Julia
Roberts in the film "Eat Pray Love" (2010)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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☛ In
This Issue
Doing
the Charleston Chew by
Suzanne Wright
NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR: LOIRE VALLEY WINES GET PUMPED UP by John Mariani MAN ABOUT TOWN: A Long Haul to Singapore Requires Sheer Luxury by Christopher Mariani QUICK BYTES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Doing
the
Charleston
Chew
By
Suzanne Wright "La
Tête
de
Porc"
by
Charleston
Artist
William
McCullough
It’s
a sweltering summer day, and I am trudging across cobblestones, my
legs heavy as anchors, mopping the sweat from my forehead. I
am a woman on a culinary mission. Heat, humidity, mosquitoes—I
won’t be
daunted. Meals await in air-conditioned comfort.
According to the Convention
& Visitor Bureau, Charleston is “where
history
lives.” But from a culinary perspective, history is being made,
every
day, on plates throughout the city. The vibrant scene has long
attracted
national attention, with a string of local chefs achieving acclaim. I’ve
checked
into
Restoration on King. Built as
condos before the recession, it
is now a boutique hotel (left)
with a privileged location half a block off King
Street, the city’s main pedestrian artery. Room 306 is a corner
suite
suspended over the street, with floor to ceiling windows and
contemporary
interiors; it’s like staying at an artist friend’s hip loft. The
service
exemplifies Southern hospitality: continental breakfast is brought in a
picnic
basket, wine and cheese is served nightly at 5 p.m., followed by milk
and
cookies at 8. Caviar & Bananas
is Charleston’s version of Manhattan’s Zabar’s. I grab a tub of
pimento
cheese and a to-go container of zucchini, cranberry, pecan and feta
salad and
I’m off to Wadmalaw Island. Cross the bridge (or was it two?) and
a
lonesome ribbon of asphalt unfurls over the famously picturesque marsh
land,
Spanish-draped live oaks providing a canopy of shade. This is farmland;
hand-lettered signs for tomatoes, corn and peaches punctuate the road’s
shoulder.
First stop: the Charleston
Tea Plantation (below),
America’s only
commercial tea farm. Even if I don’t, tea loves heat and
humidity; 150
years ago planters brought bushes from China to the island where
they’ve
thrived. The tour includes a trolley ride through the fields, a
glimpse
of the processing and a tasting. I’ve arrived at the moment
of “first
flush,” when tea goes from field to cup in just 20 hours; the result is
a rich,
aromatic brew. I stock up on the popular Charleston Breakfast and
Governor’s Gray.
Next, I’m headed for the “hard stuff.” Husband and wife Jim and
Ann Irvin
have a funky compound (once used as carriage storage) that comprises
their two
operations: Firefly Vodka Distillery and Irvin
House Vineyards. (South Carolina law prohibits
signage and I didn’t have cell service, so be sure to ask for
directions as you
depart the tea plantation.)
Created in 2007, sweet tea vodka is the signature product of the
state’s first
distillery and a nationally popular Southern spirit, but there are
seven
others, including peach tea. Brags Jim, “You can smell the fuzz
on the
peach.” Also in the works, java rhum made with Colombian
coffee.
It, too, had a powerful nose, though I was partial to the
infusion made
with Buffalo Trace bourbon. At Charleston’s only winery, the
wines tend
toward the sweet (muscadine grapes are the varietal), though I think
Mullet
Hall red is irresistibly named. Dinner
at the Fat Hen (right) on neighboring John
Island is, quite
simply, life-affirming. In an unpretentious setting, Chef
Fred
Neuville is serious about farm-to-table; he has a farmer’s market in
his
parking lot during Sunay brunch. Vegetarians will be very,
very happy: fried
green tomatoes maintain their texture with a light panko crust and a
smear of
goat cheese, a dab of pepper relish and a puddle of tomato jam; the
roasted
corn and oven-dried tomato salad has the one-two surprise of boiled
peanuts and Green Goddess dressing. Oysters—twice
the
size
of
my
thumb,
yet
firm,
not
flabby—are
sautéed
with country ham and wild mushrooms and
served over grilled
bread. There’s so much more: an interesting charcuterie
plate,
perfectly crispy pommes frites,
butter
bean
cake
with
avocado chipotle
cream. The special of the day was truly inspired: meaty
wreckfish
paired with mesclun, fresh corn, wax beans, heirloom tomatoes and lemon
cucumbers, goosed with a citrus vinaigrette—summer’s bounty on a
plate.
