A Rare Evening of Leisurely Dining

   Somewhere and somehow the art of long leisurely dining with friends has slipped into the abyss of “it used to be…” or “remember when we…” category in our lives.  Why? I really cannot say.  However, I was recently reminded of the multiple pleasures of such long and leisurely dinners at a friend’s home the other evening.  It has been far too long since Linda and I have enjoyed such impeccably prepared cuisine amid lively conversation that extended long into the night.  Hopefully, this missive will entice or inspire others to have similar evenings with their friends.

   Our dinner started with a serving of homemade terrine de foie gras paired with a 1985 Chateau Segur.  Savoring a homemade terrine de foie gras or a 1985 Bordeaux are in and of themselves rare epicurean treats. The twenty nine years that this wine waited to emerge from the bottle softened its bold tannins to complement the foie’s delicate flavors while still possessing enough body to coalesce with the foie gras’ rich gel.  If this was all that we had for the entire evening I would still be singing the praises of a terrine de foie gras made personally  by our host and be wistfully recalling the taste sensations of a twenty-nine year old wine.  But this was only a prelude to what developed into five hours of dining, sipping wine and the telling of European travel adventures.

   After the foie, we savored a wedge of a leek tart brimming with chunks of charred leeks drizzled with a red wine reduction.  Immediately following the tart we served ourselves a  helping of fresh-made fish stew consisting of shrimp, salmon, tilapia, catfish and some diced sweet potatoes bathed in a thick, savory pink broth, topped off with freshly steamed clams that were prepared just minutes before we filled our bowls with the fish stew. For this course I contributed a 2012 Sancerre made by Lucien Crochet.  Although I found this wine to be somewhat acidic and lacking in the finesse that I expect from a Sancerre it thankfully did not prevent us from relishing each mouthful of an extraordinarily flavor-rich medley of fish and seafood.

   Then, in a most European fashion we followed our fish stew with a bountiful green salad that was laced with goat cheese and a vinaigrette dressing made from a very well-aged mother of vinegar.  For the grand finale to our gastronomical feast we ended our evening of culinary decadence with still more decadence, a bowl of fresh-made, creamy smooth lemon mousse with blueberries that we washed down with a glass of sparkling Prosecco.

   

   And so we came to the end of our unhurried culinary extravaganza.  But the Proustian memory of the luscious foie, charred leeks, braised fish and steamed clams plus the scrumptious lemon mousse will stay with us as joyful reminders of this incredible dining experience.

Lucia’s Italian Restaurant…One of a Kind

     Something rare and wonderful happened in Newport Rhode Island the other day; we lunched in a privately owned and operated restaurant. In a popular tourist area such as Newport, there are a growing number of chain and restaurant groups to choose from. As this number increases there seems to be less and less owner/operated options.  Consequently, we are gradually being deprived of the pleasure of dining in a restaurant where the owner is attentively watching over the dining room or better still, in the kitchen impressing us with his or her culinary skills. Hence, my delight in discovering Lucia Tacchi’s Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Newport Rhode Island.

     This moderately priced restaurant lived up to all of my expectations for warm and friendly service, plus an assortment of mouthwatering fare. Their lunch menu includes Croissant agli Spinaci, a jumbo croissant stuffed with mushrooms and creamed spinach laced with tangy, grated parmesan cheese or Croissant al Pollo e Pesto, a croissant filled with tender slices of chicken, fresh mozzarella cheese and a succulent pesto sauce, topped with mixed greens, to name just two of the sandwiches.  Pasta lovers, such as yours truly, will not be disappointed with Lucia’s offerings of Spaghetti alla Carbonara, spaghetti tossed in a rich blend of eggs, Pancetta (Italian bacon), cream and Parmesan cheese, one of my favorites, or Farfalle al Ragu' Bolognese, bow-tie pasta covered with the quintessential hearty, northern Italian meat sauce. Other lunch items include large and small pizzas with an assortment of tasty topping combinations, plus salads, an antipasto with cured meats and cheeses and more Italian favorites to choose from.  Their dinner menu also includes ravioli, tagliatelle and penne and other types of pasta with flavor rich sauces plus a wide range of delicious chicken and veal offerings.

     Linda’s lunch, a crispy, thin crusted pizza, topped with a generous helping of fresh-made tomato sauce, rich mozzarella cheese and thin slices of fresh cut eggplant was perfectly prepared. My dish of penne rigata pasta tossed in a savory combination of thick tomato sauce, chunks of slightly piquant ground sausage meat and tender morsels of green pepper titillated my palate with a wonderful array of taste sensations.  Adding to our luncheon repast was a pleasant, medium dry rosé from Provence that I selected from their moderately priced wine menu.  Linda concluded her lunch with one of their house-made desserts; to quote her it was scrumptious! Unfortunately neither one of us can remember the dessert’s name but the memory of the creamy mélange, similar to tiramisu in taste but richer in texture and the hints of hazelnut and cocoa flavors still linger.    

     In a world of formulated restaurant sameness, Lucia Tacchi’s Italian restaurant and pizzeria is a welcomed refuge from the humdrum, homogenized offerings of most group and chain restaurants —plus delicious food and the personal attention of the owner herself, Lucia Tacchi.

