MARIANI’S

  November 20, 2005                                                        NEWSLETTER

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In This Issue

 

       When I first visited Alto Adige, I expected all the warmth and magic of Italy.
       What I didn’t expect was a region so distinct from its parent nation that the two were kin on paper only.
       This sliver of Alpine landscape is also known as the Sud Tirol, and was part of that Austrian region only 100 years ago.  Though the taste experience there is decidedly Germanic, it is nonetheless an adventure in excellence.  As for the magic–it was present in abundance–in everything from castles, enchanted mountains, half-timbered houses, and sophisticated wines to a range of culinary specialties.
      Alto Adige is a place that captures every child’s fantasy of an Alpine winter wonderland.  Hillsides are dotted with the type of charming houses that Heidi might have lived in, their wood-lattice porches and shuttered windows facing into the valley, and every third or fourth building is a barn housing livestock.   It may take a mile-long stroll through the valley basin to reach your nearest neighbor, but you’ll have no trouble spotting his home in the distance, as houses—and buildings in general—are be few and far between.
       Arriving here during the holiday season is a spectacle for all the senses.  You descend at twilight into a small town’s snow-covered piazza, framed like a picture with half-timbered gingerbread houses and Hapsburg-era stucco facades. The center is sprawling with the booths of Christmas market vendors offering timeless treats of the season, like hot Tyrolean cider, speck sandwiches and soft-baked pretzels.  For dessert, there is a feast of endless variations on homemade strüdel.  About half the vendors offer an array of traditional Christmas ornaments including renditions of la befana, the good witch who arrives on the eve of January 6.
       From the moment I set my bags down at the Gasthof Larchhof, (011-39/0472/659148) I knew I had stumbled upon the spectacular.  Situated in the basin of the Ratschings valley, the entire property was surrounded by soaring mountains topped with craggy snow-covered peaks.  A single walking path led about two miles up to the other side of the valley, where the rest of the small town is located.  Frau Larchhof ushered me to my room, (the place is family-run, as are all hotels in this region) while their daughter prepared a frothy cappuccino in the bar/restaurant.
     Of course, the Tirolers are masters of the rustic.  But dinner at the restaurant Zur Rose (right) in the town of Eppan/Appiano proved they are equally adept at refined dining  (2 Josef Innerhoferstrsse, San Michele-Appiano;  +39 0-471-662-249; click here ).  Chef Herbert Hintner came out to greet our party, and made us all feel as welcome as old friends.  I was lucky enough to have a some help selecting the wines for our table, as the Zur Rose wine list features a separate chapter for each of the world’s leading wine regions.
         Dining here reminded me how wonderful it is to share.  There’s no other way I could have sampled so many well-executed selections that left me wanting seconds.   An appetizer of char on sautéed arugula paired with pepper sorbet came off with perfect balance. A salad of artichokes and truffled cheese curds blended a trio of rich flavors seamlessly.  For the primo piatto, I tried small lasagnette stuffed with pumpkin and Gorgonzola sauce, dressed with amaretto butter.  I expected something a little too rich and overbearing; instead the dish was light, perfectly textured, with just a tinge of Gorgonzola to give it some kick. Risotto with mustard, tuna, and caramelized onions was lovely.
      For the main course, I could not resist the roast suckling pig on braised cabbage and onions with balsamico. This complex entrée was a triumph of subtle flavors playing off one another. Breast of guinea fowl stuffed with black truffles, potatoes and beans was another beautiful celebration of local ingredients.  For dessert, I shall long remember a flaky caramelized pastry with cherry and curd sorbet as well terrine of black chocolate topped off with a dollop of homemade ice cream.
       Bolzano (below), known as the gateway to the Alps, is the hub of this region and an ideal starting point for a visit.  It’s near the towering Rosengarten Mountain, with its signature jagged teeth jutting into the skyline.  This is the legendary spot where Lorin the Elf King cast a spell in an attempt to hide his magical rose garden from the enemy.  He succeeded in hiding it morning and night, but in his haste forgot about dusk.  Thus, the dusty pink glow with every sunset.  There is no shortage of charming towns to visit here; Vipiteno, Bressanone, Merano are some of the smaller towns, though Bolzano  is large enough to warrant several days’ stay.  You’ll need that much time to visit its castles, cathedrals and the Museum of Archeology, home to Otzi, the 5,000-year-old Ice Man, a mummified Neolithic-era hunter discovered in a frozen ravine a little over a decade ago.
    
