Blog of Award-winning authors
ANDREW DORNENBURG & KAREN PAGE
May 2008

Named one of GourmetFood.About.com's "Top 10 Food Blogs"

Named one of The Fifty Best Links for Epicureans

Named to MUG 400 for "distinctive contribution to life in New York"

"Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page monitor the pulse of the food world like nobody's business. There's a fantastic database of restaurant reviews, too."
— Babbo pastry chef Gina DePalma

"If you asked me what I came into this world to do,
I will tell you: I came to live out loud."
— Critic and novelist Emile Zola (1840-1902)

"There is nothing under the sun better for man than to eat, drink, and be merry. Go, therefore, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with cheer.”
— Ecclesiastes 8:15

Credit: Julia Ewan

Saturday, May 10, 2008 — We're back from a fast but fun 48-hour visit to the Catskills to celebrate Karen's birthday with friends at their home. Given the breathtaking view of the mountains, trees, and water, with the frogs' ribbeting lulling us to sleep and the birds' chirping coaxing us awake in the morning, it was remarkably restorative for such a quick getaway. Our heartfelt thanks to our consummate hosts, Susan and Bernard.

We're belatedly sharing our column "A Paean to His Passion" from Wednesday's Washington Post, which was inspired by our recent reading of Passion on the Vine by Sergio Esposito:

We've never met Alma Tschantret, but in honor of Mother's Day, we salute her. She's the mother of Italian wine merchant Sergio Esposito, author of the hilarious, insightful and moving memoir "Passion on the Vine: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart of Italy" (Broadway, 2008).

After all, if it weren't for Alma, there would be no Sergio, and thus no page-turner to delight our senses and reignite our own passions, as this one did. As Gianfranco Soldera, Italy's most distinguished producer of Brunello di Montalcino, observes in the book, "You know what they say: If they come out right, it's because of the mother."

Following life-altering sips of wine at age 7, Esposito eats and drinks his way through his childhood in Naples, his formative years in Albany, N.Y., and his adulthood in New York City and Italy. He introduces us to renowned and often eccentric characters who populate the Italian-wine world, including Brunello producer Bartolo Mascarello and the late Luigi Veronelli, a philosopher who became the world's foremost expert on Italian wine. Veronelli entrusts to the author a vintage Malvasia literally fit for a prince.

But rarefied wines are the exception in Italy, where, Esposito writes, "Wine is like bread and salt: Without it, dinner is incomplete. . . . If you didn't have wine, you didn't have a meal." He also points out: "Wine didn't get us drunk. It brought out the flavors in our food. It cut the spice, cooled down the heat, heightened the sensations. We needed it as we needed one another."

We agree with Esposito that any afternoon or evening meal — if not life itself -- is incomplete without wine, so this week we share the best of our recent tasting of Italian wines under $15.

Prosecco, Esposito writes, is "certainly good at stimulating the palate." So is the new rosy-hued N.V. Anime Pink sparkling dry rosé wine ($15), which contains a small percentage of prosecco grapes. Made via the same Charmat method used to make prosecco, this charming bubbly is comprised of 40 percent pinot nero (pinot noir), 40 percent Raboso (a red wine grape native to northeastern Italy) and 20 percent blended chardonnay and prosecco, according to Peter Matt, a partner in importer Monarchia Matt International. An elegant sparkling wine with bright pear, peach and raspberry fruitiness and a creamy finish, it pairs beautifully with shellfish and even meat dishes.

Zola in Penn Quarter is one of the first restaurants in the mid-Atlantic to serve Anime Pink. Director of operations Ralph Rosenberg pours it with tuna tartare and grilled shrimp. At a Mother's Day brunch, it could pair with all but the sweetest dishes.

A former restaurant professional himself, Esposito writes of his revelation that wine and food "could work as a team, how they could be synchronized, how I could help create an astounding experience for a diner through the correct combination of flavors." All of this week's recommendations can allow you to do the same.

A perfect partner with anything you'd couple with sauvignon blanc — including vinaigrette-dressed salads and seafood — Karen's pick is the crisp and dry 2006 Villa Antinori Toscana Bianco ($12). This light-bodied, refreshing white made from a blend of four grapes offers an impressive value from a well-known Tuscan producer.