Lucia Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria

186B-190B Thames Street

Newport, RI 02840

401.846.4477

401.847.6355

www.luciarestaurant.com

A Snuggery with Delectable Fare

There are few eateries here in Providence, Rhode Island that I enjoy going to as much as I do the Duck and Bunny Snuggery on Wickenden Street.  True to its namesake “snuggery”, which means a cozy and comfortable place, the restaurant exudes warmth and charm.  Housed in an early nineteenth century, two story clapboard house, the rooms are decorated with ornate chandeliers, cozy high-back armchairs, coffee tables and café tables. Early American landscape art deck the walls and the shear curtains draping the windows create a home away from home atmosphere. Alfresco dining surrounded by lush foliage and sheltered by towering trees is also available on a rustic brick patio behind the house.

 

Offered within the confines of this homey atmosphere is a menu of delicious, wafer-thin crepes wrapped around an assortment of mouthwatering combinations such as the Miss Harriet with a sweet and savory filling of Brie cheese and tender morsels of pear or The Rachel & Monica teeming with one of my favorites, a mélange of steamed spinach, rich goat cheese and tangy sundried tomatoes plus other delicious assemblages of fruit, cheese, meats and vegetables nestled in perfectly prepared crepes.  

Along with this tantalizing assortment of crepes there are hearty green salads that include a strawberry and grilled pear salad over a bed of crisp mixed greens with a sweet balsamic glaze dressing, a baby spinach salad with apples, toasted pecans and crumbled blue cheese tossed in a cider vinaigrette to name just two. For more traditional fare there is an Artisanal Cheese Plate of assorted aged Vermont cheddar and other domestic cheeses, a Charcuterie Plate of savory cured meats and sausages, tea sandwiches and more. 

For dessert lovers the Duck and Bunny will satiate your sweet-tooth cravings with their decadent dessert crepes. Some examples of these offerings are a Banana Split crepe, a Strawberry Sundae crepe or the Little Jed filled with apple compote and topped with rich vanilla ice cream, walnuts and finished with a lacing of creamy caramel syrup.

Inside one of the cozy rooms or outside on the patio the Duck and Bunny coddles your senses with delicious food and a healthy portion of home-away-from-home charm. 

The Duck and Bunny Snuggery

312 Wickenden St. 

Providence, RI 02903

(401) 270-3300

www.theduckandbunny.com

Perfect Mussels

 A hearty helping of steamed mussels nestled in a bowl of savory broth is one of my favorite meals when dining out. I have enjoyed this succulent repast in restaurants in San Diego, New York City, Boston and other cities whenever possible.  In Paris I usually find my way to one of the many Léon de Bruxelles locations or a local bistro that has it on its menu.   After enjoying many, many such delicious bowlfuls of these tender morsels of the sea I can safely say that I have now found perfectly prepared mussels in Providence, Rhode Island. 

To achieve their optimum taste consistency mussels should be steamed in wine or broth to the point of “just cooked”, or about medium rare.  Cooking them beyond this point toughens the mussels and they become chewy; losing the delicate juices that otherwise titillates our palates.   Prepared to the point of “near-done” they are always moist and tender, transforming a simple bowl of unpretentious seafood into a memorable taste experience. 

Steamed PEI Mussels

Without exceptions, one of the finest examples of perfectly prepared mussels is thankfully right here in Providence Rhode Island at the Waterman Grille. I have relished their offering of steamed mussels on several occasions now.  Each and every time they are cooked to absolute perfection—tender and juicy!  Not only are their mussels a delight to savor, the presentation is as appealing as they are delicious.  Carefully arranged on a white oval platter, the black shells with their shimmering morsels exposed lay waiting to be savored. Topped with grilled herb bread to absorb the succulent white wine-butter broth, the Waterman Grille’s steamed mussels are a joy to behold.   

Chef Kevin

This is not to say that only the steamed mussels at the Waterman Grille are perfectly prepared.  Quite the contrary; their crispy calamari, tender Hanger Steak, the flavor-rich Waterman Burger and all of their offerings are always consistently prepared to perfection and presented in an attractive, appetizing fashion.  Our many visits to the Waterman Grille have spoiled us to the point that we now expect perfection every time we dine there and we have never been disappointed.

Waterman Grille

Four Richmond Square

Providence, RI 02906

 (401) 521-9229

www.watermangrille.com

 

Hollywood in Virginia

Just for the fun of it let us see if anyone can guess what city or state this restaurant is located in from the offerings on their menu:

●Blackened Tilapia with pineapple salsa ● Fried Oysters

● Bubba’s Shrimp Creole

 ● Fried Catfish

If your choice was New Orleans or Louisiana it would be logical but unfortunately not correct.  I will offer up some more menu items that may help:

●Coco Loco Chicken● Black Beans and Rice

● White Bean Chicken Chili Nachos

 ●Chipotle Wrap

The restaurant has to be located in the southwest, maybe New Mexico…right? Sorry, wrong answer.  Two more menu items and then I will stop:  

●Catfish Matrimony

● Hollywood’s Famous Crab Cakes

Give up?

     These enticing dishes that one would expect to find in restaurants in Louisiana or the Southwest are served in Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery in Roanoke Virginia.  Along with other Louisiana and Southwestern inspired recipes, this delightful bustling eatery also serves such mouthwatering southern fare as tender, meat falling off the bone baby backed ribs basted in a flavorful North Carolina barbecue sauce.  There is also Molasses and Coffee Pork Chops, Grit Cakes laced with a creamy roasted jalapeno pepper sauce  and Lone Star Chicken, a tender grilled chicken breast topped with savory house-made honey ginger barbecue sauce and a plethora of other  tempting dishes too numerous to mention.

