FROM FARM
TO FORK in the NEW SOUTH
St. Simon's Island, Georgia
by Marcy MacDonald
NEW
YORK CORNER
Sel & Poivre
by John Mariani
❖❖❖
FROM
FARM TO FORK in the NEW SOUTH
St. Simon's
Island, Georgia
by Marcy MacDonald
Island
people are just different. On every island.
Everywhere.
No matter how connected to the
mainland they may be -- whether by proximity or
heredity -- islanders are a breed apart, and they
specialize in irony. For instance, some 4,000
years ago pre-Columbian Americans settled in what is
now St. Simons Island (the largest of the Golden
Isles off the Georgia coast) to harvest the highly
prized local shrimp They were there to stay --
until, that is, Spanish conquistadors encouraged
them to relocate. By force.
"The shrimp here don't migrate."
explains Captain Larry Credle, skipper of the Lady Jane,
a shrimper dredged out of retirement to ply the
Marshes of Glynn (below),
made famous by poet Sidney Lanier.
Accompanied by marine biologist Phil
Fournoy, Credle and his crew cast enormous nets into
the marshes to catch everything from the famous
shrimp to horseshoe crab and a wide variety of
non-shell fish.
"Pink and delicious," the captain
repeats as he picks the delicious shrimp from the
nets (right)
for a genuine, sea-going Low Country Boil. This
culinary tour isn't just for visitors: Tim and
Melissa Wellford arrived on the island 25 years ago,
raised their family there and opened The Sandcastle
B&B, where they make Southern specialties every
morning, from cheese grits to biscuits and gravy.
The Wellfords plan to celebrate their island
anniversary on board.
Another of the island's typical local
eccentrics is “Cap” Fendig, retired from the sea 40 years ago to run the Lighthouse
Trolley Ghost Tours of the old 1807 Lighthouse, the
charmingly named Bloody Marsh, Fort Frederica, and
the graveyard at Christ Church. Fendig comes
from one of the oldest and largest families on the
island: you'll see his surname (and those of other
prominent islanders like King, Couper, Dodge, Page,
Lord) repeated endlessly, from street signs to the
historic graveyard at Christ Church.
"There are no ghosts in my
cemetery," contends Christ Church supervisor Oscar
Covington. "Otherwise, I couldn't be working there."
Ask him and he'll tell you the history of each
of the permanent residents buried there (one
newspaper man's headstone is a gigantic typewriter
with “Furman Bisher” engraved on it ). "The most
requested graves are that of Eugenia Price (who
wrote The
Georgia Trilogy) and the first pastor, Rev.
Anson Green Phelps Dodge."
Many
were the movers and shakers of the 18th and 19th
centuries, when Southern cotton was king. At
the time, 14 large plantations dominated the
15-square mile island, where even slavery was
markedly different from elsewhere in the South.
The owner of Retreat Plantation, Mrs. Anna
Page King, educated her children and her slaves in
pairs, then sent them off to the Civil War together.
Her eldest son, Captain 'Lordy' King, died in
battle, and was brought home by his best friend and
personal manservant, Neptune Small, who promptly
returned to the war with King's youngest son,
Cuyler. When both returned to St.
Simons alive, the family rewarded Neptune (by then a
free man) with the best plot of land on their
estate, known since as "Neptune's Park."
Small continued working for
the King family, and planted the rows of oaks that
still line the once majestic entry to the Retreat.
He was buried there in 1907. Curiously,
he was not alone: along a narrow lane at the
southern edge of the oaks lies an ancient burial
mound under which 30 native Americans are
interred. As more and more Northerners
became Southerners by choice, a new kind of South
began to emerge. Like the local shrimp, these
converted islanders didn't migrate farther than St.
Simons. They thrived and prospered without
tourism. Schools, businesses and churches
proliferated. The Art Institute opened and is
still thriving. Local players continue to
schedule productions years in advance. Name
your favorite pursuit: it's there, but in miniature.
The result is not another
gigantic polyester beach town dotted with fast food
joints and tourist traps, but a very real
destination for discerning travelers.
Today, with only 15,000 full-time residents,
everyone seems to know everybody, and everywhere is
about 15 minutes from everywhere else. The
entire island is clean and cared for, even the
Spanish moss, draped like antique lace over the
branches of the trees: it looks like a stage set, a
kind of hometown Disneyland. But real.
