MARIANI’S
Virtual
Gourmet
"In the
Conservatory" (circa
1878) By James Jacques Tissot
❖❖❖ IN THIS ISSUE THE AMALFI COAST By John Mariani NEW YORK CORNER ROWLAND'S BAR & GRILL By John Mariani ❖❖❖ THE AMALFI COAST By John Mariani "Dawn in Ravello" Photo by John Mariani (2016)
To state the obvious,
Italy’s Amalfi Coast is as beautiful as any
stretch of coastline in the world, 25 miles of
rippling inlets and bays that include the island
of Capri and its extraordinary Blue Grotto (below). Then
there is the way the small towns are cut into the
hillsides, defying gravity and common sense,
especially since everything
had to hauled up to those heights by oxen and
mule.
This absurd license to allow vehicular traffic of
all dimensions makes what was once a breezy,
serpentine corniche now a harrowing thrill ride
that, even at early morning, can still take twice
as long as it should because you are forced to
stop, wait, then wedge your way past a bus or
truck with less than an inch of wiggle room.
That said, the Amalfi Coast’s unique beauty makes
it all worthwhile, especially on the shoulders of
the high summer season. After November, many of the
hotels and restaurants in the various villages
close down, having made so much money since April
that they can afford to. The best thing to do is to
hire a driver (there are several sites on the web)
and start out from Sorrento (left), which,
though it lacks the altitude of towns like Amalfi,
Positano, and Ravello, is still an absolutely charming small city
overlooking the Bay of Naples in view of Mount
Vesuvius. With
its fine esplanade, Piazza Tasso and narrow
streets lined with boutiques, trattorias and small
hotels, it is a far different place from the
poverty-stricken town it once was that thousands
of 19th century immigrants left for America,
giving rise to the sorrowful song “Torna a
Surriento.” “You
go away from my heart, away from the land of
love, And
you have the heart not to come back. But
please do not go away, do not give me this pain. Come
back to Surriento, let me live!” The
finest historic hotel in Sorrento is right on the
Piazza Tasso, the Grand Hotel
Excelsior Vittoria, which is where
native son Enrico Caruso would always stay after
he got famous. But the completely refitted
Hilton
Sorrento Palace (below), just
a five-minute walk outside of town, really
impressed me on my recent visit for its modernity,
its walls of light, its room décor, the numerous
amenities, and the
quality of the service staff throughout. This is
a very popular business travelers’ hotel, so the
concierge is exceptionally efficient at making
restaurant reservations, booking drivers or rental
cars, getting train passage, shopping advice, or
whatever else you may need. Sad to
say, the food at the restaurant here is not nearly
what it should be, and when I was there, the room
was nearly empty.
The best restaurant in
Sorrento—not to be missed for its seafood—is Caruso (left), a
veritable museum devoted to the maestro and an
enchanting and romantic place to dine in any of
the small, cozy rooms. Its langoustines are fat and
sweet, its pasta with vongole clams superb.
The restaurants of Positano all have a view and an
airy appeal to tourists who descend here like
flocks of seagulls. There is fine cuisine to be
found at the Hotel Le Sereneness, and far more
casual fare at the wine bar at Max Ristorante. I
adore the simple cooking at the very colorful La Cambusa (below), here
on the Piazza A. Vespucci since 1970, where on the
breezy patio I enjoyed
a lunch of perfectly fried calamaretti,
spaghetti alla
position, spinach ravioli, luscious eggplant
parmigiana,
and a local Campanian wine, which, with wine,
water, service, Coppertone and
tax, came to 144 euros for the four of us.
Amalfi is the
next large town down the coast. It had once been
an autonomous Marine Republic, to which Arab
trading partners brought the lemon—here called accusatory—which
flourishes in size, color and richness of flavor
unmatched anywhere else in the world. And, of
course, it goes into the making of limoncello
liqueur, with slender bottles sold at every shop
and stall throughout Campania. (Make sure the
label says it is actually produced in the region.)
Amalfi has a rather drab
seashore, but once through the great arch, you’ll
find the town square opens up to the sky and is
dominated by the 11th century cathedral of
Sant’Andrea styled in both Byzantine and Norman
elements, with a late Baroque interior and a
large, unexpected cellar chapel in a wholly
different, shimmering, silvery style. The
cathedral is perhaps best known for its exterior
staircase where once penitents would climb on
their knees.
