ABAC is above many (but still not better than Bohemic); back in Barcelona

My last night in Barcelona, Catalunya and Spain was hopefully going to be an amazing evening at the one-Michelin starred gastronomic temple of Chef Xavier Pellicer (www.abacbarcelona.com) in his new digs and small hotel north of downtown (where he used to cook in a smaller restaurant near the water). The buzzer gate gives way to an oasis of paths and greenery leading to the restaurant which is modern but not too much to take away from the food. The lighting is superb with each of three rooms having 9 or 6 oval tables for two or four (I saw no groups larger than this). Above each table is a light fixture on a balance the same shape as the table but with two small pointed lights in it to light the table area. Big comfy beige leather chairs match the velvet drapes along all glass walls. There seemed to be an outdoor area for warmer nights. The linens are crisp and white, the china is Versace with a Greco-modern pattern in black, silver and white; the crystal is Zweisel styled like the modern Riedel Vinum Extreme and have the name of a sommelier etched in them. Each table has a small glass cube about 2x2x2 with two soft lychee-like spiny green fruits and a persimmon-colored gourd-like deformed pepper-like item with about 5-6 odd polyps at the top. Any ideas?

I chose the tasting menu since the appetizers and entrees all seemed to be 30-45 Euros each and the tasting was 125Euros with five courses plus desserts; made sense to me financially and offered many more tastes which I love. I chose a red wine with the help of the ever so sweet sommelier, Dani. The 100% Albarino form RIAX BAIXAS was called VENDETTA 2005 and came from the Pedra Longa Vineyards. It had a huge nose, lots of body, some minerality and a big finish. YUM.

The little touches arrived (these are not considered amuses): TWO spicy POTATO CHIPS that were flat and rectangular (about 2x5 each) and were so transparent they looked like alabaster. Large salty CALAMATA Olives from Greece and soft, less salty, but also large FRENCH OLIVES.

A deep fried VEAL CHEEK "chip" that can only be described as looking like pork rinds, sitting on a tray of rock salt, and yes, tasting VERY salty. Luckily they had good sparkling water that was NOT salty. FINALLY!

Amuse numero uno was a baby scallop covered with a slice of local jamon with a past-like spread of Jerusalem artichoke underneath it. It was indeed yummy, but not so with numero dos, called MUSHROOM ROYALE. I already worried when I saw that old disliked friend, the cappuccino foam atop the glass. It had some croutons in the foam and underneath was a gloppy cream of mushroom concoction with some long stringy mushrooms in it.

The tasting menu began with a simple but perfectly cooked COLD PRAWN CONFIT in WATERCRESS Sauce with 1/2 grape tomato, artichoke hearts, the local puffy oyster-like crackers and a rose petal. This was where the wine began to go oh so great with indeed every dish (thanks, Dani).

Course #2 was two squares of VEAL TENDON faced opposite and across from two raw CLAMS (one had a piece of grit;oops!) and a Pureed disc of BROCCOLI at the center of the "cross" scattered with tiny broccoli florets and some Ossetra caviar. Poured over this was an oddly lukewarm veal broth. It was a delicious dish save for the grit, but I think it would have been vastly improved with a warm broth.

Number 3 was one of the evening's highlights: Flash Sauteed WHOLE CALAMARI with WILD MUSHROOMS,ARTICHOKES, Chives and an ALMOND CREAM that was more of a light cream sauce. It was at this point I felt that great gourmet status had been achieved, despite the saltiness of most everything.

It was here, also. that I saw the domes start to appear; you know, those silver things all the waiters stand around and lift off at once in unison. For this reason, I was grateful to be alone, so no coordination by the staff was necessary!

I had arrived a about 8:40pm (they open at 8:30)and at that time only one other had been seated in the room behind me. By this time, around 10pm, the place was about 1/3 full, but by 10:30pm about 75% of the place was seated; the first couple that came in right behind me departed after a short dinner at 11pm.

The 4th course was a HAKE FILET with BLACK TRUFFLE and SOUFFLE of LEEK on sauteed leek. The dish seemed to smell of mushroom, but there were none and had a tasty Espuma foam of leeks as well. The 2x4 piece of fish was tasty yet quite salty, but the saltiness dissolved when eaten with the layer of freshly cut black truffles layered generously across the top as well as with the leek espuma. On the side was a crispy sliced thinly into 25+ layers Napoleon of potato that was brown, crunchy and divine. Again, a perfect pairing with my Albarino.

As I finished the white, I moved onto a half bottle of red from the nearby PRIORAT region where we had spent some of time this past week. DOFI 2006 made by Alvaro Palaceos came from the town of Grallatops in Catalonia and had huge body (huge lines--or tears as they are called in Catalan), structure and a bit of tartness, which was perfect with my main course and cheese. The wine did not beg for food, but once it opened up it was a great treat alone as well.

The main course was PINTADA, local PIDGEON in CARDAMOM Sauce served with Sauteed SPINACH, Mushrooms, Onions and Carrots with even a huge clove of cooked garlic. The meat was not as intense as the woodcock the previous week. It was tender, fleshy and tasty and the sauce was worthy of the star the chef had earned.

I take a break here as I did at dinner to report on the bathroom, as it is notable, though perhaps not a destination like the one in Vienna's Steierereck. There are cool Grohe confusing faucet fixtures which rely on touch on a red or blue light for temperature. The high faucet has an internal blue light which comes one with the water flow and was totally neat.

The cheese trolley brought French and Spanish options and I went for the 1/2 portion and chose CASA MANTEJO an intense sharp and also spicy sheep which had a hard edge and softer interior, the edge being spicier and the center sharper.

CARAT was a local goat that was ripe and creamy and just soft under the rind VACHERIN MONT d'OR from France was a mild soft runny cheese; the kind that I just ADORE. I adored them all as midnight approached and only 3 tables remained.

The pre-dessert was the chef's version of CREME BRULEE with CASSIS. It was a creamy fruit custard with an oddly crunchy top that I could not pinpoint at all. I am totally unsure of what the "brulee" or burned sugar was or of it was there.

The dessert was called TEXTURES of APRIL, I know not way. There was a small apple cooked with saffron and scooped like melon balls into cigar-like pastry, buttermilk ice cream, caviar pearls, and lemon intense cream which would not win any major awards from me. The post-dessert cookies and such were all dry and not worth mentioning; I did not even consider taking the remainders home.

Admittedly, I had drunk 1/2 the bill, but when the check came for 270Euros (125menu +water+1/2 cheese+135 wine) I was in a bit of shock. At $350 I really felt I should have returned to my newly beloved bistro BOHEMIC and pigged out for under 100Euros total! I have learned a lot about Catalan cuisine and there are many superb 1-3 Michelin starred restaurants in the region (only 1 star in the city, though), so I guess I will just have to return to give the others a chance and be sure to check some reviews beforehand.

Don't hurry to HOTEL REGINA in Villfonga del Ruicorb,Costers del Segre,Catalonia

The last night of my food/wine meeting tour was in the remote countryside of Catalan and while a beautiful setting was in store for us in the Hotel Regina's grand salon, the food was less impressive. Of course, the chance that any of you would even go to, let alone consider, this place is so remote itself, so I'll keep my comments short and to the point.

The salon has about a dozen huge wall murals by a famous Catalan artist of the mid-19th century that have a very deco feel with some Moderniste influence. The twenty or so of us sat at one huge table and were the only diners as the hotel was open only for us. It is a spa hotel and has few clients at this time of the year.

I discovered a second local sparkling water, San Narciso (how can they name a saint after a guy who was in love with himself?) which was even saltier than the Vichy Catalan brand so common, so I stuck with non-sparkling. The tiny soft dark green olives were salty and apparently the same ones used locally to make the olive oil. Each area is very proud of its oil and we had OLEAURUM which is 100% Arbequina and was aromatic and fruity with no spice or bite; it was divine with the tasty olive bread.

An array of appetizers came which included very salty JAMON IBERICO on a spear with tasty sweet melon. I was beginning to thing everything in Catalunya is salty; maybe I'm right. The ENDIVE with SHRIMP, shredded lettuce and a sauce so reminiscent of Russian dressing was unexciting, but a large spoon of Sauteed (and yes, salty) BACALAO (cod) was a treat. Our wine for the first half of the meal was a very nice RAIMAT 2007 BLANCO FRESCO from the region, COSTERS del SEGRE made from a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Xarello (one of the three local varietals used in making Cava).

A superbly delicious SEAFOOD SALAD came next with scallops, calamari, shrimp, roasted tomatos and red peppers, sauteed onion and leaf lettuces. The local olive oil and balsamic with some pepper made for a great dressing on the quite large dish. I'm glad it was large because the main course was totally inedible. As we sat down the waitress gave us three choices of how we would like our "entrecote" cooked: rare (which she clearly defined as just past raw), medium or well done. I wasn't going near another uncooked piece of meat in a restaurant that I did not know, so I went for the middle of the road. Everyone (and we were from all over the world) save a couple from the States avoided the rare option as well. The meat was somewhat akin to a strip steak and came so well done it was harder than cured ham. It had some salt flakes on it and an ugly brown sauce. Some overkilled and oily zucchini was its neighbor. The dish was beyond repair, and I was grateful for that big salad. An equally undrinkable red BRU de VERDU 2007 from the region made from Tempranillo and Syrah tasted cheap and I can't even begin to consider giving any tasting notes on this one.

Dessert was a huge cake prepared specially for the occasion and came on a trolley (we all took photos). It was a giant cake and creme Catalan-like mixture covered with banana, kiwi and berries which I needed to avoid simply because it looked like too much cream. A superb RAIMAT CAVA BRUT NATURE was served for our farewell toast and we were surprised to see it was made from the typical champagne grapes, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, rather than the three cava grapes.

Bodegas BOHIGAS in Catalunya can cook (a private wine dinner in the winery)

Folks,
I am sorry for the break in reports, but I had a serious bout of food poisoning (simply said, avoid eating at all Barcelona or nearby locations -I was in Sitges-of DA GRECO!).

I am now attending a 4+ day food and wine conference in Spain to promote food and wine travel her and it is FASCINATING. I have learned so much and can truly plan magnificent itineraries for anybody interested. Commericial over.

Last night we had a wine dinner at the 800+ year old BOHIGAS winery that has been in the same family since 1299!! WOW! It's a beautiful spot in the country with an ancient home, chapel and cava (the wine caves where they make the cava wine). We ate in the new area that the winery had built to promote its food and wine tourism program.

The chef carefully chose dishes from all over Spain to pair with their wines:

DUCK LIVER TERRINE with Sea Salt, APRICOT Sauce & Mousse and Field Greens with BOHIGAS ROSE CAVA. The pate was yum, the apricot a bit sweet for me, but then with my tummy, I only had a bite.

ANGLER FISH CARPCACCIO with Catalan Vinaigrette (with nuts and pine nuts and raspberries) with BOHIGAS CHARDONNAY was for me the winning dish and wine of the night...the fish was amazing as well.

LOIN OF COD PIL PIL is a northern dish that the chef tweaked to serve lukewarm in a creamy oil sauce with asparagus and cauliflower. It was nice, but everyone kept saying "pilpil" meant spicy, and this dish was about as mild as a baby lamb. It was served with an amazing white that everyone loved (some a bit more than me, were truly ecstatic) called BLANC DE TRES made from Xarello, White Granacha and Chenin Blanc, a great use of the local greats in a blend.

The main course was IBERIAN PORK CHEECKS with PASTOR MIGAS (bread crumbs) and Port Sauce. It was a nice dish, but I could not help feel that these cheeks were much drier than the moister creamier veal ones we are so used to. The wine was an ok SYRAH.

As I was still recovering tummy-wise I abstained from the dessert which everyone raved about: LEMON SABEE from Sevilla. A tart filled with a layer of chocolate, custard then covered with fruit: kiwi, raspberry, blueberry, currant, strawberry and pineapple...

All in all an excellent conception and some amazing food and nice wines, sadly only available by group booking to the winery at this time.

Passadis d'en Pep is a poor place to be in Barcelona

After the best meal on earth, I am sorry to report on the worst one ever in had in Barcelona or all of Spain for that matter (as I have not traveled that much in this country!).

