CHANG CHANG in DC is a bang bang winner (11-27-23)

 We had friends visiting from out of town and headed to CHANG CHANGE just south of Dupont Circle for a fabulous dinner last night which is the best Chinese food I can ever recall in DC. The spot is very simple with wood tables and chairs, that are oddly a tad too low for the tables(one of ours was broken) and table legs that could be better placed for comfort, but we persevered in the quiet front section we were seated in. Indeed, for a Monday the place was virtually dead, although lots of take-out orders seemed to be going out all evening. I like the decor with small Chinese vases and artwork as well as some large stucco Chinese pieces that look like the Terracotta Army!

We ordered a crisp citrus-y Albarino from Mar de Vinas and then moved on to a tasty Domaine Chaume Cotes du Rhone red from Arnaud. The food can be very spicy so pick your wines carefully.

Duck Spring Rolls were tasty, and the giant Bubble Pancake(scallion) was fun with a curry dipping sauce, but the winning starter were the Shanghai Pork Soup Dumplings, although they need a better serving method as when you pick them up from the steamer, they often break losing that superb soup inside.

Our server Emily was very helpful as the menu is huge with so many options. We migrated from one chicken dish to another and finally settled on the Chicken Nuggets with Ghost Chili which was fired chicken with a kick-ass dry spice rub! Similarly, the Mala Crispy Pork Belly was fried with "furu" dry spices.

Tomato & Egg Stir Fry is a Cantonese Specialty and came right after these intense spicy dishes and was a welcome "palate cleanser" and we all loved the purple rice which is a mix of purple and white rice for a tad more but worth it.

Sizzling Brussels Sprouts & Tofu is a winning veggie dish for sure served in a cast iron pan and loaded with flavors. The Dry Pot Scallop & Prawn with Asparagus & Cabbage was a huge dish beautifully presented on a pedestal in a magnificent bowl with cover and probably the favorite of us all, although the fired spicy dishes were fab as well.

Dessert was a yummy slice of Passionfruit Pie with Calamansi-lime infused filling in a rice-flour graham cracker crust with black pepper meringue that is not to be missed.

While Chang Chang is about 15 mins away, I could easily see us heading down there for take-out as well as it is worth the trip for sure.

DC's NAMA KO knocks it up another notch! (11-26-23)

 Back in the summer I headed to DC's new NAMA KO at 14th & U, NW for Restaurant Week and had a super meal. Now that the "deals" are over, we returned last night and were totally impressed even more with the fabulous fusion food that makes this place so much fun.

Check out the video on my FB page of the presentation of the SMOKY MT FUJI a whiskey drink with Manzanilla, Demara and orange bitters by our server Freddie, who is also the bartender. All the drinks are great here from the Coconut Kiss(Rum, coconut, pineapple, orange), Pears in Zen (a sweeter pear spiced brandy with canton, ginger and sake) and my fave the What's in a Name? with serrano-infused Espalon Tequila with Ancho Reyes(a superb spicy Mexican liqueur), honey, pineapple and a Togarashi(Japanese chili) rim.

We shared lots of appetizers as this is easy and a great way to try many things such as the super crunchy Crispy Shrimp Tempura, cooked divinely with a kick-ass yuzu chili sauce.

A new dish was the Wagyu Dumplings which are not to be missed and are topped off with a Truffle Soy Dip that is another treat. Edamame are served with a nice cherrywood smoked sea salt and the Lemongrass Chicken Dumplings(don't let them slide out of your chopsticks) are steamed with a scallion relish and a yuzu-ponzu-ginger sauce. Another treat (not needing chopsticks and you can just pop them in your mouth) are the Kani Croquettes of Maryland Crab with sushi rice and Aji Aioli.

Sundays are a great deal here as all wines and sakes are 50% OFF!! So we ordered up a large bottle of SOTO JUNMAI SAKE which is a true treat--so smooth and goes with everything.

Will had a main of Tobanyake Fried Rice with 5-year kimchi, short ribs and Onsen Egg that was huge and yielded some take-home leftovers. The rest of us went for sushi as the special rolls are so tempting and indeed all were different and delicious:

Pink Lady is simple with tuna, avocado, salmon, yellowtail and soy paper while the Almost Paradise gets fancy & spicy with Spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, spicy Mango Sauce and tempura flakes all over. My Candy Cane was a beautiful vision with Shrimp Tempura, Yellowtail, Tuna, Avocado, Apple and Jalapeno with Tobiko on top. Presentation here is as good as the food and the service!!

Desserts here are the homemade soft-serve Ice Cream available in two versions and you have to choose which YOU like: Black Sesame or Truffle/Miso/Honey....they are both divine.

NAMA KO is managed by the amazing Aziz who I have known for almost 40 years and wherever he goes, he runs a great establishment indeed. If you are in the Studio Theatre, Source Theatre/U Street corridor then NAMA KO is the name to choose for your meal!!

