The mundane but extraordinary

While visiting the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in early June, I was introduced to the work of Antonio Lopez Garcia. The colors, the light, the scale, the detail - his work is brilliant. Many artists are inspired by and subsequently capture scenes from "every day life" but Garcia stands out from the crowd in a huge way. His passion for the subtle and demanding beauty of everything around him is strongly conveyed through his art - and it made me think of the extraordinary people I have come to know in my life that have a similar gift...People who live in the moment, in such a way that every moment becomes an exotic and intoxicating experience. It is quite a talent - whether you express it through art or through your every day interactions with the people around you - to be able to notice that all you are surrounded by is extraordinary.

Ristorante DiPaolo, Turners Falls, MA

Few people, I imagine, are familiar with Turners Falls, MA. North central Massachusetts can be easily overlooked. While people may stop in the cultural, college towns of Northampton and Amherst, it is likely as they travel north on Route 91, they pass the Route 2 East exit for more favored destinations in Vermont.

But this area of Massachusetts deserves a look. While it is rich with history, it is the people that make the area so relevant today. Turners Falls was named in honor of William Turner and there is a monument in town which was erected to honor his battles against and subsequent removal of the Native Americans from the land so that settlers could occupy the area. You start to get a sense for the rich, progressive nature of the people when you hear that this particular monument is vandalized annually by area youth to protest this idolized version of history that honors genocide.

I have been visiting this area of Massachusetts for several years now and am always pleasantly surprised by everything it has to offer - Ristorante DiPaulo is no exception. Housed in a renovated store front in Turners Falls, you would never expect this level of decadence could live in this small town. Enter DiPaolo's and a small, rich wood bar is to your right, while the dining room opens to your left. Elegant chandeliers arched from custom iron work and I have no doubt you notice the fabulous faux paint treatment on the far wall reminiscent of weathered villa stucco.

I visited DiPaulo's the summer of 2007 with a group of close friends and we had an fabulous time. Our table teased our appetites with the Cozze e Canellini, mussels steamed in a broth with pancetta and canellini beans. For dinner, I ordered the Gamberoni – Jumbo shrimp wrapped in prosciutto and served with a creamy sambuca sauce over Parmesan polenta, and topped with sautéed spinach. The pasta selections included several risotto dishes which caught my eye before I settled on my selection. For dessert, the table tried a number of items, but the Olive Oil cake was by the far the most interesting and delicious of the group.

If you find yourself driving up Rt. 91 through Massachusetts, do consider making a stop in Turners Falls on Rt. 2 East for dinner at DiPaulo's.

Great service at the Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop

This past Saturday my mom and I made our way to Chestnut Hill to do a little shopping, and we had the most pleasant experience in the Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop. We walked into the shop and it was bustling. One wall was lined with dry goods, while a long wooden counter displayed wheels of delicious cheese and salamis. Yum. Wallace and Gromit heaven, for sure. Three "kids" were working behind the counter, eagerly engaging the crowd of customers and fixing orders. The mood was definitely cheerful - or maybe it was just me. Cheese is a glorious food.

My mom selected one cheese from the Pyrenees that she wanted to taste, while I tried to rather crudely describe a particular french cheese I was looking for to the girl helping us. She was young, but quickly cut through my lame description and began naming some possible options to my search. French rolled off her tongue with such ease I could have been standing in a little shop in France itself. The moment felt strongly of travel - that feeling of trying to speak an unfamiliar foreign language and getting easily left behind in a conversation.

This cheese shop interaction stands out mostly in my mind because my experiences at the Doylestown cheese shop, La Masion Cheese, have been so disappointing. Not that the cheese isn't good, because it is. But every time I have gone there I have expected the experience I had in Chestnut Hill - being enthusiastically engaged by the store employees - people willing to share their love of cheese. The Doylestown shop owner is friendly and warm to her friends, but cold to everyone else. After going there twice and having the same blown-off experience, I decided not to bother with any future visits.

Now, I am excited to know not all cheese shops are of the same breed. The Chestnut Hill Cheese shop is a total delight! Self-described "Cheeseheads", the staff is a tremenedous help and their knowledge and enthusiasm are contagious.

Vinaigrettes

These are 2 recipes presented in a page-a-day wine calendar currently in my kitchen, that I don't want to forget about.

Wine Lovers' Vinaigrette
Works well with dry whites: white Bordeaux, white Burgundy, and sauvigon blanc...

Whisk together one egg yolk, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, one cup extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Drizzle over sweet greens such as butter lettuce, roasted root vegetables or grilled/sauteed fish.

Champagne Passion Fruit Vinaigrette
Drizzle over anything, but think luscious like avocado or lobster...

1 1/2 tbsp. passion fruit puree
1/3 cup champagne
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk first 4 ingredients and seasoning together in a bowl. Slowly add the oil while whisking. Makes one cup.

Philadelphia BYOB Interactive Map

Most people in the Philadelphia area are aware of the its reputation for top-notch BYOB restaurants. But besides reading a review, how do you find them? I came across this interactive Google map, which allows you to select an area of Philly and view related BYOB restaurants. Each BYOB is denoted with a wine bottle on the map - make a click to view the address, cuisine type, description, contact info and more.

