MARIANI’S
Virtual
Gourmet
Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta
in "Goodfellas" (1990)
❖❖❖ IN THIS ISSUE ROME'S RESTAURANTS, Part Two By John Mariani NEW YORK CORNER 1633 By John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR THE ASSYRTIKOS OF SANTORINI By Mort Hochstein ❖❖❖
❖❖❖ ROME'S RESTAURANTS, Part Two By John Mariani
People favor the same restaurants and
dishes they always have, and while new wine bars
appealing to a younger crowd pop up here and
there, everyone will have an opinion as to which
restaurant serves the best pasta, the freshest
seafood or the most flavorful lamb. Roman
classics like egg-rich spaghetti alla
carbonara or all’amatriciana,
crispy fried artichokes alla giudea,
coda alla vaccinara and saltimbocca are
debated with a passion that rises to the boil.
The consistency at established restaurants and
trattorias makes recommending them year after year
a safe bet: a little place in Trastevere that has
been serving the same dish of cacio e pepe
since the 1950s is not likely to change the recipe
in 2016. The
fettuccine
all’Alfredo originally created by Alfredo Di
Lelio at his namesake restaurant back in 1914
tastes the same as it always has. (Alfredo’s is
now located at the Piazza Imperatore)
Still, new restaurants do open and they have
admirably helped diversify the city’s dining
scene, like the new ZUMA attached to the Fendi
Hotel. Here’s a report on some of my favorites
based on a recent visit to the city.
L’HOSTARIA ROMANA via del Boccaccio 1
Many
Romans who live or work around the Trevi Fountain
may express ignorance of the nearby L’Hostaria
Romana’s existence, but enough fans and travelers
know about it to pack two floors of this no-frills
trattoria begun by the Fazzi family sixty years ago
and run since 1979 by the Camponeschi family.
If you neglected to make a reservation—and you
should—the ebullient Barbara Camponeschi will find
you a table in either the upstairs room, which
overlooks the narrow street, or downstairs in an
odd, windowless, brightly lighted room whose only décor is the thousands of
graffiti left by satisfied customers over
the years, which, in any other city, would make the
place seem positively hipster.
The menu is fairly lengthy, with all the old Roman dishes,
including listed specials like bucatini
all'amatriciana, spaghetti alla carbonara,
tonnarelli cacio e pepe, paccheri alla gricia (right) and ravioli ricotta
e spinaci—generous tangles of color, rich with
butter, pecorino, tomato, pancetta,
and eggs, the pasta truly al dente—brought with
dispatch to the table piping hot, the aroma in the
room smelling of honest cooking.
There is also baby lamb, which feeds
on the mint of the Roman hillsides, tripe in a
tomato and cheese reduction, oxtail alla vaccinara
stew, and, as is common in Rome, “Quinta Quarto”
specials specific to the day, like pasta e fagioli
on Tuesday and pasta e ceci
on Friday.
The wine list is serviceable and, like the
food, amazingly inexpensive, so that a couple can
have a three-course meal with wine (tax and service
are always included in the menu prices) for under
$100. Closed
Sunday.
LA MATRICIANELLA Via del
Leone, 4 +39 06
6832100 La
Matricianella, snug in an alleyway near the Piazza
Borghese, has been around since 1957, owned for the
last twenty years by brother-and-sister Giacomo and
Grazia Le Bianco, who have a knack of welcoming
tourists with the same affability as they do their
Roman regulars, all of whom sit inches from one
another at old tables with checkered cloths to feast
on solid Roman cooking, with
an emphasis on twelve delicately fried foods like
artichokes alla
giudia, zucchini flowers, baccalà and
much else.
There are as many lusty pastas, including rigatoni
with what we’d call chitlins, and excellent, creamy
carbonara,
tagliolini with truffles, and tonnarelli
with radicchio, most of them costing 11 euros, which
right now works out to about $12.
There are plenty of perfected Roman main
courses—from 10 to 17 euros—like a filet of beef
with green peppercorns; thin and succulent
sage-scented saltimbocca;
and roasted lamb sweetbreads. La
Matricianella is also proud of its greens, like
fennel gratin,
puntarelle in anchovy sauce, and chicory
salad, as well as having a selection of ten Lazio
cheeses. The
wine list is one of the most comprehensive in the
city, especially for a trattoria, and you should
visit the wine cellar downstairs. There
is also a cramped outdoor terrace, though there’s
not much to look at besides the throng of
international and local customers and the Fiats and
Vespas sprawled across the curb. Closed
Sunday.
