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MARIANI’S
Virtual Gourmet
October 19, 2025
NEWSLETTER
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THIS WEEK The Iconic Dishes Los Angeles Gave the World By John Mariani NEW YORK CORNER BLACKBARN By John Mariani HÔTEL ALLEMAGNE CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO By John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR GREAT WHITES By John Mariani ❖❖❖
The
Iconic Dishes Los Angeles Gave the World
By John Mariani
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Modern-day California Cuisine and
sushi counters
may now be the signatures of Los Angeles’s
dining scene, but right from the beginning
Hollywood was a city that gave America many of
its now iconic dishes that endure to this day.
Here is a list––debatably incomplete––of the
most famous. The Chopped
Salad, made of
chopped-up lettuce, avocado, celery, tomato,
bacon, chicken, chives, hard-boiled egg,
watercress and Roquefort cheese, was created at
the Brown Derby in the year it opened, 1926, by
owner Bob Cobb, who invented it as a way to
utilize leftovers in the refrigerator. The
restaurant closed in 1984. . . . Over at the
Hotel Bel-Air (right), The Original
Nancy Reagan Chopped Salad was introduced
in
the 1980s as the “Spa Salad,” which the former
First Lady always ordered at her monthly
lunches and was renamed in her honor in the
early 2000s.
The Shirley
Temple Cocktail. The
Brown Derby also created the Shirley Temple nonalcoholic beverage,
usually made for children who enjoy the idea of
drinking an “adult” cocktail before dinner. It
was, of course,
named after child actor Shirley
Caesar salad. The history of
this famous salad of romaine lettuce,
garlic, olive oil, croutons, Parmesan cheese,
Fettuccine
Alfredo. Another dish brought to
Hollywood after originating abroad, in this case
Rome, created in 1914 by Alfredo Di Lelio, who
made the dish to restore the appetite of his
wife after she gave birth to their son. The
original dish was made only with fresh egg
fettuccine, very rich butter and Parmesan
cheese, which was served to film stars Douglas
Fairbanks and Mary Pickford while on their
honeymoon in 1927. They dined at Alfredo’s daily
and at the end of their stay presented the owner
with a gold-plated spoon and fork with which to
mix the pasta and inscribed “To Alfredo the King
of the noodles July 1927.” They
also brought the recipe back to Los Angeles
where, with the addition of heavy cream,
The
Chinese
Chicken Salad was a
creation of Madame Sylvia Wu at Wu’s
Garden in Santa Monica in the 1960s. (She also
claimed to introduce tofu to Americans.)
Supposedly Cary
Grant described a Chinese dish he loved to Wu
and she threw together what became a signature
dish.
Smoked salmon pizza.
When Chef Wolfgang Puck opened his
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NEW YORK CORNER BLACKBARN
19 East 26th Street 212-265-5959
By John
Mariani ![]()
More
than once I have called John Doherty a “chef’s
chef,” meaning that by his training,
intelligence, commitment and command of
technique he is someone other chefs regard with
great respect, as described by Tim Ryan,
Chancellor of the Culinary Institute of America:
“What I find most impressive about John’s
extraordinary career is his master story of
cooking fundamentals, passionate embrace of
seasonality, and the innovative twists he brings
to each dish.” So I
thought it was time to return to
Blackbarn to see if Doherty was
maintaining my prior faith in his
abilities. The place was as daunting
as ever for its size, and, with what
was overwhelmingly a male crowd of
guys who had doffed their jackets
and toasted each other with Martinis
and beers, it was loud. Less loud
are the tables against the wall to
the left of the open kitchen, and by
8:30 the place starts to empty out
and get much less noisy.
mustard, fruit,
sweet-sour tang of apple cider and
scallions. There was
also a woodsy wild mushroom tart
with three Italian cheeses––Robiola,
Taleggio and Parmesan––and
watercress. Big eye tuna Tartare was
silky, accompanied, again, with
avocado and pico de gallo. Main courses
were, of course, substantial for the
four of us, begging with a deca A massive
filet mignon with more flavor than
usual for this cut was joined on the
plate with a daube de boeuf, with
jumbo asparagus and roasted
cipollini. Desserts
have always been as important to
Doherty as what precedes them, and
it’s hard to find fault with
sumptuous examples like roasted figs
and shortbread with sheep’s ricotta
and sweet aged balsamic.
This
being October, we were especially
delighted with a tall stack of plump
apple cider donuts with a dusting of
cinnamon, sugar, and caramel sauce.
The requisite chocolate dessert is a
chocolate and
caramel pudding with whipped cream
and a housemade Rice Krispie cookie.
Blackbarn’s
wine list is among the best in New
York for its wise selectivity,
thanks to long-time sommelier Adrija
Tadejevic. There
are about 18 wines by the glass
($15-$25), with a dozen Champagnes and
very strong in Pinot Noirs and
Cabernet Sauvignons with some
admirable age on them from the first
decade of this century. Mark-ups are
not as rough as many places, with
some fine bottles about 100%. Many of these
dishes are in the new cookbook, and
while many are complex and require
some knowledge of advanced cookery,
the clarity of the text makes them
quite accessible. Otherwise you can
always go to Blackbarn for the
professional version and decide what
you’d like to attempt at home. I wish
a happy birthday to Blackbarn and
give applause to Doherty and his
staff, especially his chef de
cuisine, Brian Fowler. At
a
time when one hears so much about
failing restaurants, Blackbarn is a
beacon of both good taste and
consummate professionalism. Open daily for
lunch and dinner.
