HUNGRY GERALD

SJ has joined La Famiglia in Prince Edward Island (much to the delight of everyone but especially to Haru and Teru Freeman). Birthday dinner for Exquisite Maiko and the emphasis was on bivales. Some cold South Lake Oysters. Then two old time clam dishes: Clams Casino and Clams Posillipo. These were once staples at red sauce New York Italian restaurants. Frank Sinatra particularly favored the Clams Posillipo at Patsy’s Restaurant on W. 56th Street. HG’s first public relations office (this was 57 years ago) was directly over the restaurant and the kindly owners would often give struggling HG a free lunch of their delicious (and filling) Tagliatelle Bolognese. BSK followed Patsy’s tradition of clam excellence. BSK’s Clams Casino were enriched by freshly ground bread crumbs and very good Canadian back bacon. Fresh garlic and tender little clams aided the Posillipo and lots of good ciabatta was dipped in the savory tomato sauce. The meal ended with buttered corn on the cob from Blum’s farm truck that parks daily in the little town of Montague. Is there a better August treat than freshly picked corn? The birthday corn had particular savor because six-year-old Haru (a burgeoning swim star) aided in the shucking.

A favorite HG pastime in Paris is breakfast on a sunny cafe terrace. The key elements are a baguette, sweet butter, cafe au lait and the International Herald-Tribune, of course. HG replicates this on Prince Edward island. The baguette is provided by an extraordinary artisan baker in the little town of Cardigan (he also does super ciabatta and whole grain loaves). The baguette is better than any of its Parisian counterparts, attests HG. Baked goods, in general, are very good on PEI. There are excellent biscuits, very nice when warmed and drizzled with honey. Butter tarts (that unique Canadian taste treat) are omnipresent in addition to very good peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. The butter is Kerrygold Irish Butter. The morning newspaper is the Prince Edward Island Guardian. Lots of homey news, lengthy obits of locals. HG particularly likes the newspaper’s restaurant critic, Bob Gray. He has never found a dish he doesn’t like and is very complimentary about table settings, waitperson smiles and friendly atmosphere. He waxes lyrical about the simplest tunafish or BLT sandwich. He nicely complements the green and gentle farmland of PEI.