      We went to Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery at the recommendation of the desk clerk at the Hampton Inn in Roanoke Virginia, where we stayed the night in-route from Arizona to Rhode Island.  With so many appetizing entrees to choose from we hardly knew what to order.  After painfully eliminating a whole host of tantalizing possibilities Linda opted for the Fried Oysters and I ordered the Catfish Matrimony.  We were not disappointed.  Our choices were every bit as good as we could have hoped for.  Linda’s generous portion of fried oysters was cooked to perfection.  Each plump oyster was batter coated, deep fried to the point of crunchy on the outside and warm and tender in the center.  My Catfish Matrimony was a scrumptious medley of tender pan-fried slices of catfish covered in a velvety smooth pink sauce loaded with tasty slices of Andouille sausages and shrimp. 

      Rarely have we been treated to such fine creative fare in what can only be described as a friendly “local” restaurant.  It is no wonder that Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery is jam packed every night with local residents and visitors.  If your travels take you to Roanoke Virginia, stop in and say hello to Mark “Hollywood” Henderson or Chris Henderson, the friendly owners of Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery in Roanoke Virginia!

McBride’s Irish Pub - An Unexpected Culinary Delight

Every so often I am treated to superb food from an unexpected source.  In this instance the surprisingly great fare was in an Irish Pub in our new home city of Providence, Rhode Island. Over the years I have enjoyed very good basic food in Irish Pubs, English Pubs and in bars without a particular theme. That is what tickled me so; a culinary delight from such a surprising source. Go figure, a bowl of steamed mussels in an Irish Pub that were better than any I enjoyed in Paris, where moules and frites (mussels and fries) have become a national obsession.   They were also better than any mussels I have cooked myself using fresh mussels purchased in a mercat in Barcelona Spain. Such is my regard for the exceptional quality of the steamed mussels I savored in McBride’s Irish Pub on Wayland Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island.

After driving for five days from Amado Arizona to Providence Rhode Island, Linda and I found ourselves in a very familiar situation, tired and hungry.  We unpacked the car, left our belongings in boxes strewn all over the floor in our apartment and went searching for food in our new neighborhood.  After passing up several more trendy places to eat such as a sushi bar and a gourmet cheese shop  serving an assortment of savory delicacies we strolled into McBride’s for a pint of draft beer and some basic pub fare.   Linda chose the grilled salmon and I could not resist trying mussels, steamed in white wine and herbs.  Our decision to have our first meal in our new neighborhood at McBride’s was quickly rewarded.  Linda’s salmon was cooked to perfection, firm on the outside and moist and tender on the inside, served over a bed of crisp salad greens.  My steamed mussels were plump and tender with a taste of the sea in every bite—simply the best mussels I ever had.

 McBride’s is not your ordinary Irish Pub as far as food is concerned.  Their menu includes such creative offerings as Lamb Sliders, three juicy ground lamb patties brushed with a delicious fig sauce, lettuce and tomatoes served individually on small hamburger buns or their Irish Nachos, a tasty mélange of house-made chips (small wedges of fried pita bread) covered with a generous portion of ground lamb, topped with melted Irish Cheddar Cheese, sour cream and spring onions.  There is also an assortment of thin crusted individual size pizzas and other inspired recipes to compliment such standard pub fare as Shepherd’s Pie, Corned Beef and Cabbage and more.  Befitting any fine Irish Pub there is a large assortment of beers and ales on tap and in bottles from all over the world to satisfy the most discriminating beer drinker.

Go figure, the best steamed mussels I ever had are in an Irish Pub in Providence Rhode Island. 

Part Three - Éclairs, Tarts and Ice Cream…Oh My!

      Our final quest for the “best…in Paris” is the holy grail of desserts—ice cream.  At its best ice cream is a silky smooth, joyful marriage of milk, cream, sugar and eggs with other natural flavorings such as vanilla beans, chocolate, fresh fruit or nuts; then lovingly stirred and reduced in temperature to varying degrees of consistency.  In a city renowned for opulent desserts ice cream is the pinnacle of its culinary decadence— the higher the fat content the richer and smoother the taste sensation.
     Pascal Le Glacier’s ice cream is described by Paris Notes as “nothing short of spectacular”. Located in the charming upscale section of Passy, the western most section of Paris within the city limits, we again started our journey on foot.  Walking past the Eifel Tower, the Champs-Elysèe and the Palais de Chaillot we finally came to Pascal Le Glacier on 17 Rue Bois-le-Vent, nearly 7 kilometers (4 miles) from our flat on rue Petit Pont.  Much to our surprise and dismay Pascal Combette’s highly touted ice cream parlor was closed for vacation!  Not to be thwarted for a taste of the best ice cream in Paris we trudged back to our flat, consoled ourselves with a glass of wine and forged a new plan.  After sorting through the myriad of reviews on the internet we created list of ice cream makers highly touted by others. 

    

For three days we walked to points north, south, east and west tasting a variety of creamy mélanges that others deemed the “the best ice cream in Paris” on the internet.  Thankfully, we finally discovered La Maison Berthillon on the Isle Saint Louis.  No sooner did we taste a mouthful of their luscious mango ice cream we knew we found what we were looking for— the best ice cream in Paris!  Each mouthful delighted our taste buds with the richness of milk, cream, sugar and eggs.  As we savored the creamy smooth texture of their glacer la crème, flavored with tender morsels of ripe mango, the disappointment of Pascal Le Glacier being closed after such a long walk evanesced into the sunset.  Our quest for the best ice cream in Paris was now fulfilled on the picturesque Isle Saint Louis with one scoop of Berthillon’s scrumptious ice cream.  

