; a truly brilliant experience that was really VERY reasonably priced.

The dining room on the hotel's second floor in unmemorable with its tile and carpet floor, large pillars lit through holes in the ceiling and cushy green velvet chairs and booths. The crisp yellow linens at the large spacious tables and nice stemware, china and crystal and excellent service all add to the experience. The view facing one way is over Rittenhouse Square and the other (Will asked me to change seats halfway through dinner) is of a boring apartment building next door; but one goes here for the view on the PLATE not through the windows!

While the uneventful bread scared us, a seared HAMACHI Amuse with STRAWBERRY, JICAMA and BASIL got our palates tingling while we sipped a very citrusy CHATEAUNEUF du PAPE BLANC from Domaine du Pere Caboche (Jean-Pierre Buisson) 2005. Normally the Chateauneuf Blancs are creamier, but this vintage really was similar to a Sauvignon Blanc and delicious as well.

My first course came from the "RAW" category and was one of the most exciting things ever to hit a plate: SMOKED BLACK COD FISH, Edamame Puree, RED RICE BEER FOAM and POP ROCKS. The beautiful sashimi sliced fish was seared on the edge and had a tiny crust of the pop rocks making each bite give a tingling sensation that lasted for quite some time. The pop rocks here had a slight sweetness, but the overall effect was also salty from the Red Rice Beer. I can only describe it as Crunchy Rice Crispies going snap, crackle, pop IN your mouth AFTER you swallow!

Will chose from the VEGETABLE category for his first item: WILD EUROPEAN ASPARAGUS, SLOW COOKED QUAIL EGG, BLACK TRUFFLE ICE CREAM. It was like a gelee block with the asparagus beautifully assembled at attention and a dish he was thrilled with.

For the 2nd course I chose from the same category with the TASTING of FARMHOUSE BEETS:Salt-Roasted, GOLDEN with LEMONGRASS, RAW, GINGER ALE & Black Walnuts with Vanilla. This was indeed an odd dish, but fun. The Purple Beets were roasted in a cylinder, while the baby golden ones were halved with the lemongrass cream under them. A carpaccio- style of rose colored beets with salt was a highlight and the ginger ale beet shooter was on oddity. It actually didn't work the first time around and the beets gelled in the bottom, so they quickly brought me a replacement, AND offered a spoon to scoop out the bottom of the first one as well.

Will moved to the SHELLFISH category and had a MAINE SCALLOP RAVIOLI with CHANTERELLES, ASPARAGUS & SQUID INK. It was a nice dish, but the least exciting all night. The ravioli were small adorable (and I think had a small filling of scallop) on the side and the squid ink was more like a paint splash on the plate and basically not a sauce.

The ala carte item we next shared was the CRISP SOFT SHELL CRAB with BUTTERERD PEAS and JASMINE. There were two preparations each of a 1/2 crab, one simply sauteed, the other superbly battered with Oatmeal and fried to perfection.

At this time we moved on to our red wine selected by the wonderful sommelier Eric Simonis (from Alsace) who chose a MERCUREY 1er CRU "Les Champs Martin" 2000 from Domaine Menand Pere et Fils that at $79 was a great bargain, but started out quite light (with a huge nose), but quickly opened up to a huge mouth-filling Burgundy. Will had a small glass of Domaine de Monbazillac la Maletie 2002 Dordogne with his SEARED HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS (from the Poultry/
Game category) with SOUR CHERRIES, PORT and SZECHUAN Pepper "Cookies" that really were slightly peppered shortbreads(yum). A wonderful combination of new ideas and I opted from the Fish category for a superb BLACK GROUPER with ASPARAGUS, Orange Sauce Maltise (think Hollandaise) and Crispy Bacon.

Course 5 came from the MEAT section and was a perfectly size dish for each of us. I must say that at no point did we feel overdone or stuffed; every portion was just right. I had the GASPOR FARM PIGLET with FAVA BEANS, Blis Maple and Smoked Steelhead Roe that was another wonderful and seemingly simple dish, while will had more excitement on his plate with the ETHIOPIAN Style BABY GOAT with Aromatic Air which consisted of a mini double rib chop, a medallion and a stew. It was a tasting within a tasting and came with a TAMARIND-AGED GOAT CHEESE SOUFFLE.

