Thursday, May 01, 2008

Culinary Institute of America - Hyde Park, New York

Eating alone can be sublime, especially if you’ve spent the day pimping your employer.  That’s how I felt Tuesday night while dining solo at Katarina de Medici, one of the four restaurants on the CIA campus in New York’s Hudson River Valley .  I came to the CIA to attend their career fair, and by 5:30, I was ready for their early bird special.  Dinner at that hour –and by myself—for once sounded just peachy, as I had been on my feet since 7am, delivering nearly the identical song and dance to roughly 300 culinary students that stopped by my table.  By dinner time (if you can call it that), I was painfully sick of my own voice, and I entered the Parma-yellow Italian restaurant without the hum-drum-attitude that normally accompanies me when I must dine alone. 

 

Like most culinary schools, the campus restaurants are staffed entirely by the school’s students.  It’s understandable and visible that no one prefers their rotation to the front-of-the-house.  Nonetheless, without too many hiccups, my chef-turned-waiter kept me watered and happy on my barstool perch in front of the wood-burning oven where I could watch breaded tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, asparagus, and shrimp slide in and out of the heat.

 

With a glass of Prosecco, I started with a platter of prosciutto di parma , parmesano-reggiano, radishes, fava beans and watercress drizzled with balsamico.  The prosciutto is sliced tracing-paper-thin with a fire engine red hand-crank slicer displayed in the middle of the dining room.  Believe it or not, this slicer is so gorgeous, no one blinks. 

 

The next course was a variation on the same theme, which I didn’t mind one bit: raw tuna dressed with capers, micro-greens, and olive oil.  Heaven.

 

A glass of Nebbiola de Alba and I was ready for the main course.  Gnocchi is up there on my list of all-time favorite Italian dishes, so I am a sucker and order it every time, even when I suspect it won’t be house-made.  Can I just say that the CIA’s spinach gnocchi, presented in a smooth tomato sauce with a decadent dollop of herbed ricotta cheese in the center, were the lightest, most ethereal little pillows of heaven I’ve ever let melt in my mouth?  I swear to you, they were worth the 17 hours of travel hell I endured to get to the Hudson River . 

 

Yeah yeah, all of the above washed down with a chocolate molten cake and vanilla gelato, macchiato on the side.  The meal had been too perfect: I wasn’t in the mood to experiment.  (To be honest, I rarely am when it comes to dessert.)  I devoured every morsel that was placed in front of me that night. 

Posted by Kris at 23:17:49 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Monday, March 17, 2008

Jean-Georges' Perry St - New York New York

It's been too long since I've felt adequately inspirated to write about food... Last month while in Australia, I was hoping the crocodile kabob and kangaroo proscuitto would move me to verse, but it didn't happen.  No worries, however, I've found my muse: Perry St.

Thank God they're open for lunch, as a dinner reservation requires sheer magic, or a snowstorm, probably both.  To be honest, the restaurant felt designed for mid-day light.  Floor to ceiling windows encircle three sides of the restaurant, the West Side Highway view softened with scrim-like curtains.  Low, white leather upholstery and scallop-shaped settees provide a clean, visual repetition; think Calvin Klein does Danish Modern.  The decor's tour-de-force, however, are the outrageously oversized architectural lamps that arch out from their wall mounts to illuminate the tables. 

All this visual beauty and harmony tends to build expectations.  The flavors exceeded them.  The Perry St lunch menu consists of two small-plate selections, and dessert.  After a heavenly delicate pea soup amuse-bouche (more like pea consomme), I devoured the house-made mozzarella citrus salad with thai basil and tangerines.  My mouth is still talking about it.  Second course was Japanese Snapper Sashimi with lemon, olive oil, and crispy skins curled up like fiddlehead ferns.  This meal was the transcendent experience you long for when coming to New York.  And I'm delighted to see Jean Georges' last blog post was January 28.  I'm not the only slacker!   www.jeangeorges.blogspot.com

176 Perry St
212.352.1900
http://www.jean-georges.com/

Posted by Kris at 05:03:31 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

Saturday, December 29, 2007

I'll Be Right Back... Gusto Girls, Vashon Island, Washington

Gusto Girls is a quirky little restaurant on Vashon Island that churns out surprisingly good sushi appetizers, boasts a full bar for such a tiny little place, and hums along in their groovy way with a retro-loungy decor that somehow works for this decidedly low-key community.  The food has never disappointed me, but I have to be honest, it's not what I look forward to about Gusto Girls.

What's my favorite part?  Bear with me... Gusto Girls has the coolest women's restroom I have ever, uh, experienced.  The red walls and low lighting blend with the rest of the place, but what makes this loo off-the-hook cool is an addition of pure, thrift-store brilliance:  an old fashioned record player.

