Winesday

Rene: Rich spice on the nose; get some coffee and dark berry flavors. The tannins are tight and restricted, wound up like a kid on Halloween. This wine screams out for something like rich duck with crispy skin or maybe lamb braised. Let's split the difference and go with the roast quail with steamed buns from Nine Roses. They also have it at Tan Dinh if you cross the bridge today and find Nine Roses closed.

Peter: This baby needs to open up for a bit to let the peppery flavors mellow out. Not much dryness going down the throat from the tannins. I'm thinking something gamey like venison. How about the wood fired goat at Domenica or the lamb neck from Herbsaint.

Joe the Wine Guy: The Numanthia 2007 is made from 100% Tinta de Toro and is both intense and complex with several layers of aromatics in the lively nose: red and black fruits first, then sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and then vanilla and toasted black pepper. On the palate, this wine is expresses dark fruits with concentrated and velvety tannins. This full bodied wine shows exceptional acidity revealing some chocolate, toasted, and spicy notes. The juice was aged in new French oak Bordelaise barrels for 18 months. The 2007 Numanthia retails for $59.99 and you can find it at Emeril's and Cork & Bottle.

Cooking With Wine

As soon as my grubby little paw grabbed the bottle of Curveball Spinning White Mad Max had stashed into his box of treats, I knew precisely what dish I wanted to make: Spaghetti Carbonara. Carbonara is one of the world's most perfect dishes, combining eggs, pork, cheese, pepper, and starch into an elegant sauce. Fact: carbonara is the only pasta dish in the world which can double as breakfast.

The composition of the Spinning White is an interesting one. At 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Gewurztraminer there is a nice acidic kick but also this white plays very nicely with spicy foods. This wine is also made by Paul Hoffman. You can find it for under $20 at Cork & Bottle, Mondo, and Rum House.

A fattier chardonnay might be many peoples first choice with a dish like carbonara. I prefer something that can handle spice a bit better, which this wine can. The reason is that black pepper can lose a lot of its spicy and aromatic characters when you cook it above a certain temperature or cook it for long periods of time. With carbonara, you aren't doing much more than warming than pepper, so be prepared for a simple battery to your sinuses, if you make it correctly.

Note: The beauty of carbonara lies in its simplicity. Do not try to muck this up with North African Wild Hyssop or Guatemalan Coffee reductions. And if you do, please don't write in about it.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Like roast chicken, I almost never make carbonara the same way twice. One time I might use fettucine, another time one egg and one extra yolk, the third time I mix the bacon into the sauce first, etc... But always, the same 5 ingredients: pasta, eggs, cheese, pork, and black pepper. Normally, I substitute bacon and Parmesan for the traditional guanciale and Pecorino Romano and you can too.

Cut bacon strips into quarter inch rectangles. Fry until crisp then place on a paper napkin lined plate to drain. One package spaghetti, boil in heavily salted water. As you can see, you do not need a doctorate in culinary arts for this dish.

While, pasta is boiling crack an egg into a deep bowl. Grate roughly a half cup of Parmesan over the egg. Whisk. Now take a pepper mill and crank it twenty times. Whisk again. Few more cranks and you should be ready to go.

Once cooked, drain the pasta but reserve a smidge of the starchy, salted water. Add the pasta and the water into the bowl and mix rapidly. The warm pasta will melt the cheese, warm the eggs, and awaken the pepper, essentially playing the role of the Uniter. Once combined, mount on plates and top with bacon, more cheese, and a crack or two of pepper.

Cooking With Wine

A bottle of rose has done more good to cure the effects of summertime heat than any other invention, short of air conditioning. Not only is rose a great internal a/c, but it gets along exceedingly well with traditional New Orleans foods. In fact, I'll wager that pound for pound, rose, but specifically rose champagne, is the number one match for a wide variety of New Orleans foods, generally.

Mad Max's latest offering is a pink wine from the affordable line of Bastianich Wines. The 2010 Rosato is made up of 100% Refosco, which is a red wine grape which traditionally makes for a very spicy wine. Here, the flavor is softer and more apt to stand up to the hot sun of an early summer evening. This Italian version of rose, had me wishing for a plate of antipasti and a view of the water. What came out of that was what I'd consider an Italian's take on Chicken Paillard. You can find the wine at Galatoire's, Swirl, Bacchanal, and Cork & Bottle where it retails for around $14 a bottle.

Chicken Paillard-Italian Style

Begin with a chicken breast per person. Pound it out until it is half an inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, slice a red onion or shallot into half moons and toss with the juice of one lemon, the zest of said lemon, and a 1/4 cup of olive oil. Pour this over the chicken breasts, toss to coat, and let it sit while you make the relish. 

Traditionally, chicken paillard is topped with romaine, a few shreds of Parmesan, thin sliced shallots, and maybe a tomato or two. What I wanted to do with this dish, is bring in the classic Italian antipasti flavors in a "topping" form.

Begin with a good selection of olives- I like the dry, wrinkly black ones, big meaty green ones, and some Kalamata. Pit each olive. To this add some thin sliced red onion, thin slices of pickled, Italian hot peppers, some oregano, and a big, plump tomato coarsely chopped. A splash of red wine vinegar will help bring it all together. 

