steve – Page 5 – Steve's Journal

Solaia at K Restaurant

Keith Edwards organized this great vertical tasting at K on Edgewater in College Park.

Attending were Keith and Parlo; Ron and Bev; Steve and Linda; Niccolo’ Maltinti, the Antinori US Brand Manager; Tobias Fiebrandt of Leitz Wine; and Marc and Kai Frontario.

KeithEdwardsSoliaia

We began with a 1966 Moet & Chandon I’ve had in my cellar for twenty years. As with most really old Champagnes, the effervescence was gone, but great acidity made the wine quite an interesting old chardonnay, with a caramel and fig finish. An amazing accompaniment to the deviled eggs. 90 points.

Keith’s Jacques Selosse Initiale proved a great palate awakener after that, with a toasty nose, crisp fruit flavors and a lichee finish. Served with raw oysters I didn’t try. 92 points.

We then took our seats for the vertical tasting. As always, Keith was super organized, with beautiful tasting booklets for everyone. The tasting began with some introductory comments by Niccolo’.

Solaia is:

75% Cabernet Sauvignon
20% Sangiovese
5% Cabernet Franc

We tasted the wines from youngest to oldest, in four flights. My notes:

Flight 4

1982 349.00 (Keith)
Easily the Soliaia of the night, by a wide margin. A dead ringer for Georges de la Tour. Mint, coffee, vanilla, wax, with a long, sweet coffee finish. 97

1985 (Keith)
Slightly corked, thin. 87

1987 169.00 (Keith)
Intense peppers, tight, 88

1989 226.66 (Ron)
Dust, thin, short. 87

Flight 3

1990 226.66 (Ron)
Ripe unusual fruits, short. 88

1991 159.00 (Keith)
Mint, herbal, the favorite of this lackluster flight. 90

1993 189.00 (Keith)
Very ripe, with a short finish. 88

Flight 2

1994 189.00 (Keith)
Roasted nose, vanilla, mint, short. 87

1997 226.66 (Ron)
Tannic, thin, Wine Spectator Wine of the Year. 87

1998 (Keith)
Tobacco, pleasant but somewhat dull. 89

1999 189.00 (Keith)
Ready to drink, sawdust, very smooth, opulent. The favorite of the flight. 93

Flight 1

2001 189.39 (Keith)
Still needs time. Dust, good tannic structure, tight. The favorite of the flight. 92

2002 159.00 (Keith)
Smoked peat nose, no structure, short. 88

2008 (Niccolo’)
Chocolate mint, a hot weather wine, green pepper, cab franc, silky, sweet finish. 90

2009 214.39 (Keith)
Dust, charred meat, a bit gangly, acidic. 91

Overall thoughts: I was struck by the fact that the youngest wines were quite drinkable, which I wasn’t expecting, and that the oldest wines, even those completely ready for drinking, showed no signs of age. There were several stylistic shifts across the years, with the wines from the 2000s clearly better drinking, and the 1982 (one of the very first vintages) a completely different animal. Unfortunately that animal is what I’m looking for (as, apparently, was the rest of the group, since 9 out of 10 selected it as their favorite).

The value of the vertical was to show the consistency of the winemaking, which was high, and the product, which was moderate. Certainly as a group these wines could not be compared with French first or second growths, or the best cabernets from California. For Linda and I it reinforced why we don’t have Italian wines in our cellar, but of course for others the impression was different.

Dinner included a perhaps too subtle ceviche, a nice corn chowder, a lovely fish on a spectacularly flavorful bed of savory corn, an excellent duck dish on a risotto that even I (a risotto avoider) loved, and a superb wagu beef with truffle oil and mashed potatoes. This was far and away the best meal I’ve had at K. It ended with many passed desserts. Linda and I left after dessert, although more great wines came out, but she was tired, and the sugar had made it impossible to return to dry red wines.

Here are my notes on the wines that accompanied dinner:

1986 Gruaud Larose (Ron)
Restrained fruit, simple 88

1986 Lynch Bages (Steve)
Very similar to Gruaud, slightly less fruit, coffee 87

1969 Clos Vougeot Domaine Gros Freres (Steve)
Fruity, good acid, tobacco, bacon, mint, vanilla 94

1961 Chambolle Musigny Les Beaux Bruns Greveley (Ron)
Dried flowers, fat, Carmel, burnt log, forest floor 95

2005 Corton Clos du Roi Prince Florent de Merrode (Mark)
Now owned by DRC. Pleasant fruit, simple 90

1990 Gevrey Chambertin Nadeef (Keith)
Candy, mint, dried fruits 90

1993 Mersault-Perrieres Les Champeaux Ampeau (Ron)
Floral, good acid, fresh, drinking 20 years younger 94

1999 Rinaldo Barolo (Keith)
High acid, red berries 89

1991 Dominus (Keith)
This wine was presented blind as a first growth, but there was little doubt in my mind what it was. Green pepper, great tannin structure, coffee, graphite, spice, jalapeño, very young, talcum powder. Easily Wine of the Night! 99

Thanks to Keith for putting together a great event. These vertical tasting can be hard work, because they require lots of attention and careful discussion, but I find them the most educational of all wine events.

2011 Bordeaux

Last year we attended the 2010 Bordeaux tasting at the Rosen Shingle Creek, and it was a terrific event, so we were looking forward to this year’s version. Quite a few of our friends also attended, so there were 15 of us in all. That was actually a fairly large percentage of the total attendance of 150-200, which seemed to be down from last year, perhaps because ABC provided no way to buy the tickets online.

The event was held in one of the large conference spaces at the Rosen. We’d planned to have some sushi before hand, but a large sales convention had taken over nearly all the restaurants. We ended up at the bar of A Land Remembered for a tuna appetizer.

At the event we quickly learned why 2011 is not regarded as a great year in Bordeaux. The wines were mostly tannic but green, short, off balance, and thin. Certainly nothing like the 2009s and 2010s. Interestingly, though, the better producers managed to make significantly better wines than the lesser ones. While this isn’t surprising, the stratification was noteworthy, with almost no wines in the middle. Each wine seemed to be either completely unappealing or very good, with almost none falling in between.

It only took about an hour to try most of the promising wines, although we skipped a few whites and the Sauternes. As was the case last year, the obscure Château St. Pierre was probably the best buy.

The food last year was plentiful, but this year is seemed either more limited or simply delayed, and the attendees fell on it like hungry wolves. With long lines for the hot food we decided to leave and go to Calla Bella, the hotel’s Italian restaurant. We had a fairly uninspired meal there last year, but this year, sitting at the presentation bar that faces the kitchen we had excellent food and service. The Marguerita flatbread was authentically Italian, the Chilean sea bass was done with a deft touch, and the mushroom side was great.