PASSADIS D'EN PEP (some signs are Passadis del Pep) is located not far from the ocean in the old port area and has no sign on the door, just the number "2" for the address on Pla de Palau (or Palace Square). You walk through an alley-like lit corridor and eventually see the sign on the door to enter a cavern of ancient arches of gigantic blocks of stone, ochre faux walls, wood beam and painted ceilings and lots of modern "food" art. It is a quaint and warm (literally TOO warm) setting, although tonight's temps were in the 60's. I knew that there was no menu and that they just bring food here, but what happened to me, and I fear even many of those who speak Catalan (or Spanish), was a total RIPOFF.

As soon as I had sat down the waiter popped the cork on a bottle of MAS TINELL (from Heretat), CAVA Reserva Especial. Indeed, the corks kept popping all night, often making me jolt. My first thoughts were that they just kept this stuff pouring and the "fixed price" dinner must include unlimited Cava, kind of like Sunday brunch in the US! WRONG! I was charged 14,50Euros (which isn't much at just over $18.50) for the bottle on my tab, and frankly, I can't finish a whole bottle of champagne (or Cava) by myself without getting severe gas problems! I would have much preferred to choose a wine of my own, but nobody ever gave me (or anyone else who entered the joint) a chance. I did see one waiter ask a couple if they wanted a second bottle after finishing the first (but did he tell them they had to pay?). Within seconds of sitting down the waiter brought over three plates: one with oiled bread, one of JAMON IBERICO (about 10 small slices) and one of SMALL CLAMS IN GARLIC that were as tender as could be and oddly enough seemed to each have TWO feet, rather than the usual one. Any ideas? Before I finished these plates, another appeared with beautiful seashell like snail shells (those long spiral ones) and fresh snails in butter and garlic within....they were sublime, I have to admit, as were the clams. I asked for a bottle of sparkling water and was brought VICHY CATALAN, which at first seemed fine (read on please).

After finishing all these, two more plates appeared: DEEP FRIED TINY BABY FISH each of these about 1-1/2 in long and barely the width of a coin. They were more batter than fish I think and each had an odd little black dot on either side of the front of the fish, obviously miniscule eyes. The dish was bland and unexciting, but was accompanied by the best dish of the evening, a plate of SAUTEED WILD MUSHROOMS, ONIONS and bits of ground PORK and BEEF. This was the only dish all night that did not suffer from oversalting, and then when I tasted the water again I realized how salty IT was; I have never had such salty sparkling water ever in my life!

At this point my waiter said that several more dishes were coming, but would I prefer beef or fish for the entree; I could get little more information from him, so I decided to stick with fish, thinking it lighter and knowing that is what they specialize in. The next two plates were both of huge PRAWNS with head, claws and tails all intact; one dish plainly poached with oil and yes, lots of salt, the other with sauteed onions.

I now saw another waiter picking up a beef entree at the counter and dipping his fingers in a tray of salt and liberally sprinkling the salt all over the dish. I must admit that I did not see this happen again, but sure felt that perhaps both the chef and waiters were salting every dish double-time.

A nice dish of al dente RICE with Sauteed BABY SQUID followed, but was quite oily and extremely salty, and then came my fish. I thought it was cod, but the bill (when it came) did not say bacalao, but "rape." Perhaps they "raped" me financially, but maybe someone knows what "rape" is in Catalan. The fish was plain with lots of salt, oil, garlic and some plain mushy bland zucchini, tomato, carrot and potato on the side. Only the potato was a blessing to cut the salt! It was at this point I saw two gorgeous half lobsters being brought to the table next to me. Why did I not get that option? I also started to smell the smoke from a nearby room. Smoking is generally banned in Spain in restaurants unless they have several rooms and designate one room as smoking; another reason to stick with small one room establishments.

I decided to have some lemon sorbet with an awful hazelnut biscotti for dessert to cleanse my palate of all the salt. They then brought two bottle of liquors to the table: a clear anisette-like Orujo and a decent, but strong, yellowish LICOR DE HERBS. It was a nice gesture, and I was grateful they didn't charge me when the bill came.

Speaking of the bill, I assumed it was a fixed price menu that only changed minimally with what is available in the market (even more a reason not to re-visit the place), but each item was itemized. However, I was not given the chance to decline or change anything. THAT SUCKS! At a total of over 108Euros ($140) I almost went into shellshock. Don't get me wrong, I spend this amount with no qualms, but not without having a choice or chance to decline dishes I would not even want. What really is amazing is that my glorious lunch at BOHEMIC was just over $70 and I would have gladly gone back there the same day for dinner...even for the same food! That's how much of a disappointment Passadis d'en Pep is.

Barcelona's BOHEMIC is by far the BEST--ANYWHERE in the world!!

While I wanted to write first about last night's Michelin-starred CAN GAIG, I must defer until later for that. Today, I had what may be the best meal of my life. It surely rates in the top ten, and is the best lunch I ever had on earth! You will have to go to Barcelona, and you will have to reserve as well because BOHEMIC(Carrer Manso, 42 not far from the Mercat de Sant Antoni--the large iron market pavilion-tel 93-424 0628).

Not nly does BOHEMIC not have an internet site, it seems that NOBODY here in town knows about it either. While it is a well kept secret at this point, the chef's name is circulating, and Michelin is investigating!

The small bistro has only ten marble topped tables with green and white checkered cloths, some 19th century antique touches and lots of early 20th century B&W photos and posters. It is an adorable family- run establishment with the mother and father serving and their son in the kitchen. Indeed, Chef FRANCESC GIMENO is in the kitchen with only one other person, his sous-chef XAVIER ALCALA. While Francesc can manage English, he speaks French quite well. They have a minimal English menu, since most of the tapas items change so often and are on the blackboards. Xavier speaks English quite well and will help you to translate and order as well. Tasting are available, but I needed to refrain from overeating again.

I ordered a glass of white wine as got PARDES XAREL-LO 2006 from Penedes which was full of great flavors and some minerality and went superbly with virtually every dish, so I had a couple more glasses of the same. I asked if I could taste one other wine but the AN QUIBIA from the Balearic Islands off the coast (Mallorca) was pretty bland and I went back to the Pardes, It was served with some Wasabi Peas and then two beautifully homemade rolls (one dark and one light) on a platter with long crunchy tentacles of bread on each end (like Dali's mustache!) There was olive oil and sea salt and then a small chest came which was opened to reveal five sea salts for the tapas: coarse black, finer red, a very fine yellow, a Himalayan Rock still in rock form with a grater, and a fifth salt. This reminded me of our recent visit to Naples and SEA SALT on a lower key. The music playing was mostly opera, with hints of Piaf and others making for an even better ambience.

The amuse was what an amuse should be: HAMACHI on a bed of purified seaweed and sea vegetables (as the chef explained) topped with tobiko and a white yogurt foam, perhaps in homage to the new chemistry so admired her in Barcelona. On the side was a small sorbet like whipped seaweed/sea vegetable swirl also topped with tobiko. I knew from the first bite that if the food to follow was this good, I was in for a humongous treat.

My first dish was PESOLS de LLAVANERES-CLOISSES a la Minute I una emuslsio di Menta or roughly translated PEAS & CLAMS. This dish was not only beyond divine, the presentation should get an award. A slate platter was brought with a large glass filled with the warm fresh peas in a thick broth which I have no clue what was therein. Next to it was a cast iron mini-pot filled with a layer of sea salt and then a layer of rosemary twigs; two gorgeous uncooked calms sat atop this. My server was the chef's mom, and since I don't know her name, I will refer to her as "mom." "Mom" lit a long lighting utensil of wood (I can't remember what they are called) and touched it to the rosemary which ignited and burned for about a minute, she then covered the dish with a glass top and cooked it for another minute so that the fire went out and the clams opened up. I got this on video and am still amazed at how much FUN it was. It did not end here, the dish simply put me in heaven (I later told Francesc, "je suis en ciel...") ad with a touch of the fine red salt, the peas were the best I have ever had anywhere, and apparently a fresh delicacy now in season here.

The second tapas was POP EN PORROSALDA which is local OCTOPUS in a sinfully decadent LEEK CREAM SAUCE with tiny spots of darker Olive oil for presentation effect. Again, each bite was a revelation, each taste a sensation, and I could not believe how nobody knew about this place. I arrived way to early for lunch in Spain at 130pm, and it was now 230pm and only one other couple had arrived. By the time I left at 330pm, only one table was empty!

The final tapas was a very traditional one: MADONGUILLES & SEPIA or simply MEATBALLS and CUTTLEFISH. The small meatballs were in a rich dark sauce with small pieces of the tender fish for flavor, and believe you me, these were the tastiest meatballs I ever had.

I knew I could manage no more, so I settled for what Xavier said was the lightest dessert: MUSCAT CAKE in KAFFIR LIME Sauce with COCONUT SORBET. It was just perfect with a small rectangle of the cake which had raisins and was dark, but not dense, the sauce being thin and full of lime flavor, but not overwhelming also had some cooked peppercorns in it for spice. Need I say more? A glass of local VINO NARANJA or Orange wine from Bodegas IGLESIAS (bodegas means winery) rounded out the meal before I ordered a coffee. The bartender, who pretty much stayed behind the bar, delivered the espresso, and before I could take a sip, "mom" whooshed over and placed a different cup in front of me proffering HER coffee saying, "este mio." It was superb and came with some tasty after the meal sweets: a cold egg-yolk frothy shot glass somewhat akin to a smoothee, a small miniature chocolate muffing and a superb disc of white chocolate mounted on a small stick like a lollipop and smattered with some sea salt and dried apricot. OMIGOD!

So, all I can say is, that if you get anywhere within 100 miles of Barcelona, make a detour and while you might want to eat at El Bulli, don't miss BOHEMIC!

CAN GAIG can glow, but Barcelona's best is still Bohemic

I go back now to yesterday night, my first night ever in Barcelona (I was here a year and a half ago for only a day on a cruise ship). I had booked CAN GAIG (pronounced more like "gauge" without the "e" or better yet "getch"), Can being the Catalan for house, and Gaig the name of the famous Michelin-starred chef. I was impressed upon arrival when my coat was taken and no check delivered; a regular case at a Michelin-starred spot if you ever dine at them. I was escorted upstairs to a medium size room with about 18 tables and decorated mainly in red leather (banquettes) and black lacquer with curtains over the glass walls extending the length of the room. At 9pm, I was the only person there, and by 920pm only one more table of two and on table of four sat down; this was the entire patronage for the evening. I couldn't believe it.

After perusing the menu I wanted to try the tasting menu, b ut had an urge for a specific main course, which they would not do on the tasting, so they offered to prepare a number of the dishes at half-size for half-price, which seemed fair to me. My server/maitre d' was Anthony (I think really Antoine) who was French and had recently worked for Gordon Ramsey, with no kind comments for him! He made some suggestions, and I followed his lead.

The first amuse arrived with a small bowl of corn chips made with raspberry vinaigrette and black pepper. They were fun and had the consistency of giant Chinese noodles or pappadam. These were accompanied by a small slate with a COD FRITTER, a whipped BLUE CHEESE with Black SQUID BREAD, Almonds dusted with gold, and a CHERRY TOMATO in Olive Sauce. They were all yummy, and the cheese and small piece of bread was most interesting.

Kiko was the other maitre d'/server (there were two men in charge and two women that sometimes brought and cleared plates) as well as the sommelier and said he would gladly pair wines and keep the prices reasonable and my glass full; I loved this. First came GRAN RESERVA de la FINCA 2003 CAVA from RAVENTOS I BLANC which unlike other cavas had an okay taste and a hint of yeast, more akin to real champagne. This was accompanied by Amuse #2, a small tempura of SQUID with SQUID INK-no great prize here.

The breads arrived and Antoine rolled over a table with seven choice of Spanish Virgin Olive Oils. My favorite was a nutty fruity one from Priorat. There was also sea salt on the table (a very prevalent thing here it seems).

