Gotham Gal

Phoenix Arizona

I have not been to Phoenix, Arizona in 12 years.  A lot has changed.  Sprawling desert would be the best description.  It is a mecca of people who have moved there for the life style and the cost of living.  I believe Phoenix is now the 5th largest city in the US. 

We stayed at the Phoenician which is where we stayed 12 years ago too.  The food has gone down hill and way over priced for what you get but the facility has been kept up.  High service, great golf course, great rooms, nice amenities. 

We took advantage of the city and went mountain biking in the desert one morning.  What a wonderful activity for the family.  The desert is beautiful. The ride isn't that hard but to see a different part of the country and the topography was very cool.  The kids loved it.

One of the areas that is in the process of major construction is called the waterfront.  Waterfront meaning a warehouse type area being build along a man made water canal.  Bunch of new restaurants have opened there which have all gotten rave reviews.  I made reservations at one of them called Sea Saw. 

What a find.  This place could make it in NYC with no problems.  Nobuo Fukuda is the chef and owner.  The restaurant is stark and simple.  The kitchen is open and set in the middle of the one room.  Around that is seating like a bar but it is for dinner.  There are about 4 tables surrounding the bar but that's it.  Simple and stark. 

The food concept is everything is to be shared.  Right up my alley.  Total grazing.  Our waitress recommended that we order 2 plates per person.  We began with the oysters which were the special of the night.  4 oysters that were served individually in white soup spoons on a simple square white plate.  Each spoon had a broth and an oyster that was topped with uni.  The flavor combinations were incredible. 
Then we had the Hamachi.  Each piece is to be eaten in one bite, says the chef.  One slice of Hamachi served over a small slice of avocado and a braised slice of grapefruit with a thick ponzu oil.  Incredible.  We were wishing for bread so that we could soak up the sauces on the plate but bread was not being served here.  What you order is what you get, no changes, ever.

We continued with more.  Soft shell shrimps that were fried whole over a spicy green papaya slaw.  No peeling just pop the entire shrimp in your  mouth.  Baked black cod marinated in a miso that had been baked and cut up into 5 pieces so we each got our own taste which was good.  The Tako and Tomato was a big hit.  Braised octopus served over a slice of buffalo mozzarella and a small slice of flavorful tomato and a wasabi oil poured over that.  Wow.  The textures and the tastes just worked.  There were some cooked items too.  Sliced duck, pan seared, sliced and placed over a pinot noir reduction.  Oooh. 

There were a few other things that we had but I can't recall since it has been a few days.  When we left we all agreed that this place could definitely make it in NYC.  We'd go.  The only drag is that Fred and I were fine and satisfied but the kids were ravenous.  It just wasn't enough food.  So, we went back to the hotel and had dessert.  Not a bad option.  If you are in Phoenix, Sea Saw is a must go to.

Sun Valley Airport

I have ranted on about this in the past.  Homeland security at the Airports.  If you go to parts of Europe or Asia, you will note that they own the equipment that scans everything so they do not need to go through the ridiculous procedures that we opt for in the states.

Idaho, being a very red state, must be big backers of the George Bush security plan.  Sun Valley is one of the smaller airports that I have ever been in.  Actually, it could go head to head with

They recommend that you check in 90 minutes in advance which they keep blasting over the loud speakers.   That is comical considering the biggest jet flying out of there carries about 15 people.  They also make you go through a variety of check points.

They rip apart every 4th piece of luggage from what I saw.  The guy was literally going through each book, each make up bag, opening up my Vaseline in my make up bag.  Then when you go through security to wait for the plane, you have to literally undress.  Then they put a few things through another machine just to make sure.  Is it that they have nothing better to do?

Believe me, I am as interested as the next guy in having a safe flight but sometimes I truly wonder about our systems.

Vintage

Vintage is a small restaurant in Sun Valley that we had the fortune of learning about and getting a reservation at while we were there. 

Jeff Keys is the owner and chef.  He came from California and found himself in Aspen during the time when Hunter S. Thompson was running for mayor.  He got into cooking and never looked back. 

