VittlesVamp

New Finds In Lisbon

Yes, when I am lucky enough to visit somewhere more than once, I adore returning to old haunts and fabulous favorites. But, there is still something in the depths of my food-obsessed soul that yearns to uncover the new.

Now, I didn't think I would actually "discover" anything that wasn't on the radar of others during my latest trip to Lisbon. That being said, did end up following the advice of Culinary Backstreets and nabbed myself a reservation at a fairly new hot spot - Tasca Baldracca - a very cool, casual restaurant in Mouraria. It comes equipped with an oversized chalkboard to share today's menu, heavily tattooed owners who can't wait to pour you a glass of wine that will put a smile on your face, and just enough attitude to make sure you know that you've been somewhere special.

And, the food? AHH-MAZING!

After a glass of red that had me at "hello," I kept with the red theme - in this case with red meat...

This is unequivocally the finest Steak Tartare I have ever had. It was served with puffy, fried batons of pastry, so you could scoop up the raw goodness and spoon it into a bit of pastry for a contrast of flavors and textures. Add a bit of the umami-rich anchovy mayo or house-fermented mustard and it was over the top.

Next up, I went for something cooked...

This Roasted Suckling Pig had a crackling that balanced crisp with a touch of fatty chew. The meat was beyond tender. The fennel and orange salad alongside had a handful of chili peppers, and the heat made the whole dish come together beautifully.

And, who was I to say no to dessert?

Yes! The chalkboard said Leite Creme de Doce de Liete - and I knew that a custard of what we call Dulce de Leche would be a lovely finish. When one of the owners plunked down a glass and a whole bottle of Moscatel to go with, I knew that this was less of a finish and more of a finale.

It was an incredible meal. I could have ended the night there. But, I didn't.

Just steps away there was a "Basque-Italian" bar called Quattro Teste that called to me. The room was elegant, yet cozy. Strangely, it was empty at first, but within a few minutes avid cocktail fans started to make their way in. Thankfully, I had an opportunity to speak with owner/bartender Alf before the place got too busy and met his partner and wife Marta as well. One G&T later, I was ready to try one of their own concoctions...

The Piemontese was a cocktail to love - Cucielo Rosso vermouth, Stravecchio Branca brandy, Nardini Elixir de China, and Izarra Groc. It was an aromatic, bitter nightcap that capped me off brilliantly.

No surprise here if Tasca Baldracca and Quattro Teste end up on my "must return" list whenever I am next in Lisbon.

I Don't Want Anything Too Sweet

That phrase can make a good bartenders' eyes roll. Why? Because the issue usually isn't sugar. It's that the patron has had one too many poorly make cocktails that relied too heavily on simple syrup to do the work alongside the booze. A well-balanced cocktail can have sugar. It's all in the balance.

Case in point - a drink at The HiHi Room called Rum & Cake. Get it? Rum & Cake! It literally brings together Mount Gay XO Rum and a Coconut Cake in a glass.

I can hear you now, "Ick! That sounds way too sweet for me!"

But this isn't an over sweetened mess. In fact, it is quite the opposite. This an astutely built beverage. Couldn't expect less from HiHi's gifted lead bartender Izzy Tulloch, who just left the Cobble Hill restaurant to join the team at Soho's soon-to-open Milady's.

And, to make matters even more transcendent, let me tell you about that Coconut Cake that's in the drink. It is by none other than celebrated Pastry Chef Caroline Schiff of Gage & Tollner, who was just named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs of 2022. That cake has some serious street cred.

The pair wash Lustau Sherries with the cake. Yes, you read right. That is Coconut Caked-washed Sherry in that drink alongside the rum. Then a bit of Coconut Demerara to complete the beverage that will make your eyes roll - roll back into your head with pleasure that is.

Donut Recovery & Rooftop Drinks

I am seeing signs of recovery in New York. There is still a throwback feeling of living in the Koch-era at times, but I feel like things are pick up steam again. I've seen this concept of a "donut recovery" bandied about. No, Fan-Fan, Doughnut Plant and Dough won't save us. (What a delicious set of saviors!) We're talking about a "donut-shaped recovery" in which the outerboroughs and environs of NYC spring back to life while Manhattan and Midtown in particular take much longer to revive.