My first course was a ROASTED ARTICHOKE & SCALLOP dish. The artichokes were the highlight here. I loved the wine Kiko chose, a ABADAL Picapoll 2007 from Pla de Bages region and was perfect with the dish, especially since the scallop has some sea salt on it.

My second course was one of Gaig's signature dishes, but also a very traditional Catalan dish: CANELLONI stuffed with a magnificent meat stuffing that was almost like tartare and all this in a sublime BLACK TRUFFLE CREAM. This was paired with a Crianza (Tempranello) from SIERRA CANTABRIA 2005 in the Rioja region.

My entree wine was also a red Crianza (tempranello), but a much bigger and heavier one from RIBERA DEL DUERO called PAGODE CARRAOVEJAS 2006. It was tart, a bit tight at first and yummy with my intense plate the ROASTED YOUNG WOODCOCK. Chef Carles Gaig is well known for his game dishes and I really wanted to try to wild woodcock (called "becada" in Catalan). It was a finger-licking good dish, but almost a bit too rich. There was, alas, one small piece of buckshot in the meat. The presentation was quite nwild with a heavy sauce surrounding the flayed bird and a millefeuille with the ground meat of the woodcock on top. It was intense, and some of you might have flinched as it came with the bird's head (brains and all, which I was told to suck out---and they were very tasty) split in half and roasted as well and laying at the edge of each side of the plate to frame the meat. Sadly, this plate arrived within 5 minutes of my having asked Antoine to give me at least 20 minutes rest. I had indicated this numerous times, but I guess the kitchen was not listening. I sent the dish back and they told me they could only keep it warm for about 5 minutes. I was very upset and ate it 5 minutes later. Frankly, a super-uber place like this should have realized their mistake; they did nothing to correct the error. A lemon finger bath arrived and I told them I wanted to wait quite a while before anything else.

Kiko agreed to do a 1/2 cheese order and a 1/2 dessert; this worked quite well. The cheeses were PUYG CERVER a dry intense aged goat from Catalan, Saint Marcellin my favorite in the world-an oozy creamy delight from the Rhone, Reblochon and a mild Stilton. The wine was a LUSTAU EAST INDIA SOLERA SHERRY made from 50% Olorosa and 50% Pedro Ximenez. It was perfect and oh so Spanish.

The dessert was a small fluffy almost alcoholic tasting CREME BRULEE served in the Gaig tradition with a crunchy top, but also and underlying oozy caramel; it was different and fun, and not really Creme Brulee. This came with a Julian CHIVITE NAVARRA Muscat 2005 Late Harvest. I finished up and took my after dinner treats home for another day knowing that the meal was good, not amazing, but that they made some mistakes and should have corrected them before bringing the bill for 140+Euros!

Tomorrow, I am off to the countryside outside Barcelona for 4 days of meetings, touring and tasting!

chain dining in Spain!: superb MESON CINCO JOTAS is a treat for tapas

My first day in Barcelona started early with a 7am flight arrival (2 hours early--wow, amazing American Airlines!) and heading out to "walk" the city by 930am after arriving at my hotel, the elegant CLARIS. After much adventuring and architectural touring, I found myself at MESON CINCO JOTAS' original location (www.mesoncincojotas.com), which is now one of three in Barcelona and about 14 in all Spain. It is an excellent traditional tapas restaurant specializing in dishes with jamon Iberico, the local delicacy. On arrival you can see over 50 huge hams hanging in the front window and at least three different kinds are on racks at the counter being delicately and thinly sliced (think of our delis at home slicing Nova Scotia) by the "cortador" or cutter, a profession in itself. I warmed up (well it's about 50 degrees here) with a glass or two of SENORIO del CID CRIANZA 2003, a hearty Rioja that goes with everything.

I ordered the tapas tasting menu at 23 Euros (about $30 today) which included many wonderful dishes and some less exciting ones as well. To start there was a platter of Catalan Bread done bruschetta style with about 8 or so different slices of meats including the Jamon, Chorizo, Salchichoni and Morcilla (don't ask me which was which). It also included TORTA de CASAR a local cheese that has been slightly warmed to ooziness that you can spread on the small crostini crackers. There is also a plate of olives, bread and oil (this comes with all meals).

The down dish of the day was the COOKED TUNA SALAD over RED PEPPERS with a small salad of greens, some crunchy bacon-like ham and pesto oil. While tasty, it was unexciting and there were less than two bites of tuna. The hit cold appetizer was the CREAM of TOMATO SOUP (called SALMOREJO) which tasted more of yogurt than cream and was topped with egg and more jamon, YAY!

The hot courses were all top notch from the simple two small creamy CROQUETTES oddly served with some potato stix (yes like the packaged ones at home, but obviously made fresh here). The highlight of the meal was the BACALAO with SALSA VERDE a superb 5-bite piece of tender cod with a Provencal-like sauce of olives and tomato along with small shrimps on toast.

The last hot plate was two skewers each through a 1" square or so piece of meat (making about 3 bites each); the first a PORK SIRLOIN with a sweet brown sauce of PEDRO XIMENEZ Sherry with RAISINS and a filet of BEEF with a TORTA CHEESE, god-awful rich and thick cheesy creamy sauce, that was just too much (so I used the Sherry sauce for both meats).

A small dessert of a tiny FUDGE COOKIE with a scoop of CHOCOLATE MOUSSE came in an orange sauce with a tasty broiled ORANGE SLICE. Since dinner here is way after 9pm (you can't even sit down in a restaurant until 9pm), I hope I will be hungry again in several hours!

Baltimore's WOODBERRY KITCHEN cooks it up organic

The other day we headed to Baltimore to see a spectacular production of CAROLINE or CHANGE and to take out it's star afterwards. It was a wonderful evening of great company only made better by a new out of the way find, WOODBERRY KITCHEN (www.woodberrykitchen.com) located several miles north of downtown at 2010 Clipper Park Rd in a quiet renovated are made up of a 200+ year old storage building. The motto, "From farm to table..." says it all, and the decor is rustic, exposed brick, yet warm with lots of wood. A mezzanine section is balconied above the gigantic open room with an open kitchen. My only complaint about the entire place was the paper napkins; we were told that cloth is coming soon!

We started with a bottle of CHARLES JOGUET 2006 Cabernet Franc :Cuvee Terroir" from Chinon which was mild and had nice body, not a wimpy red at all. It was cold, so we stuck with red all night, moving on to a THIBAULT LIGER-BELAIR "Le Corvee de Villy" 2006 Pinot Noir from Haut Cotes de Nuits, Burgundy and finally being thrilled and wowed by an Estate Bottled WILD HOG 2004 Sonoma ZINFANDEL The wines are all superb and also organic, and Corey the manager was extremely helpful in making suggestions and guiding us. Everyone was as sweet as could be, and our only problem was deciding what to choose from the large menu. There was also a specials menu in addition to the "snacks, salads & cold plates, cheeses, supper plates, faltbreads, soups and warm plates, oysters" and more...

Since everything is local we started with 3 plates of CHESAPEAKE OYSTERS. Of the six types, we adored three: CHOPTANK SWEETS, STINGRAYS and the salty, briny WITCHDUCKS. Also yummy were the CIRCLE C's, BARCATS and OLDE SALTS. We ordered one flatbread to share: PEAR with FIREFLY BLUE CHEESE, ROCKET (odd they used the British term for arugula) & MUSTARD CREAM which was divine and more of a mini-pizza in 4 slices than a really flat flatbread.

We moved on to an assortment of hot plates:
HUNTER's SAUSAGE & PRETZEL which was a housemade sausage served with CHAPEL TOMME Cheese and APPLE CIDER MUSTARD. It was divine, and here we realized that whoever is making the breads, crusts and pretzels is a genius!
The PORK BUNS were also of the pretzel type dough and also divine with a SWEET ONION RELISH. Pastries shone with the flaky delicate CHEDDAR BACON TURNOVERS with glazed apples and sour cream on the side which were unnecessary.
Our one cold plate was the CHILLED BEETS with YOGHURT CHEESE, HORSERADISH & Dill. They were cooked perfectly with kosher or sea salt, just the way I like and the cheese was fuller bodied than I expected; a nice foil to the beets.

You can imagine how full we were after the three of us had devoured all this so we stuck with only two entrees: SHRIMP & ANDOUILLE PEPPERPOT made with Smoked Chicken, Carolina Gold Rice (which is a very round thick couscous like rice), tomato and red chile for a heavenly (and yes, filling) combination.

STOUT-BRAISED SHORT RIBS were cooked to perfection and glazed wonderfully, served with SQUASH SPAETZLE, ROASTED BEETS and Caraway. These two dishes were, needless to say, perfection with the Zinfandel. Our vegetable plate was a simple GREEN BEAN SALAD with delectable WHITE BEECH MUSHROOMS, Burdock & Soy; another organic genius creation by Chef/Owner Spike Gjerde, who must be thrilled with this less than year old place!

We left full with no room for dessert, but knowing that when we are next in Baltimore, WOODBERRY KITCHEN is a destination we will return to.

In Grande Case, St. Martin: lovin' the lolo TALK OF THE TOWN

I have been to Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, the French-Dutch shared island, several times and have always enjoyed superb food. Today's tour of the island with Samuel brought us to the small French seaside town of Grande Case, known to many as the gastronomical capital of the Caribbean, as it is chock full of gourmet restaurants, mostly French, though now quite varied. With Samuel in tow we stopped at the open air spots in town known as "lolo" which are simply local food cooked on grills and served fresh. We loved it all.

We started with the simple JOHNNY CAKES (called "pain" meaning bread) which are more like Navajo fry bread and taste yummy with the hot,hot,hot Creole sauce in the jar on the table. FISH FRITTERS were next and a superb dish called CHRISTOPHINE which is a breaded fish dish in a hollow eggplant shell. YUM YUM.

Boudin noir was the typical French blood pudding, but BOUDIN BLANC was its local cousin made with FISH! WOW!

The ribs were the dry version, barbecued and tasty as was the chicken, and we chose yummy sides of vegetables, rice and beans, and plantains. While I use the word dry, I say this in a complimentary way, and there was a yummy barbecue sauce on the side which I chose to mix with the HOTHOTHOT sauce (just a tad) for a nice dip every now and then.

We asked where the term "lolo" came from and we were informed it was the name of the neighborhood. Well, Grande Case is about 7 blocks long, so I am not quite sure about that, but it didn't matter because we all had a finger-licking good meal of local food before rejoining our ship for two more days of gluttony before returning home.

Martinique's L'HABITATION de DILLON delights

Our second major offshore lunch was in Fort-de-France, Martinique where I had unsuccessfully tried to call the top place in town, La Belle Epoque, for weeks before our departure to reserve a table at the famous gourmet location in the hills north of town. As soon as we disembarked, the woman at the tourist board desk sadly informed us, "ferme." I was devastated. She was a gem and went through the local restaurant listings with us, but most of the finer spots are at hotels to the south and we were headed north and in town only. Many of the finer spots in town were fully booked, as lunch is the big meal here (it IS France, and the stores still close for two hours each day at noon).

We ended up just northeast of downtown at HOSTELLERIE de DILLON on Avenue des Arawaks near the famous Dillon Rhum Distillery. The neighborhood is named Dillon as well, and we think the restaurant may even be owned by the distillery.

The wooden tables and (not too comfy) chairs are mostly outside on a covered patio with a small pool and next to ours a hot tub! I guess they may have some guests (hotel or guest house). Our server was an aloof French (read: tres gay and obnoxious). My French is pretty good and Will can't manage a menu, so I asked him if he spoke English to try and clarify some local terms. His "NON" was so abrupt and he waved his hand like some queen in a bad gay movie. What he failed to tell us was that many others did speak English, which was the only real fault of the afternoon.

We found our beloved BADOIT sparkling water and while Will sipped a Coca-Cola Light, I had a small carafe of tasty dry crisp ROSE de PROVENCE, a relief in the 80+ degree heat. Only I had a starter, which I shared with Will and it was a dreamy DORADE CUIT (barely seared Dorado) in a light tasty (and not sweet at all) COCONUT SAUCE with a small salad of bright red tomato and lettuce in a Dijon Vinaigrette. The fish was superb and we marveled at the sauce, especially since coconut can often be too sweet. The tomatoes were to die for, and I wanted to grab them up and take them back to the ship as the ones aboard tend to be a bit sad.