Amalfi is not particularly known for its
restaurants, but you’ll find La Caravella
on the Via Matteo Camera among the finer.
Otherwise Da
Gemma is first rate for seafood but very
expensive. What’s
left is an array of pizzerias, one as good as the
next: last time I enjoyed La Galea
on the Via Amalfi, near the cathedral.
I wish I could say that
getting to Ravello is half the fun, but the
squiggly, winding road that leads way up to this
hill town can be treacherous and is not to be
driven after even one glass of wine. Once
you are at the top, however, Ravello is an oasis
of calm after the bustle of the other
tourist-ridden towns along the coast.
You take a deep breath of good Mediterranean air,
stroll through the sedate piazza (right) and
visit the 13th century Duomo and Church of
San Giovanni del Toro. Then a walk to the peaceful
Villa Rufolo, which inspired Wagner to write his
opera Parsifal. Virginia
Woolf, E.M. Forster, Maynard Keynes, D.H. Lawrence
and André Gide all stayed here, and Gore Vidal
lived secludedly in the town for decades. Its
archways, gardens, and view of the sea are
exquisite, as are many of the outdoor works of art
throughout.
Today less than 3,000 people live in
Ravello, so tourism is pretty much the only thing
that sustains it. Last year I stayed at the
enchanting and very quiet Palazzo
Avino, now with 32 rooms and 11
suites, a heated pool, a beautiful terrazza
overlooking the sea, and, for those unwilling to
attempt the roads, helicopter service.
With just 50 rooms, all with glorious views of the
water, there is a feeling of blissful privacy, and
at dawn the strata of purple and golden light
flood the hillside as the white houses with red
tile roofs come into view. The Caruso’s rooms are
very large, decorated with antiques in keeping with the
building’s aristocratic history of the d’Affitto
family dating back to the 11th century. There
is a still a private chapel on the premises, as
well as a fine pool with bar, and, upstairs, a chic
cocktail lunge. The Belvedere Restaurant features
a menu of la
cucina novella with strong Campanian roots.
One added advantage of staying at the Caruso is
that you can spend a few days here while easily
exploring the Amalfi Coast because the hotel
offers a jitney service several times throughout
the day down to Amalfi.
My favorite ristorante
in Ravello is the twelve-year-old Vecchio
Cantina on the Via della Marra, whose
ebullient owner bounds around the dining rooms
making suggestions on what’s best that day.
Trust him: we did, and were rewarded with an array
of mixed, grilled seafood, a pizza alla
napolitana made with buffalo mozzarella that
is at its best in this region, and a wonderful lasagne
Vecchio Cantina made with smoked scamorza
cheese.
And then there’s
Capri. What am I to say about one of the most
breathtakingly beautiful islands on Earth, but now
so overwhelmed by daytime tourists that one has to
escape the main town to appreciate the island’s
true character. The fact that even during the
shoulder season jam-packed ferries leave twice
every hour from both Naples and Sorrento tells you
that this lovely island is anything but isolated. The
ferries (both slow and high-speed, with the latter
taking just 45 minutes) as well as private jet
boats disgorge passengers at the Marina Grande and
hundreds of people pour into the lower town, where
they take taxi, bus or funicular (the sensible
way) to the upper town. (N.B. You
can store your luggage at a souvenir boutique
right next to the funicular; the sign says “LEFT
LUGGAGE.”) Once
in the upper town you may spend an hour or so
going up and down the circuitous little streets
that wind back to the main Piazza Umberto I (below), where
it is the custom to have coffee or drinks while
looking at all the other tourists. The
streets are lined with both local and
international fashion stores, all with prices at
least as expensive as anywhere else.
If you’re smart,
you’ll get out of town and take the chairlift to
Monte Solaro for a spectacular view, or walk
slowly on the lovely one-mile long Via Tragara
(lined with trinket shops selling limoncello),
each step revealing more sublime seascapes that
include the three massive rock formations called
the Faraglioni
and the ruins of Tiberius’s Jovis Villa from which
he ruled the Roman empire until his death in 37
A.D.
There is, of course, the Blue Grotto and it is
well worth your while, if you have time; saving
time is to book in advance, though there are boats
in the Marina Grande advertising trips throughout
the day.
The restaurants on Capri are good and not cheap.