The restaurant is small and quaint.  The menu is tiny since he is literally a one man band in the kitchen with an assistant.  The food is excellent.  Lucky for us, Jeff was discovered by an editor who was out in Sun Valley and he has a cookbook coming out in June with all of this own recipes.  I will be one of the first in line to pick up the book.

You start out with warm rolls of the Parker House variety.  We began with salads and soups.  I had a bibb lettuce salad with warm sugary walnuts, bits of Gorgonzola cheese, sliced pears and a light orange vinaigrette.  Light and not too citrus.  Really good.  Jessica had the dinner salad that gives the options of about 4 different dressings.  She went with the Asian one.  If it was bottled, I would have picked up a jar.  Fred split with Emily a spicy rock shrimp tamale.  This came stuffed in a corn husk.  Layers of tastes but nothing too overwhelming and just the right spice.  They literally licked the plate clean.  Josh chose a mushroom soup.  Wow!  I looked for the recipe in the cookbook and am glad it is there.  Rich, creamy with a hint of sherry. 

Dinner came next.  Fred had the pork chop.  Cold smoked pork chop with spicy fixings.  I can't remember them all but it was fantastic.  Emily went with the tenderloin that was served with a small piece of frois gras over the top and a mushroom Madeira sauce.  The sauce was rich with just the right amount of Madeira to give the sauce a zing.  This dish was also served with creamy mashed potatoes with Parmesan.  Not too cheesy just enough to change the flavor of the potatoes.  Nice accompaniment.  Josh, Jessica and I split 2 duck dishes 3 ways.  Wow!  I love Duck and this is one of the best duck dishes I have ever had.  The skin was crispy and the meat was cooked perfectly, even the leg wasn't overcooked which tends to happen in duck.  He served this with roasted plums and a roasted plum sauce with an Asian bend.  Over the top were 2 large Asian latkes.  That is what I call them.  Carrots, bean sprouts, cut up bok choy, egg, scallions and a few other veggies made into a pancake.  Clever and delicious.

Dessert was a must do although we were busting at this point.  There are a variety of handmade ice creams.  Jessica went with the coffee which was rich and tasty.  Josh and Emily split a rich chocolate cake topped with a raspberry chocolate sauce.  All good but one bite was enough.

If you get out to Sun Valley, this is one worth checking g out.  Personally, I'm counting the days for the cookbook.

Sun Valley

This was my first visit to Sun Valley, Idaho.  We spent 7 days at the condos in the Sun Valley Lodge that are called Wildflower Condominiums.  A great place for a ski vacation.

The Lodge is total old school.  In 1935, Sun Valley was created by Averell Harriman, who was the Chairman of the Union Pacific railroad, looking for the perfect ski destination.  The first chairlift was erected there too.  A South American, who used the machine that loads the bananas as the basis for his design.  The original is still up there on the mountain run by a model T engine. 

When you walk through the lodge, particularly the old restaurant, you can imagine the Hollywood stars who used to hang out at Sun Valley.  After all, their pictures still hang on the walls.  Erroll Flynn, Lucille Ball, etc.

I recommend if you go, rent a car.  They do have a really good bus system but I am not sure we would have enjoyed ourselves as much waiting around for the bus at every turn.  The town is about a 5 minute drive and we ate in town most nights.  The ski resort, the River Run side,  is about an 8 minute drive.

The mountain is incredible.  Huge.  Intelligently designed.  The trails flow easily and there are trails that can cut you across from one side of the mountain to the other very quickly.  In ski/board lingo they are called cat tracks.  Yet, the beauty of these cat tracks is that they all have pitch.  This is great for boarders because you don't have to take off your board and walk.  It is a really beautiful thing.  Loved this mountain.  Also, the trails are really long.  Moguls flow into flats so if your family skis both, it is easy to ski as a group.

There are a few lodges placed around the mountain for eating and relaxing.  The food is quite good and the lodges are beautiful.  If you have ever been to Deer Valley, it is that sort of high level lodge that is here.  At least that is what it reminded me of. 

