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❖❖❖ IN THIS ISSUE WHEN FLYING WAS STILL A THRILL By John Mariani NEW YORK CORNER IBIZA By John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR THE WINES OF ROERO By Brian Freedman ❖❖❖ WHEN FLYING WAS STILL A THRILL By John Mariani ![]() Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can (2002)
In
an article in the New York
Times last month (“There Was No `Golden Age’
of Air Travel”)
airline pilot Patrick As for fares, he fails to recall that in the 1960s you could fly from LGA to DC or Boston for $12.75 on Eastern Airlines or PanAm “shuttle” flights. Charter flights to Europe could be had for as little as $200.
Let’s not even begin to talk about the difference
in hospitality between then and now on airlines.
To be sure, the airlines were guilty of arrant
sexism when it came to hiring
Nevertheless,
anyone who flew back in those days can surely
agree about the general tenor of hospitality among
those flight attendants. Smiling, comforting, ever
willing to answer questions about delays and
transfers, flight attendants did indeed attend to
the needs of passengers, who were often in a state
of anxiety, exhaustion or just plain orneriness. Children
were always pampered, even to Back then flight attendants, who often checked you in at the gate, were empowered—or allowed—to bump passengers up to first class, usually people who presented themselves in a very courteous manner, but more often than not a passenger with a small child or a disabled person. Now, such graciousness is wholly forbidden.
Flying really was a thrill for first-timers and
distinctly glamorous, especially when the jet age
begat the idea of the Jet Set and Frank Sinatra
singing seductively, “Come fly with me, let’s fly,
let’s fly away/ If you can use some exotic booze/
There’s a bar in far Bombay.” Most
people dressed up to travel by air; people even
dressed up to drive friends to the airport. There always have been delays owing to weather and mechanical problems, but the routine scheduling of a dozen or more planes to take off at exactly the same time from the same runway was prohibited when the airlines were regulated. I don’t recall ever sitting on the tarmac for more than two hours as I recently did on a flight from JFK to Orly, not because Air France was guilty of delay but because the entire airport was loaded up with flights all due to take off at the same moment. You also didn’t get ETAs back then saying that a two-hour flight would take three and a half hours, because delays are now deceptively built into the flight info, so that a flight that actually takes only two hours is given an ETA of three-and-a-half to allow for all the time on the tarmac and other delays at both ends.
I recall a so-so Kirk Douglas movie called Two Weeks in Another Town wherein Douglas, realizing the errors of his ways as a besotted director making a movie in Rome, races to the airport to catch the next flight back to the U.S. only to find the plane is just closing its doors. Douglas pays for a ticket in cash, flashes his passport at the gate and the attendant waves him through. He runs onto the tarmac and bounds up the stairway to the plane, they open the door. He gets a big hug and kiss from co-star Daliah Lavi as the plane’s engines come to life. Such a scenario was not hokey Hollywood: it could happen to you. In the Golden Age of Flight.
❖❖❖ NEW
YORK CORNER
By John Mariani IBIZA
93 Mill Plain Rd.
Danbury, CT
![]() Last week I wrote about an elegant restaurant on Connecticut’s wealthy Gold Coast named Rebeccas; this week I turn to the far less affluent town of Danbury to write of an outstanding Spanish tapas restaurant in a strip mall that includes a Panda House, a Middle Eastern restaurant called Kibberia and The Secret Hair Salon. Put that aside and enter into a large, colorful dining room with red walls, modern op-art-style murals and the night’s specials posted on blackboards. The tables are black and there is a long bar.
For two decades now Ignacio Blanco (left) has been a trailblazer in America for modern Spanish cuisine, first in TriBeCa at Meigas (put out of business after 9/11) and other restaurants he’s opened in Connecticut. The current Ibiza, opened in 2013, is one of his finest efforts, and there simply is no more affable host than he, ever passionate about introducing you to, or adding to your knowledge of, a style of food that is, as he says, a way of life in Spain.
For that reason, and since most dishes are under
$10, it’s a good idea to put yourself in Blanco’s
hands and have him and Chef Gilbert Trejo choose
until you cry, “no mas!” The
menu is divided into “From the Sea,” “From the
Farm,” and “Raciones”
(portions).
Everything—and this is not usually the case
with typical tapas
bars—is beautifully presented on an array of china
dishware. Begin with the blue fin tuna with sesame oil, black olives, scallions, diced tomato, lemon and Ibiza sea salt ($12)—an array of flavors—or, if you like marinated anchovies (boquerones), at Ibiza they are embellished with olive oil toast, avocado and black olive tapenade ($8). Gambas are large shrimp with delicate sliced garlic, olive oil, lemon, Guindilla and parsley ($12), while velvety pulpo (steamed octopus) takes on the wonderful aromas of smoked Spanish paprika potatoes, extra virgin olive oil and Ibiza sea salt ($13). The calamares are from local waters, with sweet caramelized onions and a Galician vinaigrette ($12).