The main courses were a gourmet delight: I had the TARTARE of CARIBBEAN FISH mixed with lentils and a DILLON RHUM LIME Sauce surrounded by capers and another much larger salad with those delightful tomatoes. The fish was exquisite and the preparation superb; there was really no rum taste at all and I loved the idea of the lentils with the capers for a salty taste.

Will's GRILLED MARLIN with a CREOLE SAUCE was a lighter version of the swordfish-like fish we know but as tasty as could be and seasoned to perfection. The sauce was a divine lemony-yellow and creamy, but not spicy and the dish was accompanied by delicious haricots verts and rice.

After coffee, we headed back to the ship hoping that we can squeeze in one more offshore meal as good today in Saint Martin.

Caribbean cuisine: St. Thomas' GLADYS CAFE loses its star

As you know we are now at sea for ten days and tend to eat most of our meals (which are pretty good) on board the MS NOORDAM. Every now and then we venture to eat ashore and chose to do so on our first day ashore last week in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. I have been there several times and there is indeed some fine dining, but mostly at night or out of town at the hotels. We chose GLADYS' CAFE which has been a stalwart locale in the Royal Dane Mall smack in the middle of town and has consistently received high ratings including an "our favorite" star from Fodor's Travel Guides. Well, based on our visit, they lost the star.

We are used to the laid back service in the islands, but came in parched from the heat and begged for water, which did not come for almost ten minutes. It seems that only the waitress can bring water; the lady who clears the table can do only that and point to the waitress when you ask for something!

The food has lots to be desired as well. Samuel's HAMBURGER was on the verge of well done shoe leather (we asked for it not past medium), Will's CARIBBEAN LOBSTER SALAD SANDWICH was about as mayonnaise-intense as it gets and hardly chock full of meat. My GOAT CURRY was well-prepared and tasty with lots of nice sides like beans and rice, plantains, etc., but the goat tended to be sinewy and was on the bone; bone which made up most of the platter. Thank goodness for the sides and tasty sauce,

After waiting for what seemed a decade, our waitress finally brought the check and we just hied out as quick as we could. The ambiance at Gladys is mostly tourists with some locals at the rowdy bar; the decor is unmemorable and the bathroom is a public one outside down the street, which one would think would have been cleaner as there was a woman sitting there collecting tips but clearly not wiping any surface in need of it. Enough said. ZERO STARS.

AZUL at Miami's MANDARIN ORIENTAL is opulent

We only had one night in Miami before we boarded our cruise ship (we are now somewhere in the middle of the Bahamas at sea) and specifically planned it to have dinner with our friends Michael & Roberto. We chose AZUL for its high ratings, but also because it was right in our hotel and hence, oh so easy; Friday night traffic in Miami Beach and Miami can be awful!

It is a beautiful elegant setting created when the hotel opened for Chef Michelle Bernstein, who has gone on to great fame, but had her humbler beginnings as an apprentice to our dear late Jean-Louis Palladin at the Watergate! Chef Clay Conley (sp?) is now in charge and the operation is as seamless as ever. Superb service, timing and a huge staff which oozes class seems to anticipate our every need.

We started with a bottle of KARL LAGLER "Burgberg" 2007 Federspeil GRUNER VELTLINER, after having polished off a bottle of tasty, but light, DELOACH PINOT NOIR in our suite upstairs. The amuse was a FRIED RISOTTO BALL with Black Truffle which was nice and the breads were a bit burnt (so they brought us a fresh warm batch instantly) and came with a tasty Black Olive Tapenade with Orange.

The food began to excite with our starters as we all shared a PERUVIAN CORVINA CEVICHE with AVOCADO SALAD and yummy TOSOTONES coated with a bit of honey. We decided to share this and there were only three tostones on the plate, but after a quick request from Will, three move appeared magically. The ceviche was superb fleshy fish and a great sauce.

Our "second" round of starters was even more exciting:
A spicy JAPANESE HIMACHI "TRADITO" with Peruvian Chiles, Ginger, Soy Vinaigrette and Crispy Lotus Root Salad CHAR-GRILLED OCTOPUS Salad with Cucumber, Roasted Garlic HUMMUS, Kalamata Olive, Tomato, Mint & Red Wine Vinaigrette
A loaded with MAINE LOBSTER SALALD with a tingling CARROT-COCONUT EMULSION, Hearts of Palm, Grapefruit and Avocado
and my "STEAK 'N' EGG" which was a CARPACCIO of BEEF covered with TRUFFLED ARTICHOKE Vinaigrette SALAD which was nice by outshone by its plate partner the TARTARE of BEEF with TEMPURA-Fried CRISPY EGG YOLK and Aged Balsamic. This was one of the best tartares around. By this time we had moved onto a hugely grapefruit intense SAUVIGNON BLANC 2004 from CRAUFORD "Highlander-Maroon Vineyard" that we loved with the intense flavors of the food.

Our main course wine was a PATRICIA GREENE 206 "Balcombe" PINOT NOIR from Oregon loaded with fruit, spice and some vanilla; DIVINE!

YOGURT Marinated Local SWORDFISH with Minted Yogurt, Toasted Pita Salad, Lobster and a Brown Butter Cashew Sauce was tasty and novel, MAPLE FARMS DUCK BREAST with Confit Leg, Gingered Carrots, Sesame Glaze, Cabbage and Citrus Salad was a huge portion and perfectly cooked. A big hit for all of us was the MOROCCAN INSPIRED LAMB with Harissa Marinated Loin, Lamb Shank Bastilla in phyllo with Shaved Artichoke Salad (as a substitute for the eggplant), RAITA, Grilled Lamb Chop and Pepper Salad.

My CERVENA VENSION LEG "Au Poivre" was indeed spicy peppery and came with Crispy Polenta, Bosch Pears, Spinach, Venison Bolognese and a Polenta Cube that was heavenly and made with Cave Aged Gruyere.

Our desserts were equally impressive with me going for the lighter BASIL PANNA COTTA with Tomato Marmelade, Lemon Olive Oil Sorbet (which was sublime) and Cherry Reduction. Will opted for the CHOCOLATE TRIO of Hazelnut Bar, Milk Chocolate-Lime Ice Cream (yumyum), Chocolate Banana Cake, Ginger Ice Cream and Whipped Ganache. Roberto had the MILK CHOCOLATE & ORANGE which was a semifreddo of the former and a creme brulee of the latter with Orange Sorbet. Michael was good and just tasted!

We left happy knowing that we could always eat several more meals or more each day aboard our ship.

SEA SALT reigns supreme in Naples, FL

On New Year's Day our friends Phyllis and Michael joined us and Samuel as we ventured to downtown Naples where SEA SALT (www.SeaSaltNaples.com) opened only a month ago. This beautiful setting is chic and classy yet casual with a large bar area at the front and many outside places as well as a huge dining room which actually has tables in the large open kitchen area at the rear. It is one of the nicest restaurant settings we have seen in Florida. Sea Salt is the creation of our friends Ingrid and Fabrizio Aielli who left Washington just over a year ago after selling their landmark Italian restaurant Teatro Goldoni.

Sam was pretty hungry so we asked for a plate of pasta for him prontissimo and within minutes, Fabrizio had whipped up a superb PENNE with KOBE BEEF RAGU which Sam devoured, although he did not seem to care for the spectacular meat sauce, so we all scooped it up in our spoons!

We munched on crispy FRITTO MISTO of shrimp, scallops, zucchini, calamari and more with a simple tartar sauce. I marveled at how greaseless each piece was. We started with a bottle of intensely mineral DOMAINE BELLE CROZES-HERMITAGES Blanc 2006 which was great with almost everything. It was quite wonderful to find such an eclectic wine list in Florida as well, since so many places have the same standards. Our second wine was an equally rewarding POLIZIANO 2005 VINO NOBILE de MONTEPULCIANO which was a well rounded and medium bodied red that again just goes with everything. Our final wine was an intense full-bodied yet oh so smooth DARIOUSH 2005 MERLOT from Napa.

Our servers Zach & Matt were brilliant, we could not have asked for better attention and indeed we noticed that while the place was filling up tp the brim (we arrived at 6pm) as we enjoyed ourselves, service never seemed to slack off anywhere in the large room.

SEA SALT leans toward seafood, but is not exclusive by far. The signature here is the small plate of three salts that come with the superb bread along with olive oil to mix the salt with for the bread. Our three salts were RED HAWAIIAN, BLACK LAVA also from HAWAII and INDIAN BLACK LAVA which is actually pinkish and has the most bizarre sulphuric taste reminiscent of roasted egg yolk. It was fun to taste these and use them on the food as well....as we were reminded there are over 70 varieties of sea salt in the world used for seasoning!

TUNA CARPACCIO came with QUAIL EGGS, BOTTARGA, CUCUMBER, CILANTRO, LEMON Vinaigrette and Smoked Salt ad was topped with an herb like green called WAKAMEE (sp?). It was a divine creation as were all the dishes all evening. SQUID INK RICOTTA GNOCCHI with Ragu of ARTICHOKES & Skinned TOMATO topped with BOTTARGA and ROASTED RED & GOLD BEETS with Warm Pecan Crusted GOAT CHEESE, Mache and POMEGRANATE Vinaigrette were alos big hits. We shared a divine BURRATA with HEIRLOOM TOMATOES which I am confident has never before made its way to Naples or perhaps even the entire Southwest of Florida. Innovation of ingredients are another prime key treat at SEA SALT. KUMAMOTO OYSTERS came with the standard cocktail sauce, but also a terrifice OLIVE TAPENADE SAUCE which was light enough not to overpower the delicate bivalves.

A palate cleanser of RASPBERRY & Candied ORANGE SORBET with LAVA BLACK SALT was a novelty and a treat.

Entrees were also top notch from the SWORDFISH Crusted with CRAB MEAT, Tomato & Thyme Sauce with Baby Artichokes which Will declared as the best swordfish he had ever had! The BROILED BLACK GROUPER with GRAPE TOMATO POPS & CHIVES, SHITAKE MUSHROOMS and TRUFFLE SOFT POLENTA was another divine fish. When Phyllis mentioned that part of her fish was a bit tough, they offered to replace it immediately; since she was already quite full the charge was quickly removed from the bill. At this point we were all in heaven save Samuel who declared he was very tired and had a mini melt-down (he had been swimming almost all day at two pools and the beach and really was exhausted), so we packed up the remains of the wine...took home some yummy chocolates and quickly got Sam to bed and enjoyed the rest.

I know that Naples is on our return list again just to visit our dear friends there, but also to revisit SEA SALT, perhaps several times!

New Year's Eve in Naples, FL at CHOPS CITY GRILL

Last night this Phyllis got to see a different Phyllis and her husband Michael, as we are visiting them here in Naples for a couple of days. They chose CHOPS CITY GRILL (www.gr8food.net) in Bonita Springs, just to the north as they had no set menu on New Year's which can sometimes be a drag.

Chops City Grill has nice simple decor and nothing to really wow you visually. When we arrived at 9:15pm it was packed, but by 11pm when we left, we were the only folks at a table in our section; Florida does go to bed early!

They offered us a complimentary bottle of LOUIS PERDRIER CHAMPAGNE which was nice and we chatted away as we perused the huge menus. Phyllis and Michael split a tasty DOUBLE WEDGE SALAD of Iceberg and Boston with Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Watercress & Radicchio in a mild blue cheese dressing. The warm sourdough was tasty and melted in my mouth and the butter oddly comes sitting in pool of olive oil.

Will opted for the SHORT STACK (which was not really a stack) of JUMBO LUMP CRAB CAKES with Lobster and King Crab in a sauce of Sun-Dried Tomato, Roasted Garlic and Champagne; an exciting and tasty preparation with huge chunks of all the shellfish.

My ROASTED OYSTERS "Chopafella" came in Garlic & Voda Cream and each of the three tasty mollusks were topped with a huge chunk of KING CRAB, ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE (to add a bite), SPINACH & melted SMOKED GOUDA; it was a divine dish.

