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The late Dr. Robert Atkins, author of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution
(2002). This Week
Richard Sandoval Spreads The Gospel of Modern Mexican Cuisine by Carey Seet New York Corner: Millesime by John Mariani Man About Town: Boca Raton Resort by Christopher Mariani Quick Bytes GOOD
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THE BEST RESTAURANTS FOR A BUSINESS MEAL
SPREADING
THE
GOSPEL
OF
MODERN
MEXICAN
CUISINE
Ambitious,
or
spread
too
thin?
Richard
Sandoval
builds
his
empire
by
Carey
Sweet
Chef
Richard
Sandoval’s
eyes
glazed
over.
But
just
for
a
split
second. “Qatar,” he said. “Snowmass Village, Colorado.”
Gone are nearly all suggestions of the former Restaurant 162’, which opened in 2005. Sandoval’s crew wisely stripped the heavy drapes blocking the breathtaking views over Monarch Bay and replaced one partition with a dramatic, floor-to-ceiling kelp forest sculpture. Tablecloths have disappeared for an décor of hardwood flooring and patterned carpets reminiscent of reflections on water, accented by sleek furniture, a color palette of amethyst, platinum and celadon, and plenty of leather and velvet. It feels good, elegant, but not stuffy. The theme
here is
Pan-Latin
Coastal, emphasizing sustainable seafood and fresh, local produce,
including
some fruits, vegetables and herbs plucked from the resort’s new garden
next to the property’s tennis courts. Bringing
Sandoval’s vision to the plate is chef de cuisine Greg Howe (below), a Ritz-Carlton
Sarasota alum, and it's not unusual for him to visit tables,
personally introducing
the food and demonstrating the colorful parade of small
bites that march
along slender rectangular plates. The menu
gives you a true sense of place, eating Pacific seafood while
gazing at the sunset over the
Pacific Ocean. As
far
as
entrees,
Sandoval
and
Howe have some attention-getting plates like Pacific sea
scallop
paved with slabs of unctuous pork belly and the unexpected tart crunch
of nopalitos, amid the more
expected dishes like rack of lamb jazzed with a bit of
hoisin-adobo sauce.
La Sandia
Mexican Kitchen &
Tequila
Bar 395
Santa Monica Place
It’s
an
interesting
business
partnership:
chef
Richard
Sandoval
and
opera
star
Maestro
Placido
Domingo. Yet the two have worked together for seven years now, and this
approachable modern Mexican café marks the fourth location of
the La Sandia
concept. Certainly
have
a
cocktail.
A
mezcal
con pepino
margarita is gutsy but not too spicy, like a
splash of really fresh cucumber and lime ignited in the underburn of
Serrano
and chile pequin salt. The
tequila sommelier also tempted me with some
uncommon
pours, and I couldn’t say no to a rosado,
aged
three
months
in
Bordeaux
barrels
so
that
it
took
on
a
raspberry
pink
tone
and
floral notes. She
also talked me into a sotol
from Chihuahua
with the idea being to sip it slowly like Cognac,
savoring the honey notes, then to cap it with a bit of orange slice
dipped in
terra cotta-colored worm salt (yes, salt mixed with dried
worm, a
Latin American specialty).
ZENGO The original Zengo opened in Denver in 2004, garnering attention for its inventive Latin-Asian fusion approach to eating and drinking. Today, the concept still feels fresh enough, thanks to fun dishes such as Peking duck daikon tacos, where slices of Asian radish serve as “tortillas,” or chicken tandoori garnished with cilantro and mango salsas as a Latin substitute for coriander and mango chutneys. Yet it likely
won’t
surprise anyone that Zengo is a mini-chain, with three other locations.
Seating
for 225 sprawls across a busy, nightclub-style landscape of teal
accents,
glazed red and lava tile, brown leathers and black concrete tile
flooring set
with a curated wall of Asian tea tins, ceramic opium pillows, and
sculptural
incense burners. While
Asian
ingredients
provide
much
of
the
firepower
behind
Zengo
dishes, some of
the most
satisfying creations are actually the most straightforward. I couldn’t
stop
eating the excellent pork-mushroom gyoza
dunked in black vinegar-soy, while the tofu was positively
exquisite, deep fried to crisp exterior and a creamy
interior, bedded on Napa cabbage and kissed in lemon aioli and sesame
chile
sauces.