Grill your chicken over a medium heat. Six minutes per side should be sufficient. Top with the relish mixture, a few slivers of salty, Italian cheese (I had Pecorino in the house), and a few leaves of basil. Simply perfect, the food and wine give air conditioning a run for its money. 

Week in Preview

At Blackened Out we are happy to promote any and all dinners, tastings, and other events that help further New Orleans as one of the premier fun-loving, food-centric cities in the country. This week, the Big Easy is bursting at the seems with myriad of opportunities to taste a bit of controversy, praise all things pork, and enjoy some of America's best roadside eats, plus a whole lot more.

Your faithful bloggers have a personal stake in two events this week - the Encore of Gabrielle in Purgatory on Thursday night and Hogs for the Cause on Saturday. We hope to meet and greet many of our readers at both of those events. But in any case, whether you are a cheese lover headed to St. James or a wineaux looking forward to Once Upon a Vine, this week we encourage everyone to get out there and taste what New Orleans has to offer. Remember that everywhere else in the world, it's just another week in March.

Tuesday

• Cafe Degas 25th Anniversary Dinner - Join Cafe Degas in celebrating their 25th Anniversary with a food and specialty cocktails pairing menu.
• Opus One Wine Dinner (SOLD OUT!) - The French Quarter Wine Festival dinners kicks off with one of Napa's elite wineries.

Wednesday

• Wine Sense - Cork & Bottle's wine tasting series continues with a tour of Southern Italy led by Italian wine specialist Antonio Molesini.
• Cakebread Cellars Dinner (SOLD OUT!) - Chef Michael Farrell creates a multi-course dinner paired with wines from one of The Pope's favorite California producers.
• St. James Cheese School - Our favorite cheese mongers are teaming up with New Orleans winemaker James Moises for a cheese tasting featuring his Oregon pinots.

Thursday

• Gabrielle in Purgatory - Encore! - A second chance to taste crowd favorites from the Sonniers' beloved Mid-City restaurant
• An Edible Evening - The Edible Schoolyard New Orleansand FirstLine Schools present the Second Annual "An Edible Evening" garden party under the stars.
• Abita Beer Dinner at Coquette - Chef Michael Stolzfus cooks up a special 5 course menu served with a different Abita beer to complement each dish.
• St James Cheese School - Another opportunity to taste the wines of James Moises and a selection of cheeses to match.

Friday

• Taste of the Town - The Louisiana Restaurant Association holds its annual culinary event at Lafreniere Park.
• Oysters, Cocktails 'n Cracklins - The New Orleans Roadfood Festival kicks off with this cocktail party at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum.

Saturday

• Hogs for the Cause - The Gulf South's premier pig cookoff explodes onto City Pork with plenty of live music and the crowning of the High on the Hog Grand Champion.
• New Orleans Roadfood Street Festival - Six blocks of Royal Street are overtaken with vendors cooking up some of America's best roadside grub, plus the world's longest oyster po-boy will be built.
• Taste at the Lake - The Lakeview Civic Association hosts this inaugural celebration of food, wine, and neighborhoos strength.

Sunday

• Once Upon a Vine - Martin Wine Cellar takes over the Pavilion of the Two Sisters for a tasting featuring over 150 wines and a grazing buffet from Martin's catering kitchen.
• New Orleans Roadfood Street Festival - The good times continue on Royal Street with a whole other day of roadside specialties and the beignet contest between the New Orleans Police and Fire Departments.

Summer WineSense

Historically, this time of year marks the throes of the summertime doldrums in New Orleans. Time seems to almost stop when the calendar flips to July. Football season is still several weeks away; the temperature just keeps on rising; and the only sign of tourism is an army of 30,000 Lutheran kids with highlighter green backpacks marching down Convention Center Boulevard.

Such may have been the case years ago, but nowadays the summer special events heat up during this "down time." Week long extravaganzas like Tales of the Cocktail, citywide promotions like the Coolinary Menus, and soirees such as White Linen Night now dominate the Blackened Out on the Town calendar. In addition to these major events, numerous restaurants and specialty shops are offering their own summer events.

This summer, Cork & Bottle owner Jon Smith continues his "Summer WineSense Seminars," which he has offered since 2003. These relaxed, sit down tastings offer attendees an opportunity to taste through 8 wines and learn a bit about their history, method, and commonality with each other and their origins. Each class offers an inexpensive and non-threatening way to sample wines found outside the mainstream. Plus, this week's class starts the "Under the Radar" portion of WineSense, where $60 gets you 4 tastings of lesser known wines from the world's great wine producing regions.

Not a bad way to unwind after work on a Wednesday.

Winesday

Last week, Peter and I were invited by the fine folks at Dickie Brennan's Bourbon House to serve as judges for a blind wine and oyster pairing contest. The winner between both the public tasters and the judges? An Anne Amie Vineyards Cuvee A Amrita with a slight fizz and some lively citrus flavors. Peter picked that one, whereas I liked the minerality of the Muscadet. Proving once again that wine is solely a matter of personal taste. Well, unless you are the Dread Pirate Robert whose favorite wine for oysters is Mad Dog 20/20's Rappin Raspberry.