Georges at the Cove, La Jolla, CA

Thanks to Dave - our esteemed Vice President of Client Services who has brilliant taste in wine and food - I had the most amazing food experience while in San Diego for work.

For our last night in San Diego, our group made its way to La Jolla for dinner at the Ocean Terrace, the rooftop dining room of Georges at the Cove. We arrived well before our reservation time so we made out way to the bar for drinks. What immediately struck me was the stunning view - after 2 days in San Diego the most I had seen of the water was the bay by our hotel. The pacific is just spectacular -- I don't know why it has such a stronger impact for me than the Atlantic, but it does. Perhaps it is the rich sunsets, or maybe the distance from home adds appeal, but it is a treat, always, to revisit the pacific.

We were able to be seated early and as the hostess showed us to our table, I couldn't help but cry out in delight - our table was flush against the edge of the roof, with nothing but the ocean to view in its full panoramic glory. We had dinner watching the sun set - what is more perfect?

Unforgettable food and wine, great company, engaging service -- this meal was awesome. Three of the five of us ordered the Herb Crusted Halibut on a bed of sweet corn and snow peas with a cherry tomato and basil salad. If I were more eloquent, I would be able to describe this halibut better - it was perfectly cooked, so moist it melted in your mouth. Perfectly seasoned, it was a dream. The corn, tomatoes and basil were the perfect reflection of summer - and again, so simple in taste but brilliantly paired.

We did have appetizers - fresh mussels and calamari, which were quite yummie, but my memory is dedicated to the halibut. Dave picked 2 luscious wines - a Stag's Head "Artemis" Cabernet Sauvignon and Flowers Pinot Noir.

Sadly, I had to catch a cab to the airport and missed out on dessert, but I can not wait to visit this restaurant again. Perhaps, you can never recapture the magic of your first taste of a new, and amazing, restaurant but in this case I am going to try.

The Landing, New Hope, PA

After walking around Doylestown on Friday night, I was craving the simple experience of eating somewhere with a water view. Aaron mentioned a restaurant he knew in New Hope that had a terrace overlooking the Delaware River, and our plans for Saturday night began to materialize.



After the usual, somewhat difficult task of finding parking in New Hope, we arrived at the restaurant around 7:30pm. The terrace was large with a well-positioned bar that took advantage of the view. There was a 30 minute wait for a table so we made our way to the bar where some very friendly patrons opened up an area for us to take a seat. We requested a "water table", which are tables for two lining the railing directly overlooking the river. This request seemed nothing out of the ordinary to the hostess; in fact, we got the idea from someone else already in-line. Sitting at the bar, gazing over the river, we eyed up the "water tables" and were very pleased with ourselves and our decision to request one.

However, the perspective was slightly different once we were actually seated at the table. At eye level with the wood railing, I couldn't help but notice that they were covered in dirt and spider webs. Another thing we couldn't see or hear from the bar, was the river bank below the terrace. It was full of ducks and geese. It may sound cute, but a number of patrons were throwing food over the railing to the birds below which resulted in screaming, fighting, running and general pandemonium amongst the wildlife. While it was slightly amusing to watch the spider build its web and catch insects, it was not at all amusing to watch the river wildlife reduced to this ridiculous dance with the human species dining above them.

For our appetizers we ordered the Fried Calamari with cilantro-lime mayo and spicy tomato sauce for dipping, and the steamed mussels in corona with chorizo sausage, corn and cilantro. The calamari was over-cooked and the breading lacked any flavor and did not add anything to the dish. The two accompanying sauces were also lacking in seasoning and flavor. The spicy tomato sauce was bland, without any spicy nuisances to tease the palate. The cilantro-line mayo was slightly better, but still forgettable. The mussels were quite good and the chorizo sausage was a rewarding addition to the dish. The broth was a yummie combination of ocean flavors and crisp summer tones.

For our entrees, Aaron went with the Lobster Ravioli with shaved manchego cheese, while I selected the sauteed Atlantic Salmon with Chiptole Orange sauce. Aaron was quite pleased with the Ravioli but I thought the dish was too heavy on the sauce and the presentation looked more like a pasta soup than a refined dish of ravioli. The salmon was well-cooked but in this case the sauce was actually a glaze, and while good, was quite sweet and none of the spice of the chiptole came through. Overall, it did not quite meet my expectations, based on the menu description.

Would we go there again? Maybe. The nice thing about the Landing, is that the menu covers a wide-range of prices. While our entrees were 18.95 and 25.95 respectively, I think if we visited again, we would be better served to order a less substantial sandwich and sit away from the water so as not to have to experience the dirty railing, trash laden retaining wall and horde of degraded wildlife fighting for table scraps below. The Landing would be better served if they would take a broom to the railing before opening, clean the trash up from their retaining wall and encourage patrons to observe nature and its wildlife - not engage with it by inducing a feeding spectacle.