~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWSLETTER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 6, 2003
~~~~~~~~~~~
EDITOR'S NOTE: This newsletter is
also also available on the very
comprehensive food site www.sautewednesday.com
, which has dozens of other links to food articles
from
around the world.
by
Suzanne Wright
Recession
be damned: over the past year, a clutch of new eateries has created a
stir on
Atlanta’s culinary scene. Here are the
most
talked-about of the moment:
This is my favorite
of the city’s new eateries by
far. Northern California meets the
Mediterranean is how I’d describe the simple, rustic dishes that change
daily. There’s an emphasis on the finest
artisan products from cheese to produce, meat to seafood, even wine.
Tuohy
rarely dresses his ingredients with sauces or other fripperies,
preferring
instead to let excellent ingredients seduce you, like luscious French
horn
mushrooms, fava beans, and pecorino cheese napped with 25-year-old
balsamic. I’ve
enjoyed quickly fried Canadian smelts, with a squeeze of lemon to
heighten the
aroma and velvety texture of these beauties. Earthy roasted beets with
chèvre
are deeply flavorful. Mushroom soup is a
savory bouillon-like liquid loaded with various meaty fungi.
The musky,
seared foie gras is a melt-in-your-mouth winner, its richness cut with
the
accompanying quince or enhance it with marmalade.
I love the delicious, thin-crust pizzas here,
especially the savory duck confit/bleu cheese/rosemary/pine
nut/caramelized
onion version. For main courses, try the
richly marbled, wood-grilled Kobe flatiron steak. The
cedar-planked fish is also a
standout. Served on a charred shingle,
the fish is subtle and substantive, retaining its moisture and boasting
an
intense woody flavor. In several
blissful visits, my sole disappointment was with a risotto with
scallops and
porcini mushrooms, which didn’t maintain its proper temperature.
There’s a climate-controlled ripening cabinet
where
fat rounds of cheese wink at you—and a monthly cheese club to help you
learn
more (a recent tasting features a transcendent goat cheese dubbed
“purple haze”
with lavender buds and fennel pollen). Desserts have included a lovely
maple
pot de crème topped with blueberry preserves and served with
shortbread and a
homespun strawberry and rhubarb galette with creamy strawberry lavender
ice
cream.
The wine list is a well-priced pleasure. The selection features many obscure varietals
and little-seen labels; a lot of “ABC—anything but Cabernet,” says our
waiter. I fell in love with a lush Cline
Mourvedre, a bargain at $38 a bottle. Service is mature and poised, but
not
smug. And the restaurant is surprisingly
hushed even when full.
The premises--a
former gas station—are now a minimally
decorated, 56-seat space (the patio seats another 35). Brick walls are
painted
black or white, a few paintings punctuate the walls, and white
tablecloths
topped with white butcher paper and candles and theatrical lighting
soften the
room. The showiest décor element is a copper clad wall
undulating behind the
bar where glossy-haired patrons angle for stools while awaiting tables. On my visits, I’ve noted gay couples,
30-somethings with kids, seniors, 20-somethings on dates, pierced and
tattooed
couples of all persuasions and groups of girls all mixing easily here.
The food is sophisticated comfort fare, with
emphasis
on terrific ingredients in unfussy preparations. The
seasonally changing menu features a
number of alluring choices grouped under starters, salads, soups,
entrees and
desserts. There’s also a cheese course
featuring Georgia’s own Sweetgrass Dairy fromage.
I adored the sexy carpaccio of Kobe beef
served with a black truffle emulsion, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and
peppery
arugula. Smoky butternut squash soup
swirled with crème fraîche is presented with panache: a server pours the gingery liquid into a
white bowl containing a dice of squash and a handful of pepita seeds.
The duck leg confit served with green lentils
was a
bit dry and a tad salty on one visit; a seared diver scallop in lobster
bisque was
listed on the menu but didn’t materialize with one.
But Iris rebounded with the freeform ravioli
a smashing success akin to improv jazz: pan-seared turbot served with
tender
sautéed squid and asparagus and baby carrots topped with a
translucent square
of pasta bathed in a crustacean sauce—light and yummy. The Niman Ranch
pork
tenderloin is a thick slab of meat served with a heady mustard sauce
and fried
sweet corn grits that evokes the best Southern memories.
For dessert, you can enjoy rich, locally made
ice
cream from Jake’s or the smooth, pistachio crème
brûlée served at proper
temperature, with just a hint of the green nut. My favorite is the
bittersweet
dark chocolate torte with lip-smacking fresh whipped cream.
There’s a wine list with some interesting and
well-priced Spanish, Italian, French and California wines, available by
the
bottle and glass; servers make informed recommendations if you inquire. I recently enjoyed a Baso Blanco from a
crisp, slightly floral white from Spain.
In keeping with the gentrifying neighbors, the prices are easy
on the
wallet, with no dinner entrée topping $19.
This restaurant hasn’t yet hit its stride, but its early promise
portends very good things.
The irritating, e e cummings affectation of
the
restaurant’s typeface aside, ONE.midtown kitchen (559 Dutch
Valley Rd.;
404-892-4111) is an urban kitchen with aplomb.
