Red Is Life

Pizza By La Grolla

Pizza in New York usually means a guy in a white T-shirt - barely speaking English - repetitively making the same round pie - with the same canned tomato sauce - poured onto the same pounded crust - upon which the same Mozzarella cheese is sprinkled - before the pie goes into the oven - from which the finished pie emerges to be cut into eight pieces - so that the guy in the white T-shirt can slap down the slice - to go - on the counter - 

Don't get me wrong - I would die without being able to grab-a-slice - but there's got to be a better mouse trap  - and I think I've found it - Pizza By La Grolla - 

La Grolla - the restaurant opened about ten years ago - a truly neighborhood italian joint with a great chef - 

Fast forward - recession hits - lease renewal - rents skyrocket - the chef - reasoning that "life is too short" - swaps his double storefront with the Mediterranean restaurant up with street with the tiny storefront - voila -  Pizza by La Grolla -

• Q - What happens when the Chef spends 100% of his time making the bare essential that we call Pizza 
• A - Magic - 

First - The Chef Dan remembers my name - I taste a piece of plain pizza - very good - medium crust - 

Next visit - the Chef asks about my wife - and her previous employer - I bring him up to date - this time I order Forestiera Pizze A Taglio (Rectangular Pizze) - it was one of those OMG eating experiences - Rosemary Ham - Mushrooms - Ricotta - Mozzarella - the ingredients wedded atop a crust that merged pizza with delicate pastry - cut into four small pieces - its was simply amazing - I walked down the block trying to figure out what was going on with each bite - 

Anxious now to return for Carciofo - Valdostana - Divola - Salsicciona - Patata - Tonno and Affumicata (Eggplant - Smoke Mozzarella - Parmigiano - Tomato Sauce) - or perhaps - Paste - Panini - and - Sfizi (Appetizers) - 

The space is small - fresh - the brick-oven taking up the space behind the count - food prep being done in the back - there aren't too many tables - but whether you eat-in - take-out - or - opt for delivery - you're going to enjoy something very different than you or I have been used to - 

 

Must Read

Wine Spectator - Dec 15, 2009 - The Crusade Against Counterfeits - a great article on counterfeit wine - the people who are selling it - knowingly or are claiming innocence - the collectors who are buying or are finding they are the not so proud owners of "fake" bottles - the individuals (particularly Bill Koch) who are attempting to clean up the situation - through corrections of deals gone bad - or - via the most aggressive court actions designed to punish the transgressors or put them in jail - 

Two personal comments - 

• If the fake wine server at showcase dinners is so good as to fool the million dollar collectors - why don't the forgers bottle it under their own legal label instead of insisting on the dark side which eventually leads to disaster - 
• Super slick Wine Spectator should invest in a fashion stylist the next time they put someone on the cover wearing a simple blue blazer - i.e. - the lapel of the billionaires suit shouldn't look like a cheap Robert Hall special - 

I Smell Gas

The Con Ed meter reader - smelled gas - prompting a cut off for NYC restaurant - Good Enough To Eat - who rushed to get it repaired (old pipes in the building)- only to run into the wall that is NYC bureaucracy - 

Now - even though its fixed - the restaurant remains closed - its survival in the hands of bureaucrats - "just doing their job" - 

NYC Recipe For Going Bust - Julia Vitullo-Martin - NYPost - 100509

French Fry Perfecto

Some chefs buy frozen and dump a handful into the oil - other chefs hand-cut - pre-fry - re-fry when the order comes in - or - pre-make - warming the fries under heat lamps - freshness becomes "luck of the draw" - I order mine "well done" - even sending them back if their too blond - my table-mates have been known to cringe in embarrassment - still - its hit or miss - 

Now - one of the great chef's of the world - rates New York French Fries - Alain Ducasse Judges New York's French Fries - Alexandra Vallis - Grubstreet - 102209 - a noble effort - he found Cafe Bruxelles - but missed Nathan's - 

My entree for best - unfortunately now a memory - the restaurant (Madaleine Mae  is gone and Chef Drew has moved to Austin - requires treating the spuds with a level of respect that many would consider wasteful - but trust me - these were the best - 

• Hand-Cut Potatoes - 
• Soak in Ice Water - 6 to 8 hours - 
• Blanch Fries in 250 degree oil - do not allow to brown - 
• Refrigerate Fries until cool - 
• Deep-Fry in 350 to 375 degree oil - until golden brown - 

Lobster Free Fund

Larry - a 70 year old lobster - weighing in at 11 pounds - has his own private tank at Oceana in Rockefeller Center - 

Do we want to see Larry end up on someone's plate - steams - pouched - sauteed - covered in a rich cream sauce (a mere $275 meal) - or - do we want to see Larry sent back to whence he came (speculation is that he is a he) - 

Oceana's 70-Year-Old Lobster Deserves Escape Claws - Ryan Sutton - Bloomberg - 102309

NOLA Food Scene Heats Up

There's such a thing as a - "heated competition" - and then there's - "plain old stupidity' - 

