Virtual Gourmet

EDITOR'S NOTE: Readers may now access an Archive of all past newsletters--each annotated--dating back to July, 2003, by simply clicking on ARCHIVE .

Cover Story: Great Meals in Maryland by John Mariani

New York Corner: BLT by John Mariani

The Spirit World: Down in the Lowlands by Mort Hochstein

Au Revoir, La Caravelle! by John Mariani

Quick Bytes

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Meandering Through Maryland
by John Mariani

There was a time, not very long ago, when even the most beloved historic American inn was a place you went for peace, quiet and nostalgia, but rarely for the quality of the food. With very few exceptions--The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, VA; Chillingsworth in Brewster, MA; Bittersweet Plantation in Donaldsonville, LA, to name a small few--even the most illustrious inns served a mediocre continental menu rarely reflecting the local bounty and produced in mass quantities by cooks who had spent far too long behind their stoves.

In the past decade, however, this has changed, so that I could easily list a dozen inns that now have excellent restaurants, some ranking among the finest in their region, including Thomas Henkelmann at the Homestead Inn n Greenwich, CT; The Wequassett Inn on Cape Cod, and the Jackson House Inn in Woodstock, VT (these last two recently here; go to: http://pages.prodigy.net/johnmariani/040419). Joining these ranks is the beautiful Inn at Perry Cabin (308 Watkins Lane; 410-745-2200; www.perrycabin.com ) in St. Michael’s, MD--two hours from Baltimore. Chef Mark Salter, a Brit, came to the Inn a decade ago under a different ownership with a more conservative view of what a menu should be in a region dependent on tourists who generally preferred the local crab house to fine dining. Now that the Inn is under the Orient-Express aegis, Salter has been given the freedom to show his well-tuned talents for food that both evokes the bounty of the Chesapeake as much as it draws on his own European roots.
The Inn (above) is nestled on the Miles River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, just outside of the picturesque small town of St. Michael's, which has admirably banned chain restaurants from its environs, so that eating out on a dock at a local place like The Crab Claw, is a very pleasant notion indeed in warm weather. The 1928 silent film "The First Kiss," with Gary Cooper and Fay Wray, was filmed here, and there's a little bridge that commemorates the title. Strolling along Talbot Street, poking around in the boutiques, and visiting the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum pretty much uses up one's time in town, but the area allows for boating, fishing, and biking, as well as the prospect of just lying around until dinner. The Inn does have a remarkable program called the "Boat and Bed Package," whereby guests may spend a day with a master boatbuilder. suite

The Inn was originally built in 1816 by Purser Samuel Hamilton, an aide de camp to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, from whose cabin on the U.S.S. Niagara Hamilton took inspiration for the design, In 1980 the inn was wholly rehabilitated as a country house hotel; then, in 2002 Orient-Express Hotels poured in $20 million, so that what was once merely quaint here is now stunningly beautiful and definitely possessed of period charm, from the collection of fine antiques and wallpapers, to the crewel work and glazed linens. Polished wood floors gleam, fireplaces roar in winter, and the vaguely nautical theme has been retained in both the original rooms and the new additions. One of the great delights of staying here is that every room is stocked with an enchanting array of old books. The grounds, whose entrance holds the oldest living holly tree on the Eastern Shore, are always being changed for seasonal foliage and includes more than 85 varieties of plants in the Garden, whose produce fills the restaurant's larder. Room rates run from $295-$745, with high season Easter through Thanksgiving.
Purser's Pub flanks the main dining room, Sherwood's Landing (below), which has an outdoor patio ideal for a morning breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and lobster hash. With its tall windows overlooking the water, Sherwood's Landing is a room of watery colors, with Wedgwood china, Rivolta Carmignani linens, and Spiegelau glassware--a lovely setting for Chef Salter's handiwork, which toes a sophisticated American line, with European and Asian accents. If you wish to eat in the seaside traditions of the region, you can't do better than to have his tasting of Chesapeake seafood. I began a recent dinner with a spring roll stuffed with abundant crabmeat, with pink grapefruit and creamy avocado, and a peanut-crusted soft shell crab with tamari-orange dressing, both excellent. Truly delectable was a goat's cheese soufflé (why don't more chefs do this kind of thing anymore?) combined with oven-roasted tomatoes, sautéed Bell peppers, and a balsamic-basil vierge. Seared foie gras came with the sweet luster of sautéed quince and cabbage sprouts mixed with passion fruit and a pineapple essence.