Poppy Tooker also served as an esteemed member of the judiciary that day. And she had some huge news to share. Beginning tonight at 6:30, Poppy debuts her new radio show "Louisiana Eats" on NPR (WWNO 89.9 FM), which will also replay on Saturday at noon. The half-hour weekly show will cover the Louisiana food scene. Check it out, radio heads.

Bloggle has become a very good friend but we can't help but be excited for the release of his first foray into wine making with 2008 C&B Selections "There's No Place Like Home" Syrah. Bloggle and winemaker, Paul Hoffman, (pictured below) created a Syrah that balances the power and finesse of the Rhone with the fruit of Sonoma. Inspired by Macy Gray, Bloggle has been wandering around town wearing a dress that says "My Wine Drops on June 10th" for about a week.

We had an opportunity to taste the wine last night, and Hoffman and Bloggle (which sounds like a trippy, acoustic college rock duo) have hit it out of the park. Dark in the glass, with a savory aroma of smoky bacon and pepper, the wine finishes smooth and cool coming in at just under 15% alcohol. The price is $24.99 a bottle; $20 a bottle when you buy a case or more. Head over to Cork & Bottle tomorrow afternoon and pick you up a bottle of wine or two. And while you are there, give Bloggle a hug or a kick in the groin. Your choice.

Fish Fridays - What to Drink

"Do you ever drink beer or real liquor?" Mary Magdalene asked, "'cause writing about wine is for pansies."

"Yes. I love beer and hooch."

"Ok. If you were going to have a cocktail what would it be?"

"Well, if it is cold maybe a sazerac, but if it is..."

"Ha. I knew it, you are a pansy. A sazerac, you believe that Cathy? That's not a real drink," Mary informed me.

Mary may have a point. Writing about beer or snorting vodka (an experience you only need to do once) makes the act and writer seem pretentious because (1) everyone knows how beer tastes and (2) if you need a recipe for a screwdriver that is pathetic.

In South Louisiana, boiled seafood is tailor made for beer. The spicy, fatty deposits of meat in crawfish, shrimp, and crab just make beer happy and vice versa. One of my favorite beers for this is just plain old Bud Light or Miller Lite. Low alcohol and cheap means that you can drink about a gallon of it before and after the cops show up.

Now if you want to go a little bit higher end, you should try the Southern Star Bombshell Blonde. First off, I love blondes. Secondly, this beer comes from Texas where they know a thing or two about craft beers and blondes. Also, the beer comes in a can and is unfiltered. So you get this yeasty, refreshing beer with a creamy body that is never skunky. Cork & Bottle has it for sale in a convenient six pack form.

Of course picking up a draft pack of NOLA Blonde, Brown, or (my favorite) Hopitoulas would make you the guest of honor at any crawfish boil.

Finally if you want to drink "a real drink" as per Mary Magdalene, pour yourself some gin into a tall glass with ice, top it with an orange twist, and enjoy.

What do you like to drink with seafood?

Happy New Year

This year, as an alternative to French champagne, why not celebrate with a bottle of cava. This bottle of Poema can be found at Cork & Bottle for $10.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with getting a bunch of Mumms.

Winesday and a Drink Special

"Hey, listen I realize you are busy but I have to go taste some Robert Kacher wines. Going to go to Herbsaint, you in?" asked Bloggle.

I'll let you guess how I answered. Buying wine from foreigners can be very tricky what with all the funny names and dates. One of the most effective ways of buying wines that require a passport is to familiarize yourself with a few reputable importers. On the back of any bottle of wine from outside of America will be a seal of an importer. Some good ones to look for are Robert Kacher, Rosenthal Merchants, and Kermit Lynch.

Robert Kacher's portfolio has a stunning array of breadth and depth. Everything from a quaffable white Bordeaux to stunning Argentinian reds is in his list. Bloggle, who is a good friend to have, has a huge crush on Robert Kacher (pronounced like Carlton Fisk's position) and Cork & Bottle is full of them.

So into the backroom at Herbsaint went twelve of us, including Dread Pirate Robert and Ian McNulty. The latter welcome, the former not. Thirteen wines awaited and a whole mess of food. Foodwise here is a quick recap: guinea hen croquettes (eagle), frog legs (birdie), mushroom ravioli (birdie), spaghetti with fried poached egg and guanciale (what do you think?), veal stuffed with fontina cheese and ham with fried sage (par), cheese plate (killer epoisses), and a bite of McNulty's peanut butter mousse with salted whipped cream (eagle).

I loved the first white with its austerity, citrus notes, and a hint of melon. The culprit: a Joel Delaunay, Le Bois Martin made up of 100% Sauvignon Blanc. My notes say it was silver tinged, but this wine has gold medal written all over it. Drink it with pate or boiled shrimp on a hot summer day. Price? $13.99.

Other whites I particuliarly enjoyed were the Domaine du Tariquet from Bordeaux and the Quinto do Alqueve. The Bordeaux is fitty-fitty Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc that smells of fresh hay. A truly delicious, rustic white wine, I would love to drink this with a white bean soup on a cold evening after a long day.

