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!

--

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.

--

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.

--

Restaurant Week take #3 took me to a disappointing DAIKAYA (9/1/23)

 We all know that some restaurant week menus can be pretty sad and while I specifically chose IZAKAYA at DAIKAYA as it had been way too long since we last dined there, I was pretty excited about the fun menu based on a cute Japanses story (which I did not really understand).  The 5 course $40 menu had a choice for each course, and I spoke at length with my server Katherine, and we decided on each choice and then I chose a Hoyo Shining Prince" Tokubetsu Junmai Sake which she recommended which was polished, smooth and wonderful.

My first course arrived, and KAKI FRy was two plump oysters breaded and fried with a superb veggie-egg remoulade and shredded cabbage, but when I popped one into my mouth, I practically burned the entire inside of my mouth as it was beyond piping hot. I waited a while before I enjoyed the second one and purposefully bit it in half so it could cool a tad. This is one problem when using chopsticks, I suddenly realized.

The second course was a choice between eggplant and sweet potato, so I chose the latter which was a Japanese "baby" yam baked ever so simply with butter. It was so simple it had no seasoning, and the potato was huge. I also needed a knife and fork as I do not think anyone can eat an entire 1/2 pound potato with chopsticks? The potato was yummy, but very boring.

My next course was Udon with Abura-age, scallion and Kombu dashi that really was soy intense as far as the broth was concerned. It was a simple dish as well and seemed a tad chintzy and cheap, although I must admit it was filling.

The main course was much better flavored and also very filling. CREAM STEW was made with bacon, butter, onion, mushroom, carrots, napa cabbage, broccoli, milk, chicken stock, tofu and a crouton. By now I had moved to a Mantensei "Star filled Sky" Junmai Ginjo sake that was also quite tasty and paired very well with this creamy dish.

It was odd that at each course serving I had to ask for a soup spoon or stew spoon or utensil.

I asked Katherine for a short break before dessert and after 15 minutes I asked her to bring the strawberry dish I had ordered. The room was getting very noisy, and the a/c was cranked up so high I was beginning to freeze. After 30 minutes I said I really needed my dessert and then about 10minutes later I asked for the check which arrived as my dessert did; I sent it back and left. Katherine apologized profusely and had no clue what had happened with the simple dessert. 

I have to say that what used to be a finer dining spot has become a bar scene as the bar was jammed and extremely noisy, and I did not see people there really enjoying food, but simply drinking and socializing. My food was okay but would have been a total loss if this were not Restuarant Week, but that should not be an excuse, given the two fab meals I had earlier in the week. It was indeed a big disappointment.

Santa Fe's PALOMA is pretty tasty (8-20-23)

 Well, I forgot to write this one up and it was a really nice experience for the most part. We arrived at an adorable little spot with stone floor and stucco walls and tons of Mayan art that we had not known about and has been getting raves. Wooden tables and leather banquettes with lots of Central American woven goods abounded. A cool antique mirror was on one wall and a small bar at the other end featuring many bottles of tequila and mezcal.

I saw they had Spicy fruit margaritas and our server Natasha said they were out of that flavor(I forgot what) but had passion fruit, so we tried them and while they were tasty, they were NOT very spicy even though Natasha stuffed and extra chile in the glass for us!

Will and I decided to split starters and mine was the Beet & Melon Aguachile which was a cold soup with golden beets, pickled onion, cilantro and jalapeno that was amazingly refreshing on a hot day. Will chose the Tuna Tostaditos which were indeed spicy with yellowfin tuna, chipotle mayo, salsa macha (very macho kick-ass indeed) and wonderful crispy scallions on top. I loved going back to my "soup" after to get the spice washed away!

We both ordered the Short Rib Barbacoa served with Nixtamal Grits, Swiss Chard, Calabacitas, Grilled Onions and Pinto Beans which sounded so good we could not resist. 

The dish sadly suffered from a LACK of spice and needed something and some of the meat was quite fatty. 

