Mel Brooks: “It’s all good [at Mozza].”

Leave it to Mel Brooks to give a new spin to the Hollywood cliché “It’s all good.” General manager and wine director David Rossoff was kind enough to let me snap a pic of this check presenter comments card the other night at Mozza in Los Angeles, signed by no other than the man himself, Adolf “Elizabeth” Hitler, otherwise known as Mel Brooks (Some of you will undoubtedly know the “Elizabeth” punchline: “he came from a long line of queens.”) Evidently, after dining with his longtime collaborator Carl Reiner in the osteria one night, Mel couldn’t help himself from making yet another Hitler joke. There are so many good ones by Mel but my favorite remains “Heil myself” (right up there with “Say Heil - Heil - siegety Heil”).

Who’d have ever thought I’d actually be able to use “Adolf Hitler” as a tag?

Hitler Rap (To Be or Not to Be)
— Mel Brooks

Well
hi there people
you know me
I used to run a little joint called Germany.

I was number one
the people’s choice
And everybody listened to my mighty voice.
My name is Adolf
I’m on the mike.
I’m gonna hip you to the story of the New Third Reich.
It all began down in Munich town and pretty soon
The word started gettin’ around.
So I said to Martin Boorman
I said
Hey Marty, why don’t we throw a little nazi party?
We had an election
well
kinda sorta
And before you knew it hello
new order.
To all those mothers in the fatherland I said
Achtung, Baby, I got me a plan
.
‘YVhatcha got Adolf? Whatcha gonna do?”
I said “how about this one
World War Two?”

To be or not to be
oh baby
can’t you see

We’re gonna take it to the top. You’re making history
And it feels so good to me
ooh darlin’
please don’t ever stop.
Don’t be stupid; be a smarty
come on and join the nazi party - party.
Like humpty dumpty offa that wall

All the little countries they began to fall
Holland
Belgium
Denmark
Poland-
The troops were rockin’ and the tanks were rollin’

We were swingin’ along with a song in our hearts.
And “Deutschland über alles” was making the charts

We had a new step called a goosestep we were dancing to.
Well it’s sorta kinda like a German boogaloo

I was gettin’ what I wanted
but it wasn’t enough.
So I called the boys
I said boys
get though

Now I surrounded myself with some unusual cats.
There was skinny little Göbbels and Göring mister fats

And let’s not forget ole Himmler and Hess.
You’d better believe we made a hell of a mess

Say Heil - Heil - siegety Heil
we gonna whip it on the people teutonic style
To be or not to be
oh baby
can’t you see

We’re gonna make it to the top. You are our destiny

This thing was meant to be
why don’t we do it till we drop?
Say you boots ain’t black and shirt ainY brown?
Well
get back Jack
you can’t get down. Do it
Adolf
do it.
I drank wine from the Rhine with the finest ladies

And we did it in the back of my black Mercedes.

I was on a roll
I couldn’t lose
then came D-day
the birth of the blues.
The Yanks and the Brits started raising cain

Those guys were the pits
I was goin’ insane.
People all around me started swallowing pills

Let’s face it
folks
we was going downhill.
Berlin was crumbling
we was under the gun

Time to look out for number one.
So I grabbed a blonde and a case of beer

Say the Russians are commin’
lets get out of here.

To be or not to be
oh honey
can’t you see

We had to take it to the top. You sure made history
And it felt so good to me
oh schatze

Please don’t ever stop.

Auf wiedersehn
good to’ve seen ya

I got a one way ticket to Argentina.
To be or not to be
oh baby
can’t you see

We’ve got to take it to the top. You’re makin’ history
And it feels so good to me

Why don’t we do it till we drop?
We have ways of making you dance . . .
- Sprechen Sie Argentinian ?

The Fourth, San Diego style

Do they go… to some faraway archipelago?
Nah, they go to San Diego.
– Mel Tormé
“California Suite” (1957)

Although an op-ed contributor in The New York Times pronounced the “American road trip dead” on Sunday, I know a lot of folks will still be hitting the highway this fourth of July weekend. In case you’re heading down San Diego way, here are some of the joints I’ve been hanging out at. (For details, click on the boldface for the website or if no website, I’ve included address and phone.)