Down near the funicular is a terrific seafood
restaurant, Lo
Smeraldo (left), here for thirty-five
years. Sit on the terrace and put yourselves in
the care of chef Antonio Aversa, who is most
likely to get the best fish from the markets and
fishermen in the region each day. That may include
wonderfully flavorful octopus or a whole turbot. Pastas
are excellent, the mozzarella alla caprese among
the best on the coast, and the torta di
caprese chocolate-almond cake is the way to
end the meal.
The wine list is excellent. One
caveat: At the end of a recent meal it was
announced to us that the service is not included,
which would make Lo Smeraldo rare in Italy,
because it almost always is
included. Being
what it is—and this is an expensive place—I would
not leave more than ten percent on the bill at the
very most.
NEW YORK CORNER By John Mariani
ROWLAND’S
BAR & GRILL
Once
you sit down in the cool long room of Rowland’s
Bar & Grill, it’s easy enough to forget
you’re on the One Below level of Macy’s flagship
store at Herald Square—which, I’m told, is the
most visited tourist spot in NYC after the
Empire State Building (on 34th Street) and the
Statue of Liberty.
It’s a sleekly handsome place with a long bar
and open kitchen, very roomy coffee-colored
booths, spanking white tilework and brick, and
both excellent lighting and sound levels, which
makes it an equally appealing venue to talk
business, have a date, or just relax right after
work. The
waitstaff is cordial and the pacing of a lunch
or dinner can be whatever you choose it to be. Just
ask my son Christopher; he’s the general
manager. O.K., that caveat aside,
Rowland’s is decidedly what it says it is—a true
bar and grill, named after the store’s founder,
Rowland H. Macy, who had always insisted his
stores serve first-rate food to its customers. Indeed,
Macy’s pioneered the food hall concept in a
department store, and in addition to Rowland’s,
the adjacent space is given to five wonderfully
configured indoor streamlined food trucks (they
don’t budge) called Chef Street ,featuring
stations under notable chefs like Michelle
Bernstein, Takashi Yagehashi and Marc Forgione;
on the sixth floor is the fine Italian
restaurant Stella 34.
Rowland’s menu itself is graphically free of
incidentals or gibberish and shows off the
breadth of American food grounded in NYC food
culture. Thus
you might start off with some very good cured
salmon and bagel chip board with tomato, capers,
red onion, and scallion-riddled cream cheese
($13) or a hearty matzoh ball soup with plenty
of slivers of roasted chicken and baby kale
($9), the broth wholly suggestive of why this is
called “Jewish penicillin.”
No one complains about the
four dollars for the house-baked pull-apart
onion bread (above)
served in a cast-iron mold with soft, churned
butter because these six yeasty rolls could
become as famous in NYC as Parker House rolls
did in Boston. Heading
South, the menu includes crisp fried green
tomatoes with thyme-flecked fresh ricotta,
pickles and onions ($14) and some really
excellent heads-on shrimp with true stoneground
grits and a spicy chorizo vinaigrette ($15), a
dish hefty enough for a light dinner. There are
eight salads ($10-$19), including two lavish
chopped varieties.
It's always great to see a properly steamy,
moist baked potato on a menu, here served with
scallions, bacon, sour cream, and cheddar ($8),
and the nicely cooked, tender Brussels sprouts
are as good any in town, enhanced with shallots,
pancetta,
and a touch of tangerine honey ($8). One
order of buttery mashed potatoes topped with
crispy fried, battered onions ($8) will easily
feed two or three people, and the steak fries
($8) are, as expected, huge and have good flavor
but, as usual with these monsters, lack the
crispness of French fries.
The kitchen crew worked very hard to get the
burger meat blend right and it shows: the fat
content, the succulence, and the way it’s
loosely packed all show attention to detail at a
time when hamburgers have become extravagant ego
fantasies all over town. Rowland’s
(below)
is set on an Amy’s egg-rich, faintly sweet
challah bun ($16); there’s also a signature RH
Burger in which the beef is blended with bacon
and topped with Comté cheese and onion ($19). It
seems odd to have a pork banh mi ($18) listed,
especially on that challah bread with Napa slaw,
pickled vegetables and a spicy mayo. I
think it might be better on the menu at the
Asian food truck next door.
If you’ve been looking for the
ideal BLT, you may well find it here, again on
one of those buns, with Sriracha-honey glazed
bacon, crisp lettuce, ripe tomato and spicy mayo
($16). And for those who moan that pastrami
making is nearly a lost art, even in NYC, try
the version at Rowland’s’ (above) I
think you’ll be amazed. It’s served with
horseradish coleslaw, Thousand Island dressing
and marble rye ($18) in the best Seinfeld
tradition.