We moved on to tasty ARCADIAN "Fiddlestix" PINOT NOIR 2003 from the SANTA RITA HILLS which was bold and fruit forward and really worked with the tasty entrees. We all ordered the 6 ounce (smallest size) FILLET which were dry aged on premises. They can be ordered in several different ways (Will and I went for the PEPPERCORN CRUSTED) and with difference sauces from a rich thick BEARNAISE to a masterful BLACKBERRY CABERNET (which our server ingeniously recommended to pair with the peppercorn versions).

The steaks were beautifully presented atop a piece of grilled EGGPLANT and topped with tasty crisp ONION RINGS. Unlike our steak houses back home, here in Florida a side dish is included. We tasted the CREAMED SPINACH with CRISPY ONIONS which was nice, but not up to the level of the creamed spinach we get at those fancy big steakhouses. On the other hand the SEA SALT BAKED POTATO with Applewood Smoked Bacon Bits and Chives with Sour Cream was an inspiration.

It was indeed a wonderful New Year's Eve with dear friends, good food, good wine and many prayers for what has to be a much better 2009! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tonight--we all dine at SEA SALT, a recently opened top rated place in downtown Naples owned by our other set of dear friends living here Ingrid & Fabrizio Aielli, who moved here from Washington where they used to own TEATRO GOLDONI!

Clearwater's CAFE PONTE takes a high place

Our last night in the Tampa Bay region we chose a fancier place and left Samuel with a sitter. CAFE PONTE (www.cafeponte.com) gets high Zagat ratings as well as an often number one spot in the local zines for fine dining. We arrived to be seated next to a family with two young children, and they were well behaved, I just guess that in this area, anything goes (shorts, kids, jeans, tank tops, etc) even in the "finest" of spots. This did not mar the fine food we had, so maybe next time we will bring Samuel.

The large dining room has cozy booths and tables and is spread out, with little decor of note. The curved open kitchen is easily seen and the bar is oddly placed right next to that. There is a glass enclosed free-standing wine cellar in the middle.

The chef proprietor is Christopher Ponte, but the menu lists his chef de cuisine as Anthony Bonanno, but we didn't really know who was in charge.

We started with a SCHRAMBERG BRUT ROSE North Coast, California which was dry, bubbly and had an intense strawberry taste; a fun treat on the day before New Year's Eve. An amazing amuse of MUSHROOM SOUP came loaded with Wild Mushrooms, Truffle Cream, a dash of Sherry and Mushroom Dust; a rich creamy concoction that would warm anyone on a chilly (58 degrees) Florida evening. The bread had garlic clove centered buns and superb focaccia; these came with humus with a candied walnut and "European" Butter.

The appetizers were both of the highest quality with my Serrano Ham wrapped PAN SEARED SEA SCALLOPS with Fresh Melon Salad over a Vanilla Bean Sauce only marred by the silly dish that caused my utensils to keep sliding into the sauce! Can't chefs understand that some of these pretty designer plates are just USELESS! Will's appetizer was a larger than entree size ASIAN CALAMARI with Fresh Spinach, Asian veggies (sprouts), toasted PEANUTS, CARAMEL SOY GLAZE (with peanut sauce) and Cilantro Aioli. It had a nice spicy bite and was as tender as could be...and did I say HUGE, so I helped him finish it.

We moved on to a tasty CLOUDY BAY CHARDONNAY 2004 from Marlborough in New Zealand that has no oak and works well with just about any dish. I had the DAY BOAT CATCH which was BLACK GROUPER soy-marinated with SUGAR SNAP Peas in a Spicy (which was not that spicy) TOMATO-GINGER Broth and Pea Shoots. It was yummy, but the fish was just slightly overcooked. Will fares much better with the YUKON POTATO Crusted CHILEAN SEA BASS (after the manager steered him away from the tempura fried Yellowtail Snapper) with Braised LEEKS and Sugar Snap Peas in a RED WINE SAUCE! It was divine and tasty!

We split the tasty RASPBERRY CREME BRULEE which was a VERVEINE TEA infused brulee with several raspberries on top...superbly crunchy top and creamy custard. I had a great cup of AFRICAN AUTUMN tea (my throat has been a bit sore) from HARVEY & SONS made from South African ROOIBOS. It was a tasty red tea with huge cranberry flavors. CAFE PONTE proved that fine dining is indeed fine in Clearwater.

FRENCHY's is a fun group in Clearwater Beach, FL

Both of our lunches here were pretty good experiences as we chose FRENCHY's a small local chain of five places on or near the beach. On Monday we lunched at FRENCHY's SALTWATER CAFE (www.frenchysonline.com) and Samuel enjoyed a kid's hamburger, his newfound love, while Will chose the SOFT SHELL CRAB SANDWICH, which he said was just ok.

Frenchy's is famous as the award winner of the GROUPER SANDWICH and my CAJUN STYLE was superb as the fish is grilled perfectly with some nice spice and a remoulade sauce on a tasty bun. Our sides of coleslaw were nice, but oddly came with pineapple mixed and hence a bizarre sweetness to the slightly creamy version.

Tuesday we chose the original FRENCHY's CAFE and Samuel adored the fish tacos which came (at an amazing special spice that day of $1.50 each) in a soft tortilla and a yummy salsa. I had one as well along with my excellent SEAFOOD GUMBO, a superb thick gumbo loaded with small shrimp and tasty fish chunks and lots of yummy okra. Will said the GROUPER REUBEN was overwhelmed by the 1000 Island dressing, but still good.

The price is right, the atmosphere very "Key West" and local with friendly service and a good meal. Check out Frenchy's if you are in Clearwater Beach!

CESARE at the beach gets a bitty bravo (Clearwater Beach, FL)

Our first night of several in Florida this winter was spent on the gulf coast east of Tampa in Clearwater Beach. Our hotel concierge recommended CESARE (www.cesareatthebeach.com) down the street as "the best Italian" on the beach. Of course, after long thought, the remaining Italian places here tend to be pizza parlors!

The decor is nothing special, but like most of the folks here, the service is efficient and very friendly.

Samuel was in a spaghetti and meatball mood and after half a huge child portion, called it quits without even dessert.

Our server Chad (he hated his name) recommended an excellent Sicilian Syrah, but sadly I lost my notes and also the exact name! DAMN! It was jammy, earthy and a treat. Will felt like ordering a plate of bruschetta, which I never do, but I said I would split it. The 4 pieces alternated from soggy to brittle bread and it was a shame as the topping was full of fresh tomato and tasty. There was also an heavily herbed oil for the bread which Sam and we all loved adored. SACATINI was a pasta type I had never heard of before, and these small purses of pasta with melted cheese inside were superb with pancetta and mushrooms in a light cream VODKA Sauce with peas. Will and I split the dish which was perfect for splitting and a truly delish dish. We both had Veal for the entrees and it was a winning meat choice. Will went for the SALTIMBOCCA rolled with prosciutto and cheese and nicely done, but my huge VEAL CHOP in a Brandy-Cream Sauce was divine. As is wont in Florida everything comes with huge sides and here it was potatoes and zucchini. After all this we were so full we headed right back to the hotel and three of us crashed after the long trip down and a long day.

Sorry, I lost my notes....it's driving me nuts as we also had a nice NEBBIOLO d'ALBA for the second bottle as well.

RAY's HELL BURGER in Arlington--amazing accoutrements...

We have tried Ray's the Steaks in Arlington once and want to go back, but this was our first trip to it's new neighbor and younger brother at 1713 Wilson Blvd, RAY'S HELL BURGER. The place seems unmarked and it is as basic as it gets with several "B" (or worse) movie posters, small tables, wooden chairs, paper towels and signs asking you not to "save" tables until you have ordered.

After heading to the rear area you can pick up a menu which a choice of ONE ITEM: a Premium Aged 10 ounce burger, hand trimmed and freshly ground served with lettuce and tomato on a toasted (seeded) brioche bun with an orange smile at $6.95. Then there are the toppings:
Four choices of styles:
Grilled
Au Poivre
Blackened
or Diablo (Chipotle Marinade)

the choice of temperatures:
Recommended -warm red center
Medium
or Cooked Throughout

the toppings with a charge:
Seared Foie Gras with Truffle Oil which tops the prices at $10
Roasted Bone Marrow with Persillade for $3
and Black Forest Ham, Guacamole or Applewood Smoked Bacon for $1.50 each

The choices of cheese are American, Swiss, Vermont White Cheddar, Smoked Mozzarella, Muenster, Pepper Jack or Fontina at $1.00 each
Aged Danish Bleu, Gruyere, Imported Double Cream Brie or Dutch Mustard Seed Gouda at $1.50 each
Chimay a la Biere for $3.00
Roque Creamery Smokey Bleu, Queen Anne Stilton, Cave Aged Amish Cheddar at $4.50 each
and Epoisse de Bourgogne at $5.00 (I would have had this, but felt the price was a bit outrageous...)

NO CHARGE for the following:
the dreamiest COGNAC & SHERRY SAUTEED MUSHROOMS
Grilled Red Onions
Sauteed Peppers
Roasted Garlic
Raw Red Onion
Charred Jalapenos
Bread & Butter Pickle Chips
Dill Pickle Chips
RAY's HECK SAUCE (described as tangy and special, but not spicy)
Piranha Sauce (fiery, spicy, green sauce)

There are lots of varied chips and some potato options as well...we skipped these as the burgers are HUGE. Samuel joined us and finished off 1/2 his plain burger which was really excellent.

Of the four adults (our friends' one month old chose not to have a burger as he was asleep!), the burgers did seem to all come a bit past medium rare as requested, which was truly the only problem.

There are 10 pre-designed burgers as well and two folks tried the SOUL BURGER NUMBER ONE with the Applewood Bacon, Swiss Cheese, Mushrooms and Grilled Red Onions. I created my own from the superb BLACKENED BURGER which had just a slight bit of spicy Cajun seasoning and did not overwhelm at all combined with those to die for MUSHROOMS, the VERMONT CHEDDAR and the HECK SAUCE....I loved it.

Ray's Hell Burger is fun, and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely for a very reasonable price and the toppings are what makes the burger here on top of excellent beef. If they can get the temperature correct...it'll be a star!

TALLULA takes some top honors (Arlington VA)

Last night we returned to TALLULA after over a year and a half to find an entire new staff from the top down. Chef ANDREW MARKERT has taken over in the kitchen and has retained the basic menu setup with lots of new and fun turns.

There are still the small bites which really are a bunch of amuses available for about $3-4 each. We tried the creamy STEAK TARTARE with Cornichons & Worcestershire on Crostini which was yummy and just right for two bites (the creamy mayo texture with mustard made it quite rich). The SHORT RIB CROQUET (which we sadly found out leaves the menu today for the winter) was a dreamy crunchy treat full of tasty meat, garlic and parmesan on a bed of RED WINE AIOLI which I promptly mopped up.

We ordered a plummy yummy bottle of BOARDING PASS SHIRAZ 2006 from Barossa Valley Australia which is an adorable bottle having a label like a boarding pass (the three letter "airport code" is "AUS" for Australia) and on the rear a kind of pre-departure flight attendant demo cartoon showing them sniffing, swirling and tasting a wine.

The DIVER SCALLPS with CAULIFLOWER, PARMESAN "vol au vent" and Spicy Garlic was a tasty dish (although one scallop was slightly too firm for my tastes). The RABBIT PAPPARDELLE had monstrously wide ribbon pasta with Jasmine Tea, Pistachio Foam, Chives and Candied Pearl Onions. The onions were not really "candied" or caramelized" and were actually quite crunchy. This was tasty, but I do prefer them cooked a bit more (or I often taste them later!). The rabbit and pasta was divine, but I still don't get this foam thing as it has so little taste, but looked nice.