DA
GIOVANNI via Lungara 41A +39 066 861514
Since
Rome is more overrun than ever with tourists most of
the year, the Trastevere (across the Tiber)
neighborhood almost comes as a shock when you find
yourself winding your way through clean, quiet
streets with far fewer tourists. Trastevere
is a quiet oasis amidst the honking chaos of Rome,
whose cacophony re-asserts itself at the Vatican, a
ten-minute walk from most points in Trastevere.
There are scores of trattorias there to ferret out,
and everyone in the neighborhood has his favorite.
You will be walking down a side street, see an open
door, maybe with a blackboard menu outside, and you
peak your head in to find all the tables full of
locals enjoying the same dishes their parents and
grandparents did, always at prices that to tourists
seem too good to be true.
On my recent trip my friends and I arrived a tad
early to find Da Giovanni almost empty—it only has
about six tables, plus one oddly placed in the
kitchen. It’s pretty much a two-man
show—the amiable owner who waits on every table
and the cook in the back. The
premises are cheerful enough, spruced up a bit
since opening in 1951, with a menu posted outside,
yellow-checkered, paper-covered tablecloths
inside, along with a mix of artwork that ranges
from an Egyptian god to Rouault-like madonnas.
You
sit, the owner comes over, he gives you the menu and
a choice of red or white Castelli Romani wines. You
may want to order everything as you chew on the good bread with olive oil. All
the pastas, four of them, are delicious, many
lavished with a long-cooked tomato-and-meat ragù, on
fettuccine and ravioli; there’s also spaghetti with
tuna, and of course carbonara (right). The
roast rabbit is excellent, tender and suffused with
rosemary, and the roast pork pink and tender. Spezzatino is
a mushroom-rich meat stew, while calf’s liver is
done on the grill.
The bill comes: Pastas five to six euros, main
courses five to seven, fish—for the big
splurge—thirteen euros, with wines seven euros a
bottle. Da
Giovanni is hardly alone in Trastevere for its
down-to-earth local flavor and atmosphere, but even
among competitors, it would be hard to beat Da
Giovanni’s prices.
(There is another, unrelated Da Giovanni on the Via
Salandra in the center of Rome, quite different in
style and price from the Trastevere trattoria.) Closed Sunday. ZUMA Palazzo
Fendi Via della Fontanella di Borghese, 48
+39 06 992 666 22
Photos
by David Carey
An
argument can be made that it’s difficult to get
tired of eating Roman food in Rome, but the city
does, in fact, have other kinds of restaurants, not least
a growing, if small, number of Japanese sushi spots.
Seafood is ubiquitous on Roman menus but few
restaurants specialize in it, and, like the
well-known La Rosetta, they are among the most
expensive in the city. But raw fish, which the
Italian call crudi,
has become fashionable, and there is currently no
more fashionable place to find it than at ZUMA,
located in the glamorous and very chic new boutique
hotel Palazzo Fendi, owned by the Fendi fashion
house. ZUMA is actually
the tenth of a very upscale chain opened by creator
and co-founder Rainer Becker in 2002. None of
them is a copy of another, though if you’ve been to
the one in London or Miami, you’ll feel the same
vibe instilled in Rome by designer Noriyoshi
Muramatsu. Set
on the fourth and fifth floors, with plenty of
soaring wood, glass and stone, the
restaurant is already being filled with
fashionistas, models and tourists who have a chance
to show off their new purchases on the Via Condotti.
Three different cooking styles are featured at
ZUMA--the main kitchen, with an array of cooked and
raw dishes, the sushi counter and the robata grill;
upstairs is a beautifully lighted bar and lounge. On the
night I visited I chose from all over those menus,
with all dishes presented with an eye towards color
and the texture of the serving surfaces, which range
from artisanal china to polished stones and ceramic
pottery. For
such a large menu, the food came out at a civilized
tempo and temperature, including the warmth of the
rice with the glistening sushi, the barely seared
robata wagyu beef, and dishes in savory broth.
ZUMA has also managed to keep its prices in line, so
that a place like La Rosetta, where scampi with
lemon runs 33 euros and simply grilled San Pietro
fish is 40, is hard to accept. This being Italy, as
it would be in Japan, the high quality of the
ingredients is assured, so that ZUMA is not an
alternative to other seafood restaurants in Rome,
but a departure and innovator that’s getting a lot
of eager interest looks from anyone who appreciates
fine seafood and global glam.