Restaurants are abundant.  The town is small but cute.  A bunch of shopping.  Better than we expected.  A few coffee shops.  A great market that we stopped at daily to pickup the NY Times and fill our refrigerator with breakfast makings.

The snow was incredible this year.  We were told that is not always the case the third week of March.  One of the best things is the mountain was empty.  At least it felt that way.  We never waited in line for a lift.  Many times we were the only one on the chair. 

Sun Valley is a true destination location.  Not the easiest to get to which is what makes it special.  One thing that we noticed there is the age of people skiing and boarding one the mountain.  Lots of retired people that I would say are in their late 60's and early 70's.  We saw 3 women getting off the chair.  Two were carrying their skis, one was carrying her board.  I'd say these women were about 70-75.  Quite impressive.  Particularly the boarder. 

A great trip.  Really really great mountain.

Angus Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging

My daughters are voracious readers of the latest teen books.  They have started to read books that I really think they would like.  In turn, they recommended I read one of their favorite teen series.  I began with Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison.

Louise Rennison has written an ongoing series of the life of Georgia Nicolson.  The books are written like a diary with dates and times.  The books are laugh out look hilarious.  So far I have read the first two and plan on finishing the series. 

Georgia Nicolson is a Brit.  She has a totally disfunctional family consisting of a nutty 3 year old sister, a mom, a dad, an uncle and a wacky cat that is a cross between a lion and a cougar.  Georgia attends the local private girls school with her pals.  She is focused boys, friends, her looks and life in general.

The book is written very tongue and cheek.  When Georgia rants on about her eyebrows and decides plucking is awfully painful, she decides to take a razor to her brows.  The book is written like Georgia is speaking to you.  So, as she goes through the decision to shave and the outcome, I was literally laughing so hard that I hard tears coming down my cheeks.

Smart, witty and spot on about where your head is when you are a 14 year old.  Loved the book. Can hardly wait to finish the series.

Rare

Maroons lasted about 15 days on Bleeker Street this fall.  Rare moved into the space a few months ago.  Rare as in burgers a variety of ways.

School ended early today.  We couldn't decide where to go and the boys ( josh and his buddy) wanted burgers so we decided we would try Rare. 

This is the second Rare restaurant in the city.  The first location is in Murray Hill. 

Nice simple restaurant.  Bar has a tv, the NCAA final four was playing, no volume.  The music is loud but not too loud.  Everything from Elvis Presley to Chubby Checkers to Neil Young.  Like a best of play list. 

Burgers in abundance.  Regular, cheese, bison, tuna, turkey etc.  There are salads too but I stayed with a burger.  There are a variety of extras for $1.50 a pop.  Caramelized onions, cheeses, bacon, mushrooms etc.  Also 3 types of fries.  French fries, sweet potato fries and cottage fries.  I was hankering for the beer battered onion fries but I passed. 

We all ordered burgers and a basket of fries.  That basket includes all of the 3 types.  I ordered a rare burger.  Rare is exactly what I got.  Perfect.  The meat was good.  A good solid burger.  The fries are crispy.  I especially liked the sweet potato fries that were crunchy and chewy at the same time.  I had to push them away.  I actually should have ordered a tall beer to go with the meal.  That is exactly what this meal is calling for.

Rare is a bar with seating and good food.  Great burger.

A Voce

A Voce opened up on March 8th in a neighborhood that seems to be blossoming with new restaurants.  26th and Madison, actually on 26th between Madison and Park.  I am going to keep in mind that we dined at a restaurant that is only 2 weeks old.

The place was swinging when we walked in.  Dark woods, glass bowl affect with windows surrounding the entire establishment.  Fantastic service.  The table wasn't available but they quickly pointed us to 2 stools at the end of the bar that were being vacated by people who were getting seated.  Loved that.  The bar seats about 10 people.  Very comfortable white leather stools with small backs. 