If they do the event again next year I will definitely go, but I suspect similar results for the 2012 vintage.

Here are my notes on the wines:

Château d’Aiguilhe

Tight 88

Château Branaire Ducru

Tannic, some potential 89

Château Brane Cantenac

Really tannic 88

Brane Baron

Balanced 90

Château Camensac

Drinkable vanilla 88

Château Canon La Gaffelière

Green 89

Château Cantemerle

Very green 86

Château Cantenac Brown

Tannic 88

Château Carbonnieux

White: SB nose, astringent 85

Red: balanced 88

Château Chasse Spleen

Very rough 86

Château Clinet

Great structure 95

Daugay

Smooth but short 89

Clos de L’Oratoire

Tight, thin 87

Ferriere

Short 86

Fombrauge

Tannic 87

Château Gloria

Great coffee nose 91

Château Grand Puy Lacoste

Balanced 90

Lacoste Borie

Tannin mint 87

Château Haut Batailley

Very drinkable 92

Château Haut Bages Libéral

Green bitter 84

Château Lafon Rochet

Tannic green 85

Château LaPointe

Varietal balanced 94

De LaPointe

Merlot 89

La Tour Carnet

Good structure 90

Château Langoa Barton

Rough 85

Château Léoville Barton

Smooth 87

Château Léoville Poyferré

Mint, nice balance 95

Château Lynch Bages

Tannic 89

Echo de Lynch Bages

Drinkable 85

Clos Marsalette

Smooth 89

Phelan Segur

Awkward 87

Château Pichon Longueville Baron

Good structure 94

Château Suduiraut

Pape Clement

Great structure 95

Pibran

Dense, chocolate, coffee, Pauillac 93

Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Coffee gravel smooth 95

Château St. Pierre

Beautiful coffee nose, great structure 94

Château Talbot

Great balance 95

Butter Cookie Taste-Off

We did a butter cookie taste off, buying tubs of butter cookies all over Solvang.

Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery was the first of four bakeries in Solvang where we purchased a tub of five dozen butter cookies. These were among the best, but the real standouts here were the pastries. The macaroon was the best I’ve ever had, with a perfect crispy crust and chewy but not soggy interior. The cinnamon pastry, a sort of palmier with a cinnamon crust was amazing. We nursed it for breakfast three days in a row, and it was still just as good!

I found that Mortensen’s has the butteriest tasting cookies. I particularly liked the plain round ones with the curved tops. They have a long, buttery finish that is slightly salty and not as sweet as some.

Birkholm’s is Linda’s favorite. As of this writing their butter cookies still come in the traditional waxed cardboard tub rather than a plastic bucket. These were the softest and crumbliest. The standout is their plain, round, flat butter cookie, simple and very buttery.

Danish Mill Bakery’s were my favorite. I particularly like the crispy kind with raisins (or are they currants?) Their cookies seem to have a bit more body than the others.

Sadly, we did not visit the Solvang Bakery, since we already had twenty dozen, so we’ll have to save tasting notes from the iconic windmill shop for another visit.

Ancient Wines at The Vineyard

Close to a decade ago Ron purchased three old Burgundies from Premier Cru for next to nothing–$75 a bottle he recalls. Over the years we consumed the 1899 and 1893 bottles. I rated them both 100pts, and number them among the best wines I’ve ever had, fresh yet unbelievably complex.

But Ron had been saving the best for last. The four of us met at The Vineyard at The Ritz Carlton to experience his 1904 Richebourg and some other very old wines.

What a great night it was! We matched each pair of wines with food, and spent more than six hours appreciating these beauties, each of which was in fabulous condition, and very long-lived in the glass. If only we could find more of these treasures.

2002 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos (Ron)
Kiwi, pineapple, dry finish, soft, waxy, dusty, 95pts

2010 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos (Steve)
Seashells, minerals, brine, lime, 93pts

1999 Perrier Jouet (Vineyard wine list)
Caramel, toast, really balanced, 96pts

1904 Larronde & Freres Richebourg (Ron)
Great color and clarity, Caramel, still great fruit, last of Ron’s trilogy, leather, cinnamon, vanilla, spice box, mocha, butter, smoke, shouldering campfire, rhubarb, forest floor, juniper, burnt log, strawberry starbursts, possibly the greatest wine I’ve ever had, 100pts

1923 Henri de Behegre Clos Vougeot Grand Cru (Steve)
Great color, clarity and fill, iron, cherry, bacon fat, candy apple, cedar, still fresh after more than an hour, 98pts

1904 Cos d’Estournel (Ron)
Cinnamon nose, light color but brilliant, Indian food, curry, bacon fat, fresh sawdust, dusty, reminiscent of 1937 Cheval Blanc, 93pts

1959 Château Cos d’Estournel (Steve)
This wine had a very unusual label, having been imported to London by the Army Navy Stores. I saved this bottle. Great color and clarity, vanilla, restrained fruit, wood smoke, 89pts

1968 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve (Steve)
Very youthful, fig newtons, grilled buttered sour dough bread, red fruit, dill from American oak, 96pts

1978 Chateau Montelena (Ron)
Very youthful, paint, great structure, soy balsamic, mint, greens, silicone, asparagus fern, mint, licorice, good n plenty, 94pts

We ended the evening with a lovely Armagnac, comped by our server, James. Linda and I had booked a room at the Ritz, which seemed like one of our more inspired ideas at 1am!

Four Concerts, Seven Bands, Five Days

It’s been a busy few days in Chicago. I originally booked this trip for the Vienna Teng concert and launch of her new album, but as the timing worked out I was able to also fit in the Hart Davis Bordeaux tasting, a fantastic new production of Evita, and several other concerts by favorite bands. The musical odyssey began on Saturday with the first of three concerts at SPACE, the wonderful performance venue just down the street from Dani’s condo. We had dinner at the Union Pizza company and then saw Ari Hest, who did a great job. His music works particularly well as a solo performance, and the place was packed with fans. We continued on Sunday with a Dar Williams concert at City Winery. We hadn’t been to this venue before, which is down on Randall Street not far from Dani’s office and the Girl and the Goat restaurant. It’s a massive space, with a working winery (grapes shipped in from California and Europe), restaurant, bar, and large performance venue where they serve dinner before and during the show. The wine offerings were extensive, and the food, mostly shared plates, is terrific. The warm up act was Nina, an 18-year-old who had an interesting playing style. We would have bought her CD, but her mom took her home before Dar’s concert ended! Dar was great, talking a lot with the audience, and really funny. She played all our favorites, and a few others we didn’t know, although I think we have all of her CDs. While at the Ari Hest concert Saturday we saw a poster for Theo Katzman (who we’d seen before) but discovered Jillette Johnson was warming up for him. So we had to return to SPACE on Monday to see both of them. Despite the late booking and a packed house, somehow we ended up with our usual front row center table. That was a pleasant surprise!