Our other choices will bring out the best of any tomato-sauced pastas or pizza, or heartier dishes featuring mushrooms or meat, including veal Parmesan or those with beef, lamb or sausage.

We both loved the full-bodied, sangiovese-based 2004 Monte Antico Toscana Red Wine ($13), a collaboration between Italian wine importer Neil Empson and Italian winemaker Franco Bernabei. Though the 2006 Bolla Valpolicella ($9) didn't impress us nearly as much on its own, with food this 125-year-old winery's light-bodied, cherry-noted Valpolicella sprang to life.

Esposito quotes winemaker Ales Kristancic as saying that "the key to biodynamic winemaking is to know that in the world there are some forces we can't touch, some great cosmic mysteries. We can't explain them exactly, but we can see their effects. And because of this, we must have faith in their value." With one powerful whiff and then taste of the 2005 Conserva Aglianico ($15), which is certified organic (but not biodynamic), you, too, will believe in the value of sustainable winemaking practices. This wine, which is aged in new oak barrels for 12 months, is as heavy in weight as it is loud and complex in flavor, and it requires an equally robust dish to bring out its best.

Andrew's pick, the 2005 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore "Le Orme" ($13), disproves the notion that quantity and quality can't go hand in hand. Some 42,000 cases of this wine were made in southern Piedmont in the DOC region of Asti. The area generally is believed to produce the best barbera, elegant and complex because of its limestone and clay earth. This well-balanced, velvety-textured red is a pleasure even without food, but why deny yourself the pleasure of both?

Together, food and wine are transformative. The combination of the two "altered my thought process, and if I was feeling a little down, a good meal could pick me up," Esposito writes. "Wine and food -- the scents, the ingredients, my mother's mastery -- pulled me in." Armchair travelers, be advised: "Passion on the Vine" does the same.

Tips: Wine Wisdom from the pages of "Passion on the Vine"

"The first known quality winemakers were priests and alchemists,
men who believed that nature was central to all understanding. . . .
Wine is alive, full of yeasts and ever changing, evolving like a plant
or a person, a divine creation."

"I considered the nature of a great wine. Its value lies in the fact that you can never understand or master it. To begin to see even a small portion of what it is, you must smother your ego, stop trying to win at some mad game, and let yourself become completely engulfed by something bigger than you."

"Get to know the winemaker. . . . Is he steadfast, true to his principles, devoted first to wine and next to profit? This was how I found
the great wines that you could depend on year in and year out --
by finding the great producers."

"If you don't miss a wine after you've drunk it,
don't ever drink it again."

Zola Honey Glazed Spring Lamb, Sweet Pea, Cippolini Onion
and Mint Spaetzle at the James Beard House

Zola Creme Fraiche Cake with Sweet Corn Ice Cream and
Cayenne Caramel at the James Beard House

Zola team, from right: Bryan Moscatello, Ralph Rosenberg

The bar at South Gate in the Essex House Hotel in NYC pulls
in a four-star crowd (including actor Morgan Freeman)

The addictive seasoned nuts at the bar at South Gate

South Gate's Tarte Flambee is one of our new faves in NYC

Linguicia sausage sandwich with Muenster cheese, avocado,
and tarragon with beet-stained potato chips and salad

Tsubasa, Matsuri's manager, pours another sake to sample;
we were glad to taste the Dewazakura "Tobiroku" sparkling
sake; the Joyo "Kura no Hana" Daiginjo; Dewazakura
"Namagenshu" Nama Ginjo; Masumi "Arabashiri" Nama
Ginjo; Kokuryu "500 Mangoku" Ginjo; and the Miyasaka
"Yamahai 50 Nama" Nama Ginjo

Sashimi (hamachi, maguro, sake, hirame, tai) at Matsuri

Chunky shrimp and vegetable tempura with dashi at Matsuri

Sliced rare roasted duck breast with wasabi at Matsuri

We shared a table at Matsuri with another happy couple

Lunch at Bar Milano:

Our amuse-bouche at Bar Milano was a mousse en pate

Potato, egg, caviar, fonduta at Bar Milano

Bar Milano's Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese is as good as it looks

Our crispy roast chicken with root vegetables at Bar Milano

Bar Milano's Farina with Hot Milk dessert

Dinner at Bar Milano:

Carpaccio di Langostine with sea urchin and meyer lemon

We all fawned over the cauliflower soup with rosemary

The winning entree: rare squab breast and squab sausage

Our waitress pours us a glass of sparkling Lambrusco

Tasting our way through several desserts...

