United States Archives - Page 7 of 10

Joseph Phelps: iconic winery in Napa goes green

As the new visitor centre at the Joseph Phelps Vineyards flowers up in the backyard of the old redwood winery, its time for a little nostalgia. With its first 1973 vintage, the Spring Valley property has swirled on the roller coaster of Napa’s successful boom like the Heitz, Caymus, Mondavi, Stag’s Leap and other vintners with a cheerful spirit in the California’s post hippie era. The 600 acre ranch that Joe Phelps bought near to a charming town of St. Helena breaths a verdant carpet of vines as they run over the mellowly rolling hills.
However tranquil and charming it seems though, because of the Joseph Phelps winery’s well-deserved reputation, further uplifted by its 2002 Insignia titled as the “Wine of the year” in the annual Wine Spectator’s pick of Top 100 global wines (R. Parker gave it and the 1991, 1997 vintages full 100 points!), and ever-increasing popularity of Napa as a tourist destination, the weekends and late summer season in particular, turn the sunny terrace into a buzzing wine bar with chirping drinkers lounging in deep chairs set up for them.

The now sprawling winery is in no way a one’s man business as its name can suggest. Four winemakers (two female) and a French-born viticulturist in charge of the vineyard operations are responsible for the viticultural expert side of the business. Its founder, owner and the former Chairman Joe (Joseph) Phelps stepped down in 2005 after over thirty years in his winery’s helm, handing the day-t0-day running of the property and presiding over the vineyards to his ex-lawyer son Bill. The new generation was heralded with an opening of a new winery in 2007 Sonoma.

The Firestone winery not only widens the portfolio of wines produced under the umbrella of the Phelps family, but its cool climate and also immensely diverse soils of the Pastorale and Quarter Moon Vineyards, allow for the two Burgundy varietals grown there – Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, to shine.
Biodynamic and sustainable farming together with gravity winemaking assist in creating terroir distinct wines that in a very short time attracted praise from the most distinguished critiques. Natural humidity and temperature control in the underground cellar pinpoint the winery’s environmental credentials. The Green approach is furthered by embracing biodynamic vineyard practices that include pesticide-free natural treatments. Recycling of the packaging, corks, and office material has become a daily routine.

The iconic Insignia wine by Joseph Phelps Vineyards gained a historic status symbol since it was the first proprietary Bordeaux blend released in California. This full-bodied wine aged for 24 months in new French oak is made from the best crops of its five red varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grown at six Napa estates (all of their own since 2004). Parker described his three 100 points scoring vintages with these notes:
“1991 – white chocolate, crème de cassis, spring flowers, liquorice and a touch of graphite. Magnificent in the mouth with an opulent and voluptuous texture, and not a hard edge to be found, it reveals mind-boggling purity and vigour.
1997 – bouquet of violets, charcoal, crème de cassis and a hint of toast, opulent and full-bodied.
2002 – A juicy American Cabernet blend with aromas of graphite, violets, blackberries, crème de cassis and hints of charcoal and barbecue in addition to a full-bodied, multilayered mouthfeel that builds incrementally with great purity, staggering fruit concentration, and a long, velvety, 50+-second finish.”
This vintage also marked the beginning of above 14% alcohol succession of vintages for Insignia.

The Chardonnay made in Sonoma’s Freestone Vineyard, despite being only recently planted (during the new millennium) already shows a captivating complexity. Stone fruit, white flowers, mineral and rocky aromas with refreshing citruses balance its creamy texture and toasted nutty flavours from the 14 months of the French oak barrel ageing. An earthy, spicy, black cherry jammy, and mineral Pinot Noir is made also in this cooler coastal region only six miles from the Ocean. The latest vintages of both Sonoma bottlings are already overshadowing the Phelps’ Napa beauty, and have been recently scoring even better than the Insignia.
Joe Phelps’ dream of creating wines in Burgundian style finally materialised and once all of his wines were estate-grown (2004) he could happily retire to travel the world.

A sweet ice wine Joseph Phelps Eisrébe made from the ranch estate grown Scheurebe grapes did not wait until the first frost hits Napa, but the grapes were after picking frozen to minus 5 Degrees Fahrenheit and then slowly pressed. A concentrated sweet juice that is converted into about 8%Alc. dessert wine (24.4% residual sugar in 2013 vintage) is popular with the locals and ladies with a sweet tooth. Honey, apricot, marmalade, vanilla and tropical fruit aromas can easily substitute a generous cake.
Current estate vineyards are:
Spring Valley Home Ranch outside St. Helena, Banca Dorada in Rutherford, Backus Vineyard in Oakville, Las Rocas and Barboza vineyards in Stags Leap, Yountville Vineyard in Oak Knoll, Suscol Vineyard in South Napa and beginning with the 2011 growing season, Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard in Carneros – Syrah.
The winery also makes Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Napa Valley and single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons and other wines, but the Insignia and the wines from the two vineyards at the Freestone estate I highlighted stand out and will lave their mark in the California winemaking history books. The new visitor centre at the Joseph Phelps winery is scheduled to be open this year (2015) and with its new kitchen it will surely provide even a more enjoyable tasting experience than ever before.
200 Taplin Road, St Helena CA 94574, USA
+1 800 707 5789; +1 707 963 2745
Mon-Fri: 9 am – 5 pm; Sat & Sun: 10 am – 4 pm

Heitz Wine Cellars: tradition without opulence in winemaking Napa Valley

The family-owned Heitz Wine Cellars winery in Napa Valley, has been around long before the limousine tours arrived into this sunny Californian region. More than a half century heritage in making wines in their St. Helena winery converted from an old ranch swirled it to the current of the booming 1960s and 70s, when a forceful tsunami of serious wine producers hit the area. Many of them are now well-established names in the American wine business – from Robert Mondavi, through Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Caymus, Cakebread to Stag’s Leap – they ring loud in the wine world’s ears. Heitz Wine Cellars was one of the forerunners of this golden renaissance in California through producing top quality, globally praised wine. Unlike the “cult” wineries of the new millennium, their wines were, and most remain, more price conservative and welcoming to new, not just millionaire, customers.