The fish have true
flavor here, from halibut with an irresistible
fresh corn-studded polenta with spring onions
($26) to true Scottish salmon with herbed
quinoa, English peas and pickled vegetables
($24). They’ve recently added fish and chips
($24), but I haven’t tried that dish.
I have, however, enjoyed the fried half chicken
with admirably crispy skin ($24) and the gently
priced steak frites ($29) with caramelized
onions. Rowland’s
calls its half rack of meaty ribs “St. Louis”
style ($28), but for all its sweet glaze, to me
it seemed to derive more from East Asia’s food
stalls.
The five desserts are strictly for kids of all
ages and wonderful for that: RH apple pie oozing
sweet-sour apples with caramel sauce and vanilla
ice cream ($14); a very rich cheesecake with
Graham crackers, summer berry compote and
Belgian speculoos
wheat cookies ($8); house made ice creams
and sorbets ($8); and a
smile-inducing ice cream sandwich with chocolate
chip cookie ($8). And then there is the decadent
Brooklyn blackout devil's food cake, with
chocolate mousse layers, cookie crumble and
vanilla whipped cream, which at least three
forks can have a go at for only $8. It
somehow manages to be dense and moist in equal
measure, and the chocolate itself is intense.
Prices at Rowland’s are kept very much in mind
across the board (of course, there’s a
children’s menu, and you may order something
from the food trucks), with all cocktails $13,
and wines offered by the quartino carafe or
bottle. Mark-ups for the least expensive wines
are higher than for the more expensive ones,
like a Joseph Phelps Pinot Noir at less than
double the store price.
You may stumble across Rowland’s
on your way through the clothing racks—signage
is minimal—but once you find it you’ll feel that
you’ve come not just to an oasis but a very
happy place to find solid American cooking. Open
daily for lunch and dinner. ❖❖❖ NOTES
FROM THE WINE CELLAR
WINES FOR A CAUSE By Mort Hochstein
It
is nice to know that in this age of diets
and calorie counting that you can indulge a bit,
sip wine, nosh on cakes and candy,
and help a good cause at the
same time. That
linkage comes via what merchandisers describe as
cause
marketing, which basically ties charitable
donations to sales of specific
products.
Billecart-Salmon Champagne (left) recently
announced
that it would join the Global Fund, with 426 active
grants in over 100 Countries, implemented by local
experts, to fight aids, malaria and tuberculosis.
The
Champagne house will donate ten percent of the
retail price of its Brut Reserve
NV (left)
to the cause, enough to provide 16 days of
lifesaving medications for
victims of HIV. The Global Fund is the world’s
largest financier of anti-aids,
TB and malaria programs.
Many charities in
California benefit from the Napa
Valley Wine Auction and similar upmarket, well
attended gala events that raise
millions of dollars each year. Cause marketing works
in a different way and in
many cases does not receive the attention that
shines on more glamorous
programs.
One of the more interesting
campaigns is Vineyard to Village (V2V), which is a
riff on the New Testament tale of
water miraculously transformed into wine by Christ
at the marriage feast at
Cana (right). This
program provides revenue
from purchases of wine to secure clean water for
needy African villagers.
The
campaign was organized by David
Stare of Dry Creek Vineyards, whose labels
have often reflected Stare’s
yachting predilection The aqueous cause was a natural for Stare. Just this month, V2V put together a wine safari, luring people to 11 participating wineries where patrons partook of tastings, treats and chats with producers. A third of the revenue from sales went to a program bringing potable water to African communities. ❖❖❖
WE DO
KNOW SEXY WHEN WE SEE IT AND IT DOES “You
know sexy when you see it, and so do we. Behold:
a dozen of our hottest, stickiest recipes,
specially curated for your culinary pleasure. Whether
you’re going for sweet or salty, spicy or savory or just
plain hedonistic, there’s something in here for your
particular proclivity. And believe us: It’s not all
about looks. There’s plenty of substance to be had as
well.”—Food Republic,
which included braised duck with cherries; soft pretzels
with whipped honey molasses butter; salmon, pineapple,
fennel salad; and Everything bagel nigiri. ❖❖❖
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
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:
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.
To un-subscribe from this newsletter,click here.
© copyright John Mariani 2016 |