...our favorite turned out to be our waitress's favorite, too!

Friday, May 2, 2008 — We're catching up on blogging some new discoveries worth knowing about. Today, we're happy to recommend two spots for hotel dining — one downtown (Matsuri in the Maritime Hotel) and one uptown (South Gate in the Essex House) — along with a new Midtown restaurant (Jason Denton's Bar Milano) and a long-time Greenwich Village standby, the James Beard House.

Bar Milano is at 323 Third Avenue (at 24th Street), Manhattan. (212) 682-3035. Web: www.barmilano.com. Restaurateur Jason Denton is also behind our beloved 'ino in Greenwich Village.

The James Beard House is at 167 West 12th Street, Manhattan. (212) 675-4984. Web: www.jamesbeard.org

Matsuri is in the Maritime Hotel at 363 West 16th Street (near Ninth Avenue), New York. (212) 243-6400. Web:
www.themaritimehotel.com/matsuri.html Manager Tsubasa Nagayama is a welcoming host, and chef Tadashi Ono is obviously quite talented.

South Gate is in the Essex House Hotel at 154 Central Park South in Manhattan. (212) 484-5120. Web: jumeirahessexhouse.com. Anyone who has missed chef Kerry Heffernan's magical food at Eleven Madison Park (like us!) will be happy to taste his flavors again here.

World Sake is at www.worldsake.com. President Chris Pearce is a passionate advocate for sake.

Zola is at 800 F St., NW, in Washington, DC. (202) 654-0999. Web: www.zoladc.com. Chef Bryan Moscatello is a former Food & Wine magazine Top 10 chef who cooked at the Beard House on May 1st.

So, what are you doing the evening of Monday, May 12th?
Here are a couple of ideas, fresh from our emailbox:

Option #1:

Fellow bacon lovers, take note!
Restaurateur Jimmy Carbone writes:

"Bacon Night Marks the Start of Bacon and Summer Beer Week at Jimmy's No. 43: On May 12 the editor of New York magazine's Grub Street, Josh Ozersky (aka Mr. Cutlets) will be hosting a bacon tasting in the back room at Jimmy's No. 43. In addition to having hosted several bacon tastings at Jimmy' s No. 43, Josh Ozersky has also authored The Hamburger: A History. He is on a meat mission to introduce chefs and restaurants to quality farms and meat producers. His passion and expertise make him just the right person to host Bacon Night which kicks off Bacon and Summer Beer Week at Jimmy's No. 43.

During the week of May 12- 15 the menu will feature some special bacons and summer beers. Some of the bacons on hand: Benton's from Tennessee, Flying Pigs Farm and Violet Hill Farms from New York state, Summerfield Farms and several others. A sampling of the Summer Beers that will be featured include: Schlenkerla Helles Lager, Reissdorf Kolsch, Troubadour Blond, Allagash (Maine) White, Hitachino White Ale (Japan), and many more."

Thanks, Jimmy — our mouths are watering already!

Option #2:

From Derek Todd (whom we had the pleasure of interviewing in his capacity as sommelier at Blue Hill at Stone Barns for our book WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT):

"Hey everyone — This is a reminder for my wife Carol's benefit coming up a week from Monday on May 12th. In case any of you missed the first email: She has written a short screenplay which her production company — STIR — is shooting a month from now. They are holding a benefit at Vig 27 to raise the final funds needed to make this happen. Tix are only $35 and I promise you not a dollar of that will be wasted. You can buy the tix online through the link to STIR's website below or at the door (though they are $40). If you can make it, please come (and bring some friends!) We are also still looking for more raffle prizes — dinners for two / theater, concert, play tix, etc. — if you are feeling especially generous.

Years ago, we bought a sand pendulum that we display like a sculpture on a pedestal in our home. For years, it has typically made designs such as the one above.