For our main course there was a shank of tender lamb glazed with honey and tarragon and a tangy-sweet sun-dried tomato sauce--flavors of Provence that fit impeccably into the culinary landscape here--and a shank of pork that was braised for a good long while in cider, and served with a lusty seven bean cassoulet. Lobster came with a warm curried hash, mango chutney and minted rice, which drew on the Maryland coastline's historic importation of east Indies ingredients for inspiration. Desserts, like cinnamon-infused apple tart with almond ice cream, a white chocolate cheese cake, an orange-white chocolate crème brûlée with orange tuile, and warm chocolate torte with Amaretto vanilla ice cream, are scrumptious.

    I was surprised that the wine list at the Inn is rather idiosyncratic. Messily organized, with little reason as to why it is admirably strong in some areas and dismally short in others, its most striking puzzle is why the prices jump from $50 and under to well over $100 a bottle, with very little in between, and a whole lot of selections over $200.
   You may partake of a 3-course dinner here for $65 or four for $69.50. Otherwise, à la carte prices run $$12.50-$19 for appetizers, and $30-$38 for entrees.
       For its beauty and seclusion alone, the Inn at Perry Cabin would be well worth booking for a three-day getaway, but for the superb cuisine now being served here, it is well worth any true gourmet's attention.

        I cannot profess intimate knowledge of Baltimore's gastronomy, for I do not visit this splendid red-brick city enough to report authoritatively on all that goes on there in its restaurant sector. Nevertheless, I do keep up enough to know that the city is not teeming with first-rate restaurants, and I am just as happy returning again and again to a great crab house like Obyricki’s as I am to eat dependable continental food at a place like The Chesapeake or the Brass Elephant. The food at the Inner Harbor barely runs above the fast food level, and the city's Little Italy, to the east of the harbor, teems with predictable Italian-American restaurants of the cloying red sauce variety.
     Try as I do to get to as many well-regarded new restaurants as I can each year, some inevitably slip by me.     So it is with enormous happiness that I finally got down to Baltimore for a terrific meal at Charleston (1000 Lancaster Street; 410-332-7373; www.charlestonrestaurant.com), which opened five years ago and whose chef-owner, Cindy Wolf, has achieved a national reputation that I now know it richly deserved. With her husband Tony, who manages this and two other restaurants they run, she has clearly distinguished herself as one of the finest chefs in Baltimore, and by extension, in the Middle Atlantic States. Oh, what the heck: I think she's one of the best in these 50 United States. The couple hails from Charleston, SC; hence the name of their Baltimore restaurant.
   People dress casually but well here, for there is an amiable, genteel ambiance to the place, which has three dining rooms, one surrounded by wines (above, left), with more than 600 labels on the superb list put together by Mr. Foreman and sommelier Tom Capo--although it needs a lot more wines under $40. The china is by Limoges, the silver Sambonet, the candles by Bernardaud. Another room has a view of the kitchen, where the ebullient Ms. Wolf (right) works magic with dishes that might begin with a shellfish bisque with lobster and lump crabmeat, or perhaps sautéed Gulf shrimp with andouille sausage, tasso ham and creamed grits. Such dishes force one to consider that, however humble their origins, they can be raised to the culinary sublime by a chef with Wolf's talents. I also liked her upper crust pan-seared foie gras with mango and rhubarb compote and a lovely rum-spiked sauce. A tartlet of caramelized wild mushrooms and artisanal cheese was charming.
    If you believe that you come to Baltimore for seafood, by all means have the fried green tomato sandwich with lobster and crab meat, which again shows how delicious local fare can be in the hands of a great chef. Pan-roasted wild rockfish with shrimp, saffron and lemon risotto with a lemon beurre blanc would have been better were it simpler, and pan-roasted salmon with Creole spice with Tabasco-scented rice and tomato beurre blanc didn't need such hot seasonings. Very good indeed was a roast duck breast with red beans and rice, confit, seared foie gras in a merlot sauce.. Just as good was a lamb chop with a garlic flan, warm salad (nice idea) of spring peas and mint, and a glossing of reduced bourbon sauce.
    If you're in the mood (force yourself), do ask for the cheese cart to be rolled over, and you'll be delighted when an enthusiastic young woman begins to describe an array of wonderful cheeses, all in perfect condition. Desserts are winsome: a perfect peach cobbler with cinnamon-almond crust and vanilla ice cream; a cajeta sundae with a white chocolate mousse and warm chocolate sauce; and a "coffee shop" of espresso-chocolate pot de créme, white chocolate ice cream, and a chocolate-hazelnut candy bar.
     Appetizers at Charleston run $8-$12, entrees $16-$36, and desserts $7-$10. There are two prix fixe menus: $64 for five courses, and $79 for six, which is truly one of the great bargains in American gastronomy.

