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MARIANI’S
Virtual Gourmet
July 9, 2006
NEWSLETTER
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In
This Issue
New
Atlanta Restaurants by Suzanne Wright
NEW
YORK CORNER:
A VOCE
QUICK BYTES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW
ATLANTA RESTAURANTS
by Suzanne Wright
Ecco
40 Seventh Street
404-347-9555
www.fifthgroup.com
About a third of
the way into dinner at Ecco, I
turned to my friend Laura
and commented that you would never know the
restaurant
was only in its second week of operation, with a full room, including the attractive
bar (left). We
marveled over
plate after plate of astonishingly conceived and composed cuisine and
smooth,
assured service.
This is just how deftly Ecco has woven itself
into the tapestry of
intown
dining, and The Fifth Group,
which also runs South City
Kitchen, Sala, La Tavola, et al, is to be commended. They
hired the
Johnson Studio to transform the old, dirt-floored Atlanta Fencing Club
on a
formerly desultory stretch of Seventh Street (once known for its gentlemen of the night)
into a
smart, stylish, completely comfortable room (there’s no posing
here, though
many of the patrons have model looks). Rich materials—dark
walnut,
leather and Italian marble—dominate the dining room (below), along with a wall of
charming
black and
white framed photographs and a couple of post-medieval light
fixtures.
There’s also a snug perch of a patio. But it’s the open kitchen running
nearly
the length of the long space, with a wood-burning stove and a
still-life
tableau of eggplants, preserved lemons, and cheese, that holds your
attention. All dressed in white smocks, a remarkable
number
of professionals quietly craft plates.
The menu is described as
“European inspired,” and our sweet-natured Swedish waiter
confirmed that
the concept does indeed echo how he ate back home. To
you and me, that means lots of small plates designed for sharing.
I was
thrilled
to hear that Chef Micah Willix had formerly cooked at Mark’s Las Olas
in Ft. Lauderdale, a restaurant of which I have very fond
culinary
memories. Perusing Ecco's menu, I was struck by just how many of
the
offerings are new to jaded, food-weary Atlantans, including fried
duck egg with truffles and potato; striped bass escabeche; and oak roasted branzino
with braised fennel and asparagus. We had a difficult time
narrowing our
choices when confronted by so many creative, inventive choices.
What an
auspicious start.
We
began with a terrific
meat and cheese tray, selecting Speck,
smoked prosciutto and
whisper-thin finocchiona
(fennel
seasoned salami) accompanied by a rich dollop of
assertive Gorgonzola. Next we sampled several “taste & share”
appetizer
options, including lightly battered and fried squash blossoms; and
warm,
tender, earthy grilled
squid with
crushed olives and almond coated sweetbreads. I am a sweetbread purist:
I found the coating too
heavy-handed,
obscuring the delicate meat, though I did lap up the sherry-scented
lentils they
sat atop. But this is a trifle, the only negative note
of the
evening.
We hopscotched over the pizzas
and panini and proceeded to
pastas and mains. The toothy, creamy
risotto
with spring peas had just a hint of onion, and the
balsamic-marinated
quail with
roasted cauliflower was lovely. But it’s the fig-glazed lamb loin
with
warm potatoes and chicory that packs the biggest gastronomic
wallop: the
luscious meat (worth the $34 price tag) slicked with a rich fruit
sauce had me (discreetly) licking my lips. Throughout the meal, we
sampled
glasses of
boutique wines from the extensive and affordable list
assembled by
director of beverages Vajra Stratigos. These included a carafe of
Bodegas
Arrocal Ribera del Duero that was perfect with the lamb.
I have
a notorious sweet tooth, so I am delighted to report that the
desserts
positively soar. All four we tried were simple, sophisticated,
and
not too
sweet; our favorite was the ricotta
torta with warm sour cherries and
orange confiture, but the
roasted strawberries with almond semifreddo
and the
nutty
dark chocolate millefeuille also
quickly disappeared, along with a
half-bottle
of Moscadello di Montalcino and a tumbler of 14-year old Scotch.