Recently, it has begun making ever more intricate designs (shown here), and we have no idea what has prompted its departure from its more typical pattern.

Any sand pendulum experts around to enlighten us?

Credit: Julia Ewan

Wednesday, April 30, 2008 — As the weather warms and you join us in our craving for crisp, refreshing white wines, you'll want to check out our picks this week. And as for anything you've ever wanted to know about wine but were afraid (or didn't know who!) to ask, ask away — and we just might answer your question in our next Q&A column in The Washington Post. Here's this week's Q&A column:

From a bone-dry Spanish white that can accompany appetizers to a sweet French wine that can take you through a cheese plate or dessert, this week's question-and-answer forum turns up a wine to enjoy with every course. Build a dinner party around them, serve them blind, and let your guests guess which one comes from a box instead of a bottle.

Are there any really good box wines out there? I have tried only a few, without much luck, and it seems that there is a lack of reviews in the wine magazines.
— John W. Copeland, Denver

It's tough enough to convince wine lovers that screw-cap closures are better than the traditional corks; unscrewing a bottle doesn't inspire the same poetry as popping a cork. But convincing them that boxed wines are not inferior is even tougher, which might account for the lack of coverage.

However, because boxed wines are one of the fastest-growing segments of the wine market (up more than 40 percent over a year ago, according to the Nielsen Co.), that should change.

The best we've tasted was at a party in 2005 at the home of chef Daniel Boulud, who was launching his 2004 Dtour Macon - Villages ($37 for a three-liter cylinder, or the equivalent of $9.25 a bottle). We were shocked by the quality that came out of this cardboard tube and the vacuum-sealed bag within it. Later we bought our own three-liter container of the wine, which was still drinkable a good eight weeks after we spigoted our first glass of it.

Since then, we haven't found others of equal quality, but we're sold on the promise of the packaging technology, so we're still searching — and will let you know about any we uncover in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we'll admit we were pleasantly surprised last week by the 2006 Boho Vineyards Central Coast Chardonnay ($24 for a three-liter box, or the equivalent of $6 a bottle), with subtle cinnamon-poached-pear fruitiness accented by rounded lemon acidity and with a notably creamy finish.

The Boho wine comes in an eco-friendly brown box made of 95 percent recycled materials and printed with 100 percent soy-based ink. Boho claims it generates "a 55 percent smaller carbon footprint and contributes 85 percent less to landfill waste." The wine is available now in Maryland and, as of May 1, nationally. It's definitely worth a taste. One sip had Andrew hungering for a fried oyster po' boy and Karen yearning for chicken or pork chops right off the grill.

After reading some articles about the Jura, I was intrigued enough to buy a bottle of Henri Maire Vin de Paille. What would you serve with it?
— Lev Raphael, Okemos, Mich.

Vin de paille, or "straw wine," is a relatively rare, warm-climate sweet wine produced almost exclusively in France's Jura region, between Burgundy and Switzerland. Historically, it was made from grapes that had been dried in the sun on straw mats for at least three months. Today, the grapes are often dried in boxes or while hanging, then aged in oak for at least three years. Its honeyed sweetness is concentrated, like that of an ice wine or Sauternes. Vin de paille often is made from chardonnay blended with local white Savagnin and red Poulsard grapes. It is a cellar-worthy style capable of aging for as long as a decade or even several decades.

Its typical high acidity helps it pair with a variety of foods. On the savory side, consider foie gras, aged and/or blue cheeses, or nuts (such as walnuts). For dessert, choose those made with figs or stone fruits (such as apricots), caramel, dark chocolate and/or walnuts.

The Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli — which per your description combines all of my favorite wines (Riesling, Gewuerztraminer, Gruener Veltliner and New Zealand sauvignon blanc) — really sounds fascinating. Do you have any suggestions as to wine stores in the D.C. area that would stock this wine?
— Lewis Katz, Baltimore

To read more, visit The Washington Post online here.

With as many times as we've been in and out the east and north doors of the Time Warner Center, how is it that before this past weekend we'd never been near the south doors — nor seen Boaz Vaadia's enchanting sculpture "Asaf and Yo'ah" that makes its home there?