There was also an incredibly clean and acidic white from Quinto do Alqueve which had underlying notes of star anise, dried flowers, and guava. The wine is made from 92% Fernao Pires, an ancient Mediterranean grape, and 8 % Chardonnay. At around $10 a bottle I could afford to drink this while watching the Charm School 3 Marathon.

Going darker to the world of reds, we find a 2008 Cote Jardin Rouge from Vignobles Boudinaud made up 55% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 15 % Mourvedre taken from vines older than me, but younger than Bloggle. This wine had a very focused nose offering hints of fruit preserves with a little inflection of sawdust. My notes say "This wine is such a killer it needs three names." Lucky for you, that was the high water mark of my cleverness that night.

A 2007 Syrah/Grenache blend from Mas des Bressades presented with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cedar, and violets. Would love to drink this with a braised lamb shank in early spring. At less than $12 a bottle, if you give this to me as a gift, I would not be offended at your cheap ass.

Finally, there was a 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape from Les Cailloux. Such a great wine, to bad the only thing I could write down next to it was "A little rooster from Islamabad called he has your pocketbook."

Anyone know what that means?

Finally, I ran into Tom Wolfe, the chef, not the author recently. He told me they are running a special every Wednesday evening with mojitos and margaritas for $4 from 4:30 til along with other specials like fish tacos. Well made cocktails, good bar food, and no snootiness. Sounds like a good way to get over the hump to me.

Wolfe's on Rampart
1041 Dumaine Street
593-9535

Best Places to Buy Wine

The blog drinks a lot. Between studying and having to chase after The Pope, we work up quite a thirst. We quench that thirst with all manners of adult beve leges (as said by a kind checkout worker at Winn-Dixie recently). But wine, well that is our most dangerous habit.

Buying wine, especially for novices like us, always presents a unique set of challenges: How do I pronounce sauvignon? What do they mean by fruit?, etc... But it shouldn't cause you any apprehension. Walk into a reputable wine merchant, strike up a conversation, tell them what wine you like, what wines you don't like, maybe a bottle you remember, tell them what you want to spend, what is the occasion, and what you are serving for dinner. Trust us they love doing this. Develop a relationship. It will pay off for you in many ways. Liked a wine, but can't remember what it was? Their computer will remember what bottle you liked better than you will.

Trust us, buying wine should be enjoyable. Thus, we present to you the Blackened Out List of Top Places to Buy Wine For Your Crunk Cup. Go to one of these spots, test out the above, and savor the results.

Hopper's Wines & Spirits - This is the spot for you if you like producers of Old World wines who are focused on quality in the style of Kermit Lynch. Ric Hopper has an incredibly vast knowledge of all things Burgundy. Also a great place to stop in and chit chat and likely spy some of your favorite chefs and restaurateurs. Located in the Uptown Square Shopping Area, which allows you to pick up a bottle of something nice for Grandma at Lambeth House. Bonus: Tuesdays after the CCFM, swing on by and pick out a Summer wine. We like the Clos St. Magdeleine 2007 Cassis Blanc right now.

Martin's Wine Cellar- A legend. This spot has been around forever. More than just a wine shop, this is the spot to pick up a chicken salad sandwich, one of the best burgers in town, a tub of orzo, a six pack of Hoegarden, and a bottle of Black Currant Vodka. With multiple locations around the Greater New Orleans Area(this includes Baton Rouge and Mandeville), finding a Martin's should not be a challenge. The wine selection is incredibly immense spanning the globe from Chile to Long Island. This spot is the Harrod's of food and wine only if Harrod's was on Veterans.

Elio's - If you can fight off the Tulane kids purchasing kegs of Abita Amber, a conversation with Elio or his son's will deliver results. Tell them what you like and let them guide you through their selection. They always have one or two deals, and once you become an insider, they will tip you off to spectacular savings. A case of Moet&Chandon Rose for $150? We will take two. Located on Calhoun and Claiborne around the corner from Bud's Broiler, Elio's offers a convenient place to pick up some wine and head to the Fly. This is the place if you like big California wines.

Cork & Bottle - Jon Smith, aka Bloggle, has assembled a crack-pot team of wine investigators. Although their selection covers all areas of the world, the main emphasis is on finding a $15 bottle of wine that drinks more like $30 bottle. Which in this economy is a recipe for success. Located in the American Can Company, a vibrant Thursday afternoon Farmer's Market couples fresh food with free wine tastings. Plus, the recently opened Clever (next door) serves up classic and inventive cocktails from the deft hand of the General, Kimberly Patton-Bragg. Their Wednesday Wine Sense series is a good way to gain some knowledge and taste new wines. The hardest thing about visiting Cork & Bottle? Leaving.

Dorignac's - The dirty little not so secret among all wine drinkers in the city is that some great wines are to be found here at good prices. While you may not be able to get the service at Dorignac's that you can at say, Martin's, if you know what you like this is not a bad option. Plus, the old ladies who work the counter won't card you, they just ask to squeeze your butt.

After Work Tomorrow...

Hey looking for something to do on Friday after 5, once your boss leaves the office. Ok, more like 3 p.m. Want to be quasi-philanthropic, drink some wine, and then maybe head over to Esplanade to eat at either Lola's or Cafe Degas? Well you are in luck. On Friday night from 5:30-7:30, Cork & Bottle Fine Wines is hosting a wine tasting at the historic Pitot House overlooking Bayou St. John with Jon Smith leading the charge. I am resisting the urge to mention he should rename Clever, Bar St. Jon.* The cost is $10 and all proceeds go to the Pitot House.