We could not resist the delicious cheese cart and we still had red wine left--so we ordered (one plate to split) and they offered many extras!
SAINT MAURE
WABASH CANNONBALL (from Washington State) which Will described as "tasting like a homeless person"
AZEITAU (spelling)
MAHAJIERO de PIMENTO from the Canary Islands which reminded me of the Spanish Garroxta with a bit more pepper
TOURMELAY
Irish AHARAWAN
UPLAND PLEASANT RIDGE Cheddar (from Connecticut) and it was mind-boggling to boot!

Dessert was no less confusing with so many tastes and things on each plate I hope I can get them all: The GIANDUJA BISCUIT COULANT was a Toasted Meringue, Banana Chip Praline and Curried Banana Ice Cream and the "TRIP TO THE BEACH" was Fudge Marquise, Citrus-Coconut "Creamsicle" with Macadamia "Sand" with Pink Peppercorns. This was an ingenious idea and a brilliant display --and tasted great to boot. A glass of superb BANYULS "Les Close de Paulilees 2005" for me and MUSCAT de BAUMES de VENISE for Will sent us home to our hotel very happy and looking forward to visiting LACROIX again!

swing in to SANGAM Indian Cuisine 5 mins from DC

Last Thursday was Samuel's birthday and we opted to go with our friends and their 4-year old to SANGAM located in the Comfort Inn (free garage parking!) at 1211 N. Glebe Rd (at the corner of Washington Blvd) in Arlington (www.sangamrestaurant.com), right at the I-66 Glebe Rd exit just minutes from DC.

After perusing the menu over a MANGO LASSI which the kids adored (and we did, too), we opted to order several items and share. We WAY OVERORDERED. The appetizers are all huge portions and cost $3.50 to $5.00 so are an amazing bargain. We loved the PANEER PAKORA which are cottage cheese fritters and there CHICKEN PAKORA, also a fritter, both of which can be dipped into either of the two sauces provided.

Less exciting was the SHAMI KABOB made of ground beef and lentils and pan-fried as patties (similar top the mid-Eastern kefta kabob) but a bit on the dry side and oddly served with raw onions and green peppers (neither of which I like in their raw state!). Best was the piping hot huge VEGETABLE SAMOSA with potatoes, peas and spices in a pastry puff shell.

We had a pretty good and reasonably priced bottle of ST. SUPERY SAUVIGNON BLANC from Napa which works very well with the spices. We moved to a very nice medium bodied 2005 LOUIS BERNARD COTES du RHONE which again held up to the spices in the food. Our entrees were a SANGAM FEAST (made for two at an amazing $31) which includes TANDOORI CHICKEN, CHIKEN TIKKA (barbecued pieces), SEEKH KABOB, LAMB ROGANJOSH (cooked in a rich almond sauce like a stew), CHICKEN SAAG (curried with chopped spinach), NAVRATNA KORMA(vegetable curry in almond sauce), CREAMED LENTILS, RAITA (yogurt, cucumber, tomato, herbs), PALAU RICE and NAAN (flatbread). This oculd easily have fed three and we ordered two platters of this!! AND in my stupidity also a plate of SHRIMP KADAI (curried with vegetables) and SAAG PANEER (an always yummy spinach & cottage cheese combo).

The kids managed several bites of CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA which in kids version came with Indian spice-dusted fries and broccoli (Samuel would have none of that!). They seemed to like their KASMIRI NAAN which is made with dried fruits (especially cherries) and nuts, and I am always a fan of ONION KULCHA (that superb fluffy bread with chopped cooked onions).

Needless to say it was too much and we were stuffed. We had brought along a CHOCOLATE Birthday CAKE with MARSHMALLOW Icing that Samuel and I had baked at home (from my mother's recipe that goes back some 50 years!) which we all managed to enjoy a bit of before heading home.

SANGAM is nothing spectacular to look at, although the underlit dry ice lamps are cute. There are nice linens and the service is not wondrous (we poured our own wine, and had to pack our leftovers into the plastic containers as well), but the food is quite good and real deal!

URBANA:oops on the appetizers, but.....

