Virtual
Gourmet
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IN THIS ISSUE NOW'S THE BEST TIME TO VISIT NANTUCKET Part Two By John Mariani NEW YORK CORNER THE WRITING ROOM By John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR THE WINES OF THE VOLCANO By John Mariani ❖❖❖ NOW'S THE BEST TIME TO VISIT NANTUCKET Part Two By John Mariani Nantucket
Ferry
I was recently on Nantucket for its annual Book Festival, as a speaker, staying at The White Elephant (left), which is just enough removed from but proximate enough to walk into town. The main building, with 67 rooms, stretches over a considerable piece of island turf, and its room decor has that balance of New England tradition with modern amenities--fireplaces opposite well-made king-sized beds--and it is idle pleasure to curl up onto a sofa in the Library or lounge on the Harborside Lawn. The rooms are actually a collection of cottages, all with the island's requisite gray shingles, and it was opened in the 1920s by a local socialite named Elizabeth T. Ludwig, who believed a fine hotel had a future on the island, although her critics dubbed the place "Mrs. Ludwig's white elephant" (which explains why it's not called The White Whale, which was in itself Captain Ahab's own folly). The original structure was demolished in the 1960s and in 1999 everything was updated. The Brant Point Grill at the hotel has had its ups and downs, and currently its menu reads "LOBSTER STEAK SPIRITS," along with listings of the usual hamburgers and roasted chicken breast. I did not have time to dine at the Grill except as a banquet guest for the Writers Weekend, and I wouldn't judge the full à la carte menu by the lackluster food that night.
For the grand splurge at The White Elephant, book
the three bedroom Loft in town, with its own dining
room and kitchen, and you even get the use of your
own BMW X5.
I
had the pleasure of hosting a lunch at the bright
and sunny Italian restaurant Ventuno, owned
by Gabriel Frasca and Amanda Lydon, who also run
Straight Wharf Restaurant and Provisions. The name
Ventuno is the number twenty-one in Italian, for the
premises were for a long time home of the 21 Federal
Restaurant and it's also the address. Once
low-lighted and somewhat formal, the premises are
now lightened up (left),
with simple colonial colors and furniture,
black and white photography on the walls and
vases of herbs on the tables.
Ventuno is located at 21 Federal St; 508-228-4242. Open for dinner nightly.
I was glad I had a chance to pay a quick visit to what is widely considered the best pizzeria on the island, and I’ll throw in all of New England, too. Evan and Maria Marley’s Pi Pizzeria (right), about ten minutes from downtown, has been turning out very credible Neapolitan-style pizza since 2006, baked in minutes in a wood-fired oven. True to Neapolitan style, the pizza ($12 to $16) is a little soft in the middle, with the right charred bubbling on top. It’s a very simple formula--crushed tomatoes, good mozzarella, first-rate olive oil and a little basil to make the admirable margherita.
The Marleys opened the place in 2001 as a wine and
cheese shop, but pizza mania took hold of Evan, and
by 2006 the crafted oven was turning out pies to a
grateful public seemingly starved for the real
McCoy. Depending on their size and
ingredients, the pizzas run
$10-$22, the latter for the "Gambella," topped
with shrimp, garlic, tomato, basil, and mozzarella.
NEW YORK CORNER
By John Mariani THE WRITING ROOM
1703 Second Avenue (near 88th Street) 212--335-0075 thewriting roomsmyc.com
❖❖❖ NOTES FROM THE WINE
CELLAR
THE WINES OF THE VOLCANO
In the Aeneid, the poet Virgil described a horrifying eruption of Sicily’s Mount Etna as “Shooting out globes of flame, with monster tongues that lick the stars . . . and the molten rock rolls screaming skyward; from the nether deep the fathomless abyss makes ebb and flow.”
Most Sicilians would agree with that assessment, yet many others--the island’s winemakers--count the aftermath of an eruption as a gift of the gods, because the new volcanic soil layers in time become rich in limestone, granite and basalt that imbue wine grapes with complex flavors. Indeed, the legend is that Bacchus himself brought wine to Sicily. There is now even an Etna appellation for wines grown in the shadows of the volcano.
