MARIANI’S
Virtual Gourmet
"Heirlooms"
(2017) Photo by Galina
Dargery
❖❖❖ IN THIS ISSUE MALÁGA, Part One By Gerry Dawes NEW YORK CORNER MIFUNE By John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR WINES I'M DRINKING NOW By John Mariani ❖❖❖ THE MAGIC OF MÁLAGA Part One Story and photos by Gerry Dawes Antigua Casa de Guardia Until a trip in early May to attend the Málaga Gastronomy Festival, I was oddly ignorant about Málaga and its unique culinary traditions. For more than forty years I have wandered Spain, incessantly crisscrossing the country from top to bottom, leaving few stones unturned. It would seem that I would have delved more deeply into the major Andalucian city—birthplace of Pablo Picasso and hometown of Antonio Banderas. I even lived for nearly three years in the province of Málaga, where my late wife, Diana, and I ran The Dawes Gallery for Contemporary Art in Mijas, a picturesque tranquilo ex-patriate artists’ village perched high above the Costa del Sol. But we seldom visited the provincial capital of Málaga itself. In retrospect, the several pleasure outings we made to Málaga were memorable, including a few luncheons at the legendary seafood restaurant Antonio Martín (now revived as El Merendero de Antonio Martín, left), where my wife and I had magical times dining at open-air tables right along the seawall. We had a lovely lunch, invited by a sadly long-forgotten benefactor, at the rooftop restaurant of the Hotel Málaga Palacios overlooking the harbor and we spent a night at the Parador de Málaga Gibralfaro on its spectacular perch high above the city. A couple of times, we ventured just east of Málaga’s harbor for lunch at one of the famous chiringuitos (way casual beach restaurants) on the Pedregalejo fishermen’s beach (below). There were chanquetes (tiny whitebait crisply fried) and sardinas al espeto, half a dozen sardines stuck on cane spike espetos (spits) and grilled over wood fires right on the beach. (Now the government has decreed that these grill fires cannot be on the beach; instead they are done in sand- and pebble-filled fishermen’s dinghies in front of each restaurant). And there were particularly memorable non-Spanish dinners at Le Pic Nic, a restaurant run by a very eccentric middle-aged French couple, she cooking marvelous old-fashioned French country food such as rabbit in a cream sauce while he waits the tables and dispenses the vino. Another memorable night took place on an American aircraft carrier anchored in Málaga harbor. We had somehow met a U. S. Navy Captain pilot, with whom I had hit it off, since I had flown off aircraft carriers on Navy aircraft chasing the Soviet fleet around the Mediterranean when I was a Russian linguist enlisted man. I invited the Captain to our house in Mijas for paella, and he invited us to have dinner with him in the Admiral’s stateroom on board the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy in Málaga harbor. Ten years ago, one of the shore stops for a cruise ship on which I was lecturing about Spanish gastronomy docked in Málaga, and I went ashore like a tourist and photographed the wonderful Atarazanas Market (left), in a 19th century iron-frame building fronted by a large 14th century Moorish gate that once opened onto the harbor. Now, owing to centuries of development and landfill, it is a few blocks inside the city. At that time I visited the evocative Moorish fortress, the Alcazaba, which begins at the edge of the old quarter near the restored ruins of the Roman theater. And I visited a few bars and restaurants, the most memorable of which were the venerable 19th century Málaga wine-dispensing bodega Antigua Casa de Guardia and the emblematic flamenco-and-bullfighter-centric restaurant in the old quarter near Málaga’s cathedral, El Chinitas, which took its name from the 19th century Málaga café cantante-teatro Chinitas, made famous by Federico García Lorca and said to be the oldest flamenco café in Spain (right). So, after some fifty wine-and-gastronomy travels and personal visits to Spain over the past decade, I found myself in Malaga again for the city’s Gastronomic Festival. First off, it helps to separate Málaga city from the storied and somewhat notorious Costa del Sol, famous for its beaches, booze and high-rise package-tour hotels and apartments blocking views of the Mediterranean for miles. Much of the Costa del Sol caters to mass tourism and is attractive as a retirees’ haven. As home to Marbella, where I also once lived before it became the full-bore, high-rent magnet for well-heeled, but not well-behaved, nuevo Euro-ricos, it lured Spanish celebrities, aristocrats, yacht owners, corrupt politicians and those attracted to that scene, which might be likened to a mini-Las Vegas, but by the sea and without the surfeit of casinos. Upon landing at Málaga airport, most people take an immediate right turn and head west for Torremolinos, Fuengirola, Marbella, Estepona and on down to Sotogrande, the famous golf resort in neighboring Cádiz province. And, though some of them may make a