``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` NEW YORK CORNER: A Voce Gets a New Chef by John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR: A Rise in Quality and Drop in Prices for 2005 Bordeaux by John Mariani QUICK BYTES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ATLANTA'S NEW RESTAURANTS Part Two by John Mariani
30 Tables Some
of Atlanta's best and most innovative restaurants are run by Bob
Amick
and Todd Rushing of the company 3 Concentrics Restaurants,
most with numbers in their names, as with ONE.
midtown kitchen, TWO urban licks and TROIS. At 30 Tables (one of
the duller names I've heard lately), Chef Daniel Chance, who has
worked with the city's other groundbreaking restaurant company,
Buckhead Life Group, is in charge, so there's a lot of experience
floating around
the kitchen here. 30 Tables is open for
breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Appetizers run a likable $6-$13,
main courses $12-$36, and portions are all generous here.
PACES88 Atlantans
love nothing more than to
name businesses after its Peachtree and Paces streets, which gets tired
quickly, but whatever the posh new St. Régis Hotel wants to call
its
new restaurant is all right with me, and I will not soon forget either
the fine cuisine of Executive chef Jonathan Jerusalmy and Chef de
Cuisine Mark Alba or the name and
address soon. Paces88 is open for
breakfast, lunch,m and dinner daily. Dinner starters range from $9-$17,
entrees $26-$37.
Chef
Keira Moritz, a Georgia native, is among very few women chefs in
Atlanta, but by any comparison, she is now one of the best. At
Pacci--short for carpaccio--she is serving some of the finest Italian
in the city while also offering first-rate steaks and chops, including Kobe beef
carpaccio (below) served with
tapenade, arugala and parmesan, at this new
114-seat restaurant next to the Hotel Palomar. The throbbing
music has got to go, though.
Smoked Chicken, Provolone, and Arugula Panini $8 Bell Peppers, Onion Compote
Blue Crab, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Garlic Crostini $10
Crispy Fried Calamari, Red Pepper Aioli $8
Boursin French Fries $6
Mother
Hollberg’s Fried Chicken Tacos (below) Cider Braised Greens, Creamy Bacon Vinaigrette $8
Southern
Style BBQ Pork Sliders, Pickled Sweet Potato $10 (right )
Black Eyed Pea and Georgia Smoked Trout Hummus $8 Assorted Crispy Flat Bread
Chef Selection of Three Cheeses $15 Daily selection of Blue, Goat, Hard, Soft and Washed Rind Cheeses Honey comb, quince paste, Assortment of Bread and Crackers
Oxtail and Wild Mushroom Flatbread $10 Arugula, Oven Dried Tomatoes, Fontina Cheese
Vegetarian Flatbread $9 Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Basil leaves
TO READ PART ONE OF "DINING IN
ATLANTA," CLICK
HERE. NEW YORK CORNER a
voce
A Voce is open for
lunch and dinner.
NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR A
Rise in Quality and Drop in Prices for 2005 Bordeaux Despite the
global wine glut and bargain prices for just about everything in the
market, the prices for the most illustrious Bordeaux wines from the
great 2005 are still stratospheric for most buyers. Nevertheless,
Château Latour 2005, which was listed around $2000 a bottle upon
release last fall, is now selling for about $1500-$1600—that’s a 25
percent drop (Château Pétrus has dropped from $6500 to
$4700 and Château Ausone from $5000 to $4100 at New York’s
Sherry-Lehmann Wines & Spirits). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ According to an interview in The Economist, Somalia's Minister of Tourism, Abdi Jimale Osman, says he has not had a single officially acknowledged tourist in 14 years. No wonder. For starters, if you check into the Sharmo Hotel in Mogadishu, management advises guests "to hire at least ten armed guards to escort them from the airport," and the city's cathedral is scrawled with graffiti reading, "Beware of landmines." But Mr. Jimale insists, “Tourists can still go and see the former beautiful sights. The only problem is they're all totally destroyed. Most of the animals have disappeared too, because we have eaten them.” There are, however, bargains to be found: In the market, a hand grenade sells for $10, a Howitzer for $20,000, and Mr. Jimale assures visitors, “I'm sure tourists would leave Somalia alive, and I'm hopeful they wouldn't be kidnapped. At least, we would try to make sure they were not kidnapped, although it can happen.”