For centuries, however, Sicilian wine production was built for quantity, not quality, made on a mass scale and, under EU rules, subsidized by being turned into raw alcohol that never saw a wine bottle. In the past two decades, however, young, forward-thinking Sicilian winemakers have made enormous strides, both by forming co-operatives of the best wineries or by building on tradition at small, family-owned estates.
The island has 23 approved appellations, with many in the eastern region especially affected by Mount Etna, including Faro, Moscato di Noto, Moscato di Siracusa, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, and Eloro, while western regions have enjoyed Etna’s dispersion of minerals blown hundreds of miles away, including Regaleali, Alcamo, Riesi, and Sambuca.
There’s no question that there has been a great deal of global interest in these wines, made from once-neglected red grapes like Nero D’Avola (right), Nerello Mascalese, and Frappato, along with new red imports like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Shiraz. White wines on the island, once oxidized and sulphurous tasting, are now cleanly made, full of sunny Mediterranean fruit, and fine acids, from grapes like Cataratto, Grecanico, Grillo, Inzolia, Zibibbo, and Moscato Bianco, with European varietals like Chardonnay and Viognier recently introduced.
Today, wine producers like Planeta, Duca di Salaparuta (below), and Regaleali have had considerable success in the world market. Rapitala Hugonis ($35), a blend of Nero d’Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon, is a very well made, balanced wine, whose native grape has plenty of ripe fruit, tamed by the tannin of the Cabernet. I am also impressed by the depth and richness of Donnafugata Mille e Una Notte ($50), which is 90 percent Nero d’Avola and 10 percent other varietals, a deep purple, very tannic wine with real complexity from the edge of the palate to the finish. Its lovely name means “A Thousand and One Nights.” Two of the most widely exported Sicilian wines are Duca Enrico from the producer Duca di Salaparuta and the Tasca d'Almerita Regaleali Rosso del Conte, both selling above $50.
Interest in the region's wines has grown so that there are now luxury wine tours of Etna and Taormina, available through Cellar Tours, which include your own driver in a Mercedes, accommodations and visits to local wineries and restaurants.
The area is rich with fine restaurants and quaint trattorias where you can and should drink the local wines that go so well with Sicilian specialties like sweet-sour caponata of stewed eggplant and zucchini; spaghetti alla Norma, with tomato, eggplant and mozzarella; seafood cuscus; and cream-stuffed pastries called cannoli.
In the city of Catania,
don't miss eating right in the fish market itself at
Trattoria La Paglia--said
to be here since 1814. In Messina, Trattoria Piero
is known for its stuffed, baked pastas. In
Taormina--of which the locals say, “If you want to
know what Taormina is like, think of paradise, then think
harder”--the maccheroni
alla Norma is the specialty at Ristorante al Feudo,
and La Torinese
is a wineshop piled high with shelves of Sicilian
wines to take home.
In Houston, at one of America’s finest restaurants, Tony’s, owner Tony Vallone infuses dishes like lamb shank braised in Marsala with memories of his Sicilian grandmother’s cooking, to be enjoyed with a bottle of Planeta “Santa Cecilia” Nero d’Avola ($30 retail)
No one has been more of a cheerleader for Italian wines in general, and Sicilian wines in particular, than native son Piero Selvaggio, born in Modica, who has owned Valentino in Santa Monica, CA, for four decades (with a younger branch in Las Vegas). Among the 80,000 bottles in his cellar, Selvaggio offers a Regaleali Cygnus Sicilia ($15, retail) to marry perfectly with a pasta dish like fusilloro alla Norma. “I am so proud of the progress of Sicilian wines in my lifetime,” says Selvaggio, whose customers include an array of Hollywood stars. “Not only are they now some of the best in Italy, but for the price they are amazing quality.” ❖❖❖
Wine Column Sponsored by Banfi Vintners
A TWIST TO THE SEASONS
by Cristina Mariani-May
Labor Day is
here. Summer vacation is about to become a fleeting
memory. Back
to school, back to work, back to the old routine…
but who says we have to compromise on the
convenience that summer afforded us? With less time to
linger over a meal and sporadic meal times in the
house, it has to be all about convenience now. Though we
will never give up wine with our meals – after all, a
meal without wine is like a day without sunshine –
time and commitments may force us to have just a glass
or two. So
what to do when life does not give us the luxury of
finishing that bottle in one sitting? It is time
to give life a twist… and opt for wines with a twist
off cap.
No, we are not
talking about taking a step down in quality – that’s
yesterday’s thinking.
Today, more winemakers have realized that wine
lovers will accept, even demand, a good wine in a
twist off bottle.
Maybe not for those golden oldies in the wine
cellar, the Sunday night wine we’ve been saving for a
special occasion, the six bottles put away from
junior’s birth year, and so forth. Keep the
cork puller handy for those. But now we’re talking about good
every day value table wine, great for just us (or just
me) and nothing to be ashamed of if company drops by
for a glass. For
a young fresh wine meant to be enjoyed within the
year, a twist off cap is not only more convenient than
a traditional cork, but keeps the wine fresher and
eliminates the risk of a faulty cork. Now you can open a bottle of wine
with dinner without having to finish it or trying to
stuff the cork back in.
If it’s a matter of one or two glasses drawn
from the bottle or one or two glasses left in it, put
the cap back on, put it on the counter, or stash it in
the fridge for tomorrow or the next day. You could
even bring the leftover chicken and bottle of wine for
an impromptu picnic during soccer or football
practice. Now
how convenient is that? Here are some of
my favorite wines in twist-off capped bottles, for
table or tailgate: Le Rime – A Pinot Grigio, unusually from
Tuscany, which makes it fuller bodied and fruitier
than the standard.
Fresh, aromatic, harmonious and fruity,
this crisp beauty is perfect as an aperitif or with
seafood, poultry or veal. Centine Rosé – A pink version of the Super Tuscan blend
of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Delightful rosé color with hints of woodland
berries and a long, crisp finish. Centine Bianco – A white Super Tuscan blend of Sauvignon
Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. Like many
Italians, this wine wears its heart on its sleeve –
its fragrant bouquet belies its Sauvignon aromatics,
its lush mouthfeel is a clear representation of
unoaked Tuscan Chardonnay, and its crisp, clean finish
is what Pinot Grigio is all about. Feudo Sartanna “Zirito” – A white wine made from the native
Sicilian grape called Grillo, this wine is bright and
snappy, with notes of white flowers and citrus fruit. Feudo Sartanna “Kirkinti” – Also made from a Sicilian native
varietal, this one being the red Nero d’Avola grape.
Zesty and clean with bright cherry-like fruit, this is
a red wine that you could drink with fish as soon as meats. Novas Sauvignon Blanc – Made from organically grown grapes
in the San Antonio Valley of Chile, this wine has
mineral and citrus aromas with subtle hints of
tropical fruit.
It is great with shellfish, sushi, and salad
dishes that have citrus marinades or accents. Novas Pinot Noir – Also from organic vineyards,
these in Chile’s coastal Casablanca Valley, this
bright ruby red wine has lush aromas of berries with
notes of spice and cocoa; bursts of fruit alternate
with a pleasing earthiness that make this cheerful
red ideal with white meats, light sauces, cured ham
and even seafood.
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AND IF WE HAD IQ STANDARDS FOR CONGRESS, MICHELLE BACHMANN WOULD BE BARRED FROM RUNNING "If we made Mexican food illegal, illegal aliens wouldn't be able to eat it in the United States and illegal border crossings would stop," Michelle Bachmann, on Fox News Aug, 4, 2014. HEY, BUD!
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Any of John Mariani's
books below may be ordered from amazon.com.
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FEATURED
LINKS: I am happy to report
that the Virtual
Gourmet is linked to four excellent
travel sites: 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: TROUT
FISHING IN NORTHERN MAINE
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).
MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET
NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John
Mariani.
Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher Mariani,
Robert Mariani, John A.
Curtas, Edward Brivio, Mort Hochstein, Andrew Chalk,
and Brian Freedman. Contributing
Photographers: Galina Stepanoff-Dargery,
Bobby Pirillo. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.
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