Italian is spoken at Mamma Mia in Pacific Beach, where Francesco and Cinzia Mezzetti serve delicious handmade panzerotti and pizze (with perfectly seasoned, crispy crust). I love Cinzia’s flower power t-shirt.

The 2004 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco (classico) is very reasonably priced at Mamma Mia. I head to Mamma Mia whenever I wish to indulge in my number-one guilty pleasure: pizza and Nebbiolo.

Mamma Mia
1932 Balboa Ave (where Balboa and Grand intersect)
San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 272-2702

Arturo offers me a traditional Spanish porron at Costa Brava in Pacific Beach. The porron — an expression of friendship and revelry — is used liberally at Costa Brava, where the Spanish food is authentic and tasty and the wine list (arguably the best Spanish list in San Diego) includes modern and traditional choices. Owner and Spanish wine fanatic Javier Gonzalez grows Tempranillo in a planter in the back (I’m not kidding). He also runs a great Spanish cheese and charcuterie next door. No place in San Diego is more friendly.

Dashing French Chef Olivier Bioteau at the Farmhouse in University Heights has one of San Diego’s deftest hands in the kitchen. The food is excellent and the francophile wine list, although not ambitious, has some interesting lots. I really like the farmhouse chic vibe but I’d love to see what Olivier could do in a four-star setting.

My friend Jon Erickson disgorges a bottle of 2000 Movia Puro Rosé at Jaynes Gastropub, my standby dining destination in Normal Heights (adjacent to University Heights) in San Diego. As Jon’s wine program continues to evolve, I can always find something I want to drink at Jaynes: most recently, Bertani Valpolicella and Caprari Lambrusco. Namesake Jayne Battle’s haute pub food always hits the spot.

Jay Porter’s Linkery in North Park, San Diego (a stone’s throw from Jaynes) recently moved around the corner and will reopen on July 10. Eat-locally and think-globally Jay is San Diego’s undisputed king of “organic,” “market fare,” “sustainable” cuisine and he’s also one of the city’s top food bloggers. If you’re looking for socially conscious and politically engaged fare, this is the place to go.

How to describe the Pearl? In self-described “vintage-modern” style, the owners of the Pearl took over a 1960s-era rundown motel near the U.S. Naval Base in Pt. Loma, San Diego, and turned it into a hipster, poolside hangout and restaurant and lounge. The food is a little affected at the Pearl (”Deconstructed Nachos” anyone?) and the wine list too modern for my palate but the scene can’t be beat. The night I was there, they were screening old episodes of Get Smart poolside.

The first time I walked into Wine Steals, also in Pt. Loma, I thought I’d been transported into a parallel universe: I found myself in classic San Diego down-and-dirty, get-your-drink-on bar where wine has usurped the supremacy of beer. Using a formula seemingly unique to San Diego, you purchase bottles at retail prices and then pay a small corkage (hence the name “Wine Steals”). The extensive wines-by-the-glass program features affordable, quaffing wine. Is wine the new beer? There’s another Wine Steals (the original) in Hilcrest and the Pt. Loma edition is located in the old (and now obsolete) second-world-war era Naval telephone hub.

In nearby Ocean Beach, The Third Corner Wine Shop and Bistro is my favorite San Diego “neighborhood” wine bar. Although it also caters to the Silver-Oak-guzzling wine-is-the-new-cocktail crowd, it offers real wine lovers like me a number of solid choices (like Joly, Produttori del Barbaresco, and Tempier, among others). The food is not great but the wine prices keep bringing me back: combining retail and on-premise sales (like Wine Steals), Third Corner lets you purchase bottles at retail prices and charges a small corkage to open them at your table. The owners just opened a new location in Encinitas, North County San Diego.

They still make a mean Mai Tai at Zenbu in La Jolla. Zenbu has lost some of its local charm as the owner, my high school buddy Matt Rimel has moved on to bigger projects, the prices are high, and the beach-bunny waitstaff could use a crash course in old-fashioned hospitality, but its raison d’être remains unchanged: locally sourced fresh fish prepared by “extreme sushi” chefs (live clams and prawns are often offered) with a California flair.