Of course, there will
always be segments of the touring population who
just want to grease-up and grill on the beach, any
beach. No matter which pursuits you choose, you
won't be overcrowded, even on national holidays and
college breaks. Pick up a rent-a-bike from
Soul Cycle and you'll be able to exercise your way
around the 25 miles of paths and roads, from beach
to golf course to barbeque joints without breaking
the bank.
Despite the
fact that St. Simons is all coast--and that there
are vast estates and genteel, crumbling resorts,
guesthouses and motels throughout, not to mention
more than 50 restaurants--there is only one
oceanfront resort: the King
and Prince, a graceful nod to the past, gift
wrapped with futuristic amenities. Although it
sprawls over many acres (whether or not you count
the glamorous inland golf course), the resort has an
intimate feel. The owners,
the Sturdavent family, are Harvard-educated lawyers
from Mississippi. They knew what they wanted: a
series of doors for family, friends and perfect
strangers that opened onto a well-manicured beach.
Back in 1935 the King and Prince opened as a
dance club--in hurricane season--by two royal drunks
who had been blackballed by a resort on the
soigné island next door. Later, the K&P
became an exalted, hurricane-proof resort that
housed the Coast Guard, along with its haute guests,
during World War II. Afterwards, renovation was in
order, and the owners have been facelifting every
few years ever since. Many returning
guests may be surprised that the only thing that
looks completely familiar is the chandelier above
the original entrance. The lobby wading
pool is now covered in marble; the enormous
multi-room ocean view restaurant is now "ECHO," and
the beautiful stained glass ballroom is now the
"Delegal Room." Outdoor restaurants just
beyond the pool fence comprise the "Sea Shack Bar
and Bites."
Since Chef Jason Brumfiel arrived
there a few years ago, the haute cuisine has been
elevated while seeming wonderfully un-renovated.
All of the dining rooms are packed, from
breakfast until late night drinks. You might run
into well-known locals there like Lynn St. Clair, a
watercolorist dedicated to painting colorful hats
that she donates to cancer patients.
It's never too early or too late
for a real Southern breakfast starring coastal
cuisine and local innovations like Strata (a layered
egg dish, baked in a pie tin). Shellfish and
chocolate play a big part in the chef's menus, as do
locally made mozzarella, spiced meats, olive oil
(from Lakeland, where many of the chef's farm
products grow), and, of course, those marvelous
shrimp (below),
as well as Sweet Grass Camembert, locally made
pâtés, the chef's
own marmite, and gorgeous seasoned greens. From
Sunset Farms, he obtains Aztec cheddar, Sweet Queen
of Dixie Ham; from Fort Creek Farms he gets
grass-fed beef.
Lunch runs the gamut from
light to heavy: protein, light salad, using yogurt
instead of mayo, water with strawberries and basil,
naan flat bread made of chickpea flour, artisanal
cheeses, a charcuterie board comprised of local
smoked and cured meats, salsas, jams and jellies and
olives. There’s also pecan-smoked bacon and fried
green tomatoes, true South. A Salad niçoise
looks, literally, gift wrapped. Then the real
calories arrive from the sous chef: rather than
drizzling puréed bananas over the waffles,
she puts bananas into the batter. Should a
single calorie remain unburned, have a cup of hot
tea with Banana Walnut Bread, a treat they've been
doing for 70 years, their own kind of signature. Don't
quit while you're ahead: Brumfiel's Southern coastal
cuisine specializes in every kind of seafood.
His 'Creative Cooking School' in the Meadow
House is a collection of Southern Classics that
include Frogmore stew, pecan-crusted chicken,
fried green tomatoes, cornbread and peach bread
pudding.
The King and
Prince often serves local wines with their local
fare, like Stillpond Plantation White, Stillpond
Plantation Red, and Stillpond Peach Wine. Some
are an acquired taste; others have already acquired
a solid following. Plentiful supplies of both
familiar wines and are often paired with specialty
dinner items and served at the First Night reception
in the Solarium.
If you have an inch left to grow
around the waist, a visit to Southern Soul Barbecue
is in order, because owners Harrisson Sapp, the pit
master, and Griffin Bufkin produce “smokin'
fabulous” ribs, pulled pork, smoked sausage, beef
brisket and even a smoked turkey breast. Order
the Southern Soul Sampler, which includes most of
them and more. There's even something for
vegetarians: “Soulful Sides,” which include potato
salad, collard greens, fried okra, cornbread,
hoppin’ John (blackeyed peas and rice) and other
goodies you might not easily find elsewhere.