An Open Letter to My Editor

Dear Harlan,

     It finally happened.  I am sure you had your doubts just as I did all these years; but it really did happen. I actually found a reasonably priced restaurant here in Southern Arizona that has both good food and attentive service. Not only is the food good and worth the money but it is very good. The same holds true for the wait staff.  Aside from being attentive they are also friendly and knowledgeable.  Ironically, this find comes at a time when we will soon be relocating to Providence, Rhode Island—oh well, better late than never. 

     The restaurant is Pizzeria Vivace.  It is located in a non-descript stucco building with professional offices and retail shops in Tucson.  The only thing notable about the building’s exterior is the name Pizzeria Vivace on a wall that can be seen from the road.  For whatever reason, I felt it just may be worth trying.  I really can’t say what piqued my curiosity.  Whatever the reason though, we went there for lunch about a month ago and were impressed.  So much so that we put it to the “acid test”—a return visit.  It seems to be a common malady of the restaurants here that the quality of the food and service is never quite the same from visit to visit.  At times the food is good and the service is not or visa-versa. Somehow getting both the food and the service right, at the same time is just something they are incapable of doing.  As a result of this affliction we have been sorely disappointed many times in the past when we returned to other restaurants that we initially enjoyed.  Thankfully, this was not the case when we returned to Pizzeria Vivace.  The food was every bit as good as the first time we were there and the service was still just as attentive and energetic as before.

     On both occasions we had their Pizzetta for lunch, a six inch thin crusted pizza served with a very generous salad of chopped romaine lettuce, topped with a delicious house made vinaigrette dressing.  So far we have tried several toppings with equal success. My most recent Pizzetta  was topped with tender slices of pepperoni along with fresh Mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce; Linda’s pie came with thin slices of eggplant, zucchini, roasted red peppers, tomato sauce, a little pesto and two cheeses: Mozzarella and Trugole.  Naturally, we tasted each other’s pie and I would be hard pressed to choose one over the other.  My pepperonis were pleasantly spicy, moist and tender—very tasty.  The combination of the fresh vegetables with two cheeses and some pesto on Linda’s pie was wonderful.

     I realize that I am going on and on about a pizzeria as if it is a four or five star restaurant. However, considering our inability to find a restaurant here with both good food and good service for such a long time, my enthusiasm for Vivace’s is not surprising. Other than that there is not much else happening that is noteworthy.  We will be in Providence soon and we are looking forward to exploring the restaurants in the city and the rest of the State.  So get ready for my missives about the gastronomic fare in Rhode Island.

Linda sends her best to your lovely wife Margo and your beautiful daughters, Helen and Cara.       

 Regards,

Bernard

Part Two - Éclairs, Tarts and Ice Cream…Oh My!

Magical Tarts from Les Petits Mitrons Patisserie

     With our successful journey to Stohrer’s Patisserie behind us we were avidly looking forward to tasting what Paris Notes lauds as “the best tarts” in Paris.  As I have stated before, I am usually skeptical of the “best of” or the “best I ever had” pronouncements by others. These are relative judgments usually expressed by someone with little or no basis for comparison to make such a statement. The writers for Paris Notes, which unfortunately is discontinued, were different.   They were expatriates or Parisians who have tasted their way through this city of epicurean treasures for many years. As such my high esteem for their opinion of what constitutes the best of anything is based upon their many years of sampling the great fare Paris has to offer.

     After our morning coffee in our flat we embarked on our new food quest carrying croissants purchased from our favorite boulangerie on Boulevard Saint Germain, which I might add have the best croissants and baguettes I ever had.  While savoring our flaky croissants with a moist, chewy center we once more crossed over the Seine, turned left onto rue du Rivoli, passed the historic Bourse du Commerce and the Column Medici, adjacent to the verdant Jardin des Halle and the ornate Église St-Eustache, to the rue du Louvre where we turned right or north according to my internal compass.  We continued along the rue du Louvre to rue Montmartre, a street that would change names more than once while we strolled through the storied section of Montmartre, home to the racey Place Pigalle and the legendary Moulin Rouge until we came to the end of our journey. Below the hilltop Basilica of Sacre Coeur, regally presiding over Paris, we arrived at the blue and pink storefront of Les Petits Mitrons, Patisserie Artisanal on rue Lepic.  Tired and more than a little hungry we entered this quaint little shop brimming with a dazzling array of multi-colored fruit tarts.  Everywhere our eyes turned we were greeted with a cornucopia of shimmering fruit covering tarts of all sizes. Linda was in dessert heaven!   

     Moments later we were sitting on the little blue bench stationed in front of Les Petits Mitrons gleefully consuming what could only be described the best fruit tarts we ever had. Each tart was filled with firm yet tender slices of fresh fruit; peach for Linda’s tart and apple in mine.  As with most of the pastries we have enjoyed in Europe the fillings in the tarts were rich and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness to stimulate our taste buds, allowing the natural fruit flavors to come through.  The tart’s shell can best be described as baked with little bit of magic.  I really have no other way to describe the mouthwatering crisp outer layer of the shell that tastes as if it is coated with caramelized brown sugar and the soft chewy inner layer, tenderly snuggling the fresh fruit.  It has to be magic! There can be no other way to explain the extraordinary taste sensation of the tart’s delicious shell.

