Virtual Gourmet


MARIANI’S

Virtual Gourmet

April 26, 2004 NEWSLETTER

Photo by Marion Post Wolcott, 1941

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EDITOR'S NOTE: Readers can now access all previous issues of this newsletter dating back to July of 2003, with a complete index of their contents simply by clicking on: http://pages.prodigy.net/johnmariani/archive/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cover Story: New England, Part Two--Dining on Cape Cod

New York Corner:

Quick Bytes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DINING ON CAPE COD
by John Mariani

The great arm of Cape Cod both beckons to those out at sea and caresses those who sail in the calm of the Bay, so that its earliest history as a safe haven has endured through its whaling days and into its days as a tourist destination, when its 400 square miles, from Buzzards Bay to Provincetown, bears the brunt of the summering crowd.
Eating out on the Cape has largely been a matter of which dockside seafood house you prefer, with legions of lobster shacks and places claiming to have the best clam chowder in New England. Not too long ago the higher end inns offered the kind of continental fare and Yankee suppers that you could just as easily defrost in your own refrigerator, but there has been a marked change for better and better food over the past few years, led, in its ??? year, by Chillingsworth in Brewster (2449 Main Street; 508-896-3640; www.chillingsworth.com ), set in a sprawling 300-year-old structure spread over six acres. There are a few pretty guestrooms here, but this is a major gourmet destination, having won just about every award possible for cuisine and wine list, as maintained by owners Pat and Nitzi Rabin, who close the place from December 1 to Mother's Day and move to Mexico, where they run a vacation home named Casa Blanca..
The landscaping depends on ancient trees and new lawns, and the place has a fine antique charm in the main dining room that is counterpointed by a modern, bright bistro on the premises where I had my most recent meal here. In the restaurant tablesettings are gorgeous, the appointments sheer luxury, the draperies and linens thick and the wineglasses exquisitely thin. Nitzi is the chef here, and he offers sumptuous French and American cuisine in 7-course dinners at table d'hote prices of $57.50-$68.50. The Bistro (below, right) is far more casual, with a lighter à la carte menu,

whose main dishes run $15-$25.50. The skylighted premises, decorated in blond wood and terracotta tiles, are ideal for lunch or weekend brunch, and you have access to that exceptional wine list here too.

When I was there Nitzi slipped in a couple of dishes from the restaurant menu, but the distinctions are not all that radical, so that in the restaurant you might have a seared duck breast with spicy field greens and confit with a balsamic vinegar duck sauce, while in the Bistro the duck breast comes with lentils, beets, confit and parlsey ragoût with micro greens and duck sauce. Still, the restaurant menu is far more lavish. My lunch was just about perfect, beginning with foie gras with risotto and a richly reduced meat glaze. Seared line-caught cod came with jicama, apple, seabeans, bacon, and cream with chervil--the very essence of sublimated New England fare, while jumbo squash and mascarpone were the filling for ravioli with pork loin in a Beaujolais-and-rosemary pork reduction. The precision of French pastry was demonstrated in a textbook example of a chocolate pyramide with fruit. and in three impeccably creamy crème brûlées.

Hard on the heels of Chillingsworth's reputation for fine dining, the Wequassett Inn Resort and Golf Club in Chatham (One Pleasant Bay; 508-432-5400; www.wequassett.com) has been earning justified raves for its cuisine and wine cellar at the on-premises restaurant Twenty-Eight Atlantic. Four centuries ago the land on which the Inn now sits was Wampanoag Indian grounds, and the name Wequassett means "crescent on the water," referring to the more mundane English name, Clam Point. The main building, in which the restaurant is set, was originally built in the early 1800s then dislocated to its current prospect in 1907. The property, now spread over 22 landscaped acres, has been a guest house since 1925, and it has been expanded and upgraded to 93 rooms with 11 suites since Mr. and Mrs. James McClennen purchased it in 1977. Golf privileges are granted to the Cape Cod National Golf Club.