Perhaps most amazingly, we
were not overly full after our indulgences. Rather, we were plotting
our
return. Although Ecco serves only dinner and a late night menu
until 1 a.m. as of this writing, the neighborhood has
quickly
embraced the restaurant as its own, and I’d wager we’ll soon
see
brunch and wine dinners as other Fifth Group eateries
offer. Meanwhile, congratulations are in order for the smart
restaurateurs who’ve given us a unique concept beautifully realized.
But it is
we diners who really get to celebrate a stellar addition to Atlanta’s dining scene.
Ecco's appetizers range from $4-$12, mains from $13-$34.
Redfish
687 Memorial Dr SE
404-475-1200
www.redfishcreole.com
Last year, I interviewed
Chef Gregg Herndon for an article on agave. During the
course of
our discussion,
I waxed nostalgic for a long-defunct Midtown restaurant called Taste of
New
Orleans. Herndon, as it happens, worked there. I recall
everything about
that restaurant, from its slightly gaudy, purple, mirrored décor
to my favorite
waiter, Carter, who was a part-time dental student.
My palate
remembers the nuances of favorites dishes along with the modest prices.
Snapping out of my
reverie, I
decried the lack of good Creole or Cajun restaurants in Atlanta. I said I thought people would come to
a New
Orleans-type eatery. And I said I would love once again to taste
the
crawfish pâté and peanut butter mousse pie.
Apparently, Herndon
listened. That conversation was either the seed or the water for
what is
now Redfish, a
Creole bistro that opened in March with his partner Jack Sobel (also of
Agave) in Grant Park. Who says
dreams don’t
come
true?
Chefs Gregg Herndon and
Jack Sobel
So, obviously, I had a
soft
spot for Redfish even before I sampled the menu. It struck
me as pretentious to have valet parking
when the
adjacent lot is huge and empty, but we surrender our cars and sit in
the
bar. We ordered hurricanes, a signature Big Easy drink and
a Sazerac,
a strong
concoction of whiskey, bitters and a lemon peel, served neat.
The room is open, simple and
casual, almost funky, as befits the neighborhood. The dark wooden
tables
are left bare, the lighting is low and the ambiance unobtrusive and
comfortable. Flipping open the menu, I was thrilled
to see the Cajun pâté I so loved at Taste of New
Orleans. There are no fewer than 11 starters, so we settled on
gumbo and
fried oysters to round out our first course. The crawfish and
shrimp pâté was every bit as good as I remember, a little
bit spicy, served warm
with
homemade chips and bread rounds. “This would make good party
food,"
declared one of my friends. The flash-fried, lightly battered
oysters
are of varying sizes, but all are uniformly juicy and piquant when
swiped in
the rémoulade. The gumbo is chock full of shrimp,
crab,
andouille sausage,
and okra, its roux rich, all set atop plump white rice.
For entrees we select the
signature redfish,
jambalaya,
and steak. But after the success of the starters, things
faltered.
The
jambalaya
was nestled on a ridiculously huge platter and was disappointingly
dry.
Sniffed one friend, “This is more like a side dish.” Next time I
will opt
for the shrimp étoufée (right).
The Fat City steak was billed as "Kobe sirloin," but judging from the sawing we had
to do and
the unpleasantly tough texture, I’m not convinced. I did like the
accompanying macaroni-and-cheese studded with tasso ham, but my gal
pals found
it a bit anemic. By far the best dish was the redfish, a generous
pan-seared filet served with a spicy Creole jus, horseradish mashed
potatoes
and grilled asparagus. The waitress was right, it is impeccable:
moist,
perfectly cooked, lightly glazed. Between outbursts of animated
conversation, we lunged for the fish, finishing off that plate tidily.
Naturally, we saved room for
dessert. The bread budding arrived as a slab—dense, super-rich
and
toothsome; we couldn’t eat more than a bite each. Ah, but the
silk
mousse pie! Made with feathery whipped peanut butter and drizzled
with
chocolate, it took me back almost 15 years to the days of Taste of New
Orleans. Such is the sense memory. I hope that some of the
city’s
Katrina evacuees find Redfish and the culinary comfort of a taste of
home.
I’m glad for Redfish’s
arrival and I look forward to eating my way through Herndon’s
offerings,
including the shrimp po' boy, the catfish, the shrimp rémoulade
and the
crawfish
cake.