THE SPIRIT WORLD
Down in the Lowlands: Trophy Scotches
by Mort Hochstein

Expensive Scotch malts present problems for me. They’re like trophy wives, great to have and show off, but I can’t afford one. Second, once you get up in that range of rare bottles costing anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to a couple of thousand, I’m not sure I can appreciate the difference. Third, and yes, this is a cop-out, they’re so scarce that you can’t find them.

Case in point: Auchentoshan (right), a division of Bowmore, auch

which proudly proclaims it as the world’s number one Lowland single malt. Bowmore recently released a 41-year old Auchentoshan and declares it is the oldest and most expensive of Lowland whiskies, with just 112 bottles available, and costing $2,000-$2500.
Now, what makes a whisky worth $2,500, or say $500 a pop if you order it at a cigar bar or some expensive club? Well, there are some great talking points: scarcity, prestige, glamour, all of that, as well as packaging. At this level, you pay a lot for the sizzle. Quality, uniqueness? I don’t know. I can taste certain qualities that make a wine distinctive, but my palate is not tuned to the nuances of prestigious single malts.

     Fortunately, though it is not within my budget range, the opportunity to taste that rare old bottle fell into my lap recently. Bowmore invited some three dozen journalists and retailers to sample a dram or two of the precious 1962, along with a 10 and a 21-year old, an Auchentoshan Three Wood, and another precious old-timer, the 31-year old 1966.
   But first, a quick background on the topography of Scotch malts. The two major divisions are Speyside and Highlands. with the majority of distilleries classified as Speyside, meaning they sit near the river Spey, including such well known brands as Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet, and Macallan. Familiar Highlands brands include Dalmore, Glenmorangie and Edradour.   Bowmore, the parent of Auchentoshan, is from another subdivision, Islay, meaning it is an island whisky dense with the iodine of the sea and the peat that fires its distillation.
   dis

In the nineteenth century there were about two dozen legal and not-so-legal distilleries in the Lowlands; now there are three, Bladnoch, Glenkinchie and Auchentoshan (left), the closest distillery to Glasgow and, unlike all other Scottish malts, which are distilled twice, it is triple distilled as with Irish whisky. Unlike many other Scottish distilleries, Auchentoshan does not use peat as a fuel.
    If you’re looking for the edginess of an Islay or the force of a Speyside or Highland single malt, you are in for a surprise. The Lowland style tends toward subtlety, lightness and delicacy, and it may not be for everyone. My impressions ran this way:
Auchentoshan 10-Year Old: Light, pale gold in color, clear, youthful and bright with   fruity sweetness and honey up front, easy on the palate with hints of orange and tangerine. Perfect as an aperitif. ($35)
Auchentoshan Three Wood: This is aged, like the 10-year-old in used Bourbon casks, followed by one year in larger Sherry butts and six months in casks that once held Pedro Ximenez, the sweet, Spanish fortified wine. This produces a deep golden color, a heavier brew which reflects the sweetness of its year in sherry butts, and flavors of raisins, dates and prunes and butterscotch ($50)
Auchentoshan 21-Year-Old: Medium gold in color, more complex than the 10-year-old, with medium body, flavors of citrus and gooseberry and caramel, and generally more opulent and appealing than the younger version. ($115)
Auchentoshan 1966, 31-Year-Old: Bottled in 1997. Strong flavors with a bit more tartness, sandalwood and cucumber on the nose, much more complex, very pleasing and pleasant character. (Not Available)
  Auchentoshan 1962, 41-Year-Old: Slightly copperish color, molasses and oak on the nose, quite different from its younger siblings with fading scents of orange and lemon, lime and raisin, and   an inviting floral nose. It’s showing its age, but is still a rewarding dram. ($2000-$2500)
   My favorite was the more youthful and much more interesting 31-year-old. Too bad, there’s none to be had in the normal retail market, though there may be some available through private dealings. For Bowmore, the 41-year-old will be worth   more than basic sales revenues because of the attention it brings to the label.