Jillett’s music is great, but she seemed tired, perhaps due to an early morning television appearance. Theo, on the other hand, has realy amped up his act since we last same him. This might be the tightest band I’ve ever heard, and the crowd, as they saw, went wild.

After a day off to recuperate, we returned to SPACE on Wednesday for the grand finale, Vienna Teng. This new tours is in support of her album Aims, released the day before. In addition to show tickets, we’d bought admission to the sound check, and it was great fun watching them rehearse.

Since this was the first concert on their tour, they were still working out lots of stuff, which made it very interesting. After the sound check there was a meet and great in the green room, and about 15 of us got to chat with Vienna for close to an hour.

The warm up act was Barnaby Bright, another favorite of ours, and it was great to see the audience response to them. I think they’ll have a lot of new fans as a result of this tour.

Vienna, Alex Wong, and Jordan put on a great show, playing our favorite songs, and some great stuff off the new album. Since Dani and I particularly like two obscure older songs, it was pretty neat that they were the two Vienna chose to do solo: Whatever You Want and Recessional. They finished with the raucous Level Up from the new album, and then an acoustic number (unamplified) and finally Vienna sang a cappella. A great concert, and a wonderful start to her tour.

1990 and 2000 Bordeaux Tasting

Hart Davis organizes an annual Bordeaux retrospective, and this year’s event was particularly impressive. It was held in the private room above Spiaggia overlooking Michigan Avenue in Chicago. It’s a beautiful space, although Spiaggia itself is a fairly terrible restaurant.

Since 1990 and 2000 were both excellent years, I was really looking forward to this event. Dani and I spent about 90 minutes comparing the 40 wines on offer, opting to pour the two vintages from each chateau side by side, so we could compare them.

I took a fair number of notes, but most were in agreement with professionally published tasting notes, so I will omit them. Here are my numeric rankings, with the 1990 followed by the 2000 in each case. Bold faced entries are particularly good buys:

Château Calon-Ségur 95, 93

Château Cheval Blanc 97+, 97

Château Clinet 90, 88

Château La Conseillante 95, 94

Château Cos d’Estournel 90, 95

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 90, 89

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 90, 92

Château Gruaud Larose 88, 97

Château Haut-Brion 98, 100

Château Lafite Rothschild 98, 99

Château Latour 97, 98

Château Léoville-Las-Cases 99, 95

Château Léoville Poyferré 90, 89

Château Lynch-Bages 95, 94

Château Margaux 92, 98

Château La Mission Haut-Brion 96, 98+

Château Montrose 96, 94

Château Mouton Rothschild 97, 100

Château Palmer 94, 96

Château Pichon-Longueville, Baron 92, 99

Château Pichon-Longueville, Lalande 94, 99

After the tasting we joined our friends Ron and Bev for a dreadful dinner at Spiaggia. But we brought some of our own wines, which redeemed the meal:

59 Charmes-Chambertin Pierre Ponnelle (Steve)
Really youthful, mint, cherries, lemon curd, vanilla, orange, cedar, coffee, drinks like a wine from the 80s, 94 pts

59 Clos St Denis Pierre Ponnelle (Ron)
Old burgundy nose, mushrooms, caramel, sweet, mouth filling, 94 pts

1966 Haut Brion (Steve)
Soy sauce, chewy, wood, older Bordeaux nose, yet still lots of fruit, 94 pts

1966 La Mission Haut Brion (Ron)
Cherries, not quite as complex as the Haut Brion, very youthful, 94 pts

10 Million Words

From the time Dani was a baby until she went off to college, I read to her every night. As the years passed, our reading material became a lot more sophisticated, but we never tired of the routine. Here are the books (that I can remember) that we enjoyed over the years.

The Shy Little Horse and hundreds of other stories
But Not the Hippopotamus and hundreds of other picture books
Pony Pals (many)
RL Stein books (Many)
The Cat in the Hat
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (many times)
To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street
Yertle the Turtle
Horton Hears a Who
Horton Hatches the Egg
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Lorax
Madeleine (and its sequels)
Bunnicula
Howliday Inn
Redwall
Mossflower
Mattimeo
Alice in Wonderland
Tom Sawyer (twice)
Huckleberry Finn
The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings
The Silent Storm
Walk Two Moons
The Cave
The Princess Bride
The Dragon In the Cliff
A Bone From a Dry Sea
Letters From Felix
The Princess and the Goblin
Where the Wild Things Are
The Wind In the Willows
The Willows In Winter
Peter Pan
Peter Pan in Scarlet
The Lion’s Paw
The Phantom Toll Booth
SOS Titanic
Night Tree
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (about ten times)
Wolf Story (many times)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician’s Nephew
The Last Battle
The Indian In the Cupboard
The Return of the Indian
The Secret of the Indian
The Mystery of the Cupboard
The Key to the Indian
The Westing Game
Chasing Redbird
Sarah Plain and Tall
Dealing with Dragons (and its sequels)
Rascal
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Island of the Blue Dolphins
A Cricket In Times Square (and its sequels)
The Wheel on the School
Mary Poppins (the original novel)
101 Dalmatians (the original novel)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (the original novel)
Misty of Chincoteague (and its sequels)
Hank, The Cowdog (and many sequels)
A Night to Remember
Back to Titanic
Back to Lincoln
Back to Paul Revere
Goodnight Moon
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Wizard of Oz
Green Eggs and Ham
Stellaluna
The Polar Express
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
The Napping House
The Little Engine That Could
Curious George
Arthur series (many books)
Berenstein Bears series (many books)
Clifford series (many books)
Linnea in Monet’s Garden
The Boxcar Children series (many books)
Charlotte’s Web
A Wrinkle In Time
The Secret Garden
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh (and its sequels)
The Trumpet of the Swan
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Stuart Little
The Borrowers series (many books)
The Pearl
Walker of Time
Tag Against Time
Walker’s Journey Home
She Flew No Flags
Watership Down
The Call of the Wild
White Fang
The Shipping News
The Crystal Cave
The Hollow Hills
The Old Man and the Sea
To Have and Have Not
Myst: The Book of Atrus
Myst: The Book of Ti’Ana
Myst: The Book of D’ni
On a Pale Horse
Bearing an Hourglass
With a Tangled Skein
Wielding a Red Sword
Being a Green Mother
For Love of Evil
And Eternity
Perry Mason (several)
Shutter Island
Void Moon
Chasing the Dime
Harry Bosch novels (four or so)
The Doomsday Book
To Say Nothing of the Dog
Lincoln’s Dream
Three Men in a Boat
Three Men on the Bummel
A Confederacy of Dunces
The Mirror of her Dreams
A Man Rides Through
The Lincoln Hunters
Harry Potter And the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The Black Dahlia
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Valley of Horses
The Mammoth Hunters
The Plains of Passage
The Shelters of Stone
Empire Falls
Straight Man
Nobody’s Fool
Bridge of Sighs
The Seventh Scroll
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Round Ireland with a Fridge
Ring of Diamonds
A Matter of Justice
Everything In Its Path
Cider House Rules
The World According to Garp
Snow Falling on Cedars
East of the Mountains
The Blind Assassin
Oryx and Crake