Do not miss the "pluff mudd pie" (ask your server to explain the name),
a
fluffy
chocolate mousse with an Oreo crust and Chantilly cream.
Hands-down, this
was my favorite meal of the trip.
Back in Charleston the following day, I had another praiseworthy meal
at Amen
Street, open just since November
2009. Chef Todd Garrigan has reinvented fried calamari by tossing
in
corn, tomatoes and green onions, along with bacon for smokiness.
His hushpuppies
are served with local honey; his mussels with garlic, tomatoes, white
wine and
herbs have a pleasant sweetness. At FISH (left)
the desserts were most
memorable, perhaps because of the menu’s engaging copywriting: “It’s
just ready
if the juice doesn’t drip off of your elbow. That’s what my mom
always
told me about a strawberry,” which captures the spirit of the
strawberry mojito
parfait with yuzu lime syrup,
sitting between two star anise
wafers: a
grown-up ice cream sandwich. Cheesecake lollipops were rolled in
chocolate gingersnaps served with strawberry lemon curd. Among
savories,
the standout was Chef Nico Romo’s bouillabaisse with trout, scallops,
shrimp,
clams, potatoes, bok choy, mushrooms, carrots and coconut lemongrass
broth—a
refreshing Asian twist on a classic. The bacon pork loin
medallions—the
pig was fed with special compost the restaurants prepares—were
flavorful but a bit
heavy for a summer supper. McKee is also
behind O-Ku, an upscale sushi
restaurant which has been likened to
Nobe.
It may be culinary sacrilege to admit, but I am not a big sushi or sake
devotee. Chef Sean Park and his gracious staff are working hard
to create
demand for sushi beyond bargain rolls. I enjoyed sipping refined,
chilled
sakes—some milky, some clear—with mellifluous names like Snow Maiden
and
Bride
of the Fox, while noshing on mandoo,
delicious
dumplings
stuffed
with
kimchee.
The bar
also makes an award-winning passionfruit mojito,
sour
and refreshing and a steamy Southern night. The presentation is
impeccable, the attention to detail graceful, from escolar to otoros,
big eye
and yellow carpaccio. Ask your server for wasabi stems to enliven
everything. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, steer toward the
pineapple crème
brûlée. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````
NEW YORK CORNER ANTIPASTI, PASTA, E
BASTA? Alfredo DiLelio
and Jimmy Stewart at Alfredo's in Rome, c. 1956. Pò
For
17
years
now
New
Yorkers
have
had a soft spot for Pò, primarily
because it was one of the first of a new, more authentic-style
trattorias in a pretty street in the West Village and because it was
where Mario Batali
first worked to
develop the style he later manifested big time at Babbo. His partner
Steve Crane is still owner, now with Lee McGrath in the kitchen,
and Pò, whose name derives from the northern Italy river,
still maintains that sweet sense of smallness and minimalism. Pò
is not decorous and it can get loud (I should note that Americans are
much louder than anyone else in restaurants), but it is also convivial
with people who are obvious regulars, and Mr. Crane is there to take
care of everyone. (Unfortunately, on the night I visited recently, he
was under the weather and not in attendance, so service was a bit slack
and Po lacked the spirit of his personality.) Pò offers Lunch, Wed-Sun; Dinner, nightly. Antipasti are $9-$13, full pastas $15-$18, main courses $19-$23
Il Matto means "mad man" in Italian, and things do get a little crazy on Tuscan chef Matteo Boglione's main course menu. But before that there are some wonderful dishes without any eccentrics. He leaves the pre-meal fun to mixologist Christina Bini, who comes up with exotic cocktails like the Buffalo 66 with rosemary-infused vodka, Worcestershire sauce and beet juice, and the La Signoria, a blend of gin, lemon, strawberry, balsamic reduction, and lettuce leaves.
The
restaurant
itself,
in
TriBeCa,
is
a
knock-out space of modernity all'italiana,
with
Roman
columns,
an S-shaped, mosaic glass-topped bar on an
upper level,
tall windows, rosy colors and lighting, and very cool, rolling
teacup banquettes under a large portrait of Boglione depicted as a mad
octopus by graffiti
artist Doze Green.