Twenty-Eight Atlantic (below) opened two years ago, and for its panorama over Pleasant Bay alone it is worth reserving a romantic table. You enter through rooms set with overstuffed chairs, past a good, gregarious bar and into a tall-ceiling, timbered dining room of white, with huge windows and beautiful chandeliers. Period artwork and shimmering brass and country fabrics complete the warmth of the atmosphere here, and the service staff, which the owners put enormous effort into finding and maintaining, is marvelously hospitable and seem very much a part of the place.
     Chef Bill Brodksy, previously at Charleston Place, has a hearty talent for big flavors, calling his menu "Progressive New England Cuisine," the slant of which can be tasted in dishes like his delightful little cup of pea custard topped with pearls of caviar. His Chatham "day boat" scallops and peekytoe crab are drizzled with a lemon-tarragon emulsion, and when I asked him if he had bay scallops, just then in season, he graciously obtained some for us the next night's dinner here. Seared foie gras had a flavoring of espresso, which went extremely well with the fatted liver, but a poached pear and brioche French toast came off too sweet for the dish.
     Among the main courses I most enjoyed lobster peached in emulsified butter and served with a "petite clam bake" with bliss potatoes, corn pudding and asparagus. Other entrees include pan-steamed monkfish with wilted spinach in a tomato-garlic broth; a shellfish fricassée with creamy polenta and sambuca-scented fumet, and caramelized halibut with fingerling potatoes, bacon and a touch of caviar butter. Braised lamb shank with black currants and winter squash came out overcooked one night and only tepid in temperature.
     There are some wonderful New England desserts here best appreciated with the "Progressive Dessert Tasting" for two or four people, which affords everyone a taste of several crème brûlées, housemade sorbets and ice creams, and a slow-roasted honey-lacquered apple with warm nut compote.
      Prices for appetizers range from a very reasonable $7-$18, with main courses $22-$39. There is a more casual eatery on premises named Thoreau's, as well as outdoor dining in warmer weather at the Grille.

      I need not say much about Provincetown dining except to wave you away from considering the Lobster Pot (321 Commercial Street; 508-487-4863),

which out of season is a dreary place with poor service and dull food. The menu is huge and so are the summer crowds, so one must ask oneself how the kitchen could possibly make everything from Cajun bouillabaisse and peanut chicken to seafood crepes and pasta pesto with any degree of concentration. What I sampled indicated a kitchen just going through the motions, from a clam chowder of no distinction to a merely adequate lobster roll salad. The wine list is boring, the beer list just as bad. Nothing is very pricey, you do get to look out on the water, and it will keep you off the murderously trafficked streets of Provincetown in summer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEW YORK CORNER

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Book Just Begging for a Blurb from Rasputin. pie

"Desserts That Have Killed Better Men Than Me (Morrow Cookbooks) was a title that came to me in a dream. or possibly I was awake. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. Anyhow it is a title that deserves an actual book to go with it. The basic idea behind the title is that all the desserts in the book are so good they're dangerous. Lethal, in some instances."--Author Jeremy Jackson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GET THE GUY’S NUMBER. HE’LL PROBABLY GET OUT OF JAIL JUST ABOUT THE TIME YOU NEED ANOTHER CLEANING

According to the Houston Chronicle, a man allegedly trying to break into the Rotisserie for Beef and Bird restaurant got wedged into the chimney upon his escape attempt. “In all the years I’ve had this restaurant, I’ve never had the chimney cleaned,” said owner Joe Mannke. “Now I don’t have to.”