The winery’s nearby tasting room offers a lovely scenery to every visitor. Cozying up with a glass of red by the fireplace inside during the cooler winter, catching the aroma from a glass of fragrant oaky Chardonnay outside on the breezy terrace when the sun shines, or grounding to the zen of the place that streams out of a stone water fountain, might be more enjoyable than sipping wine at a wine bar. Located next to the historic Louis M. Martini winery dating back to 1922 and not far from Charles Krug Winery, the oldest winery in Napa Valley founded in 1861 by a German immigrant, the area is the most historically important in the Valley. The Heitz Wine Cellars tasting room itself is build on the location of the family’s first vineyard.

Joe Heitz started it all in 1961 with his first vintage made from grapes harvested on his ranch. I remember my first sip of Heitz Wine Cellars Zinfandel very clearly. I was in London, tasting wines during one of the Decanter Fine Wine Encounters, when my wine loving Swiss friend grabbed me saying, that I must come to taste the best American Zinfandel. And there we were, at the Heitz cellar stand waving our empty glasses on the local importer. I was grateful and I still am for this tasting, because a couple of years later it magnetised me half world over from Europe to California, to visit the winery and bring back those joyful moments sipping the succulent and fruit-packed Zinfandel as a student in London. I felt in my early twenties once again!

Sustainably farmed with most of their wines now certified organic, the Heitz family shows its respect to nature as well as their customers by not exposing them through their products to unnecessary pesticides, excessive sulphites and other potentially harmful chemicals for their health. The bugs are usually seduced by the beautiful rose trellises planted at the edge of each vine lane. Owls and lady bugs also help to naturally control the pests. The winery is also open to new technology and uses GPS to manage the vines and precisely assess their needs. You can learn more about their farm practices on their website.

You can see all the vineyards under the Heitz Wine Cellars coverage on the map above, they span across six appellations:

Howell Mountain
Los Carneros
Napa Valley
Oakville
Rutherford
St. Helena

Their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a pure single varietal blend of various family estates and has been in production since the beginning in 1961. The lesser known varietal grown is Italian Grignolino, the California distinct Zinfandel (DNA tests revealed it to be related to the Italian Primitivo), alongside the ubiquitous Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The winery itself is set in Saint Helena appellation in the Spring Valley, where the Grinollino was planted by the Heitz first vineyard previous owners.

Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet by Heitz is the most praised and also the most expensive. The 2007 vintage now asks 300 USD out of your pocket for a bottle bought at the winery. The 2004 we tasted was almost half of it. The single vineyard production in the Oakville AVA, is the main pride of the Heitz Wine Cellars. Although it has been farmed by the May family, the Heitzes have always had a very close friendship with them. The vineyard bears the name of Tom May’s wife Martha. It was the first vineyard-designated wine made in Napa Valley. Aging in French and American oak for 3 and half years creates an integrated mint and black cherry aromatic wine worth ageing.
Another treasure of the Heitz Cellar is the Trailside vineyard, where their Cabernet Sauvignon grows in the Rutherford AVA. the vineyard was purchased by the Heitz family in 1984. The Ink Grade vineyard in the Howell Mountain AVA, has a long history, but it is the single vineyard Zinfandel made by Heitz that stands out for me with its medium body round tannins and plump wild berry fruit. Its volcanic soils stress the vines naturally, leading to a very small yields promoting complexity, that shows later in spicy, berry-rich wines made from the local grapes.

Some critics point out that the winery sticks to old-fashioned practices of the founder Joe Heitz, yet judging from the high sales and outstanding ratings, some wine drinkers prefer leaner, rather than the beefy Cabs of America, which I think will lose their hype as the nation will drink less coca-cola and overtly seasoned diet thus refining their taste more towards more elegant wines.
The tasting at the winery is possible without appointment and is free of charge. If you buy some wines, you can be treated to some special wines to try. Mostly though these will be newer or more abundant vintages, but you can purchase some older labels at the tasting room’s shop.
Its cosy setting with a fireplace, a fountain on the terrace overlooking the vineyards and friendly staff, casts a visit of the Heitz Cellars on everybody’s list when trailing through the Valley. Joe’s children Kathleen Heitz Myers and David Heitz are now presiding (Kathleen) and making the wines (David), continuing so his father’s heritage. It was David in 1994, who masterminded the now popular fortified red wine, that was not my personal favorite, but the locals seem to love it and you might as well come and try it yourself.
436 St. Helena Highway, Saint Helena, CA 94574-9537, United States
+1 707 963 3542
Daily 11am – 4:30pm

COI San Francisco: local, exotic and unexpected

COI’s location between San Francisco’s edgy China Town and its polished Financial District, the two disparate worlds rubbing on each other’s shoulders, is not accidental. This duality reflects itself in the two-Michelin star cuisine of a restaurant every local foodie has on his to-eat-list. Here, Asian ingredients and cooking techniques meet costly and mostly locally sourced ingredients. This bounty of the Western US coast is celebrated in California-style seasonal cooking spirit by COI’s chef Daniel Patterson.

Yet, the two Michelin-stared chef makes his menu look incomprehensibly exotic for the culinary school non-graduate diner, making his waiters indispensable in clarifying what exactly is being served on each plate. The more curious minds can take a print out of the current menu and scout either online or scan lengthy indexes of the food encyclopedias. Below, I will puzzle out and deconstruct the philosophy behind Patterson’s craft from my recent meal there.

