MARIANI’S
Virtual Gourmet
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IN THIS ISSUE HILTON HEAD, SC By John Mariani NEW YORK CORNER SALTAIRE OYSTER BAR By John Mariani ❖❖❖ ANNOUNCEMENT There will be no issue of Mariani's Virtual Gourmet Newsletter next week because Mariani is traveling in search of undreamt of exotica. ❖❖❖ HILTON HEAD, SC By John Mariani
Despite the annual urgings
of two old friends who live on Hilton Head
Island, my reluctance to visit was based on a
bias against meticulously planned communities
for golfers, second homers and retirees residing
in way-too-large homes on way-too-manicured
grounds. Still,
in trying to put such biases behind me and with
a desire to be proven wrong, I made the trip to
Hilton Head and found it an extremely pleasant
place with remarkably good local restaurants
beyond the usual upscale chains and places with
the word “Cap’n” in their names. Indeed, a local
dining guide lists more than 60 indigenous
restaurants from
seafood houses to Southern Low Country eateries.
Next
Issue: Dining
Out on Hilton Head ❖❖❖ NEW
YORK CORNER
By John Mariani SALTAIRE OYSTER BAR AND FISH HOUSE 55 Abendroth Avenue Port Chester, NY 914-939-2425 saltaireoysterbar.com I had not
given much thought to visiting Saltaire in the
New York City suburb of Port Chester until I
read that the owners are the Barnes family,
which also runs the excellent seafood restaurant
in Queens called London Lennie’s. I
figured that if Leslie and Elizabeth Barnes are
carrying on a 57-year-old legacy of first-rate
seafood and hospitality at their new place, I
should definitely check it out. I did
and found it even better than its antecedent. Open
for lunch Mon.-Fri.; dinner nightly. Parking is
difficult in the area, but there is usually
plenty of space two blocks away at the movie
theater. ❖❖❖ IT ALL SEEMS TO STEM
FROM THE TIME WHEN AT THE AGE OF FIVE
HE DID NOT GET A TOY WITH HIS HAPPY MEAL SO HE BIT THROUGH HIS TONGUE According
to USA Today,
"Milwaukee police say a customer upset with his
order at a Taco Bell shot into the restaurant’s
drive-thru window.Taco Bell management says that
after leaving with his order, the man was upset to
discover the employees forgot to add sour cream.
He called the restaurant and the manager told him
to come back the next day for a free meal because
they were closed. Authorities say the man returned
a short time later, about 12:20 a.m. Monday, and
shot at the bullet-proof window and an employee’s
car. No one was hurt. Police are looking for the
man."
FOOD WRITING 101: REFRAIN FROM EXTENDED METAPHORS THAT COMPARE CHEESE COWS TO WASHED-UP MOVIE STARS "If the herd of 300
water buffalo at Italy’s Tenuta Vannulo were human, they
would be those beatifically smiling, slightly irritating
types who talk about “vegan glow” and lean a bit too
hard on the lifestyle advice of experts like Gwyneth
Paltrow. The animals at this organic dairy farm 60 miles
south of Naples, in the town of Salerno, certainly do
deserve much of the credit for its astonishing
mozzarella. But, like the children of royalty, these
girls are the definition of privileged,
thanks to Antonio Palmieri, the founder’s grandson, who
believes relaxed animals make the best milk.”—Laurie
Woolover, Food &
Wine (8/9/16) ❖❖❖
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. ❖❖❖
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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.
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