And Many, Many More

Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse

Dani and I went to an Adobe Road Wine Dinner here, rather than experience the normal dining room offerings. We were going to meet in the bar, but on a Wednesday night after work it was a madhouse, so we hung out in Starbucks until it was time for the dinner.

Boy did the chef knock it out of the park. I’ve been to hundreds of wine dinners and this had to be near the top.

We started on the mezzanine of the Intercontinental Hotel with a superb 2009 Chardonnay. Great wine, possibly the best of the night, but unfortunately the winery is out of it. This was accompanied by a passed appetizer of bruschetta, which was a twist on the usual, with buratta cheese, proscuitto and a thin slice of pickled peach. Delicious.

Dinner was in a room off the mezzanine perfectly sized for twenty people. I got the sense it was far from the kitchen, because it took several servers quite a while to deliver each course.

The first course was Duck with cherries and dijon mustard, a perfect accompaniment to the 2009 Pinot Noir. The wine is good, but may have a trace of sorbate, and after a slightly earthy nose it quickly fades into a just okay California pinot noir.

The second course of hickory smoked lamb chops with mint, watermelon and tomatoes might have been my favorite. It was served with a 2009 Syrah that offered a smoky, meaty nose, but seemed a bit shut down. Apparently the night before it had been even more so; I think it just needs a rest after shipping.

Third course was Wagyu Ribeye with roasted baby potatoes and a black carrot. It was perfect with a chewy 2010 Knight’s Valley Cabernet.

Dessert wasn’t my favorite, although Dani liked the brown butter cardamom cake with roasted plums and whipped cream and black pepper. The plums seemed a bit tart to accompany the 2008 Zinfandel which was jammy but nothing remarkable.

Then Kevin pulled out the Beckstoffer Georges III Cabernet Sauvignon. Wow! I could sip this all night. After an hour it was just starting to open up and do some amazing things. Brandy soaked cherries coated in dark chocolate, with a bit of pound cake at the end. It was dessert in a glass, yet not a drop of residual sugar! The wine must be close to 15% alcohol. Worth every cent of $95 retail. Give me this and the Chardonnay, and lock me in a room.

Kevin Buckler and Bob Dickinson were welcoming as always, and promised to come do a private event next time they are in Orlando (January?) We also met some other interesting people including Thaddeus Buggs, author of TheMinorityWineReport.com

I was very impressed with the “banquet” food at Michael Jordan’s. I’m not sure which course was the best, but I would happily return here for any of these entrees. Service was prompt and friendly, and the private room was perfect for a group of twenty. Most seemed to be racing enthusiasts at this gathering, as opposed to the Orlando events where it seems the guests are mainly wine enthusiasts.

I will definitely go back to check out the regular menu, because there is some serious talent in the kitchen.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

These turned out as delicious as they look.

Ingredients

olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 package diced frozen peas and carrots
2 medium celery stalks, diced
1 cup green beans
1 potato, diced
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken soup
2 tbsp freshly chopped tarragon
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp five spice
1 dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 frozen puff pastry crust
1 egg

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400F
Remove pastry crust from refrigerator
Use a ramekin to cut circles from pastry crust
Cut up chicken
Sauté onions in olive oil
Add chicken and sauté until brown
Add veggies and soup (do not dilute with water)
When warm, add herbs and seasoning
Divide into ramekins
Brush pastry circles with egg wash
Top ramekins with pastry circles, brushed side down
Brush tops of pastry
Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is brown

Cauliflower, Potato and Green Bean Curry

Here’s a simple recipe for curry made from scratch. You can pretty much use any vegetables, this is just what I had lying around.

Ingredients (in order used)

4 potatoes, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large sweet or red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon

2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp ketchup
4 cups cauliflower, broken into florets
3 cups green beans, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup water

1 cup cilantro, chopped

Preparation

Microwave potatoes until almost cooked, but still firm.
In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic in oil and spices.
Add vegetables and water.
Bring to a boil, simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.

Add cilantro, toss and serve.

Lamb Burgers

These turned out well. They taste like Kefta. I served them with Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Ingredients

8 oz. ground lamb
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. finely chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. finely chopped mint
1/2 tsp. finely chopped dill
1/2 tsp. dried Greek oregano
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. ground coriander
1⁄4 tsp. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 scallion, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Acoompaniments

Sliced red onion
Feta cheese (optional)
2 hamburger buns, toasted

Preparation

Mix ingredients and form into two patties.
Grill over a gas grill on medium-high until charred on outsides.
Serve with sliced onion, toasted hamburger buns, optional feta cheese.

Lang Lang at Ravinia

Chinese pianist Lang Lang rose to fame with his first performance at Ravinia in 1999, when he was just 17, as a last minute substitution. He returned this year for his 12th Ravinia appearance. It was a cool night for late July, with the temperature dipping into the low 50s. The program was mostly in C Major. It was Dani’s first classical concert, and I think she liked it. My favorite was the incredibly demanding Prokofiev concerto. Lang Lang also debuted a piano-only performance of the Tiger Overture, which he played from sheet music. We had almost identical seats to the ones we were blown out of by the One Republic concert. How refreshing it was to hear instruments without amplification!

Verdi		Overture to La forza del destino (“The Force of Destiny”)

Beethoven		Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15Allegro con brio Largo Rondo: Allegro scherzando

Britten		*March from Matinées musicales, Op. 24*

Prokofiev		Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26Andante—Allegro Tema con variazioni Allegro ma non troppo

Wagner		“Ride of the Valkyries” from Die Walküre

Peach, Brie and Bacon Pizza

Thanks to Kara for bringing this recipe to my attention! It was fabulous. If served to me blind, I don’t think I could have identified the ingredients, they meshed so well.