Look at it this way. You could go to a bar and spend $10 on some crap Bud Light, while some investment banker tries to bag your lady and the DJ spins Sandstorm in Yiddish. Or you could drop a ten spot, sit along the banks of a beautiful bayou, in a gracious New Orleans house, drink four remarkable wines, and just relax. I don't know but as my cousin from the Sham-Wow commercials says, "this things sells itself" and "cause I can't do this all day."

For more info contact Cork & Bottle at 504.483.6314 or you can call the Pitot House at 482.0312.

The Pitot House is located at 1440 Moss Street and can be found on the web at www.pitothouse.org.

*Background. When Jon Smith, no relation to the explorer, began blogging on the world wide web, I suggested he should call his blog Cork and Bloggle. He originally laughed it off, but eventually agreed with me. As you should always do.

Dear Santa

Santa,
I have chosen to write to you now for much the same reason I give wedding presents a year late. 1) I figure no one is writing you now, so a letter from me would be most appreciated and remembered more than the loads of letters you get near Christmas 2) I like to give you time to relax after such a stressful season before reminding you of the next one 3) the pressure of picking out a gift is much less when the deadline has already been missed.

Plus with everyone giving all this attention to this Patrick, Saint dude, I figured you were lonely and drunk. Which has always been a good time for me to get things I wanted. The iron is hot and I am striking.

Listen, I only desire one thing for Christmas this year. Its a little strange, but easily one of the sexiest things I have seen in a while. Look here. Is that not the coolest thing you have ever seen? Well besides Earth from the seat of a reindeer powered shuttle as you hurtle through space.

Granted, installation may be difficult in New Orleans, but I would gladly give up a bathroom for a wine cellar with a hidden door! Just think of the exercise I could get walking up and down those steps to select intoxicating bottles of pleasure. And the party tricks would never end. Section 123 Saints Fan sent it to me, and he knows a thing or two about the price of tea in China.

In other wine news, please send me a case of 2007 Alfredo Roca Pinot Noirs. Just when Pinots were approaching the same boring status Chardonnay held 5 years ago, this one came along and impressed me. Seven out of ten Pinots surveyed for this article were cloying, uninspired fruit bombs that tasted like cabernets in drag.

Made in Argentina in a Burgundian style, the nose is floral and violets, the taste elegant, and the finish durable. None of that Coca-Cola syrup infected, Penny Noir from California, this wine goes equally well with grilled turkey breasts or just casual back porch sipping. And at around $12 a bottle, a damn fine value. Available at Cork & Bottle and other fine purveyors.

Thanks Santa and remember, Asalamalakum.

P.S. I think a lot of people will ask you for Hogs for the Cause T-Shirts this year. If so, you can find them here.

Slow Money, Take It Easy

Tomorrow night at St. James author Woody Tasch will speak about his recent book Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered. I was fortunate enough to get a copy of this book in the mail the other day from Chelsea Green and am currently reading my way through it. I must confess that previous attempts at understanding economic theory have usually resulted in befuddlement and confusion.

The book focuses on the practical and economical implications and benefits of investing in community and locality based farming and ranching. The talk, and dinner by Chef Daniel Esses, is put on in conjunction with the New Orleans Chapter of Slow Food.

The cost is $50 and you need to call St. James at 899-4737 to make a reservation. Remember to bring your own Booze.

The menu is being prepared by Daniel Esses, formerly the chef at Marigny Brasserie. The menu uses local ingredients to showcase the benefits of what both Slow Food and Slow Money espouse.

Saffron-cauliflower mousse

Bacon, collard green and pecan soup

Jasmine tea smoked Cornish game hen with sausage and white bean ragout
or
Broccoli gnocchi over caramelized carrot puree and greens

Artisanal regional cheese course

Sweet potato flan.

And tonight at Cork and Bottle is a Wine, Cheese, and Beer Taste Off. Dan Stein of Stein's Deli, a beer aficionado, Richard Sutton a cheese connoisseur, and Jon Smith, a lush, will have a competition. The goal is to see what does pair better with cheese, wine or beer? For reservations call 504.483.6314. The cost is $30 a person.

A Charming Bistro

In The United States of Arugula, David Kamp spends a good portion of the book writing about Chez Panisse. In one passage he discusses the ideals behind the restaurant and a particular quote stuck with me. In it, Jeremiah Tower talks about what Alice Waters was really trying to do with Chez Panisse. Tower believes Waters was just trying to recreate a typical Parisian bistro. The kind of place were someone can go, chat up the bartender, have a bite to eat, and drink a glass of good, inexpensive wine.

New Orleans has many restaurants which fit this description. One that fulfills the Platonic ideal of a bistro for me is Vizard's. The ivy covered exterior of Vizard's creates a jewel box like setting for dining. The wall facing Magazine Street is entirely open with huge windows embellished with etched fleur de lis. Walking into the restaurant one is greeted by the hostess or if you are lucky the young, labor law violating host (who is Chef Vizard's son). You may feel as if you have entered a secret club, and you would be right.