DIRT CANDY does delicious vegetarian (or vegan) in NYC (11-24-23)

 We had tried to take Samuel two years ago to return to DIRT CANDY after a covid hiatus as it is truly our favorite vegetarian dining destination in New York, but sadly they had a codi outbreak and closed that night. It took two years for the three of us to be back in NYC together and we returned last night for the fabulous $105 tasting menu (also available in vegan option) and settled into the warm crowded dining room on a chilly NY post-Thanksgiving Day. Our server Brian explained that virtually none of the cocktails were not sweet, so we decided to try the California Roll, a yummy horseradish-infused vodka martini with nori-infused sake, white soy, avocado oil and pickled ginger. It's a great variation of a dirty vodka martini and we both loved it as Sam did his Celery-Lime vegetable pop (soda). He switched to a Carrot-Lemon Ginger Veggie pop later on and we moved on to a superb Foradori Vignetti delle Dolomiti Teraldego Rotaliano(red from northern Italy where we just visited) in Alto-Adige.

The menu is technically 5 courses fir $105 but there are two "gift" courses, and each dish is truly a winner on its own. Each course has a featured vegetable ingredient as well creating a journey through the garden. CELERIAC was first in the form of a tasty Celeriac Latke with Pink Apple, Seaweed Caviar, Creme Fraiche and some slices of miniature onion(was it shallot?)--all the photos are in Facebook as usual. We oohed and aahed at this tasty latke giving me new ideas for Hannukah in 2 weeks! 

Dane arrived from the kitchen with our first gift of Brussel Sprouts Carpaccio which were sliced thin leaves fermented in Koji with Caperberries and Pistachios. Once again, this dish burst with flavors and really excited the palate with the wonderful, fermented leaves.

BEET was next in the form of a gorgeously constructed Napoleon or Beet Strudel with layers of red sumac on top, yellow beet & saffron in the middle and tahini mousse on the bottom (hence red, yellow and beige) all topped with salt-roasted beet balls and sorrel. A beautiful presentation that would have enticed even those who do not like beets.

Gift #2 was Parsnip Fundito served in a miniature cast iron pan topped with melted Oaxaca cheese over a parsnip puree and crispy parsnip chorizo (vegetarian, that had a great spicy kick) and an adorable Margarita in a shot glass on the side!

ARUGULA featured Arugula Calamarata (a tube pasta) with Smoked Garlic Oil and Idiazabal cheese with lemongrass and arugula balls. Anyone who makes pasta and has gluten issues might want to investigate the way to create this novel dish!

The last "savory" dish was Japanese SWEET POTATO Karaage with Sweet Potato Bacon (yes, veggie!), Yuba, Thai Basil, Napa Cabbage, Spinach, Sancho Chile in a deilish Lime-Beurre Blanc sauce and preceded a revelation of dessert entitled CHICORIES including Chicory Root Panna Cotta (made from radicchio and endive), Candied Pecans, Rainbow Chicory Sorbet, Chicory Tuiles and Pecorino Ice Cream (wow!!) that was a wonderful end to a superb meal that also had some yummy Sunchoke Caramels arriving to send us home.

Dirt Candy is a destination for everyone, but a real bucket-list dining spot for vegetarians and really makes a great trip downtown when in NYC!!

BESITO for marvelous Mexican makes it merry in Rosyln, NY(Long Island) 11-22-23

 We joined our Long Island family last night for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner at Besito here in Roslyn, where we are staying for the holiday. It's a large establishment and last night it was heaving with families and folks out for a pre-holiday party. We settled in with some fun margaritas (blood orange with a not so spicy rim, pineapple with same, some regular ones, a mojito and then moved on to a decent Rioja as the wine list is quite limited. Our server Anthony was a treat and made us very happy as our first bowl of guacamole (made to order) wasn't that spicy and the side of chopped jalapenos was even milder! The second batch was just perfect. When I booked I saw lots of veggie option on the on-line menu, but in house the menu has fewer veggie choices. We asked Anthony and he said most of the dishes were available as veggie options, so Sam chose the Iron Skillet Taco veggie style(like fajitas) which comes with grilled veggies in a skillet, a small container of tortillas on the side and multiple salsas of Guajillo & Verde Cruda. I had the Same Skillet style called MIXTOS which came with a ton of skirt steak (cooked perfectly to medium rare), chicken (a tad overdone) and chorzo all smothered with melted Queso Chihuahua...way too much for one person indeed, but the Nopales (cactus) salad on the side was superb and oh so refreshing.

Sonora Ribs were piled high with Agave Chipotle sauce and lime glaze and the halibut & shrimp dishes were hits as well. The portions are quite large, so best to limit the starters and there was no way we could even consider dessert!  It's a fun place for sure, but beware of Long Island prices in this very high end neck of the woods!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all today and don't eat as much as I do!

Melina makes the Mediterranean (eg Greek) so close and so good (11-19-23)

 We took a dear friend to dinner last night and since she lives in North Bethesda, we decided to try MELINA located in the wonderful new area up Rockville Pike at Old Georgetown Road that has become so popular for dining, hotels, shopping and more. It's quite a large space but very comfy and has a hugely tall interior that unfortunately has nothing to buffer the noise on the ceilings which makes the din a tad unbearable. That said, we managed as we were in a cozy comfy booth at the end of the room with a fun mirrored table!  Our server Daniel was very helpful with suggestions and explanations, and we settled in with a bottle of Assyrtiko Karamalegos from Feredini in Santorini that was crisp and refreshing with our many starters which are great to share here...think tapas gone Greek or mezze.