As you settle in the Zen atmosphere of the restaurant’s dark, soul-soothing and mind-sharpening interior you will be offered an apéritif. A 1999 vintage sparkling California brut sharpens your palate and fizzes out energy necessary for the 14-course dining experience ahead.
A trio of amouse-bouche land one after another on your table like a fleet of fighter jets. Some still fully loaded with a bomb, waiting to explode in your mouth. A cracking California Bowl consisting of puffed brown rice crisps for dipping into a smooth and thick avocado purèe gets an artistic façade of green sprouts. Followed by a refreshing bowl of Niabell Grape Ice with wild bay salt just before the final flavor bomb of California Sturgeon Caviar that, like a crest atop of an egg yolk poached in smoked oil, announces a luxurious splurge. Its richness is thoughtfully balanced by a dollop of refreshing crème fraiche and a light sprinkle of chopped chives.

As the next courses arrive, it becomes apparent that the restaurant’s naturally colored earthenware underscores each dish – by lifting up its colors and textures – as if highlighting the artistic importance of its contents. The chef’s locavore and seasonal sourcing flashes out in seasonally specific dishes like Geoduck with cucumber, radish, purslane, salad burnet. Native to the West Coast of America, this clam is a popular feature of Northern Californian chefs. In a similar light form succeeds Fall Rose with beet, red endives, walnut, turnip, mints and flowers; and again seasons recalling Late Summer Corn With Savory Flavors of pumpkin seed, hominy (dried and specifically treated maize kernels), chile, huacatay (South American herb from marigold family known also as Black Mint). Its spicy touch has geographical nuance in California’s historic ties with its Southern neighbors.
The sommelier turned up once again with the first two courses, serving us a dry Riesling from Santa Barbara County. Staying as local as he could the wine waiter was back soon just before the richer corn dish with a bolder glass of Peay Estate Chardonnay coming from around-the-corner cool region of Sonoma.

Back to the sea (San Francisco is a coastal town so a locavore cannot escape it) with Spot Prawn, pole and Chilean beans beautified with flowering cilantro (parsley leafs). The word play here is sophisticated again. The pole beans have long green or yellow pods and like vine crawl high up around supporting stick or ‘pole’. Who would think of serving them with prawns? Perhaps only the chef who knows how sensitively seasonal the spot prawns that are actually shrimps are.

Staying in the sea with Red Trout Wrapped in Yuba on charred cabbage and sauce of dried scallop and ginger, that was my favorite dish. Yuba is a soy milk skin collected from its top during boiling. It is then dried and later used in cooking since, like a mushroom, it soaks up liquids and expands like a sponge. It has a neutral taste, therefore it highlights whatever ingredient it is served with. Its spongy texture contrasted with the soft flash of the raw trout, whose fishy flavor was maximally minimized by the chinese style sauce.

Moving to the land, the sommelier switched to a well aged 2001 vintage red Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. It was a surprising revelation to me that the clean, slightly spicy and fresh Matsutake mushrooms paired well with this usually powerful wine. With some age though the Cab was smoother and with the potato-pine needle purée hidden under the thin raw mushroom sheets it worked. Matsutake are used in Japanese and Chinese cooking. Today they are also grown in Northern California, which is favorable for this pine mushroom’s growth. The chef might had been inspired by this fungus’ english name as he added some pine needles into the potatoes.
The red wine made even more sense with Pastured Beef Encrusted In Seaweed Powder. The unexpected addition was its accompanying seared and shaved raw cauliflower and super-green parsley purée. Harmony was once again achieved with a magic stick of the chef.

The desserts are far from extinguishing the creative fire of COI. Starting small with by Japan inspired Coconut Mochi bun with kiwi and shiso, the pastry chef adapted the mochi’s doughy texture to California climate by shaping the chewy pasta-like sweet dim sum into taco pockets filled inside with the fresh shiso leaf and gelato.
The real sweet art was revealed in Vanilla-Poached Bartlett Pear in a soupy raspberry-red wine and topped by soft black pepper meringue and cracked pistachios. As its name suggests, texture plays a high tone in the gustatory composition of this pastry. Crunchy and soft, liquid and firm, rough and smooth – all mesmerize your mouth in one bite.

There is no lack of sugar in the tasting menu as a more simple looking Nine Grain Cake Caramelised in Sorghum served with fromage blanc ice cream arrives after the two previous glucose teasers. Sorghum is a gluten-free cereal grain that usually needs other flours to create a more spongy cake texture. By caramelizing it the chef solved its roughness and by adding a scoop of Fromage blanc (French term for fresh thick yogurt-like cow cheese) gelato its sweetness was tamed. The sommelier served it with a sweet glass of a Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend in the Bordeaux Graves style but locally made in Napa Valley by Oro Puro.
The wine waiter was spotless, knowledgeable and understood very well what his guest want. Introducing you to unusual wines if you are adventurous or keeping it safe by suggesting wines measured to your personal taste. The complex and by age well-integrated black fruits and floral aromas of the Corison made by the ‘Winemaker of the Year’ according to the San Francisco Chronicle were a new local surprise for our elegance and maturity seeking palates. Not cheap by a bottle, therefore we appreciated trying it by the glass.

To finish the Asia meets West Coast America feast a Yuzu Marshmallow in frozen dark chocolate was served with our smoky pot of aged orchid Chinese tea from 1980 harvest. It may look like a huge meal, but the three-to-five sized portions and the chef’s quest for balance, not force, were just perfect. That means that I did not crave a pizza on my way back through the Italian quarter and had a sound sleep afterwards.
Address: 373 Broadway, San Francisco, California, USA
Contact: +(1) 415 393 9000
Opening hours: Tue-Sat for dinner only from 5:30pm.

Kee’s chocolate New York: high-roller of Manhattan chocolatiers

At the beginning there was a box, a sand-coloured paper container tightly wrapped with a straw string and a simply typed sticker whispering Kee’s Chocolates. Nothing more, no superfluous marketing, just treasures hidden inside.

Removing the chastity belt and entering the mysterious chest, like from a woman’s corset over a century ago, hand-crafted rare gems of an eye-popping beauty teeter inside. Each of them seated deeply in a dark-hued paper nest. These browny sleek shapes all glowingly call my hoggish fingers into action. It is a tough decision, which one shall I pick fist? Tap tap, while my mouth begins to salivate.