❖❖❖ NEW YORK CORNER
By John Mariani 1633 1633
Second Avenue (at
East 85th Street)
The
press release didn’t sound promising: “Blacked-out
windows keep the inquisitive wondering. Guests are
ushered to their tables through a secluded back
door and through the kitchen where the chef – in
the way a mama would let you dip your finger into
her sauce – will greet and surprise them with a
small taste from a menu that features enigmatic
headings such as Liquid Food, Orexis On A Plate,
and Side Effects.” And all that is
true, except that instead of it all being mere
affectation, it’s a whole lot of fun, beginning
when you are greeted by a glamorous hostess at the
side door to be ushered inside where you are
immediately handed a morsel of delicious cheese
bread. When
you go through the dark passage to the dining
room, the place explodes in a riot of color and
light, with scarlet chairs, rose-painted ceilings,
a drapery wall of stars, crystal chandeliers,
mosaic tiles, and brick pillars hung with copper
flowers. The windows are not
really “blacked out;” there are portholes. To the
right is a good-sized, glittering velvet-enclosed
bar, and a step up takes you to a landing with a
few cozy tables. Owner James Paloumbis has packed
the place with whimsy and plenty to see, which,
when this month-old place takes off, will
probably be a lot of East Side eye candy.
Chef Dionisis Liakopoulos is using global
techniques built on Greek tradition, mixing Asian
ideas together with a few modernist touches, most
of which click on the appetizer portion of the
menu.
There are more good breads on the way (though
they’ll cost you $6), along with tubes of Vermont
Country Butter and a little vial of olive oil.
Under “Liquid Food” is one of the best dishes on
the menu (by cup $12, or bowl $19)—lobster
cappuccino with a pancetta bacon
crouton—about as richly satisfying a soup as I can
remember this year with all the elements combining
to make a kind of Italian chowder. “Mousse-aka”
($19) takes the Greek classic moussaka,
adds fork-tender short-rib, then lays on a
luscious béchamel that is given a “torched” crust
and served with graviera
cheese chips. A “Gyro Pizza” ($20) layered with
pork belly, lamb shoulder, fontina, cream of cucumber-laced
yogurt tzatziki,
roasted tomatoes, and sweet onion relish makes
complete sense, and our table fought over fat
potato croquettes ($15) made from Yukon Golds
oozing béchamel, graviera
cheese, and morsels of lefkada
sausage. So,
too, “Saga-naki” ($18), which is usually just
pan-fried cheese, is here composed with shrimp,
green peppers, a reduction of saganaki and
peppery baklava
spices.
The
one appetizer that did not merit praise was the
too-cutely named “Oh My Cod!” ($18)--Alaskan cod
tempura done as a sushi roll with added pickled
cucumber, fishy squid ink mayo, and red salmon
roe, an item you might find at any number of
run-of-the-mill sushi bars.
In
most restaurants the excitement among the
appetizers is tamped down in main courses, but at
1633 they can be too elaborate and don’t always
work. The best was a very flavorful “Lazy Beef”
($31) of juicy braised beef, a wheat called trahana
for texture, and tomato molasses for tang and
sweetness. “Gregory’s
Comfort” ($24) is a fillet of chicken with sliced
French fries, roasted tomatoes, corn peppers and graviera
that was good but fairly bland, while “Lamb chop
in the bag” (right)
with thick spiced fried potatoes, roasted pepper
and ketchup became steamy inside the cellophane
bag and would have been much improved if the lamb
were America rather than the inferior New Zealand
product, especially when the dish costs $37. (I was
told that the chef is thinking of switching to
Colorado lamb.)
And “Halibut Carbonara” ($24) had dusted
bacon, green beans, beurre
noisette, and “carbonara cream” (whatever
that is) that smothered the taste of a fish that
is very mild to begin with.
The desserts, under the category of “Sweet Dreams”
($11-$12), were all very good, including a
crumbled semolina cake with lemon cream, toasted
almonds, and vanilla ice cream; plump profiterole
with toasted nuts, chocolate ganache and salted
caramel; and baklava presented in a jar with
pistachio, walnuts and hazelnuts, banana bread
crumble, spiced syrup, a hint of pine nut smoke,
and luscious vanilla ice cream.
The wine list is currently a two-page affair,
which I would have thought would have some
interesting Greek wines. Prices are stiff: $12 for
a glass of Qupé Syrah 2013 and $48 by the bottle,
which in the wine shop sells for $15.
1633 is still testing the waters with its
clientele, who in this neighborhood can be
unadventurous eaters, but they should be won over
by the congeniality of Manager George Iliopoulos.