Tuna Tartare here is not spicy but benefits from some Greek ingredients such as Kalamata Olives, Chickpeas, Capers and a yummy Tarama Cream with some crispy "Phyllo" chips that are really fried dough. The Tarama cream was yummy and indeed we wishes that TaramaSalata was on the menu. The Beef Tartare is also super yummy with some twists like a spicy tomato paste, egg yolk custard, mint, Graviera cheese and some nice toasted sourdough to load it onto. There was sadly a small blond hair atop this dish and the price was immediately removed by the manager who was more than apologetic(note nobody at our table has blond hair and he said nobody in the kitchen did either!).

The Cheese Pie with Laffa Dough is a simple dish with a very bready crust and a gooey cheese filling of Feta & Graviera cheeses with a nice spicy Smoked Chili Honey drizzled on top. It has a slight punch as some chilis are on top, but was a tad too much bread for me. Tops were the Roasted Carrots with Walnut Pesto, Smoked Creamed Manouri Cheese, Puffed Quinoa & Carrot and a Ginger Vinaigrette; this dish is a vegetarian delight indeed.

The Icelandic Cod with Beets, Black Garlic, Almonds and Potato Cream was a huge hit with our friend who left a totally clean. Will and I decided to split an order of the yummy Crispy Potatoes with Tzatziki, Feta Cream and Wild Greek Oregano as well as each have a plate of Lamb Kofte Kebab (we could have shared it as well as the two kebabs on each mezze were a huge portion and we ended up taking two home) which come with Pickled Onions and a Spicy Roasted Tomato Relish. Our red wine was a superb Agiorgitiko Halkia from Nemea (a female winemaker) in the Peloponnese. 

One small complaint would be the very dim lighting in the very nice rest rooms, but that aside, Melina is a place we would head back to again for sure.

--

Always raves for ROBERTO's in Vienna, VA. (11-13-23)

 We returned to one of the top restaurants in the DC area and Roberto's in Vienna still stands at the top of the Italian food list in our book. We joined two friends for dinner last night and it's always a fine welcome from the friendly staff and a glass of prosecco arrives faster than you can sit down! we ordered my favorite white wine, Manincor "La Manina" 2021 from Alto Adige in the Dolomites where we just visited 6 weeks ago!! This Chard/Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Blanc blend is truly one of the best white wines on earth!

The fab breads arrived, and we ordered our starters:

Polipo Grigliato Con Salsa Verde is a beautifully grilled baby Spanish Octopus wit potato foam, fingerling potato salas and salsa verde that is always a hit. I adored my Ghiandole al Porto which were the most tender and luscious sauteed veal sweetbreads with chanterelles, celery root and port, as well as polenta!

Main courses were the Fettuccini alla Parmigiana prepared tableside by Dimitri in the giant Parmesan wheel with a blow torch and always full of flavor and oh so rich. My Ravioli Verdi Con Anatra was gorgeous light cylinder-shaped spinach ravioli stuffed with tender braised duck and topped with Pioppini mushrooms and duck jus. The whole Branzino got raves as well with salsa verde with basil, parsley, anchovies & Garlic and sauteed spinach.

We moved on to another Dolomite red from Alto Adige 2018 Falkenstein Blauburgunder or Pinot Nero(aka Pinot Noir) that was medium-to-full bodied and loaded with flavor.

The Sfogliata Dolce was a Fig Tarte with vanilla gelato and caramel sauce that was out of this world and the Bugie are fun fried dough with chocolate sauce, honey drizzle and powdered sugar..think totally tasty Italian funnel cake, but way better!

What a great time was had by all as we always do. It is truly like going home when we head to Roberto's!!

Le LOUP in Bordeaux may be our new go-to spot in our new home!(10-6-23)

 I took the recommendation of one of our real estate agents and headed right into the center of old Bordeaux not far from our new apartment and found the small Le Loup which has only a dozen or so tables, many of them high tops, but felt cozy and friendly for sure and Ludovic, the manager, was so helpful and made my last meal in Europe a dream.

The amuse was a corn tempura with miso mayo and was fun but such a truly 1/2 bite amuse!

I ordered several different wines by the glass starting with "LEtiquette Gris" a superb 100% Sauvignon Gris from Chateau Carsin in Bordeaux which was ideal with my starter of Les Escargots en Ravioli persillade avec crème de l'ail( parsley raviolis stuffed with escargot in an amazing garlic foam sauce) that was one of the most novel and different pasta dishes and escargot preparations ever! I was in a fish mood (I had steak tartare at a bistro the night prior) and chose  La lotte avec sa Bisque, salicornes, lentilles corail( monkfish in its bisque with Samphire and coral lentils) that was a wonderful preparation as well and I needed a spoon to get all the bisque! I switch to a light red recommended by Ludovic: Julienas 2022 from Manoir du Carra which was a Gamay Rouge and indeed it was perfect.

Desserts were tempting, but I could not resist the cheese, after all, I was in France.

The cheeses were all fabulous and came with frozen grapes, nuts and berry jam:

Buche de chevre was creamy and rich

Ossau-Iraty was a nutty sheep from the Basque region to the south

Loupoutou was a super hard cheese also from Pays-Basque that was full of flavor and totally new to me as well.

My red with the cheese was a full-bodied Cadillac from St. Emillion nearby 2020 Baies de Bernateau.

I was thrilled with my new find in our new second home town!

Da REGINA in Milano is really great (10-4-23)

 I was in Milan only for one night, so we arranged to meet some friends who were working at La Scala Opera house and headed just around the corner to DA REGINA which is a super indoor/outdoor location right next to the Galleria. I would have thought the place to be very touristic, but it was genuine delicious and totally southern Italian food and so different from what we had been eating in the north.