They look too pretty to be eaten hastily. Rolling an imaginary dice in my head, my fingers shiver as the chosen morsel finds its way into my longing mouth. The first bite unveils the inner treasure – is it a creamy, smooth or rather a nutty coarse filling? The second becomes irresistible and is devoured in its entirety. Indeed, tasting chocolate truffles and bonbons from Kee’s chocolates is a delicious expedition for taste buds.

Clean taste profiles, no fussiness, just pure smooth and not too sweet pleasure – that is perfection in confectionery and especially chocolate making. One can sell lots of sugar-loaded candy bars with a dust of cocoa, yet this is not what the top European chocolatiers normally do with what they called chocolate. Refinement is a much higher level of appreciation rated highly by the most distinguished taste judges. Not many mass-market fed by enormous doses of sugar and salt confused palates can capture this perfected beauty. Many of the devoted fans of Hershey or Godiva might be disappointed or the opposite – they may discover the art of a small batch additive-free tasting chocolate.

The finest ingredients from around the world are the inspiration for Kee’s chocolates. The purple pinkish rose petals adorning the surface of the Black Rose Dark Chocolate Truffle treasures inside black tea infused with rose petals. Mysterious, unique and exotic, it cannot sound more seductive. Just bite in and travel East. My favorite cream tea spot (Debutea on Thompson, ironically the very street where Kee opened her first branch) downtown offers a liquid version of it – rose, cream over black tea.
Kee’s bee comb shaped dark chocolate filled with Crème brûlée is legendary and undoubtedly delicious. Do not hesitate to put the entire nugget into your mouth, no need to bite, as its thin chocolate shell pops with easy under the inner mouth pressure. Then, an orgasmic volcano of pleasure erupts covering your taste receptors with an intense yet airy textured crème brûlée richness. The New York Times, Financial Times and the Food Network along with many online reviewers and global magazines confirm that this is “the best chocolate I have ever had” for many of these who tried.

Jasmine tea filled dark chocolate truffle was rather subtle, similar to green tea with dark chocolate where the tea’s delicate aroma gets slightly lost in the power of cocoa. But, I could still sense the touch of jasmine flowers in this truffle and enjoy its subtleness.
Thompson was inspired by the workshop’s original location on that trendy street in SoHo. It is made from three layers of
“Whipped cream over milk or dark chocolate, smothered with a milk or dark coating”.
Tiramisu looks quite simple and it indeed is just the world-famous
“Dark chocolate truffle coated with cocoa powder”, yet of superb quality, melting smoothly and leaving a lasting aftertaste.
Crystalized Almond is crumbling under the teeth’s bites smoothened by creamy dark ganache.
Mint Mocha surprises with a dollop of whipped cream inside the tiny bean crowning the top, while its refreshing minty infusion inside the ganache adds a tasty kick.

The Macao-born owner Kee Ling Tong is very friendly in the typical Asian manner. She smiles, helps you to choose and gives tasting samples of her exquisite morsels [politely buying some after tasting comes naturally thanks to their quality]. Her story is inspiring. She left her dull corporate job to do something more rewarding and she dipped herself deeply into chocolate. Inside her brick-walled small choco-lab she crafts her sweets with the help of only a few workers. Kee’s is truly a boutique operation.

Exotic Asian flavours could not escape Kee’s mood-board. I tried one of them, the Thai Chilli Chocolate. At first the spice was hiding, as the rich smooth chocolate prevailed on the palate, but later you get a nice thai chilli punch. Kaffir Lime is in a similar mood. The “Fresh Thai lime is infused with dark chocolate”, while Keylime Milk or Dark Chocolate ganache filled with fresh-squeezed keylime celebrates the southern Florida coast. There are also some seasonal flavours like Yuzu and Pineapple lychee, that fill your sweet lips with anticipation.
Not only chocolate-based bites are made by Kee’s staff, but also macarons, glorified by many adorers of this crunchy French buns glued together with a creamy sticky spread, cookies and a small range of milk and dark chocolate bars.
The Kee’s chocolates milk chocolate bars are made with 35% cocoa content in a growing garden of flavours: Cranberry pistachio, Hazelnut, Almond, Latte, Lemon, Orange, Ginger salt, Salt figs.
The Kee’s chocolates dark chocolate bars contain 64% cocoa base in manifold incarnations: Chili sesame, Plain sesame, Coconut almond, Cranberry pistachio, Ghost pepper, Espresso, Sea salt, Ginger salt, Almond, Bergamot, Jasmine, Lemon, Orange, Salt figs.
For a chocolate buff like me, the Hibiscus dark chocolate bar sounded the most different from all I have tried so far. Kee’s love for flowers intuited that this might be an interesting choice. The balance of cocoa, sugar and the distinct hibiscus aroma was just right. I meditated over the profound floral fragrance that felt soothing like being in a peaceful garden.

Keep all your freshly made truffles refrigerated and consume within one week of purchase. In case of some, like the legendary Crème brûlée, slurping the morsel whole within two days is highly advised.
The prices are very reasonable, the high quality ingredients and hand-made production on Manhattan needed to be included in the price.
Each bonbon and truffle piece is about $2.85 (tax incl.), while the macarons are $ 3 each.

Upper West Side: 228 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10023

Boutique open: Wednesday through Sunday, 12pm to 5pm
Phone: +1 917 965-2216

CLOSED Red Medicine: lifting the level of culinary creativity in LA

The head chef at Red Medicine Jordan Kahn trained in a number of America’s best restaurants including the lauded French Laundry. Native of Savannah, his youthful American curiosity directed Kahn’s career choices and landed him a number of cherished apprenticeships from San Francisco to New York.