Breaking (good) news: Antinori’s 03 Brunello released by Italian authorities

It’s not entirely clear what went on “behind the scenes” but Marchesi Antinori has become the first Brunello producer — of the 5 officially known to be suspected of adulteration — to announce that its 2003 Brunello will be available for sale as early as next week. Read the whole story at VinoWire.

Although the question of when Brunello producers will be given “guarantee” letters by the Italian government remains unclear (nor is it clear which arm of the government will issue said letter, now required by the U.S. government for Brunello imports), the news of Antinori’s green light seems to be a very positive step in the right direction.

I, for one, am very relieved to see that the Brunello controversy is beginning to subside and I look forward to drinking 03 Brunello by all of my favorite producers.

In other news…

Above: Grilled Mahi Mahi tacos and 1989 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia at my favorite taco shack, Bahia Don Bravo, in Bird Rock (La Jolla), CA. Click on image for centerfold.

I finally convinced my favorite taco shack to let me bring my own wine: last night Irwin and I opened 1989 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia (white) with our grilled Mahi Mahi tacos. Irwin was really blown away by the Lopez de Heredia, noting that “there’s nothing about this wine that I don’t like.” It was showing very well, with nice acidity, nuanced fruit, and judicious alcohol — perfectly balanced.

Bahia was packed last night and we were lucky to find a table for two. Irwin really dug the Viña Tondonia, saying that it was “the best white wine I’ve ever had.” I have to say that it is one of my all-time best white wines, too.

We also drank a 2003 Vignalta Gemola, a Bordeaux-style blend made in the Euganean Hills outside Padua, where Petrarch spent the last years of his life compiling and editing his life’s work. It didn’t show as well as other bottles I’ve opened.

Bahia Don Bravo
5504 La Jolla Blvd
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 454-8940

Summer of Love Spaghetti

Above: the Rice-A-Roni treat? No, just a cable car at the Embarcadero in San Francisco — a synecdoche for this beautiful city.

After the California Supreme court overturned the state’s ban on gay marriage in May, the summer of 2008 was dubbed the new “Summer of Love” by the American media.

I was born in the original summer of love (1967) and this year’s summer solstice (technically my 39th since my birthday is in July) found me with my band Nous Non Plus playing an outdoor show at the Embarcadero in San Francisco thanks to the SF Alliance Française (who had us open the SF edition of the Fête de la Musique). Following our midday show, I met up with my high school buddy and fellow partner in wine crime, John Yelenosky (left), who happened to be in town, and we headed over to what has catapulted to the top of my list of favorite Italian restaurants in America — Delfina.

The Wine Sorceress — a very discriminating eater — has always raved about Delfina’s Spaghetti al pomodoro and so I had to have them.

“Spaghetti with plum tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and peperoncini” at Delfina (SF), otherwise known as Spaghetti al pomodoro. As much as I loved Delfina, they could use some Italian proofing on their menu: “peperoncini” are small hot peppers while “peperoncino” (not a countable noun) is “chili flakes” in American culinary speak. “With peperoncini” would denote a dish accompanied by whole peppers (not advisable).

Just as panna cotta is a Litmus test for any Italian chef, Spaghetti al pomodoro is the acid test for true trattoria cuisine. And Delfina’s rendering of the dish passed with flying colors: the spaghetti were perfectly firm in their mouthfeel (al dente) and the sauce had just the right balance of garlic (just a hint), salt, and spice. I paired with one of my broken-record favorite wines, Movia 2000 Puro Rosé: our waiter disgorged the bottle in the kitchen (since the tight space doesn’t allow for for table-side dégorgement) and the wine showed beautifully (see above left).

Fregnacce with fresh Louisiana shrimp were also very good, the handmade pasta firm in the mouth, the sauce not overly salty, the shrimp tender.

Risotto milanese with oxtail ragù in the summer? An odd menu choice if you ask me, but delicious nonetheless, although the rice grains were slightly overcooked and had lost their integrity (wholeness).

“Northern halibut baked in a fig leaf with Brentwood corn, fingerling potatoes, and tarragon-caper butter.” The fish was delicate and flaky, perfectly cooked. Corn with fish? Not very Italian (more reminiscent of Peru, no?) but the flavors blended together perfectly, the mouthfeel of the corn a wonderful complement to the tender fish.

The nice lady on the left was celebrating her birthday at Delfina at the table next to us.