perfunctory day trip to Málaga for a visit to the Picasso Museum, most remain scattered throughout the beach towns along the coast. Although there are plenty of foreign visitors, Málaga has managed to maintain its very singular Andalucian character. This ancient city that the Phoenicians knew as Malaka now deserves to break into the ranks of the not-to-be missed Andalucian classics—Sevilla, Granada and Córdoba—and become the fourth must-see city on the Andalucian circuit. And, like those other three cities, the restaurants, tapas bars and shopping in Málaga are intertwined with central city sites of real tourist merit such as the restored Roman theater, the 8th century Alcazaba fortress; the 14th century Moorish doorway to the wonderful Ataranzanas market (right); the 16th-18th century Italian Renaissance-style Cathedral (called La Manquita, the “one-armed lady,” because the builders ran out of money to finish the second bell tower meant to complement the existing one); and the life-size bronze statue of the great Danish fairy tale author, Hans Christian Andersen. Augmenting the city’s historical treasures, Málaga, in just a little more than a decade, has become a serious art museum attraction with the Picasso Museum (opened in 2003), the Casa Natal de Picasso (the artist’s restored home of his youth), Museo Carmen Thyssen (a collection of more than 200 paintings from the collection of the Spanish baroness who owns many of the paintings at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid), el Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Centre Pompidou Málaga (the only branch outside of France), the Colección del Museo Ruso (believe it or not, an outpost of the State Russian Museum collection in St. Petersburg), and a burgeoning artsy neighborhood called SOHO next to the port, which all contribute to the city’s now considerable cultural attractions. I will not try to claim that Málaga’s restaurant scene rivals Barcelona, San Sebastián or Madrid, but I found there were some good authentic regional restaurants, augmented by the classic chiringuitos, those legendary beach-front joints specializing in wood-fire grilled sardines and whole fish; funky, wonderful old-time tapas bars; churros and chocolate emporiums; the great Atarazanas market and its market bars; and some promising modern cuisine restaurants. And there are more than enough tourist attractions and ambience to warrant a serious visit and even an extended stay in this ancient, yet simultaneously modern, international and vibrant quintessential Mediterranean city.
❖❖❖ NEW
YORK CORNER
By John Mariani MIFUNE
245 East 44th Street (near Third Avenue) 212-986-2800
It
wouldn’t be the first time a restaurant was
named after a celebrity—there’s a Sinatra and a
Picasso in Las Vegas, Michael
Jordan steakhouses in Chicago and NYC, and a
Piaf in Puerto Vallarta. So why
not a restaurant named after Japan’s favorite
action hero, Toshiro Mifune, star
of such classic samurai movies as Seven
Samurai, Yojimbo and Rasho-Mon?
You might expect in such a venue some kind of
flamboyant décor in homage to the actor, but in
fact there’s only a photo of
him. Otherwise,
the restaurant,
designed by Katsunori Takeuchi, consists of a
well-lighted, simple 11-seat
counter that leads to a large, high-ceilinged main
room done in traditional natural wood, with three
large shoji style panels on the far wall
accented with the Mifune family
crest. There also is a subterranean dining room
with semi-private tables for
groups of four to eight, at which about 18
courses are served omekase
style.
Mifune is
an offshoot of the
well-known Paris restaurant Sola led by chef-owner
Hiroki
Yoshitake, who features traditional washoku
cuisine, a style that adheres to
rigorous attention to the seasonal bounty; at
Mifune French culinary techniques
and ingredients are added in. The
chef de cuisine in NYC is Yuu Shimano, who
formerly worked at Guy Savoy in
Paris, assisted at Mifune by Tomohiro Urata, who had
cooked at La Maison Troisgros in Roanne. The result is a menu full of
unique dishes that never stray
far from either Japanese or French traditions.
A sensible way to see what
Mifune is all about is to order the reasonable
five- or eight-course tasting
menus ($80 and $120), based on the
morning’s market. My meal began with truffled
egg custard accompanied by uni
sushi,
the latter mild enough not to overwhelm the
intended blandness of the custard.
Next came a lustrous sashimi platter, certainly
the most traditional item I
sampled, with all the fish of outstanding flavor
and at the right temperature.
A
crispy scallop, battered with crunched up arare
crackers (right),
was excellent with a
bonito dashi
cooking broth that
really stimulated the appetite.
Red shrimp was
quickly seared and topped with what was called
“ossetra”
caviar, but I don’t know where it came from. Its mild flavor went nicely
with the shrimp’s own. Gindara
is a species of Asian black cod,
here cuddled in a delightful Parmesan foam with
tempura-fried squash blossom
(left)
that shows the global reach at Mifune.
