Fine Dining
Friday, December 23rd, 2011
 We enjoyed, no we raved about a four star gourmet dinner from a top chef the other evening but the location will surprise you. It was our home!
Chef and Food Network star Anne Burrell (www.foodnetwork.com), guided us through one of the finest Italian meals we have ever prepared! While it would be a gas to reveal that she made a live appearance, she was in fact present in our kitchen courtesy of her new book Cook Like a Rock Star. For those of you unfamiliar with Anne, her spiked up blond hair and electric personality reflects her zest for culinary life. She’s worked at some of the top restaurants in New York, studied the culinary landscape and traditions of Italy, and has battled alongside Mario Batali as his sous chef on Food Network’s Iron Chef America. Now host of her own Food Network show, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, we “asked” Anne for her expertise in guiding us through one outstanding four star dinner.
As our theme was Italian, no surprise having just returned from the Wine Inquirer wine video tour of Tuscany and Piedmont, we were looking for a truly authentic starter, entrée and dessert. And we found it!
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Tags: Anne Burrell, bologna, Brunello, Food Network, Germany, Italian food, Italy, Mosel, pasta, Piedmont, Port, ragu, Riesling, Siro Pacenti, Tuscany, wine and food pairing
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Saturday, November 5th, 2011
Bologna is just a magical city, filed with layer upon layer of history. More on that in another Fine Dining article. It’s also a city in which it’s exquisitely easy to get lost on the twists and turns of the tiny cobblestone alleys. I don’t mean the sort of lost where you’re convinced that you’ll become part of Roman history only to be discovered a couple of centuries from now at the base of an antique street sign. No, it’s the lost where you just know that unless you ask for some direction, you’re guaranteed to retrace your steps and possibly more than once. It has that sort of “Twilight Zone” feeling.
To back up, we made the trek from Florence to the outskirts of Bologna with ease (a task that was quite rare for us). As the GPS guided us into the center of the city, we found ourselves navigating ever smaller streets until they became tiny alleyways barely wide enough to accommodate our small rental fiat. After circling the center of the town a few times and (illegally) driving through the central piazza, we finally discovered our hotel. However, the “fun” was not quite finished. Unable to find a parking space in the hotel lot, I was instructed to “ just drive on” around the corner and park at the sister hotel. As I was to learn, as soon as someone says “just drive on,” you’re in deep @#$^*%$. Once again, we found ourselves circling the piazza until out of sheer frustration, my wife rolled down her window and begged a young man, accompanied by his wife and two kids, for help. Taking pity on us, he stuffed himself into the back seat and guided us on. As it turned out, the sister hotel was just around the corner, just impossible to locate even at that. With that settled, it was time to head to the ristorante, Drogheria Della Rosa (www.drogheriadellarosa.it).
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Tags: bologna, Drogheria della Rosa, Emilia-Romagna, Sangiovese, wine and food pairing
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Sunday, October 16th, 2011
After a long day on the road, navigating our way through two video interviews in Montalcino and spending the obligatory time getting lost, we arrived back at our hotel Relais Vignale (www.vignale.it) in Radda just before sunset. After freshening up, but not overly hungry, we decided that we would wrap up the day with dessert and some coffee.
As we strolled through the quaint town, we came across a cute looking restaurant, Ristorante La Botte di Bacco, “the Cask of Bacchus.” Bacchus was the Roman God of Wine and Intoxication. After perusing the dessert section of the menu, we headed upstairs where we were escorted to an outside table situated in a small alley in the back. My wife and I looked at one another as if to say, “really??” However, it became evident that this was no ordinary back alley, relegated to waste. It was, as it turns out, a cute little section set apart from the noise inside……….almost like a street café but in back. From the ristorante, the cobblestone alley extended a short distance to several small shops from which you could descend back down to the main street. Intrigued, we grabbed one the tables, ordered some Prosecco (which we seemed to be doing everyday) and reviewed the menu. It didn’t take but a minute or so, salivating at the main dishes, for us to change our plans…………dessert was deferred and dinner was on.
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Tags: Montalcino, Radda, wine and food pairing
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Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
As we were in and out of Rome in two and half days, we knew that we were going to have to hit the road running……..and we did. No sooner had we landed in the bustling city around 9AM, than we grabbed a cab (one of the traditional taxis and not the “gypsy” versions), refreshed at our hotel in the Trastevere section and headed off to the Campo di Fiori and Piazza Navona squares.
From there it was off to the Vatican and then what felt like a forever walk back to the hotel, our bodies now clearly feeling the impact of the overseas travel and jet lag. Knowing that we were fading, yet still hungry, we asked the concierge of our hotel, Le Clarisse, for a nearby fun dinner spot. Without hesitation, he recommended a spot right around the corner, Ristorante La Scala (www.ristorantelascala.it ). After freshening up, we strolled casually to the ristorante, greeted enthusiastically by the staff and seated.