NEW YORK CORNER
millesime
For dessert consider the moist brioche with plum ice cream and Armagnac, the espresso pot de creme, or the apple crumple with lime crème fraîche. The profiteroles with hazelnut ice cream need some work and better chocolate sauce. The wine list is sensibly assembled and priced, this, after all, being a brasserie, not a trophy-heavy haute cuisine establishment. Yet in the cooking of Manrique and executive chef Alan Ashkinaze you begin to realize that elaboration does not make a great cuisine. Tradition bolstered by modern interpretation does, and Millesime is a gorgeous testament to that. Millesime
is
is open daily
for lunch and dinner. Appetizers at dinner run $7-$15, main
courses $17-$36.
BOCA RATON RESORT 501 East Camino Real Boca Raton, FL 888-543-1277 www.bocaresort.com
In way too many
cases, large resort hotels are known for
offering one premier restaurant, and a handful of mediocre eateries and
poolside snack bars, not exactly appealing to guests who may be staying
on
property for more than a few days. Such is
definitely not the case at the Boca Raton Resort
and Club, where
one can dine well at any of the hotel’s five new restaurants.
Seagrille The
first
night
of
my
stay,
after
a
pleasant
day
of
relaxing
by
the
pool
and
taking
in
some sun, I dined at the resort’s
seafood-inspired Seagrille, located in the newly renovated
Beach Club property. The restaurant is
of a modern design with high ceilings, a spacious feel, green and white
leather
chairs, hanging lanterns, and a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean.
The
kitchen is run by executive chef Donna Wynter, who came from Kingston,
Jamaica,
to start her training in NYC at the French Culinary Institute, then
went on
to expand her food knowledge in Bangkok and Beijing, finally heading
back to
the States to cook for Bill Clinton and many other famous faces before
settling
down in Florida at the Boca Raton Resort, working under executive chef
Andrew Roenbeck. Wynter has put
together a menu that offers the freshest fish possible, grilled,
steamed,
baked or cooked, however you like.
Morimoto On my second night at the resort, I headed over to the Japanese-inspired Morimoto sushi bar, one of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s signature restaurants, here run by executive chef Takao Soejima, who worked under Morimoto for two years at his original Philadelphia location. I began my evening with a morimotini specialty cocktail, made with Belvedere vodka, jumai sake, and a refreshing slice of cucumber. I sat at the restaurant’s white marble sushi bar, lined with marine blue bar stools (with backs, thank God!), as I watched my sushi being prepared in front of a line of eight flat screen TV’s that displayed the image of an aquarium, actually deceiving one of my guests, who for at least five minutes was convinced that the digital fish were real. The restaurant is small with only a handful of tables, and may require reservations during peak season, so do plan accordingly. The menu is filled primarily with selections of negiri and sashimi, all made with the freshest cuts of fish, including fatty tuna, salmon, eel, yellowtail, and Japanese striped jack. If I hadn’t eaten so much of chef Soejima’s delicious rock shrimp tempura served with a spicy kochujan aïoli, I would have attempted to try every roll on the menu. I did get a chance to taste the deep-fried soft shell crab maki, filled with asparagus, avocado, tobiko, and a spicy sauce, along with the barbecued eel and avocado roll; both had terrific textures and flavors.
Because
of
the
unique
design
and
atmosphere
of
Morimoto,
I
almost
felt
as
though
I
was dining off property, a pleasant change of pace. Appetizers $8-$28, Rolls $6-$15, and Sushi/Sashimi $3-$9.
Lucca Antipasti
$12-$19, Pasta $21-$30, and Entrees $26-$46.
Serendipity Arriving at the resort’s Serendipity, which mirrors the NYC original on East 60 Street, I walked into what appeared to be the Willy Wonka factory: endless rows of cupcakes, ice cream, pastries, chocolate, sprinkles, éclairs, and the famous frozen hot chocolate, all displayed on massive ice sculptures and ice tables. I didn’t know where to begin nor where to end. As I filled my plate with chunks of fudge and miniature cupcakes I was being asked what type of ice cream sundae I would like to try. All the desserts were as good as they looked, and I walked back to my room that evening with a big smile on my face.