With some re-thinking of a few dishes and
ingredients, the restaurant should readily take
its place among the more unusual and enticing
spots on the Upper East Side. 1633
is open Tuesdays through Sunday for dinner. ❖❖❖ NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
ASSYRTIKO GRAPES DISTINGUISH THE WINES OF SANTORINI, XINOMAVRO IN THE NORTH OF GREECE BY MORT HOCHSTEIN Assyrtiko is the basic white grape of Greece, said to have originated on the wind-racked island of Santorini, and, fittingly, it’s a perfect match with all sorts of seafood, from lobsters to clams and octopus. You won’t find orderly rows of grapes on Santorini. Here, in sandy soil that preserved native grapes while the vineyards of Europe were being devastated by a root bug called phylloxera, the Assyrtiko grows close to the ground in umbrella fashion. The leaves and the vines protect the grapes from the harsh sun and salt-laden winds. The vines grow for a century or so, until the yield drops too low for farmers to make a profit. Non-producing vines are cut off at ground level and the roots soon produce a new vine. The sandy soil means Santorini has no threat from phylloxera, so the roots have never been replanted. Assyrtiko realizes its potential in Gerovassiliou White 2011($22), a blend of 50% Malagousia and 50% Assyrtiko , a perfect example of value in Greek wines. It is rich and round, with strong flavors of pineapple and kiwi. It is the winery’s best-selling blend in Greece. Malagousia stands alone in another offering from Gerovassiliou. This grape, happily, was revived from years of neglect and delivers the feel of a walk in a rose garden. It is floral and peachy with scents of honey, citrusy and totally tropical. $23. Argyros, which specializes in Assyrtiko-based wines, has been battling those high winds of Santorini for nearly two centuries. Its basic Assyrtiko ($22) is a lively, sharp wine with succulent texture and briny, mineral flavors. The 2013 Atlantis ($15) is 90% Assyrtiko, with about 10% Aidani and Athriri, two grapes seldom seen outside of Greece. The blend is similar to the basic wine, its best seller, but is somewhat simpler, though equally savory. Domaine Sigalas (right) is a newcomer, having put down roots just 20 years ago. Its wines have shown well in competition and in the marketplace. Domaine Santorini white ($25) is a pleasing blend of 75% Assyrtiko and 25% Athriri. It is earthy and briny, reflecting the salty air in which it flourishes. Reds
predominate in the Amydeon region in mountainous
northwest Greece where the principal red grape is
Xinomavro. One of the main producers is Alpha Estate,
whose Estate Hedgehog Vineyard red is a dynamite
value at around $23. It is a lush blend of Syrah and
Xinomavro. Moving a bit more upscale, the Alpha
Estate Xinomavro, at $32, is regarded as one of the
country’s top reds.
Some tasters have called Xinomavro-based
wines “the
poor man’s Barbaresco,” since the wines are very
Nebbiolo in character. These two reds are prime
examples of Xinomavro at its best and are worth
seeking out. ❖❖❖ WHO YA' GONNA CALL?
According to NBC News,
a semi truck carrying 20,000 pounds of cheese worth
more than $46,000 parked in Oak Creek, Wisconsin was
stolen by an unknown person or
people MOST FASCINATING TRAVEL
“Bob Robinson thought he had cycling
all figured out when he first met up with a bike club in
his native Arkansas.
“I was on an old 10-speed Huffy—a used one,” he
says, laughing. “These guys were showing up on
mega-thousand-dollar bicycles. They were hardcore. They dropped
me on the first mile.”—Sarah Netter. “Adventure Awaits,”
Delta Sky
(June 2016). ❖❖❖
Sponsored
by Banfi Vintners
PINOT
GRIGIO
WITH TRUE CHARACTER By John
Fodera,
TuscanVines
For me,
nothing evokes images of summer more than Pesto alla
Genovese and
a crisp, steely white from Tuscany. Over
the past few weeks we've been tasting a variety of Rosato and Bianco
wines to give you affordable options for the coming summer
months.
Today, we'll
be featuring a wine that should be first on the list
for lovers of Pinot Grigio. Pinot Grigio
is ubiquitous comfort. Yet many people will
unfortunately forget to check the brand when they buy
a Pinot Grigio. I say unfortunately, because some PGs are mass
produced and common with little typicity or soul. And at
least a few are way, way overpriced for what they are. Do
you
want a better wine at a much better price? Then read on!
