MARIANI’S
Virtual Gourmet
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IN THIS ISSUE FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC TOURISTS ARE BACK! HERE ARE SOME AMERICAN CUSTOMS AND MANNERS TO KNOW By John Mariani NEW YORK CORNER WICKED JANE By John Mariani CAPONE'S GOLD CHAPTER 36 By John Mariani NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR ERNEST HEMINGWAY ON WINE AND SPIRITS By John Mariani ❖❖❖ On this week's episode of my WVOX
Radio Show "Almost Golden," on Wed. December
8 at 11AM EST,I will be
interviewing a biographer of
folksinger Peter Seeger and The Weavers.
Go to: WVOX.com.
The episode will also be archived at: almostgolden.
❖❖❖ FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC TOURISTS ARE BACK! HERE ARE SOME AMERICAN CUSTOMS AND MANNERS TO KNOW By John Mariani "Animal Crackers" (1936)
There is no better news about travel
than to hear that foreign tourists are on their
way back to the U.S. by the millions, which for
American hotels and restaurants will bring a
boom. (As I write this the new Covid-19
variation Omicron may change current policies
for entry.) We welcome them all, but we also
understand we have some odd customs—or at least
different ones—they may not know about. Here’s a
guide for our foreign friends (as well as
American out-of-towners) they should follow.
PARKING RULES.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, are as byzantine and
deliberately mis-leading as parking signs and
parking meters in big American cities whose
bureaucrats actually want you
to mis-interpret what seem to be contradictory
signs and meters so as to issue fines or tow cars
away (which can cost you a large fine plus
transport costs). Foreigners’ best bet is to ask a
cop or someone in the neighborhood, but don’t
count on even them to know the skinny. Note well:
On the majority of NYC streets it is permitted to
park after
7 PM without charge, although sometimes with
two-our time limits you must pay for. You need to
read the signs very, very carefully. Doormen at
apartment buildings are good people to ask. Many
restaurants in the U.S. have parking valets, which
charge a fee for the service and you are expected
to tip the valet, too. Usually this is a couple of
bucks but in Los Angeles the locals pay out $5 to
take care of their Porsches. TIPPING.
Tipping in continental Europe is, largely, not a
custom, because there is a service charge on the
hotel or restaurant
bill. In the U.S. we tip everyone in sight, it
seems, because we want to be recognized for our
generosity. Here are the guidelines, however
dizzying they seem to foreigners: - At a hotel, tip the porters who
take your bags after they
deliver them to your room, about a dollar per bag.
- Doormen who hail a cab get a buck. - Depending on the posh of the hotel,
maids should get between three and five dollars a
day, presented at the end of the stay with a thank
you note. - There will be
a room
service charge for the delivery of food and
drink, so there’s no need to tip further once you
sign the bill. - In restaurants it has now become
the custom to tip 15%-20% on the entire bill,
minus the tax, but including beverages. No need to
tip the maître d’ unless you wish to be a regular
customer with accrued preferences. Bartenders get
a couple of bucks at the bar but not at the dinner
table, because the captains and waiters tip
out the busboys and bartenders. You may ask for
separate checks for a party of two but no more.
Note well: Many Europeans pretend not to know they
have to tip, and it is truly bad form not to, and
you may be told so by the management. - In taxis it’s best to pay with a
credit card, and the meter will show you various
amounts for tips (15%, 20%) to be automatically
added. Uber drivers love it if you tip but it’s
not a given. - Shoe shiners get two or three
dollars tip even if they own the stand. - Hairdressers
at women’s salons and men’s barbers get a 20% tip. - There is no tipping in museums or
movie theaters. - You do not tip
shop personnel (thank heavens!) in clothing or
food stores, but you do give a couple of bucks to
theater ushers and coat checkers (per coat).
Oh, hell, just carry a lot of dollar bills
and tip everybody and you’ll be okay.
EATING/DINING
OUT. These days the definition of
“fine dining” has become as shifting as oily
currents of a river. - No longer should a foreigner expect
tablecloths at even the fanciest of restaurants. - Not a single restaurant in America
(except, perhaps, at a private club) are men
expected to wear a jacket and tie. Shorts and
flip-flops are discouraged and “shirts with a
collar” encouraged. T-shirts have become
ubiquitous and women, who usually dress up a tad,
can still wear slashed bluejeans and tank tops,
except where otherwise posted. - You should always
make a reservation! Peak hours for dining start at
6:30 and end by 9 PM, so tables are much easier
to get after 8:30. - Lunch in the U.S. is usually a
short respite and menus are abbreviated and
sometimes bear little resemblance to dinner menus.