Last night we celebrated Will's new US citizenship with a dinner out at URBANA in the PALOMAR Hotel (2121 P Street, NW) just a block from Dupont Circle. Our expectations were high and in some ways they WERE met, but the overall experience left us with a doubt whether we would return. So many happy years were spent in the same spot under the guise of Gabriel (at the Radisson Barcelo) when chef Greggory Hill was in charge and even thereafter for a while, and while the renovation and new owners have breathed a truly new life and atmosphere into URBANA, something is missing.

After being seated we ordered a bottle of Moet et Chandon Brut Rose to celebrate the occasion only to be told that there was a new sommelier who had drastically changed the wine list and this was no longer available. It was replaced with a very nice ROGER POULLON et FILS Brut Rose for the same price. I asked if the sommelier was available to discuss the new wines as they were not on the list, and he had just left for the evening (at 730pm!). The staff was apologetic, but they need to get it together on the wine side.

As far as decor goes, the place is gorgeous. Warm wood floors and tables of woods of varying colors and comfy chairs and banquettes fill the room. Gray marble pillars and a matching bar and pizza bar are centerpieces. The pizza bar has a silver-leaf covered pizza oven in the wall with a cool log implanted wall above it. At the entrance opposite the bar a full backlit wall of wine bottles is also neat. I could have done without the bronze woven runners that crisscross the table as they fall into your lap and are too long. A wall on the street side has sleek dark green ceramic bricks with mirrors and red lights in the pillars.

The breads are fresh and yummy and come with a mildly spicy zucchini puree that is superb..we got seconds!

I was thinking of the CRISPY SARDINES appetizer which comes with Caramelized MELON & WHITE BALSAMIC HONEY GINGER GLAZE. I was warned that it was very small (at $9) so we decided to order one for the four of us and split the two sardines. Frankly, it was a puny portion and really should have three fish for this price or a buck more! It was, however, quite delish and the fish were nary too salty as well. Sharing this amounted to a nice amuse, which we were quite happy with.

Our white wine was a superb PIANE di MAGGIO Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2005 which was quite reasonably priced (I must give them credit for that!) at under $30 and creamy and fruity at the same time. It was perfect with the URBANA GARLIC MUSSELS made with Herbes de Provence, tomato and White Wine. Sadly the small plate of 16 mussels was nowhere near the level of those at Beck or Mannequin Pis that we enjoyed in May! They needed more spice and garlic for sure. The GOAT CHEESE CROQUETTE comes with greens and green beans and pears in a large salad and was one of the better dishes (our very nice server, Stephen, had to explain that it was really a large deep fried goat cheese croquette on top of a superb and LARGE salad. Will's SPRING PEA AGNOLOTTI came with Chorizo, English peas (an homage to his origins!) and lobster. Only FOUR agnolotti were on the poorly designed narrow and long plate. Each forkful he took pushed something off the shallow elongated plate; a real mess despite a tasty dish. I assume the $14 price tag was for the lobster, so couldn't they throw on some more pasta?

We noticed a gorgeous pizza at the next table and decided that we SHOULD return and try the pizza and enjoy the wine on the next visit as that seemed a better choice. Speaking of wine, we moved to a red TASCA d'ALMEITA Nero d'Avola "Lamuri" 2004 from Sicily that Stephen suggested and it was delish at under $40 and worked superbly with all our meat dishes as well. These are wines we must remember when we are in Italy (both regions of Abruzzi & Sicily this summer!). The ELYSIAN FILED LAMB CHOP with Golden Raisin Polenta & Grain Mustard Jus was a hearty dish, but the Thomas Keller owned organic lamb suffered from much too much fat. The BRAISED PORK SHOULDER was a hit with Polenta, Picholine Olives & Mushrooms and the portion was HUGE despite its fairly low price! The surprise was the OSSO BUCO which must be shared by two (and theoretically is big enough for three people) which is a huge almost foot-long shank covered with more than a pound of yummy tender meat(with some tasty crunchy edges to boot!) in an amazing rich reduction. It comes with super green beans, fried shallots, sauteed chard and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes. When we mentioned the potatoes were cold, they immediately brought another batch. We could not fail the excellent service at Urbana, everyone was courteous, kind and there were no problems with them, just the small disappointments of the kitchen. The DUCK FAT FRIES side order is nice, but does not compare with those of Blue Duck over at the Park Hyatt (although these are half the price!).