Our entrees were a monstrous portion of LAMB STEW with CHESTNUT RISOTTO, BACON, Cider Reduction and Fried Parsnips which was rich, yummy, filling and a total wintertime treat. The DUCK TWOFOLD offered up tender breast and rich confit with three types of BEETS (golden, purple and red), FIGS, Earl Grey (do you sense the chef likes tea) and CINNAMON TOAST. The confit on the toast was dreamy as it was not too sweet or sugary (just cinnamon-y) and it was really hard to find the tea taste, but it was hidden there somewhere, as I got a hint every now and then.

For dessert we split a superb RED WINE PEAR TART with PISTACHIO Ice Cream and Peanut Brittle that was more like a crumble or brown betty tart and was just right and not too big as well.

TALLULA has always been a great place, especially with the near-in Arlington restaurant scene not having a huge variety. Despite the present economy, the place was full when we left at 8pm as was EAT BAR next door, so they must be doing something right!

New York's NEO SUSHI is sublime (if pricey)

I was on the Upper West Side on Monday night for a charity benefit concert and stopped in at NEO SUSHI on the southeast corner of Broadway and 83rd Street (www.neosushi.com). It was quiet at 530pm and a welcome respite from the starting to get chilly temps (it was 63 degrees during the day!) and drizzle. A pot of GREEN TEA warmed me up and I proceeded to watch the three sushi chefs at the bar prepare meals for three lone clients.

The place is simple with wooden floors, chairs and even wooden banquettes (albeit with a cushion back) in the front section. If you don't want to sit at the U- almost L-shaped sushi bar with its cushioned bar stools and don't want the not too comfy window seats in the wood banquettes up front (although when alone, the tall windows give nice street views of passers-by and you CAN see the sushi chefs very well), then opt for the cozier cushioned booths in the rear.

Hot towels come before the meal and after, so NEO is already placing itself in a class above most international business class flights that are now down to one towel!

I started with a SUPER WHITE TUNA ROLL, an appetizer special that had a lightly seared White Tuna stuffed with SPINACH & MONKFISH LIVER (done in a pate style and looking much like a ying-yang symbol in the center of each roll) on a bed of three thick purees of beet, carrot and scallion (purple,orange and green) the latter of which was the most tasty. It was an ingenious combination and made me realize that NEO would not be your run of the mill sushi place. They incidentally have a full menu of non-sushi items as well.


I was adventurous and asked for the SASHIMI OMAKASE platter of 8 pieces priced at $46, which when it boils down to $6/piece while magnificent, seemed a bit too high. I watched the chef blow torch one piece and "decorate" each piece and lots of care went into the dish, so maybe the price was not so bad. The truth is that each piece was indeed SUBLIME:
Seared OH TORO
the most tender SHU TORO
AHI TUNA with TOFU Sauce
WILD YELLOWTAIL
SALMON TORO -which I had never had before and is simply luscious
YELLOWTAIL with YUZU & JALAPENO
OCEAN TROUT on EEL SAUCE(which was thick and rich) and SUNDRIED TOMATO
RED SNAPPER with VINEGAR JELLY-another superbly tasting new treat

I was so intrigued by the quality, I asked my server what smaller item she might recommend in addition and she suggested one of the 12 or so "house" rolls.

I loved the Salmon Toro so much I wanted to include this and chose an item called the TWISTED NEO ROLL which came attractively laid out with 8 pieces on a plate in an X-formation with ginger topped by and orchid leaf at the cross. At $20, it was extremely filling and reasonable, and consisted of WASABI (mild) MARINATED LOBSTER and CUCUMBER wrapped in SALMON TORO & AVOCADO over a FRESH MANGO SAUCE. It was the creamiest, yummiest sushi I have ever had in NYC and again the presentation should win an award as the roll had this "twisted" kind of double-helix look of alternating orange(salmon) and avocado (green) on the outside with a sliver of tasty salmon skin alternating as well.

I left full and looking forward to returning to NEO again to try the many other items they have!

5 NAPKIN BURGER-Hell's kitchen hosts the best burger in NY

Before my matinee on Broadway today I stepped a bit westward to 5 NAPKIN BURGER (www.5napkinburger.com) at 9th Ave & 45th Street where I was treated to the BEST BURGER I HAVE HAD IN AEONS!

First of all the place is crowded, noisy and a treat with white tile walls and lots of glass to the street side. The ceiling seems to have cleaners tracks (which I realy think are meat packing plant tracks) with meat hooks, bare light bulbs and at this time of the year stray Xmas ornaments.

I am glad for the linen napkin(if they were paper, you WOULD need 5 napkins!) as this 5NAPKIN House burger is an amazing and oozy juicy treat of 10 ounces of ground chuck coated with melted COMTE cheese, CARAMELIZED ONIONS and ROSEMARY AIOLI on a fresh soft white roll. It was best akin to a burger in onion soup--but without the liquid (save the juice). You could smell the cheese and onion like a bowl of French onion soup when it was placed in front of you and all you could do was DEVOUR THE ENTIRE THING! The fries were nice, but no revelation; thin, crispy and salty. At $13.75 (with fries) you might balk, but
this burger was worth EVERY SINGLE cent and I thin I have a new theater-district spot to eat lunch!

NYC's east side gem is JOJO and Jean-Georges is at his roots

I have never been a big fan of superstar chef Jean-Georges, but lately I have been impressed by the places where he sets a theme and keeps his hands off. JOJO has been at 160 E 64th Street on Manhattan's East Side for years and has been bringing in the crowds nonstop. I discovered last night why.

This cozy small downstairs and upstairs brownstone just seconds from the haute couture shopping (which in this awful economy was a booming madhouse yesterday!) had a full house by 6pm. I booked 530pm so I could catch a crosstown bus and make a Lincoln Center concert at 8pm (and it went quite smoothly).

There is gold leaf molding, heavy drapes to keep the cold out (and nice double doors too), small intimate, if crowded, dining rooms and I would say about 5 two-tops and 2 four-tops in each room, making for not a huge turnover. Wines are offered up at 2.5 oz. tastes or 5 oz. glasses and I started with a POUILLY FUISSE 2006 from JJ VINCENT that had huge mineral tastes but went wonderfully well with my SHRIMP DUSTED IN ORANGE POWDER. This was really a huge Salad of ARUGULA with ARTICHOKE HEARTS and 4 tasty dusted shrimp. A pepper mill made it perfect and while the warm baguettes that arrived earlier were now dry and flaky, I thought that the bread did need some work unless you eat it right away.

This unpretentious but warm spot reminded me of my younger years in the late 60's and early 70's in NY, when my parents sometimes asked me to join them to dine (often before or after theater) at A LA FOURCHETTE on the West Side or MARIO's Villa D'este or Villa Borghese on the East Side; how I miss those wonderful times. Obviously JOJO attracts a regular crowd as so many of the folks around me were welcomed by so many of the staff on a first name basis and even with, "oh my, you have ordered something different tonight!"

My entree was a superb Peppercorn crusted VENISON MEDALLIONS with reconstituted PEARS (really confit), POMEGRANATE Seeds, Fingerling Potatoes and Savoy Cabbage. Sauces here are not the stars, the meat and food itself is, which is why I say it is so traditional and clearly not newfangled cookery. A glass of COTES DUE RGHONE 2006 LA FRAMBOISERIE was the perfect foil to the meat and all its ingredients.

Dessert was again truly traditional and simple and called RASPBERRY CRISP with Raspberry Cream, but was a Napoleon style concoction of piles of raspberries with some delicious fruity cream and wafers layered all on coulis; a gem of a fruit dessert and not too heavy at all.

Chatting with manager Jamie Unwin, we were able to reminisce about our dear late friend Jean-Louis Palladin, whose first (and sadly failed) NY restaurant he opened so many years ago. The memories, the food and the real French tradition made JOJO a true gem and treat.

The St. Regis' ADOUR displays Ducasse amazing talent

Last night four of us spent several hours at the new ADOUR in the St. Regis Washington Hotel where superstar chef Alain Ducasse has positioned chef Julien Jouhannaud in the kitchen and they are indeed turning out some pretty delicious meals.

I have to admit that I miss the voluptuous elegant Empire furniture and setting, all that remains is the gorgeous emblazoned dark wood beam ceiling. There are white leather chairs, crisp linens, well-spaced tables and around the wall tall curved banquettes of brown and black that make quite a cozy setting for two, although we had two of the white chairs at ours still giving us lots of privacy. The St. Regis bar is separated from the restaurant by a glassed-in wine cellar which runs the width of the dining room. In its previous incarnation, Lespinasse may have been a bit stuffy, but Adour is less so; a bit formal, but also casual with excellent friendly staff as well; our server KYUNG had worked there some 12 years I believe!

I expected the wine list to be severely inflated, but sommelier Ramon Narvaez (who came from Marcel's) has been very careful and still allowed many lower-priced wines that are good deals to find their way to the extensive list. We first chose a MARCEL DEISS 2003 Pinot Gris "BEBLENHEIM" and since Ramon was out, the assistant wine steward mentioned that he needed to chill the bottle. I tasted the wine and it was room temperature, so I asked what temperature the cellar is kept at. He told me 55 or so, but that it blew a fuse earlier that day! OOPS! He quickly rectified this by offering us a complimentary bottle of ALAIN DUCASSE house champagne from Lanson which was very nice and very cold (while the Pinot Gris chilled). I should mention that the house sparkling water is BADOIT, my favorite on earth (even at $8)!

Our friends arrived and we all quickly decided on the 5-course $95 tasting menu, which is really the best way to sample what the chef has to order as well as taste multiple items at a reasonable cost. It is indeed quite a filling meal as well.

First came some Emmental GOUGERES which had coarse salt on them and BOY, were they salty, but yummy. Next came an amuse of PUMPKIN VELOUTE with Ricotta Cheese RAVIOLI and Creme Fraiche which was quite excellent. We tasted the Marcel Deiss again and it was sublime with (as Deiss does) an amazing terroir and a slight hint of sweetness, like a German Riesling, yet creamy and divine with loads of minerals from the "Beblenheim mountain" where the vineyard sits. It was the more than perfect accompanying wine for the first course DUCK FOIE GRAS CONFIT with Pineapple Chutney and Dried Pineapple Wheel. This was indeed a rich thick creamy torchon and I felt the use of "confit" on the menu as opposed to torchon or pate made me expect a warm dish. No matter it was sublime and came with yummy brioche and French bread toasts. One of us asked to substitute the HAMACHI with green apple and was also brought a glass of wine to pair with it as well!

We knew gnocchi and fish were coming, but really felt like red wine, so Rigaa, who also assists Ramon, recommended a NUIT SAINT GEORGES 2004 "Les Fleurieres" from Jean-Jacques Confuron which is also offered by the glass. It was a traditional Burgundy Pinot Noir with some depth, but not too intense and again a perfect pairing with the two courses to follow:

RICOTTA GNOCCHI with Sauteed Lettuce, CRISPY PROSCIUTTO & CHANTERELLES Mushrooms & Sauce. The gnocchi were light and almost floated above the sauce, and the large piece of crispy prosciutto was fun and added a dash to the simpler tastes of the dish.

BAKED HALIBUT with CHESTNUTS, Button Mushrooms, Mizzuna came in an ARBOIS WINE Sauce and again I was reminded how much I adore this fish. I asked where it came from at this time of the year, since we usually see it from Alaska in the summer and discovered it hails from the North Atlantic.

Our final wine of the evening was a 2006 CHATEAUNEUF du PAPE from Domaine LAFOND "Roc-Epine" which was a bit young and tight when we first tasted it. Rigaa proceeded to decant the wine into a clear wine-bottle shaped decanter with an odd looking breathing device (apparently both created for the Ducasse kingdom) and believe it or not, the wine opened up quite fast and within 2-3 minutes and a big swirl in our Schott crystal glass it was perfect with the ROASTED PENNSYLVANIA RACK of LAMB with EGGPLANT CAVIAR, APRICOT CONFIT and Creamy QUINOA. The highlight of this dish was the beyond superb QUINOA that blew my tastebuds away! The lamb was rare and tender and tasty, the eggplant divine (and I don't usually like eggplant) and the apricots were simply cooked a bit to tenderness (so why confit?), but a nice touch.

