Virtual Gourmet

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It is hardly reckless to declare that acre for acre no wine region in the world has the number of fine restaurants as does the Napa Valley, and things seem to get better and better each year. Led by the illustrious French Laundry (to be closed until chef-owner Thomas Keller gets his NYC restaurant, Per Se, up an running in February), the restaurants of the Valley have a built-in discriminating clientele among those involved in the production and distribution of its wines, and Napa attracts the kind of tourists who like to eat as well as they like to drink good wine, which has meant consistent excellence from restaurants like Martini House, Terra, Bistro Jeanty, Mustard’s Grill, and others, with new ones popping up each year, the best of them able to meet the standards set by those that preceded them.
That every restaurant in Napa strives for a good wine list is to state the obvious, calling as they can on hundreds of wineries producing thousands of wines sometimes within meters of their front door. So I always regard a visit to Napa with the same appetite as I would the hills of Piedmont or the slopes of Burgundy, but with an even keener sense that I will dine very well and in a very varied way. My most recent visit was to see what’s new among two longtime favorites and to dine at a brand new one.

It would be difficult to imagine a more beguiling California wine country resort than Auberge du Soleil, whose only lapse of judgment may be naming it with so French a name. For this is a uniquely northern California property and should revel in that appellation. Opened in 1981 and done in a style that might be called "aristocratic adobe," its rooms descending in terraces that overlook the prettiest part of the valley, the resort is as secluded as it is gregarious, from the first greeting at the desk to the expert service at the restaurant. Rooms are spacious and luxurious yet in no sense stuffy. Pillows are overstuffed, the bathrooms capacious in a way the Auberge helped pioneer, artwork impressive and the lighting throughout is superb.
The restaurant, which has had its ups and downs with chefs who did not always come up to the level of the resort itself, now has a real talent in the kitchen. aubereg

Chef Richard Reddington is quickly
proving himself one of finest chefs in California and doing so by virtue of
his dedication to all the good things--dependence on seasonality,
primarily, and an appreciation of what wine country cooking should be
about, which is anything but exaggerated experimentation. Prior to his
arrival Reddington had done stints at notable dining venues like
Jardiniére, Rubicon, and Postrio in San Francisco, Spago in Beverly
Hills, and Daniel in NYC, having also done stages at a few Michelin stars
in France. His ideas are thoroughly thought out and he will come up with a
way of doing a simple dish with a panache rare even in the Valley,
where defining “Napa Valley Cuisine” seems a local obsession.
    On a recent Sunday I sat down on the verandah here (right) and
opened a menu blissfully free of brunch items. Reddington serves a
proper and wonderful meal, so let those who want eggs Benedict and
bloody Marys go elsewhere. The winelist here is a gem, not so
chauvinistic as to exclude the best European and Pacific bottlings.
I’ve rarely met with a service staff so knowledgeable about
every aspect of the menu and winelist as I’ve had here--testament to the
superb balance of professionalism and amiability that defines modern American service.
    Recalling with enormous pleasure Reddington’s terrine of foie gras, I ordered it again and was rewarded with a creamy terrine with the addition of a torchon dotted with nuts, along with sweet marmalade of fruit and excellent brioche bread. (The same cannot be said for a focaccia with all the sponginess of Wonder Bread.) With a fine Flowers Chardonnay, I couldn’t have been happier (the service of intensely sweet wine with foie gras is, I think, something of a disservice, not to the foie gras but to what is to follow it). Reddington said he had gotten in really fine sea scallops so I had them too, lightly caramelized so as to remain just barely cooked and juicy inside, accompanied by almonds, capers, golden raisins, and baby cauliflower, this last adding more texture than flavor. My main course was chicken two ways--one marvelously crispy on the outside and succulent within nestled in corn succotash and natural jus, and a breast coated with a persillade. I preferred the former to the latter, which gained little from a moist coating of parsley and pignoli that made the chicken taste steamy. For dessert there was a delightful stonefruit croustade with spiced ice cream and a honey-plum coulis.
    Once the mere prospect of dining at so splendid a property was enough to engage interest. Now, with Reddington in the kitchen, it is a destination for fine food.
À la carte lunch at the Auberge lists appetizers at $10-$18, entrees $19-$23,with a $29 three-course menu and a $39 four-course menu. There are also 6- and 8-course “Epicurean Menus” offered.