He
infuses
fazzoletti
pasta with black olive essence then lavishes it with buffalo
mozzarella and tomato sauce, topped with fried eggplant for sweetness
and texture. The Tuscan pasta called pici comes over a celeriac puree
and tomato concasse with
clams and the saline flavor of bottarga
roe. Very good indeed was a dish of saffron pappardelle with a ragù of osso bucco and bone marrow-laced
sabayon, while gnocchetti (a
little too soft one night) was made with squid ink, a crabmeat ragù and fried artichokes--a
dish that gave a hint of the elaborations to follow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES
FROM
THE
WINE
CELLAR
by
John
Mariani
The average winedrinker’s familiarity with Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and a few wines from the Rhone and Alsace usually does not extend very far into France’s Loire Valley. Grape varieties with names like folle blanche, melon de bourgogne, pineau d’Aunis, and grolleau do not leap to mind when considering what to have with dinner. Given a few hints and nudges, one might come up with muscadet, sancerre, and vouvray, perhaps rosé d’Anjou, as Loire Valley wines, but bottlings from quarts de chaume, saumur champigny, and côtes du Forez don’t often make it onto the world’s winelists. Ignoring a region’s wines is not the same thing as ignorance of them, but an increase in Loire exports gives me reason to think more winelovers in search of well-priced, terroir-specific red and white wines will be ferreting out the best examples now coming into the market.
Melon
de
bourgogne
makes
up
37
percent
of
white
wine
production
in
the
Loire,
followed
by
chenin blanc (25 percent), and sauvignon blanc (22). Of red
wines,
cabernet franc makes up 51 percent, gamay 20. Only 20 percent of total
production is exported; currently the UK receives 34 percent of that,
Belgium
19, and the USA 13. That abundance of melon de bourgogne goes into making Muscadet in the western Valley around Nantes, about 600,00 hectoliters, of which the best, from Sévre et Maine, Côteaux de Grandlieu, and Côteaux de la Loire, are categorized “sur lie” (“on the lees”), meaning the white wines are kept in contact with the barrel yeasts and sediment, imparting richer flavor and sometimes a little sparkle. Since the 1970s muscadet has since largely been considered a pleasant, highly acidic, low-alcohol (around 12 percent), moderately priced white wine to be drunk upon release and with abandon. Its citrus flavors can often overwhelm its fruit, which makes it a good choice with shellfish. But a recent tasting of some of the finer examples now available showed me that Muscadet can have considerably more substance than I’d realized. Just four years ago enologist Eric Chevalier took over his family’s estate, Domaine l’Aujardière, located in terroir closest to the Atlantic Ocean. His Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur Lie 2008 ($14) spent the winter on the lees, and the wine had excellent body along with aromatic and mineral qualities that balanced the acid notes. It went perfectly with an Alsatian cheese tart with bacon and onions at DB Bistro Moderne in New York. Far more amazing was a 1999 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie from Domaine Luneau-Papin Le Lion d’Or ($25). Prior to that first sip, I would never dream of drinking a Muscadet 11 years old, assuming its best days ended about three years ago. Oxidation should have set in five years ago and a decade ago the wine should have been undrinkable. Instead it was a revelation. Eighth generation winemakers Pierre et Monique Luneau-Papin head this 30-hectare estate in Le Landreau since the early 18th century. They make small cuvees to reflect particular vineyards’ terroir; harvesting is by hand, with an immediate light débourbage (separation of juice from gross lees), followed by a 4-week fermentation, then six months of aging in stainless steel on the lees. The process is nothing really out of the ordinary, but the steps taken together somehow produce a Muscadet that not only has grown in body and beauty over 15 years but taken on complexity I never would have expected. Because of that richness, it was ideal with a steamy choucroute whose own aromas of pork fat, juniper, and the tartness of sauerkraut needed that boldness from a white wine. I have never been an enthusiastic fan of the red Loire Valley wine chinon, finding most examples simplistic, sometimes a little bitter. But a single vineyard chinon from Philippe Alliet, who with Bernard Baudry, is considered one of the region’s finest vignerons, changed my mind. Dedicated to producing only small yields, mostly from old vines, Alliet makes a chinon called L'Huisserie 2007 ($34), with a bit more flesh on its bones than I’d been led to expect of the 2007 vintage. The characteristic light tannins of chinon and the ripeness of the older vines’ fruit showed further nuance.