Throughout the meal, sommelier Roberto Colombi stopped by the table to help pair wines from his expansive and well-balanced wine list.
501 East—This is the sixth restaurant in the Boca Raton Resort, which I wrote about last October: www.johnmariani.com/archive/2010/101024/index
To contact Christopher Mariani send an email to christopher@johnmariani.com
TO
EACH
HIS
OWN `````````````` QUICK BYTES ✉ Guidelines for submissions: QUICK BYTES publishes only events, special dinners, etc, open to the public, not restaurant openings or personnel changes. When submitting please send the most pertinent info, incl. tel # and site, in one short paragraph as simple e-mail text, WITH DATE LISTED FIRST, as below. Thanks. John Mariani * Through
January, Carnivale in Chicago will host
events to celebrate one million customers. Mojito
Mondays, Temperature Tuesdays, $15 gift certificates for diners more
will
culminate with a Las Vegas vacation giveaway. Call 312-850-5005
or visit carnivalechicago.com.
* On Jan. 17
in Philadelphia, R2L launches
lunch service, Monday-Friday. Chef
Daniel Stern
brings back the 3-martini lunch, and plates snacks and seafood, soups
and
salads, sandwiches and burgers, and signature mains in creative
American style.
Call 215-564-5337 or visit r2lrestaurant.com.
* From Jan 17
– Feb 15, Red Light in Chicago will preview new
Executive Chef Ryan Fowler’s menu with vegan and non-vegan $20.11 prix
fixe
menus. Call 312-733-8880 or visit red-light.chicago.com.
* On Jan. 20 in Chicago, Cityscape Bar, located at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza, will host their first "Vino with a View" wine sampling of the New Year. Hosted by Palm Bay International, guests will enjoy several varietals of wine along with an assortment of small bites. Complimentary. Call 312-836.-000 or visit cityscapebar.com.
* On
Jan. 20 in Malibu Canyon
(Los Angeles) Saddle Peak Lodge
will host its first
food and wine dinner of the year featuring winemaker Stolpman
Vineyards of California’s Santa Ynez Valley. Chef Adam Horton
will
present a five-course dinner and exceptional wine pairings. $95
pp . Call
818-222-3888 or www.saddlepeaklodge.com.
* On Jan 21-22, Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows in Hawaii is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to present a culinary weekend featuring celebrity chefs Michael Symon and Jonathan Waxman and award-winning cocktail mixologist, Manny Hinojosa. VIP welcome reception on Friday evening and six course dinner on Saturday. $300 pp both events, $250 pp Saturday dinner. 720-201-1853 or visit www.celebritycheftour.com * From Jan. 21-30 in Charlotte, NC, the Winter 2011 "Queen's Feast" Charlotte Restaurant Week will feature 83 participating restaurants offering 3 courses (or more) at dinner for $30pp. For menus and reservations, visit CharlotteRestaurantWeek.com.
*
On
Jan.
22
in
Chicago, Terzo Piano’s Chef
Meg Colleran Sahs and Beverage Mgr. Ryan Paykert invite guests to
join them for a winter soup cooking demo. The class will teach guests
savory and wholesome soup recipes using fresh, local and seasonal
ingredients,
and drinks will be paired and served with each course. $65 pp. Call
312-443-8650. terzopianochicago.com
* From Jan. 24 - Feb. 4, The Source by Wolfgang Puck in Washington, DC, will celebrate the Chinese New Year with a special 5-course tasting menu by Executive Chef Scott Drewno. The Source will offer a sneak peek on Jan. 19 with Chef Wolfgang Puck. $95 pp. 202-637-6100 or visit www.wolfgangpuck.com .
*
On
Jan.
24
at Del Posto
in NYC, Mario Batali will
host a special dinner prepared by Dario Cecchini,
world famous butcher and chef (often referred to as the “Michelangelo
of Meat”), with Del
Posto Executive Chef Mark Ladner’s selection of hors d’oeuvres,
bellinis and Fontodi Chianti. The 5-course menu will be paired
with wines
from Fontodi. $200 pp. Call 212-497-8090. * On Jan. 26th, Grand Central Oyster Bar in NYC, will host a 6-course Oyster & Wine pairing dinner led by Oyster expert Rowan Jacobson and winemakers from Andre Lurton, Barone Fini, and The Crossings. $60 pp. Call 212-490-6650.