Appetizers run $6-10, entrees; $12.50-20+ for specials.
Re.past'
620 N Glen Iris Drive
404-870-8707
www.repastrestaurant.com
Another mixed use
development, Ponce Springs
Lofts, has sprouted in Midtown with a
smart-looking
restaurant with an unfortunately contrived spelling, Re.past’.
Let’s hope that, like One Midtown Kitchen in the early days, this
restaurant
loses its
oddly contrived punctuation and capitalization flourishes.
Re.Past's chef
owner, Joe Truex, hopes that at least some patrons will arrive on foot,
which
is likely when adjacent City Hall East becomes a block-long
village. For now, a few residents and nearby neighbors appear to
have
discovered the restaurant, which opened this year on Valentine’s Day.
The 3,100 square-foot restaurant features an open
kitchen, 54 seats in
the main dining area, 20 seats in the upstairs lounge, six seats at the
bar,
and an outdoor lounge area. Although the room is below street
level,
thanks to grading, big windows give passersby a glimpse inside.
The room
might be described as “industrial chic,” with walls one companion
dubbed
“mushroom,” exposed concrete, an impressive circular multi-light
fixture and
warm wooden beams above. It’s comfortable and low-key.
We visit on a Tuesday night and there are only
a few tables taken. Our
server was still learning some of the cryptic abbreviations on the
small but
intelligently selected wine list. He sent over Chef Truex who
explained,
with obvious pride and enthusiasm, the process of selecting bottles for
their value
and variety. Truex is a charmer who hails from Louisiana, has lived in New York, and whose heritage is French Basque.
The wine
we honed in on—Allegrini, a half Amarone blend from Verona—causes him to rhapsodize. It is
fantastic—smooth,
pruny, pairs well with food—and at $48 a bottle, perfect for three to
share.
Mihoko
Obunai and Joe
Truex
At first glance, the dishes
all seem rather redundant—we comment among ourselves that we’ve
seen them
before. Sadly, the gougères,
essentially duck fritters, have already been
cut from the menu. We ponder re-introducing them with a less
intimidating
name (maybe duck fritters will sell?) Truex steers us to a few
signature
items as starters: bacon-wrapped dates, roasted baby beet salad
and
mussels. The mussels in a tangy broth made with Sweetwater 420
beer,
apple bacon and dissolved goat cheese were a knockout; the housemade
olive bread
disappears as we dunked hunks. We agreed that although a popular tapa, the
honeyed
dates are a tad too rich, the bacon not quite smoky enough to cut the
sweetness. The beet salad dressed in a truffle vinaigrette with
panko-coated baked chèvre is a bright palate cleanser.
Among our main courses, the
winner was Muscovy duck breast with red wine risotto and escargot confit that was
both lean and luscious. Truex sources the fish for his jamon-wrapped hake from Gloucester; its texture is similar to cod or sea
bass, and
the accompaniments, oven-dried tomatoes, braised artichokes and
cannelloni
beans provide a lively note. We found the generous braised lamb
shank
rather dry that night. For vegetarians, there’s a daily
macrobiotic
“composition”
prepared by Truex’ wife and partner, Mihoko Obunai (above), who is originally
from
Tokyo. Before opening Re.past’, Obunai taught at Le Cordon Bleu
College of
Culinary Arts in Atlanta.
Desserts
succeed
brilliantly: the Japanese-style soufflé cheesecake is a
fluffy marvel
topped with whipped mascarpone and plated with bourbon-spiced apples
and the
delicious chocolate pot au crème is tweaked with burnt orange
cream.
Overall, the menu is affordable, with appetizers in the $5-9 range,
mains
between $18-25 and desserts priced at $6.
In the coming months, the
chef plans to showcase his culinary prowess (he has cooked at the James
Beard
House in New York City) with 5-course tasting menus. But
competition
is stiff in the ‘hood. As the kitchen gains its footing and the servers
build
more confidence and polish, my hope is that the place will find an
audience. As someone who lives just over a mile from Re.past’, I
look
forward to its evolution. Truex is right: we need more
restaurants in
walking distance, and after a meal here, we need the exercise.