Tapas bars are not known for their desserts, but
Ibiza does not cut back on its creativity in
lovely items like torrija
moderna, a crispy bread pudding with vanilla
ice cream and sweet and sour strawberry sauce ($9);
the dazzlingly rich tres
leches cake with banana foam and sweet and
sour kumquat ($8); Beer and Txocali sparkling wine is the usual beverage in tapas bars, but Ibiza has an impressive Spanish wine list that marries to its food, with dozens of bottles under $40. New York City has a few good tapas bars, though they tend to be frenetic, loud and pricey. Ibiza, for all its color and focus on the unusual fitted into the traditional, is to my mind better than any in Manhattan. For that reason a true aficionado of Spanish food should make the trip to Danbury and be amazed. Ibiza is open for dinner Tues.-Sun.
❖❖❖ NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
THE WINES
OF ROERO
By Brian Freedman
In the lead-up to my visit to Roero
this past November, I made a point of limiting
my white wine consumption at home. Why would I
pop corks of white in Philadelphia when, once I
arrived, I’d surely be inundated by a veritable
tidal wave of it?
Roero, after all, is home to some of the
best white wine in Italy, and in recent years,
the reputation of Roero Arneis has been gaining
more-than-justified traction in the United
States. It
typically boasts expressive fruit, structured
acidity, and the quality-to-price ratio is hard
to beat.
I was wrong, rather, about what I’d find there.
That’s because the reds were undoubtedly every bit
as exciting, and as eye-opening, as those whites.
Which makes sense, given Roero’s proximity to
Barolo and Barbaresco, home to some of the most
famous reds in Italy. Still, like so many other
world-class wine regions that neighbor more famous
ones, Roero doesn’t necessarily reap huge benefits
from that proximity. Located not all that far
across the Tanaro River, it still resides in the
proverbial shadow of its neighbors.
But it doesn’t deserve to; not even close. That’s
because the wine culture of Roero is vibrant,
forward-thinking yet rooted in a real respect for
the past, and deeply honest in its efforts to
express the unique terroir it’s blessed with, and
the wines coming out of there right now possess
exactly the sort of shimmering expressiveness that
only the most exciting DOCs and DOCGs typically
do, and that consumers increasingly look for.
After having spent some time there, I came away
firmly convinced that Roero has everything it
takes to become the proverbial “next big thing” in
Italian wines.
There are DOCGs
in Roero for both the Arneis and Nebbiolo grape
varieties, the former comprising both Roero Arneis
and Roero Arneis Spumante, and the latter Roero
and Roero Riserva. With all four of these, I came
away Of course, the
chances of finding a three-and-a-half-decade-old
Arneis on the American market are slim at best,
but the point was clear: When grown and crafted
with care, Arneis from Roero has the potential to
age brilliantly.
As so many other
bottlings showed, it also justifies its reputation
for delicious early drinking as well. A vertical
at the fantastic Cascina
Pace was a game-changing experience,
their 2015 Roero Arneis rich and honeyed yet with
lots of mineral and crunchy pear notes anchoring
it all. Pace’s 2013 was maturing brilliantly, with
hints of warm almonds and more balsamic notes. The
2012, dense and concentrated yet lifted with
citrus oils and white peach, boasted additional
flavors of minerals and flowers—it was a
show-stopper. And the 2010, with its baked stone
fruit, apple fritters, and
still-wonderfully-concentrated richness, showed
the more savory side of Roero Arneis, that same
seam of minerality that I’d by then come to expect
lending it further structure and elegance.
As the market for high-quality Roero Arneis
continues to grow, I expect to see the same broad
range of expressions of it in the American market
as I did in Piedmont, as well as an appreciation
for the other excellent wines coming out of Roero
itself. This includes reds, rosés, and sparklers,
too.
The reds, as I mentioned, constitute some truly
remarkable expressions of Nebbiolo. And, depending
on where in Roero they are being grown, and the
winemaking goals of who is crafting them, the
various bottlings exhibit a stunning swath of
diverse styles—though for all of their
differences, my impression was that, in general,
but with some exceptions, they’re a bit more
giving in the glass early on than their
counterparts in Barolo and Barbaresco. One, of
course, is not better than the other, and again,
there are exceptions. On the whole, I found wines
labeled Roero DOCG and Roero Riserva DOCG
friendlier than young Nebbiolo-based wines are
typically perceived as being, yet still with the
benefit of being worthy of laying down in the
cellar.