We both wanted a glass of red wine, but they seemed to be out of many of the ones by the glass so we chose the fruity Rogue Vine "Pipeno" Tinto 2020 from Itala Valley in Chile that was okay but we really needed something bigger with the red meat.  I should note that our favorite Mexican wine (Adobe Guadalupe) was available here for $95 a bottle while it was $150+ several nights earlier at the overpriced Sazon!

Our dessert was a huge hit with White Chocolate Ice Cream and Churros with a super Mexican Chcolate dipping sauce.

You gotta go to NAMA KO (in DC)--Restaurant week #2(8-30-23)

 In my search for a second choice during DC's now-running Restaurant Week, I wanted something Asian and lighter and new that had been getting rave reviews, so I chose NAMA KO (www.nama-ko.com) on 14th Street(just of U St NW). 

Imagine to my surprise when I walked in the door and saw my old buddy Aziz at the front. I first met Aziz over 35 years ago when I lived at Dupont Circle and was a regular at Enzo's, a superb Italian restaurant just off the Circle! He is now the General manager at Nama Ko and I am truly thrilled that he is doing so well, and this place is run superbly to boot!

The space is quite large with a long bar on the right and a sushi bar with a dark brick wall behind that you can sit at on the left, an open kitchen is at the rear and of course the 14th Street side is all floor to ceiling windows. The music was unassuming but did seem to get louder as the evening progressed, or maybe the place got so full that it was the din of the crowd. Indeed, by 730pm there were virtually no empty tables. The chairs are super comfy here and you do not feel any rush to depart, so I enjoyed my evening at length and told my server Jenna that I really wanted to dine leisurely, which she adhered to spot on.

I ordered a "What's In a Name?" which is serrano-infused Espalon Tequila with Ancho Reyes(a superb spicy Mexican liqueur), honey, pineapple and a Togarashi(Japanses chili) rim. It was a kickass spicy drink with a slightly sour flavor, and I fell in love. There was a regular menu(I can't wait to return to try that as well as the huge sushi selection!!) as well as a Restaurant Week 4-course option for $55 which I could not resist, so I perused and debated and consulted with Jenna and finally made my decisions. There was a flight of sake as well for $25, but when I saw the gentleman at the next table order it, I realized the three choices might not be the types of sake I tend to like as he said one was dry, one slightly sweet and one cloudy one very indistinct.

My first course was the Crispy Shrimp Tempura (which does have a $5 surcharge on the $55 set menu) which was out of this world with a Yuzu Chili Sauce. I was about to order a bottle of sake when a complimentary glass of Soto Junmai was brought over by Aziz; I was in heaven. After that I did order a small bottle of sake, but the Soto was only available in a much larger one that was way too big for one person. My choice was the Hakutsuru Sho-Une Junmai Daiginjo which is a style I always like and came highly recommended by Jenna; I loved it.

My next course was the Lemongrass Chicken Dumplings which Jenna recommended as well and came with a Yuzu Ponzu and scallion relish(always photos on FB) that I loved. Relish can be a funny item, and on a dumpling, I was not sure it would work, but these four large dumplings were so enhanced and so wonderful.  

The main course was a Smoked Pork Belly which at first, I shied away from as perhaps too fatty. Jenna told me it was awesome, and she was spot on as it was crispy with virtually NO fat and served with slow cooked Japanese rice topped with an Onsen egg all covered with this fabulous chili crunch that was basically small chilis battered and deep fried! WOW!! The sake was the perfect pairing as the dish was indeed rich but so tasty and loaded with flavor.

Who thinks of dessert at a Japanese restaurant, but here it is a must as they have Nama-Ko Soft Serve Ice Cream, and I chose the Honey Miso Black Truffle with Dark Chocolate & Caramel Sauces topped with Chocolate Toffee Crunch! Need I say more??

I felt like I was at home all evening as the staff were helpful and Aziz was as kind and wonderful as ever and I was so glad to bump into him after not seeing him for several years! That won't happen again as long as he is at Nama Ko, as I will be back there very soon for sure!!

--

DC Restaurant week #1 and ANNABELLE is awesome (8-28-23)

 As I am alone this week, I am trying three different spots for restaurant week. Two are new to me and one I have not been at for years.