Ingredients

1 lb pizza dough
Flour
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Peaches (I used doughnut peaches) slices into 1/4 inch or thinner slivers
4 oz. brie, rind removed
4 pieces crispy bacon, cut into small pieces
fresh tarragon
balsamic vinegar

Directions

Let dough warm for a few hours, quarter, roll in flour, stretch into 8″ weird shapes, brush with olive oil.

Grill on one side until crisp on the bottom and char marks appear (5-10 minutes).

At the same time, grill the peach slices, turning once.

Flip the dough, layer with peach slices.

Add Brie, bacon and tarragon.

Grill until the bottom is crisp (5-10 minutes).

Drizzle with balsamic glaze and enjoy!

Smoke House Garlic Bread

For years I’ve been trying to duplicate the amazing garlic cheese bread served at the Smoke House Restaurant in Burbank, California. Tonight I finally did it. The secret is to make up a paste and spread that on the bread. As it melts under the broiler, it leaves the crumbly nodules of intense cheese flavor that distinguish the bread. Here’s how to do it:

Ingredients

1 Loaf of uncut sourdough bread, preferably a sort of large baguette shape.
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp dehydrated cheddar cheese powder (Kraft macaroni mix will do in a pinch)
1 tsp garlic powder

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450F.
Soften but do not melt the butter.
Mix in cheeses and garlic, let stand for a while
Turn on oven broiler
Cut loaf of bread in half horizontally and save half for something else.
Spread the slurry onto the bread.
Place bread under broiler until edges are brown.
Cut into narrow slices.
Serve immediately.

Serves 1-4 depending upon how much of a pig you are.

Why Are Concerts So Loud?

I’ve never been to a concert that wasn’t too loud. But last night’s One Republic concert set records. Even though we always wear earplugs, our front row edge seats were right in front of the sub woofer, and we were literally driven from them the moment the music started. In fact the music throughout the entire pavilion at Ravinia was so loud that it was unbearable. And unintelligible.

I guess that’s the real sin: even if sound mixing people feel they need to make the music incredibly loud in order to generate excitement, they’re doing it at the expense of being able to even hear what the music sounds like.

As it turned out the music 200 feet outside of the pavilion, where you could no longer see the act, was far better than what the people in the pricey seats were hearing.

And it sounded just fine on the train platform where, 40 minutes into the concert, several hundred people had gathered to leave for the same reason.

It’s a shame, because I think one Republic is really good in concert. They had an amazing set, a lot of dramatic staging, and they played all the complex parts–even the cello and violin parts, plus a complex flamenco guitar number. But what’s the point of going to a concert where you have to choose between seeing or hearing?

Easy Salmon Cakes

I’m not a fan of crab cakes, which I usually find boring. A lot of places brag about “very little filler,” but I actually think the filler is the only thing that makes them interesting. So I was skeptical of this recipe from the pouch of Chicken of the Sea Salmon. But it has a great lemony flavor, and just the right amount of crunch.

Ingredients

1 pouch (5 oz) Pink Salmon
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs + more
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Combine all ingredients and roll into four balls.

Roll balls in more breadcrumbs.

Flatten into 1/2 inch thick cakes.

Sauté in olive oil 4 minutes on a side, or until brown.

Serve with tartar sauce or chutney.

Oil Painting Class

I took a one week break from my sculpture classes to attend a five day oil painting class taught by Ken Minami. Each day we spent the morning drawing and he afternoon painting. I leaned to use gray paper and conte crayon and to try to see the solid shapes (as opposed to my other drawing classes, which were about outline and shadow). In the afternoon we made color tests and then used the colors we discovered to do oil paintings. There were quite a few models for this class. We had three different morning models during the week, and in the afternoon there were two models to choose from, with one pair for the first two days of the week, and another pair for the remaining three days. So overall, seven different models, which gave us a lot of varied experience. Here are a pencil sketch, charcoal drawing, conte, and my two oil paintings.

Bisquick Coffee Cake

Since Bisquick isn’t the most healthful stuff in the world, I hadn’t had it in about ten years, but got in the mood to make some waffles. That reminded me of the delicious coffee cake we used to make. The recipe is no longer on the back of the box, so I found it online, cut it in half, and added my own twist.

Makes 3 servings

Dough

1 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup water
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar

Topping

1/4 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground clove
1 Tbsp butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease a pyrex dish, about 30 square inches.
Mix dough ingredients and put in baking dish.
Mix topping ingredients with a fork until crumbly.
Sprinkle topping mix over dough.
Bake for 20 minutes or until browned.

Quinoa and Mango Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing

I heavily modified this, and have modified it more since testing it.

Quinoa and Mango Salad:

1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup lentils
Water to cook quinoa and lentils
1 container of fresh mango from Whole Foods (slicing mangos is a pain)
1 chopped yellow pepper
1 avocado, sliced

Crispy Onions:

1 large red onion, halved stem to root and slivered
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Lemony-Ginger Dressing:

Juice of 2 lemons
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook the quinoa. (I used a rice cooker.) Rinse in cold water, drain and refrigerate.
Cook the lentils. Rinse in cold water, drain and refrigerate.
Toss onion slivers with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes. Resist stirring until they begin to brown.
Make the dressing: Whisk the olive oil into the lemon juice. Whisk in the ginger and cilantro, add salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the salad: Layer the quinoa, lentils, mango, yellow peppers and avocado slices, or arrange as desired. Top with the roasted onions. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Serves 4-6

Vegetable Ceviche

This salad was billed as “Vegetable Ceviche” in a vegetarian magazine I was reading, and it sounded good. It actually does taste quite a lot like ceviche. I used completely different vegetables than they did, however.

Ingredients

juice of 3 small limes
zest of one small lime
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Combine these ingredients in a bowl. Then add diced:

jicama
radishes
avocado
celery
scallion
red pepper
cucumber

Toss until veggies are completely coated, and refrigerate at least an hour. Then add in:

cilantro

and serve immediately.

Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox Twenty at Ravinia

For the Fourth of July Dani and I took the Metra up to Ravinia Park for dinner and a concert, rather than watch the Evanston fireworks from her balcony. The timing on the train worked out pretty well, because we got out of town before the crowds, and returned after everything was cleaned up. That’s not to say the train wasn’t busy, especially on the way back. But we found a seat both ways. In the past we’ve always taken the first train back, but this time we missed it by about 100 people. There are a lot more drunks on the second train!