Dessert on the tasting menu was GIANDUJA "Sable" of Milk Chocolate with orange Zest and Marmalade Sauce, but two of substituted the GALA APPLE SOUFFLE with Granny Smith Compote, Calvados Lady Fingers and Vanilla Ice Cream that was perfectly prepared. Fruit filled souffles, are NOT easy, and this was light, fluffy and tasty with the fruit floating within and not weighing down the egg custard at all.

Additional macaroons of Raspberry or Gianduja came to the table as well as a plate of chocolates(milk, passion fruit and Adour dark), just in case you needed more!

I can safely say that we all adored every bite at ADOUR!

CommonWealth Gastropub-odd name, a gourmet-ish take on British cuisine

Chef Jamie Leeds has expanded her Hank's Oyster Bar locations and even opened a new British pub/restaurant in the way up and still coming Columbia Heights neighborhood (CommonWealth Gastropub (www.cwgastropub.com) at 14th and Irving, NW under the eye of Chef Antonio Burrell (Viridian, Bis, Gabriel). This is a pretty amazing accomplishment in today's economy, and while the "pub" was not super busy last night, it was doing fairly well. Luckily, this created a lower noise level than I was expecting, and that's always a blessing.

The ambience is a bit dark, and I needed to ask for a flashlight to read the menu as the lone flickering candle on the table was pretty useless. I was given a torch (that's British for flashlight) and it was sorely in need of fresh batteries, but I persevered and managed to order a bottle of 2004 BODEGAS Las 800 Granacha Blend from Priorat that was full-bodied, tasty and has some wonderful smokiness along with lingering tart cherries that worked so well with all the heavier food and sauces. There are dark wood tables, leather banquettes, wooden chairs and a nice outdoor patio when the weather is warm. The decor is somewhere between the UK and the USA pub-style, but comfy and warm.

Samuel chose the DOG in a PUFF with CHIPS which is a sausage-type hot dog partially wrapped in puff pastry (which he instantly discarded-even though it was superb). The "chips" were of the thick steak-like American variety and were steaming inside and very tasty. They managed to stay flavorful even way into the meal, and were perfectly fried and crisp on the outside (but not greasy in the least). Each table gets an amazing tray of pickled veggies(beets, carrots, cauliflower) and corn relish that we HAD to refill and then get extra for a doggie bag; it's THAT GREAT! The bread is less exciting, so stick to the veggies.

I started with the SMOKED TROUT ROLLMOPS, a superb chilled filet rolled around and served on a superb creamy POTATO SALAD. It is a large and filling portion loaded with flavor, and perfect on a warm or hot evening, although I loved them last night when it was 50degrees out! Will went for the totally traditional British items and got a gastro-variation of things he grew up with: SCOTCH EGGS are tasty little quiche-like cups with a hard-boiled egg center usually served alone, but here enhanced with a choice of three sauces: HONEY MUSTARD--a bit sweet, but nice SPICY AIOLI-which was creamy and rich mayo and not spicy at all (Will liked this the best) and a GREEN SAUCE of herbs (cilantro, etc) that was a perfect foil to the egg and made the best combination in my mind.

His entree was the CUMBERLAND BANGERS & MASH with ONION GRAVY which was actually one large sausage on a bed of creamy yummy to-die-for mashed potatoes in a superb sauce (which again is a gastro-turn, as Will is used to having them with baked beans back home).

I could not decide between the Flank Steak and the special of Grass-Fed BEEF MEATLOAF with Sauteed GREEN BEANS, MASHED POTATOES and SHERRIED MUSHROOM GRAVY, but our server Jonathan (who will commented has excellent teeth) said that the while his favorite is the steak, the specials are not always available, and I can always come back for the steak. He was right. The meat and sauce were divine as were the creamy potatoes. The beans were cooked perfectly and the portion was monstrous. There were some cayenne peppers in the meat, but also an Eastern spice I could not pin down (nobody in the kitchen could help and Chef Burrell was out; Chef Leeds was there but way too busy with another group).

Will and I split the STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING which was a superbly created cake-like pudding with a caramelly sticky toffee sauce. Only the dollop of whipped cream was unwelcome as way too American. In the UK, the pudding would have sat in a pool of overdose cream custard as well! Besides, I never care for whipped cream.

We had a great time and look forward to returning to a little spot of the UK here in DC!

ODEON CAFE is just OK

Yesterday I took Samuel to the Gay Men's Chorus holiday/concert production with his Uncle Rick and he enjoyed it (though not much as much as The Wizard of Oz the day before...or Mary Poppins the week before).

Afterwards, we met up with Daddy and decide to try the "Tastings Journal" Menu special being offered this week. I have told you before than anyone can sign up for the Tastings Journals email specials at local restaurants. This week is ODEON CAFE (www.odeoncafedc.com) at Dupont Circle offering a multi-course menu with two glasses of wine all for $45 plus tax and tip.

I have not been to Odeon in almost 20 years since I lived a block away, and I could not believe it has been there for 28 years now! It is a decent neighborhood Italian spot and has much going for it. A simple wine list (if limited) with most prices under $40/bottle, a variety of pastas and pizzas (Samuel adored his PIZZA topped with FRENCH FRIES (how's that for cholesterol indulgence?!) and some quite nice and tasty entrees.

The service is decent, but nothing to rave about; we had to repeatedly ask for napkins and flatware, and the ambience is fairly quiet and attempted upscale; although the Bocelli musak is a bit grating after and hour. My biggest complaint was that they did not bring fresh flatware for each of the courses, although they did bring new glasses when we switched wines!

We started with a bottle of RUFFINO RESERVA DUCALE 2004 Chianti Classico which warmed us up on that oh so coldest night of the year so far!
The salads were tasty with nice tart dressings: ARUGULA with GOAT CHEESE in BALSAMIC Vinaigrette and MESLCUN mix with HONEY MUSTARD Dressing, Walnut and Apples

The second course of FRESH CALAMARI sauteed with SPINACH, GARLIC, Fresh Lemon and Olive Oil was enhanced by squeezing the fresh lemon provided as were the MUSHROOM CAPS stuffed with CRABMEAT in Garlic Butter Sauce, but these were merely nice appetizers from the standard fare with little thought to invention.

We switched to a 2005 BOLLA VALPOLICELLA which was advertised on the menu as from MASI. I know that MASI wines cost much more than $40-50, and was doubtful, but since I believe they own the Bolla label, it was not worth arguing about. The wine was not as big as I had wanted, but adequate.

The third course was a choice of soup and there was CREAM of BROCCOLI with Garlic and Parsley or the quite tasty LOBSTER BISQUE with some nice (if small) pieces of shellfish marred only by a small chunk of congealed soup.

The entree included a glass of house Chianti or Pinot Grigio, both quite on the wimpy side and we all chose different entrees: The GRILLED Fresh SALMON FILET served over Angel Hair Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Olive Oil needed something as it was a bit bland, and came over thin spaghetti, not angel hair pasta. My POLLO VALDOSTANA was two huge rolled chicken breasts stuffed with Spinach and Ricotta Cheese in a tasty tangy yummy LEMON CAPER Sauce. I opted to take one breast home as the portion was so large (along with half of Samuel's pizza, which we shall all dine on tonight). I think the taste award was for Will's Braised LAMB SHANK with Veggies, Red Wine Reduction and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes. The dessert came with a glass of unexciting "champagne" which I am positive was prosecco, but Samuel discovered WARM CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE which was a scrumptious molten lava flow inside a firm cake round topped with Vanilla Ice Cream. Tiramusu went over well with Will, and we all headed home quite full.

I can say that Odeon is a great spot to grab a bite in the neighborhood, pasta or simple dish, but that the multi-course tasting is not their forte, although we definitely got our dollar's worth!

ABOVE at NYC's Hilton Times Square is a bit above...

Yesterday we took Samuel along with a friend to see Mary Poppins on Broadway, and knowing it was the day after Thanksgiving I looked hard for a quiet place that kids would also enjoy for lunch. I chose ABOVE on the 21st floor of the HILTON at TIMES SQUARE (234 West 42nd St.) just two doors away from the theater and discovered a hidden gem.

ABOVE is indeed hotel dining as it is in the 21st floor lobby and while it is a quiet spot with a nice bar as well. The views through the huge windows to the north show the NY Times Building amongst other historical ones and the new builds on the west side of Times Square (although you can't see Times Square itself).

There are simple tables, marble floors and good service, and it was a quiet oasis from the jammed streets below. Samuel and Juliana gobbled up the "chicken fingers" which were actually three large lightly seasoned breasts pounded thin an d baked to perfection. The kids ate every bite of chicken and some for the tasty fries as well.

Will enjoyed a FALL HARVEST PIZZA with thin crust, Kabocha Squash, Chunky Berkshire Bacon, Caramelized Onion, Sage and Fontina Cheese that was huge, filling and tasty.

My MONTE CRISTRO ABOVE deserves an award for Chef Donald Drnek. First of all it was so huge at $15.00 that I was able to share the entire dish with its tasty SWEET POTATO FRIES with our friend Aunty Lauren who dropped by for dessert (but ate half my plate!). The sandwich was chock full of moist TURKEY BREAST, HONEY ROAST HAM, melted GRUYERE CHEESE and was stuffed into a BEER BATTERED deep fried wrap (think GIANT egg roll made with beer). On the side was a tasty GRAIN MUSTARD AIOLI making this dish a sandwich winner for all times.

The coffee was good and we all walked out stuffed at a most reasonable price with some great photos of the skyline too!

Philly's AMADA is amazing

You may recall that a month ago I wrote about TINTO in downtown Philly. Last night after the opera, I took a number of clients to it's sister restaurant in town (located on the east side near the river), AMADA (www.amadarestaurant.com) and it was just as impressive. We were six people and what a treat to be escorted to the rear private room which was oh so quiet (very good for singers) and held two large marble slab tables that could easily fit 8 or more. Another small group sat at the next table later and we even serenaded the twins with an operatic "Happy Birthday."

We all marveled and the menu while we sipped the tasty WHITE SANGRIA that was so refreshing and finally decided on a number of items which we all gladly shared and tasted. Not a single one was less than amazing. A bottle of TINTO TORO "Temple" 2004 from Bodega Rejadorada was a smooth wonderful warm tasty red that two of us polished off with glee.

If I must complain about anything it would be the extremely small print of the wine list and the lack of spoons to serve and share items with. AS before, we did have to ask for bread to mop up the superb sauces, but it dome come.

As we waited for the tapas to arrive a creamy rich TUNA CAPER Spread came with FLATBREAD. The many tapas were actually served at perfect intervals so that we were never overwhelmed with too many dishes on the table:
ARAGONES-a light cheese served with White Sangria Honey & Golden Raisins
QUESO de CABRA-a rich creamy yet not intense goat cheese served with a sauce of Balsamic & Strawberries
The requisite SPANISH OLIVES which were tiny and tasty, like olives, not salty at all
GARBANZOS con ESPINACAS was a light tomato based sauce with chick peas and sauteed spinach (I find the veggie options to be superb)
SETAS SALTEADAS-Hen of the Woods Mushrooms sauteed with Thyme and White wine
COCAS: PATO con DATILES- We had to try one of the Cocas or flatbreads which really were small pizzas. The combination of DUCK CONFIT, JAMON
SERRANO, CABRALES Blue Cheese and Date Glaze was spectacular

Some of the more traditional items were:
GAMBAS al AJILLO (shrimp in garlic) were sizzling hot and tasty SCALLOPS a la PLANCHA were huge slices grilled to perfection CHICKEN SKEWERS a la PLANCHA were moist and seasoned beautifully CROQUETAS de JAMON were filled with rich cheese and ham and fried but not greasy PIQUILLOS RELLENOS were small mild red peppers stuffed with creamy CRABMEAT

the ALBONDIGAS here were LAMB MEATBALLS in thick sauce with Peas and Shaved Manchego making them truly the best I have ever had

Two novel and modern tapas that were the highlight of the meal were: MADRE e MIJO (literally "mother and son") and consisted of a chicken breast over fingerling potatoes with a Fried Egg on top with Mojama or Dried tuna loin and Truffles for added flavor. It is called mother and son since the chicken represents the mother, the egg is the son. OOPS!