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HÔTEL ALLEMAGNE By John Mariani ![]() CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Katie and David packed
and got up very early to catch the Roissy
shuttle bus from Étoile to Charles DeGaulle.
They had twenty minutes to wait till the bus
arrived, and it was a gorgeous April in Paris
day, allowing for a last look at the springtime
flowers and budding trees in full view of the
Arc de Triomphe. David was sitting with his face
towards the sun and his eyes closed, when
suddenly the shrill sound of police cars and
ambulances jarred him. Within mere seconds more
sirens from the east and west of the Arc were
blaring. © John Mariani, 2024 ❖❖❖ NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
GREAT WHITES By John Mariani ![]() All year ‘round there is good reason to
drink fine white wines, and the fact that all but
the most illustrious, like Domaine Leflaive
Montrachet Grand Cru, Leroy Domaine d’Auvernay Les
Gouttes d’Ôr Meursault and Coche -Dury
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, which cost thousands
of dollar per bottle, they usually cost
considerably less than red counterparts. And there
are so many varietals beyond the ubiquitous
Chardonnay that deserve respect, even if finding
an outstanding New World Sauvignon Blanc is still
a feat.
Labels count heavily with
white wines: Rather than just choose among a dozen
Pinot Grigios or Pouilly-Fuissés, the producer is
very important, although it’s well worth taking a
chance on a small producer from, say, the Sierra
Gaúcha region of Brazil or the Pfalz in Germany that
is recommended by a good wine shop, usually at a
very moderate price. Here are some I’ve been
enjoying so far this fall.
Maison Louis Latour
Bourgogne Chardonnay 2023 ($23). At this price you
won’t easily find a basic Burgundian Chardonnay with
much to offer, but this one has good balance of
fruit and acid and an ideal 13.5% alcohol. It would
also enhance any seafood sauce that calls for a
white Burgundy that will add nuance. Maison Louis Latour
Montagny "Les Buys" 2023 ($40). The white wines of
southern Burgundy, in this case the Côte
Chalonnaise, are generally lighter than those of
their northern counterparts, so you want freshness
in a Montagny, which Latour achieves by selecting
Chardonnay from grapes with a high natural sugar
content that denotes maturity. The wine is racked
off its lees just Rex Hill Seven
Soils Chardonnay 2022 ($35).
Oregon’s Willamette Valley produces many of the West
Coast’s best Chardonnays because of its cooler
climate and vintners like Rex Hill who does not
over-oak his wines. Seven Soils refers to seven
different soil types whose minerals affect the
grapes’ flavors. It certainly has good body and goes
very well with crustaceans and
cheeses.
Shared Notes
2024 Les pierres qui décident Sauvignon
Blanc
($85). Why pay $85 for a Russian River Valley
Sauvignon Blanc? Curiosity perhaps. The name comes
from the joint-venture in
Sonoma Valley in 2012 between wife and husband,
Bibiana González Rave and Jeff Pisoni. Originally
from Colombia, Bibiana
studied viniculture in Bordeaux at Château
Haut-Brion & La Mission Haut-Brion––where
Sauvignon Blanc is married to Semillon––while Jeff
coming from Peter Michael Winery and then his
namesake family’s winery. “Les pierre qui
decident” means “the rocks decide, referring
to the soil that provides a minerality that balances
out the citrus and honey flavors and blunts some of
the grassy taste of lesser Sauvignon Blancs. Their Les leçons
des maîtres ($210)
ups the ante as a Bordeaux-style blend of 75%
Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Sémillon, which gives more
floral notes to the wine. Very good to serve with
grilled seafood.
Hartford Court Jurassic
Vineyards Old Vine Chenin
Blanc 2023 ($36). The
Jurassic here refers to the fossil-rich, volcanic
soil of Santa Ynez Valley, where John and Jennifer
Hartford planted the varietal in 1982. After hand
harvesting, the clusters are pressed in a
“Champagne-style cycle” by which the juice settles
overnight with no additions, then racked to neutral
French oak barrels, with spontaneous fermentation
and finishing in three to four weeks, undergoing
100% malolactic fermentation, to later be bottled
without filtration ay 13.3% alcohol. If you enjoy
Loire Valley and Savennières, this will be an
admirable match and very good when you are dining on
game birds this season. Like the best Chenin Blancs,
it also promises a longevity.
Stonestreet
Estate Vineyards White Blend 2024
($55). Winemaker Krtistina Shideler of
Stonestreet in Alexander Valley packs a good
deal of citrus and honeyed fruit into the
unusual––perhaps unique––blend of 80% of the Greek
grape Assyrtiko with its seaside salinity and the
floral notes of 19% Semillon and a dash of one
percent Italian Malvasia. It works as an aperitif,
with smoked salmon, cheese puffs and charcuterie.
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In an interview with CNN,
microbiologist Charles Gerba (left), also
known as "Dr. Germ," says our toilets may actually
be cleaner than our cutting boards. "Recent surveys
of homes found more fecal bacteria on a cutting
board in the average home than a toilet seat," he
said, adding, "It's actually safer to make your
sandwich on a toilet seat than a cutting board." ❖❖❖ 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. ❖❖❖
MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET
NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Publisher: John Mariani. Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher
Mariani, Misha Mariani, John A. Curtas, Gerry Dawes, Geoff Kalish.
Contributing
Photographer: Galina Dargery. Technical
Advisor: Gerry
McLoughlin. If you wish to subscribe to this
newsletter, please click here: http://www.johnmariani.com/subscribe/index.html © copyright John Mariani 2025 |