74-Year-Old Woman Caught On Tape Torching Competitor's Restaurant - Mary Sparacello - Times-Picayune - 102109 - details how the owner of a 32 year old chinese restaurant in a New Orleans suburb - torched a 13 year old chinese restaurant down the street - $50K or $60K - 

by the by - it was a Wednesday night fire -  

Chile Relenos Cupcakes

OMG - Red Velvet Cupcakes with a dash of ...... - you've got to read - Oh My! Taco Bell Testing Cupcakes & Smoothies - Nancy Luna - OC Register - 100709 - for the details - 

White House Beer

Obama's is Bud - 

Crowley's is Blue Moon - 

Gates is as yet unresolved - it appears he likes Beck's and Red Stripe - banned from the White House by LBJ - which is strange given LBJ's love of his Omega watch - so lets all keep cool heads (no pun intended) - avoiding national debate on the significance and possible impact on foreign trade of substituting an American brew for the preferred foreign bottle - 

Trader Joe's Charcoal

My BBQ belongs to Royal Oak Hardwood Charcoal - but running a close second - Trader Joe's Charcoal - 

In the tradition of Two Buck Chuck (2.99 NYC) - the "slow burning briquettes" are - 5.95 per 18 lbs bag - that's an amazingly low price for what has proven - at multiple recent BBQ events - to be a quality charcoal - i.e - it really does "burn slow" - 

By comparison - Royal Oak - which as a charcoal affectionado - would swear adds to BBQ as a summer art form - comes in at - 9.95 (Stew Leonard's - Danbury) - 12.95 (Stew Leonard's - Yonkers) - 16.95 (Zabar's - UWS) - 19.95 (UES) - 

Tomato's Phylloxera Update

A highly contagious fungus - late blight - feeding on the June's unusually wet and cool weather is  aggressively destroying tomato plants - threatening the Northeastern/ mid-Atlantic crop - 
Outbreak of Fungus Threatens Tomato Crop - Julia Moskin - NYT - 071709

Fungus Among Us: Tomato Blight Could Ruin Crop - PittsburghChannel - 072109

Blight Like A Nuclear Bomb - Chris Churchill - Albany Times Union - 072109

Lobster PC

• Is there a "legal" way to kill lobster -
  
• Does a lobster feel pain -
• Do lobster's have legal rights -
• Is splitting live lobster for BBQ a criminal act -
  

You laugh - but The Huffington Post' asks - Should Killing Lobsters in Boiling Water Be Outlawed - not only raising the question - but - surveying efforts around the world - from Britain to New Zealand - to essentially give lobsters legal rights -

Corked Wine Uncorked

In dramatic contrast to the neutral carafe - the wine's dark color created a sense of anticipation as it moved around the table - into each group member's glass -

"Corked" was the immediate reaction of the first to sip this as yet unidentified wine - the presenter's reaction being dejection and disappointment - the empty bottle from whence the wine came - still in its brown bag - identity still hidden -

Several tasters gingerly sipped - just to see how bad the corking was - bad facial reactions - others robotically dumped their glasses' contents into the nearest spit bucket - the consensus was universal - TCA - and - when the bottle was unveiled - Niebaum Coppola Rubicon '94 - a further sense of loss - enveloped the room -

That's when the "Saran Wrap Remedy" was put to the test -

... advocated by Andrew Waterhouse, professor of wine chemistry at University of California, Davis, by pouring the wine into a bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap. For ease of pouring, a pitcher, measuring cup, or decanter can be used instead. Effective within a few minutes, the 2,4,6-trichloroanisole molecule is chemically similar topolyethylene and will stick to the plastic.^[5]

Could platstic wrap - specifically Saran Wrap - remove the TCA from corked wine -

From the kitchen emerged a sheet of clear plastic wrap - stuffed straight into the carafe about to be emptied -

We waited 5 minutes - took a short pour - tasted - the corking was still there - though greatly diminished - quantitatively - maybe 75% less - another 10 minutes - as another wine was making its rounds - the guesstimate was about 90% of the corking was gone -

Did it bring one of the great wines of California - if not the world - back to a drinkable level? ... I suppose so - it was passable - though the argument of just how much ambient aeration played in the process became a debate point -

Could this bottle of Rubicon ever be enjoyed as a Rubicon '94? ... afraid not -

Should "Saran Wrap Remedy" be tried again? ... it can only help -

Smoked Butter

To hell with Smoked Cheese - Smoked Salmon - Smoked BBQ - you've got to try - Smoked Butter - sampled at the Fancy Food Show - from The Organic Smokehouse - in residence on the other side of the pond -

After tasting

• "great" Smoked Salmon - that had been- air dried for 24 hours ... smoked for 30 hours at ambient temperature -
• "wonderful" Smoked Cheddar - aged 6 months ... smoked over Oak -
• "unique" Smoked Parmesan - "Extra Quality" cheese imported from Modena -
• "amazing" Smoked Sea Salt - from Halen Mon ... spread on muslin lined shelves ... smoked for 18 hours - with an overwhelmingly inviting aroma - prompting my "want" to reach in - to take a spoonful -