NEW YORK CORNER
by John Mariani

BLT STEAK
106 East 57th Street
212-752-7470

The American steakhouse genre, which is really an outgrowth of the rough-tough chophouses of New York in the Prohibition era, has gone through remarkably few changes over the past seven decades, and most guys (who have always been the principal market for steakhouses) prefer it that way: A decor based on wooden floors, yellow walls, simple chairs, sturdy tablecloths and silverware, and gruff service personnel that flinches when a customer asks for a menu.
    The genre has taken on some refinements in the past decade or so, including extravagant designs like Del Frisco’s out of Dallas, plush seating like the Capital Grill chain, antique paintings like some of the newer Ruth’s Chris’, and sheer glitz, like Prime in Las Vegas. Good, even great, wine lists, pioneered by Smith & Wollenksy, have become fairly standard, and a younger, better trained waitstaff has made steakhouses more appealing to women. But not too much has been done to alter the basic menu since NYC’s Palm (which opened as a speakeasy during Prohibition) set the mold for a menu of sirloins, veal chops, sliced tomatoes, and cheesecake.
    So the addition of the new BLT Steak in premises that have seen several restaurant failures over the past ten years, poses the question, Can a Frenchman named Laurent Tourendel, previously known for his haute seafood cuisine at the defunct Cello, alter in any way what so few want changed and to do so with real panache? The answer is a decided yes. Tourondel has not only managed to refine many of the old menu standards but added to the mix with a slew of wonderful dishes you won’t find slavishly replicated all over town. BLT’s decor is also a departure, though there’s nothing I’d call innovative in the L-shaped restaurant’s gray interior except for a communal table (shown above). Tablecloths are sorely missed in a steakhouse, but otherwise it is a very comfortably set restaurant, though given the crowds that have been packing the place, it can get up to a fevered pitch by 9 PM.
      BLT’s menu in many ways resembles Tom Colicchio's at Craft, which pretends not to be a steakhouse (although he has just opened Craftsteak in Vegas), whereby customers merely choose to eat whatever they want from a list of basic ingredients rather than dishes based on a chef’s recipes. At BLT, as at any steakhouse, you can do exactly the same and no one cares if you want three side dishes or a salad or just a platter of oysters. Unlike Craft’s menu, BLT’s follows a traditional set-up of appetizers, salads, soups, meat & poultry, fish and shellfish, side dishes, and desserts, with several nightly blackboard specials (not very easy to read from any distance). And you get here an item no other steakhouse ever thought of (though I suspect they will now): an enormous cheese popover as perfect as any single baked bread item I’ve ever tasted. This is destined to find its way quickly into recipe books, and I can't wait.
   The signature starter here is the grilled BLT with foie gras, which is a sandwich with lettuce and excellent foie gras, at $22 high for an appetizer, but hefty enough for a main course. Tourondel’s crab cake is generous, full of moist lump crab and little filler, served with a celery mayonnaise; he adds Stilton cheese to a plate of heirloom tomatoes and onions. His tuna tartare arrives with a soy-lime dressing, and a plate of leeks vinaigrette could easily come from a good French bistro. His corn and scallion pancake, on the other hand, seems straight from the Low Country and is a winner--sweet, tangy and delicious.
      In the meat and poultry categories there is a bistro hanger steak, braised short ribs, two sizes of filet mignon, a 12-ounce NY strip (skimpy indeed at $36, when most other steakhouses offer 16 ounces at the same price), a double-cut rack of lamb, the requisite rib-eye (32 ounces, for two, at $58 is actually a bargain), a 40-ounce porterhouse for two ($72), and a very succulent veal chop ($36). There is also a U.S. Kobe-style flat iron steak at just $26 (below), which was good, though not as well-fatted as and chewier than I expected from this lush, marbled meat.