Negro Angelo &
Figli’s Roero Riserva “Ciabót San Giorgio” 2013
sings with black raspberries, sappy cherries, and
a hint of rose petal, all structured with sweet,
rich tannins. Demarie,
with their Roero “Famiglia” 2011, has produced a
wine exclusively for the American market that
leverages 70% new American oak and 30% new French
oak. It is worth seeking out, its blackberry,
cigar tobacco, and toasty vanilla notes promising
to continue to integrate and gain complexity for
the next 15 years or more.
Not all Nebbiolo goes into the DOCG bottlings, and
there are plenty of great ones that are labeled
differently. Costa
Catterina’s Nebbiolo d’Alba Superiore 2014 is
a delicious example, with gobs of ripe
strawberries and tobacco notes, all framed by very
elegant tannins. Cornarea’s Nebbiolo d’Alba 2014
is excellent right now as well, with brambly berry
and floral notes lending it lift.
And then there’s Barbera, which I hadn’t expected
to be as impressed with as I was. After all,
except for a few notable exceptions, Barbera is
typically perceived in the United States as a
pleasant and food-friendly wine that is meant
mainly for early consumption. But wines like the Monchiore Carbone
Barbera d’Alba “Mon Birone” 2013
practically vibrated in the glass with wild
mushrooms, spicy blue and purple berries, and
flavors of spice- and mineral-tinged fruit, all
bright with beautifully balanced acidity. I’d buy
a case of this and happily drink it over the next
10 years. They also produce a stunning
single-vineyard Roero, called “Srü”; the
2013 was savory and assertive, with fine-grained
tannins structuring forest floor and porcini
notes, as well as a sea-shell-like minerality to
the ripe strawberries. Massucco’s Barbera d’Alba “Serra” 2013,
with its bright acidity and the subtle herbal hint
to the concentrated fruit, would be a great
addition to any dinner table. Cascina Val del
Prete’s Barbera d’Alba “Serra de’ Gatti” 2015,
from a young single vineyard with a high
percentage of sand, shimmered with bing cherry and
bright acidity.
Matteo Correggia
wowed me with so much of what we tasted,
notably their Barbera d’Alba 2014, with its
concentrated, generous berry fruit and remarkably
reasonable pricing, and the unexpected yet winning
Le Marne Grigie
2012, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon,
Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Petit Verdot, and Merlot
that was balanced and expressive with currants,
blackberries, sage, and minerality.
For something more classic
from Malvirà, I’d head to their amazing Villa Tiboldi, in
Canale (right), for a great meal at the
restaurant (below),
possibly a stay of a night or three, and drink
lots of Roero Arneis “Trinità” 2013, whose sandy
soils of origin lend it a fresh, almost perfumed
character, with jasmine and minerality to spare.
Malvirà also produces Roero Riserva “Trinità,” and
the 2009 and 2000 vintages were also excellent.
Order them if you visit.
Rosé, or rosato,
also does brilliantly in Roero, which makes sense
given how successful the Nebbiolo is. Cascina Pace’s
Rosanebbia Vino Rosato 2015, which is
crafted from 100% Nebbiolo, was delicious and
detailed, with an impeccable balance between fruit
and more floral notes, the lovely red berries
dancing side by side with an anchoring earthy hint
of mushrooms and mineral. For a just-as-remarkable
expression of Nebbiolo from Cascina Pace, I
recommend the Roero Riserva 2011, maturing
beautifully with black cherries, creme de cassis,
tobacco, spice, and a gorgeous hint of earthiness.
❖❖❖
AND YES I SAID YES I WILL YES!
“Atop Mr. Gene’s Chicago
dog lies a symphony of flavor, the panoply of
ingredients pile to crescendo. The foundation: a meaty,
rich all-beef hotdogs and blandly sweet untoasted egg
bun. Layer in the cool juice of tomato, watery crunch
from diced onion, the soft snap of dill pickle, a
vinegary schmear of yellow mustard, a hint of clove from
the onion relish, a sharp but mellow heat from Serrano
peppers, and the vaginal salinity of celery salt.
there’s so much going on you might have to order another
one to figure it all out.”—“Chicago Dog: Mr. Gene’s Dog
House,” Cincinnati
Magazine (7/17). ❖❖❖
Any of John Mariani's books below may be ordered from amazon.com. ![]() 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. ❖❖❖
❖❖❖
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