Then - Michael Leviseur - Director & Head Smoker - slipped me a sliver of Smoked Butter on the edge of a knife - this was an OMG tasting experience - pure cream and sea salt ... organic butter that's cold smoked - severed at room temperature - it had the texture of a ultra-lite - ultra-creamy - cheese - the smoke taste immediate without being overpowering - little or no sense of the butter being salted - there was sweetness - the idea of pure cream being injected into the vein coming forth in technicolor - a sensory joy -

Limited distribution stateside - we can only hope the Smoked Butter makes it to a New York City retail shelf - soon -

$98 Per Pound

Its good news for lovers of Lobster Salad - Loaves and Fishes - "a gourmet take-out located in the Hampton" -  has dropped the price from $100 per pound (RedIsLife - 07) - to - $98 per pound (POTS - 061809) - 

In a similar vein - Nello Sumertimes - who last summer charged $27 - for - Ketle One with a splash - is - reported to have answered the call - knocking $6 off the tab for this essential libation - i.e. $21 -  

• Is the Lobster Salad that good - 
• Are these merchants and barkeeps feeling the pain of their clientele - responding in kind -   
• Are these reports pure fiction - along with reports that there ever was a recession - 
• Are the Hamptons really a code name for the "fourth dimension" - 

Bottom line - read it & love it - 

by the by - POTS is Plain Old Telephone Service - 

Robot Opens Wine Bottle

MOTOMAN - a Japanese robot - has only been programmed to make pancakes - (video)

Can pulling the cork - be far behind - 

Wine's Mojo

Last night's MSNBC headline - this morning's front page NY Times article - Bush v. Gore Foes Join To Fight Gay Marriage Ban - Jesse McKinley - 052709 - 

The article's first theme - David Boles and Theodore B. Olson to be co-counsel in federal lawsuit to overturn California's Proposition 8 banning gay marriage - with all the legal - pros - cons - wrinkles - turns - pitfalls

The article second theme - David Boles (Gore - Democrat) and Theodore B. Olson (Bush - Republican) - working together - "partially pro-bono" - on such a major case - likely to end up in front of the United States Supreme Court - 

A most unlikely couple - hemming and hawing to questions on how they came to work together - in fact becoming friends after the epic battle over recounts in Florida - Olson finally said - We do drink wine once in a while ...

Yankee Stadium Pig-Out

Fun piece via Time Magazine - How To Beat The Yankees With Your Stomach - Josh Tyrangiel - 052209 - 

Getting a free Legends Suite ticket to the New Yankee Stadium - he fasted - and -  went for the food - 

Without spoiling anything - lets just say - it ranged from - a chateaubriand cheeseburger on a puffy little brioche that was completely perfect - to - the lobster roll ... an exaggerated pink paste on white bread - 

Read the last two paragraphs - ticket economics versus the Stadium as a recessionary dining destination - think - still empty $2,500 seats - 

30% Off Mouton Rothschild '82

Nice NYT Business piece - Investing In WIne: Now May Be The Time - William L. Hamilton - 052009 - addresses the retreat of - big-ticket, big invoice collectors - and the subsequent opportunity for mere mortals to collect - or at the very least - drink a lot better - 

Twitter Restaurant

Forget - location - Location - LOCATION - 

Think - twitter - Twitter - TWITTER - 

The secret keys to restaurant success have shifted - want a cupcake - track - Cupcake Stop (@cupcakestop) - NYC's First Mobile Gourmet Cupcake Shoppe - on Twitter - want Korean BBQ - track - Kogi Korean BBQ (@kogibbq) - on Twitter - 

Who needs a storefront - who needs a table - who needs a reservation - 

The Kogi Phenom was all my LA friends could talk about at NRA - the mobile restaurant pulls up to the curb - 300 to 600 customers show up to feast - Korean BBQ on Tacos - 

The internet has gone from BBS > Prodigy > Blogs > My Space > Facebook > Twitter - will the white table cloth - follow the same path ? - 

Stay tuned - 

Critic Obsolescence

Eater writes - Bruniocalypse: The Cuozz Calls Times Irrelevant - questioning the power of blogs versus The Times - vis-a-vie - New York's restaurant industry - specifically - is the NY Times Restaurant Critic obsolete in today's digital universe -

REDISLIFE.COM posted its comment - 

(Steve) Cuozzo (NY Post) is just jealous - 

What is the blog of record - Eater - The Feedbag - GrubStreet - its interesting to not that Urbanspoon gets more eyeballs (everyday) than Zagat - 

A million plus "readers" check out the Times on Wednesday - every restaurant - every chef I have ever met - checks the Times on Wednesday - even if they're you - hip - digitally inclined - 

Do restaurants put on their dancing shoes in anticipation of blogger Jane Doe's rumored visit - 

There are many "hip" spots that succeed with word of mouth from day one - but if you're spending 3 to 5 million (Charlie Palmer) - which do you want more - "its cool" on Yelp - or - 3/4 stars from The New York Times -