NEW
YORK CORNER
by John Mariani
Photos © 2006 by Emilie Baltz
a voce
41 Madison Avenue
212-545-8555
www.avocerestaurant.com
Making your mark as chef de cuisine
at a restaurant like Daniel
Boulud's Café Boulud is pretty helpful when you get around to
opening
your own place.
Thus did Andrew Carmellini build a very large
reputation
that brought investors to hire him as chef at the new A Voce, one of
the brightest new Italian restaurants in a city hardly lacking for
another. What distinguishes A Voce from other recent arrivals is
that Carmellini (below) is
showing such a deft hand at teaming tradition and
personality on every plate, reminding me of the Mario Batali of a
decade ago. Carmellini, who was voted Best New York Chef for 2005
by the James Beard Foundation, has teamed up with restaurateur Marlon
Abela of the MARC group, which runs several very tony establishments in
London, including The
Greenhouse, Umu, and Morton's (a private club),
as well as the superb French restaurant Gaia in Greenwich, CT, and the
marriage seems to be working out splendidly. Carmellini's
résumé also
includes stints at San Domenico in Italy, and Lespinasse (now closed)
and Le Cirque
in NYC, before taking the apron springs at Café Boulud.
A Voce's casually chic dining room is built
for a
youthful clientele, with an outdoor garden section for seating 100
people, and indoors a bar and dining room done in stainless steel,
brown and cream lacquers, with walnut floors, upholstered banquettes,
and a
fabulous installation entitled "Falling Twig" (above) that brings the outdoors
in. One major caveat: The restaurant is as loud as any I've
encountered in a while, mainly because there are no soft surfaces to
soak up the noise, and, in the fashion of the day, there are not even
any tablecloths to help muffle the decibel level. Oh, how I wish
they had tablecloths! I am told that
the management is looking into fixing the problem, but be forewarned
that conversation is not easy at A Voce without lifting your voice or
using sign language.
It's a fast-paced place, managed well by
maître d' Dante Camarca (who'd also worked at Café
Boulud), and the
food comes out at a reasonable tempo. Wine service, under
sommelier Olivier Flosse, is admirable too, with 650 selections on the
list, heavy in Italian bottlings by about 50 percent, with 64
half-bottles and 30 magnums. Plans are to have monthly wine
dinners. There are plenty of bottles under $50 of note, including
Tenimenti Angelini Busillis 2004 at $45, Calera Central Coast
Chardonnay 2003 at $39, and Purple Mountain Pinot Noir 2003 at $39.
There's
not much on Carmellini's menu I
didn't want to order on sight. How does one choose among
tantalizing prospects like little duck meatballs with a dried cherry
mostarda condiment or
marinated wild salmon with crunchy vegetables and
lemon? How can one decide among pastas like pappardelle with lamb bolognese sauce touched
with mint and made creamy with sheep's milk
ricotta, or rigatoni alla pugliese
with meatballs made from porchetta
(baby pig), with
tender chickpeas and broccoli di rabe, or Carmellini's grandmother's
meat ravioli with tomato? Just about everything you start
with is delicious, including an array of antipasti like buffalo
mozzarella, sweet-sour eggplant, pickled vegetables, and wonderful
cured meats. The grilled octopus with peperonata, chorizo
sausage, and lemon is fabulous.
There is no lagging in the seafood
main courses, from roasted sea scallops with cauliflower and almond
sauce to steamed black bass with shrimp polpettini, new potatoes, and a
Ligurian shellfish broth. But by all means have one of the lusty meat
dishes--good old chicken cacciatore
made new, with sweet peppers,
crushed potatoes, and basil, or the fennel glazed duck with snap peas,
duck sausage and olive sauce. The whole roast veal with celery,
fava, and pancetta is served for two, more than steep at $55 per person.
There are good Italian cheese
available, and pastry chef April Robinson, who trained in chemistry
before turning her talents to desserts that seem to take good advantage
of that
science, delivers wonderfully home-like sweets like a roasted pineapple
glassato with anise gelato, chocolate amaretti cake with Malaga gelato,
a lovely citrus coppa with
tangerine ice, sweet vermouth, and a spark of black pepper (above), and big fat bombolini
fritters with chocolate sauce.