Within reach of the throne, there sits a low coffee table that bears the turntable, and a stack of albums.  On my first visit, I gamely lifted the arm --a little surprised and giddy to see the power light go on-- and placed the needle on the album that was already in place.  Was it Manhattan Transfer?  To be honest, I don't remember.  Actually, I think it was the Bee Gees.  There's something really, well, relaxing about the scratchy quality of music played on a 33, that made me smile and enjoy the moment.  Once I started flipping through the albums, I came across a Kate Bush classic.  In college, 'Wuthering Heights' was practically my anthem, and I hadn't heard that song in nearly 20 years.  I have no idea how many people were waiting to use the restroom but I didn't care: that song has never sounded so good, especially the second and third time I played it!  This year for Christmas, I gave my sister a set of Reidel wine glasses, and my husband, George, pronounced that good wine glasses make an already enjoyable experience even more enjoyable.  Well, dare I say the same goes for a turntable in the restroom!

Last night I maturely resisted Kate Bush (though full disclosure: I have since downloaded it from itunes), and opted for Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66 instead.  Mas Que Nada!   Yes!  Does it get any better than this in a bathroom?!  I think not!

Recently I was telling a chef colleague about the Gusto Girls restroom experience.  He commented that there should be something equally stimulating for the guys room, and suggested a few power tools and a big sheet of plywood.  Not a bad idea.

The last time I felt this excited about a restroom was in 1990, when I turned 21 and The Queen City Bar and Grill in Belltown became my hangout of choice, having discovered the Orange Crush cocktail specialty of Otis the bartender.  I remember thinking --probably largely due to my new state of young adult inebriation-- that the restroom was just exquisite.  Something about the tall ceilings, subway tile and candlelight.  Does anyone else care about this kind of thing?  Hey, ambiance is ambiance, no matter where you find it!  At risk of your eyes rolling, kind reader, I'm now led to another restroom memory; in a salsa discoteque in Mexico City, 1997, where the 15-foot vanity was covered with make-up and hairstyling products, hair brushes, curling irons, bottles of perfume, you name it, all of it heavily used, and an attendant eager to spruce up each 'customer' as she emerged from the stall.

OK, OK, I'll stop now if you're even still with me. 

http://www.gustogirls.com/

Posted by Kris at 11:25:36 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Friday, December 14, 2007

Basement Restaurant & Bar: Gothenburg, Sweden

I know, I know... How many blog-worthy places can there be in the 2nd largest city in Sweden?  At least one more, and I suspect a few others as well, but that will have to wait until my next visit.  I'll top off my Gothenburg entries with the restaurant where we enjoyed our last supper:  Basement Restaurant & Bar.

Our architect told us of this place, and we'll have to think of something very nice for him to repay the favor.  Arriving at 8:30, we stepped --expectedly-- down into this cellar-like restauarnt, immediately enveloped by heavenly smells that I now suspect was the pork brisket that is cooked for 16-hours.... Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself.  Ambiance:  cozy and charming.  A labrinth of small rooms with low ceilings and white-washed walls, alcoves and nooks filled with books, magnums and wine crates. 

There are only two choices, both tasting menus.  We opted for the four-course holiday dinner with selected wine pairings.  The fact alone that our server could remember and recite the entire offering --in her second language-- was impressive in itself.  Each course was an exquisite composition of mulitple elements, the kind you don't question no matter how unfamiliar (rosemary jelly with egg foam?) because when enjoyed in completion, the flavor combinations are, simply, brilliant.  The pace was leisurely, as our four courses were spread out over three hours.  (Good thing we didn't opt for the 8-course dinner, we would have missed our flights the following morning.) 

The Michelin star is well deserved here, but more than that, Basement has managed to pull off the sublime: composing serious, top-notch cuisine as refined and evolved as the other cutting edge restaurants in town, yet maintaining a comfort-factor in service and decor that is completely disarming and relaxed. 

Gotabergsgatan 28, 411 34 Goteborg
http://www.restbasement.com/
Posted by Kris at 08:26:33 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Magnus & Magnus: Gothenburg, Sweden

Ever since I read about this restaurant in the NYT Magazine last September, I've been looking forward to experiencing Magnus & Magnus.  After all, Gothenburg has found herself in the enviable position of becoming the gastrohub of Scandinavia, center of the 21st century culinary revolution.  Magnus and Magnus shares the spotlight with no less than four Michelin-starred restaurants in the same city, two of which I had the great priviledge of experiencing during my last visit (Sjomagasinet and Fond: both, exquisite).  So it was with much anticipation I entered the small and charming santuary that has been so favorably received by the international press.

The casually elegant interior, I must say, is without parallel in this town: a cozy, square bar sits in the center of the room, with small tables encircling this nerve center of embibement.  A most intimate and charming single-table loft sitting directly above the entrance was noted immediately by everyone in our party as the private dining alcove of choice, not unlike your childhood tree or clubhouse.  There is a Moroccan theme about the place, save the Elvis-Sings-Christmas playing overhead.  Nonetheless, we tucked into our table for four and waited for the evening to unfold.