At prime time multi-hour waits are de
rigueur, and the place can be positively deafening when full.
This is the kind of space you’d find in NYC’s
Tribeca
or Meatpacking District. Designer Bill Johnson is responsible for the
quirky,
appealing look of ONE, which blends hard and soft textures in a
renovated
warehouse. Steel gray velvet curtains part
to reveal a large, glowing room vibrating with energy. An amber resin
“eyebrow”
floats above the curvilinear exhibition kitchen. The floors are
concrete with a
dark, mottled stain. Dining solo? Twelve counter seats outfitted with black
leather placemats give you a super perch to watch the action. The
ceiling
features a galaxy of orangey vertical light sticks that evoke Harry
Potter. All four bathrooms are
unisex; a red light above the door indicates one is in use.
The main room is divided by goldenrod
Ultrasuede
banquettes placed back-to-back topped with fresh cut grass in a
continuous
planter; chunky candles punctuate the grass. The back wall of the
restaurant
features floor-to-ceiling windows framed by velvet drapes overlooking a
community garden and the Midtown skyline beyond.
A wooden breadbox holds small baguettes and
flatbread
to dip into the addictive garlicky, chickpea spread.
I love the wine list, which features 70 wines
at four price points, from $18-$48.
The menu is heavy on small plates. There are a few missteps here, including
anything with a too-cloyingly sweet sauce (lamb ribs, pork chop,
mussels). Instead go for the seductive
griddled goat’s
cheese stuffed into sourdough, the earthy mushroom and truffle
sauté a rich
counterpoint to the creamy cheese. “Three
from the garden”—a vegetable plate—is outstanding, almost Moroccan in
taste,
and features savory baked ruby and gold beets, pearl onions and
artichokes; squash
marinated in mint, pine nuts and lemon; and roasted cauliflower with
raisins
and garlic.
Among main dishes, an aromatic whole
wood-roasted
snapper is presented head off, filleted and re-assembled with the tail. Six inches of perfectly cooked, buttery fish,
it glistens with lemon slices, fingerling potatoes and the nice bite of
arugula. Equally good is the steak
frites: tender, flavorful skirt steak atop a bed of parmesan-coated
hand cut
fries tossed with fried rosemary and thyme. For
dessert, I recommend the
cheesecake-stuffed crêpes topped with toasted almond slivers,
strawberries and
a balsamic glaze.
I’ve got to admit that my visit to Twist
(3500
Peachtree Road NE; 404-869-1191) left me feeling a bit—twisted. Located in upscale Phipps Plaza, Tom
Catherall’s latest eatery is a frenzy of food and activity—arguably the
flashiest of the newcomers--a tapas bar/sushi bar/Asian-fusion eatery
and its
lack of culinary focus is in sharp contrast to the other well-edited
restaurants opening across the city. I
liken Twist to a carnival ride you either love or loathe.
The youthful service has been hit and miss, just
like
the menu, which boasts satays, wraps and rolls; salads; sandwiches;
sharing
salads; tapas; entrees; raw bar; and sushi, along with desserts. You
are meant
to share, for portions are small, except for entrées. There’s nothing especially innovative here. In fact, the whole fusion thing feels dated
and played out. Still, two witty
offerings made me smile, although I didn’t try either:
“Supermodels three course meal” (smoked
salmon, sage bleu cheese, chocolate truffle, $6) and soft scrambled
eggs with
crème fraîche, caviar and brioche ($29).
Dishes arrive swiftly and everything looks dazzling;
unfortunately looks can be deceiving.
The lean, nicely char-grilled Korean BBQ beef with kim chee was
flavorful and the fried calamari with lemon aioli was tender. Grilled
miso
salmon wrap wasn’t really a wrap, but the fish was perfectly cooked. The aromatic smell of lemongrass curry broth
was enticing, but the shrimp dumplings have too-thick wrappers and were
devoid
of flavor. Better to spring for the $29 lobster Shanghai, a nice sized,
cracked
lobster, bathed in a creamy ginger curry with just the right fire and
the tasty
fried spinach leaves. Sashimi tuna pizza
with wasabi mayo had a nice thin crust, but we had to look hard to find
the
tuna (tip: scrape off the tomatoes). The squid and yellowtail sushi
were
admirable, if not memorable.
NEW YORK CORNER:
Nice-Matin
by John Mariani
I need not have
worried, for
although D’Amico is indeed toeing the Parisian bistro line with dishes
like steak
frites and frisée salad, there the resemblance to other such
eateries ends.
D’Amico has always been a favorite chef
of mine, turning out the kind of rapturous, effusive cuisine that was a
hallmark of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
Now that he’s back I admit I’d expected some of the same, but
he’s
playing it safe with a menu that both satisfies the masses and
titillates those
who really love elevated bourgeois cooking.
The place itself is a little odd looking. Its brightness is a boon for a bistro where
you want to see everyone and buoy the spirit of fellowship. But the décor seems like something out of
a
ladies lunchroom in Chattanooga (if ladies lunchrooms had zinc bars),
with pinkish
flocked wallpaper beneath a black-and-white op-art pattern of what
looks like
vinyl contact paper. Yet it’s all very
cheery, which unfortunately results in a decibel level that can be
trying at
times.
