VittlesVamp

Sucking The Marrow Out Of...

...a marrow bone.

And what a marrow bone -- filled with a transcendant mixture of crispy breadcrumbs, trumpet mushrooms, fresh herbs and a helping of butter, along with the marrow's own "beef butter" itself. The mixture was placed back in the bone and baked off until lightly brown and delicately crunchy.

We're talking about a bonafide bovine revelation!

Thank goodness. It was part of a celebratory birthday dinner for Mama Vamp at Philadelphia's Bibou. After all Mama Vamp has been through over the past year or so, if this meal hadn't lived up to the hype, there would have been hell to pay.

Luckily that marrow bone proved heavenly. Hell has been avoided for yet another year.

The upshot? Mama Vamp is a happy lady and I'm on a mission to bake up marrow bones in my own kitchen once the weather turns cool.

Guess that's one way to encourage Mama Vamp to make the trip up to NYC! (Then again, I'm always delighted to head down to Philly, if it means another trip to Bibou.)

Summertime Schnitzel

Despite the early summer heat wave, the thrown-open glass doors and baskets of wee orange flowers at the East Village's Edi and the Wolf, beckoned me inside of the Austrian newbie.

But could I really handle heavy Austrian fare along with the high heat? We'd soon see...

At the bar, I met up with a gal pal and settled into a handy barstool, ordering a chilled bottle of Gruner Veltliner to soothe and softened the edges of a brutal work week. We sipped and chatted, waiting for a table on the restaurant's slender outdoor patio. One glass down and we were rewarded with a high-top -- with access to a slender breeze.

Another cool glass of Gruner down and suddenly the menu of Landjager and Spaetzle sounded just right. The menu had more Americanized options too -- Flatbreads and Baby Back Ribs -- but the wine had put us squarely in the mood for Vienna in June.

Needless to say, that was not a mistake.

I only regret not ordering the Liptauer and being misled by our waitress to order dessert. (Alpine Cream with Strawberries conjured up the image of a crystal bowl brimming with ripe berries, topped with mounds of Schlaag. This specimen: not so much. Not worth wasting the calories!)

The real winner, besides the Gruner? Heritage Pig Wiener Schnitzel with Potato Salad, Cucumbers and Lingonberry Jam (pictured above). Luscious. Crispy. Succulent. Pigalicious!

Summer. Schnitzel.

Bring it on!