* On Jan. 27,
The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards
in Livermore Valley, CA,
will host the
decadent Livermore Valley Winemaker’s Dinner featuring six wines from
the local
area. Providing an exclusive experience and open forum
discussion, each
winemaker will be present to pair their wine with a six course menu
created by
Executive Chef Eric Berg. $120pp. Call 925-546-2450 or visit wentevineyards.com.
*On Jan. 28, NYC's James Beard Foundation hosts a Grand Italian Winter Feast by LI, NY's Bohlsen Restaurant Group Corporate Chef Cornelius Gallagher and Wine Director Paulo Villela for Verace Restaurant. The 6-course wine dinner plus stuzzichini is $170 pp; $130 JBF members. Call 212-627-2308 or visit jamesbeard.org/?q=node/2553. *
On
Jan.
28,The Oregon Truffle
Festival and The Jordan
Schnitzer Museum of Art in Eugene,
OR will
host the film "SLOW:The Taste of Authenticity" by photographer Douglas
Gayeton as the inaugural event, with agronomist and international wine
judge Alessandro Mondello
and
guest chef Stephanie Pearl Kimmel; a
two-day truffle dog training seminar, truffle cooking, cultivating, and
wine-pairing lessons from acclaimed instructors and chefs, a
multi-course Grand Truffle Dinner prepared by celebrity chefs, and a
market place where local wineries/vineyards and truffle product vendors
display their bounty. Prices vary. 503-296-5929 or visit www.oregontrufflefestival.com.
*
On
Jan.
29,
Fleming’s
Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Chicago,
IL
hosts a 5-course Revana Vineyard Wine Dinner with special guest and
owner, Dr.
Madaiah Revana. $125pp. 312-329-9463. FlemingsSteakhouse.com.
* On Jan. 30, in NY, NY, Chilifest 2011 will take over Chelsea Market as 25 chefs from around the city serve their chili creations and strive for the $2,000 grand prize. Chelsea Market, Dickson’s Farmstand Meats, and the Cleaver Company are the presenters of the event which benefits Food Systems NYC. Brooklyn Brewery will be providing all the beer for the beer hall. $30-40pp in advance or $35-45pp at the door. Visit http://chilifest2011.com. * Jan. 30th, in Washington D.C., Eola Chef/ Owner Daniel Singhofen has teamed up with Ansonia Wines to co-host "Burgundy & The Beast", a four-course dinner featuring rustic preparations of wild game paired with beautiful, hearty burgundies from small production vineyards in France, hand selected by Tom and Mark Wilcox of Ansonia Wines. $85pp. Call 202-466-4441 or visit EolaDC.com . * From Jan. 31- Feb. 4, Fedora Lounge in Chicago, IL, will hold “Tot Week” in honor of National Tater Tot Day. Each day of the week will feature a different dish starring tater tots incl. “Tachos” (nachos with tots instead of chips), “Buffa-Tots” (tots tossed in spicy buffalo sauce with shredded chicken and blue cheese crumbles) and “Tot-za” (pizza with tots as the crust). All dishes $7. Call 312-624-9008 or visit fedoraloungechicago.com. `````````````````````````````````````````````` 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:
NASHVILLE; ST. PETERSBURG, FL.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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).
The Family Travel Forum - A community for those who "Have Kids, Still Travel" and want to make family vacations more fun, less work and better value. FTF's travel and parenting features, including reviews of tropical and ski resorts, reunion destinations, attractions, holiday weekends, family festivals, cruises, and all kinds of vacation ideas should be the first port of call for family vacation planners. http://www.familytravelforum.com/index.html
ALL YOU NEED BEFORE YOU GO
nickonwine: An engaging, interactive wine column by Nick Passmore, Artisanal Editor, Four Seasons Magazine; Wine Columnist, BusinessWeek.com; nick@nickonwine.com; www.nickonwine.com. MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John Mariani.
Contributing Writers: Christopher
Mariani, 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
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