     If you choose to say in Bolzano, you’ll feel like royalty at the Parkhotel Laurin (0-471-311-000; click ).  Named after King Laurin of Tyrolean folklore, this building (below) is a sumptuous, sprawling palace, and is conveniently near Bolzano’s central town square and train station, right on via Laurin.  The hotel is famous for its Restaurant Laurin, which offers an impressive selection of South Tyrolean and Italian specialties.  Its sister property, the Hotel Grief, (0-471-318 000; click ) is found just around the corner on Waltherplatz, within the ancient walls of the city.  That building dates to the middle ages, when it served as the local inn.  The property is recently renovated, though it keeps the medieval feel.  Prices start at about euro 165 for both.
      When touring the wineries, a great spot to stop for lunch is the Ansitz Pillhof Vinothek (48 Bosnerstrasse; 0-471-633 100;  click ), which has a wine shop, a wine bar (below) and a bistro.  The food here is light, simple, and made mostly from the local ingredients. I most thoroughly enjoyed a garganelli con ragù di sella di vitello, grooved pasta with a saddle of veal sauce.  The sauce was light and fragrant, coating the pasta just perfectly.  It was the perfect companion to a Taber 2002 Lagrein Riserva.  Cocia di faraona con riso alle erbette (breast of guinea fowl with herbed rice) was fragrant and simple.  It let the flavors of the bird and the fragrant spices play off one another in harmony, paired beautifully with a Kellerei Schreckbichl 2003 Weissburgunder.
              Lunch in these parts is frequently a small panino decked with a few paper-thin Speck slices (below), polished off with the house rendition of apple strüdel,  the perfect snack to fuel up for an afternoon of skiing, but here, small flecks of Speck enliven everything. 
      Similar to prosciutto, Speck is made from the thigh of a “heavy Italian” pig and is protected by strictly regulated DOP appellation.  Speck is aged for a minimum of 23 weeks, though unlike prosciutto, it is lightly smoked over beechwood and spiced with a multitude of herbs (each combination is a guarded recipe of the individual maker).  The herbs help to form a paper-thin crust on the meat’s edge and add to the intensity of the taste experience.  Fortunately for us, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently approved a few select Speck manufacturers for import.  Brands such as Senfter are in the process of adapting their facilities to meet with the new standards so the product can appear in American stores by early 2006.
      Along with the Speck, most Alto  Adige tables will include  many of the cheeses from this region of the Alps.  Two of my favorites are the slightly nutty Stelvio and creamy Lagrein (left).  The bread on every table is Tyrolean schüttelbrot ("shaking bread"), a crackly, round, hard disc with an intense flavor of rye, caraway or other spices.   Its name stems from the fact that the dough is shaken before baking, which  makes the bread flat and round.  As to the spices, this part of the Alps was on Marco Polo’s spice route, so farmers made a point of using the herbs coming their way.  Today, traditionalist local bakers such as Profanter keep this part of history alive by baking and selling traditional schüttelbrot, along with other specialties like fruit cakes and pretzel bread.
       Bolzano is also the hub of Alto Adige’s wine industry.  Here, the diversity in terroir and microclimates lends itself to a large variety of grapes.  Its most important wines are, among the whites:  Müller-Thurgau, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio; among the reds, Lagrein, Schiava, Pinot Nero, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Alto Adige is quite proud that 90 percent of its wines fall under DOC appellations. The region is most famous for its three native classics: Vernatsch, Lagrein, and Gewürztraminer. Wineries I visited were also proud that all their fruit is picked by hand.
        At the Girlan winery (click)  in the town of Appiano  I had the chance to sample Vernatch, a fruity, light varietal from the Schiava grape.  Vernatsch has spicy top notes and a hint of licorice, and locals consider it the perfect pairing not only for Speck but most Italian salume.  This varietal is so popular that in 1906 the Emperor helped inaugurate a special vintage in barrel No. 9.  To this day, Barrel No. 9 is only produced when the harvest is considered good enough.     
Lagrein, which I tasted at the Kellerei Kaltern in Caldaro (click), is velvety to the palate, slightly tannic, with hints of berry and black currant.  Lagrein production here took an enormous turn when vineyards replaced the traditional Pergola method of trellising grapes with the French Guyot system.  In 1860 Dr. Jules Guyot discovered how to position vines to expose fruit to maximum amount of sunlight, and the switch made an enormous difference in bringing out the full flavor of the fruit.  The new process makes most Alto Adige Lagrein a worthy table companion.
    At Kellerei Bozen (click),  a new venture joining S. Magdalena and Grie (below), I sampled a prize-winning Tyrolean Gewürztraminer from the Kleinstein estate.  It was heady and aromatic, with a lingering bouquet of ginger, lime and roses.  For dessert, Vinalia, made from Moscato Giallo, was refreshing and sophisticated.
      The best news is that you needn’t wait for the winter to enjoy this region.  Alto Adige is equally breathtaking in warm weather.  Ski slopes are supplanted by hiking trails as the star attraction, and local lakes become popular swimming spots.  There is a lot to do.