     Sometime shortly after dinner that night a craving for one of Les Petits Mitrons’ fruit tarts came upon us.  We yearned for the taste of the glazed fresh fruit and the tart’s delicious shell to top off our meal. Were it not for the fact that Les Mitrons was certainly closed at that hour we would have been in a taxi on our way back for just one more taste of magic.   

Éclairs, Tarts and Ice Cream… Oh My!

For someone like me embarking on a food quest in Paris, France is as thrilling as Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion going to the Emerald City in the land of OZ.  As a lover fine food Paris is my magical, mystical Emerald City of culinary delights.  Hence the title “Éclairs, Tarts and Ice Cream…Oh My”.

It has become commonplace for my wife Linda and I to go off on a food quest in whatever city we are visiting. In the past we have scoured Barcelona for the best gelato and the best arroz con negro; Paris for the best baguettes, croissants, cassoulet and couscous, New Orleans for Sazerac, Rome for Spaghetti alla Carbonara and other food in other cities.  Half the fun is getting there. These food quests take us through new neighborhoods in cities we already know and sections of a city that we may not have otherwise visited. Naturally, when a reason for us to embark on one of these food odysseys presented itself for Paris France we relished the opportunity.

Before departing for Paris last year, my wife Linda scoured through our old collection of Paris Notes for little known sites and historic places to visit.  Amongst the wonderfully obscure factoids and trivia about Paris she uncovered a gold mine for her sweet tooth—Stohrer’s Patisserie Traiteur for éclairs, Les Petite Mitrons- Patisseries for tarts and Pascal, Le Glacier for ice cream.  She was hooked and I was a willing conscript to her expedition to find these patisseries and the praised glacier.  I must confess that I do not possess a sweet tooth that would compel me to make such quests.  Instead I reserve my calorie intake for food and wine.  Linda on the other hand would prefer to start her meals with desert, leaving whatever room there is left in her stomach for other food.  My reward for taking part in this expedition is reading the menus of the cafes and bistros along the way, not to mention savoring pastries and ice cream in the Emerald City of desserts. 

Day One: STOHRER - PÂTISSIER TRAITEUR

Magasin au 51 rue Montorgueil 75002 Paris

 From our studio apartment situated on Petit Ponte, on the left bank of the Seine we crossed  the Ile de la Cite, presided over by the towering edifice of Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris  to the right bank. Passing the Thearte du Chatelet we walked up along Boulevard de Sebastopol teeming with shops and strollers to rue Etienne Marcel where we turned west to rue Montorgueil.  For my part finding rue Montorgueil was in itself sufficient reward for our long walk.  The street is packed with cafes, bistros, boulangeries, fromageries, boucheriers and charcuteries on both sides for about four city blocks long.  I was in food heaven and would have happily ended our journey with this discovery.  Linda was determined to taste the éclairs from Stohrer’s and so we continued our search for number 51 rue Montorgueil.   A little further up we came upon Stohrer’s landmark yellow canopy shading the shop’s blue façade. Above the canopy between two windows adorned with planter boxes, blooming with flowers a commemorative plaque proudly declared:

Patisserie Stohrer

Maison Fondèe en 1730

 Inside the shop a cornucopia of vividly colored cakes, tarts, éclairs bombes and chocolates, all perfectly aligned on glass shelves greeted us. Wonderful aromas of chocolate, fruit and dough wafted in the air titillating our taste buds.  Our mouths watered waiting to taste the long sought after éclair.  We were not disappointed when we finally ate our éclairs strolling along rue Montorgueil.  As an aside, I had my own éclair since Linda does not share pastries, especially delicious pastries.

The Stohrer’s éclair is a decadent mélange of delicious, rich dark chocolate topping a delicate French pasty filled with a creamy light chocolate mousse stuffing.  I cannot imagine a better éclair being made anywhere in France or anywhere else for that matter. 

After savoring the éclairs we lunched al fresco in one of bistros on rue Montorgueil Linda’s way, having had dessert first.  

Check back for day two’s food quest........


    

Pizza al Taglio -- Simply the Best!

     Reach back into your memory of taste sensations with me for a moment.   Summon the delicious flavors of a baked piece of very thin bread, moist and chewy with a crispy brown bottom, topped with a dabs of savory Fontana cheese, delicately accented with slices of fresh tomatoes, rich caramelized red onions, garlic and savory pieces of pancetta and we have just “tasted” the best pizza I ever had!

Declaring any food as the “best I ever had” is a phrase that I have strenuously stayed away from using until now.   Individual taste and personal preferences vary so much that such declarations are subjective at best.  To add to my unease with this phrase I have often been disappointed when tasting someone else’s “best” of anything.   Then there are times such as this when I savor food that is better than any other version of what I know to be very good or tasty, that I have no other choice but to simply say, this is the best I ever had.  Such is my esteem for the pizza I relished from a little Pizzeria in the Trastevere section of Rome, Italy.