Starting with an edible forest served on a wooden block might be quite an adventure for anyone, save for the Noma devotees (voted the best restaurant in the world for two years until 2013), so it may arrive as a surprise that the jostle of foraging really tastes very good. But this is just a kickoff, since most of the dishes on the Red Medicine’s menu are awe-provoking.
The Chicken Dumplings with pork fat and lemongrass are more like buns à la shish-kebab satisfying the meat hunters. The Leek with yuzu and buttermilk arranged like a museum art piece on the plate that one is afraid to touch from fear of setting off an alarm, is vegetarian-friendly and biodynamically grown. The Dungeness Crab, the oozing richness of the adventurous Santa Barbara Uni with an almond milk subduing the acquired taste of this spiky sea creature, and most of the other ocean produce are locally sourced.
The food at Red Medicine not only looks amazing, but after trying about half of the menu we had to conclude that every single morsel was gushing with an abundant taste, depth, complexity and variety. Unlike many of the gastronomic eateries that sprung up across the globe like mushrooms after the warm fall rain, Red Medicine is worth trying. It does not come cheap, so count with a special treat. The six-course menu costs $65 (add $35 for drinks pairing) and will be potentially cheaper than ordering a la carte if you like to eat a lot.

Cuisine: Modern, international with Asian and Nordic influences, not Vietnamese as is often described.
Visit: September 2013
Price: Medium to high (you need to order many courses in order to be sated as most plates are quite small).
Atmosphere: Red Medicine’s casual, buzzing feel together with an open kitchen and bar concept add free spirit. It is youthful but won’t outrage seniors, except those not keen on noisy humbug. The restaurant is more like a huge open bar serving trendy and innovative fare with a smile on the waiters faces.
Drinks: The cocktails are popular, but the wine list was too seductive for us, so we succumbed. First, we sampled a number of rather unusual wines-by-the-glass, but these did not stick so we voted for a lovely and refreshing bottle of a white Riesling ‘Steiner Hund’ by Nikolaihof from the Wachau Valley in Austria. The dry Riesling befriended most of the ordered plates, although pairing it with meat was challenging so we switched to a glass of red. The wine list is focused on German and Austrian producers, but you will find some American, French and even Italian bottles. Not many snug under the $50 tag though, so prepare your valet for a slight splurge à la Beverly Hills.
Daily dinner 6pm-2am
8400 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
+1 323 651 5500

Pearl & Ash: contemporary concept in New York's Soho CLOSED

Atmosphere: Modern, fresh feeling very comfortable and welcome. The service is friendly and attentive. Dress code is casual in the SoHo mood. It is a great spot just for a drink at the long bar at the front, but it is worth trying the flavor-rich dishes on the restaurant’s card.

Food: The chef Richard Kuo is Taiwanese by origin, but he was raised in Australia and later moved to New York so he brings a truly global twist to his menu. His food is much more creative than a slab of meat and a marinade. Bringing unconventional ingredients together is a particularly intriguing skill, but making it all taste very good and not too over-combined is an enviable manoeuvre, that many other adventurous chefs in New York can only dream about. Richard Kuo marries the innovation with taste very well. Further, the mostly small dishes are divided into raw, small, fish, meat, vegetables, sugar and cheese groups, making it easy to navigate and decide on which ingredient you are in the mood for at the given moment.

Starting with the Hearts of artichoke pealed on a plate in a daisy shaped work of art, we slurped the veggie purée with mouthfuls of steely fresh Riesling, preparing ourselves for a discernible feast.

Raw slices of Fluke, tossed with pomegranate seeds, sunchoke in a kaffir lime juice naturally followed the light kick-off. The tender thin fish was fresh and invigorating – perfect to finish our glass of Riesling. The Tea cured salmon with fresh goat cheese, tamarind and seaweed is another raw fish option that delights even those usually wary of raw fish. Salmon is more easy to enjoy raw.
Warm creamy grilled Brussels sprouts with sweet pearl onions were a step up in terms of depth and richness, so it was time to switch wine. Fresh red Pinot Noir from Oregon showed to be the perfect fit balancing the creamy dressing embalming the sizzling hot brussels sprouts.

Bread served unconventionally with chicken butter and maple syrup might sound as a trip to a mad house, but it is revelatory how a chicken butter can taste great with dense and sweet maple sirup. It is not for all, only real food adventurers might find a common ground in this somewhat inconceivable combination.

There are even more exotic flavours in some of the sides. The toasted Potatoes are covered with a porcini mushroom flavoured mayonnaise and chorizo, which not only sounds naughty but it tastes like a devil’s irresistible temptation. The crisp potatoes are not oily, cooked just right and the mayonnaise is so addictive that you might order a number of rounds of this sinful side dish.
The Long beans tossed with chili in a uni cream are neither more grounded. Uni has a particular taste that many Western palates need to become acquired to, yet at Pearl&Ash it is incorporated into the bean and chilli so well that almost anyone can really enjoy its distinct taste. We all simply loved it and did not find it too spicy either.

From the real meat plates the Rabbit sausage proved to taste better than most of rabbit meals that I often find quite boring. The Hanger Steak is a carnivores’ dream come true and pairs well with a richer Cabernets or Zinfandels from California.
Cuisine: Contemporary
Visit: September 2013
Price: Medium level for Manhattan (small dishes around $6-10; bigger meals around $15-20).
Drinks: From more obscure regions such as the French Jura, Brazil or the US Arizona state, to more staple Burgundy and California (old vintages – 1950s, 1980s, … inclusive), the wine list at Pearl & Ash is intriguing and hard to resist despite the original selection from house-made cocktails. Top notch Bordeaux and Burgundy are among the strong muscles of the wine menu, yet better value might be a bottle from the New World. The Laurene Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Dundee Hills fashioned not just the same name as a friend of mine, who selected it, but also this deep purple red was made by a well-known Burgundy house – the Domaine Drouhin, thus a safe bet. The prices are reasonable for a bar and restaurant on Manhattan, since the Pearl&Ash wine director relishes wines and keeps the margins quite low.
Opening hours: Daily for dinner only: 5:30pm-12:00am
Address: 220 Bowery, New York NY (Between Prince St. and Spring St.)
Contact: +1 212 837 2370

CLOSED Neta: sourcing fish locally for innovative small plates and sushi in New York’s Greenwich Village

The casual vibe with funky music playing in the background at Neta is rather atypical for a Japanese sushi restaurant, but in New York it is becoming the new normal. Neta is quite sizeable for a sushi restaurant, but the 20 seats along the counter are the most fun to spy on the chefs’ knife skills. Wear anything from jeans to your work suit as as the interior is very laid back.