It moved us enough to spend 15 minutes circling it from every angle, and to send an admiring email to its creator, who surprised us by writing back:

"Dear Karen and Andrew,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my work.
It's always a pleasure to hear that my public work
brings pleasure and joy to the people that view it.
I grew up on a farm in Israel and I have always felt that I am continuing the tradition of my father [who] grew food for our bodies. I feel that as a sculptor I create food for our souls.

Thanks again.

Yours,
Boaz Vaadia"

Boaz Vaadia's Web site can be found at www.vaadia.com.

Spanish chef Paco Roncero served Lyo-Niro and Melon Caviar

Lyo-Niro turned out to be a Chinese spoon topped with a
freeze-dried pineapple-flavored chemical-soaked substance
that we were instructed to eat with our mouths closed...

...which caused vapor to shoot out our noses. (Toro!)

Paco's chef colleague makes melon-flavored caviar before
our eyes, demonstrating the process of spherification

Melon-flavored liquid drips into a chemical bath, forming
caviar-like balls that are served on a Chinese spoon

Chefs Pedro Larumbe and Jesus Almagro prep their dish...

...Low Temperature Roasted Egg with Potatoes and Chorizo,
served in a martini glass with tiny silver spoons

Cooking demo-meets-science fair project at Del Posto lets
out periodic clouds of vapor during preparation

Sunday, April 27, 2008 — It's been a few years since our last visit to Spain (which was also our first!), but last night we experienced a taste of it at Del Posto. As we were two of the first American authors to write about the cuisine of the world's most globally influential chef of the moment Ferran Adria of El Bulli (in our 2001 book CHEF'S NIGHT OUT), we've had more than a passing interest in how Adria and his chef-colleagues in Spain have been pushing the boundaries of culinary techniques.

Last night's party drew an interesting array of food writers (Gerry Dawes, Mimi Sheraton, ourselves) and TV personalities (Ted Allen, Mariska Hargitay) to watch and taste the creations of some of Madrid's leading chefs. Host Turismo Madrid describes the event:

NEW YORK, April 21 -- World-renowned Chef Mario Batali and Turismo Madrid will host a tasting reception on April 26th at 8:30 pm in honor of the Spanish, culinary-themed film "The Chicken, the Fish and the King Crab" debuting this year at New York's 7th Annual Tribeca Film Festival. Celebrity Chef Mario Batali is opening the doors of his award-winning restaurant Del Posto for this special evening to celebrate Europe's best kept secret of true Madrid hospitality and charm.

"The Chicken, the Fish and the King Crab" is a satirical documentary featuring Chef Jesus Almagro's adventure throughout the Bocuse d'Or, a bi-annual European cooking contest where each country chooses their top chef for a live competitive cook-off preformed at a stadium in Lyon full of noisy, cheering fans.

Turismo Madrid will be flying in four of Madrid's best 'Michelin Starred' chefs Pedro Larumbe, Alberto Chicote, Paco Roncero, and of course, the star of the film, Chef Jesus Almagro, who was voted Spain's best chef in 2006. These chefs will be recreating the competitive, celebratory, culinary experience featured in the film by setting up four separate cooking stations where each chef will perform an interactive 'cooking show' for guests.

Madrid is known for being the home of some of the world's most distinguished designers, chefs, actors, and filmmakers, but above all, Madrid is about sharing a good time with local Madrilenos. Unlike Paris or London, Madrid thrives on embracing foreigners and showing them their love for good food, good conversations and good times. Turismo Madrid will virtually transport guests back to Madrid, Spain, treating them to the finest Spanish wines and olive oils flown in directly from the Madrid region, where they can be enjoyed in a recreated Spanish atmosphere filled of energetic and vibrant fun.

As always, this special reception will be strictly guest list only and made available by the generous compliments of sponsor, Turismo Madrid. Guests will also be treated to the Tribeca Film Festival's premiere screening held just before the reception at the AMC 5 Village VII (theater 3) located at 66 Third Avenue.

While we found the demos interesting, Andrew put things in perspective at the end of the night when he commented of the Melon Caviar, "I had more delicious melon flavor in my $2.50 cantaloupe agua fresca over lunch at Tulcingo [del Valle, on Tenth Avenue near 47th Street]."