I was happy that the now ubiquitous wagyu-style
beef was not
served; instead,
first-rate and well-aged, lightly smoked Angus
beef added a good fatty
component at that point in the meal, followed by
another enrichment—foie gras
with egg mixed into rice with a lush sabayon
sauce, whose late summer truffles
added little (right). Better
to wait for
the fall truffles.
Two desserts ended the meal the way Japanese
desserts usually do, not with a bang but with a
soothing ending: French blancmange was
scented with soba tea and
served with caramel ice cream; matcha
(ground green tea) mousse with azuki
beans, fruit compote and kinako
(soy
bean flour) ice cream wasn’t very interesting,
proving that French desserts are
almost always going to trump a course Japan has
only recently adapted. There
are, of course, several sakes listed, and
the wine list encourages you to get away from the
usual beer order. There are
also plenty of novel cocktails with aching names
like the Drunken Angel and the
Seven Samurai. Mifune
is one of many Asian restaurants near the
U.N., thereby drawing the kind of clientele
steeped in good Japanese cuisine.
And with its grand design and devotion to a
Japanese movie star, it happily
deviates form the usual ultra-minimalist style of
so many others.
I suspect you might visit Mifune ten
times and rarely get the same exact dishes twice. Mifune is open for lunch: Mon-Fri;
11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (last order 2 p.m.),
Dinner: Mon-Sat. ❖❖❖ NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
WINES I'M DRINKING NOW By John Mariani Having just
returned from France, where I drank
exclusively French wines, I have been
indulging at home in a wide variety of
bottlings from all over the world.
Here are some of my favorites at the
moment. Tommasi Rafael Valpolicella Ripasso
2014
($25)—Valpolicella seems to be
having
its day in the sun after decades of mediocre
imports that might be
characterized as “red wine” and nothing more. Tommasi is one of the
first-rate labels in Veneto and its
“ripassso” version of Valpolicella is a blend of
Corvina, Rondinella and
Molinara that is “re-passed” over the lees of
fermented Amarone wine, giving
the wine considerably more body and layers of
flavor and a second fermentation
that adds to the alcohol level. Tommasi’s regular
Valpolicella ($14) is also a
fine example that is a very versatile wine of the
region. Tenuta Santa Maria Alla Pieve
Amarone
2010
($90)—While we’re on the subject of
Amarone, this is a convincing example that this
once leathery style wine can be
made with considerable finesse.
It’s not meant to be delicate but it should
be fresh and fruity, as this
one is. The label is in the stable of Bertani
wines, which have always produced
big, beautiful Amarones, and at 15% alcohol, this
example is somewhat below
more brutish bottlings and therefore far more
versatile. It will be ideal for
Thanksgiving turkey with side dishes that can
often have a sweet component. Don Melchor Cabernet
Sauvignon 2013
($100)—An outstanding example of
Cabernet that really helped put Chilean wines on
the map. The
high-altitude vineyards were
established in 1890 in the Maipo Valley, and today
winemaker Enrique Tirado
contends with hot and cool years, so vintages
vary. He draws from 142
individual lots, a “quilt” of “multiple
expressions,” adding some Cabernet
Franc and Petit Verdot for complexity, reaching a
good alcohol level of 14.3%.
It’s worth its price, which would be three times
as much for a French or
American competitor. Porer Tenuta Lageder Pinot
Grigio 2013
($20)—Rare is the Pinot Grigio worth its
price in this country and rarer still is one that
can take four years of age.
Lageder, in the southern Tyrol, takes full
advantage of the sunny climate,
using a trellis system (unusual in Alto-Adige,
where the pergola system is
traditional), aiming for “biological balance,”
relying on solar energy,
geo-thermal warmth and natural convection
currents. Grapes gently push their
own way via gravity down a tower during successive
stages of vinification. Such care manifests itself
in a very
rich, well-developed structure, 13% alcohol and a
proper acid-fruit balance. Dow’s Quinta Senhorita da Ribeira
Vintage Porto 2006
($60)—Vintage Ports are among the
world’s greatest values, and this year (bottled
in 2008) is just ready to
decant and drink with great pleasure. The
name—“Lady of the River”—refers to a
small chapel on the Douro where sailors would ask
for safe passage on the
river. The wine will certainly improve still
further as the tannins soften to
reveal the blackberry and vanilla components
beneath. With a blue cheese,
roasted walnuts or chestnuts, and dried apricots,
this is as good a complement
as I can think of. Assobio 2013
($13)—The Douro does not just produce its famous
Port wines; more and more the
region is exporting a range of solidly knit, well
made red wines like Assobio,
whose D.O.C. designation doesn’t tell you much
about its origins. Assobio
refers to a hillside with high vineyards, but it’s
made from Touriga Nacional,
Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, giving it depth
and charm. Very well priced. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V.