The prices at Delfina were moderate, the wine list small but very good, the service attentive and informed, and the room warm and comfortable (if a bit crowded). It’s hard to get a table at Delfina but easy to understand why. Beyond the food, wine, and service, what I really liked about Delfina was its simple, pure approach to Italian cuisine. Although there are some classic not-very-Italian bistro choices on the menu (e.g. hanger steak with French fries), the truly Italian dishes were done in a respectfully traditional manner, with a deft hand, and with an emphasis on the materia prima. It reminded me of a contemporary osteria in Milan, the type of place I might dine with my friends from my university days who now all work in publishing. A nice balance of urban chic and true flavors. Highly recommended…

After dinner, John and I met up with fellow wine dude Bill Rosser (whom I know from my New York days) at the Tonga Room in the Fairmont Hotel. The Tonga Room is a trip: it’s a Tiki bar where the band performs in the middle of the room in a boat in a pool. When the band begins to play, sprinklers come on and give the room a “tropical” feel.

A friend of drummer Harry Covert shot and shared this video of our show.

“History has yet to be written in Bolgheri”

Above: Winemaker and owner of Le Macchiole Cinzia Merli — producer of one of Italy’s most talked-about wines — at Fraîche in Culver City, CA last night.

Last night found me in one of the most talked-about restaurants in America together with one of Italy’s most talked-about winemakers, Cinzia Merli of Le Macchiole.

Ever since Frank Bruni included Fraîche (Culver City, CA) in his top 10 list of restaurants that “count coast-to-coast,” friends (from the left bank and right) have raved to me about its food. One of the guests at dinner last night told me you need to reserve four months in advance (although another noted, “we didn’t need Frank to tell us how good Fraîche is”).

It’s unlikely that I could ever get a reservation there but Cinzia Merli certainly can: her winery has been touted (pun intended) as the new Super Tuscan supreme and at least one of her bottlings has attained a Midas-touch 100-point score (conferred by the sole arbiter of such accolades). Her high-end, handmade wines retail for upward of $250 these days.

Those of you who read my blog regularly know that I am generally not a fan of Super Tuscans — wines by definition aged in new oak. But who could resist an invitation to dine with Italy’s newly anointed megawatt star at one of the hottest tables in America?

Above: Branzino with escargot tempura at Fraîche. I regret to say that the the restaurant was disappointing. I was expecting simpler, locally driven fare. But escargot tempura? The service was excellent but more than once our table had to send back stemware that smelled like a sewer (I’m not kidding). When you’re pouring $250+ bottles of wine, you’d hope that someone would pay attention. There didn’t seem to be a sommelier on duty that night. The vibe of the restaurant felt like a scene from Altman’s 1993 film “Short Cuts.”

Conversation with Cinzia was truly fascinating and all in attendance were keen to discuss her preference for monovarietal (single-grape variety) wines in an appellation that has historically favored Bordeaux-style blends.

“I believe that monovarietal wines are the greatest expression of Bolgheri’s terroir,” said Cinzia. “In the past, Bolgheri winemakers have felt that blended wines best expressed our terroir. But today the same producers who weren’t so thrilled about my monovarietal wines are now lobbying to change the appellation regulations and allow monovarietal wines [to be classified] as DOC.” (The Bolgheri DOC currently does not permit monovarietal wines.)

“Even though we have very important models for winemaking — Sassicaia and Ornellaia — the history of Bolgheri has yet to be written,” she told us.

Some notes from the dinner…

The name of Cinzia’s Paleo (today made from 100% Cabernet Franc) comes from a Tuscan word for tarraxacum, a dandelion that grows wild in Bolgheri. She does not weed her vineyards, thus allowing naturally occurring grasses and weeds to flourish. Tarraxacum was prevalent during the first vintage (1989). Paleo was originally made from a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese but became 100% Cabernet Franc with the 2001 harvest.

Messorio (her 100% Merlot, the most famous of her wines) is an archaic term for wheat farmer. Before Cinzia’s family planted their land to grapes, wheat was the most important crop grown there.

Her 100% Syrah is called Scrio, a Tuscan word for pure: Scrio and Messorio were first produced in 1994 and have always been vinified as monovarietal or “pure” wines.