Turismo Madrid hosts its English-language site at www.turismomadrid.es.

Albert and Ferran Adria's Web site has more info on some of these techniques.

Karen's favorite photo from our 2004 trip to Spain,
which Andrew uses as his laptop's screen saver:

When we're mostly glued to our computers on deadline,
the next best thing is living vicariously through our friends....

From our emailbox:

LAPD Chief Bill Bratton, LAPD supporter Sir Elton John,
and Rikki Klieman Bratton
(Photo credit: Cornel Panov)

Bratton presents Sir Elton John with a vintage LAPD car
(Photo credit: Cornel Panov)

Pouring our 2004 Albert Boxler Cremant d'Alsace at EMP

Garden Peas & Coconut Pana Cotta with Spring Vegetables

Red Snapper, Potato Mousseline and Lobster Foam

Herb Roasted Suckling Pig Loin with Spring Pea Puree

"Root Beer Float" / Sassafras and Vanilla Ice Cream

Vacherin: Lemon and Basil Parfait, Strawberries, Meringue

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Palette, Popcorn Ice Cream

Saturday, April 26, 2008 — "When shall we live, if not now?" asked M.F.K. Fisher. It was the principle that explains why Karen chose to escape pressing deadlines for a few hours the other day to honor the annual ritual of a spring lunch with her dear friend Kathy to celebrate their respective birthdays. Karen let Kathy pick the restaurant, and when Kathy announced their 12:45 pm reservation at Eleven Madison Park, Karen was elated, having looked forward to returning for ages. And with good reason, she soon learned.

Chef Daniel Humm is making magic in EMP's kitchen, which was the source of several celebratory meals we'd enjoyed under previous chef Kerry Heffernan. His culinary inventiveness and artistry were never at the expense of its exquisite flavor. And the familiar face on the dining room manager turned out to be (small world!) that of former Beckta manager Paul Quinn.

If getting older enables Karen to be treated to such a magnificent lunch by such a magnificent friend...well, bring on her next birthday.

Eleven Madison Park is at (you guessed it!) 11 Madison Avenue (at 24th Street), Manhattan. (212) 889-0905.

Credit: Julia Ewan

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 — We're often asked if we always agree on our taste in wine. As we confess in our column "Sometimes, Love Means Cutting the Grass" in today's Washington Post, it's a lot more similar than it used to be:

For as long as we've known each other, we haven't always seen eye to eye when it comes to wine. More than 20 years ago, not long after we met, Karen took a sip of a light-bodied dry white wine we were poured at a party and winced. "Sauvignon blanc — ugh!" she whispered to Andrew. "It's like trying to drink a glassful of grass." A California native, Andrew found the same wine's boldly grassy aromas and herbal flavors delightful, and a welcome taste of home. Could this relationship survive?

Personal chemistry overcame that rift, and three discoveries salvaged Karen's relationship with sauvignon blanc.

* Discovery No. 1: Sauvignon blancs from various parts of the world taste very different. From France's Loire Valley, 100 percent sauvignon blanc-based Sancerre is crisp and steely, with minerally aromas and flavors, making it a perfect match for raw oysters.

In Bordeaux, sauvignon blanc is often blended with Semillon's more-honeyed fruit to round out its sharpness. We were wowed recently by an unusual example from Gascony made in that style (85 percent sauvignon, 15 percent Semillon): The 2006 Domaine La Hitaire Hors Saison ($11) is like sniffing a wet stone, and its flavors include nectarine fruitiness, mineral notes and a long, lemony finish. It's fantastic for the price.

Karen's first taste of aggressively fruit-forward New Zealand sauvignon blanc also won her over. Its zippy tropical fruit and grapefruit flavors were nicely balanced by rounder, peachy notes. A delicately finessed version can be found in the 2007 Craggy Range Te Muna Road Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($25), a single-vineyard wine from Martinborough whose elegance and captivating lime-meets-nectarine flavors make it perfect for special-occasion sipping on its own or for pairing with food.