The bar is on your right with maybe six or seven stools. A small dining room with no more than fifteen tables is off to the left. Every available inch of the room is used to store extra silverware or bottles from the interesting wine list. A lively atmosphere, helpful if sometimes reserved service, and the feeling of bonhomie (complete with a noise level suitable to a good party) round out a pleasant bistro experience.

The menu at Vizard's covers the basics of New Orleans dining while also incorporating some imaginative takes on bistro classics. Gumbo, crabmeat, red fish, bordelaise, frisee salads, hangar steak all make an appearance. This restaurant should satisfy anyone from an adventuresome diner to the meat and potatoes crowd. Besides what we tried this last visit, a daily gumbo, a crabmeat nelson, a seafood chop salad, the roast chicken, redfish, and Vizard's Cap (the cap end of the ribeye), all piqued our interest.

To begin our meal, the kitchen sent out a shot glass filled with a sublime puree of butternut squash. The soup coated the inside of your mouth at once luxurious and fleeting, leaving you wanting just one more sip. Steam laden bread, creamy butter flaked by pieces of pink Hawaiian salt, and a generous cocktail help you settle into the evening.

For apps, Lindsay got the scallop flan. We were informed that the flan needed a few more minutes to set-a good sign that the kitchen keeps the waiters informed. Soon the apps arrived. I did not get to taste Lindsay's flan as she devoured it and the crabmeat topping in record time.

For my appetizer I got the Greens, Egg, and Ham. Frisee and spinach topped by a paneed egg with bacon and a roasted shallot dressing with some rather bland slices of bread pretending to be croutons. What I really liked about this dish, besides everything, was that the dressing properly used a miser for the acid component instead of spendthrift.* The tendency to douse a salad in vinegar in order to cut the richness of the egg and bacon predominates in most restaurants these days. But I would rather fully enjoy the buttery explosion of cholesterol induced happiness and get the cut from a glass of wine or a vodka with a twist.

For our mains, Lindsay got the duck with sweet potatoes and greens. Crispy skin, although a few more minutes on a lower temperature would have resulted in a deeper crust. The potatoes were simply roasted and the greens expertly wilted.

I got the veal hanger with pommes frites and bordelaise. WOW. And as Jon Smith would say, "let me say that backwards, WOW." Hangar is restaurant speak for hip these days, but I had not yet seen a veal hangar.

Sometimes dishes defy an exact description. When they do, as this did, I find that they usually evoke memories most often associated with generalities. You take a bite, oohh and ahh, and just say "Damn this is good." Nothing more need be said. For this dish that general feeling was that this meat evoked all the characteristics that carnivores hold dear: juicy, flavorful, gushing on the inside, and kissed by flame. A connection with meat eaters past and future took place in that little room on Magazine and boy was I glad to be there.

The wine list has some home runs on it: a Caymus Conundrum, a few selections from the Medlock Ames winery, and some Old World selections. However for us, we went with a 2006 David Arthur Chardonnay from Napa. Just a stunner of a chardonnay. If you are one of those people who don't like chardonnay, congrats on taking your wine cues from Sideways and Sex and the City. Before you trash this noble grape to the next Dink at your pilates class, perhaps you should read this article. This wine drank more like a fine scotch with wisps of smoky peat and an interlude of salted nuts. For a wine to stand up to the myriad of dishes we ordered, all the while remaining truly unique, says a lot about Chardonnay's value.

Dessert was a lemon cheesecake with a glass of Nocello for Lindsay and Grand Marnier for myself. Service also has some connection to a Lyonnaise bouchon or Parisian bistro-meaning at times it may seem they are ignoring you. But in reality the service staff just wants you to enjoy the meal without unnecessary intervention. If you are in a hurry, I would go elsewhere. But if you are in a hurry, why are you going out to eat?

To sit, to talk, to drink nice wine, and to eat well this is something we should all do at least once a week. It can not take place every week at Vizard's, but I wish it would.

Birdie-Eagle.

*From the Spanish Proverb- Four persons are wanted to make a good salad, a spendthrift for oil, a miser for vinegar, a counselor for salt, and a mad med to stir it all up. Now, anyone want to translate that into spanish?

Libation for Celebration

All of those who waited till today to make New Year's Eve plans raise your hands. Now all of those who may have already made plans but still need to buy booze for tonight raise. Is that everyone? OK, good. We're here to help.

If you are a beer drinker, then I have to second Rene's suggestion of knocking back a few Lazy Magnolias. Last week I was the fortunate recipient of a six pack gift of Southern Pecan from a relative, and it went very well with the whole suckling pig that we cooked on Christmas day. (More on that next week). Just swing on by the local grocery on the Northshore. [What? The Northshore is still technically in the New Orleans area. Just ask Fr. Tom. He lives in Abita.]

But if, on the other hand, you fancy a bit of bubbly, then head over to Cork & Bottle and grab a bottle of the Spanish sparkling wine Poema Cava. Sure, it's not true champagne, but neither is the Korbel or Mumm's which you usually drink. And at $10.99 per bottle, it's a steal.