On the other hand, Thierry Germain’s Domaine des Roches Neuves La Marginale 2005 ($40)f from Saumur Champigny in the Loire Valley was fairly raw and inky, but with the charming scent and flavor of wild fennel, making it a wine with an affinity for herb-rich grilled foods of the Mediterranean. The Loire Valley wines now coming into the market from smaller producers show yet again how hard French vignerons are working to improve image by making better wines and keeping them at a price most people will readily accept.
John Mariani's wine column appears in Bloomberg Muse News, from which this story was adapted. Bloomberg News covers Culture from art, books, and theater to wine, travel, and food on a daily basis. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Long Haul to Singapore Requires a Whole Lotta Luxury
Since
returning from Singapore recently, I have been asked the same two
questions more
times
than I can say: "How long was the flight?” and, “How could
you sit
on a plane for that long?” as opposed what I would like to be asked,
“What
was Singapore like?” and “What interesting things did you see?” OK, my answer to the two most-asked questions
are, 19 hours direct from Newark, and I did sit some of the time, but
lay down
most of the time and slept on Singapore Airlines’
all
new
Business
Class,
an
A340-500
fitted
with
just
100
seats that recline into fully flat beds. Of course I, too, was concerned about what I would do for almost a full day on an airplane, so I overpacked my carry-on with seven books, an iPod, my laptop, magazines, and multiple newspapers. I mean, really, who can gauge what to do with that much free time?
I
arrived
at
Newark’s
International
Airport
and
headed
towards
the
Singapore
Airlines check-in where I was immediately greeted by a beautiful,
smiling
check-in representative who quickly confirmed my flight
information then
asked if she could carry my bag to the lounge. Acting the
gentleman, I
declined, but she personally escorted me to the SIA lounge where she
wished me
a wonderful flight and left me in the hands of their welcoming
lounge
receptionist.
My
first impression of the service before I even stepped foot on the
plane--something I personally place a tremendous value on--was highly
professional, by far the best I have ever experienced when dealing with
airline
staff. Right then and there, I knew my flight was going to be far from
an
endurance test.
Once
on
the
plane
I
nestled
into
my
window
seat,
where I was instantly offered a
glass of Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve, various
magazines and
newspapers. The
seats were commodious and reminded me at once of a La-Z-Boy recliner. Straight ahead of me
was my very own 15.4 inch LCD television screen offering 120 movies,
170 television shows, 20 music stations, and video
games,
which could easily have kept me entertained for a flight three
times as
long as the one I was on.
The
process
is
quite remarkable: the recipes are
first created by the ICP’s chefs, then sent to the Inflight
Catering
Centre, which determines whether or not the dishes can realistically
be
prepared at 35,000 feet. When I
interviewed one
of SIA’s head chefs, he
explained that fried crispy dishes are pretty
much out
of the question, since the planes are only equipped with dry heat
ovens,
steam ovens, and microwaves, and,
most
important,
the
dishes
are
being
re-heated. Once
the recipes and dishes are finally approved, the next step in the
process is to test them out in a giant pressure chamber that replicates
a 30,000-foot
altitude and was shaped identically to a plane’s
preparation kitchen. Here the food and
wine selections
are rigorously tasted, because at high altitudes, passengers'
taste buds do not
react the
same as at sea level and people may find some food very bland. The pressure chamber offers SIA’s testers
a chance to slightly alter the dishes and recipes by adding more
seasoning or
salt if need be. Children's meals are also
developed and offered onboard. I was impressed by this level of
forethought, especially when I thought about every tasteless airline
meal I have had over the years. For
my first in-flight meal, I began with marinated lobster and saffron
couscous, dried fruit, pistachios and watercress accompanied by a glass
of
Geyser Peak 2007 Chardonnay, paired
by SIA’s
wine panel experts Steven Spurrier, Michael Hill-Smith, and Jeannie
Cho Lee. For my main course I had the
braised
black cod covered by a garlic sauce served with vegetables and steamed
rice, all very
appetizing, the piece of cod thick, moist, flavorful, and
surprisingly
fresh tasting. After the cod, I was
offered a cheese plate of Camembert, California Vella dry jack, and
Iowa Maytag
Blue paired with a glass of Offley LBV 2005 Port. After
my
cheese
course--just
to
make
sure
I
would
sleep well!--I
had a bowl of Häagen Dazs chocolate-peanut butter ice cream
smothered
in
chocolate sauce and topped with roasted almonds. Life can be good at
35,000 feet.