MOLLEJAS con GUISANTES were CRISPY SWEETBREADS served in a light sauce with FAVA BEANS, ENGLISH PEAS and JAMON IBERICO, a small pile of CHESTNUT PAPARDELLE at the center.

Grilled Asparagus and Grilled Mushrooms filled out the dishes and the six of us managed to down everything save for some olives! But no room for dessert!

Iron Chef MORIMOTO makes Philly food fantastic /cheese conquers at PANORAMA

Am in Philadelphia for the weekend and last night I finally got to MORIMOTO (www.morimotorestaurant.com) where the Iron Chef himself actually rarely rules the court. Indeed, I was told that one of his TV show assistants now runs the open kitchen and the boss' visits are down to monthly stops. I believe this Philly hotspot was Chef Morimoto's first US venture, and on a Saturday night it was heaving; indeed the noise level was DAUNTING, so I was glad I was alone as conversation might have made me hoarse!

I started with a carafe of FUKUMITSUYA Morimoto, his own labeled Junmai Daiginjo Sake which has huge overtones of melon and a super rich flavor and texture. It was superb with all the raw fish that came out in may over-the-top tasting or Omakase These are available starting at $80, but I could not resist the $120 option which guaranteed upgrades to toro, lobster and kobe!

The long wide room has a wavy blond wood ceiling which made me fell like I was in the belly of a friendly whale. The walls are undulating off-white with 3-D sculpture like protrusions. Each white glass table is separated by low clear glass partitions which change color from red to blue to purple throughout the night. Along the right wall a one-step raised section has tables for two all along it (best for viewing the room) with the most wonderfully comfortable white leather chairs with black trim. The center section of the room is divided into tables for 4 or 6 (a quiet private dining room is available downstairs for larger groups) and the left wall again has tables for two stretching down its length to the kitchen at the rear. Sadly, the design and the loud music make this a place to go to see and eat, not hear your dining partners.

My server Alix was a gem, and so was Rachel the manager who helped with the wine (although she had never heard the female term "sommeileuse" before); there is no snotty pretense here; they just want to make you happy.

I started with a Timbale of TORO TARTARE loaded with CRISPY SHALLOTS which made every bite a fun crunch. It sat in a small pool of soy sauce and a YAMAMOMO or miniature Japanese Mountain Peach sat on the side (it was quite tasty and sweet). This was the first of many "melt in my mouth" dishes, each worth the upgrade price.

The only course that did not impress (save desserts) was the KUMAMOTO OYSTER dish which offered up three of the tasty sea gems each with a different sauce: Japanese Salsa, Citrus Ceviche with Yuzu and the most tasty Thai Fish Sauce with a mild Jalapeno(is that an oxymoron?) sitting on top. They do get presentation points for the yummy lime slice and a pretty orchid on the side.

The carpaccio was AMADAI, a seared TILEFISH with MITSUBA LEAF (Japanese parsley), YUZU SOY and HOT OIL, Ginger & Chive. This WHITEFISH was superb and the second of those "melt in my mouth" dishes that filled the evening.

SASHIMI SALAD is a nice change from all the raw fish with few greens. Here there are MIXED MICRO GREENS topped with slices of HAMACHI (more melt in my mouth) and served with a tangy YUZU VINAIGRETTE. An adorable balsamic green glazed the bottom of the plate that faced me :-)

At this point I began to think about the US fine dining experience at length. We have some truly amazing (what I would call) 3 star spots in every major city and more. In Europe, there is the Michelin 3 Star spots which generally (perhaps save for some spots like Gordon Ramsey in London) are quiet relaxing palaces of gastronomy where we can enjoy the food and the company. When the food was presented at Morimoto, I constantly found myself needing to ask what the dish was, as it was quite hard to hear (and some of the presenter's accents were heavy as well). I missed that 3 star syndrome when I dine here.

The intermezzo was a shot glass of APPLE MINT SODA and then a glass of MOET et CHANDON BRUT ROSE appeared which paired perfectly with the LOBSTER "EPICE" a half roasted lobster with eight spice blend, YUZU Creme Fraiche and garnished with a White Asparagus, Carrot and Broccoli. This dish is more akin to Indian spice blends and was indeed, quite spicy and oh so tasty. The rich whipped creme fraiche was just to cut the spice and I really did not use it save for a taste or two. The presentation of separated claw and tail was easy to eat and came out of the shell except for the smaller section of the claw, and Alix ran back with a mini-pick which did the job.

A super soft and tasty PINOTAGE from WILDEKRANS 2006 in Walker Bay, South Africa paired superbly with the (yes, melt in my mouth) SEARED KOBE BEEF in Basil Oil & Soy with small small slices of earthy TRUMPET MUSHROOMS.

One might have thought the meat was the last course, but SUSHI came next with five sashimi pieces of divine (melt again) CHU-TORO, SUZUKI (striped bass), KISU (Japanese whitefish), AOYAGI (a fun slightly chewy Orange clam) and AJI (Jackfish) which save for the toro was my new favorite fish. Rachel proffered an aromatic sake of pineapple, mango and actually celery nose that was fruit forward-JUNMAI GINJO "YUKI NO BOSHA" or "Cabin in the Sky," that was simply perfect with the sushi.

Dessert was the failure of the evening as I received a MARJOLAINE F. POINTE (stole from the famous Rhone Valley chef Ferdinand Pointe, where I have eaten) which was basically an almond dacquoise with green tea butter cream and did nothing for me. I moved on to a YUZU MERINGUE TART which was a tasty shortbread with marshmallow cream, but the crushed mango on the side was not ripe (and I was shocked to see I was charged $10 extra for a second dessert!). The best part of dessert was the Sparkling BUBBLY BAMBOO, a fruity bubbly called HOU HOU SHUU which was like champagne and raspberry cream soda!

I walked back to my hotel, PENN'S VIEW and sat at the bar for something I needed: Cheese. This wonderful hotel (www.pennsviewhotel.com) has a typical and very busy Italian restaurant called PANORAMA with a great bar serving over 100 wines by the glass. I ordered Flight #812, the Northern Italian Nights which was a way too young BARDOLINO 2007 "Le Fontaine" from Corte Gordoni; a 2005 BARBERA d'ASTI Superiore from L:a GIRIBALDINA "Val Sarmassa"; 204 BONARDA :Oltrepo Pavese-Carlino" from Castello di Luzzano was a true treat as was the 2005 VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO from Giuseppe Lonard. The 2000 AMARONE "Aurum" from Tenuta Valleselle was nice, but no revelation.

The Spanish cheese tray was superb:
A wonderfully lemony CANA de OUEJA Sheep from Murcia
one year aged MAHON RISERVA
LEONORA - a creamy yet bold goat
LA PERAL- always a mild blue cow from ASTURIAS

I went to bed very happy.

ALAN--still in Philly for more today

I would say DO for DISH in DC

The Kennedy Center area here in DC does not have tons of dining spots that you can rush to the theater from, so when one has a 7pm curtain and you wish to take out a very special client before that curtain (and go with Samuel) at 5pm...there are even fewer choices. We returned to DISH in the River Inn last night (924 25th St, NW) after not having been for quite some time and while the decor is the same, the food seems to be a step up these days.

The wine list is still small, but we had two warm your insides on a cold evening reds that were just fine. VALLE ESCONDIDO Malbec 2007 from GOUGUENHEIM in Mendoza and CALVET-THUNEVIN "Cuvee Constance" 2005 from Cotes Catalan in the south of France.

Our food was warming as well and ranged from MAC 'n' CHEESE to CHICKEN & VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS with Thai Dipping Sauce (crispy and tasty, but no revelation) to the gorgeous warm melting SMOKED SALMON & CREAMY HORSERADISH TIMBALE with Herb & Horseradish Oil, which was not overly spicy in any way--just right.

Samuel adored is BBQ'D PORK TAQUITOS and actually tasted and liked, but left, the Salsa (and ignored the Sour Cream) which was followed by a quickly devoured scoop of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

We continued with an unexciting FILLET with Mashed Potatoes, a tasty PORK CHOP and my PAN SEARED ROCKFISH with SHITAKE & MASHED POTATO RISOTTO (which was really NOT risotto, but was creamy, rich and full of flavor) with HERB CREAM.

For dessert we each gobbled up our own CHERRY & PEACH COBBLER with Vanilla Ice Cream and manged to drop my client at the Opera House just 10 minutes prior to curtain, Mission accomplished with good food too.

Atlanta cuisine-catch it at CANOE

I am only here in Atlanta for one night and had a hard time finding a place to dine in the NE burbs near the new Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. The streets are lined with strip malls and a dearth of Italian, Chinese and Mexican chain restaurants, so I was thrilled when my crystal Zagat and the Cobb Center website yielded up a neighborhood just 5 minutes away called "the Vinings." This are has numerous quaint spots and CANOE (www.canoeatl.com) is probably the largest sitting on the river with a glass wall facing reeds, wooden gardens and flocks of geese and ducks.

My booth was on a raised step up just inside the glass wall and all the tables in this section are quiet and even romantic as the sun sets. Once dark my attention turned the other way to a large room of exposed brick with an open kitchen on the far side hooded by a huge copper canopy.

The service is southern hospitality at its best with lots of smiles and friendliness, and my server Christine was always checking up on me to make sure I was happy...and I was...VERY HAPPY.

Chef CARVEL GRANT GOULD is self-trained and worked her way through the ranks at the spot and other local dining establishments and has put together local and varied ingredients to create a true new Georgian cuisine. Her pasty chef Thomas Numprasong assists with superb desserts and soft sourdough, tasty wheat, poppy seed and sunflower breads and an I can't get enough of this sage-chili oil flatbread!

The menu has a bout a dozen choices for the first two courses and it was a hard decision but I headed right for the DUCK STUFFED GEORGIA QUAIL over Grilled Endive, Braised Cherries and Roasted Georgia Peanuts. The superb breaded coating has a "southern-fried" feel with each quail half boned and stuffed with duck, confit and foie gras....a divine dish and combo with the tasty endive, cherries and more crunch from the peanuts.

Christine really tried to sell me on the ALASKA King CRAB special appetizer, but I had to drift to the quail as it was truly a "local" dish and so creative; I was happy. BUT, I was even happier when Christine (having noticed my indecision in choices) brought over a small portion of the fresh flown in that day from the Aleutian Islands' Dutch Harbor RED KING CRAB. It seems that Chef Gould made friends with the crab fishers some time ago and this is the only place they will same day ship to anywhere in the lower 48 (I guess even 49) states, making it the only non-frozen Alaska crab around these here parts. She prepares the soft shelled chunks over an emulsion and piece of Butter (Bibb) Lettuce and tops it with an Extra Virgin Olive Oil Sorbet which is simply to die for. Christine even brought over a small taste of the BODEGAS MUGA "Blanco," a Viura from Rioja in Spain that is very reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc. Her tip just jumped 7%!

My entree was a PANKO DUSTED SKATE WING Fillet with MEYER-LEMON and BABY SHRIMP RISOTTO, Haricots Verts and RIESLING BUTTER SAUCE. It was all simply divine from the tasty light fish that is so underrated to each bite of risotto with the tiny shrimp and strong lemon flavor to the crunchy tasty green beans. A glass of TELMO RODRIGUEZ "Gaba do Xil" Godello (a crisp white) from Galicia was a perfect pairing as well, and the Spanish Godello is quick becoming one of my newest favorite options for dry white wine.

Dessert was a MEYER LEMON SHORTBREAD with Toasted MERINGUE with TANGERINE. The small shortbread looks like a cookie canoe and the lemon curd sits in this with 10 tiny peaks of meringue on top. It is light, refreshing and was just what I needed, surrounded by citrus slices and a small pillow of ever-so-light chiffon whipped cream. The cappuccino was frothy and superb and a small plate of cookies was a highlight with a fudgy chocolate biscotti-looking cookie bar, a shortbread cookie and the I will never forget crunchy OATMEAL RAISIN cookie oozing WHITE CHOCOLATE!

I could easily go back to Canoe, as such detail and attention are not only shown with each dish, but with each patron.