Now the executive chef Sungchul Shim brings in his Korean background, American schooling (CIA) and training from Le Bernardin and Per Se three Michelin stared kitchens to the Neta’s innovative plates.
Its former founding two head chefs Nick Kim and Jimmy Lau gathered their sushi skills from the master chef Masa Takayama (Masa – 3 stars Michelin), yet they unexpectedly packed their knives and opened another, smaller and more trendy upscale sushi bar a couple of blocks away. They named it Shuko, which has omakase or kaiseki menu only, and this funky venue was faring very well until my last meal there in March 2017. After dining there regularly we were disappointed and rumours whisper explanation that some of the staff has left and the chefs struggle to keep it going consistently. Neta has been faring well since their departure though as the impeccably trained staff was up to the task of creating innovative small plates and sushi from locally sourced seafood and meat. Hudson Valley provides foie gras, Snake River Farms Kobe beef and the Atlantic the fish.

Richness defines the food menu at Neta. The Toro Tartar & Caviar served in a tall martini glass is reference to founding chefs’ past work at Masa. Spread the rich, almost creamy, tuna belly and the popping sturgeon roe on the accompanying lightly toasted bread, and enjoy the symphony of texture and flavours in your mouth. Add uni, and this tiny cocktail of succulent hedonism will cost you $59! Along with the tender melting Grilled Diver Scallop Uni, garlic soy butter, wild mushrooms and lime and the Uni Porridge with Mochi sticky rice and mitsuba these are the stars from the small bites menu. Well, the Grilled Snow Crab Legs with Chili sumiso tofu glaze and pickled enoki mushrooms are also excellent when in season.

On the other side of the taste spectrum is the piquant and refreshing Kanpachi Sashimi Salad served with daikon radish, red shiso leaf, black garlic powder, and roasted garlic chili sauce. The Szechuan Spiced Salmon sprinkled with smoky bonito flakes, daikon pickles on a bed of crispy rice is remarkable, yet not as refined and refreshing as the seasonal seabream Tai & Truffle wrapping the crisp Mizuna greens in yuzu-balsamic juice (I hope it will come back soon).

The vegetarians are welcomed at Neta, not for the omakase, but a la carte selection of meat-less and fish-less rolls that taste great and are not boring, except perhaps for the shiitake sushi. The Miso Tofu Avocado roll is exquisite, tender and rich. The umami bomb melts softly alongside the perfectly cooked grains of rice.
Seasonally changing sashimi, sushi and rolls rotate on the a la carte options, with A5 grade wagyu and the unsustainable bluefin tuna often included. The Salmon roll with dried hair of bonito is superb. Originally presented and looking like a blonde scientist in a white coat of rice that has just explored the electricity plug with his/her wet fingers.

Neta sushi and salmon roll with bonito hair

The omakase is a good value for money at Neta, as it usually includes most of the à la carte options. My favourite creative omakase in New York still remains the Sushi of Gari for its unique and exciting, regularly changing toppings on the rice.
From the rotating ice cream selection we tried the rich and creamy Peanut butter ice cream reminding me of a frozen snickers bar. Unfortunately, the intriguing Truffle flavour was not available.

An intriguing wine list with a passionate sommelier are always a great combo and Neta scooped it. We went for a bottle of a pre-phyloxera relative of Chardonnay from the Romorantin garden by Domaine de la Charmoise 2010 “Provignage” from the Loire Valley. Highly acidic and suitable for the fatty and rich dishes dominating the menu. A unique finding and rare on wine lists anywhere in the world. More enjoyable and pronounced was the slightly oaky California Chardonnay from the Staglin Family Vineyard. The Salus 2010 vintage expressed vanilla, crème brûlée and its long finish also called for more intense dishes.
Price: Very high – top quality ingredients start with the $110 omakase menu soaring up to $230 per head for even finer cuts and meats. Daily at 1pm lunch seating you can do a more affordable 10-course omakase tasting for $99. Whole table must go for the omakase otherwise you must go a la carte, which if you eat a lot can cost you much more.
Daily for lunch: 12noon-2pm; dinner SUN-THU: 5PM – 10:30PM & FRI-SAT: 5PM – 11:30 PM
61 West 8th St., New York, NY 10011, USA
Near the corner of West 8th Street and 6th Avenue.
+1 212 505 2610

Pylos: Greek home cooking in New York's East Village

For 10 years Pylos has been faithful to its ethos of “rustic, greek, home cooking” in Manhattan’s East Village. The restaurant’s consulting chef, Diane Kochilas, is globally acknowledged authority on greek cuisine. She published cooking books and teaches every summer at her cooking school on Ikaria island in Greece.

Atmosphere: Contemporary design features contrast with the rustic brick wall and the clay pots, in an amphorae shape hanging from the ceiling like an army of greek warriors. The restaurant’s name PYLOS (pronounced Pee-‘los) is the root word that includes things of clay in greek. A large communal table at the back part of the restaurant accommodates bigger groups, while smaller tables lining along the walls of the narrow foyer are suitable for couples and tables of four. Not quiet, neither noisy, Pylos is a great casual hangout with authentic food and friendly service.
Food: The characteristic greek trio of lemon, olive oil and capers, penetrates into almost every dish, making the food fresh dominant by slightly acidic flavours. Start with the classic Poikilia of three Greece’s best dipping sauces – tzatziki, taramosalata and melitzanosalata … or crisp Horiatiki the classic greek village salad, with juicy tomatoes, fresh onions, cucumbers, capers, kalamata olives, feta dressed in extra-virgin greek olive oil and red wine vinegar.

