Red Is Life

We Know Where 2 Go

Frank Bruni's lead article - today's (02/27/08) New York Times - Dining Section - Coast to Coast, Restaurants That Count - details his visits to - 15 acclaimed, ambitious, promising or intriguing new restaurants...coast to cost...excluding New York City -

Included in the top 10 - Cochon - which liberates Cajun cooking from its deep-fried clichés. With its stylishly casual vibe, fatty abandon, worship of pork (cochon is French for pig) and fervent devotees, it’s a Momofuku on the Mississippi -

Almost making the cut - Lüke - the chef John Besh’s brasserie in New Orleans -

Scorecard - 2 of the 15 - "already" written of in Red Is Life  - Cochon (10/21/07) & Lüke (9/30/07) - i.e. - its fun to "compare" notes -

 

Only Nice

Looking for big fruit Cab at Beacon - distilled the list with restaurant manager - ending with Chappellet 2005 -

Nice nose - immediately tasted dry (14.9% alc !!!) - no heat - classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon without the super aroma - only moderate fruit - not as big as the expectation - almost European construction - did not distinguish itself - or - rise to the level of the meal - 2.5 checks -

Small Tasting

Sometimes its ten big guys squeezed around a New York City dining room table - making sure not to pour too much as to leave nothing - good or bad - for the fellow taster at the end of the chain -

Some nights its five guys relaxing over several excellent bottles of reds and whites - plenty of wine to go around - if not to sample (seconds) more of the truly outstanding offerings - i.e. - not a bad wine in the bunch -

FEMA Shame

The CDC confirmed (02/14/08) that FEMA trailers provided as temporary housing to Katrina victims were impregnated with unacceptable levels of formaldehyde - six months after it was revealed that FEMA lawyers blocked testing for fear of agency liability - i.e - the storm may have cost them their homes - FEMA may have cost them their health - via Associated Press -

FEMA's expedited effort (02/18/08) to move affected trailer residents to suitable housing - via The Times Picayune

Let's hope its not too little - too late -

Musical Chairs

Giant game of Musical "Manhattan Real Estate" Chairs being played by restaurants on Columbus Avenue along the four blocks - 82 thru 86 -  north of my residence - a scorecard of unusual complexity...

Pasta Vino

Scurati - Nero D'Avola - Sicilia - 2006 - grabbed at my favorite "non" wine store - Jerry's Homemade (Englewood, NJ) -

Exuberant reaction at the tasting - big - blustery - fun - fruit - depth - strong - a wine to match the most massive gourmand meal - pasta with a huge Bolognese sauce - deep dish Chicago pizza - steak - that all American type meal with "the boys" -

This is a big bang for the buck ($15.99) - 100% Nero D'Avola - lots of cherry - concerns voiced on the retail floor - "too young" - "needs a year" - proved to be unfounded concerns - tannins are strong not harsh - drink now or in a year or two - alc 14% - appreciated - great display of this grape -