A Voce is a very significant
addition to the Italo-New York landscape, with food that does not try
to be either overly effusive nor too refined. It tastes like food
that Carmellini himself loves to eat, and, apparently, so do the
delighted crowds that pack A Voce every night.
Appetizers at A Voce range from $8-$18, full portions of pasta $17-$21,
and entrees $19-$29. The restaurant is open for lunch Mon.-Sat., for
dinner, nightly, for brunch on Sunday.
WHO
CARES?
Actor Michael Douglas says
that his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones is a
disaster in the kitchen. Discussing her latest role a a
restaurant chef, he said, "It's probably her greatest performance ever
because she's playing a chef and can't boil water."
P-TOOEY!
"In the kitchen's most
egregious
misstep, a beautiful 12-ounce sirloin steak was marred by acrid garlic
butter;
I actually spit out the bite I took. Because I try not to draw too much
attention when I dine out, I did not make a fuss."--Alice Gabriel, "A
French Kitchen Fares Well in Transition," NY Times (May 14, 2006).
QUICK BYTES
* From July
10-14 NYC’s
Summer Restaurant Week will offer more
than 200 restaurants offering 3-course lunches for $24.07 and/or dinner
for $35,
with select establishments continuing through Labor Day. At a
“Restaurant Week
Hall of Fame” event, chefs from Aquavit,
Barbetta, Brasserie, Café des Artistes, Capsouto Freres, Dawat,
Gallagher’s
Steak House, The Palm, San Domenico NY, Tribeca Grill, Tropica, Union
Square Café,
Carnegie Deli, Chin Chin, Delmonico’s Steakhouse, Gotham
Bar &
Grill, Le Perigord, Mark’s, Mesa Grill, Montrachet, Petrossian, Remi,
Shun Lee
Palace, Steak Frites, Tavern on the Green, Victors Café, Water
Club, and
Water’s Edge will be inducted. For a
complete
list of Summer Restaurant Week
participants visit nycvisit.com;
for reservations visit www.opentable.com. For every
reservation made at www.opentable.com, a donation will be made to Citymeals-on-Wheels and Share Our
Strength.
* From
July 13-16, Robert Mondavi Winery celebrates its 40th
anniversary
with TASTE3, a gathering
of 30 professionals in wine, food, and the arts, at Copia:
The American Center of Wine Food
& the Arts. Participants
incl. crystal
designer Georg Riedel; restaurateur Drew Nieporent; Archaeological
chemist Patrick McGovern; Leo
McCloskey, founder and president of Enologix; Marie
Wright, flavorist, International Flavors and Fragrance
(IFF)/Visionaire TASTE project; UC
Berkeley-based historian Victor Geraci;
Margrit Mondavi, et al. In
addition, dinners will be held at Napa Valley
wineries such as Harlan Estate, Quintessa, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars,
Rudd and
Grgich Hills Cellar; also, 25 alumni of the
"Great Chefs at Robert Mondavi Winery," incl. Alice
Waters, Thomas Keller, Bradley Ogden, Roy Yamaguchi, et al,
and 50 of America's top sommeliers at a dinner July
15, paired with wines from Robert Mondavi
Winery's
wine library. $2,350
pp. Visit www.TASTE3.com or
call 707-967-3997.
*
On July 14, a Bastille
Day Celebration 10:00 p.m. will be
held at Carafe in Portland, with a celebration and the 2nd
annual Portland Waiters Race, live music,
pétanque
demonstrations, kid’s activities, and a pig roasted by Pascal Sauton of
Carafe.
Free admission. www.alliancepdx.org
or
call 503-223-8388.
* On July 14 Jean Francois
Meteigner of La Cachette in
L.A. will feature a 5-course “Parisian
Bistro
Night” for Bastille Day. $90;
with wine pairing $125. Call 310-470-4992 or visit www.lacachetterestaurant.com.