Nine
hours
later
I awoke, sat up, and was
immediately approached by my beautiful attendant, who asked if I would
like
some coffee or juice before she brought me my breakfast, which
consisted
of Raisin Bran
with milk, followed by an order of braised egg noodles with beef,
mushrooms and
leafy greens. After breakfast and
an espresso, I relaxed and breezed through an Elmore Leonard novel,
followed by
catching up on some work, and before I knew it, we were just
three hours
from
Singapore.
There
were
two
other
terrific
dishes
upon
my
return
from
Singapore worth a mention. One
was
the
grilled
Chilean
seabass
served
in
a fresh chunky
tomato sauce with olive oil-flavored mashed potatoes, the other,
from the
light bites section, a steamed dim sum selection with lotus leaf
rice, siew mai, bean curd roll and har
kow. So how does one
survive a 19-hour flight? If it's to Asia, you may well want to
consider taking Singapore's new service, Otherwise,
I
guess
my
only
advice
is
treat the flight like an entire day and try to act as if you would
normally:
sleep a full night’s worth, if at all possible work from your laptop,
enjoy a
book that you have been dying to read, watch a great movie, or just sit
back, overeat and drink. And no pills! Works for
me. ```````````````````````````````` BIG RELIEF In Oregon, people who bought pink shrimp at some local stores reported that it glows in the dark. Marine food experts told the Register-Guard the luminescence was due to certain marine bacteria but that it's not a health risk and does not indicate mishandling during processing. And Now a Word from Our Corporate Pinheads
On
Tesco's Tiramisù dessert (printed on bottom) --
"Do not turn
upside
down."
On Sainsbury's peanuts
--
"Warning: contains nuts." On
Marks &Spencer Bread Pudding --
"Product will be hot after
heating." On an
American Airlines packet of nuts --
"Instructions: Open packet, eat
nuts."
`````````````````````` QUICK BYTES ✉ Guidelines for submissions: QUICK BYTES publishes only events, special dinners, etc, open to the public, not restaurant openings or personnel changes. When submitting please send the most pertinent info, incl. tel # and site, in one short paragraph as simple e-mail text, WITH DATE LISTED FIRST, as below. Thanks. John Mariani * On Aug. 22 in Atlanta, 4th & Swift will host a Homegrown Sunday Supper to kickoff Taste of Atlanta 2010. Chef Jay Swift will prepare a menu of modern American classics featuring local produce and cheeses, Blue Ridge Rainbow trout and Niman Ranch lamb. $60 pp. Visit http://www.4thandswift.com or call 678-904-0160.
* From Aug.
23-28, Chef-owner Aaron May of Iruña,
a
Spanish
tapas
restaurant
in
Scottsdale,
AZ, re-mixes the Tomatina Festival in Pamplona, Spain, offering
cocktails, Spanish
tapas and classic Basque dishes built around summer tomatoes.
Multi-course tasting
menu changes daily; prices from $30-$40 per person. Visit http://www.irunaaz.com or call
480-398-3020.
*
From
Aug
23-Oct
31
the
US Virgin
Islands are
offering bookings on the Sizzlin’
Sampler Promotional Package, incl. $350 instant credit on ea
booking of 5 nights or more at participating hotels; $50 shopping
certi; $50 attractions certif $50
dining certi; Details on www.visitusvi.com/package_and_promotions.
* On Aug. 25 in Roanoke, VA, Local Roots restaurant will be kicking off their Guest Chef Dinner Series with a dinner featuring Chefs Sean Brock, Bryan Voltaggio, Ashley Christensen, and Tarver King. $90 pp. Call 540-206-2610.
*
On
September
2
in
Malibu Canyon, Los
Angeles, Saddle Peak Lodge
presents the wines of Qupe Wine Cellars at a
four-course dinner with the
winemaker Bob Lindquist with menu by Chef Adam Horton and Chef de
Cuisine Chris
Kufek. $95 pp. Call 818-222-3888
or
www.saddlepeaklodge.com.