Our white was a delicious Vidussi Chardonnay "Cleve di Vidic" and the red a simple yet full bodied Chianti from Villa Poggio Salvi. 

There were many dishes and options and we decided to order our starters first and then mains, as we were worried it might be too much food. Great idea!

The Insalata di Mare was full of seafood and huge, the Polipo in tempura was a huge special that featured tempura-fried octopus covered with parmesan shavings.  Salmon tartare was a beautiful preparation with mango and avocado while my Paccheri al Cartoccio was a huge aluminum foil swan presentation(videos and photos on FB) which was opened tableside to reveal those wide cylinder pasta paccheri loaded with mussels, clams, shrimp, squid all in a cherry tomato-chili sauce that was not too spicy.  It was quite large, so I opted to share the Fritto Misto as a main. Folks loved their pizzas and the Ferro Rocher chocolate dessert was a mousse-like treat. We loved the complimentary glasses of Limoncello, Pistacello and Meloncello as well before we headed back to our hotel.

Another Relais et Chateaux dinner at VILLA CORDEVIGO(near Verona/Lake Garda) offers curious cuisine (10-3-23)

 We moved down the eastern shore of Lake Garda closer to Verona for our last night at the luxurious Villa Cordevigo. As it was mid-week their Michelin star restaurant was closed so we dined at Cordevigo, their main dining room, but since the weather was so glorious our table was set up outside overlooking the pool, vineyards and estate in a wonderful setting.

We had pre-chosen the menu and perhaps part of the blame for the meal goes to me, but more on that later. The manager/sommelier Gian Moris, was most kind again offering me tastes of several wines prior to choosing. I was hoping he would recommend one of the wines made at the hotel's vineyards, but he opted to offer others! We had moved south, so the grapes and wines were changing. Our white was a Lugana 2022 Trebbiano di Lugano that had a wonderful mineral intensity and paired well with the rich dishes. There were two reds from the neighborhood: Bardolino Classico DOC from Morlongo 2020 Anniversario 50 Vendemmia (celebrating their 50th anniversary) and a wonderful Valpolicella Ripasso DOC 2019 from Vigneti Villabella.

Our amuse was a gazpacho with octopus and dark olive aioli. The first course was a superb Local Rabbit in Porchetta with truffle sauce and crunchy polenta chips which was a truly wonderful dish in a roulade that was indeed quite filling and hearty. The sauce was superb to book using local black truffles. Our next course similarly was an excellent and rich Risotto with White Asparagus, Morels and local Monte Veronese cheese.

The main course was a Free range Guinea Hen Roulade with rosemary, Mushroom, Truffle Sauce & Guanciale and while this was delicious, the sauce and preparation was almost the same as the rabbit and hence a tad unexciting after we adored that dish so much. Dessert was Tiramisu and we all loved their version, a traditional and fitting end to our week-long food and wine tour of the Italian Dolomites!

Vecchia Malcesine on Lake Garda in Malcesine isMichelin-starred magnificence(fromview to each bite)(10-3-23)

 As we headed south from the Dolomites we came upon the magnificent Lake Garda and the very touristy town of Malcesine on the east shore. We walked away from the tourists and entered through a charming garden to an open setting inside where the restaurant overlooks the town and the entire lake to the opposite shore. We were all enthralled with the view and then the food began to arrive.

Chef Leandro Luppi agreed to open the normally closed restaurant just for our group of 14! We celebrated with a glass of Gorgo Terlato Spumante Brut that had nice medium bubbles as they brought out warm bread with a "fish" butter. As we were on the lake, the local fish is the highlight of this Michelin-starred dining destination and this butter was amazing and reminded us of a cross between butter and tarama-salata, that divine Greek fish-egg spread/dip!

The first amuse was a "Carbona" off egg cream and smoked lavorello(whitefish) a fishy play on the traditional bacon carbona with this fishy egg cream slathered on several pasta shells. The second amuse was no less decadent in the form of a mini-prawn burger with veggie mayo (all photos on FB). More spumante was poured and we moved on to our next wine, a Valbruna Sauvignon Blanc 2022 from Prendina which was refreshing with a hint of citrus. This was paired with a "Fake" Tomato Lake Grada fish tartare made from local char and was indeed a wild creation where the small tomatoes were stuffed with the tartare, yet they seemed like they were not even broken (I have a picture on FB of one tomato broken open showing the tartare!).

Next came the main of Spigola--a Mediterranean sea bass with cherry tomato & basil sauce, shrimp & mussels. The tomato broth was simply divine and the wine was a Gorgo "Summa"  2021 made from Garganega, Ferranda, Trebbiano that was the color of straw and worked amazingly with the broth and fish.

Watermelon sorbet was a palate cleanser before the dessert of dark chocolate mousse with Sherry jelly raspberry, dried cherries and cherry gelee that was gone in seconds. A 2008 Banyuls Baillaury Grand Cru from France was the perfect chocolate pairing wine.

I PINI at Hotel Chalet del Sogno in Madonna di Campiglio is perfect (10-2-23)

 Our last night in the Dolomites was at the beautiful Chalet del Sogno in the adorable village of Madonna di Campiglio located at the foot of dozens of ski slopes in the western Dolomites. Here, unlike in the east, the language is all Italian and the food thusly follows.