    Swordish, so often disappointing in American restaurants, was here a paragon of its species, lightly spiced to coax out more flavor from a perfectly cooked one-inch-thick piece of fish. Also excellent was a sautéed Dover sole, cooked on the bone and, if requested, served that way.
     We went through a slew of side orders, from very good, crispy French fries and creamed spinach to onion rings with a too-thick batter that separated from unremarkable onions inside. Parmesan gnocchi was fabulous for its we're-not-kidding-around amount of butter and cream. No one, I suspect, will get too excited about the braised carrots. All these sides come in various little iron crocks, which is a nice touch.
    Tourondel’s French honor is happily on display with desserts, all at a very reasonable $9 each. His sweet-sour apple cobbler with green apple sorbet is terrific, as is the chocolate tart with a frozen almond milk, and lemon meringue pie with lemon sorbet. The best of a fine collection was his crêpe soufflé with citrus sauce and a spiced carrot cake with ginger ice cream that made me forget every cloyingly sweet carrot cake with sour cream icing I ever had back in the days when such a thing was the tiramisù of its time. Steamed banana pudding had a curiously fishy taste, almost like squid (perhaps indicating it was stored next to the seafood), and a tall orange-raspberry sundae was not as good as you used to find at a pharmacy soda fountain.
    BLT’s wine list is quite solid, though pricey, with the best buys in the Italian and Spanish categories.
    Open just a few weeks, BLT has a ways to go before the service staff is in synch, but the food does come out of the kitchen at a good pace, and the waiters, if a tad inept, mean well. This may well be because of the crush of curiosity seekers who have packed BLT since its debut, a jumble of East Siders, Atkins Diet slaves, and people who might not love the machismo of a traditional NYC steakhouse. BLT moves the genre upward, without compromising all that makes it so irresistible in the first place.

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Au Revoir, La Caravelle!

I find it a sorry task to write obituaries of great French restaurants, as I've already done this year for La Côte and Lutèce. All restaurants have a life span; the oldest in the USA, although not at its original 1837 site, is Delmonico's, in the Wall Street area; others still rolling right along include the Old Homestead (1868), Billy's (1870), Keens Steakhouse (1885), Barbetta (1906), and the Grand Central Oyster Bar (1913). NYC gastronomy was once dominated by posh French restaurants of a style set by Le Pavillon in the 1940s. La Caravelle, which opened 43 years ago on West 55th Street, was very much in the Pavillon mold, with red banquettes and roses, tuxedo-clad waiters, and a menu of French classics ranging from duck à l'orange to mousse au chocolat. Since 1988 the restaurant has been owned and run with genteel grace by Rita and André Jammet, who managed not only to balance the classic with the new but to rid La Caravelle of its former image of snobbism in the extreme. Indeed, since they took over, an evening at La Caravelle has been one of the most affable, civilized dining experiences in NYC, and the food, most recently under Chef Troy Dupuy, had never been better, from the flawlessly executed quenelles of pike to roast squab breast with a confit of the meat and a complement of zucchini blossoms.
    La Caravelle (reviewed here Jan. 12, 2004; http://pages.prodigy.net/johnmariani/040112/) did not close its doors this week for lack of business per se. Recent disputes with labor and some slow periods over the winter made for a rocky season, but the Jammets had managed to keep a fiercely loyal clientele while attracting new, younger guests for an elegance increasingly difficult to find in NYC. But there are four salient moments in a restaurateur's life: Birth, marriage, children, and the moment you have to renew your lease. In NYC that can be a catastrophic event, especially when the building has a new owner. The math just didn't add up to a profit for all the hours necessary to run a restaurant of La Caravelle's unstinting standards. So the Jammets decided to close.
     I will miss the bonhomie of an evening at La Caravelle, and I worry terribly what might happen to the famous Jean Pages murals of Paris. I will miss the captains, waiters and busboys, and of course the Jammets, who I know will carry on elsewhere in the not-too-distant future. I will certainly miss the food, not because it was old fashioned but because, despite different chefs, it was distinctly La Caravelle's. If I want Dover sole à la meuniére or a Grand Marnier soufflé, I know a dozen places I can still find it in NYC, although La Caravelle's incomparable quenelles would be more difficult to ferret out. But where there were once twenty restaurants like La Caravelle in NYC, now there are only two left--La Grenouille (recently refurbished) and Le Périgord, exempting Le Cirque as a more modern style of French and Italian restaurant than these two classics.
     On the last night of La Caravelle's 43-year-long party, the champagne flowed, friends and media and chefs came to say good-bye and to smile at the beauty of it all and to recall the good times we had and high standards we learned here. It was a bittersweet evening but not a sad one, for just to be part of something so wonderful for so long was something to be treasured forever.

--John Mariani

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WOODY ALLEN AND PHILIP ROTH HAVE ALREADY EATEN THERE THREE TIMES betyy

In Yaffo, Israel, restaurateur Amos Levy has opened The Dungeon, billing it as Israel's first sado-masochistic restaurant, where waitresses in black leather and vinyl and brandishing whips serve French bistro food to customers shackled to metal tables in a Gothic interior. If the customers complain about the food, they are locked into a cage and whipped.