We had dinner at Park View, the upstairs restaurant. It had been a couple of years since we’d been there, and it was a bit better than we remembered. The restaurant is run by Levy Restaurants, and they borrow chefs from Spiaggia and other places within their organization. It must be weird to run a restaurant that is only open a few months a year, and the slightly amateurish service is a telling detail. But for the most part things run efficiently, and the food is good if not great. It’s certainly a stunning setting, with lovely paneling, and a glass wall that overlooks the dazzling green of Ravinia Park. Best of all is being high above the sea of colorful people blanketing the lawn.

We dined through the opening act, Kate Earl, who everyone seemed to be ignoring, and arrived just in time for Goo Goo Dolls. There are three guys in this band: a drummer, singer/guitarist, and singer/bass player. I had been warned by Jeremy that you wanted to go get drinks when the bassplayer took the lead, and that is accurate. Dani described him as a baritone on helium, and his songs are not the hits. Actually Goo Goo Dolls doesn’t have a lot of hits, but the ones they did were competently delivered, and they didn’t outlast their welcome. It’s one of those bands where if you look really carefully you realize that almost all the music is being created by the two session players standing in the back: a lead guitarist, and someone on keyboards/guitar/sax.

After a long intermission for setup, Matchbox Twenty took the stage. They are a six piece band, with a lead singer, Rob, who does all the heavy lifting. They’re really good live. Their stage was an interesting, multi-tiered staircase with cool lights in the risers. I was amazed how many great songs they have. The set list was:

Parade
Bent
Disease
She’s So Mean
How Far We’ve Come
3 A.M.
Real World
Girl Like That
If You’re Gone
Long Day
I Will
Unwell
Radio
So Sad So Lonely
English Town
Bright Lights

Encore:
Back 2 Good
Push

Some of my favorites are off their new album, North, including I Will and English Town. The band did a great job of playing through technical difficulties including a complete fail of their video cube for most of the show. There were also instruments missing from the mix in some songs. This was surprising since this was their third show in a row played at this venue. I think it’s time for a new tech crew (more on this later).

Like Goog Goo Dolls, Matchbox Twenty didn’t spend any time talking with the audience, which to me is the reason to see an act live. But perhaps they felt that with three acts on the bill and a hard cutoff of 11:00pm mandated by the nearby housing, they needed to fit in as many songs as possible.

Both acts suffered from the worst lighting design I have ever encountered. Fully a third of each show was unwatchable because of blinding lights–both automated spots and fixed LED panels–aimed directly at the audience. WTF? I’ve seen this used at the ends of songs to get people to respond, but it is incredibly annoying when they are flashing in your face every few seconds. If I could find out the name of the moron who designed this I would be happy to start a petition to find him another line of work.

In all it was a fun evening, but I wish we could have gone the previous night, because I missed seeing the Evanston fireworks from the balcony, our Fourth of July tradition.

Sculpture Class at the Evanston Art Center

This summer while Dani is at work I wanted something to do, so I went up to the Evanston Art Center It’s in the three-story house on the lake, next to the lighthouse north of the Northwestern University campus. I intended to enroll in the Monday morning figure drawing workshop, but it’s in the evenings during the summer, so they suggested I take figure sculpture. I’d done that once before, about ten years ago, and enjoyed it, so I signed up.

The classes are in the basement of the Noyes Community Center, west of the Northwestern Campus. (This is the same building that houses the Piven Acting Workshop that Dani used to attend.) The model holds the same pose for three weekly sessions of three hours each. However, because of my schedule I won’t ever have more than two sessions to complete a sculpture, so I have to work fast.

I really like the instructor, Sheila, who is very good at working individually with each student, and making sure you understand how to implement her suggestions. She’s much better than my previous Orlando-based instructor. The next few sessions are by another instructor, Barbara, so it will be interesting to see how she compares.

I liked the class so much I also signed up for the Wednesday session, which is similar, but there is a different pose. So by the end of the summer I should have six sculptures total. Hopefully there will be time for them to dry so they can be fired in the kiln.

Both of these photos are works in progress, before the proportions were quite right. I thought it would be interesting to compare them with the finished products… or at least to have a photo in case they explode in the kiln!

Jackson Browne at Ravinia

We have a full summer of concerts planned, mostly at Ravinia, the wonderful outdoor venue north of Evanston. We usually sit in the pavilion, but for this concert we could only get lawn tickets, which turned out to be lots of fun. Rather than eat at one of the restaurants, I packed a picnic lunch and we rented chairs and tables. I met Dani on her way home from work aboard the Metra train.

It had poured early in the day, but there was time for the lawn to mostly dry, and the ambience of relaxing outside and watching the show on the big screen was great. It reminded us of the Open Air Theater in London’s Regent Park.

Jackson Browne was very gracious, and actually introduced–and sat in for part of–the opening act, Sara Watkins, an accomplished fiddle player and singer. Calling what she was doing fiddling is really understating it. Then she played during his set.

The main concert was very good. I heard quite a few songs I liked but wasn’t familiar with, and of course he played most of his hits.

I haven’t heard the new sound system from inside the pavilion this year, but the lawn sound was certainly better than anything I’ve heard at Ravinia before. The concert energy is much lower on the lawn, because people are relaxing and chatting a bit, and the sound level is much lower, but that’s not a bad thing, just different.

Northwestern University Graduation

Dani graduated from Northwestern University on June 21st, 2013, with a BS degree and double majors in Communications and Psychology. Linda, Nicole and I travelled to Evanston for the festivities. It was an activity-packed few days.

We began at the honors ceremony for the university, where Dani was recognized for her membership in the Mortarboard Society.

That was followed by a reception which Dani and Linda attended while I went to the airport to pick up her godmother, Nicole.

That afternoon Dani visited the local photo studio for some commemorative photos with her friend, Dana.

In the evening we went to one of our favorite Chicago restaurants, The Girl and the Goat.

Friday was the entire university’s commencement ceremony on Ryan field. The speaker was Mikhail Baryshnikov, who delivered a charming, heartfelt speech.

We had a great view, because we watched it on high definition streaming video in the comfort of Dani’s apartment The camera coverage was exceptional (done by the film students) and the audio–especially on the amazing orchestra–was terrific, too. It sounded like a CD. Dani’s friend Dana played the french horn in that orchestra.

In the afternoon we got absolutely soaked on our way the the Psychology Department’s party. But it was worth the trip, as Dani was recognized for her research grant. I had no idea how competitive that study she did last summer was, but she was one of only 2 proposals funded out of 250 applications. I also had no idea how special her presentations at two psychology conferences were. I had assumed it was a student adjunct to the conference, but her study was accepted as a part of the adult conference. Amazing.

At the party she posed with the other departmental star student, Mike, and her beloved professor (apparently the whole university’s favorite professor) Renee.