In some ways, I can see that being a solid call. But, New York always likes to prove the exception to the rule. And, not long ago I was invited by a liquor world insider to an event in Manhattan's Financial District that was very exception-al.

In this case, it was an introduction to a new sourghum-based spirit called Soka from Empirical, a cutting edge distillery in Copenhagen. What made it exceptional? First off, the drinks were undeniably delicious...

And, the crowd was ecstatic to be out-and-about as well.

Out-and-about, you say?

Well, it was a pretty darn exception-al version of out-and-about, one that literally took all of us outside on the 64th floor of a FiDi high-rise. The bar was called Overstory. Words cannot fully describe the soaring view, so take a look...

Sitting down on the other side of the wraparound terrace facing Brooklyn was pretty incredible too...

New York City sparkled from that vantage. With a drink in hand and friends by my side, I'd even have to say that it looked magical.

And, as I took in the bar's 360-degree panorama I started thinking that maybe the city was a box of donuts. There would be holes, but tasty bits would surround them. And, if the city's history is any guide, those holes won't remain. Someone or something will always want to claim a place in the city, make their mark. But right then, I was hopeful for the city's future.

Not sure how long I can hold onto that feeling. Perhaps I'll need to revisit Overstory and have a sip of Soka sooner than I think.

Apero Hour Hits Paris

For those of you who aren't aware, not only did I fall down the pandemic rabbit hole of tuning in 6 days a week to watch cookbook author and former pastry chef David Lebovitz shake and stir up Instagram Live "Apero Hours" for several months - but I took it one step further. (Are you surprised? I think not.)

When Paris reopened from lockdown in late May 2020, David Lebovitz declared that he was putting an end to the regular "Apero Hour" series. I understood completely. But was still upset - not just about losing my daily fix of David himself, but because of the others that I had met virtually in the chat box.

Odd to think you can "meet" people in a chat box, but somehow we managed!

Well, when he declared that "Apero Hour" was coming to an end, I suddenly typed up an "Oh, no! We're going to need to set up an IG hub to keep this group together!"

I said it. Now I had to do it. And so, it was done.

I recruited two other "Apero Hour" regulars to join me: one from Portland, Oregon - Heidi, known as @UncommonMuse on Instagram, and the other from Olso, Norway - Judah, known as @StreetofTrees on IG. For 15 months, the three of us each posted one photo a week and a thought starter or such to keep the conversation going.

And so, it went.

We finally decided to have our own "Apero Hour Fans" handle come to a close in September 2021, vowing we'd start it up again whenever the three contributors were able to get together - in Paris.

Just a few weeks ago, we made that happen. The photo above is from our very first lunch all together at Les Rubis in the 2nd ARR. That's a Duck Heart Brochette if you're curious. It was delicious. But, much more importantly, Heidi, Judah and I felt like peas in a pod. In this case, the pod was the City of Lights. More specifically it was Sentier and the incredible foodie wonderland that is Rue Montorgueil...

and Rue du Nil...

Yes, there was pastry...

And, we even left the neighborhood a few times to imbibe...

Quite memorably, the above drinks were sipped at Sister Midnight. Other gorgeous cocktails were had at CopperBay, while bubbly Vouvray Brut was enjoyed at Le Bon Georges.

The pièce de résistance? It happened here...

A trip to Belleville to go to the much-lauded Combat bar. There, we raised a glass (okay, a couple of glasses!) with David Lebovitz and his husband Romain Pellas.

Yes, that's right. That's how we roll.

Tchin-tchin! And, considering the threat of variants still looms large, let me add a - Santé! - for good measure.