We were pretty full and decided to split two desserts which were quite good. The Assorted GRANITAS are an unexciting LIMONCELLO, a pretty good PEAR and a super RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE. These come with some broiled fruits which is a nice addition. The PEACH PANNA COTTA is another light option and comes with lemon cookie, perfectly ripe and super-sweet little balls of CANTALOUPE and PEACH PUREE.

A bottle of superb not-too-sweet MACULAN TORCOLANO Veneto(another area we hit this summer!) 2003 dessert wine got us home feeing good,but we found it odd that the dessert wines listed on the menu had no bottle prices and we had to ask for it before ordering.

So, as I said, next time it's pizza and wine at Urbana.

Beacon Bar & Grill goes awry

The Beacon Bar & Grill opened a while ago and we had an awful experince the first time, but since they hired a new chef and I met him recently, we decided to give it another go. I think we will call it quits for now (or maybe try only the brunch next time) at this large hotel bar and restaurant at the corner of Rhode Island Ave & 17th Streets.

We took Samuel for an early dinner on Saturday and the place was deserted, except for some bar fliesm at 530pm. It was still deserted when we left an hour later. For the most part Samuel was happy with his standard PENNE with TOMATO SAUCE accompanied by yummy French Fries, if they were a bit too salty. He also loved the undulating colored lights up the stairs behind the bar, if that's worth anything. I wanted the Crispy Duck Ravioli for a starter, but was told they were out of it, so opted for the one big hit of the meal, the EAST COAST SHRIMP TOAST which was basically a bruschetta-like toast with three tasty shrimp, mushrooms, sauteed spinach and a yummy light cream sauce on top. Will asked for the CRISPY CALAMARI and the BBG Burger as a main course and when they brought my shrimp they brought his burger, forgetting the appetizer! It took a couple of minutes to straighten this out, but we were quite confident that when the burger returned later it was the same one with quite lukewarm fries.

I enjoyed a glass of ALICE WHITE 2004 Australian Chardonnay with my shrimp, which took almost 10 minutes to get from the not-at-all-busy bartender 10 feet away, and switched to an awful TYRELL's 2003 LOST BLOCK Pinot Noir from Australia that clearly suffered from being open too long and not being stored properly. There was only alcohol and no fruit at all in the wine!

When Will finally got his Calamari it was quite good as was the tasty "Chesapeake" remoulade, but it was not really crispy...it was nicely breaded and yummy, but not "crispy" which nobody minded, but that was the description on the menu.

Will's burger was mediocre and the fries nowhere near as good as Samuel's and my BLACKENED CHICKEN TORTILLA SALAD with Romaine, Pico de Gallo, Corn Salsa and Cilantro was nice but nothing to rave about. Sam enjoyed a huge scoop of RASPBERRY SORBET and we asked for the bill. It was all wrong, as we were charged for Sam's fries and drink which are supposed to be part of the Kid's meal. Someone from the staff apologized that our server, Anna, was in training, we paid, left and decided that Beacon is not blooming.

RISCKY's for BARBECUE is better in Ft Worth

On Sunday we took Samuel to see the uneventful longhorn cattle "run" where they walk nonchalantly down the sleepy Sunday street of the Ft Worth Cattle Stockyards. Seeing all that beef made us hungry, so we took several folk's suggestions and popped into the very casual RISCKY's at 140 E. Exchange St. for a BBQ BRISKET SANDWICH. Sam was pretty happy with his chicken fingers and fries which I thought were sublime, but the SLICED BRISKET BBQ SANDWICH was a true treat. I can't wait to return for the $9.95 all you can eat ribs special next time in town!

Of course, I'll have to diet for a week before I can take these monster size portions ag'in.

SAINT-EMILION is a scent of a France in Texas (Ft Worth)

Last night's dinner before the world premiere of the opera FRAU MARGOT (which was fabulous) was just west of downtown Fort Worth at SAINT-EMILION (3617 W 7th St) billed as a country French restaurant. The decor is truly French provincial, but with an partially open kitchen framed by a glass wall and many gleaming copper pots. The menu is large and varied and offers 2, 3 or 4 course options for a reasonable price (all under $40). The wine list is varied and reasonable with huge French leanings and some quite pricey Burgundies as well.

I started with a glass of ANGLIM VIOGNIER from Paso Robles (Calif) which was quite nice and will opted for the DOMAINE CHANDON Chardonnay from Napa which he later had seconds of.