* Discovery No. 2: Sauvignon blanc pairs amazingly well with food. It would not be our first choice for a cocktail party, especially without food, since its strong aromatics and flavors are not guaranteed crowd-pleasers on their own. But just try to find a better partner for white fish and shellfish dishes. And it's absolutely magical with all manner of goat cheese, especially fresh chevre, on its own or atop a summer salad.

In fact, spotting a goat cheese and leek tartlet with a baby organic green salad on the menu at Seasons restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown inspired us to split a couple of glasses of sauvignon blanc to go with it. What turned out to be one of the best goat cheese tarts we've ever tasted was enhanced by both the minerally 2006 Domaine Vincent Delaporte Sancerre ($13 a glass) and the citrusy 2006 Hanna Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($12 a glass).

That tasting inspired Karen's pick this week: The 2007 Hanna Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($18) is an impressively well-balanced wine, with even brighter citrus fruit than the 2006 vintage. About a third of this unoaked wine underwent malolactic fermentation, resulting in a slightly rounder acidity while retaining the grape's characteristic spirit.

* Discovery No. 3: Though some California winemakers celebrate sauvignon blanc's grassiness (Andrew loves the 2006 Diogenes Lake County Sauvignon Blanc, $18), many have been taking steps to deemphasize such overtly green flavors. Robert Mondavi went so far as to age his in oak, which brought out softer, more melonlike fruitiness in the wine. He even re-christened it fume blanc, suggesting the smoky flavors that sometimes (but not invariably) result. California's 2006 Meridian Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc ($10) isn't marred by grassiness, and it paired surprisingly well with lemon-sauced veal and shellfish and with green salads and other vegetable dishes. Keep an eye out for Meridian's other well-priced wines; we've previously recommended the 2006 Meridian Santa Barbara County Chardonnay ($10), which has flavors reminiscent of Key lime pie, as an "affordable weeknight wonder."

Andrew's pick this week, the 2006 Benziger Family Winery North Coast Sauvignon Blanc ($13), is a crisp California wine that accompanied pasta with white clam sauce beautifully. Benziger is as proud of the methods used to farm its grapes as it is of its wines, and it intends the 2007 vintage of its sauvignon blanc, due out in August, to be "certified sustainable." The 2006 has peach-meets-grapefruit flavors and such subtle grassy and herbaceous notes that even Karen can't deny the attraction.

On that note, we couldn't agree more.

From our emailbox:

"Nice article about Sauvignon Blanc [in The Washington Post]....The different regions make such different wines, so many customers have strong reactions to the grape. Some hate the grapfruit of New Zealand, others love it. I myself prefer Bordeaux Blancs and Loire wines. I remember in the early 90's when Robert Mondavi's Fume Blanc was popular on winelists...."
—Jimmy Carbone, owner, Jimmy's No. 43 in New York City

Purchase Online:

WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT

Alain Ducasse's new Benoit is at 60 West 55th Street

The extraordinary charcuterie and pate at Benoit

The rustic cassoulet and addictive shoestring fries at Benoit

Mimi Sheraton's vanilla millefeuille at Benoit
(Thanks for letting us shoot your dessert, Mimi!)

Our waiter tops Tarte Tatin with super-rich creme fraiche

Fantastic dark chocolate petit fours at Benoit

The dining room at Benoit on opening night, April 21st

Wait — could that be New York Times critic Frank Bruni?
(Alas, this man led us to believe he was not....)

Tuesday, April 22, 2008 — Monday nights are typically low-key around our apartment, as we're usually exhausted after finishing our weekly wine column. Last night we were particularly so, having spent the previous week or four racing to meet important publication deadlines for our next book. So, after we pushed the "send" button on our latest column and met a few other pressing deadlines, we contemplated dinner.

After going through the usual Monday night run-down (Any leftovers from the weekend to finish? Any cravings we might have delivered to our door? etc.), we ended up on OpenTable.com to see what tables might happen to be available — and were shocked to find a table for two at Alain Ducasse's Benoit.

"It's opening night!" one of us cried. "We have to go," the other insisted. "It's history," the first agreed.

So, we booked our OpenTable reservation, and off we went.