Market opened this past year right smack in the center of St. Helena, and it’s a big hit so far. Long ago restaurateur Nick Peyton fell in love with the pretty town in the wine-rich and now, with the opening of Market, he’s realized a cherished dream to create the kind of American restaurant locals will love as much as the tourists who overrun the vineyards on weekends. Together with chef Douglas Keane he has fashioned a drop-by kind of place with rugged stone walls, a magnificent oak bar, and a menu that seems a template for redefining classic American food, always based on what Keane finds best in the daily market (hence the name)--the sweetest new white corn in a chowder with chive blossoms and the crunch of popcorn, green heirloom tomatoes he fries with pickled watermelon rind, and a Bing cherry pie that might as well have the stars and stripes flying from its buttery crust. chicken

This is American food at its very best, traditional but not old-fashioned, scrumptious
but not simplistic. Right now you can enjoy a roasted sugar pie pumpkin soup with
toasted pumpkin seeds, or a bowl of chili made with Anchor Steam beer-braised beef and
beans, Cheddar and sour cream and a side of cornbread. How about a fat Dungeness
crab cake with braised Swiss chard, cipollini, and a whole grain mustard sauce? Oh,
there is the obligatory ahi tuna tartare with celery root, black radish, portobello and
soy-truffle vinaigrette, but generally the menu avoids clichés.
Main courses get a tad sophisticated but not enough to spoil the good ingredients, like
seared day boat scallops with a creamy parsnip purée and Savoy Cabbage glistening
with tarragon butter. Sliced Delmonico steak comes with a small mountain of garlic mashed
potatoes, Blue Lake beans, chanterelles and a well-reduced red wine sauce, and the "Very Adult Macaroni and Cheese," with Hobb’s Bacon and Cheddar cheese sauce lives up to its billing. I had to try the Market Burger, six ounces of Meyer’s Angus Ground Beef, layered with Cheddar and grilled onions, and accompanied by first-rate fries. The buttermilk fried chicken (above, right) is crunchy and soul soothing, and there's even a highly recommendable glazed meat loaf with country gravy.

     Now after such prelims, what do you think desserts are like at Market? You guessed it: a housemade Creamsicle parfait with passionfruit ice, layered and made-to-order ice cream (they're not kidding; they've got a machine that takes a basic ice cream mixture and turns it into perfectly creamy dessert in seconds. Note to self: A good birthday present?) Like the idea of warm chocolate banana-nut bread pudding with rum-caramel sauce and more ice cream? Or maybe you'll settle for butterscotch pudding and chocolate cookies or a Rutherford Root Beer float? But then you'd miss the make-'em-yourself S'mores.
    You expect an appealing winelist at Market and you get it in spades, not a huge screed, just a damn good roster of well-priced bottlings under categories of "Little Bubbles, Sparklers and Champagne," "Crisp and Clean, Light and Lean " whites like the Sardinian Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino, '02 at just $19; "Exotic and Aromatic" whites like Copain Viognier "Catie's Corner", '02 at $42; and so on through big round reds including "Low Grip, High Pleasure" selections of Hangtime Pinot Noir, '02 at $26 and "Dark Purple, Black and Blue" labels like Lewis Cellars "Ethan's" Syrah, '01 at $51 and Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon, '00 at $35. The list notes "All Wines are Less Than $14 Over Retail; Corkage is $15 per 750 ml," and there are good selections by the glass. America Hoo-rah!
    Market (which was one of my picks as "Best New restaurants of the Year 2003" in Esquire) both symbolizes and delivers on the bounty of Northern California in a way that literally makes you rethink why such dishes were ever thought of as just homestyle prole food.
A 3-course dinner is priced at a remarkable $26.95, and for 13 bucks more you get wines to match.

    Brief mention should be made of a new place in Napa called Angèle (540 Main Street; 707-252-8115), fine little bistro with not the slightest bit of pomp, just friendly service, charming lighting, and Chef Christophe Gérard's delightfully straightforward French cooking, including oxtail and lentil salad with sauce ravigotte, an onion & goat's cheese tart aux lardons, a truly authentic and creamy blanquette de veau, and chicken with celeriac, chestnuts and King trumpet mushrooms and great pommes frites. With nothing on the dinner menu above $20.50, Angèle is nothing short of heavenly.
Also, I had intended a full report on my meal at Domaine Chandon (California Drive/Hwy 29, Yountville; 707-944-2892; www.chandon.com), but unfortunately Chef Eric Torralba has left the restaurant since I dined there.   I can still report with pleasure, however, that after nearly three decades, DC is still one of the most beautiful and most visited wineries in Napa Valley. As the first offshoot of a European Champagne house, Moët et Chandon, Domaine Chandon set the American standard for sparkling wines, and, I think, still does. Their Brut Classic ($17) is always fresh, clean and brisk; their Étoile Rosé ($40) one of the finest of its kind, and that includes the best rosés in Champagne.
     CHANDON