QUICK BYTES

MOTHER’S DAY

* DC’s Henley Park Hotel holds a "By Request" Jazz Brunch that allows sons and daughters to pay tribute to mom with a tune requested when making their brunch reservation. $40 pp, $15 for children. Call 202-
414-0512. . . . Bora Bora Lagoon Resort, Tahiti, offers a 4-day spa sensation package, with fitness breakfast and spa treatment, 3-course lunch and dinners, (in room or in the restaurant), and full use of the fitness facilities. $2,874 per couple; Call 1-800-860-4095 or visit www.boraboralagoonresort.orient-express.com. . . . Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston, SC, offers a 2-night package of accommodations on the Club Level, complimentary beverage service, continental breakfast, afternoon tea, evening cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and after-dinner cordials with desserts; a welcome package; wine and cheese; dinner at the Charleston Grill accompanied by a fine selection of vintage wines; spa treatments; waffle robe; $1,708. Call 1-800-611-5545 or www.charlestonplacehotel.com . . . .The Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, MD, offers a Mom’s Care package on special weekends throughout the year. guaranteeing there are no guests under 16 years of age; late breakfasts, complimentary wine tastings, and cooking demonstrations. Package rates start at $275. Call 410-745-2200 or visit www.perrycabin.com . . . . Keswick Hall at Monticello, Charlottesville, VA, offers a one-night “Bed, Breakfast and Baby Butler” package designed for moms not quite ready to leave home without their children: Breakfast for two, afternoon tea and the services of the hotel’s on-staff Baby Butler who assists mothers with their youngest children. $325 per night. Call 1-800-274-5391 or www.keswick.com. . . . Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans offers a Suite Indulgence package with in-room spa service; the services from a personal shopper; afternoon tea; 2 nights of suite accommodations. $790. Call 1-800-262-2662 or www.windsorcourthotel.com. . . . Washington, D.C. Chef Jamie Leeds creates a $45 Mother's Day Brunch menu at 15 ria, with a chance to win a trip for two to NYC at the Roosevelt Hotel and a $100 gift certificate to a pre-theater dinner at the Tribeca Grill, and two tix to “Mama Mia”; Call 202-RIA-0015. . . . NYC’s Tocqueville will offer a la carte or as a tasting menu at $75; Call 212-647-1515. . . . Atlanta’s Seeger’s will offer both a 5--course tasting menu for $69 pp, , with optional wine pairings $55 pp, and a 6-course tasting menu at $75 pp, with wines $60 pp. Call 404-846-9779; www.seegers.com

* On May 2 St. Francis Winery’s BIG RED, a walk-around chef tasting on will be held at The Park Hyatt Hotel in L.A. Participating restaurants include: 555 East; Arnie Mortons; of Chicago; Aubergine; Bacara Resort; Blue on Blue; Buggy Whip; Cezanne; EM Bistro; Katana; Le Dome; Luce; Maple Drive; Mr. Cecil’s California Ribs; Napa Valley Grille; Park Grill; Ruth’s Chris Steak House; Sona; The Belvedere; and La Conversation. Proceeds will benefit the American Institute of Wine and Food Days of Taste and scholarship fund. Tix $100 ($90 for AIWF members). Call 818- 902-3724.

* On May 13 Chicago’s NoMi restaurant will celebrate “Barolo, Art & Friends,” with NoMi chef Sandro Gamba, Jean Joho of Everest, Paul Bartolotta of Bartolotta Corp., and Roberto Donna of Galileo (DC) for a dinner to benefit the James Beard Foundation. $225 pp. Call 312-239-4137.

* Lark Creek Restaurant Group is now offering every bottle on every wine list at half price for brunch, lunch and dinner throughout the entire month of June. Participating restaurants include Lark Creek Inn and Yankee Pier in Larkspur, CA; One Market in San Francisco; Yankee Pier in San Jose; and Lark Creek Walnut Creek. Visit www.larkcreek.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This newsletter is also available on the very comprehensive food site www.sautewednesday.com
which has dozens of other links to food articles from around the world, as well as at The Grumpy Gourmet at http://www.grumpygourmetusa.com/links.html

-Readers trying to reach me through e-mail cannot do so by hitting REPLY to this newsletter. Instead, write to me directly at johnmariani@prodigy.net .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John Mariani. Contributing Writers: Robert Mariani, Naomi Kooker, Kirsten Skogerson, Edward Brivio, Mort Hochstein, Lucy Gordan. 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.