The menu starts off with several $4 and
$5 plates of hors d’oeuvres including panisses, leeks
vinaigrette,
roasted beets with chèvre, grilled merguez sausages, grilled
sardines topped
with breadcrumbs, and, best of all, marinated tomatoes you can eat like
candy. Fuller-sized appetizers start
with fava bean-stuffed tortelloni simply dressed with Parmigiano and
butter, a petite
salade Niçoise with real character and tuna that has been
poached in olive
oil, and the Niçoise pizza called pissaladiére with
sweet caramelized
onions, olives and anchovies. Grilled
sweetbreads with a rosemary aïoli, ragoût of lentils
and merguez sausage
could make for a small main course on its own, though the sweetbreads
themselves needed seasoning.
For main courses the duck magret was
perfect, with bacon-flecked
roast potatoes and shallots. A grilled rosemary-scented leg of lamb was
an odd
item, napped with an uncharacteristic aïoli. Grilled
seabass with
artichokes and pomme purée was delicious in the most
summery way
possible. I did not try but should
probably mention there is a “five-napkin burger” with sautéed
onions, Gruyère,
more aïoli, and frites sprinkled with rosemary.
There are also
daily plates like Monday’s aïoli monstre, Tuesday’s
braised rabbit
ravioli, and so on. (Do you think maybe
they should have called this place “Aïoli?”)
Desserts are expertly made, from chocolate ganache
cake with
passion fruit sauce to lemon tart with raspberry sorbet, almonds and
honey. The winelist complements the bistro
fare here
admirably, with plenty of choices by the glass. Prices are not
outrageous (the
mark-up seems to be about 150 % above retail), though $34 for a bottle
of Clos
du Bois Chardonnay, which runs about $10 a bottle retail, is very high.
The service here can get a little frenetic because
of the crush of
patrons, and management seems to encourage waiters to pronounce French
words
that come out sounding pretty funny, like “doab” of shortribs,
“ruh-goo” of
lentils, and that tongue-twister, “bull-ya-bayz.”
Prices seem almost a throwback, with those $4 and $5
starters,
appetizers $6.50-$12.50, and main courses $16.75-$24.75.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE
NATIONAL TAXI DRIVER’S TEST
1. Air conditioning. .
.
a.
Uses up extra gas
b. “Is broken, I fix
tomorrow.”
c. Should not be turned on
until temperature goes above 95.
2. Cars should be cleaned. . .
a. What for?
b. When body fluids start
to smell.
c. When my brother-in-law
takes the taxi on alternate weeks.
3. Deodorant is . . .
a. Wholly unnecessary
b. Against my religion
c. An American sex toy
4. English is. . .
a. A heathen tongue
b. shsshshsgeofjdootoo
c. A stupid language
5. My favorite
movie is . . .
a. “Taxi Driver”
b. “The Out of Towners”
c. “Midnight Express”
6. Music played in a cab . . .
a. Should be All Rap All
the Time
b. Loud enough to drown
out customer’s requests
c. Be played on a one-stringed instrument
while a woman moans, “Uh, yuh,
uh, yuh, uh yuh. . . “
7. Overcharging fares . . .
a. Is an art form
b. Is the fun part of my
job.
c. Makes me want to sing
“Uh, yuh, Uh, yuh, Uh yuh. . .”
8. Saying “thank you” to a customer. . .
a. Shows weakness
b. is unprofessional
c. Is difficult to
pronounce
9. When your cab breaks down on the highway.
. .
a. Keep the meter running
b. Ask the customer if he
knows anything about American cars
c. Escape into the woods
before the police check your green card.
11. Driving recklessly is defined as. . .
a. Borrowing your uncle
Lech’s cab
b. Eating jerked chicken
while the car is in motion
c. Picking up anyone of
your own ethnic background.
12. Traffic lights are
a. Sometimes red,
sometimes green, sometimes even yellow.
b. Recommended guidelines
c. The color of our flag
13. The best way to deal with an unfamiliar
address is to. . .
1. Tell the customer there
is no such place.
2. Think about buying a
street map some day.
3. Drive around until you
stumble across it
14. The rear view mirror is for. . .
1. Looking up a woman’s
skirt.
2. Seeing if anyone’s
following you
3. Checking to see if your
beehive is straight.
--John Mariani
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*
This summer Boston’s L'Espalier (30 Gloucester St.;
617-262-3023; www.lespalier.com)
will feature only
cheese made by American cheese makers. On July 15 the restaurant
will partner
with the Great Cheeses of New England and Westfield Farms' cheesemakers
Bob and Debbie Stetson for an installment entitled “Red, White, and
Blues-Cheese
of New England.” “Cheese Tuesday”
includes a 4-course menu built around cheeses, paired wines, with a
cheese discussion
headed by Risoli. $55 pp.
two at Millennium and an overnight stay at the Savoy Hotel. Call
415-345-3900. www.millenniumrestaurant.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
copyright John
Mariani 2003