Mangiare e Bere a Roma Pt 2

In many ways I had two stays in Rome during my recent trip. First, I was the guest of my friend Tracy in Esquilino. Second, I absconded to a dreamy hotel - the Locarno - near Piazza del Popolo. Decorated in muted jewel tones with an air of the roaring twenties, the hotel made me feel transported. A perfectly made cappuccino in a sunny garden courtyard? That is a perfectly normal breakfast experience. Isabella Rossellini a few tables away? Par for the course at this magical spot.

The days whirled by with a mix of wandering Rome and working until dinnertime - conducting the latter from the Locarno's rooftop lounge.

Not too shabby, right?

And, yes, it is a perfect spot for a nibble. The kitchen wasn't serving upstairs one afternoon, so I took the opportunity to grab a Porchetta Sandwich for lunch and make a picnic of it, computer by my side.

Not a bad office lunch situation, right?

And, what did I do for a big finish? I nabbed a barstool at Il Marchese - a gorgeous bustling spot with a Michelin Bib accolade and an Amaro Bar with nearly 500 labels on offer. Needless to say, the cocktails were spot on...

So was the food - from a half portion of Carbonara to a luscious helping of Steak Tartare, dressed with the sunniest yellow egg yolks on the planet and thinly sliced, pink pickled onions...

And, for dessert? I did dip a spoon into a Pistachio Tiramisu, but the sweets after dessert were particularly sublime...

Così incredibile!

Mangiare e Bere a Roma Pt 1

So, that markets in Rome post was nice - but where is the rest?

I'm sorry to have made you wait. I promise it'll be worth it. Why? Because it was so damn good.

My first evening started with the clinking of glasses. The place? My friend Tracy led me to a spot for locals - Wine Art Di Tiziana Ciampetti E C.- where Tiziana herself presides over a minuscule shop bursting at the seams with bottles of wine. Makeshift tables and folding chairs take up the sidewalk by the store and Esquilino neighbors chatter, drink, and nibble away the evening. Tracy and I could have kept up with the crowd, but she had to run home for a late work event and I had to hightail it over to one of the hottest seats in town - a spot at a restaurant called Retrobottega.

Tracy had insisted that I go and embrace a whirlwind of elegant small plates accompanied by wine pairings. She was absolutely right. The tasting menu delivered a cavalcade of flavors and textures. Favorites included a dish of Sweetbreads with Cauliflower and a gorgeously lush helping of Tagliatelle with a Creamy Saffron-Chicken Ragu...

And, then there were the wines. Oh, yes...

That was a terrific way to cap off my arrival in Rome. And I still had five days to go! I filled them. I filled them with loads of chicories and other bitter greens...

I filled them with a second-hand shopping spree at Borghetto Flaminio Market. I also filled them with a visit to a seafood mecca known as Assunta Madre, where we dined on a sea creature that neither of us could identify...

I filled them with a trip to the "Brooklyn of Rome," a neighborhood called Testaccio, decked out with hipster boutiques and deceptively low-key exteriors to truly expensive apartment buildings. There was also lunch, a seafood lunch at La Torricella that included Tonnarelli with Shrimp and Zucchini...

There was more walking to follow. Thank goodness!

Needed to walk that pasta lunch off, so I could journey the next morning to the city's most beloved pastry stop - Esquilino's own Regoli Pasticceria...

Proof positive that this was the real deal? A real line in front of the place at 9am. A real long line. I waited for over 45 minutes before I was allowed through the door. It was worth it. So worth it. So good. So damn good.

I told you.

I Adore You, But You're Not Coming Home With Me

Dark and handsome. Not so tall, but really, who cares when you look this good? Besides, this after dinner sipper goes down smooth.

It's name? St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur. I call it "Yes, please" for short.

Am I inspired to purchase a bottle to enjoy at home from time to time? Of course I am. But, I want to keep the spark alive. I want to keep my relationship with this java and chicory creation going -- keeping it just out of reach, except for the rare magical occasion when it is spotted on a menu at a restaurant or watering hole.

I won't be walking down the aisle (the liquor store aisle, that is) with St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur, but I expect the romance to last for years to come.

Yes, please.