My first stop was the old Nora's on Florida Avenue, NW around the corner from Dupont Circle, just a block away from where I lived for a decade back in the 80's/early 90's.

Nora's has undergone a beautiful overall and now has a cozy bar with some dining spots in the entry room with exposed upper white brick walls in the main rooms and a huge hanging ivy suspended in the large skylight in the center of the room. The room feels cozy and sleek with comfy chairs and banquettes that are well spaced and black and gold tables.

Everyone here is helpful and friendly, and the service is top notch, something that is missing in so many places. I could not help noticing that everyone came by to check on the elderly lady in the table next to mine (I am saying at least 30 times) only to find out she comes several times a week. How nice to have a home away from home when you are alone.

My server, Michael, explained the Restaurant Week menu which is simple with a choice of starter, main and dessert. I was immediately drawn to several things despite Michael's recommendation. Before this I was greeted by Nick the sommelier and was thinking about wines by the glass and then maybe a cocktail, but he was adamant that one of the lowest priced wines on the menu at $54 was a steal. he was right the Muscadet Sevres-et-Marne "La Tour Galus" 2017 from Damien Rineau in the Loire was a superb treat loaded with mineral terroir and a brilliant fish pairing choice.

My first course was the Grilled Black Cod with Sweet & Sour Marinade, Aioli & Grilled Ciabatta. Speaking of ciabatta, there was yummy French baguette and grain bread with soft fresh butter.  I should also mention that they have house purified water, which is a must in DC these days! The cod was flaky, and the marinade was made from a "slaw" of sorts with onion, pepper and a tad of fennel as well as topped with greens and the ciabatta was ideal to mop up the marinade and aioli after.

My main course was Grilled Line Caught Swordfish with braised celery, zucchini, kale and a red bell pepper coulis (although Michael told me it was a switch from the glazed kohlrabi, black missions figs and potato puree which the menu had, I forgot!). I loved everything on this dish down to the kale and the entire effect reminded me of how very French in style Chef Frank Ruta's cuisine is. Indeed, the style is a refined French with an American tinge.

Dessert was beyond delicious with a Makrut Lime Posset (think panna cotta) with coconut crumble, lime gel and basil poached peaches, which were worth the whole meal alone. Riccardo, the manager, stopped by to make sure all was good, and I told him I had not been since they opened before Covid and was thrilled with my meal, the wine, the service, the decor and everything and we would be back FOR SURE!

stupendous Sorrentino wine dinner at Roberto's in Vienna, VA (8/27/23)

 As soon as Will headed off to the UK, I headed to Chef Roberto Donna's in Vienna for a fabulous wine dinner. I had the immense pleasure of sitting with the winemaker, Giuseppe Sorrentino whose winery is in Campania (on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius) as well as wine importer Maurizio Farro (a dear client) and winemaker Erminela D'Angelo who is also a superb winemaker for her family winery D'Angelo in Basilicata! There are lots of FB pics as this was also a great reunion of so many people who had met on Zoom during covid for those fabulous wine dinners that Nancy & Roberto Donna organized.

The first wine was 2022 Lacryma Chisti del Vesuvio Bianco Bio, called Bio as all the wines from Sorrentino are bio-dynamic as well as organic and vegan!! I loved this fresh white loaded with local minerals from the volcano that is made from 80% Caprettone and 10% each Falanghina and Greco. It was served with a truly "out of this world" Parmigiana di Melanzane (Eggplant Parmesan) which did not even taste like eggplant. The layers were fried and smothered in tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan and even a vegetarian might have sworn it was meat!

Next was a super rich Crocchetta di Patate Ripiena di Scarola Sulla Fonduta di Burrata, Pancetta Croccante or a huge potato croquette stuffed with Escarole, Burrata cheese and crispy pancetta. Chef Roberto said this was a typical Campania street food dish, but it was so magnificent and paired ideally with the  2020 Lachryma Chrisit "Vigna Lapillo" Bianco Superiore is the blend of grapes. The wine is grown at higher altitudes and with lower yields and is creamier than the first Lacryma Christi we had which i actually liked more!

