everybody reads raymond

I went to Tribeca Grill tonight and was surprised to see that they were hosting a guest chef with a particular claim-to-fame.  The waiter came by to announce that there was a guest chef and he had adding a few items to the normal menu as part of a cookbook promotion tour.  We looked at the additions and "oooed" at the:

Appetizers
African Durban Spiced Shrimp with Kachumbari Slaw
Apple BBQ Glazed Baby Back Ribs

Entrée
Cedar Grilled Salmon with Honey Dijon Balsamic Glaze and Roast Corn Salsa    with Braised Spinach and Leeks

Then he went on to say that if we ordered one of the item, Mr. Famie would be sure to stop by our table and say hello; and that he was famed from the hit show: Survivor.  Ah, what, what?  That put us off almost immediately.  Now, why would we want to eat food that was prepared by someone from the cast of Survivor?

Anyway, we caved and tried the shrimp.  The best I can say about it was that he used cilantro.  The cilantro was nice.  For the balance of the meal, we ordered from the menu and had a wonderful time.

Last night I tried: 1999 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Vieilles Vignes by Domaine du Villeneuve

Wine Spectator: Subtle and rich at the same time, this is an interesting balance of sweet oak and tannins, ripe black fruit, complex terroir notes and refined oak treatment. Medium- to full-bodied, it's well-made. The finish is sweet-tasting and seductive.

Me: I agree with the subtle and rich at the same time. It was very odd sensation on the pallet. It had a "thin" feel to it while being extremely bold. I liked the second glass better than the first. On a 10 point scale, I'd give it an 8.

So, we jumped over to Belgium for the Kempen Trophy this month.  In the spirit of the "roaming gnome"; we brought along Alli (as seen in the picture).  She went everywhere - even places she shouldn't have been - getting her picture taken with local famous people, found partaking libation in the tavern.  She also managed to be seen amongst a few dead royals buried in the crypts of the cathedrals and castles that Europe seems to have on every corner.

Later in the trip she found herself in Dublin as it was our point of entry and departure.  There she stayed in U2's posh hotel, The Clarence.  Those boys, whom I thought were representative of the common man of Ireland, sure know how to live in up in the swanky south-side of Dublin.  Just a block away, in the Temple Bar section, was a host of traditional Irish bars and music.  :-P  Oh, yeah...we also toured the Guinness Brewery.  It was capped with a hearty pint atop the window bar, located at Dublin's highest point.

Strange but true, Dad and Sandy, Tony and Lynn were in Como, Italy last weekend. So Sybille and I hopped in her sister's car and drove down the 3-4 hours for dinner at Bar della Terme, home to chef Maurizo - a crazy Italian that's gotten a few extra 15 minutes by looking a little bit like Clooney. Be sure to visit his website for a laugh: NotClooney.

The two of us were a little ready for a break as we had both been working like crazy - heads buried in books or pounding away at the keyboard, so it was perfect timing, even though it was only for a day.

As you can see in the hill-side picture, the ride down was a bit foggy, but beautiful. As a result of the fog we drove through the Gotthard Tunnel (San Gottardo in Italian) on the way down, but over the mountain on the way back. Holy crap that was scary, amazing, eye-poping and in all other manners of shock and awe. However, the pictures just don't capture it as its too massive and all surrounding to fit on film with justice. You see a picture of me with a hand on a guard rail, the valley below.

What you can't tell from the picture is that the temperature is about 45 degrees because we're about 6,000 feet up, there is a massive plunge about 12 short inches behind me and I have a death grip on the rail. And we hadn't even reached the peek of the overpass yet, which is a total of 6,916 feet. If you look at the picture of the valley and the road, the beginning of the Gotthard overpass begins in the very right hand side, around the lake. Trust me, its a long way down.

Its a 30 minute drive (or was for me) to get up the mountain, through all the switch-backs and jaw-dropping roundabouts. My pulse was a little bit quicker. At the top, it was amazing - snow still clinging to summerless rock. (July, remember.) There were lakes of crystal clear water - freezing Sybille is jumping in front of one as the sun was setting. Little villages and extended camp sites surrounded the lakes. It was massive - a plateau that stretched 2-10 miles in any direction (that you could see). Its probably bigger.

We drove the plateau north and went through other little villages that were the most incredible sights - a castle, a church, a cluster of cottages and a train station carved into the side of a mountain. I lost my mind. It was like the train-set towns I tried to create as a kid, but these were 200 inhabitant neighborhoods stuffed into a small valley and shadowed between two, snow-capped mountain peeks 6,500 feet above the rest of the world. Göschenen and Hospental were two.

On the north side, coming down the mountain, there were cows everywhere - just standing on the side of a massive cliff, munching on hearty mountain grass. Sybille says their "happy" cows - referring to bio-friendly, organic milk. I remarked that they were the potential falling objects that the sign had warned us of on the drive up. St. Gotthard is a wonderful place and I cannot wait to go back. Only next time, I'm renting a Porsche for the drive (or shipping mine over as that's what she's supposed to be driving, not to the grocery store on US1).

As for dinner, it was great - perfect outdoor setting with candle light, warm summer breezes coming off Lake Como and wonderful company. The food wasn't bad, either. But were were there to visit family. Unfortunately, I only got one picture with the family (and Maurizo hamming it up) and it wasn't very flattering for Sybille. So Dad, if you have better ones, please forward them.

PS: While in Como, stay away from the green stuff. You'll be happier.

While writing this, I played: No Doubt - It's My Life from the iTunes radio.