I Pini has tasting menus, a la carte menus and a divine wine list and the owner, Alberto, graciously poured many wines for me to taste before the group arrived for dinner. We settled on a Cantina Toblino 2022 Kerner, our new favorite white varietal from this region and then moved on to a Nosiola (blend of Nosiola and Fanti grapes!!) 2022 from Vignetti delle Dolomiti. Our reds were St. Magdalener (blend of Schiava, Piccola Lagrein & Grossa Lagrein)) Riserva from Josephus Mayr-Untergazner and a stupendous Ciliegino Vallagarina which was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot. Our third red was one I could not refuse due to the name Masetto Nero(Masetto is a character in the opera Don Giovanni) 2019 from Endrizzi made from Teroldego, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon.

Alberto and his kitchen team went out of their way to allow us to choose four courses each from a large list of items and each dish was more beautiful than the previous and the food was out of this world (photos on FB).

The amuse was an odd choice of tapioca cracker with balsamic & blueberry, but the adorable breadsticks and fabulous breads that followed with Olive Oil & local butter were excellent.

I started with a Carne Salada de Cervo which was an amazing venison carpaccio with burnt shallots, currants and the revisited tapioca cracker! It was the perfect starter for this last night in the mountains! Raves came from the group for the Tagliatelle with Duck Ragout, Stravecchio Cheese and Cornelian Cherries, but none of us had ever experienced anything like the Risotto al Limone, Bottarga di Muggine, Polvere di Verdure e di Limone Bruciato, a magnificent presentation of perfectly cooked risotto with lemon, mullet roe, vegetable powder and burnt lemon. I cannot recall ever having a fish risotto, but this dish took that concept to the greatest of heights.

For my main, I chose the "starter" of Animelle di Vitello, Zupetta di Fagioli Cannellini, Emulsione al Prezzemolo e Golden Gel which were the most tender Veal Sweetbreads in a Cannellini Bean Soup with Parsley Emulsion and a gel made from aged Erborinato cheese, a local specialty. It was not a small portion, and was indeed just perfect for me having been eating for what seemed like all day. Others raved about the grilled lamb and local arctic char with goat milk!

There was a very sweet pre-dessert of Tonga Bean Ice Cream, but it was the Nuvole di Caramello of Caramel Mousse with Fior di Latte & Sourdough Ice Cream & Coffee that was a dessert dream come true.

Alberto offered us some Fracastoro Amarone Secondo Marco which is a port-like wine made from Valpolicella in the Amarone style that was quite intense and we wandered off to our suite upstairs as our last evening in the Dolomites came to end(but the trip continued!--more soon).

MANINCOR wine tasting is TOPS in Alto Adige, ELEMENTI in Mezzocorona is a must for lunch (10-2-23)

 We came down the Adige Valley from Merano where we had a magnificent stay at Castel Fragsberg, and moved due south to my favorite winery in the region for an early morning tour and tasting with Graf(Count) Michael von Enzenberg, whose family has made wine here for over four centuries! He is a knowledgeable guy and a truly wonderful winemaker making everything organic, bio-dynamic and even sustainable! This was to be a centerpiece of the trip and indeed it was from the tour to the tasting to the wine purchases, everyone loved it. I should note that Manincor wines are easily available in this area and much of the US; the importer here is Cantiniere Imports of MD!

We headed further south and found the town of Mezzocorona, having now crossed into the region of Trentino. Our lunch choice was the beautiful Elementi where we dined outside yet again (this was quite regular with temps in the 70's and lots of sun every day!), where we had pre-ordered our courses and each of us created our own 3-course meal. The dishes included Tomato Salad with basil, Puglia Burrata and Matera bread croutons; Trentino Beef Tartare with avocado sauce and salad; Mountain potato Gnocchi with Chard Pesto, goat cheese and salted almond; Risotto with grilled Fennel, orange reduction cand caper powder, Lamb Tagliatelle with Alpine butter and Trentigrana cheese; Roasted Croaker fish with tomatoes, olives & wild spinach; Grilled Zucchini Parmigiana with Caciocavallo cheese & mint and Diavola(not very devilish) Chicken with Piquillo pepper, mango chutney & veal jus. 

The wines were again wonderful local ones with a Pinot Grigio Trentino 2022 from Endrizzi Elio & Filli and a Baron Wildmann Schiava(since we are now in the Italian zone the Vernatcsh becomes Schiava) 2021. Simple but refreshing and then came desserts which were all beautifully designed presentations: Apricot, Crunchy Katifi pastry, Ricotta Ice Cream & Lemon Thyme; Red Fruit & Savory Pumpkin Seeds with Balsamic sorbet; 75% Dark Chocolate Semifreddo with Caramel Sauce & Raspberry Sorbet!!

We all loved everything and left quite full headed on to our next destination in the Dolomites.

Castel Fragsberg's (outside Merano) PREZIOSO is beyond precious and has a Michelin star well-deserved (9-30-23)

 October may have arrived here in the Dolomites, but the temps are still soaring abnormally in the 70's though dipping to the low 50's at night making for a superb dining setting indoors overlooking the mountains. We arrived at Castel Fragsberg which is a gorgeous Relais et Chateaux historic castle way up high overlooking the valley at Merano in the north of Italy. The service here is excellent and the dining room is surrounded by glass overlooking the valley. Part of the dining room is reserved for the exclusive Michelin-starred tasting menu at "Prezioso" and our group of 13 occupied the whole place that night and boy was it a 4 hour long dining party.