As fate would have it, we were seated next to The New York Times' former restaurant critic Mimi Sheraton [dining with a distinguished looking gentleman, who turned out to be her husband Richard Falcone]. We reminded Mimi that we'd had the pleasure of congratulating her on being honored as one of 30 "culinary pioneers" in Washington, DC, earlier this month at The Inn at Little Washington's 30th anniversary celebration. "A wonderful evening," she agreed.

If we were going to splurge by having dinner at Benoit, we weren't planning to count calories. We wanted to sample the classics, starting with the massive charcuterie and pate selection, which included pate en croute (that had minutes earlier earned Sheraton's praise), along with cooked ham, prosciutto, dry sausage, the extraordinary Lucullus-style Langue de Veaux (which Karen described as a veal tongue mille feuille, as it seemed to have a thin layer of foie gras mousse between every thin slice of tongue), and pate.

As if we had room for anything else after that, we shared the "Cassoulet, J.J. Rachou recipe," a tribute to former La Cote Basque chef-owner Jean-Jacques Rachou (who is said to stop by to visit Benoit's kitchen) as well as the addictive French fries "L'Ami Louis style."

Mimi Sheraton had ordered the vanilla millefeuille along with the Tarte Tatin, not realizing that the latter portion is suggested for two (although, especially topped with the world's richest creme fraiche, it could easily serve four). Since we had our hearts set on Tarte Tatin, we knew we wouldn't be ordering the millefeuille until next time. Would Mimi mind if we shot hers? She didn't.

In explaining the language of food, we often describe chocolate as "the period at the end of the poem," as it signifies the ending of the reverie. Ducasse's creamy dark chocolate petit fours did so beautifully.

Having taken a shot of the dining room to suggest its mood on our Blog, we noticed our camera lens had captured two men in the corner, one an Eric McCormack ("Will and Grace") lookalike, and the other with a very familiar, yet unplaceable, face. Alain Ducasse himself graced the room on opening night, stopping to share warm hellos with only two tables that we noticed — Mimi Sheraton's and that of the unidentified gentleman in the corner — so we assumed he might be a fellow food world colleague. Perhaps it was WOR Radio's "Food Talk" host Mike Colameco? No.... Wait...didn't he bear a striking resemblance to the photos we'd seen of New York Times critic Frank Bruni? Hmm....

He obviously wasn't dining at Benoit anonymously, so it seemed kosher to try to find out. A well-known actress friend of ours had dined with Bruni, so as he was leaving, one of us discreetly approached him to mention the connection. "Who?" was the gist of his reply.

So, the photos above are apparently not of Frank Bruni. Our mistake!

Benoit is at 60 West 55th Street (bet. Fifth and Sixth Avenues), New York City. (646) 943-7373. Web: www.benoitny.com.

From our emailbox:

"What a lively, interesting blog...."
—Mimi Sheraton, author and restaurant critic at The New York Times from 1975-1983

dell'anima chef Gabe Thompson behind the line in January

Sunday, April 20, 2008 — We returned to dell'anima, which we first visited in January, the other night — and have to congratulate owner Joe Campanale (ex-Babbo) and chef Gabriel Thompson (ex-Del Posto, Le Bernardin) on the gem of a restaurant they have created in New York's Greenwich Village. Of course its small size and its growing popularity make it unlikely you'll be easily able to snag a seat with any ease, but we urge you to persevere!

dell'anima is at 38 Eighth Avenue at Jane Street in Greenwich Village. (212) 366-6633. Don't miss the bruschette — or the bittersweet chocolate gelato.

From our emailbox:

"...Thank you for coming in again. I have to say that CULINARY ARTISTRY was a big book for me as a young cook. It was a parting gift from my first kitchen job and I ran that book in to the ground...."
—Gabe Thompson, chef, dell'anima in New York City

"...We were so delighted to have you come, and the students, guests, faculty and parents were all thrilled with the presentation and your ability to share interesting, thought-provoking and timely information touching on the wide variety of areas that the hospitality 'business' encompasses. I look forward to seeing the next book, and will of course be turning to WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT for useful pairing notes and ideal marriages of the food and wine we enjoy. Thanks again, happy spring, and a votre sante!"
—Anthony P. Cawdron, MHCIMA MSc., Westwood Events Coordinator & House Manager, Purdue University