WAAAAY
MORE THAN YOU EVER WANT TO
READ ABOUT FALAFEL "They call falafel street food. And fast food. The first
time I ever heard its name, at a festival attended on a high-school
field trip, a teacher told me, "It's an Israeli hot dog." And yes, you
get them fast and eat them fast at stands around the world. But say —
just say — you got one that you wouldn't want to wolf while striding
down the street, because you owe it more than that, because each bite
bursts juicy-chewy-crunchy-hot, then yields a sneaky slow sophisticated
spice charge on the double-take. Say both halves of your brain insist
that this be eaten sitting down because it tastes not mass-produced but
crafted, like the fancy salads at those places you can't afford up the
street. Say this falafel overflows almost deliberately, the way some
folks drop keys or shriek with laughter when they flirt, and it would
not just irk but sadden you to miss a bite. Then it's not street food
anymore, is it? Lines have been crossed. It's something else, the sort
of hybrid that could be conceived only in Berkeley: sit-down street
food." -- Anneli Rufus, "Middle East Meets Far
West at Chick-O-Pea's," East Bay
Express (June 3). QUICK BYTES FOURTH
OF JULY EVENTS *
Over the weekend of July 3-5 The Willamette Valley’s 150 Days of Wine in the Willamette Valley
will open their doors for special wine events and activities, “A
4th for the 4th" to benefit Ecotrust’s Farm to School initiative.
Red, White & True Oregon Wines kicks off summer in the wine country
and offers a unique opportunity to enjoy Willamette Valley wines. Enjoy
classic American summer activities such as picnics, live Bluegrass
music, bocce ball, croquet and even a vintage car show. Visit
www.willamettewines.com. . . .On July 4 in Woodinville,
WA, The Herbfarm’s chef
Keith Luce invites you to join them for two chances to feast and
celebrate on Independence Day--Reds, Whites and Brews, a 4-course
Patriotic Luncheon ($65 pp) or a 6-course Independence Dinner ($119).
Both menus are designed so that guests enjoy the sun by day or the
fireworks at night. Call 425-485-5300; www.theherbfarm.com. . . .
On July 4 in NYC, Brasserie 1605 will be offering a
$200 package rooftop fireworks party incl. champagne, wine,
cocktails, beer, and BBQ (Burgers, chicken, hot dogs) cooked up by
chefs Ron Pericone and Chris Smith. Call 800-243-6969 or visit
www.manhattan.crowneplaza.com. . . . in Portland, OR, Departure's two rooftop decks will
feature a 4-course "Fire in the Sky" family-style menu,
incl. 3 cocktails pp, by Chef Bryan Emperor and outdoor viewing of
Portland’s fireworks. $100 for lounge or dining seats
on the East Deck, $75 for the West Deck, Call 503-802-4641;
visit www.departureportland.com. . . . On July 3 in Dallas, Nana, on the 27th
floor of the Hilton Anatole Hotel, hosts its
monthly Friday Night Flights promotion with 3 food samplings inspired
by the 4th of July holiday and paired with specialty beer by Stone
Brewing Company. $20 pJason Armstrong, the Texas and New Mexico
Regional Brewing Representative for Stone Brewing Co., will
answer questions, Call 214-761-7470. Visit www.nanarestaurant.com.
* On July 1 in Saratoga, CA, Plumed Horse Executive Chef/Owner
Peter Armellino and Jason Haas, General Manager of Paso Robles' Tablas
Creek Wnery will present a $135 six-course menu paired with wines. Call
408-867-4711; visit www.plumedhorse.com. * On July 2 in Long Island, NY, OSO Southampton Inn will present an
elegant 6 course gourmet dinner by Chef Bryan Naylor, paired with
award winning wines from Macari Vineyards. $75 pp, Call 631-283-1166. * In Rye, NY, La Panetiere is serving a summer $45 prix-fixe 3-course menu (in addition to the a la carte menu) and will change regularly throughout the summer to feature different seasonal, local ingredients. Call 914-967-8140. * On July 7 in West Point, NY, the Thayer Hotel is offering its Quadricentennial Golf Outing at the West Point Golf Course, and barbecue dinner. $125 per golfer, incl. dinner, or $55 for barbecue only. Call 914-345-0601 or email pr@hvmag.com; www.thethayerhotel.com. * On July 9 in Cleveland, OH, a 6-course Stag’s Leap dinner will be held at Moxie, for $125 pp. Call 216-831-5599; www.moxietherestaurant.com. * On July 12 in San Francisco, Zaré at Fly Trap Chef and Owner Hoss Zaré will hold the Joyce Goldstein and Hoss Zaré Mediterranean Dinner Benefit, a 5-course Mediterranean feast, benefiting Meals On Wheels. Call 415-243-0580 or mario@zareflytrap.com. * On July 13 in NYC,
Chefs for Scher at
the Bowery Hotel will be held to benefit the Steven Scher
Memorial Scholarship for Aspiring Restaurateurs and the James Beard
Foundation, hosted byLaurent Tourondel of BLT
Restaurants, Franklin Becker of Abe & Arthur’s, Ed Brown
of Eighty-One, Scott Conant of Scarpetta, John DeLucie of
The Waverly Inn, Bobby Flay of Mesa Grill, John Fraser of Dovetail,
Alex Garcia of Calle
Ocho, Michael “Bao” Huynh of BarBao, Stephen Kalt of
Epicurean Concepts, Elizabeth Katz of BR Guest Restaurants, Paul
Liebrandt of Corton, Marc Murphy of Landmarc, Nancy
Olson of Gramercy Tavern, Ryan Skeen of Irving Mill, and Jean-Georges
Vongerichten of Jean-Georges, and others.