The King and
Prince offers a variety of accommodations.
Oceanfront suites, including the two-story
Governor's Suite, are located in the historic main
building. Premium rooms include three
oceanfront Tower Rooms and eight oceanfront Cabana
Rooms. Each comes with its own parlor and private
patio. Oceanfront rooms are available in king
or double queen-bed accommodations; resort view
rooms are located in the main building. Beach villas
are available with two or three bedrooms with a
patio or balcony. Resort residences include
six private guesthouses ranging from one to five
bedrooms.
There is,
of course, plenty to do off the resort grounds: Ft.
Frederica National Monument; The Island Players,
performing since 1956; and Lighthouse Trolleys
tours. Like the local shrimp, none of the people who
have migrated to St. Simons plan to move elsewhere
-- ever.
“Fashion,”
said
French couturier Coco Chanel, “is made to go out
of style,” and as I read about how insects are the
hot new menu item, or about a restaurant in
Brooklyn where dinner is held in total silence, I
wag my head and consider that the traditional
French bistro has never been out of style,
because, like work boots, they were never
deliberately stylish in the first place.
The
pleasures of a true French bistro have never waned
for the most sensible reasons: bistros are
neighborhood restaurants, built for sheer comfort.
There will be good crusty bread and abundant butter
on the table and a pot of flowers, along with a
votive candle, re-lighted throughout the evening.
Bistro menus
change their specials daily, but the basic menu is
always pretty much the same in season, so that each
dish has been perfected by long practice, day after
day, night after night. So, even if one
bistro’s onion soup gratinée doesn't taste
quite like another’s, it will always taste the same
in each.
What I have
just described is exactly what you will find at Sel
&t Poivre now celebrating its 25th year in
business on the Upper East Side. Any week now, when
warm weather comes back, you may sit outside and
watch the parade of women laden down with brown
Bloomingdale’s bags, Hunter College students with
backpacks, and young mothers with expensive
strollers.
The inside
dining room is the very definition of cozy--and
certainly nothing moderne--with bentwood chairs and
squeaky banquettes, wall sconces, and old Parisian
photos. The tables have tablecloths topped
with crisp paper.
Owners
Christian and Pamela Schienle are always welcoming
old friends and new with the same consistent warmth
of personality, and the
couple has been very careful to keep Sel &
Poivre in the same culinary groove while adding
dishes like pastas and a delicious cold lobster
salad with avocado mousse and grapefruit coulis
($16.95).
Escargots are
tender and piping hot, bathed in plenty of garlic,
butter, and parsley ($9.50). One of the best
appetizers is the silky terrine of foie gras
($17.95). The French onion soup ($7.95) has not
gotten any more caramelized or the broth richer than
the last time I had it four years ago, but the
perfectly pink calf's liver à la
lyonnais--one of the regulars’ most popular
dishes--has plenty of those caramelized onions.
The menu has
all the old bistro classics--skate with lemon and
capers, trout almandine,
duck à
l’orange, and one you rarely see any more:
meaty frogs’ legs in a Pernod sauce with wild
mushrooms and fragrant basmati rice ($20.95). Also
something of a rarity in a city of lamb chops is Sel
& Poivre’s leg of lamb with haricots vertes ($22.95),
generous slices in a dark jus. The coq au vin is done in a
superb reduction of red wine to a lusciously viscous
texture and the chicken absorbs it all right down to
the bone.
Several dishes
are accompanied by mashed potatoes (which should be
more buttery for a French rendition), but I urge you
to get a side of hot, golden crisp French fries
($6), which come free with roast chicken and steak
frites.
I mentioned that bistros always have
daily specials people come for once a week, and Sel
& Poivre is no different: Mon.
bouillabaisse; Tues. coq au vin; Wed. venison;
Thurs. pot au feu; Fri. cassoulet; Sat. cous cous
royal; Sun. roast leg of lamb.
Desserts are in
line with what precedes them--a fine crème
brûlée, and two big ice cream-stuffed
profiteroles with dark chocolate sauce. However, the
pear tart’s pastry was flaccid, the fruit
tired.
Mr. Schienle is
happily in charge of the wine list, which he keeps
very reasonably priced, with plenty of options under
$50.
You can always
count on his being there, taking his own late night
dinner at the bar when his guests have mostly gone.
So many of them have been coming here for so
long, some since the day it opened, that there is a
real bonhomie between them and the staff that is
both endearing and well worth cultivating.