Set on gorgeously landscaped but not overly designed territory in Yountville, DC has a splendid visitors’ center, retail store, tasting room, and a restaurant that for a long while and under several chefs has been among the most serious dining rooms in the valley, always toeing a French wine country line. Few restaurants have a lovelier setting than this, nestled amidst the foliage and lawns of the Domaine, with glassed in walls and an al fresco patio used at lunchtime (left). I need say nothing more of the winelist except that it is one of the grandest and deepest in the Valley.

residence

And if the Auberge du Soleil and Meadowood Resort are booked solid, try to get a room
at the almost too-darling La Résidence [right] (4066 St. Helena Highway; 707-253-0337),
a perfect Victorian-style wine country manse with beautiful rooms in the main building
(and a few more modern but congruous rooms next door) in which every single inch has
been attended to with affection for the finest fabrics and woods. There are brass
chandeliers, poster beds, fireplaces, and outside a blue pool surrounded by trellised
beams. You get a fine, hearty breakfast in the morning and the air always seem fresh and
clear above La Résidence. I treasure such places. Rooms here go for between $195 and
$350 per night.

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NEW YORK CORNER

New Yorker writer Calvin Trillin once wrote a piece about how he and his wife suddenly recalled a favorite restaurant in Chinatown where they hadn't been for ages, causing him to realize that "only in New York could you forget a restaurant that good." I was reminded of this sentiment the other evening when I returned to Judson Grill after what may have been a three year absence, even though it's long been one of my very favorite restaurants in NYC. It's always been a stunning dining room--two stories with a balcony, high ceilings, tall windows overlooking the street, and a lively bar up front. Tables are well separated from one another, and the service staff is the epitome of true professionalism, without a scintilla of the fumbling "I'm new here" frustrations that plague 99% of the restaurants in this country. You are cordially received, the winelist, overseen by sommelier Beth von Benz, is familiar to the entire staff, and waiters are exceptionally knowledgeable about each and every item on chef Bill Telepan's admirably American menu.
jud

Indeed, along with paragons of New York talent like Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar & Grill, Erik Blauberg of `21' Club, David Walzog of The Monkey Bar, and Kerry Heffernan of Eleven Madison Park, Telepan, whose training has been with stellar chefs like Alain Chapel, Daniel Boulud, Gilbert Le Coze, and Portale, has been at JG since 1998 and is one of the pillars of what makes modern American cuisine so consistently enticing. When I opened the menu at JG, I and my guests wanted to order everything on it. Too often I open a menu and sigh at how predictable and unexciting it is; just reading JG's menu makes the appetite race and the palate perk up.
    How does one choose among appetizers like a Maine crab salad with fingerling potatoes, osietra caviar and a touch of lemon, or the first Nantucket bay scallops sautéed quickly and served with wild mushrooms, baby spinach, roasted garlic and sourdough toast? Not to mention sweet little buttercup squash gnocchi with wild mushrooms and pine nuts with the aroma of sage?   Foie gras here comes both hot and cold, accompanied by tart-sweet quince and a wild rice and black-eyed pea salad, every item on the plate perfect.
    It was a cold night and I was in the mood for roasted or grilled meats; here again I hardly knew where to turn. Fortunately my three guests helped order plenty of options, including a delicious roast loin of free-range veal that came with a juicy braised brisket, parsnips, chanterelles and caramelized onions. Roast pork loin, impeccably cooked to succulence, was accompanied by a brace of spare ribs, some housemade kielbasa sausage, fresh bacon, and a pierogi stuffed with sauerkraut, celery root and apple, while a beefy grilled sirloin with short ribs and a bone-marrow laced potato purée had white autumn vegetables as a wonderful starch. That these dishes all had so much in common as autumn flavors was wholly by design, and even the seafood had all the right notes of the season, like trout with squash spaetzle Kűgel, bacon, apples and a maple glaze.
    This is a menu thought thoroughly through, big, bold, doubling up on the meats and providing them with woodsy undertones.   There is also a fine cheese plate, and selections are combined with sweet accents like sweet potato flan and huckleberry vinegar. So, too, warm pumpkin mousse with pumpkin bread, huckleberries and spice ice cream seemed a reverie of November, and you might well want to try the freshly baked cookies here.
    The winelist is first rate, buoying everything on Telepan's menu, with sufficient alternatives under $40 to soothe the budget. There is a 5-course $60 seasonal tasting dinner ($30 supplement with a fine choice of wines); otherwise appetizers run $9.50-$19, and entrees $25.50-$37, and you get a lot of food on your plate.
    Judson Grill is a place everyone can very easily love and should not be easy to forget. But this is still New York where the competition is legion at this level. I just have to remind myself that Judson Grill is one of the 20 best restaurants in the city.