Finally, for you oenophiles out there, why not pick up a bottle of Wine Spectator's 2008 Wine of the Year.* This bottle of Clos Apalta is courtesy of The Pope, whose affinity for this Chilean red stems not only from taste but also from the fact that the winery is owned by the Marnier-Lapostolle family (founders and owners of Grand Marnier liqeur). Plus uncorking a bottle like this is a perfect excuse to use that new decanter you got for Christmas. Please allow the Battle House Honey to demonstrate:

Happy New Year.

* We apologize for the amateur pictures of the wine. Unfortunately, we are not as photographically savy as Robert Peyton.

A Tapas of Links and Other Miscellany

We interrupt Peter's chronicle of debauchery and bacchanalian exploits for a message from our sponsors.


Read our take on Dome Food and also our review of Rambla.

And an exciting link for us.

Have you ever dreamed of meeting a real live food blogger, but don't know where they hang out? Are you busy on January 17, 2009? Well, come on down.

When you link to yourself does that mess up the space-time continuum or is it more like how one can never cross the same stream twice? Either way enjoy our egotistical links of the day.

My attempt at making caramel sea salt ice cream did not succeed but did not fail enough that I will not try again. I used this recipe from David Lebovitz. All failings were directly my fault. The texture of the cooked custard produced an ice cream with a tremendously luxurious mouth feel (which seems like it should be a dirty word). However, I think I went a tad to far into the realm of burning the caramel then I should have. The result was intense, in a drunken, brawl with a college friend at 2 a.m. which involves a head butt to the bridge of the nose kind of way. But alas such mistakes are expected.

And also, I think my ice cream maker sucks. The cold beast requires ice and ice cream salt in a proportion that calls to mind a calculus class I had with Mr. Cohen. Needless to say, I am not a math major. Plus, it doesn't freeze fast enough. And I would like a new one for Christmas. So if you don't know what to get the blogger who has everything, an automatic ice cream maker would be a good choice, but feel free to pick one out (I have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, there is an ice cream attachment for it). Or if you know of anyone who slings liquid nitrogen on the side, I guess I could always use that.

I did not think it was possible to improve on the Satsuma Wrestler, but once again I was wrong. Into a Kerry Vodka Collins glass, add a 5 second pour of Cat Daddy Moonshine, available at Cork and Bottle. Follow this up with 4 ounces of fresh squeezed Louisiana Citrus Juice (I had a combo of satsumas, Meyer lemons, and navel oranges). Don't use store bought, that is worthless. Top with a dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream. Stir lightly. Take photo with of your new Creamy Mustache.

Even Better Than 50 Cent Night ( A Production of After Work Today...)

In high school, Peter went to .50 cent night at The Boot with a devotion seen more commonly with tweens and Hannah Montana than mature 17 year olds and fiscal responsibility. In fact Peter was known far and wide for the Golden Roll. Every Tuesday, Peter would slide "The Golden Roll"-a pack of quarters-across the bar and in turn he would receive 10 Jack and Cokes.

Well, as you probably have figured out, Blackened Out has a huge crush on Cork & Bottle. Cork & Bottle has just opened a wine bar called Clever, adjacent to their Mid City store. Every Tuesday at Clever is "Free Tuesdays at Clever." Tasting sized samples of wine will be poured gratis. If you like the wine, you can pay for either a glass (at retail pricing which equals retail price divided by 4) or buy a whole bottle.

I checked out Clever with some colleagues (an adult way of saying friends) last week. The space is very comfortable, the wine list filled with winners, and the staff could not be nicer. The surroundings are loaded with comfy couches and areas to arrange your own seating. Clever feels more like a coffee shop than the snooty, sleek wine bars that have popped up all over the country in the last few years.

These tastings will be devoid of pretension. Also, this will give you some new vague terms to throw around at Uncle Al's Thanksgiving Hooch Fest. Each week will feature a different theme. This is a great opportunity to combine education of new wines and happy hour. Quite frankly it is very clever. Here is the schedule for the next few weeks:

Nov. 18th - Lisa Tull-Johnson, Champagne Specialist for Republic/National pours through a world of things that go bubble in the night.

Nov. 25th - Jon Smith pours out a selection of turkey's best friend: Pinot Noir

Dec. 2nd - Grand Opening with Neil Gernon who will unveil a month of Neat Wines by pouring through eight (yes, 8) "under the radar" Napa Valley gems.

I will see you there. This is really going to cut into my workout routine.

St. James Dinner with Ashbell McElveen

Last Thursday, Lindsay and I attended a dinner at St. James guest chefed by Ashbell McElveen. Chef McElveen's cuisine is his interpretation of African, Caribbean, French, and Southern cuisine all rolled into one. Which when you think about it, sounds exactly like a description of New Orleans.

The food was largely cooked on an outdoor grill and a dual burner propane rig. Despite that, Chef McElveen and his team sent out a wonderful array of appetizing plates. I really hope he gets his own place up and running soon, as I would love to see what he can accomplish with a full arsenal.

First course was a homemade bacon wrapped gulf shrimp with a salad and three cheese croutons. Very good. the bacon was thinner than commercial bacon; it almost crossed into prosciutto land. Could have used a spike more dressing, but as always I would rather a salad be nude as opposed to overly adorned.