Saying Hello to HiHi

Garden dining is great - but, still, I miss restaurants. I miss bars. I do miss the food and drink - but I what I miss most is the people. The serendipity of a conversation with the person sitting at the table or stool next to mine or the person stirring and shaking behind the bar. I have forged many a friendship in this manner. And, even the fleeting conversations and connections had over a single drink can be fortifying.

It's why a recent visit to the HiHi Room was so darn satisfying.

New York Magazine might be kvelling about their Sliders (they are really good), but I am here to shout out about much much more - mostly the people. One person in particular - their bad-ass bartender Izzy Tulloch - had me at "hi" (how apt!) when we started talking about her drink menu, going down a cocktail nerd rabbithole that led me to trying the Wail Call.

Now, I am not usually a proponent of Mezcal. Too smoky for me. And, in my experience, most cocktails using it end up tasting like a charcoal briquet. The exception to this would be drinks made by Phil Ward (damn, I miss Mayahuel!). Any which way, with Mezcal as the base spirit, I was more than a bit reticent to take a sip.

And then...Well, hello...

The Madre Mezcal gave the cocktail the subtlest edge of smoke, which was beautifully rounded out by cucumber, Aperol, citrus, and a hint of chili.

As I said, Izzy is a bad-ass and this drink is proof positive that she has gifts. Pictured up top (sans mask for the photo, which was snapped from well-over 6-feet away), she started her career in deepest, darkest New Jersey at the Park Avenue Club, but I am so glad that she now has a bar to tend in the wilds of Brooklyn. The bar itself might not be open for business, but there is imbibing going on in HiHi's garden and front patio.

That said, look forward to the day I can sidle up to the bar for a round. I think you can safely assume that I'll be ordering a Wail Call.

P.S. And, must also shout out to the HiHi kitchen's Chef Sandy, with whom I talked biscuits at length. (Yeah, the Sliders are good, but you gotta try the Fried Chicken and Biscuits!)

The Garibaldi

Whatever you do, don't simply call this drink a Campari & OJ. Technically, in terms of ingredients, you would be correct. But, this cocktail is much more than the sum of its parts.

The recipe is from Manhattan's Dante, heralded for its Negroni expertise - so I wasn't surprised that they know their way around Campari.

The recommendation came from the owners of Durham, North Carolina bar Kingfisher during one of their virtual happy hours on IG Live. I was a bit incredulous when it was suggested - but the devil is in the details. In this case, that means proportions and technique.

Are you a bit incredulous too? Don't blame you. Check out the recipe here and let me know what you think.

Have a feeling you'll be drinking Garibaldi cocktails this summer - bristling if anyone tries to simply call it a Campari & OJ!

Variations On A Theme

We often have a tendency to gild the lily when it comes to recipes. (I've seen many a sad cookie chockablock with wayward ingredients. It's painful.) So, typically, I try to keep the integrity of a recipe in check.

But that doesn't mean that variations are verboten. Sometimes something small can make it your own. Or as Ina Garten likes to say - turn up the volume!

I recently did just that with a Brown Butter-Cinnamon Crumb Cake recipe that caught my eye. The addition of fresh blueberries...

...didn't distract from the gorgeous crumb and added a sweet, summery burst of berry flavor to the cake.

And cocktail recipes also offer a chance to tweak and adapt to your taste. Case in point: a recipe for a Straw Dog cocktail from Death & Co, which called for a fresh strawberry and Scotch, among other ingredients. I had neither at hand. (Also, to be honest, I don't really care for the peaty taste of Scotch.) But, then I found a variation that appealed...

...a spin on the recipe, found on Food52...

It substituted the strawberry for a slice of ripe peach and the Scotch for Bourbon.

Oh, hellz-to-the-yes! This drink is freaking brilliant!

Soon, I'll be at it again - adapting the classic Negroni by switching out Campari for Forthave Spirits Red. Will it be delicious? Will I need to stir up a second drink with Campari to compare-and-contrast? All quite possible.

But, no gilding the lily here. Variations are one thing. Lilies belong in gardens and occasionally in vases. No gilding necessary.