“Adoni Luis Aduriz spoke at length about foie, sounding sometimes like a forensic expert, `The vacuoles are cavities in the cytoplasm of a cell that store fat in the liver. When removed from the pan, the internal temperature of the liver should be 58° C/136° F; it immediately rises two degrees more and this temperature should not be exceeded because, if we look at a sample under a microscope, we can see that at 60°C/140° F the vacuoles are at their smallest so the texture of the liver is ideal.’” --“What’s Cooking in

Spain

,” 2003

Spain

Gourmetour (May-August 2003).

In answer to the question of how Italy is seen abroad, Italy’s Undersecretary of
Foreign Affairs, Mario Baccini, said, “The simple answer is that Italy is no longer
seen as `the spaghetti country’ but as the country of big technologies and big brains.”
—Italian Journal (Fall 2003).

* From Dec. 1-12 two of

Korea

’s most respected chefs, Yim Gi Ho and Choi Yun Ja, as well as 5 sous chefs, will be participating in the United Nations Korean Food Festival, creating more than 100 dishes showcasing Korean cuisine. To be held at the Delegates' Dining Room. $22.50 pp; Call 212- 963-7625.

* On Dec. 1 Mediterraneo in Providence, RI, will hold La Vigilia—the Feast of the 7 Fishes—a 7-course dinner with wine. Call 401-728-6688.

* On Dec. 2 Costantino’s of Providence, RI, will offer a 5-course Gaja wine dinner featuring black and white truffles. $105 pp. Call 528-1100.

* On Dec. 7 Chef Marco Moreira of NYC’s Toqueville hosts Chris Pearce of World Sake Imports to create a 6-course dinner with 10 sakes. $125 pp. Call 212-647-1515. . . . Moreira and Pearce will partner again on Jan. 28 at the James Beard House for another dinner, joined by Chef Hiroko Shimbo of Hiroko’s Kitchen in NYC.

* On Dec. 8 Richard Dean, Master Sommelier of NYC’s The Mark will hold a Napa Valley Wine Dinner with Dr. Sua Hua Newton of Newton Vineyards. $85 pp.

* On Dec. 9 DKNY will celebrate NYC chefs' protegés Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit, featuring Tim Butler; Terrance Brennan of The Artisanal Group, featuring David Cox; David Pasternack of Esca, featuring Jake Addeo; Daniel Orr of Guastavino’s, featuring Robert Weland; Bill Telepan of JUdson Grill, featuring Craig Harzewski; David Feau of Lutèce, featuring Michael Wuster; and David Walzog of Strip House, featuring René Lenger, for cocktails and chefs' selections at DKYNY, 655 Madison Ave. Call 212-768-6241. A percentage of proceeds to benefit City Harvest.

* The Jackson House in Woodstock, VT, is offering 2-night packages starting at $490 per couple, with an afternoon wine tasting and wine tasting dinner. Dec. 12-14: Bonny Doon, Napa; Jan. 23-24: Foley Estates, Santa Barbara; Feb, 27-28: Wines of South Africa; March 26-27: Château Ste. Michelle, Columbia Valley, WA; April 23-24: St. Francis, Sonoma; May 21-22: Tablas Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles, CA. Call 800-448-1890; www.jacksonhouse.com.

* From Dec. 15-21 Sandrine’s in Cambridge, MA, will offer a 3-course birthday meal for $70 pp.

* From Dec. 17-22 London's The Ritz will hold a series of 4-course dinner dances. On Dec. 23 begins a 3-night Christmas package with breakfasts, tix for a show, post-theater supper, afternoon tea, dinner dance, Midnight Mass at the Guards Chapel, champagne reception on Christmas Day, lunch and dinner, then lunch on Boxing Day. $2,458 pp. . . . On New Year's Eve a black tie gala 8-course dinner will be offered at $890 pp. For info call toll free from the USA, 1-877-748-9536 ; www.theritzlondon.com

* From Dec. 19-26 NYC’s Brasserie Les Halles Downtown offers French dishes of Christmas, including goose appetizers, magret d’oie Périgourdin confit de coing et marrons, sauce au Verjus, Civet d’oie Alsacien garni de salsifis et céleri glacé, and for dessert the French Christmas classic, Bûche de Noël aux marrons. Call 212- 285-8585

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MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John Mariani. Contributing Writers: Naomi Kooker, Kirsten Skogerson, Mort Hochstein, Edward Brivio, Robert Mariani. Contributing Photographers: Galina Stepanoff-Dargery, Bobby Pirillo. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.

John Mariani is a columnist for Esquire, Wine Spectator, Diversion and the Harper Collection. He is author of The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink (Lebhar-Friedman), The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink (Broadway), and, with his wife Galina, the award-winning new Italian-American Cookbook (Harvard Common Press). To purchase from amazon.com, click on the image below.