In the evening we went to our favorite Evanston restaurant, The Stained Glass.

Saturday was the School of Communications Convocation, where she got her actual diploma. Out of more than 200 students, Dani was the only one with three distinctions: Summa Cum Laude, Departmental Honors in Psychology, and Departmental Distinction in Radio, Film and Television. The honors in psychology were for her thesis, which was based upon her research.

That diploma holder was actually empty, but she ran over and got the real one before they changed their minds.

Afterwards we retired to the lake fill for some Champagne (price: about $100,000 a glass) and celebrating.

Then Dani posed in front of the Tech building where she spent so much time on her pre-med classes…

…and in front of the psychology building.

As part of the graduating tradition, she gave her stole to Nicole in thanks for all her support.

This picture makes a nice coda, since it’s where Dani stood six years earlier during her college tour of Northwestern.

Finally, it was time to return her robe and say goodbye.

We celebrated her many accomplishments with a lofty dinner high atop Everest.

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup

This recipe includes changes I made to the original on manifestvegan.com and also some procedural changes I would make next time:

1 large head cauliflower
olive oil
grapeseed oil spray
1 Tbsp garam masala
3 medium peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1″ pieces
1 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt
7 cups water

Preheat oven to 400 °F.

Cut up cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Place in ungreased baking pan, sprinkle with garam masala, spray with grapeseed oil. Roast until browned (30-45 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a skillet saute onion with olive oil until browned.

Meanwhile in a pot, combine water, sweet potato, garlic and salt and bring to a boil. Add sautéed onion. Simmer for about 45 minutes.

Let soup cool a bit and then blend until smooth. Add cauliflower.

Makes 6-8 servings

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Libby posted this recipe on Facebook, and I decided to try my own version of it, substituting for buttermilk and adding cilantro. It was quite good.

3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
3 medium celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, more to garnish
Sea salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup skim milk
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped chives, to garnish
Cilantro, to garnish

In a blender, purée the cucumber, celery, shallots, olive oil, and 1 tsp. sea salt until smooth. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Whisk in the sour cream and milk and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Serve drizzled with olive oil and garnished with chives and cilantro.

Serves 2-3

New York Dining

We tried quite a few new restaurants during our week in New York, and returned to many old favorites. Here they are, in order.

Le Rivage

This really authentic French Bistro is very popular with locals, but just a block off Broadway. It’s located in a virtual “restaurant row” on 46th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. It offers all the classic French dishes, well prepared and served in a cozy environment overseen by the owner, who made sure we were enjoying everything. Reasonably priced.

Haru Sushi

We found this little sushi place just off Broadway after a show, and were quite pleased with it. Although it is a mini chain, it didn’t seem so, and it was worlds better than the tourist restaurants on Times Square. The decor is soothing, the fish is fresh, and the service was super-attentive. I would definitely return.

Bouley

Lunch here was pretty much perfection. The bread service is much appreciated, and something not offered by many restaurants any more, even the three-star variety. There are a few bargain pre-fixe deals in town at top rated restaurants, but I’d have to say that Bouley’s is perhaps the best. The quality of food and service really can’t be topped, and the room is unbelievably comfortable and welcoming.

Sardi’s

You go to Sardi’s for the history, not the food. It’s probably the same as it’s always been, but standards have changed. However its location right in the theatre district, and the drawings of ancient theatre stars that paper the walls are what it’s all about. Linda loves the spinach cannelloni, but warns that the appetizer portion is plenty.

Candle 79

This upper east side vegetarian restaurant is a charming place, with excellent service, and is walking distance to the Metropolitan Museum, which was our next stop. It was packed, so Pamela and I took a table upstairs while Linda and Dani ate at the bar. I loved the house made ginger ale. I was a bit disappointed in the food, because it seemed under-seasoned and under-flavored, despite having quite a few ingredients. The hummus appetizer was fine, but the falafel seemed like almost the same dish, just seared hummus in a pita without much sign of tahini or other ingredients.

48 Lounge

I’m an old fuddy duddy, but this place was close to the theatre, the hotel, and was open late. Lounge seating is–let’s face it–uncomfortable, and the soundtrack makes it almost impossible to converse, so going in I knew it would have two strikes against it from my point of view. But the drink list and wines were interesting, and the food was okay. Pork sliders were the best, followed by the kobe hot dogs. Tater tots, spinach artichoke dip and hummus were okay but nothing special. If you like lounge ambiance and are in the area, it’s worth a shot (pun intended).

Sushi Yasuda

Many people think this is the best sushi in New York. I don’t get it. Most restaurants I’ve been to serve better sushi.

“Omakase” is where you put yourself in the chef’s hands and multiple specialties are served. I’ve had it in some highly regarded restaurants in Los Angeles. At one, special delicacies were flown in daily from Tokyo (they later were put out of business for selling endangered species). At another, plate after plate of tiny tastes were served, with each thoughtful ingredient contributing to an almost life-changing wonderment.

Not at Sushi Yasuda. Here, the omakase showed up as a platter of sashimi looking like it was cut up by an axe murderer. Nearly every fish had the soft, mealy texture of near-pudding, and it was all uniformly flavorless. Then a platter of sushi showed up. Same fish, now on crumbly rice. The final plate was a piece of eel sushi, also mealy. How do you even make eel mealy? At $357 for three, the biggest dining disappointment ever.

Eleven Madison Park

I had the greatest meal of my life at Eleven Madison Park. I also had the second greatest here. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend their new format. There are still 16 complex courses, and the service is still masterful yet friendly. But the emphasis on theatre rather than flavor has taken it down a notch. Some courses seemed repetitive, and there were very few “wow” moments. I’d trade the table-side magic act (lame) and the carrot grinding for a few of those one-bite orgasmic wonders of the past.

The carrot course was actually one of the best. It offered a dozen ingredients to add to the freshly ground carrot. I selected mustard and mustard seed. If that sounds like haut cuisine, you need to get out more. And it would have been just as good if the carrot was ground in the kitchen rather than on a hand grinder clamped to the table.

Another theatrical course that was a bit more successful was the “picnic basket.” This was a fun idea, where you took ingredients out of the basket and set up your own picnic. The second best food came out of this. It was a freshly made soft pretzel with house-made mustard. There’s a theme here. Madison Park makes good mustard.

The various shellfish courses that started the meal were simply repetitive. And why did we have to all have the same meat course, when they were individually plated? Surely there are enough two ounce portions of lamb and duck in the kitchen to be able to mix it up?

Sadly, the great bottle of cognac that used to end the meal is also gone, replaced by a local apple brandy.