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THE ALTERNATE TITLE WAS MORE WHITE TRASH COOKING

Recipes from the White House and Congress published in The Great American Sampler Cookbook by Linda J. Bauer (Taylor Trade Publishing Co.)

Louisiana Sen. John Breaux's Handy Dandy Dressing, made with tomato juice, mustard, lemon juice, capers, egg whites, garlic powder and pimentos.

Maine Rep. Tom Allen's Crab Pizza, made with light cream cheese, mayonnaise, chili sauce, and crabmeat.

Texas Rep. Chet Edwards' Pretzel Salad, made with pretzels, butter, sugar, cream cheese, cornstarch, and crushed pineapple.

Texas Rep. Kevin Brady's Chicken Spectacular, made with rice, canned beans, cooked chicken, a can of mushroom soup, a can of cream of celery soup, chestnuts, pimentos, and sugar.

Illinois Rep. Philip Crane's Favorite Ham Loaf, made with ham, pork, cracker crumbs, milk, garlic, brown sugar, mustard, canned tomato soup, raisins.

Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye's Fruit Cocktail Cake, made with banana cake mix, banana pudding mix, canned fruit cocktail, coconut, vegetable oil, brown sugar, macadamia nuts, evaporated milk.

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Department of Corrections

The name of the chef at Picasso in Las Vegas is Julian Serrano.

QUICK BYTES

* From June 7-13 NYC's Aquavit will celebrate the arrival of Swedish herring with a $20.04 buffet at lunch, $30 at dinner. A tasting menu with herring costs $90. Call 212-367-6937.

* On June 9 NYC Chef Scott Campbell of @SQC RestaurantBar kicks off his Pre-Performance menu, whereby patrons select any appetizer, any “Intermediary,” and any dessert from the regular menu for $30.03. Guests will also receive a free copy of Time Out New York and a CD, “The New Generation of Deutsche Grammophon.” In addition, @SQC will give away one pair of tickets per week throughout the summer to area performances, incl. tix to the NY Philharmonic’s summer season. Call 212-579-0100 or visit www.sqcnyc.com.

* The Partridge Inn in Augusta, GA, begins its "Best Chefs of the South" series each month between May and October, when a visiting chef will prepare a 4-course meal of signature items accompanied by wines and hors d'oeuvres by The Inn’s Executive Chef Philippe Chin. June 17 --Chris Bolton, Glen Ella Springs Inn, Clarkesville, GA; July 15--Hugh Acheson, Five & Ten, Athens, GA; Aug. 19--Michael Kramer, McCrady’s, Charleston, SC; Sept. 16--Michael Tuohy, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta, GA; Oct. 20--Kelly Yambor, Elizabeth on 37^th, Savannah, GA; Each dinner $69 pp; all 6 for $375. Call 706-737-8888 or visit www.partridgeinn.com.

* On June 15 IL Sole Restaurant & Wine Bar in Dallas and Massimo Marcja of Villa Antinori hold a "Taste of Tuscany Wine Dinner" with 6 wines from the Antinori properties. $125 pp. Calll 214-559-3888.

* On June 20 & 21 the Fifth International Bar Show, featuring the largest assortment of house wines ever assembled, will be held at NYC’s Jacob Javits Center. For info call Ron Kapon at 212-799-6311 or write Ron@tastersguildny.com

* On June 22 Carmelo’s in Houston hosts vintner dinner with Christina Mariani of Banfi Vintners, featuring Italian entertainment, Italian cuisine and a selection of Castello Banfi wines. $95 pp. Call 281-531-0696 or visit www.carmelosrestaurant.com.

* On June 23 Muriel's Jackson Square in New Orleans will hold a Centennial Dinner: "Charles-Camille Heidsieck: His Life in Antebellum Louisiana," hosted by Chef Erik Veney and pastry chef Ben Marrett, with guests Régis Camus, René Bajeux La Côte Brasserie Alex Patout, Alex Patout’s Louisiana Restaurant; Greg Picolo, The Bistro at Maison de Ville; Anthony Spizale, Omni Royal Orleans; Tom Wolfe, Wolfe’s. Members $170, guests $195. Circa 1860 period costumes (à la Scarlett O’Hara) encouraged; otherwise black-tie. Call 504-568-1885.

EDITOR'S NOTE: 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. TNew York Corner reviews are also available at
www.nycvisit.com/johnmariani

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.