These dinners at St. James are BYOB. We started out with a 2005 Justin Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is fast becoming one of my favorite white wines for pairing with food. We also had a 2005 Andre Brunel Cote du Rhone Villages Cuvee Sabrine, which is pictured in the photo. Both wines are available at Cork and Bottle. The latter is poured by the glass at Clever.

A plate of grilled vegetables. Quite simply the best dish of the night. I love food like this. Each vegetables was expertly introduced to the flames, charred, and dressed simply with olive oil, salt, vinegar, and pepper. I love how a grill can make a vegetable (ok its not really a vegetable, but you know what I mean) like mushrooms smoky and meaty while at the same time sweetening an onion to unfathomable heights.

Also, served was a curried crab over fried plantains. While the plantains were either undercooked or under ripe or both, the curried crab exploded with rich flavors of cumin and allspice. This dish would have been absolutely a stunner if served over some fluffy white rice as without rice the dish seemed a little thin. A little more retooling of this dish and it could rightly sit beside shrimp creole, gumbo, and trout amandine.

Next, a cheese plate. A tomme crayeuse, a munster, and a laguiole. Served alongside this wonderful selection of cheeses, was a candied apple and these dynamite homemade lemon scented biscuits. The biscuits had more in common with a cookie, but this makes sense, as Chef McElveen previously worked in London where apartments are called flats and cookies are biscuits. The biscuits were the perfect foil for the rich cheeses.

Next a dessert of caramelized peaches over a light and airy cake. Pretty good finish and not overly sweet. Although my favorite part of this dessert was that it came with goat cheese with fresh cracked black pepper, which rounded out a classic pairing of flavors and textures.

Once Chef McElveen gets his place, you can be sure I will be in that number sampling his take on New Orleans cuisine.

All photographs by Lindsay. Usually taken about 3 bites into each dish when we said "Shoot we forgot to take a photograph. Gee Willickers." Thus, the rustic nature of the photos.

Also, seen at this dinner was the St. James Girl, A.K.A. the 5000th Visitor to El Blogo.

After Work Today (So Many Choices)...

In an effort to further the cause of making Thursday the new Friday, Blackened Out has partnered with local businesses and organizations to offer more opportunities for you to make bad decisions which will lead to you showing up hungover to work tomorrow.

Harvest the Music (weather permitting)
This free fall concert series at Lafayette Square has been a welcome addition to the weekly social scene. In order to support their fight against hunger, the Second Harvest Food Bank has initiated a three-prong attack: music, food, and booze. If that's not a recipe for success, then we might as well give up now. So check out of the office at 5:00 and walk on over to the Square. Listen to The Radiators, have a few Abitas, and hopefully the rain will hold off long enough for you to enjoy a cool fall evening.

Thursdays Uncorked at Cork & Bottle
Thankfully, this event is held every Thursday, rain or shine, in conjunction with the Mid-City Green Market. This weeks FREE tasting (as they all are) features "Outstanding Wines from Argentina." I wonder if Justin Pitts will have any hanger or skirt steaks available at the market? Either one would probably pair well with the 2007 La Posta Cocina Blend which is on sale at C&B for $10.99.

Whatever There is To Do in Kenner
Because that is where the swearing-in ceremony for the newest bar candidates will be held. Three years of studying, and you end up celebrating at the Treasure Chest buffet. God sure does have a sense of humor.

In the Interests of Judicial Economy

Here is a press release from Cork & Bottle. You should go pick up some wines.

Theeyyyyrrreee Heeerrrreee!

The Kacher Truck pulled up today and we unloaded nearly 300 cases of wine from it. Now the fun begins, don't miss out!

Come and Drink the Store Today!Our fall shipment from Robert Kacher is here and we're pulling corks all day long

Nearly 300 cases of amazing wines from France from one of the best French import companies in the business has just arrived (and we mean JUST arrived) and if you come today you can join Jon, Jenny and Craig Baker (Kacher's National Sales Manager) in uncorking come amazing French wines. . . for Free!

We're so excited about our new wines that its time to pull some corks. Starting at 5:00 today we'll have over a dozen wines open for you to try and if you mill about and see another Kacher wine you want to try just bring it to us and we'll let you try it right there (and we get to have a taste too!). This is a very exciting load of wine, don't miss out!

Cork & Bottle's long-time customers know Robert Kacher Selections quite well. Our new ones may not know that Bobby Kacher is an importer of French wine who Robert Parker named "one of the world's most influential wine personalities of the last twenty years" primarily because of "his single-minded obsession with quality."

Why are we all hopped up about these wines, you ask? Well, Jon has been over there, to France, and has had a chance to join these growers in their cellars, view their facilities, walk their vineyards, taste their wine with them. The independent growers that make up this portfolio of wines are real people who love what they do, they grow their own grapes and make their own wines. They have passion for their wines and to them wine is an extension of their own lives, not a commodity with a Kangaroo on the label. Think this is all a bit too much drama over wine? Maybe just a bit, but we definitely invite you to try these wines and see for yourself - you'll become a believer.

Corks start popping at 5:00 today, Tuesday October 7th. No reservations are needed, just show on up. See you here.