How do I explain what happened next:  the fact that our time at Magnus and Magnus was perhaps one of the most special and enjoyable dinners I have experienced abroad was not due to an easily identifiable element of the dinner.   The elegant and delightful server who took our joking in easy stride, the lovely Russian River Marimar Chardonnay she brought to our table after confessing she had recommended and served the last bottle of Chateau Nuf du Pap to the chaps in the coveted alcove, the mini salt-encrusted sourdough rolls that made me want to eat at least a dozen, the beef carpaccio with beets and broth, and the raindeer steaks enjoyed all around the table:  these are the elements that built our experinece, but truly I must confess that none of the above made me feel that Magnus and Magnus was tremendously special.  In fact, while perfectly delicious, the courses were, in all honesty, rather forgettable.  The invaluable element of our dinner was in the conversation that was collectively inspired by all of the above.  And therefore, tonight I go to bed pondering the fifth element, so to speak, that dining out has the potential to offer:  a heightened platform for friendship, for storytelling, for sharing.  And in this regard alone, Magnus and Magnus may have been one of the best restaurants I've ever experienced.

Magnus & Magnus
411 18 Goteborg

http://magnusmagnus.com
Posted by Kris at 16:08:08 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Maite Zaitut, Txori ! Downtown Seattle, Washington

Fabulous news, friends... the best cafe you ever enjoyed in Spain just got better and moved to our hometown.  Today I enjoyed an outstanding lunch at Txori, (pronounced "Chor-ee") in Belltownn.  This is the long-awaited downtown Basque-style tapas bar, created by the fabulous Harvest Vine husband-and-wife team, Carolin y Joseba Jimenez de Jimenez, and their long-time HV chef, Joey Serquinia (previously of Marco's Supper Club).  Let me count the ways I love this restaurant...

Each tapa was a complete delight.  My companion and I put ourselves in the able hands of Joey to craft our menu.  What followed was a parade of outstanding pintxos: Spanish cured chorizo sausage dusted with chocolate, tortilla espanola, piquillo peppers with morcilla (ok so it's blood sausage but don't freak out), 'gilda' which were the most beautifully composed skewers of cured anchovies, olives, pipparas and piquillos and MUST be enjoyed all in ONE BITE I learned, albondigas, and clams in a beany broth that we slurpped up with the wonderful baguette.  Carolin is the master (mistress?) baker so desserts were not to be missed... Coffee flan, and torte de chocolate y queso with caramel sauce, washed down with a perfect cafe cortado.  But it wasn't just the food!

If you take my advice, you will go to Txori and stand at the counter, as you would in Spain, and enjoy your meal standing up, and you will wad up your little paper napkins and throw them on the floor, just as you would in Spain, without the slightest hesitation.  (Carolin encourages you to do so.)  Dining at Txori in this manner also ensures you get the prime real estate for watching the chefs on the other side of the counter, as they craft each pintxos right in front of you with a healthy combination of intensity and affection.  

Open until 1 am 7-days/week.  See you there!  (ps And the t-shirt is sooo cool...)

http://www.txoribar.com/

2207 2nd Avenue
Seattle, Washington
206.204.9771

Posted by Kris at 21:31:41 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Beato - West Seattle, Washington

Often I am asked for restaurant recommendations; this is in part because my friends and colleagues know I love nothing more than discovering a fabulous new restaurant and sharing such a find with those that will appreciate the same.   My career involves quite a bit of travel as well, so I am forever jotting down the names of restaurants in a Moleskin address book that I carry with me at all times, squirrling away restaurant ideas for that next visit to...  With this blog, I hope to share some of my favorite places with likeminded gastrophiles!  Buen provecho ~

Last night, I finally made it to Beato in West Seattle.  This neighborhood has become more and more interesting in the last couple of years; ladies, if you haven't discovered Clementine for shoes or Sweetie and Carmilias for fabulous threads, you're missing out!  Bakery Nouveau was the one shining star on the culinary map of West Seattle, cranking out perhaps the best bread, pasteries, and sandwiches in Puget Sound (with great espresso to boot) that made me re-think my long-standing aversion to this barrio.  But I digress.. what I'm really trying to blog about is where I ate last night: Brandon Gillespie's Beato.

I can't believe it!  A beautiful, tasteful decor that rivals anything downtown (think clean and minimalist like Union, with twinkling votives everywhere).  With only 50 or so seats, it's cozy.  Service was excellent, and the food even better.  I liked the option to enjoy a wine flight; we jumped on the four Barberas from Alba and Asti of the Piedmont region.  (Tre Vigne was my favorite)  Wonderful bread and fruity olive oil for dipping kept me and my four-year-old at bay until the first course arrived.  The mussels appetizer was delicious; my husband reported that the house-made fettucini with oxtail ragu was equally pleasing.  I liked seeing local Estrella's cheese on the antipasta list.  My main course knocked my socks off: house-made gnocchi, little pillows of potato heaven, with a wonderful, fennelly, sweet but hot sausage.  My plate was literally wiped clean with the last of the bread before our table was cleared. 

Dessert wines abound; I'm easy to please with Moscato de Asti.  I'm less easy to please with dessert, but the chocolate bundino was off-the-hook.  I won't describe it here, it doesn't matter; just eat the thing and you'll thank me later.  The trio of gelato was tasty, too, the caramel one standing out as the most heavenly.

http://www.beatoseattle.com/
Posted by Kris at 10:01:27 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |