MARIANI’S
Virtual Gourmet
CONEY ISLAND, NY, circa 1950 ❖❖❖
IN THIS ISSUE CROSSING THE POND ON THE QUEEN MARY 2 By John Mariani THE POWER LUNCH 2016 By John Mariani NEW YORK CORNER
GABRIEL
KREUTHER
By John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR PLEASANTRIES By John Mariani ❖❖❖ CROSSING THE POND ON THE QUEEN MARY 2 By John Mariani
Twelve years ago I
went on a two-day cruise around Tampa Bay on the
then brand new Queen Mary
2, which joined the Queen
Elizabeth and Queen
Victoria as part of Cunard Line’s legacy
on the high seas that dates back to 1839. Sad
to report, while I found the ship itself
impressive, the food onboard was atrocious at a
time when it seemed oceanliners were just
beginning to improve their food and restaurants.
There
were a few eccentric people onboard who never
disembarked from the QM2 and
intended to sail back to England that afternoon,
but for me the cruise had been just enough to make
indelible impressions on me, so that I would
probably never repeat it, content in the way I was
once to join Mardi Gras in New Orleans and the
Fourth of July fireworks in NYC. My time
onboard was unforgettable but never fleeting, and
I feel that a second voyage might sap the wonder
of it all. ❖❖❖ THE POWER LUNCH 2016 By John Mariani
Last week Eater.com and its “partner,” Vox
Creative, came out with a list of New York’s top
Power Lunch restaurants, yet, with only three
exceptions, few would ever be considered for a
serious business lunch, where the emphasis is on
business and lunch is secondary. The
Power Lunch thrives in NYC as nowhere else in the U.S. in
restaurants that have been around for a very
long time, including the just-closed Four
Seasons in the Seagram Building. Indeed,
the term Power Lunch was concocted by Lee
Eisenberg in an Esquire
magazine story (October 1979) entitled “America’s
Most Powerful Lunch” about the Four Seasons (left), to
the point of showing the Grill Room’s lay-out
and who usually sat where.
NEW YORK
CORNER
By John Mariani GABRIEL
KREUTHER
41 W 42nd Street (near Fifth Avenue) 212-257-5826 www.gknyc.com For
the moment, let me say nothing at all
about the food at Chef Gabriel
Kreuther’s namesake restaurant across
from Bryant Park. Instead let me focus
in on what this splendid, year-old
restaurant represents in 2016. Open
for lunch Mon.-Fri.; Dinner Mon.-Sat. ❖❖❖ NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
PLEASANTRIES By John Mariani Sometimes—often,
actually—it’s better not to think too much
about the wine you are drinking and just enjoy
it for what it is. Special in small ways,
refreshing, surprising, appealing because you
don’t have
to think about it. And in summer that’s the
philosophy I generally follow when it’s 95
degrees outside and I haven’t the energy to be
highly critical. Here are some wines I’m
enjoying right now. CHÂTEAU
TOURRIL HAVANA 2015 ($12)—Located near
Carcassone in the Languedoc, Château Tourril is
just 32 acres in size and its name is taken from
a Gallo-Roman tower on the property. The
owner likes calling his wines after Cuban
cigars, hence Havana, a rosé made from Minervois
grapes like Cinsault, Carignan, Roussillon and
Grenache that give it a cheery color and bright
flavor. It’s wonderful as an aperitif or with a
crab salad, especially while listening to Soeur
Sourire sing “Dominique” in the background. CHÂTEAU
MESSILE-AUBERT
2009 ($20-$25)—A Grand Cru Classé
Montagne Saint-Émilion, Messile-Aubert is made
from 80% merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 20%
Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s very smooth,
unprovocative, and an apt choice for anything
you toss on the grill this summer. Its
age has provided balance, with the tannins
mellowed out, but somehow I find it difficult to
taste the “crushed rocks” that Wine
Advocate does. TASCANTE
BUONORA
2014 ($20)—The Carricante grape is showing good
promise in Sicilian
vineyards like this one, both fermented and
briefly aged in stainless steel to give it as
fresh a profile as you could wish for in summer. Tascante
is one label of the 1,480-acre Tasca d’Almarita
estate dating back two centuries, and this
bottling comes from grapes grown around Mount
Etna, so it picks up minerality in abundance.
Still, no crushed rocks. CHÂTEAU
SAINT-MAUR
2015 ($25)—Just a tad high for a rosé but, at
13% alcohol, it has more body and aromatics than
many from the Côtes de Provence, this one
specifically from around Golfe de Saint-Tropez.
It really is more pink than rose-colored, and
the fruit component is well complemented by its
citrus acids. The wine is made from 54%
Grenache, 26% Cinsault, 13% Carignan, 2%
each Mouvèdre and Cabernet Franc for the body,
and 1% each Syrah, Ugni Blanc, and Rolle for
complexity. It’s the kind of wine you remember
drinking on your first visit to the French
Riviera when you were either in love or longing
to be so. MURPHY-GOODE LIAR’S DICE ZINFANDEL
2013 ($21)—“This wine is no roll of the dice,”
reads the label. “It’s a sure-fire winner.” Fair
enough. (The
name comes from games of Liar’s Dice co-founder
Tim Murphy played with Sonoma County growers.)