     Tired and hungry, on our arrival in Rome we found ourselves hunting for a taste of the local fare when most Ristorantes and Trattorias are closed between lunch and dinner.   Tucked away on a little street off of the Viale Trastevere, near the Tiber River we stumbled upon Pizza al Taglio.  Much like a child with his nose pressed up against the glass storefront of his or her favorite toy store I beheld an array of rectangular trays of thin crusted pizzas.  I was overwhelmed with insatiable joy at the prospect of trying each and every one of their offerings available by the slice. The variety of toppings on each pizza tray included some of these mouthwatering choices: pancetta, tender slices of fresh mushrooms, tangy anchovies, flavorful caramelized red onions and what would become my favorite, the unlikely combination of potatoes and curry.   Each tray beckoned us to satisfy our hunger, which we did until there was no room for more.  Every mouthful was a taste experience long to be remembered, fresh morsels of different combinations of cheese, meat and vegetables atop a delicious pizza crust.

     The deliciously thin flavorsome pizza crust though is what sets Pizza al Taglio’s pizza apart from all other pizzas I have enjoyed.  The dough is made from Manitoba flour, a blend of wheat from North America whose origins are from the Canadian Provence of Manitoba.    According to Debra Rossi and Roberto Spagocci the owners of Pizza al Taglio, dough made from Manitoba flour can rise for as long as seventy-two hours.  The result is a crispy on the bottom, moist and chewy on top pizza crust that enhances the flavors of the toppings.  Combine this delicious pizza crust topped with fresh cheese, meat and vegetables, baked to perfection and the end result of this appetizing mélange is the best pizza I ever had.

Pizza al Taglio is located on the Via Cardinal Marmaggi, 12 in Rome Italy! 

Culinary Magic in Barcelona

      A little culinary magic takes place every day in a cozy Brasserie/Restaurant just ten minutes away from the hustle and bustle of La Ramblas in Barcelona. There is no other way to explain the picturesque, mouth-watering food coming out of the tiny kitchen in La Collita—it must be magic!

Fredy Naranjo - Magic at Work

Carpaccio of Shitake

     Cooking in less than fifty square feet (4.65m²) of space, Fredy Naranjo creates his culinary magic to the delight of his loyal customers with such Catalan favorites as: a casserole of small white beans with tender rings of calamares and mushrooms or a plate of juicy botifarra (sausage seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves) or my favorite, crisp and tender grilled rabbit and more. Other delicious specialties of La Collita include an assortment of savory Risottos, velvety smooth rice dishes laced with mushrooms and ham or vegetables and prawns or my favorite, risotto with prawns and curry— a flavorful meal of rich rice, seasoned with curry and dotted with tender prawns.



A Tempting Dessert



"A Glass of Foie"



     We happened onto La Collita by chance. After a forty-eight hour journey from Phoenix, Arizona to Barcelona, Spain, a story on its own, my wife Linda and I threw down our luggage in our flat and went searching for food late that night. Travel weary and hungry we accidentally stumbled upon La Collita, a short walk from our flat that was to be our home for the next four months. Our good fortune continued when our server, a friendly young Serbian with an irrepressible smile spoke English well enough to explain some of their Catalan delicacies to us, such as: Carpaccio de Bacalao, paper thin slices of codfish drizzled with black olive oil, Queso de Cabras, a wonderfully nutty, semi-soft Spanish goat cheese and chorizo, a Spanish sausage flavored with paprika and garlic that is unlike any chorizo we have had in Arizona. Ever since that fortuitous night, we happily managed to find reasons to dine there at least once or twice a week. On our last night in Barcelona we bid the city farewell with another delicious meal at La Collita. I still long for another mouthful of Torrada de la Collita, a thick slice of toasted Catalan bread (similar to Ciabatta bread) covered with tender and not very salty anchovies, slices of pimentos and Queso de Cabras.

Bernard Dines Alfresco

     La Collita (The Harvest in Catalan) sits on the outer edge of the popular tourist areas of La Ramblas and the trendy La Ribera section, on Carrer Ramon Turro, just west of the tree lined Parc de la Ciutatdella. It is a small, unpretentious restaurant. The cozy dining room houses four tables, smartly set with white linen table cloths, wine glasses properly arranged and a small liquor service bar. Upstairs, six more tables are nestled under a wood beamed cathedral ceiling and surrounded by rustic brick walls. Dining alfresco is almost always an option in Barcelona as it is at La Collita. The service, watchfully attended to by Leon Salon, is always friendly, prompt and courteous and Fredy the magician creates culinary magic everyday from a kitchen that is too small for mere mortals.



The Magician!



A Wet Glass

“Stand up wherever you are, go to the nearest window and yell as loud as you can…”   Howard Beale (Peter Finch) in the motion picture Network

Never, in my wildest imagination did I ever anticipate writing about nightmarish restaurant experiences in this space devoted to the pleasures of food. Unfortunately, the time has come to stand up and shout, “I’m mad as hell, and I am not going to take it anymore.”

Over time, my expectations of the quality of food and service from the restaurants here in Southern Arizona have diminished to the point where I am pleased with merely “edible and adequate.” Most of the restaurants that I have tried in Southern Arizona have what I call a tourist mentality. They depend on the annual influx of temporary or one-time customers, such as part-time residents and tourists who change year after year. In other parts of the country, less dependent on “visitors” for their survival the restaurant’s emphasis is on building repeat customers all year long. When a tourist is displeased with the food or service in a restaurant, a different one will replace them next season. Conversely, a full-time resident is not likely to return after having several bad experiences. This is not a condemnation of our “snowbirds” or tourists; the area depends on them for its livelihood. It is, however, the business mentality of most of our restaurateurs, who rely upon a revolving door of one-time customers rather than building repeat business from full-time residents with quality food and service.