*
From
Sept.
6
–
Nov.
23,
in
New
Paltz,
N.Y.,
Mohonk Mountain House
is offering Seasonal Bounty packages that celebrate America's favorite
fruit,
the apple, in September and the pumpkin. Guests will
enjoy culinary treats, seasonal bounty spa treatments, and discounts at
midweek rates starting at $199 pp, per night. Call 800-772-6646 or
visit http://www.mohonk.com.
* From Sept. 10-19, the second annual Denver Beer Fest, a citywide brew-centric experience leading up to the marquee event: America’s most prestigious beer festival and competition, the Brewers Association’s Great American Beer Festival (GABF), held September 16-18. Call 303-571-9450.
* On Sept. 11 in Duxbury, MA, Island Creek Oysters will host it's fifth annual Island Creek Oyster Festival featuring over 20 of Boston’s most notable Chefs. Event passes range from $50-$150 pp. Visit www.islandcreekfoundation.org/festival or call 781-934-2028. * On Sept. 11
in Cle
Elum, WA, Swiftwater Cellars will
host
LONESTAR
band
for
its
grand
opening
celebration.
$35
pp.
Visit
www.ticketswest.com
or
call
1-800-325-SEAT. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Everett Potter's Travel Report: I
consider this the best
and savviest blog of its kind on the web. Potter is a columnist
for USA Weekend, Diversion, Laptop and
Luxury Spa Finder,
a contributing editor for Ski
and a frequent contributor to National
Geographic
Traveler,
ForbesTraveler.com and Elle
Decor. "I’ve designed this
site is for people who take their travel seriously," says Potter.
"For travelers who want to learn about special places but don’t
necessarily want to pay through the nose for the privilege of
staying there. Because at the end of the day, it’s not so much about
five-star places as five-star experiences." THIS
WEEK: La Tour d'Argent;
Cape Hatteras.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eating Las Vegas is the new on-line site for Virtual Gourmet contributor John A. Curtas., who since 1995 has been commenting on the Las Vegas food scene and reviewing restaurants for Nevada Public Radio. He is also the restaurant critic for KLAS TV, Channel 8 in Las Vegas, and his past reviews can be accessed at KNPR.org. Click on the logo below to go directly to his site.
Tennis Resorts Online: A Critical Guide to the World's Best Tennis Resorts and Tennis Camps, published by ROGER COX, who has spent more than two decades writing about tennis travel, including a 17-year stretch for Tennis magazine. He has also written for Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, New York Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Esquire, Money, USTA Magazine, Men's Journal, and The Robb Report. He has authored two books-The World's Best Tennis Vacations (Stephen Greene Press/Viking Penguin, 1990) and The Best Places to Stay in the Rockies (Houghton Mifflin, 1992 & 1994), and the Melbourne (Australia) chapter to the Wall Street Journal Business Guide to Cities of the Pacific Rim (Fodor's Travel Guides, 1991). Family Travel
Forum: The
Family
Travel
Forum
(FTF),
whose
motto
is
"Have
Kids,
Still
Travel!",
is
dedicated
to
the
ideals,
promotion
and
support
of
travel
with
children.
Founded
by
business professionals John Manton and Kyle
McCarthy with first class travel industry credentials and global family
travel experience, the independent, family-supported FTF will provide
its members with honest, unbiased information, informed advice and
practical tips; all designed to make traveling a rewarding, healthy,
safe, better value and hassle-free experience for adults and children
who journey together. Membership in FTF will lead you to new worlds of
adventure, fun and learning. Join the movement. All You Need to Know Before You Go nickonwine: An engaging, interactive wine column by Nick Passmore, Artisanal Editor, Four Seasons Magazine; Wine Columnist, BusinessWeek.com; nick@nickonwine.com; www.nickonwine.com. MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John Mariani.
Contributing Writers: Christopher
Mariani, Robert Mariani,
John A. Curtas, Edward Brivio, Mort
Hochstein, Suzanne Wright, and Brian Freedman. Contributing
Photographers: Galina Stepanoff-Dargery, Bobby Pirillo. Technical
Advisor:
Gerry McLoughlin. Any of John Mariani's books below
may be ordered from amazon.com by clicking on the cover image.
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