My favourite warm starter was the Htapothi scharas of grilled, marinated octopus. The tender octopus shined through the thick balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil and caper entourage on the plate.
A meatless version of Anginares moussaka with artichoke heart, caramelized onions, herbs and three greek cheeses béchamel sauce was not as tasty as the minced meat original, but a great option for vegetarians.

My favourite dish at Milos, the more higher end greek restaurant in Manhattan, Kolokythakia kai melitzanakia tyganita – crisp, fried zucchini and eggplant rounds served with tzatziki – was not as refined at Pylos with its more rustic batter and thicker slices of vegetables, yet it was very yummy.

The Haloumi sote me stafylia kai tsipouro – thick slices of sautéed gummy-textured haloumi cheese enhanced by greek grappa and originally served with slightly cooked grapes is a perfect wine dish.

Finally a meat starter Soutzoukakia smyrneika, which is a ground meat sausage seasoned with cumin and bathing in a generous tomato sauce. It was superb, although not my mum’s level amazing. Still, delicious with an intense red Xinomavro wine creating a wonderful pair.

We went for the meaty main courses and were pleasantly surprised not just by the generous portions, but also by the exquisite luscious sauces in which the beef and lamb were cooked.

The Arni kotsi me meli, gigantes skordalia kai psiti tomata cretan was a gargantuan honey braised lamb shank served with giant bean and roasted garlic puree and roasted tomato. The puree had a slight spicy kick and coarser texture suitable for a chunk of meat on the bone.

The marinated grilled baby lamb chops Paidakia galaktos stin schara me imam kai mora patates, served with mini stuffed eggplants and fingerling potatoes were more delicate, cooked more on the rare side and suitable for sharing.
My favourite piece of flash was Krasata paidakia, the classic braised short ribs, in spicy xinomavro red wine. The beef was of excellent quality, the sauce luscious and perfect to mix in to the porcini mushroom potato puree served aside the meat.
Sweets are mostly based on thick greek yoghurt and phyllo pastry.

Cuisine: Greek authentic
Visit: September 2013
Price: High, but justified by big portions (starters around $10; main large meals between $20-$30).
Drinks: All Greek wine list scooping everything from white single varietal asyrtyko, red fruity agiorgitiko (meaning St.George’s; deep red color and remarkable aromatic complexity, soft tannins and balanced acidity) to intense tannic xinomavro. Rose wines and blends, retsina, greek dessert wines from asyrtyko, muscat, mavrodaphne, commandaria varietals allow for every palate to find something good. We went for the recommended Xinomavro from Domaine Karydas Naoussa Macedonia 2009. Meaning “acid-black”, Xinomavro is suitable for aging with the wines rich tannic character. Red fruits with hints of olives, spices and dried tomatoes make this wine distinct from anything else. Its powerful structure makes it an ideal food wine, especially with lamb and beef dishes.
Opening hours: Daily for dinner 5:00 pm – 12:00 am (Thurs & Fri till 1:00am); lunch from Wednesday to Sunday 11:30 am – 4:00 pm.
Address: 128 east 7th Street (btw. 1st Avenue & Avenue A), New York 10009
Contact: Tel: +1 212 473 0220

Spago in Beverly Hills: Wolfgang Puck's brigtest star gets a facelift

Wolfgang Puck‘s California meets Europe restaurant Spago was the first row ticket to his success on the LA’s dining scene. The Austria-born chef was the pioneer of the contemporary California cuisine in the City of Angels over three decades ago. He blended the local, by sunshine blessed ingredients with the world’s cuisines, respectively Asian, South American and European. Spago right from the start became the mecca of power lunchers in Beverly Hills.

At Spago, Puck’s new Californian fine dining is brought to its current shape by the Executive Chef and James Beard Awardee Lee Hefter. The farm to table philosophy at Spago includes some sustainable and locally grown produce, but also the American pride from all over the country such as the Maine Lobster, Fanny Bay Oysters, California Wild King Salmon, Snake River Farm’s Braised “Wagyu” Short Ribs and many other land and sea-bound proteins muscled into Spago. The source of each major ingredient is disclosed on the menu, so the diners know where their food comes from. The chef joined the trendsetters of the current desire for local and the origin disclosing ingredients.

Wolfgang Puck and his business partner Barbara Lazaroff redesigned the interior as well as the menu at Spago aiming to inject a new vibe into their flagship restaurant. The new design is a success, but the menu might slightly disappoint its old timers. The large dining room features clean aesthetics, incorporating natural elements for an organic feel. The patio is naturalised through a streaming water panel as the centrepiece, green plants and rustic red brick walls surround the outdoor area. Dress smart as this is a popular hangout of the city’s top executives and other high players.

If you want to savour the chef’s European origins try his take on the traditional Austrian schnitzel, which is a delicious thin-cut slice of veal breaded, pan-fried and served with savoury vegetables. From the starters the Chino Farm’s Vegetable Salad, Pine Nuts, Feta Cheese, Snow Peas, Artichokes, is a nice taste of the local by Europe inspired seasonal bounty. Another good, but heartier meaty starter the Marcho Farm’s Veal Filet Mignon Tartare, Smoked Mascarpone is a great choice for raw meat lovers. The smoked mascarpone crowns the dish with its richness and softness balancing the chopped chunks of meat.