For a starter the TENDERLOIN TARTARE has a spicy Texas punch and it is the leanest of tartares around. It was odd that it came with a mini-salad of greens since all the meals come with a small salad anyway. Indeed, the SALADE de MON GRANDE PERE is yummy Boston lettuce with walnuts, lardons and vinaigrette--just perfect.

The excellent French bread comes with creamy butter and Fleur de sel salt, but the butter plates lack knives, which seemed odd since we did not want to use the same knife to dip into the big butter churn!

For entrees Will and I immediately drifted to the FRIED SOFT SHELL CRABS (can you believe we have NOT seen them on the menu back home in DC yet!?) with a TARRAGON BEURRE BLANC which came with an odd, but tasty VEGETABLE LASAGNA (carrots, zucchini, eggplant) and two asparagus. We were glad the portion was not monstrous, but the two crabs were indeed quite large and most tasty and meat. I had a glass of the French KIMMERIDGIEN CHARDONNAY (Burgundy) from Jean Marc
Brocard that was perfect with the crabs as it was drier and more mineral in content than the oaky creamy Domaine Chandon from California Will opted for.

Dessert was Will's GRAND MARNIER CHEESECAKE which was okay, but no raves, while my TUILE filled with CREAM CHEESE and BLACKBERRIES flambeed in RASPBERRY LIQUEUR was a wonderful treat as the berries were slightly warm and the cheese not too sweet (and I didn't have to finish it all anyway). Lots of coffee and off to the opera....

raising the steaks at REATA (Ft Worth, TX)-avoid Angelo's

We are all here for a weekend with friends and opera at the new Ft. Worth Opera Festival and last night headed around the corner from the Bass Performing Arts Center (a gorgeous hall) for dinner before Madama Butterfly. Our top choice was one of the best downtown spots for years, REATA (www.reata.net) named for the ranch from the movie Giant. We were greeted by many friendly smiles and ushered up to the 4th (top) floor where a busy bar (catch the guy with the red outfit, matching cowboy boots and hat!) was hosting a hot happy hour. We headed inside the glass domed dining area with views of downtown (and low noise levels!) to be greeted by our darling server Audrey and soon after by public relations manager, Kitty, who wanted to be sure we were happy!

It was hard to choose, but Will went for the spicy, yummy, exciting (he said it was the best ever) TORTILLA SOUP with Chicken & Avocado. It was called a "cup" but came in a huge bowl. Welcome to Texas, where we learned the portions are always monstrous. I opted for the SMOKED QUAIL with JALAPENO CHEDDAR GRITS & Molasses BBQ Sauce. The meat was deliciously smokey and tasty and the grits cheesy and gooey and the whole thin was quite filling. We had a bottle of L'AVENTURE Stephan Vineyard ZINFANDEL 2001 forom Paso Robles that was quite spicy and huge (15.8% alcohol).

The 4th floor has hide covered chairs and simple wood tables, but the other dining rooms are amazingly decorated (they can accommodate like 600 seated!). The first floor has a glass enclosed and soundproof private area in the center for those who WANT to be seen, and several other more private spaces. Don't miss the display of cool chaps which include Hoss Cartwright's from Bonanza; do miss the dummy of James Dean.

Our entrees were the same; the house specialty of PAN SEARED PEPPER CRUSTED TENDERLOIN (10 ounces each--but they looked at least a pound!) with RED PEPPER MASHED POTAOES, superb Green Beans and a Port Wine Sauce. At $31, it might be pricey, but well worth it. The slightly sweet port sauce was an amazing foil to the spice on the crust and when combined made for a mouthwatering steak dish that was a highlight to our day, especially after the mediocre BBQ RIBS we had at ANGELO's here in town for lunch (supposedly the best in the area!). Needless to say the Zin was excellent with the filets.

Dessert was NY FRIED CHEESECAKE in a Phyllo triangle with Creme Anglaise & Caramel. It was delish, and filling and too much (and not as good as the Cheesecake Spring Roll I had in NY just three weeks earlier!). The coffee was great and came with requisite sugars in a red(well, pink), white and blue display (with a hint of yellow)--WELCOME TO TEXAS.

Tonight we dine again and hopefully will eat less so we can enjoy the world premiere at the opera more!