NEW YORK CORNER
by John Mariani


MAINLAND
1081 Third Avenue
212-888-6333
www.mainlandnyc.com

Back in the 1970s New York was the first U.S. city to see the influx of Sichuan and Hunan restaurants, many  in and around the U.N., and fine Sino-dining at places like Shun Lee Palace (still going strong) was at its zenith of popularity by the beginning of the 1980s.

     Then every shopping mall in America sprouted a Chinese restaurant, all incorporating the same series of words--Empire, Balcony, Garden, Tiger, Dragon, Lotus, Village, and Wok--in their names. The menus were so similar they seemed printed by the same company, and Cantonese cooking only started to make a comeback in the late 1990s, primarily in New Yorl's Chinatown.  I was cheered then by the advance publicity about Mainland, on the upper east side, especially because I'd admired chef-owner Brian Young's cooking at other Manhattan, non-Chinese venues, including POP and Citarella.
       He most certainly delivers a style of Chinese food that  would distinguish one of the deluxe hotel dining rooms in Hong Kong these days, like the Mandarin Oriental and The Regent.  Some dishes will be familiar to most Americans while others are quite original, starting with white miso glazed Alaskan black cod sautéed dan-dan noodles, spinach and ginger lime vinaigrette ($28) and five-spiced foie gras salad with litchee puree, mango, peppercress and a barley wine reduction ($17).
         There are modern flourishes like flash-seared ahi tuna with a soy truffle vinaigrette, sesame seaweed and baby greens ($17); Mayan prawns are dusted with water chestnut flour and fried, then sprinkled with sea salt, yuzu and a vinegar sauce ($15).
      The dumplings here are some of the best I've had in Manhattan, especially the very delicate pan-seared  pot stickers of pork, yellow chive and ginger ($9) and ultra-juicy "double broth" shao leung dumplings with  sesame oil and water spinach ($8).   Also delicious was a good portion of  wok seared hong kong style noodle with Cantonese-style lobster, a lovely, meaty rendering ($25). There are several salads here, including an addictive variety tossed with crispy squid ($13).
      If you're craving seafood, I recommend the grilled whole fish of the day XO vinaigrette, sweet and sour lemon ($29), and the unusual seared sea scallops with mushrooms, onion puree and white truffle oil soy milk sauce ($27), along with sautéed crystal shrimp chinese celery, bamboo and ginger juice ($21).  If you prefer meat, I suspect you'll be very happy with the hefty bowl of red braised beef short ribs in clay pot red wine, cassia and aromatics with crispy Sichuan bread ($26).
       Curiously enough, despite Young's contention that he scoured China for the best Peking duck recipes, I found the version at Mainland  no more impressive than most I've had around town, and, before it got to our table sliced, the meat and skin were already cold ($26 for half, $49 for the whole duck).  Timing is extremely important with this dish; otherwise the fat of the bird becomes unpleasant.
        You're going to have to decide whether you like the decor or not.  I thought it looked like an upscale Chinese restaurant of the 1970s--dark heavy wood throughout, Chinese motifs on the walls, and lighting that seems to flatter no one. Up front the bar area (above) is more stylized, but don't be put off by what appear to be garish, plastic colored panels on the restaurant's facade, which make it look the kind of take-out Chinese eatery this definitely is not.
        Young is doing wonderful food here on the upper east side, but Mainland's decor does little to draw you in.  Do so, however, and you'll dine well. Just pray the management has sufficient waiters on to handle the crowd. The night we were there--a Monday--one waiter had to care for the entire room.
           Mainland is open daily.


AND DON'T GIVE THE BEARS ANY IDEAS

"CAMPGROUND ETIQUETTE:  Not everyone will want to have sex in the outdoors way out in the wilderness. For owners of RVs, for instance (admittedly a tangential group of outdoor sex enthusiasts), the rules of etiquette are to keep the curtains closed, the door shut, and the shock absorbers in good repair.  Campground tent campers should keep the noise down and the tent flaps closed.  The general rule is this: Be sensitive ot other less fortunate than you."--Buck Tilton,  Sex in the Outdoors (2005).

AND EEZ NOT THE VEDDY NAME "BURGER KING" AN EENSULT TO ISLAMIC ROYALTY?

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, Suzanne Wright. Contributing Photographers: Galina Stepanoff-Dargery,  Bobby Pirillo. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.

 John Mariani is a columnist for Esquire, Wine Spectator, Bloomberg News and Radio, and Diversion.  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).  

 Any of John Mariani's books below may be ordered from amazon.com by clicking on the cover image.

copyright John Mariani 2005