It is believed that Le Macchiole, the name of Cinzia’s estate, comes from the Italian macchia or maquis, the dense scrub or brush that defines the landascape of Maremma (the Tuscan coastline).

Of all of her wines, my favorite is the Paleo because the bright acidity of her Cabernet Franc makes it her most food-friendly wine. The 2005 Messorio and the Scrio were opulent, rich with flavor, and they showed great minerality and depth. It will take some time (5-10 years?) for the wood to integrate in these wines but this vintage of Le Macchiole is clearly destined to be a benchmark for Bolgheri in years to come.

My feelings about oak and the history of barrique aging in Italy continue to evolve: hopefully, my path will cross once again with Cinzia and I will get the chance to taste these powerful wines when they have had a chance to evolve.

Colorado Day 6: Aspen, under the big top

Thanks everyone for checking in this week. When I get back to California, I’ll post on some of the tastings I attended. In the meantime, here are some images from opening day at the 2008 Aspen Food & Wine Classic…

The first session of tasting seminars at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic

Under the big top: a view of one of the main tents at the festival.

Martin Foradori (owner Hofstätter) and New York restaurateur Danny Meyer share a laugh after Danny led tasters in a chorus of “Alto Adige” to the tune of Mel Brook’s “High Anxiety.”

Ran into Ed McCarthy and Mary Mulligan, the first couple of the U.S. food and wine scene.

Celeb sommelier Richard Betts wanted me to try his new Mojito at the bar at the storied Little Nell hotel.

Drank 1996 Jacquesson for lunch.

My friend Aldo Sohm — the best sommelier in the world — poured me some great Rieslings.

1988 Massolino Vigna Rionda Barolo was fantastic. Note the clear, brick color of the wine, a standout for me on this trip.

Evening found me in the home of collector. The views in Aspen are amazing.

Colorado Day 5: Aspen Celeb Watch! (or my new career as paparazzo)

paparazzo (1961), the name of the character Paparazzo, a society photographer in F. Fellini’s film La Dolce Vita (1960).

The selection of the name Paparazzo (which occurs as a surname in Italy) for the character in Fellini’s film has been variously explained. According to Fellini himself, the name was taken from an opera libretto; the comment is also attributed to him that the word “suggests a buzzing insect, hovering, darting, stinging”. It is also used as the name of a character by G. Gissing in By the Ionian Sea (1909), which appeared in Italian translation in 1957 and has been cited as an inspiration by E. Flaiano, who contributed to the film’s scenario. (For further possible expressive connotations of the name, it has also been noted that in the Italian dialect of Abruzzi, where Flaiano came from, paparazzo occurs as a word for a clam, which could be taken as suggesting a metaphor for the opening and closing of a camera lens; the Italian suffix -azzo).

– Oxford English Dictionary, online edition

Sommelier Carlos “Charlie” Arturaola and celeb Chef José Andrés at the “must be seen at” Wines of Spain party.

Chef Andrés made a pork sausage paella for the overflowing crowd at the party, held this year in a private home (chef Andrés was assisted by chef Terri Cutrino).

Culinary legend Jacques Pepin looked fabulous as always at the Food & Wine Classic welcome party. How do the French do it?

Celeb Chef Tom Colicchio kept a lid on it as he did an interview.

Importer Bartholomew Broadbent and tele producer Josie Peltz (the better half of celeb sommelier and wine writer David Lynch).

American Express head honcho Ed Kelly and my buddy Ray Isle, Deputy Wine Editor at Food & Wine, on the other side of the velvet rope.

Restaurateur and wine world star Brian Duncan and winemaker Danilo Drocco lunched in town yesterday.

Life isn’t treating this paparazzo so bad: I drank a 1990 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande at a private dinner last night.

Colorado Day 3 (bis): brush with celebrity at Frasca

Above: Jesse Becker of Frasca is one of Boulder’s 6 — yes, count ‘em — master sommeliers. He turned me on to a fantastic Verdicchio di Matelica (Colle Stefano 2006).

Boulder is some town. By my count, there are currently 6 master sommeliers working here. The food — from the tripe tacos to the hakuri turnips — is fantastic. The air is clean, the folks friendly.