Many
have donated dinner and packages to the silent and live auction.VIP:
$225; General admission: $150; visit
www.brownpapertickets.com/event/68111 or call 800-838-3006. * This summer in Beverly Hills, CA, Maison 140 features a “Vin et Fromage” wine and cheese tasting series, showcasing 3 different French Rosés expertly paired with artisanal cheeses, each Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. at the Bar Noir for $35 pp. Call 310-407-7795. BASTILLE DAY EVENTS: * From July 3-14 in Alexandria, VA, Bastille Restaurant will pay homage to their namesake with Chef Christophe Poteaux’s 3-course prix-fixe menu. $35 pp. Call 703- 519-3776 or www.bastillerestaurant.com. . . . On July 12 in Cambridge, MA, the region’s largest Bastille Day celebration, free and open to the public, takes place in the heart of Harvard Square, incl. the Traditional French waiter’s race; Live musical entertainment. Sponsored by Sandrine’s Bistro, which offers a $25 lunch and dinner, and The Harvard Square Business Association. Visit www.harvardsquare.com or www.sandrines.com. . . . In Santa Monica, Mélisse celebrates its 10th anniversary on Bastille Day, with a 4-course menu priced at $100. Also, during the month of July, the restaurant will offer a $10 corkage fee as well as a 10-course menu of Chef Josiah Citrin’s favorite dishes from the past 10 years priced at $150 pp. Call 310-395-0881. . . . On July 14 in San Francisco, Chez Papa Resto is serving a 4-course $60 pp Bastille Day dinner. There will also be decorations in the spirit of the occasion and live music on the patio. Call 415-546-4134. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Everett Potter's Travel Report: I
consider this the best
and savviest blog of its kind on the web. Potter is a columnist
for USA Weekend, Diversion, Laptop and
Luxury Spa Finder,
a contributing editor for Ski
and a frequent contributor to National
Geographic Traveler, ForbesTraveler.com and Elle Decor. "I’ve designed this
site is for people who take their travel seriously," says Potter.
"For travelers who want to learn about special places but don’t
necessarily want to pay through the nose for the privilege of
staying there. Because at the end of the day, it’s not so much about
five-star places as five-star experiences." THIS WEEK: PASSPORT CARDS; ISRAEL;
DUTCH PAINTING.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eating Las Vegas is the new on-line site for Virtual Gourmet contributor John A. Curtas., who since 1995 has been commenting on the Las Vegas food scene and reviewing restaurants for Nevada Public Radio. He is also the restaurant critic for KLAS TV, Channel 8 in Las Vegas, and his past reviews can be accessed at KNPR.org. Click on the logo below to go directly to his site.
Tennis Resorts Online: A Critical Guide to the World's Best Tennis Resorts and Tennis Camps, published by ROGER COX, who has spent more than two decades writing about tennis travel, including a 17-year stretch for Tennis magazine. He has also written for Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, New York Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Esquire, Money, USTA Magazine, Men's Journal, and The Robb Report. He has authored two books-The World's Best Tennis Vacations (Stephen Greene Press/Viking Penguin, 1990) and The Best Places to Stay in the Rockies (Houghton Mifflin, 1992 & 1994), and the Melbourne (Australia) chapter to the Wall Street Journal Business Guide to Cities of the Pacific Rim (Fodor's Travel Guides, 1991). THIS WEEK: Family Travel
Forum: The
Family Travel Forum (FTF), whose motto is "Have Kids, Still Travel!",
is dedicated to the ideals, promotion and support of travel with
children. Founded by business professionals John Manton and Kyle
McCarthy with first class travel industry credentials and global family
travel experience, the independent, family-supported FTF will provide
its members with honest, unbiased information, informed advice and
practical tips; all designed to make traveling a rewarding, healthy,
safe, better value and hassle-free experience for adults and children
who journey together. Membership in FTF will lead you to new worlds of
adventure, fun and learning. Join the movement. All You Need to Know Before You Go ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John Mariani.
Contributing Writers: Robert Mariani,
John A. Curtas, Edward Brivio, Mort
Hochstein, Suzanne Wright, and Brian Freedman. Contributing
Photographers: Galina Stepanoff-Dargery, Bobby Pirillo. Technical
Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.
Any of John Mariani's books below
may be ordered from amazon.com by clicking on the cover image.
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