The 2015 Castello
Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio is a medium to
pale golden
color and emits welcoming aromas of white flowers,
honey, pineapple, and citrus. Sourced from sloping
hillside vineyards in Montalcino (it’s the only Pinot
Grigio from sun-soaked southern Tuscan town), the wine
is crisp, refreshing and vibrant on the palate with
flavors of white
stone
fruit,
lemon
zest,
ripe
pineapple
and
minerals. Vinified in 100% stainless steel, the wine exudes surprising
body, which I can only attribute to the excellent
quality of the grapes. If you love Pinot Grigio, do yourself a favor and seek this out. You'll have to work hard to pay more than $18 or $19 for this wine while some others will clock in far north of $20. 91 points. E vero! Naturally noted for
producing high quality Brunello wines, Castello Banfi
also produces
several
good
quality
wines
priced
appropriately
for every day consumption. I'd even add, every
day extravagance. We paired today's subject wine with
Pesto alla Genovese.
Pesto alla Genovese 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts 1 large clove garlic 5 tablespoons Parmigiano
Reggiano 5 tablespoons Pecorino
Romano 1 Cup Basil, tightly packed
(2 bunches) 1/2 cup extra virgin olive
oil Black pepper In about 1 teaspoon of
olive oil, lightly toast the pine nuts.
This will take no more than 1-2 minutes over medium
heat so don't get distracted. Pine nuts are
expensive and if you burn them, it will ruin the taste
of your pesto. A word on the Pine Nuts: Don't skimp
here. Look at the label and identify the source
of your nuts. Many pine nuts are coming from China
these days and I've noticed when I've purchased these
that they run a very high risk of being rancid. You
can find pine nuts from Italy and/or the EU easily, so
do take the time to look. Any of John Mariani's books below may be ordered from amazon.com. The Hound in Heaven (21st Century Lion Books) is a novella, and for anyone who loves dogs, Christmas, romance, inspiration, even the supernatural, I hope you'll find this to be a treasured favorite. The story concerns how, after a New England teacher, his wife and their two daughters adopt a stray puppy found in their barn in northern Maine, their lives seem full of promise. But when tragedy strikes, their wonderful dog Lazarus and the spirit of Christmas are the only things that may bring his master back from the edge of despair. WATCH THE VIDEO! “What a huge surprise turn this story took! I was completely stunned! I truly enjoyed this book and its message.” – Actress Ali MacGraw “He had me at Page One. The amount of heart, human insight, soul searching, and deft literary strength that John Mariani pours into this airtight novella is vertigo-inducing. Perhaps ‘wow’ would be the best comment.” – James Dalessandro, author of Bohemian Heart and 1906. “John Mariani’s Hound in Heaven starts with a well-painted portrayal of an American family, along with the requisite dog. A surprise event flips the action of the novel and captures us for a voyage leading to a hopeful and heart-warming message. A page turning, one sitting read, it’s the perfect antidote for the winter and promotion of holiday celebration.” – Ann Pearlman, author of The Christmas Cookie Club and A Gift for my Sister. “John Mariani’s concise, achingly beautiful novella pulls a literary rabbit out of a hat – a mash-up of the cosmic and the intimate, the tragic and the heart-warming – a Christmas tale for all ages, and all faiths. Read it to your children, read it to yourself… but read it. Early and often. Highly recommended.” – Jay Bonansinga, New York Times bestselling author of Pinkerton’s War, The Sinking of The Eastland, and The Walking Dead: The Road To Woodbury. “Amazing things happen when you open your heart to an animal. The Hound in Heaven delivers a powerful story of healing that is forged in the spiritual relationship between a man and his best friend. The book brings a message of hope that can enrich our images of family, love, and loss.” – Dr. Barbara Royal, author of The Royal Treatment. ❖❖❖
❖❖❖
FEATURED
LINKS: I am happy to report
that the Virtual
Gourmet is linked to four excellent
travel sites: 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
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but don’t necessarily want to pay through the nose for
the privilege of staying there. Because at the end
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MYTHS ABOUT BREIXET
Eating Las Vegas
JOHN CURTAS has been covering the Las Vegas
food and restaurant scene since 1995. He is
the co-author of EATING LAS VEGAS – The 50
Essential Restaurants (the fourth
edition of which will be published in early
2016), as well as the author of the Eating Las
Vegas web site: www.eatinglasvegas.
He can also be seen every Friday morning as
the “resident foodie” for Wake Up With the
Wagners on KSNV TV (NBC) Channel 3 in
Las Vegas.
MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET
NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John
Mariani.
Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher Mariani,
Robert Mariani, Misha
Mariani,
John A. Curtas, Edward Brivio, Mort Hochstein,
Andrew Chalk, Dotty Griffith and Brian Freedman. Contributing
Photographers: Galina Dargery, Bobby
Pirillo. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.
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