Not a huge place but a nice sized restaurant.  The noise level is quite high and a bit hard to hear if someone isn't sitting next to you.  Not sure you can fix that.  When you walk past the bar, you see the tables around the corner and the wonderful wooden columns.  Layers of wood stacked over each other and hung in the back.  Nice decor.  An interesting touch.  It goes with the vibe and the deep neutral palette.  Great wine cellar that is discreetly hidden but can be seen from the room.  Nice touch. Very comfortable green leather chairs at each table.

Our waiter couldn't have been nicer and he just raved about the food.  He suggested that we share so we can taste a bunch of different things.  We were with another couple who are also foodies so between the four of us we probably would have ordered everything just to try.  We held ourselves back, sort of.

We began with four appetizers.  Winter salad with sliced fennel, green apple, watercress and pecorina cheese.  Refreshing and tasty.  The seafood salad was a mix of shrimp, mussels, calamari served with large cranberry beans and a dash of chili.  Fresh and simply prepared.  Grilled octopus was sliced and served over a peperonata, lemon and chorizo.  I didn't love this one.  The octopus was pre-sliced so some of the slices were a bit too big and chewy and the accompaniments didn't really enhance the dish.  Our waiter oohed and aahed over the roasted veal sweetbreads so we did it as an appetizer.  You can also order this as a main course.  He was right. This was Delicious.  Sweetbreads that were the perfect texture served with porchini mushrooms and walnuts in a really rich almost sweet brown sauce.  Rich but excellent.

The pastas are what the chef, Andrew Carmellini, is known for.  I love pasta but my figure doesn't.  As a rule I generally just like to have a few bites.  Here, I should have just ordered an entire plate of pasta for myself.  As they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans.  We split 2 pastas.  Spaghetti alla Chitarra.  Lamb bolognese which was delicious over spaghetti and served on top was a ricotta and a small bit of mint.  Big hit.  The other was My Grandmother's Meat Ravioli.  Simple large ravioli's served with diced slices of tomato and parmigiana.  Really good.

Then came the main courses.  This is where I wasn't so wowed.  2 of us split the beef rib chop  Large quantities of beef cooked exactly as you ordered.  The meat just wasn't as flavorful as it could have been.  We ordered mushrooms with truffle oil on the side which was good but not as tasty as I was expecting.  I went with the Grilled Daurade that was served over large green fava type beans and a tomato type salsa.  Way too much garlic.  Beautifully presented but sort of bland.  The last main course we had was Chicken Cacciatora.  Served in a small round pot with roasted sweet red and yellow peppers and crushed potatoes.  The chicken wasn't thoroughly cooked.  Another overdo on the garlic and oregano too.  The tastes weren't balanced.

The wine list was great.  We had 2 wonderful red wines from the Piedmont region.  We skipped dessert because it was late and we all hit the wall.  A Voce will certainly get better as time goes on.  The majority of the meal was really delicious.  The main courses need some work.  The vibe is great, the service is wonderful.  The location is starting to change since Danny Meyer made his mark on Madison Square.  Change is good. 

Kelly and Ping

Kelly and Ping is my favorite Soho lunch stop.  The restaurant is located on Greene Street between Houston and Prince.  I believe that they opened up about 8 years ago and the food is still excellent. 

The concept is diner style Asian street food.  Heavy Thai and Malaysian influence.  There are a variety of soups where you can pick you noodles, decide on pork or chicken or dumplings too with bok choy.  At the tables there are spices to jazz up your soup to your desire.  The noodle dishes are good too.  Pad Thai and Yew See is top.  Flavorful and perfectly made.

Wait in line.  Order.  Watch the guys in the back cook it up.  Grab a seat.  They call your name.  Pick up your order. 

Never had a bad meal there yet.  Today was one of those days where I just wanted a good bowl of soup.  Kelly and Ping was the perfect choice.  I'm sorry I wasn't with more people because I just was dying for a bite of Pad Thai and a dumpling.  Next time.