Spago offers Italian-inspired “fresh, wild and organic” courses of pasta and seafood. The Sweet White Corn Agnolotti, Parmigiano Reggiano, Mascarpone, Sage are popular. In a truly American fashion, the steak is the highlight of the menu and the chef’s steak venture CUT at the Fours Seasons hotel underlines his passion for the much celebrated American meats. The Grilled Dry-Aged New York Steak served with Potato-Bacon Terrine, Sauce Bordelaise has French influence, but the meat is from America. The chef could catch up with the millennial diners by offering more vegetable centric plates in his garden plates. The starters have some plant thought in them, but vegans will not find much as cheese appears where chicken, shrimp, fish or beef lost their way in. The Sweet Corn Soup could perhaps go without the Emmental Cheese Soufflé and Parmesan Crisp.
The bar is a place to catch up over cocktails or a glass of wine with specially prepared bar bites such as juicy cheeseburgers, meat balls, Chinese dumplings, marinated chicken wings or the chef’s legendary Pizza with house smoked salmon, dill, creme fraiche and chives, which is my favourite dish from the entire Spago menu.

The wine list in Spago has won multiple awards and deservedly is one of the best in Los Angeles. The coveted Wine Spectator Grand Award was achieved under the helm of Master Sommelier Christopher Miller. The restaurant’s 30,000 bottle collection guarantees a wide selection. Everyone can find something interesting even with a tight budget. Having deep pockets though is an advantage since many rare and iconic Californian treasures are cellared here. Wines from other countries are not forgotten with Austria being well-represented.
In the US, Wolfgang Puck is ranked among that generation of celebrity chefs like Jean Georges Vongerichten, Gordon Ramsey and Daniel Boulud. For me his off-the-gazes restaurant at the Bel Air Hotel is currently more consistent and the fire meets alfresco dining environment makes the ocassion more special.
Closed Monday and Sunday.

Lunch:
12 p.m. – 2:15 p.m., Tuesday – Thursday, Saturday
11:30 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Friday
Dinner:
6 p.m. – 10 p.m. Sunday – Friday
5:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Saturday

176 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, California 90210, USA
+1 310 385 0880

L'Hostaria: authentic Italian trattoria in Aspen

Over the years dining at L’Hostaria, this unpretentious Italian restaurant in Aspen persuaded me that this is the best authentic and honest Italian food in America. No wonder since the Italian chef and owner Tiziano Gortan was working in the kitchen of Italy’s first three Michelin star restaurant under the grand chef Gualtiero Marchesi, for the rock band U2’s restaurant at the Clarence Hotel in Dublin, at Casa Blanca in Sardinia, all before landing permanently in Aspen. His experience with high gastronomy trained the young chef who got back to his roots in preparing perfectly traditional Italian plates at L’Hostaria. Most served in European rather than the mamooth Amercian portions, so not much food gets wasted here, but there are some starters better to be shared.

The walls are graced by nostalgic photographs of Italy, its landscape and historic cities, but in the back dining room speed-themed paintings flash their vibrant colors on the warmly hued interior. Quirk strikes you right at the bar where two real bicycles hang high up on the beams above the heads of jolly imbibers. Packed with locals and visitors, the bar at L’Hostaria is usually buzzing. Wear anything casual and you will snugly fit in this cosy mecca of Italian food high in the altitude of the Colorado mountains. At the bar most of the menu can be ordered for a much lower price, yet from my experience the food is better and bigger at the restaurant.
I love to start here either with the carpaccio in all forms from fish to meat. The thinly sliced Bresaola (Italian cured lean beef) at L’Hostaria is served over a slightly tart arugula and generously shaved parmesan. There is also the local Colorado Buffalo, minced Beef Tartar as well as the Smoked Swordfish carpaccio, all of superb quality. The picks of ingredients are in their highest league.
One of my Northern Italian favourites is the thinly sliced veal tenderloin with the soundly Italian name Vitello Tonnato. As I sliced the lean, paper thin veal and embalmed it generously in the creamy tuna sauce patted on the top, my critical palate was smitten by the tender texture and the abundance of the sauce at L’Hostaria. The chef added capers and homemade beet chips to the veal delicacy, for an unoffensive personal touch. A must for seafood connoisseurs is Insalata d’Astice, an abundant salad of raw Alascan lobster tail, grilled zucchini, artichoke puree, cherry tomato confit, that is accompanied by a duo of red and green pesto. It is large and can make for a light main course. The lobster has always been tender, fresh and the ingredients passionately emphasised the Italian soul of this filling salad. Vegetarians can always go for the ultra creamy burrata cheese delivered frequently to L’Hostaria from Puglia.

Freshly made pastas can be order as the middle course, but better shared, unless you skied all day long. There is some fish like the grilled Branzino (seabass) on the menu, but I rarely order it, being mindful of overfishing and by-catch that is often wasted due to high demand for fish like tuna and seabass. My husband always orders here the typical Northern Italian Cotoletta alla Milanese. The Milanese schnitzel is a plate covering thinly pounded and breaded veal chop typically served over arugula and sweet cherry tomatoes. A splash of aceto balsamico works heavens with it. At L’Hostaria they would make the Milanese proud.

If you do not succumb to the focaccia in the basket constantly refilled on your table as I often do, go desserts or the Selection of Italian cheeses served with walnuts, crispy bread and honey. The Tiramissu is heavenly, the saliva-inducing Torta di Gelato al Pistacchio (pistachio ice cream cake with sabayon sauce) or the slightly tipsy Selezione di Biscotti e Vin Santo (selection of Italian cookies and sweet wine Vin Santo from Tuscany) are all worth rising your blood sugar after an active day. Just enjoy it mindfully.
The wide choice from Italian wines, often the most suitable for authentic Italian food. On one ocassion we went for a bottle of a red Barbera di Alba from Piedmont, on another a well aged Chianti from Castello di Ama accompanied our meal. Although cappuccino is usually enjoyed in the morning in Italy go for it if you desire. In the mountains though, tea feels right at any time. Just listen trully what your body needs. At L’Hostaria in Aspen everything is simply perfetto!
Daily for dinne: 5:30–10:30 pm
620 E Hyman Ave, Aspen, CO 81611.
+1 970 925 9022

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