The so-called “three martini lunch” is a thing of
the past, and few business people drink alcohol at
lunch any longer. Maybe a glass, not a bottle, of
wine. - U.S. restaurateurs expect to turn
tables at least once or twice in an evening, so do
not expect a table to be yours “for the night.”
- Except for obvious foods like soup,
steak and fish, eating with one’s fingers is
largely acceptable. That goes not only for
sandwiches and French fries but for BBQ ribs and
chicken, just about anything that’s fried, like
shrimp, as well as pizza (folded), tacos, sushi
and, in Hawaii, poi. - Of course, Americans do switch
knife and fork after cutting their food, for no
discernible reason, but foreigners should pay no
attention. - Americans toast with phrases like:
“Down the hatch.” “Here’s looking at you.”
“Bottoms up,” and others that bear no relation to
“Santé” or “Salut.” “Cin Cin” will do fine in all
circumstances. - Depending upon the state or city
rules, you may have to show proof of a Covid
vaccination. GETTING ON
LINE: More like the Japanese than
Europeans, Americans will pretty much respect a
line to get into or obtain something. Shoving and
pushing ahead is likely to get you ejected or
worse. ASKING FOR
HELP: Americans by and large are
among the most willing to help people on earth,
even in the big cities. The problem in the big
cities is that so many people are newly arrived or
don’t know the city or speak English or may
themselves be tourists. They’re not being rude in
not answering a question, they just haven’t a
clue. Best chance is to ask a person entering or
exiting a building for directions or where to find
a pharmacy who looks like he or she works there
or, better yet, go inside a shop and ask a staff
member or inside a building and ask the security
guy or receptionist. TAXIS:
In most American cities haling a cab from anywhere
on the curb is the way to get a taxi. In some
places there will be specific taxi stations where
the cars will quickly arrive, pick up a passenger
and go. At airports there are signs posted as to
the taxi stand, and, sometimes, a person who will
ask your destination so as to give you the right
taxi to take or call one on the line. EMERGENCIES:
If you have an emergency, dial 911 and know the
address or cross streets of the place you are
calling from.
❖❖❖ NEW
YORK CORNER
WICKED
JANE 646-329-5767 By John Mariani Chicken Cheese Cake
It is difficult enough for a
well-trained chef to master a classic dish, no
matter how simple, so the challenge of
creating innovative dishes based on proven
techniques can be a very slippery slope and
one that can easily push a chef out of the
limelight he so eagerly sought. And when a
chef is not professionally trained, menus can
be mere ego trips instead of soul satisfying. Dinner is served Tues.-Sat.
❖❖❖
CAPONE’S
GOLD
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
"God of the Nile," Naples Katie and David called the harbor
police and told them to come out to their
location, where within thirty minutes they
found Iacobello and Frascella, his head
bandaged with his own t-shirt, sitting tied up
on the deck.
© John Mariani, 2015 ❖❖❖ NOTES FROM THE WINE CELLAR
ERNEST HEMINGWAY ON WINE AND SPIRITS By John Mariani Ernest Hemingway in Key West, c. 1937 "As I ate the oysters with their strong
taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste
that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only
the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I
drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed
it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost
the empty feeling and began to be happy and to
make plans." —A Moveable
Feast (1964)
Life's greatest gifts to Ernest Hemingway
were his appetite and being born in a century that
allowed him to indulge it. No one travelled more
widely or immersed himself so deeply in the culture of
a place, picking up the language on the street, so
that he could say with certainty, "If a man is
making up a story, it will be true in proportion to
the amount of knowledge of life that he has and how
conscientious he is." ❖❖❖ BLOCK THAT SIMILE! "Very few of a restaurant critic’s working meals have a sense of occasion, but this one did, and Francie fit the moment like a pair of Lululemon ABC pants."--Pete Wells, "Francie restaurant," NY Times (Nov 17, 2021). ❖❖❖
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
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Gourmet is linked to four excellent
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savviest blog of its kind on the web. Potter is a
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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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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."
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. Publisher: John Mariani. Editor: Walter Bagley. Contributing Writers: Christopher
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