La Scala is situated on a very small, cobblestone street that accommodates a blend of strollers and trucks delivering goods to the local stores. It’s one of those streets that harkens back to an earlier era. With the weather ideal, probably around 80 F, we sat outdoors by a rod iron rail decorated by pots of beautiful late summer flowers. The warm, casual ambiance truly had the feel of Italy.
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Tags: Nero de'Avola, Prosecco, Ristorante La Scala, Rome, wine and food pairing
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Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
We had a friend in from the east coast recently and wanted to surprise her with a unique culinary experience. While southwest cuisine is everywhere and certainly prepared exceptionally well by many of our local establishments, we were searching for something a little out of the ordinary. Then it hit me, how about JBar? With Janos’ southwest flair applied to Latin cuisine, this was the perfect setting. It’s a casual atmosphere, ideal for a warm and humid summer evening when you just don’t want to dress up.
Janos’ triad of restaurants: the flagship Janos, the more casual JBar, both on the property of Westin La Paloma and the new Downtown concept, all place an emphasis on top flight dishes with Janos’ unique approach to southwest accents and sauces.
With a wall of towering thunderstorms rolling in from the east, we barely made it to the restaurant before the deluge unleashed. The staff escorted us to our table with a window view so our guest could stare in awe of the lightning display. For a starter, I ordered the Chilled Sopa de Ajo Blanco white gazpacho with garlic, almonds, grapes and garlic croutons. I’ve not enjoyed this dish so I thought it would be fun to try something new. The sopa was quite thick in texture and while enjoyable, it seemed to lack flavor and energy. However, the entrees were at the top of their game.
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Tags: Downtown, Janos, JBar
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Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
Sometimes, I cherish the challenge of creating a home prepared dinner that could rival restaurant dining. Mind you, it can be very time consuming and sometimes run up a bit of a bill. Nonetheless, the aromas, flavors and textures can be their own reward. So with this in mind, my wife and I set out recently to uncover a dish that would reflect our upcoming visit to Tuscany and Piedmont, yet one a little off the classic “pasta” beaten path. If you’ve not explored the detailed and filling world of Italian cuisine be aware that there are several courses that comprise a complete meal: antipasti or antipasto (literally “before the meal”), primi (largely composed of pasta, soup and risotto dishes), secondi (meat, poultry or seafood dishes), contorni (to accompany the secondi dishes and translated means contours as they round out the menu) and of course the dolci (if you have room). Of note, you can opt for a primi as a main dish when in Italy. Our choice: we went with a secondi dish called Braciole (pronounced Brazzuhl)
Braciole is simply rolled slices of beef (or veal) pan fried in their own juices or in a small amount of olive oil. However, what is known as Braciole in the United States is referred to as involtini ( translated: “little bundles” in Italian) in original Italian cuisine: thin beef, pork or chicken stuffed with grated cheese (often Parmesan or Pecorino Romano) and other delights such as prosciutto, ham, sausage, mushroom, onion, garlic and spinach. Simmer the dish in a rich tomato sauce, meat juices adding still more savoriness to the sauce, and you have yourself one delicious dish plus a sauce that is made for a side pasta dish. It’s easy to find a recipe for Braciole so you should have no problem locating one.
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Tags: Barolo, braciole, Brunello, Chianti, Pio Cesare, William Sonoma
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Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
While in New York City a few weeks ago, we made it a point to visit with Daniel Boulud at his namesake restaurant, www.danielnyc.com. If you’re searching for what is perhaps the top restaurant in New York City, look no further.
Daniel Boulud has assembled some of the world finest restaurants in the world from New York, Miami and Palm Beach to London, Singapore and Beijing. New York sports no less than eight separate facilities with Daniel’s stamp from the traditional Daniel to the casual bistro, Bar Boulud to the newly opened Boulud Sud and Epicerie Boulud.
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Tags: Daniel Boulud, Daniel restaurant
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Monday, April 25th, 2011
A few weeks back, my wife and I had the pleasure of joining Arizona Stronghold and Page Springs vintner and winemaker Eric Glomski (who also works jointly with James Maynard Keenan of Cadeuceus), for what turned out to be an outstanding pairing dinner with the staff at the Tucson Fleming’s. Executive chef Ethan Schulz along with wine manager Rick Paz combined to produce a signature event profiling the best of both Fleming’s and Eric’s wines. Not to be lost in all of this, was the fantastic wine education offered by Eric about his wines, food pairing and the Arizona wine scene.
Hors D’Oeuvres began with an apricot chutney canapé topped with goat cheese and bacon wrapped chorizo stuffed dates. The two were simply mouthwatering. Eric chose his Page Springs Cellars Vino del Barrio Blanca Cochise County, 2009, a white blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia, Chenin Blanc, Muscat and Pinot Gris that paired beautifully. The wine displayed gorgeous floral notes, an underlying spine of acidity and freshness balanced with softer notes from the Chenin Blanc.
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Tags: Arizona Stronghold, Caduceus, Fleming's, Glomski, Page Springs Cellars
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