2010
($108)—Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ reputation goes
back to the boom period in
California wine in the 1970s, when its Cabernet
Sauvignon won the 1976
“Judgment of Paris” tasting. S.L.V.’s first
vintage was 1972 and it has
remained consistently a beautiful example of how a
broad-shouldered California
Cab, made by Marcus Notaro, can
achieve excellence without going above 14%
alcohol. It can even age well—not
something a lot of California Cabs
do—but right now it’s velvety, robust and the kind
of wine that begs you cook
up a steak or stew for mid-autumn. ❖❖❖
DEPT. OF WRETCHED EXCESS, Nos. 3,445 and 3,446
AND ON A CLEAR DAY YOU
CAN EVEN
❖❖❖
Wine
Column Sponsored by Banfi Vintners
Wine
is a joy year-round but in autumn in particular, one
grape varietal has really taken center
stage in my daily activities – that most Italian of
grapes, Sangiovese, and its
ultimate expression – Brunello di Montalcino. From
mid-September
through mid-October, the Sangiovese grown for our
various styles of red wines are
be harvested, culminating with the top selection for
Brunello di Montalcino.
Second, cooler weather here means it is
time to start enjoying more red wines and especially
Sangiovese based
wines. That
includes Banfi’s cru
of Brunello, Poggio alle Mura, literally the cream
of the crop of our
Sangiovese vineyards. Alongside our Poggio alle Mura
Brunello di Montalcino,
this year we introduced two more wines from the cru
Poggio alle Mura – a Rosso
di Montalcino and a Riserva of Brunello.
Rosso is sort of like the younger brother of
Brunello, also made from
100% Sangiovese grapes but usually a selection from
younger vines and the wine
is aged only two years compared to the four required
for Brunello.
The Riserva, on the other hand, is an
even more selective harvest of Sangiovese, and ages
for an additional year
before release. What
is so special about this cru Poggio
alle Mura? Well,
it is the result
our over 30 years of ongoing research at my family’s
vineyard estate, Castello
Banfi (above). When we
first began
planting our vines there in the late 1970s studies
from the University of
Bordeaux indicated which strains of many varietals
we should plant, based on
the soil type and microclimate of each vineyard. But when it came to the
region’s native Sangiovese, there
was only local lore, no scientific research. So we took it upon ourselves
to figure out this vine, and
set off on three decades of incredibly detailed
research. We
started with 600 apparent variations
on Sangiovese, because it is so susceptible to
variations in weather and soil,
and narrowed that down to 160 truly genetically
different clones.
We planted a vineyard with two rows of
each type, made wine from each of them, and charted
the differences – remember,
you only get one chance a year to make wine, so this
took time. It
took about ten years to get some
concrete results, though we continue to experiment
today and always will – you
never stop learning in science and nature! Once we determined which were
the best, complementary clones
that could be planted together to make the best
Brunello, we chose to plant them
in what we determined to be the optimal vineyard
sites. Coincidentally,
the best soils and
climate conditions are in the slopes surrounding the
medieval fortress today
known as Castello Banfi, known since Etruscan times
as Poggio alle Mura – the
walled hilltop.
Hence the name of
our this study was our
Brunello, all of our Sangiovese-based wines,
including the super Tuscans
SummuS, Cum Laude, and Centine, benefitted from this
work. And
that’s the third reason for
celebrating Sangiovese this month, for the range of
wonderful reds that usher
us into autumn!
One wine in
particular was inspired by our research – the
BelnerO, a Sangiovese dominant
blend with what I like to call a kiss of Cabernet
and a whisper of Merlot. We grow the grapes a little
differently
for BelnerO than for Brunello, make the wine with
less oak aging and released
it earlier from the winery, providing a counterpoint
to Brunello and a lovely
terroir-driven wine in its own right.
If
you know Italians, you know that by nature we are
multi-faceted,
varying in mood, and always passionate.
As a nation, we span from the hot sunny
beaches of Sicily near the
African coast to the rugged mountains and Alpine ski
slopes of Trentino-Alto
Adige in the north.
Sangiovese is
grown in almost all of Italy’s regions and reflects
the unique nature of each;
it is most famous (rightfully so) in Tuscany, yet
even there it reflects the
nuances of each hilltop, valley and subzone. It has something a little
different to say in Brunello than
Chianti, Morellino than Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano, Rosso di Montalcino than
Super Tuscan blends.