So, Happy 25th Anniversary, Sel &
Poivre, and may you always stay the way you are.
Sel & Poivre is
open for lunch Mon.-Fri., for brunch Sat. &
Sun., dinner nightly.
❖❖❖
Wine Column Sponsored by Banfi Vintners THE FIRST
BRUNELLO OF SPRING
by Cristina Mariani-May co-CEO of Banfi
VintnersAmerica's leading wine importer
Even
if there is still a distinct chill in the air, with all
this winter’s seemingly unprecedented snow finally
washed away we are finally enjoying definite signs of
spring.Gradually
our stodgy winter diet is turning to fresh produce, and
our selection of wine is turning from the big and bold
to the light and fruity, right?Well, not
necessarily so.One
of the great rites of spring, at least in the wine
world, is the debut of the newest vintage of hot
Tuscany’s hottest wine, Brunello di Montalcino and its
“younger brother,” Rosso di Montalcino.
Over the past few months, wine
professionals and journalists were given a sneak preview
of the 2009 Brunello and the 2012 Rosso.Now it is our
turn, as these debutantes finally hit the shelves of our
finest wine shops and the wine lists of our favorite
restaurants.
Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino are
known to be age-worthy wines, the stuff of collectors and cellars, so
why the fuss over their youngest renditions?Well, first
of all, the smart collectors snap these wines up while
they are young and release them again after they’ve
reached elegant maturity with cellaring of 10, 15 or
over 20 years.But
before heading into their cellar slumber, these wines
show magnificent character and flex some hunky wine
muscles that could make a wine-lover swoon.
It’s sort of like having a wondrous,
somewhat naughty fling with a younger person and then
meeting them years later to fall into deeper romance
with the now suave and sophisticated grown up.You are
connecting on a deeper plane now, but oh the glorious
memories of that youthful lust…
Pause.Breathe. Open
a bottle of 2009 Brunello di Montalcino (ideally, of
course, from my family’s Castello Banfi estate!), and
feel the power of its muscular youth.Bold but not
brash, its tannins are soft and caressing, all ivy
league charm.Dine
gregariously with the young Brunello, enjoying grilled
baby lamb chops, seared pork tenderloin, roasted squab.Seize the
Mrs. Robinson moment, get lost in the revelry, for like
all bold young men – oh, I mean wine – this one will
sooner or later seem to slip away from you, sowing their
wild oats for a while, retreating to what wine
aficionados call a “dumb phase,” snoozing in the cellar
until one day to awakens as a refined gentleperson.
Now fast forward a few years, or make
it fast forward on its own (who has the time to wait for
these kids anyway?) by turning to the cellar for an
older Brunello, say a 2001, a 1999 or a 1997.Hey, I
remember you, that same chiseled jawline, that endearing
smile, but wait, something’s changed.We’re meeting
over some artisan cheese, lingering over after dinner
conversation. You’re
holding yourself a little differently now, more poised, smoother, more charming,
deep, sophisticated.Memories come flooding back but do not take from
the moment; they only enhance it.
Pause again.Breathe
again.
If that’s all a bit too much for the system
right now, just enjoy the platonic company of a cute
teenager, and open a bottle of Rosso di Montalcino 2011
or 2012 (again, guess whose?).What a great kid, very forward,
nicely polished, in his prep school charm you can see
the older sibling’s genes, and this one too will make a
fine adult someday.But for now just enjoy their company with a bowl
of pasta, some roasted chicken, veal alla milanese.They’ll give
you some hints of what the vintage will bring when you
meet it again as Brunello in three years.And the fun
will really start, because you knew them “when.”
Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino –
Incredible elegance and
harmony. Intense with lots of forward fruit and subtle
influence of oak aging. Round, complete, well-balanced
with hints of chocolate and berries. In
2009, extremely warm weather was mitigated by generous
spring rainfall and relieving showers in June.The gradual
ripening of the grapes favored an excellent evolution
of the tannins, which resulted in a smooth, harmonious
wine, yet one with great power and intense varietal
expression.
Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino -Brunello's "younger brother,"
produced from select Sangiovese grapes and aged in
barrels for 10 to 12 months. Deep ruby-red, elegant,
vibrant, well-balanced and stylish with a dry velvety
finish.The
2011 can still be found as the 2012 begins to enter
the market.Both
vintages demonstrate bright fruit and zesty style.
Cristina Mariani is not
related by family or through business with John Mariani,
publisher of this newsletter.