As a full-time resident in tourist areas such as Scottsdale and now south of Tucson, I have adjusted accordingly by ordering the most basic dishes on the menu, believing that any kitchen can produce a decent steak or hamburger. Regrettably, this has not always held true. I have also abandoned the notion of a drinkable glass of wine with my food since most of our area restaurants serve wine by the glass from bottles left opened for too many days or from ones that were never properly resealed. As a result, I found myself paying as much as twelve dollars for a glass of “swill” posing as wine. Having quietly endured this onslaught on my senses, the lack of anything resembling reasonable service has pushed me over the edge of silent acquiescence.

Recently, my wife Linda and I joined some friends for cocktails at a bar/restaurant in an upscale senior citizen community in Green Valley. We ordered our usual Dewar’s on rocks and our friends ordered two, ten-dollar glasses of wine. To my horror, one of the glasses of wine they were served was noticeably wet, inside and out. Adding to my chagrin, when I walked up to the bar asking for a dry glass, I received a “what’s wrong with this glass look” from the bartender. I was stunned. Obviously, the bartender did not see anything wrong with pouring wine into a wet glass and the server thought nothing of serving it that way. This act goes beyond the scope of my understanding. How can someone, who earns their living serving in a restaurant or bar, not know something as basic as—never serve wine in a wet glass!

The blame for this inexplicable act doe not lie with the bartender or the server alone. Management has a responsibility to ensure that their staff has, at the very least, a modicum of knowledge of what constitutes proper service. Patiently tolerating inexperienced wait staff is an unpleasant fact of dining-out in most restaurants in Arizona. Tolerating restaurant owners who do not know enough about the most basic aspects of service or care enough to educate their staff is unacceptable. Good food alone does not make for a pleasant dining experience, as good service does not excuse bad food. The combination of good food and proper service is what justifies the prices restaurants charge, not one without the other.

..........“I’m mad as hell, and I am not going to take it anymore!”

What Ever Happened to Pesto?

For those of us who were old enough to remember and have since forgotten and for those who were too young to notice, there once was a thick, dark green, luscious sauce gracing the plates of the chicest new restaurants in New York City. Scarcely a menue existed that did not have at least one or more offering of this flavor-rich addition to the fare. Tiny bits of minced garlic and pine nuts melded with chopped basil and pungent, grated parmesan cheese in lush olive oil to add distinction to the simplest servings of pasta. The lushest sauce of the hottest new restaurants then?—pesto!

The origin of the sauce we know today as pesto dates back to ancient Rome and was later refined in Genoa Italy. In New York City, during the late nineteen eighties pesto’s popularity grew to culinary acclaim. From the neighborhood coffee shop to the finest of restaurants, there was a pesto dish on everyone’s menu. Over time though, pesto has lost favor to today’s overwhelming assortment of herbs and spices in recipes. The mouth-watering pleasure of pesto is in its simplicity. It consists of five basic ingredients; fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Together they come together to produce a nutty, rich taste sensation to enhance otherwise less flavorful food. Frequently served over pasta or as sauce for pizza it is also a welcomed addition to broiled fish, grilled chicken breast or add a dollop to bowl of hearty minestrone soup for more savory richness.

Originally, pesto was prepared in a marble mortar by crushing the dry ingredients with a wooden pestle by hand. Today, a simpler, easier and equally satisfactory method is with a food processor. Finely chop the fresh basil, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor separately; combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, add the grated parmesan cheese, mix thoroughly and then slowly pour in the olive oil while constantly stirring the mixture to achieve a smooth, thick texture.

Here are the proportions for the basic ingredients. As with any recipe, adjust the amounts of each ingredient to your personal taste preference or add an interesting new ingredient such as sun dried tomatoes for a hint of sweetness or substitute the parmesan cheese with a more pungent Grand Padano cheese.

2 cups fresh basil, closely packed
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3 cloves garlic

Pesto is quick and easy to prepare, getting richer and tastier as it sits in the refrigerator waiting to titillate your palate. One of my favorite ways to enjoy pesto is by adding a spoonful on top of a golden brown omelet or spread it over a piece of toasted ciabatta bread accompanied by a glass of Soave or Vinho Verdi. Enjoy!

A Proustian Pizza Memory from the Grill

Savoring pizza cooked on an outdoor grill is an uncommon taste experience with singular rewards. The hot charcoal briquettes or lava rocks add enticing, smoke-filled aromatics to the pie that conventional kitchen ovens cannot duplicate. The taste of the crunchy piecrust, topped with bubbling hot, melted cheese is wistfully reminiscent of the pizza served fresh out of the brick ovens from my bygone New York City neighborhood pizzerias. It is a Proustian Memory from my youth that I still relish with each morsel of pizza made on a grill.

One of the fundamental steps to successfully cooking pizza on an outdoor grill is bringing the temperature of the pizza stone, an essential tool, to the same temperature of the grill’s cooking chamber. The hot pizza stone sears the outside of the piecrust for a memorable, crispy and crunchy homemade pizza. The other equally important practice is elevating the stone from the grate, about two to three inches, with a metal vegetable basket or some other similar device that will not block the heat from the pizza stone. Elevating the stone in this manner places the uncooked pizza in the higher and hotter area of the cooking chamber to melt the cheese in the same amount of time necessary to cook the thin pizza dough.