The affettati (charcuterie) at Frasca are served with a rafano (horseradish) sauce. The San Daniele prosciutto was perfectly sliced (not too thin, not too thick) and I have to say that the domestic Fra’ Mani salame toscano was very good. The grissini (bread sticks) were the best I’ve had outside of Italy.

I’ve had some amazing enogastronomic experiences in the few days I’ve been here, including a brush with food and wine celebrity: I got to taste some wine and chat with master sommelier Bobby Stuckey, whose excellent Friulian-themed restaurant Frasca just won an 08 Beard for best chef in the South West (for chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson; Bobby was also nominated for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional).

Above: no Friulian menu would be complete without a frico, in this case, a frico caldo (a warm as opposed to fried frico), made with potatoes and Friulian Montasio (cow’s milk) cheese.

Above: mandatory tuna tartare is often dull and unimaginative but Frasca’s Hawaiin Big Eye Tuna “Crudo” with Pickled Ramps and English Peas was great. The Verdicchio di Matelica (more fruit- and mineral-driven than its neighbor Verdicchio di Castelli di Iesi) made for a perfect pairing.

Colorado Day 3: competitve taco-eating in Boulder

Boulder’s reputation for great Mexican food had to be tested and so I ate lunch at not one but two Mexican restaurants yesterday. The food was just too good to resist… So little time and too many tacos!

Carnitas (roast pork) and lengua (tongue) tacos at La Ranchera.

La Ranchera Taqueria
2690 28th St
Boulder, CO 80301
(720) 565-0497

Buche (marinated tripe) taco at Pupusas.

Tamale at Pupusas.

I also had pupusas (thick, griddle-fired tortillas) at Pupusas… one stuffed with chicharron (pork belly) and cheese and the other with loroco (fiddle head ferns) and cheese.

Washed it all down with taranjo (grapefruit) soda by Jarritos. No corn syrup here.

Pupusas Sabor Hispano
4457 Broadway St
Boulder, CO 80304
(303) 444-1729

Colorado Day 2: my dinner with Bruce (from lowbrow to the high)

Above: “family meal,” as they say in the restaurant biz, at The Kitchen in Boulder, CO. I have never met a restaurant staff who seemed to enjoy its work as much as the team at The Kitchen, where family meal takes place at the end of the night.

Although it began with a lowbrow culinary exprience (see below), yesterday certainly ended with a high: a truly memorable dinner at The Kitchen in Boulder, CO, a restaurant considered (rightly) by many to be one of the top dining destinations in the U.S.

Above: a bottle of Yarra Yering Number 1 from Victoria Australia, a Bordeaux blend, recommended by Bruce, impressed me with its low alcohol, restrained fruit, and earthiness.

“Boulder is really at the center of the U.S. natural food industry,” explained sports and wine writer Bruce Schoenfeld, who had graciously agreed to meet me for dinner. “And The Kitchen is all about sourcing from local purveyors.” Either wall of the spartan dining room is adorned with a blackboard reporting the sources for nearly everything on the menu.

The pork chop at The Kitchen was excellent, both in terms of the quality of the meat and the primary flavors of the “chard gratin, fresno chilies, lemon juice.”

Excellent “prosciutto” by La Quercia wasn’t from Italy but rather Iowa: a quick visit to the producer’s website this morning revealed that the mid-west company produces a wide range of Italian-inspired charcuterie and also imports cured meat from Italy. (La Quercia’s Prosciuttopia is a imaginative if somewhat misguided linguistic creation, a colorful title for their accolades page. The liberties the U.S. food industry takes with Italian never cease to amaze me.)

Earlier in the day…

Yesterday ended on an haute note, but it began with a drive through Grand Junction, CO wine country and a lunch stop in Glenwood Springs.

Above: Grand Junction wine country is full of colorful old buildings like this fruit and honey stand.

Above: no need to ask Dr. Vino for a pairing… I drank a beer with my Mountain Oysters at Doc Holliday’s Restaurant and Saloon in Glenwood Springs. Yes, those are fried bull’s testicles.

Above: I can’t say that I recommend the Mountain Oysters at Doc’s but the Green Chili was great.

Song lyric of the day…

“I was Mogan David wine, she was Chablis fifty-nine.”

The Cowboy and the Lady
— John Denver