❖❖❖
MOST
QUESTIONABLE HYPERBOLE OF THE YEAR (SO FAR)
"Unless you’ve got a hankering for a Subway sandwich
or a Five Guys burger, the Shops at SkyView Center, a
mall packed with big-box stores like Target and Best
Buy, may seem like the least likely place to eat in
Flushing. And yet, around the corner from Chuck E.
Cheese and just past Applebee’s, one of the world’s most
thrilling culinary experiences awaits, at a place called
Little Lamb."--Hanna Goldfield, "Little Lamb," The New Yorker
(April 21, 2014).
WE'LL JUST
STICK TO COUGH SYRUP FOR A QUICKIE HIGH
Palcohol
is a new product of powdered alcohol. due to be sold
this fall. Creator Mark Phillips says that it
cannot be snorted: "We've added volume to the powder so
it would take more than a half of a cup of powder to get
the equivalent of one drink up your nose. You would feel
a lot of pain for very little gain."
❖❖❖
Any of John Mariani's
books below may be ordered from amazon.com.
Modesty forbids me to praise my own new book, but
let me proudly say that it is an extensive
revision of the 4th edition that appeared more
than a decade ago, before locavores, molecular
cuisine, modernist cuisine, the Food Network and
so much more, now included. Word origins have been
completely updated, as have per capita consumption
and production stats. Most important, for the
first time since publication in the 1980s, the
book includes more than 100 biographies of
Americans who have changed the way we cook, eat
and drink -- from Fannie Farmer and Julia Child to
Robert Mondavi and Thomas Keller.
"This book is amazing! It has entries for
everything from `abalone' to `zwieback,' plus more
than 500 recipes for classic American dishes and
drinks."--Devra First, The Boston Globe.
"Much needed in any kitchen library."--Bon Appetit.
Now in Paperback,
too--How Italian Food Conquered the
World (Palgrave Macmillan) has won top prize from the
Gourmand
World Cookbook Awards. It is
a rollicking history of the food culture of
Italy and its ravenous embrace in the 21st
century by the entire world. From ancient Rome
to la dolce
vita of post-war Italy, from Italian
immigrant cooks to celebrity chefs, from
pizzerias to high-class ristoranti,
this chronicle of a culinary diaspora is as
much about the world's changing tastes,
prejudices, and dietary fads as about
our obsessions with culinary fashion and
style.--John Mariani
"Eating Italian will
never be the same after reading
John Mariani's entertaining and
savory gastronomical history of
the cuisine of Italy and how it
won over appetites worldwide. . .
. This book is such a tasteful
narrative that it will literally
make you hungry for Italian food
and arouse your appetite for
gastronomical history."--Don
Oldenburg, USA Today.
"Italian
restaurants--some good, some glitzy--far
outnumber their French rivals. Many of
these establishments are zestfully described
in How Italian Food Conquered the World, an
entertaining and fact-filled chronicle by
food-and-wine correspondent John F.
Mariani."--Aram Bakshian Jr., Wall Street
Journal.
"Mariani
admirably dishes out the story of
Italy’s remarkable global ascent
to virtual culinary
hegemony....Like a chef gladly
divulging a cherished family
recipe, Mariani’s book reveals the
secret sauce about how Italy’s
cuisine put gusto in gusto!"--David
Lincoln Ross,
thedailybeast.com
"Equal parts
history, sociology, gastronomy, and just
plain fun, How Italian Food Conquered the
World tells the captivating and delicious
story of the (let's face it) everybody's
favorite cuisine with clarity, verve and
more than one surprise."--Colman Andrews,
editorial director of The Daily
Meal.com.
"A fantastic and fascinating
read, covering everything from the influence
of Venice's spice trade to the impact of
Italian immigrants in America and the
evolution of alta cucina. This book will
serve as a terrific resource to anyone
interested in the real story of Italian
food."--Mary Ann Esposito, host of PBS-TV's
Ciao
Italia.
"John Mariani has written the
definitive history of how Italians won their
way into our hearts, minds, and
stomachs. It's a story of pleasure over
pomp and taste over technique."--Danny Meyer,
owner of NYC restaurants Union Square
Cafe, The Modern, and Maialino.
❖❖❖
FEATURED
LINKS: I am happy to report
that the Virtual
Gourmet is linked to four excellent
travel sites:
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: MARTINIQUE RUMS; QUEBEC
FESTIVAL
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).
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. Editor: Walter Bagley. 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.