It’s a big, bold zin, briary and lip-smacking,
and if you drink it with anything that has a
char on it, you’ll be very happy indeed. Slosh
it into the glass. Good price, too. MASSOVIVO
AMMIRAGLIA
VERMENTINO 2014 ($18)—Made by the Frescobaldi
family of Tuscany, this shows off how a commonly
bland white grape, Vermentino, can show its
character (Massovivo
means “living rock,” a nickname for the
Ammiraglia terroir). With a fine 13% alcohol,
the wine emerges from four months in stainless
steel and one in bottle. Just about any seafood
will match well with this sprightly wine, but it
would be equally good with a vegetable-based
pasta. DOMAINE
GEROVASSILIOU AVATON 2012 ($60)—The name Avaton means
“inviolable and sacred,” which seems a stretch,
but this is an impressive modern red wine of
Greece, made from ancient but unfamiliar
grapes--Limnio,
Mavrotragano,
and Mavroudi—which makes it at the least a
curiosity and at best the kind of hearty,
layered red wine at just 14% alcohol that will
be perfect with roasted or grilled lamb and
warm pita bread. Still, at $60 in U.S wine
shops (much less in the UK), it’s not a wine
to uncork too casually.
❖❖❖
FURTHER EVIDENCE--AS IF WE NEEDED IT!-- OF THE DECLINE OF AMERICAN CIVILIZATION
Robert Irvine
(left, with Paula Deen),
star of the TV show Restaurant: Impossible star
will be getting a new show described as "Dr.
Phil–esque" called simply Robert Irvine,
to air on the CW network
FOOD WRITING 101: Less Is More “Seward's
Folly at West Rib Pub
and Grill, Talkeetna Alaska: This bad boy touts
itself as being the biggest burger in Alaska and
considering it weighs in around 5 pounds, we can't
disagree. Topped with over 2 pounds of Caribou burger,
sliced ham, 12 pieces of bacon, 12 slices of cheese,
lettuce, tomato, and grilled onions, and smothered in
West Rib's famous `Fat Ass’ sauce, anyone who can eat
this all within an hour earns the title of Master and
gets a free T-shirt.”—Shana Lynch,” The Most
Over-The-Top Burgers In Every State,” Esquire.com
❖❖❖ Sponsored by Banfi Vintners
Poggio
alle Mura Rosso di Montalcino In 1992,
Castello Banfi planted the Poggio Alle
Mura vineyard after over 10 years of Sangiovese clonal
research that determined
which clones where most properly suited to the
vineyard based upon soil
composition, elevation and exposition. Today
that vineyard is almost 25
years of age and bearing the best grapes it has ever
produced. The
2013 Poggio Alle Mura Rosso di Montalcino
opened my eyes. I
have to admit, while I enjoy Rosso di Montalcino in
general, I don't
often find one that surprises me, but this one
did. The wine is vinified in Castello
Banfi's hybrid
stainless steel and oak fermentors for 7-10 days and
then racked to French oak
barrique for 12 months. In fact, the
distinction between the Poggio
Alle Mura and it's sibling estate Rosso di Montalcino
- other than the fruit
source - is the oak aging regimen. While the
estate wine spends 12 months
in a combination of barrique and botte, only barrique
are used for the Poggio
Alle Mura.
❖❖❖
Any of John Mariani's books below may be ordered from amazon.com. The Hound in Heaven (21st Century Lion Books) is a novella, and for anyone who loves dogs, Christmas, romance, inspiration, even the supernatural, I hope you'll find this to be a treasured favorite. The story concerns how, after a New England teacher, his wife and their two daughters adopt a stray puppy found in their barn in northern Maine, their lives seem full of promise. But when tragedy strikes, their wonderful dog Lazarus and the spirit of Christmas are the only things that may bring his master back from the edge of despair. WATCH THE VIDEO! “What a huge surprise turn this story took! I was completely stunned! I truly enjoyed this book and its message.” – Actress Ali MacGraw “He had me at Page One. The amount of heart, human insight, soul searching, and deft literary strength that John Mariani pours into this airtight novella is vertigo-inducing. Perhaps ‘wow’ would be the best comment.” – James Dalessandro, author of Bohemian Heart and 1906. “John Mariani’s Hound in Heaven starts with a well-painted portrayal of an American family, along with the requisite dog. A surprise event flips the action of the novel and captures us for a voyage leading to a hopeful and heart-warming message. A page turning, one sitting read, it’s the perfect antidote for the winter and promotion of holiday celebration.” – Ann Pearlman, author of The Christmas Cookie Club and A Gift for my Sister. “John Mariani’s concise, achingly beautiful novella pulls a literary rabbit out of a hat – a mash-up of the cosmic and the intimate, the tragic and the heart-warming – a Christmas tale for all ages, and all faiths. Read it to your children, read it to yourself… but read it. Early and often. Highly recommended.” – Jay Bonansinga, New York Times bestselling author of Pinkerton’s War, The Sinking of The Eastland, and The Walking Dead: The Road To Woodbury. “Amazing things happen when you open your heart to an animal. The Hound in Heaven delivers a powerful story of healing that is forged in the spiritual relationship between a man and his best friend. The book brings a message of hope that can enrich our images of family, love, and loss.” – Dr. Barbara Royal, author of The Royal Treatment. ❖❖❖
❖❖❖
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: 5
MYTHS ABOUT VILLA RENTALS
Eating Las Vegas
JOHN CURTAS has been covering the Las Vegas
food and restaurant scene since 1995. He is
the co-author of EATING LAS VEGAS – The 50
Essential Restaurants (the fourth
edition of which will be published in early
2016), as well as the author of the Eating Las
Vegas web site: www.eatinglasvegas.
He can also be seen every Friday morning as
the “resident foodie” for Wake Up With the
Wagners on KSNV TV (NBC) Channel 3 in
Las Vegas.
MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET
NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John
Mariani.
Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher Mariani,
Robert Mariani, Misha
Mariani,
John A. Curtas, Edward Brivio, Mort Hochstein,
Andrew Chalk, Dotty Griffith and Brian Freedman. Contributing
Photographers: Galina Dargery, Bobby
Pirillo. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.
To un-subscribe from this newsletter,click here.
© copyright John Mariani 2016 |