Here
is a smattering of Sangiovese-based
wines that you may wish to get to know better,
reflecting a spectrum that
appeals to every occasion, every taste, and every
budget. We
can assure you that the conversation
will never become boring.
Recommendations for
Celebrating Sangiovese BelnerO Proprietor’s
Reserve Sangiovese – A refined
cuvée of noble red grapes
perfected by our pioneering clonal research. This
dark beauty, BelnerO, is
produced at our innovative winery, chosen 11
consecutive years as Italy’s
Premier Vineyard Estate. Fermented in our patented
temperature controlled
French oak and aged approximately 2 additional
years. Unfiltered, and Nitrogen
bottled to minimize sulfites. Castello Banfi
Brunello di Montalcino – Rich, round, velvety
and intensely aromatic, with flavor hints of
licorice, cherry, and spices.
Brunello di Montalcino possesses an intense ruby-red
color, and a depth,
complexity and opulence that is softened by an
elegant, lingering aftertaste.
Unfiltered after 1998 vintage. Castello Banfi Rosso
di Montalcino – Brunello's "younger
brother," produced from select
Sangiovese grapes and aged in barrique for 10 to 12
months. Deep ruby-red,
elegant, vibrant, well-balanced and stylish with a
dry velvety finish.
Poggio all’Oro
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva – A single
vineyard selection of our most historically
outstanding Sangiovese, aged five
years before release, the additional year more than
that required of Brunello
including 6 months in barrel and 6 months more in
bottle to grant its “Riserva”
designation. Incredible
elegance
and harmony. Intense with lots of fruit and subtle
wood influence. Round,
complete, well balanced with hints of chocolate and
berries. Unfiltered after
1998. Poggio alle Mura – The first tangible
result of years of intensive clonal
research on Montalcino’s native Sangiovese grape. Estate bottled from the
splendidly sun drenched vineyards
surrounding the medieval Castello from which it
takes its name.
The Brunello di Montalcino is seductive,
silky and smoky.
Deep ruby in color with an expressive
bouquet of violets, fruits and berries as well as
cigar box, cedar and exotic
spices. The Rosso
di Montalcino is
also intense ruby red. The bouquet
is fresh and fruity with typical varietal notes of
cherry and blackberry,
enriched by more complex hints of licorice, tobacco
and hazelnut.
It is full bodied, yet with a soft
structure, and a surprisingly long finish. The Poggio alle Mura Brunello di Montalcino
Riserva is deep ruby red
with garnet reflections and a rich, ample bouquet
that hints of prune jam,
coffee, cacao and a light balsamic note.
It is full and powerful, with ripe and gentle
tannins that make it
velvety and harmonious; this wine is supported by a
pleasing minerality that to
me speaks soundly of that special hillside in
southern Montalcino. SummuS – A wine of
towering elegance, SummuS is an extraordinary blend
of Sangiovese which
contributes body; Cabernet Sauvignon for fruit and
structure; and Syrah for
elegance, character and a fruity bouquet.
An elegant, complex and harmonious red
wine.
Cum Laude – A complex
and elegant red which graduated “With Honors,”
characterized by aromas of juicy
berries and fresh spices. Centine – A Cuvee
that is more than half Sangiovese, the balanced
consisting of equal parts of
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Vinified in a firm, round style that easily
accompanies a wide range of
dishes, this is a smooth and fragrantly satisfying
wine with international
character, and a perennial favorite at my own dinner
table.
Banfi Chianti
Superiore – The
“Superiore” designation signifies stricter
government regulations regarding
production and aging requirements, as compared to
regular Chianti.
An intense ruby red wine with fruit
forward aromas and floral notes.
This is a round wine with well-balanced
acidity and fruit.
Banfi Chianti
Classico – An
enduring classic: alluring bouquet of black
fruit and violets; rich
flavors of cherry and leather; supple tannins and
good acidity for dining.
Banfi Chianti
Classico Riserva – Produced
from select grapes grown in the
"Classico" region of Chianti, this dry, fruity and
well-balanced red
has a full bouquet reminiscent of violets.
Fonte alla Selva
Chianti Classico – This is our newest
entry into the Chianti arena, coming from
a 99 acre estate in Castellina, the heart of the
Chianti Classico region. The wine is a captivating
mauve red
that smells of cherry, plum and blackberry with
hints of spice.
It is round, full and balanced with
very good acidity.
Col di Sasso – Sangiovese
and Cabernet Sauvignon. Luscious, complex
and soft with persistent notes of fruit and great
Italian style structure. ❖❖❖ 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 (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, Geoff Kalish, Mort
Hochstein, and
Brian Freedman. Contributing Photographer: Galina
Dargery. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.
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