Sparkling was first in the form of von Bravenbach "methode Champenoise" from just below us in Terlano in the Adige Valley. It was a tad too gaseous pour moi, but paired very well with the amazing assortment of amuses that seemed to have no end:

1)Buckwheat crepe with egg cream, sturgeon caviar and sour cream

2)Goat cheese covered in charcoal

check these all out on FB!!!

3)Jerusalem artichokes and chips with artichoke cream

4)Wild Mushroom, summer truffle and sour cream tartelette

5a)Vinschgerle--brown bread soup with speck

5b)Vinschgerle-farmer's bacon & onion in a taco with horseradish 

Whipped yoghurt butter & coal cooked bread

By now I had ordered the first white which was another new grape to us from the region, Kerner 2022 from Haidenhof right across the valley. We loved this so much we searched all over town and everywhere to buy it as we could not make it to the winery due to so many group events!! The nose was like a fruit salad, but the wine was creamy and dry. It seems that Kerner is an obscure hybrid of Riesling & Vernatsch! This was ideal with the "first" course of Alpine Char served almost raw or barely seared and slightly poached apparently with Dolomite Mountain salt for 4-5 mins! Beetroot and Sour Cream were the simple and so awesome ingredients making this dish a star. On the side was Beetroot sorbet with horseradish. 

The next course was Tortelli which were filled with Parmesan cream and local mountain artichokes were in the broth as well as fried chips. Think Torellini in Brodo from Emilia-Romagna but with that Tyrolian mountain twist! On the side were Potato croquettes with parmesan and artichoke as well. Someone in the kitchen sure likes to have FUN with food.

We moved on to a Piwi grape called Sisyphos reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc called "Solaris" from Kellerhof that was simply perfection with the Pike-Perch again with Jerusalem artichoke cream and chips with herbs and Scorzone truffle all in a pike-perch sauce. The fish was delicate and flaky and not fishy in the least; a real local delicacy.

Red wine from this region is often overlooked--DON'T! "Mazon" Riserva 2020 from Hofstatter is a Pinot Noir that has huge heft, think Siduri from Sonoma and was a perfect pairing with the rare sadlle of Venison roasted to perfection with Carob flour, celery in textures & puree, black current and then a venison shoulder as goulash with Parsley Polenta and speck!! OMG....each course was like have three different courses.

We needed more red so a Filari di Mazon 2020 Pinot Noir followed from Carlotto.

A magnificent ICED CAPPUCINO palate cleanser came in the form of espresso sorbet, biscuit, mascarpone and cacao. We were in heaven, but needless to say there was more. The next dessert was a PLUM Panna Cotta with Buckwheat Ice Cream and Apple!

The dessert wine arrived and was a Merlino (literally "unicorn") from Pojer & Sandri an intense cherry-like wine made from Lagrein grape in the form of a port with a 2007 brandy added. It was way lighter than port, but fun for a difference.

Oh, there were three more desserts to finish: Blackberry Donut with Cinnamon, Hazelnut Waffle with Pear Chutney and a simple Salted Caramel Macaron. We took a walk through the gardens, pool area and overlooked the twinkling lights of the valley below before easily drifting off and saying, there is no way we can eat breakfast.

Capriz for CHEESE & Kofererhof in Novacella/Neustift in really nice and local fun and all family run (9-30-23)

 Our next day started off with a fabulous visit to the Capriz Cheese making center and museum where we had a tour and tasting and wine, of course, and I think our group bought out the store!

We moved on to Novacella where we settled in overlooking the Abazzia Monastery from the restaurant terrace and a little old lady served us, who it turned out was the owner's mother and this family had run the place for generations. Kofererhof is adorable and to make things easy we all agreed on a fun set menu, but had no clue how heavy this food was going to be.Eisack Valley "Tris" means a trilogy of items and here it was the gigantic local dumplings --one of spinach, one of cheese and then a side of Ravioli in a butter, chive & parmesan sauce!! Carb overload was unknown until this moment. The wheat and rye dumplings are rich and heavy and really meant for colder weather--it was over 75degrees!!

When the gigagntic portions of Apfelstrudel arrived, people started asking for boxes to takje it away!! Some of us managed a little but I think the heat, altitude and carbs were taking their toll. A Gruner Veltliner made in the restaurant called Kofererhof was a perfect light white while the MuriGries Lagrein was an ideal red with these delicious local treats.

Baite Sofie, another mountaintop bistro that will blow you away (9-29-30)

 We headed up another pair of cable cars to another peak outside of Ortisei in the Val Gardena of the Dolomites. Each town here has three names: German, Italian and the local Ladin: Ortisei, St. Ulrich, Urtijei, but don't let that confuse you. We walked down the hill from the cable car across magnificent vistas to a cute Alpine hut where Baite Sofie is found and settled in with our group of 14 for a fabulous lunch in the sun. Weissburgunder(Pinot Blanc/Bianco) 2020 "Verena" from Nicolussi-Leck was our refreshing white which I had with the amazing special starter of Anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea simply served in a can and with tons of fresh bread and butter!! Will had the best ever Cabbage salad with local Speck and then we all moved on to red in the form of a Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir) from Patricia Kell Girlan. Will loved his homemade spelt Tagliatelle served with a divine rich organic deer ragout while I was amazed by the Spare ribs(YES!!) with baked potato & sauerkraut! This magnificent Alpine sanctuary is a great place to spend the day hiking and eating and viewing, and we all had a ball!!