Politics

I find it hard not to be disgusted with politics these days.  This administration is a bunch of lying scumbags who are leading us on a path of destruction.  The Democrats are no better.  I know that they are not the majority and majority rules but they cow tow to anything and have yet to figure out how to have a clear message.  The politics as usual is becoming unattractive.

I loved the post that Mark Pincus wrote on Warner, who is running for President in 2008.  Mark is right on the money and I hope someone out there is listening. Read what Mark has to say.  To give you a taste of his rant.  Here is the gist of the article below straight from the post.

How cool would it be to see a fuck washington campaign funded by a small group of billionaires and millions of ants?! Hell yes. Politics could get fun.

And mark, what do you have to lose? Let's see, you can go the safe pussy route and be the next kerry backup in case hillary trips. Even then your just an alternative to condie or whichever lame republican stick figure.

OR you could emerge as a leader with passion (like al gore became after he gave up). You could stop being so fucking polite and point your brains and money against washington to give the power to the people. If not now, when? After you're elected? Nfw.

I love it! 

Fiamma

I have always been a fan of Stephen Hansons restaurants.  His company is called BR Guest.  He has slowly built a small empire around the country with restaurants in New York, Chicago, Scottsdale and Las Vegas. 

Fiamma on Spring Street opened a few  years back to rave reviews.  2 story building.  Beautifully done.  Warm colors, soft lights, beautiful leather chairs, awesome hanging lamps.   I really liked the way he had done this restaurant.  This must  have been the jewel in the company  because this is the restaurant that Hanson chose to roll out across the country.  I'd think that if you were using the brand, Fiamma, to roll out across the country,  you would keep your eye on the first kitchen.  Unfortunately, he hasn't. 

We went back last night for Emilys bday, what a mistake.  I will never go again.  A few good things but as a rule, bad news.

3 of us started with the grilled octopus.  That was probably the best thing on the menu.  Octopus grill to perfection on top of an eggplant camponatina with pine nuts.  The eggplant camponatina was sweet and flavorful and the pine nuts added a different texture.  That was the height of the meal.  The other 2 had the tuna carpaccio.  Nothing great. 

Only one of us really wanted to do the standard Italian dinner fare, pasta as the second course.  We asked the waiter to just bring that with the main course.  Did he, no.  It came solo so we all tasted.  It was actually good.  Chocolate pappardelle with rabbit and veggies in a rich brown sauce.  Sounds strange but it was quite tasty.  It would have been much better with a thinner pasta but otherwise an interesting combination.

Dinner was the worst meal.  2 of us ordered a pasta for the main course.  Quill pastas with prosciutto, truffle butter and parmigiana.  This could have been divine.  It was so dense that you couldn't even finish it.  Conceptually a great dish but poor execution.  One of us had the pork chop which was OK.  Braised cabbage and onions served with a large marinated pork chop.  The portion was tremendous and didn't need to be considering that the Italian concept is 3 courses.  2 of us ordered the branzino.  The minute I saw the presentation I knew it would be bad.  A huge piece of fish laying over a mound of couscous that was surrounded by a red sauce, 2 mussels and one shrimp.  The taste was bland, the fish was overcooked.  Also, except for the pasta, everything was served lukewarm at best.

Dessert was a must since it was Emily's bday.  Nothing great.  Josh had a piece of apple cake with roasted fruit on the side.  The cake was so hard that when I reached over for a bite, I couldn't get my fork to go in and the small piece of cake left when flying onto the floor.  Not a good sign.  Jessica has the lemon custard.  Not light and not very flavorful.  It was served with some type of horrible tasting fruit ice.  Emily went for the chocolate.  Three different chocolate tarts on a plate.  Nice presentation but again really dense and not really flavorful. 

All and all a total bust.  So sad too.  The place was definitely not as packed as it has been in the past.  We have actually tried to walk in for a drink at night if we have been in that neighborhood.  Next time I won't even bother opening the door. 

Alas.  Time for Stephen Hanson to go back the plate.  Perhaps he should eat dinner there incognito.