The rest is easy; preheat the cooking chamber to 450° with the pizza stone in place, in order for the stone to reach the same temperature as the cooking chamber, slide the pizza with your favorite toppings onto the stone using a pizza peel. Close the cover to the grill and cook until finished. Randy Wade, the owner of Tumacookery in Tubac Arizona and my grilling guru, recommends a wooden pizza peel for this. When your piping hot, fresh made pizza is ready, slip a metal pizza peel underneath the crust, remove and enjoy! Following these simple steps will ensure a perfectly cooked pizza every time and—the creation your own Proustian Pizza Memory.

Randy Wade’s Signature Vegetarian Pizza Topping

Spread two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and two tablespoons of a balsamic vinegar reduction, or an equal amount of both, sufficient to cover the pie dough. Then add chopped arugula greens, a sprinkling of raw pecans and dried cranberries; the proportions of theses ingredient are to individual taste preferences; start with a quarter cup of each and adjust their amounts and proportions on your next pizza or pizzas. Finish the topping with thinly shaved slices of tangy Manchego cheese, sufficiently spaced for each slice to have its own shaving of cheese.

This no-fuss, easy to prepare combination of sweet and savory flavors elevates an ordinary pizza into a gourmet treat. Try a glass or two of Pinot Grigio by Cavit or a Soave by Inama; both are inexpensive Italian white wines that harmonize perfectly with the taste sensations of Randy’s vegetarian pizza.

A Trilogy of Enticing Meals and Snacks

The culinary secret for making delicious and inexpensive meals is in the sauce! Every chef has their own secret weapon that brings out the best in all their meals. Some drizzle expensive truffle oil on the food for added flavor right before serving, others may have a secret spice or ingredient that they use. Most successful chefs simply spoon-on fresh made, delectable sauces to turn ordinary food into memorable dishes. Rich and savory, succulent sauces also turn boring leftovers into sumptuous epicurean creations, enliven raw vegetable plates and change plain grilled fare into gourmet meals.

The purpose of a sauce is not to mask or disguise the taste of food. Its task is to enliven or enhance the flavor of food or offset it with a countering flavor, such as sweet and savory food combinations. Here are three different, unique and easy-to-make sauces that will impress your friends and family with your culinary expertise.

Garlic Lovers Sauce or Dip

Fresh garlic is a great, natural seasoning that makes almost any dish or food taste better. I have added sautéed garlic to fresh cooked spinach, crushed it into omelets and used whole cloves to add more flavor to chicken stock. I do not know of any food or recipe where garlic would not improve its taste—except perhaps crème brûlée.

The following garlic sauce is not just for garlic lovers; everyone appreciates a flavorful, tangy condiment with their food. There are two ways to make this sauce. The first is for the brave-hearted who love the taste of spicy tangy garlic. The second version is a softer more approachable garlic sauce. Either way this sauce is a perfect dip for raw vegetables, a spread for cold chicken sandwiches, leftover meats and other poultry or as a condiment for whatever your taste buds fancy.

Ingredients

8-10 cloves of crushed garlic
½ teaspoon of salt
1 egg
3 teaspoons of fresh lemon
1 cup of olive oil

Mix all the ingredients, except the olive oil, in a blender or food processor. Then with the blender or processor running, gradually pour in the olive oil. Note, as with making fresh mayonnaise the olive oil should be poured into the blender or processor very slowly to incorporate all the ingredients.

The amount of raw garlic determines just how tangy the sauce will be. One way to keep the garlic flavor and reduce its natural spicy taste is to first sauté the garlic cloves until they are light brown in color and then crush them for the sauce.

The finished sauce is a heavy, creamy emulsion of pungent garlic and lush olive oil. It is perfect as a dip or a spread for sandwiches. My wife Linda loves to spoon a dollop onto her omelet and also dip her steamed broccoli into it. No matter how the garlic lover’s sauce is used, it will energize any food it accompanies.

Savory Green Sauce for Fish or Seafood

This is one of my favorite sauces. I first tasted it in an enclave of Portuguese restaurants in Newark New Jersey; know as the “Ironbound” section of Newark. Green Sauce is a delicious mélange of onions, garlic and parsley simmered in white wine and fish stock or clam juice.

Savory Green Sauce is the perfect accompaniment for almost any broiled, grilled, fried or poached fish or seafood. It is a great flavor enhancer for broiled catfish, filet of sole or any fish that does not have much flavor on its own.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 or 2 tablespoons of flour depending on desired consistency
¼ cup of finely chopped onions
3-6 cloves of minced garlic, to taste preference
1 cup of chopped fresh parsley no stems
½ cup of inexpensive white wine, preferably Sauvignon Blanc
½ cup of fish stock or broth or clam juice

In a saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until they are soft but not brown. Slowly add the flour, constantly stirring the mixture to keep it from lumping. (This mixture of oil and flour is the basis for most sauces. Once the technique is mastered, a whole new world of wonderful sauces will grace your table.) Now slowly pour in the white wine followed by the fish stock, broth or clam juice while stirring constantly with a wired whisk or wood spoon. Be sure that all the liquids are room temperature before adding to the onion, and garlic mixture of olive oil and flour. Now add the chopped parsley and simmer on a very low flame or heat for about 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly until a thick and creamy consistency is reached.

This is a tasty, easy to make sauce. Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic and onions to your personal preference (the more the better).