Ciasa Salares Wine tasting that wins all (9-29-30)

 I can only say that if you get to Sudtirol in Italy, you must book a wine-tasting(of course, thru me!!) at the Ciasa Salares hotel with Clemens, the owner and master sommelier.

He pulled out huge pieces of fresh baked bread, local speck(pigs raised 1km away) smoked and cured in house as well as smoked Pancetta from Piemonte. We asked for all local wines (3 whites & 3 red) and the main tasting was just that and truly blew us away.

#1)-Dornach #25 2019 Pinot Bianco

I love these Dornach wines with their odd numbering system and Pinot Bianco is indeed one of the go-to white grapes of this region

#2)Rock 2019 "Viel Anders" or "old vines" Riesling(70%)/Muller Thurgau(30%) had two grapes that I am not a huge fan of, but this wine had smokey notes and a golden color that would have pleased anyone and tasted like no other wine we have ever had.

#3)Bronner #04  2017 from Thomas Niedermayr in Hof Gandberg was another novel grape from this fabulous wine region

#4)Roberto Ferrari 2020 Pinot Noir from Terlano had a magnificent fruit balance with a hint of acidity

#5)Martin Gojer 2017 Schiava(or Vernatsch) was from Bolzano(where we would visit later)

#6)Weingut Pranzegg 2020 Teroldego was aged in amphoras

There was more as we were treated to 25 year old DOP aged Balsamic and a "Morbier de Chevre" to pour the balsamic on which was Clemens favorite cheese in the world from the Loire and coated with vegetable ash. It is made in two parts and aged for 2 months!

Lambrusco wine was poured next from Mennabo and while not from the region it was a yummy palate cleanser and great with that speck!

Finally a 2000 Domaine Gaube "La Muntada" made from Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsualt was offered up before we headed to dinner!

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Ciasa Salares for food wine and Italian Alpine air (9-28 & 29,2023)

 Our second hotel was in the center of Alto Adige hunkered up against a mountain wall in a small village of the Alto Adige region. Ciasa Salares might be in Italy, but you will be looking for Heidi!! We had both our dinners in the hotel and a blow your mind wine tasting(photos on FB) with the owner and master sommelier Clemens!

The first night some chose to have an intimate fondue fun night in the wine cellar, but the food in the dining room was really fab as well.

A rich cheese fondue with saffron potatoes, salted red onion petals(WOW!) and black truffle was the starer( after our 2 hour 3-star Michelin lunch!!) and I could not resist the local Pressknodel, a sort of pancake made from pasta served in a sauce of hazelnut butter, parmesan, chives and with a cabbage salad--now that sounds AUSTRIAN! Alpine Char was perfection with mixed salad, radishes, green apple(I should note that this region is one of the largest apple regions in Europe) and horseradish yoghurt.  There were many wonderful local wines, but I somehow did not keep track of them all. I do have to say thet Will opted for the vegetarian main and was not happy. There were many yummy desserts on the buffet and the cheeses were insanely out of this world!

The next night after our amazing wine tasting there were Fried courhette flowers stuffed with Mozzarella cheese and Anchovies in Fresh Tomato Cream that I could have eaten a dozen of. The pasta was a divine Garganelli with Lobster ragout and fresh courgettes while the baked chicken with potatoes, sweet and sour peppers and BBQ sauce was the real dud of our entire stay there.\We found two new wonderful wines this night in a Souvnigner Gris 2018 (an obscure cross between  Seyval blanc and Zähringe) from Thomas Niedermayr and a Vernatch (or Schiavo grape) 2017 from Pranzegg Campill. These wines are almost never seen in the US or other parts of Europe and made this trip even more special.

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AlpiNN has three Michelin stars in the Dolomites, Alpine views and so much more (9-28-23)

 These reviews will be slow in coming in as we had three enormous meals almost every day during our week in the Dolomites in Italy. Our first full day in the mountains brought us to the top of a cable car run called Kronplatz where we walked several minutes down the hill to see AlpiNN, an architectural work of art itself as it hangs off the mountains and views across the valley to the Austrian Alps. Plenty of photos here https://alpinn.it/en/ and on my FB page. Chef  Norbert Niederkofler has an amazing staff, and we were greeting by his actress wife in a flowing gown who escorted us to the two tables at the center with magnificent views of 10,000+ foot peaks.

We had ordered the set menu as a three-Michelin star spot needs to have all the ingredients and choices for a group of 14 up front!

I chose wines to pair, and they were all spectacular from a Chardonnay Vigna Masso 2020 from Kettmeir to a 2015 Skythos Rot form Dolomytos Sacker made from Pinot Noir, Alicante Petit Verdot and Sangiovese! The wines of this  Sudtirol region in northern Italy are small production and generally excellent in quality as we were to learn over the next week.

The amuse was Ricotta Mousse with Polenta Chip, Cabbage Powder and Fried Wheatberry! We then headed into the set lunch menu starting with Pork Knuckle with Cabbage, Mustard, Apple & Puffed Amaranth. The local pasta of this region is Pacchero or Pache which is an open round cylinder so the sauces can go inside. The version here called "Pache Monograno Felicetti" had a rich yummy sardine sauce with buckwheat, and roasted kale powder. 