In short, Eleven Madison Park is still a good restaurant, but it is no longer THE restaurant. I’ll certainly go back… but not until the concept changes again.

Benoit

Benoit is a traditional French Brasserie in every way: ambiance, food and service. Our favorites here include the charcuterie plate and the whole roasted chicken for two. Ironically, we’ve had the whole roasted chicken at Alan Ducasse’s thee star Michelin Louis XIV in Monte Carlo, and this one is much better! We avoid Sunday brunch, because they don’t have the same menu, therefore no roast chicken.

Chez Josephine

This is my favorite after-theatre restaurant. Its dark and cozy ambiance is perfect for winding down after a show, and the period jazz piano player summons up the perfect soundtrack. The place oozes Paris in the 1920s, plus the food is top notch. On my latest visit I really enjoyed the pan seared Alaskan halibut in lemon sauce. The cozy table in the window offers the perfect intimate atmosphere, with music at just the right level for intimate conversation. And how wonderful to enjoy this caliber of food until 1am, so there’s plenty of time to relax.

Ocha

This cozy little place is on 46th Street’s restaurant row between 8th and 9th. The fish is fresh and menu offerings are extensive. The sashimi sampler was generous, and the salmon tartare had a great sauce. Compared to top rated Sushi Yasuda (where we ate two days earlier) Ocha was much better at a fraction of the price. Service can be a bit inattentive, but if you’re in no hurry it’s a great choice.

One if by Land, Two if by Sea

This place, billed as New York’s most romantic restaurant, was recommended to us by Joy, who went there for her anniversary. We really enjoyed the ambiance of the place, which used to be Aaron Burr’s carriage house. The food was delicious, service very professional, and the piano player among the best I’ve heard. It’s divided into a number of intimate rooms. Most of the lighting is provided by table-top tapers, so it is, indeed very romantic. My barramundi had a wonderfully crispy crust, and the espresso souffle was light and airy. A glass of rainwater madeira was the perfect way to complete a perfect meal.

Broadway Shows

This trip we fit in four shows: three new ones and one favorite.

Newsies

This Disney show is based upon a movie from the 90s that flopped but became a fan favorite. The Alan Menken score was resurrected and Harvey Fierstein added story, including a love interest, in what was to be a touring company show that could later be offered to school productions. But its out of town opening was so well received they decided to take it to Broadway. On broadway it received two Tonys, and has been playing more than a year.

With that build up, I was expecting more. The plot was extremely trite, shallow and formulaic, there was no character development, and the songs are only passable. The dancing and energetic (and large cast) was great, though. But it’s definitely not a show I’d sit through again.

Lucky Guy

Norah Ephron’s last project was this dramatic play about Mike McAlary, the New York reporter and columnist. I don’t usually go for contemporary dramas, but this one featured Tom Hank’s Broadway debut, so we gave it a try. It’s a great production, with a wonderful cast, and surprisingly interesting material. The New Yorkers who comprised the audience obviously good even more out of it than we did. Hanks is an amazing actor, especially in person. It was also neat to see a Broadway show where the performers had to actually projects, as they weren’t miked.

The Book of Mormon

This is the most disgusting, irreverent, profane abomination I’ve ever seen. We loved it. I’d already listened to the soundtrack album and envisioned how it would be staged, and it was pretty much as I’d imagined it. Basically, it’s South Park about Mormons with music. If you think a show about female circumcision would make a good musical… well, you need help. But it does.

Wicked

I think this was my 15th time seeing this show, so I’ve seen strong and weak performances in every role. The Broadway version is usually best, since the sets are bigger and better, and it often attracts the best talent. Not tonight, though. It was like watching a high school production. Glinda was being played by the standby, and she threw away every one of her funny lines. But she wasn’t the only problem. Fiero also seemed like a high school student, with no depth of character, and extremely awkward dance movements. Elphaba had a beautiful singing voice, but no chemistry with the other performers. I wouldn’t have said it was possible for this show to contain so little humor and so little emotional impact. The audience still loved it, but it left us bemused. Thank goodness it’s not always like this!

Charleston

We spent two days at sea, sailing from San Juan to Charleston, South Carolina. The Atlantic was fairly calm, and the sailing smooth.

We had booked Priveé, the private dining room, for Thursday night. It’s located between Toscana and Polo Grill, and you can choose items from both menus. We invited Ashley and Ming Cheung, a couple we met at the La Reserve wine dinner to join us, and the five of us had a lovely evening of conversation, food and wine. I probably wouldn’t book Priveé again, though, because most of the experience can be duplicated by requesting a table for five in either of the adjoining restaurants. You’d just have to decide what cuisine you wanted.

Friday we docked in Charleston. The weather was temperate and sunny. Charleston is a great port, because the pier is just a block from the end of Market street, the tourist shopping area of the city. We sensed this was what Pamela had been waiting for; she had a good time browsing the wide variety of merchandise.

At the end of the shops we split up, and Linda and I continued about a mile down King Street to O-Ku, a restaurant Dani and I discovered on a previous trip. They serve excellent sushi, in a really nice decor (although the menu and the lighting is better at night).

We made our way back along Market Street, where Linda stocked up on stocking stuffers for Christmas.

In the afternoon we tried out the putting green on deck 16, then watched as we sailed out of Charleston Harbor past Fort Sumter.

Puerto Rico

Since San Juan is a commonwealth of the US, we cleared immigration before disembarking. Last time I was in San Juan, Dani and I went into the countryside on a horseback riding excursion, so I’d never really seen the city. This time Linda and I opted for a tour of the Barcardi Rum facility, which is just around the harbor from the cruise ship docks.

It’s a very campus-like setting. I was impressed that they generate 70% of the distillery electricity by burning the waste products. Bacardi’s original claim to fame was the invention of barrel aging rum, and charcoal filtration to make it clear. It’s still made that way, but there are many variations now, including flavors like the ones that have become so popular in the competitors’ vodkas. But I like the ones that are aged like scotch, and not filtered to strip out the oaky complexity.

While you don’t actually tour the distillery, there is a nice visitor center, and a pavilion where you can sample the rums. (There’d nothing like a nice rum for breakfast.) The Oakheart spiced rum was my favorite.

Our second stop was at the San Cristobal Fort, a National Park Service facility (which I hear uses Alcorn McBride equipment). It was very interesting to walk through the various tunnels and climb on the ramparts. The size and complexity of the place is impressive, as is the view of Old San Juan down below. At 521 years, it’s the oldest city in the Caribbean.

After a brief drive around the walls of the old city we were dropped off at Plaza Colon, where we could shop. Then, since our ship docked right next to the city of Old San Juan, we walked back on board.