VittlesVamp

Birthday Wishes: My Italian Grandma in Staten Island

This birthday a long-held dream of mine finally came true. After years and years, I finally acquired an honest-to-goodness Nonna, an Italian grandmother who knew how to speak Italiano and cook with wild abbondonza abandon.

Dear friends gave me this remarkable gift by joining me on the Staten Island Ferry for a celebration at a wonderful small restaurant named Enoteca Maria. What makes it particularly wonderful isn't a lady named Maria. No, in fact, what makes this restaurant completely unique is its rotating collection of real Italian grandmas that man the kitchen, devising an every-changing set of menus that feature regional family recipes passed down from Nonna to Nonna.

My Nonna was from the Northern Italian town of Bergamo and that night's menu reflected her Lombardy leanings. We went with it, ordering up dish after dish of delights, from a garlicky good Stuffed Artichoke to a rich rendition of Baked Eggplant and Tomato, and a tongue-tingling platter of Seared Hot Peppers with Anchovies to a melt-in-your-mouth sunny yellow Butternut Squash Risotto. Pictured above, the risotto was made even more delicious by a sprinkling of fragrant green sage leaves and shaved Parmesan Reggiano.

And did I mention the incredible homemade Focaccia? Or how about the night's riff on nose-to-tail dining?

That's right. My Nonna took head-to-tuchis quite literally as we tucked into a Split Roasted Sheep's Head crusted with herbs, garlic and breadcrumbs. That was followed by a dish of Roasted Veal Tails with Peas and Lemon that was luxuriously tender and utterly irresistible.

My good friend Max -- who snapped these gorgeous photos -- was so taken with the tails that he ended up including it in his Serious Eats New York list of his best NYC bites of the year. No surprise, it is one of mine as well.

Birthday Wishes: Nashville Fried Chicken & Honky Tonks

You might've guessed that the photo above is of the former, not the latter, when it comes to the title of this post. This was some tasty Fried Chicken, accompanied by rich Mac n' Cheese and Stewed Cabbage, along with a piece of Spicy Cornbread. It was had about an hour outside of Nashville in Leiper's Fork at the original Puckett Brothers Grocery & Restaurant. It was quite a lunch. Worthy of the birthday girl.

Joined by partners in crime, in the form of Missy K and Nashville's own Stacy (better known as "the bride" in my earlier Nashville adventures), I had a birthday weekend to whoop and holler about. Highlights included:

*Celebrating in style at Merchants, tucking into a luscious Pork Osso Buco glistening in Bourbon Jus, sprinkled with Smoked Pecan Brittle, and served up with an altogether decandent Sweet Potato Casserole baked up with a Rosemary Marshmallow on top.

*A swell of patriotic pride as a group of military men walked into legendary honky tonk Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, inspiring the band to break out into the Star Spangled Banner.

*Breakfast at Cracker Barrel, complete with a gigantic needlepoint portrait of George Washington, and Country Ham.

*A visit to Opryland that somehow just didn't seem gaudy enough for the holiday season.

*Waking up to a warm from the oven Biscuit with Butter and local Honey at the Hermitage Hotel.

*Sipping on a Jack and Ginger at LP Stadium, listening to Phil Vassar sing up a country storm, right before the kick-off between the Titans and the Jets.

Would you be surprised if I told you that I'm already talking to Missy K about our next trip to Nashville? Somehow, I think not.

Birthday Wishes: Tokyo By Way Of 8th Street

It was sublime. It was superb. It was a moan-worthy, swoon-filled evening of sushi and sashimi delights at Neta. Tucked into a nondescript storefront on a shoe store-strewn block of 8th Street in Greenwich Village, the room wasn't much to speak about. The only clue that this was something extraordinary was the sizable open kitchen, and beaming customers who, upon taking a bite, pursed their lips and closed their eyes in unmitigated pleasure.

Soon, I was one of them, joined by my pal Laurel, to celebrate our respective birthdays. After sipping on a couple of bracing cocktails, we ordered the Omakase, a chef's selection that included warm Szechuan Spiced Salmon with dancing Bonito Flakes and Crispy Rice; a bright salad of Dungeness Crab, Cucumber, Wild Parsley and Dashi Vinaigrette; and, pictured above, an ethereal bowl of Spanish Mackerel Tataki atop a Myoga Vegetable Salad showered with Tempura Flakes and grated Ginger, lightly doused in Soy.

That was just the beginning. Soon, we were nibbling on crisp vegetable Tempura and then our table was graced with hand-molded pieces of sushi that literally melted in our mouths. The pièce de résistance? A Toro and Scallion Roll that had us at "hello."

Now, I'm utterly spoiled. And, I can't help smiling at the thought of being an ecstatically spoiled Vamp in 2013. Let's just hope I can get another reservation -- and that my credit card can handle the strain. Well, at least it's cheaper than a plane ticket to Tokyo...Spoiled rotten, here I come!

A Detox Addiction

After Sandy and before Tday, I was in dire need of a getaway. So, getaway I did -- grabbing my passport and heading to Mexico's Playa del Carmen. My game plan? Total R&R, including daily swims, lots of fresh fruit, reading, naps, workouts, massages, and absolutely, positively no alcohol.

You're in shock, I'm sure. But, if you recall, I've gone dry before. Besides, this was just a short south-of-the-border jaunt. Not that the tequila selection at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba Resort wasn't impressive, but I was able to resist. I had other temptations to please my palate and quench my thirst.

The temptation that helped me stick to my detox regimen? Glass after glass of Jugo Verde. Pictured above, I surrendered to this magical elixir as my morning, noon and nighttime salvation. The resort actually offered two versions of this heavenly sweet-tart concoction -- one a combination of chaya, cucumber and honey, and the other an addictive mix of chaya, pineapple, orange, celery and cucumber.

I understand that it's hard to find chaya in the States, but I think spinach might make for a suitable substitute. Now, all I need is for Santa to bring me a juice extractor. Or, better yet, St. Nick should just bring me a plane ticket back to Mexico and book me a room near the juicer at Mayakoba.

Either way, I'm off the wagon and wondering how Jugo Verde might taste with a splash of tequila. We'll see if holiday retox wishes come true!