Our third course was a simple Ravioli Alla Sorrentina (named for the winery) and featured superb hand-made ravioli filled with delicious ricotta cheese and Parmesan in a tomato & basil sauce that just oozed freshness. We moved on to the 2021 Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso Bio made from 90% Piedrosso and 10% Aglianico which was superb and so drinkable. 

The meat course was a Punta di Vitello alla Fornara or simply a roasted Veal Breast with herbs and potatoes that was superb if a tad too lemony as the meat was so tender. The 2018 Lacryma Christi "Vigna Lapillo" Superiore is 80% Piedrossos and 20% Aglianico and was truly spectacular. I have had Lacryma Christi many times before, but these wines were all truly magnificent and made me want to spend time in the region tasting more! By the way, the winery has guest houses which i can book for you!!

Dessert was a yummy Pastiera Napoletana (an Easter specialty in Naples) or Ricotta & Wheat Tart with Orange Flower Water in a light Creme Anglaise or vanilla sauce. Sorrentino makes a 2017 Passito "Pompeiano" "Fior di Ginestre" that is 33% each Caprettone, Falanghina and Catalanesca(obviously orginating from Catalan/Spain, but a varietal new to me) that was more acidic than sweet and was a nice foil to the dessert, but probably not a wine I would buy as I tend to go sweeter with dessert wines.

What fun we all had and what a great meal and great wines. You can sign up for these 5pm dinner held almost once a month at their website and as this was my first one, I hope to return again soon!!

Santa Fe's SAZON kind of sucked (well, mostly) (8-16-23)

 Those of you who read my posts know that I am rarely negative. Last night, we were really excited to go to Sazon, one of the new nouvelle-type Mexican places here in Santa Fe. The setting is quite nice with maybe 15-20 or so tables varying in size in three small dining areas with large Mexican paintings all over the wall (I was particularly enamored of the 6 foot tall Frida Kahlo one with her breasts slightly exposed) along with sombreros, some religious art and a large kiva fireplace in the center. The rafters have an old feeling as I think the building is most likely colonial and hence all wooden. 

Our server brought a small plate of 5 different moles for us to taste along with fresh mini tortillas. This is to get you to decide if you wish to choose a dish with one of them and get to taste it up front. They were a chocolatey Mole Poblano, a fruit based New Mexico mole(with apricot), a superb Mole Verde with tomatillo, a Peanut Mole which I loved and a spicy red Coloradito with chile de arbol. A half glass of Cava Segura Viudas was complimentary to cleanse the palate and accompany them. I loved the plethora of Mexican wines and we chose a bottle of Vinsur "Refeljo" 2020 from the Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California made from 42% Petit Verdot, 35% Syrah and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon that was wonderfully earthy and had great flavors to boot.

I chose the Gazpacho with Crab special starter and Will chose the Shrimp Ceviche, also a special and thus, no prices were given. Will's ceviche was yummy and quite filing with a lot of juice, but also a lot of shrimp and yummy chips. My gazpacho was about 5 spoonfuls with maybe 1/2 spoonful of crab; Will was kind enough to share his shrimp.

Since I loved the Coloradito Mole I ordered that on the Duck Breast, but Will opted for the Chef's signature dish of Enmoladas de Pato which was cron tortilla with duck breast, layered with sweet potato puree and the Mole Poblano. He called is dessert duck as it was very rich and quite sweet due to the chocolate combining with the quite sweet sweet potatoes. My dish was a hit, but we told our server Megan that Will was not very happy, and he had eaten barely 1/3 of it. She offered to bring out a shrimp salad which we assumed was complimentary, and Will said it was quite boring and very bland.

I wanted to give them a chance so ordered the Rhubard-Strawberry Cobbler which was decent but would win no prize. Will's coffee was warm, mine was lukewarm.

The check came and I went into shock at the $25 for the teeny bowl(check out the FB pic) of gazpacho, but also the shrimp salad was not complimentary. Megan came over and said the manager had to deal with it. I almost blew up and told Will, it would come out of her tip for sure if they charged us. The manager came over with a new tab without the salad and all was well....until the middle of the night when I clearly had some kind of food reaction issue. So no more Sazon for the Savada-Stevensons!

Tonight dinner is at the opera house!