The main course was a beef baveta or flank steak as they called it, but I felt it was more rumpish than flank which was the only dish that did not thrill me. Dessert was an amazing Thousand Marlene Caramelized Apples with Yogurt, Kefir sauce, Fermented Buttermilk and Granola. YUMMY. This was the view of the century and indeed one of the most memorable meals of the trip!

Alan's Dolomite foodie dinner Dinner #1 fabulous Faloria Resort in Cortina d'Ampezzo(9-27-23)

 Our group or 13 met in Venice in the morning and headed directly to the Dolomlites for a week of food and wine and magnificent scenery which started at the elegant restaurant in the Faloria Resort in Cortina d'Ampezzo (where the 1956 Olympics were and 2026 Olympics will be held). We had a wonderful lunch on the way in Gambrinus in the tiny Veneto town of San Polo in Piave and all adored the Elisir Gambrinus served after which was served by Obama at the US State dinner for the Italian P.M!!

The wines were all lined up on the tables and from outside the region, but magnificent choices indeed.

Our meal started with an amuse of lamb meatball and watercress and then the Wild game bresaola arrived with porcini mushrooms in El Brite herb oil and toasted "puccia." The wine was a Valpolicella Superior 2020 that was very fruit forward, but not of the Sudtirol(Dolomite) region.

Ampezzan style "Casunziei" is a truly local beetroot stuffed ravioli that was novel and delightful. The wine was a Tai Rosso from Punto Zero 2018.

 Everyone was swooning and then the rare and tender Venison entrecote arrived with marinated eggplant and potato chips that even the non-game foodies loved.   Agno Tinto 2017 was 100% Sirah from Vignalta in Padova to the south of us.

Dessert was an amazing frozen apple tarte tatin as this is the biggest apple growing region in Italy.

Great first night and much more to come!!

Chefs for MAUI Benefit@Moon Rabbit gets raves (9-9-23)

Chefs Kevin Tien and Tim Ma are well known in DC not only for their skills as two of the best chefs in town, but also for their generosity in supporting charities and those in need.

Over several days last week, Chef Kevin hosted many diners at his new pop-up of MOON RABBIT is the most un-presuming spot at Bryant Market in NE DC! I found the place on Saturday in the pouring rain, and it is part of an elongated food court behind a huge bowling alley or such! No matter, I was welcomed by Chef Kevin at the door with warm arms and settled in with another very nice gentleman who works for Amazon for a whirlwind dining experience by five stellar chefs.

As the pop-up has not opened yet, they did not have a liquor license, but did have a drink event license, but I really wanted wine, so Kevin told me to head down the little food court to grab a bottle of Cabernet at another dining venue; it was lackluster, so I look forward to when Moon Rabbit has its own wines!

There were chefs and CEO's from World Central Kitchen and much talk not only about Maui and how things are being handled there, but also the previous days devastating earthquake in Morocco. The setting is simple with comfy chairs and simple tables, but the music levels were a tad too high for my tolerance. Ultimately it was toned down, especially so we could hear the chefs speak about their dishes.

There was a yummy brioche roll with delicious, whipped butter with chilis which was gone in seconds. Chef Tom Cunanan who opened Bad Saint here in DC and now helms Soy Pinoy in Houston, a Filipino restaurant, flew in for the event and prepared a unique LABANOS at PINA ITUM, which i thought was a Latin legal term but is really daikon radish with burnt coconut cream, toasted pistachio and agave syrup. This was a fun, delicious and novel salad loaded with flavors and not sweet due to the agave, but I adored the radish with pistachio which Chef Tom called his Filipino play on the traditional French Radish with Butter,

Chef Tim Ma of Any Day Now in SW DC (stay tuned for more openings from him) spiced it up with BEEF & TOMATO (the name sounds drab, but the dish certainly was not) which featured Sichuan Peppered Teres Major Steak(beef shoulder) that reminded me of the most tender flank steak with beautiful green and red heirloom Tomatoes and a Green Goddess dressing with Chili Crisp and Shallot. I noted that I would have been happy if there was another course that was the same, and i think our server was about to bring another potion, but I quickly remarked I was just joking.

Chef Matt Adler of Caruso in DC brought in the Italian side with a Spicy Neapolitan Ragu with House-made Ziti featuring tomato and red wine braised pork and beef ragu with a yummy topping of Whipped Ricotta. The dish was less spicy, but no less tasty and quite filling to boot and the ricotta was a perfect foil.

Chefs Kevin Tien and Judy Beltrano of Moon Rabbit prepared SWEET & SOUR PORK with a pork loin in plum sauce (cooked sou0-vide for 3 hours) and a Hot Chinese Mustard Cream with Endive and Plum Mostarda. It was also not too spicy but had all the flavors popping in your mouth that made us all very happy.

Chef Susan Bae of Moon Rabbit finished us off with a dessert that had everything in it except the kitchen sink: GOLDEN PARADISE CAKE was an homage to Maui with Passionfruit & Coconut Chiffon Cake, Yuzu Custard, Confit Pineapple, Mango Gel, Lime Meringue, Coconut Sorbet, Whipped White Chocolate Ganache and Coconut Turmeric Anglaise!! There was not a single bit of cake, sauce or ingredients left on my plate as this dish was a real winner.

What a wonderful evening and what a great wy to support those in need. In addition, please note that you can support victims of the Maui fire at Maui Community Fund, Maui Strong and World Central Kitchen as well as so many other charities.

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