* From July
14-16 The
Glenlivet Single will host “The Glenlivet Gathering,” incl.
a
traditional Scottish dinner aboard a classic steam train, a private
tour of The
Glenlivet Distillery and tasting of stock with Master Distiller Jim
Cryle, a
hike along the famous Smuggler’s Trail, a fitting for at to wear
at a traditional caleidh party)
in The Glenlivet’s Malt Barn, Scottish
dances and Scottish cuisine. Each traveler
will receve a vintage of The Glenlivet exclusively bottled for
guests. Rooms
at the Aviemore Highland Resort. $3,500 pp. Visit www.theglenlivetgathering.com
*
From July 14-16, The Finger Lakes Wine
Festival®, supported by The Corning Museum of Glass, will be
held, with 80
wineries from the Finger Lakes region at Watkins
Glen International. The Festival kick-offs on Fri. with the 5th annual
toga party, “Yancey’s
Fancy Cheese Launch of The Lakes”; Sat.
& Sun. begins with the
Great Western Chardonnay Champagne Breakfast at the Glen Club, while
Sat. is topped off with the Tasters’ Banquet. New
for 2006 is Finger
Lakes Tri-fecta’s
final bicycle race, hosted by
FingerLakesRacing.com. Call
866-461-7223,
or visit www.flwinefest.com.
*
On July 15 The Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, OH, and
The Chef's
Garden™ will hold The 2006 Food & Wine Celebration, a Gourmet Event
to
Benefit Veggie U, with cuisine and wine tastings while joining more
than 20 nationally-renowned chefs at gourmet food
stations; Live music and live and silent auction; Star
Chef Cook-Off, with chefs from NBC Bravo
TV’s “Top Chef”! $125 per person. Call
419-499-7500; visit
www.culinaryvegetableinstitute.com
or www.chefs-garden.com.
* This summer The Lodge at
Sea
Island's Chef Johannes
Klapdohr invites guests to experience great
food, fine wine and good times at “Cook
Together” schools. July 7-8 and
August 4-5: Grilling
and Smoking; July 21-22: Summer Soups
and Salads, featuring heirloom fruits and vegetables; Aug. 18-19: Tailgating
Octoberfest-style with lessons on cooking schnitzels,
sauerbraten, spatzle, et al. $850 per night, with a two night
minimum, incl. luxury accommodations, a private reception and Wine
Cellar dinner at The Lodge with Chef Klapdohr, cooking class with a
lunch
prepared by participants, “how tos” of wine tasting with Lodge
Sommelier Jane
Rate, and a monogrammed chef’s jacket. Call 800-SEA.ISLAND
or visit www.seaisland.com.
"THE
SWEET LIFE" CRUISE
This fall, from Sept. 29-Oct. 6 John Mariani (left),
publisher of Mariani's Virtual
Gourmet and food & travel columnist for Esquire Magazine, will host
and lead a 7-day cruise called "The Sweet Life," aboard
Silverseas' Millennium Class Silver
Whisper,
with days visiting Barcelona, Tunis, Naples, Milazzo (Sicily), Rome,
Livorno, and Villefranche. There will be a welcoming cocktail
party,
gourmet dinners with wines, cooking demos by John and Galina Mariani
co-authors of The Italian-American
Cookbook), optional shore excursions will include a
tour of the Amalfi Coast,
dinner at the great Don Alfonso 1890 (2 Michelin stars), a private tour
of the Vatican, dinner at La Pergola (3 Michelin stars) in Rome, a
Night Cruise to Hotel de Paris and dinner at Louis XV (3 Michelin
stars)
in Monaco, and much more. Rates (a 20% savings) range from $4,411
to
$5,771. For complete information click.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher:
John Mariani. Contributing Writers: Robert Mariani, Naomi
Kooker, Kirsten Skogerson, Edward Brivio, Mort
Hochstein, 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.
My
newest book, written with my brother Robert Mariani, is a memoir of our
years growing up in the North
Bronx. It's called Almost
Golden because it re-visits an idyllic place and time in our
lives when
so many wonderful things seemed possible.
For those of you who don't think
of
the Bronx as “idyllic,” this
book will be a revelation. It’s
about a place called the Country Club area, on the shores of Pelham Bay. A beautiful
neighborhood filled with great friends
and wonderful adventures that helped shape our lives.
It's about a culture, still vibrant, and a place that is still almost
the same as when we grew up there.
Robert and I think you'll enjoy this
very personal look at our Bronx childhood. It is not
yet available in bookstores, so to purchase
a copy, go to amazon.com
or click on Almost Golden.
--John
Mariani
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copyright John Mariani 2006
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