HUNGRY GERALD

On the way back to HG/BSK’s Santa Fe County home there was a stop at the Carmine Lonardo’s Italian Delicatessen in Denver (Florida and Wadsworth). The house-made Italian fennel sausages were widely touted. Bought sausage, head cheese, Genoa salami, pancetta, pasta. How did they rate? HG is a big fan of head cheese, jambon persille, and similar charcuterie. This was the best head cheese HG ever tasted. Been having it as an appetizer with a dollop of Dijon mustard. The salami was excellent. The pancetta was very rustic. A bit chewy. The much-heralded sausages? HG didn’t taste any fennel. Sausage didn’t seem to have the juiciness of a New York Italian sausage. Will give them another try before passing judgment.

240 Union in Lakewood, Colorado, is one of the best and most reliable, consistent, inventive, friendly restaurants in the United States. It was HG/BSK’s dining choice on their whirlwind trip to Denver. Michael Coughlin is the owner/host/maitre d’. The distinguished white-haired gentleman is a hands-on guy. He is all over the room in perpetual motion. He helps the servers, the table clearers, explains menu items to diners, guides wine selections. Michael knows wine. He has assembled “20 for 28”. That is a selection of 20 wines (red and white and all splendid) that sell for a modest $28. Wine drinker heaven. Cocktails are not neglected. HG began his dinner at 240 with a delicious Negroni (BSK, who abhors cocktails asked for a sip and approved). On to the food. After BSK finished a glass of sprightly pinot grigio, sommelier BSK selected a robust cabernet from Hogue Cellars in Washington. BSK’s appetizer was a beet salad with goat cheese. HG chose beef carpaccio with capers, red onions, mustard aioli, and parmesan. BSK’s main was Dayboat sea scallops (the lush dish was served with spaghetti squash, tomatoes, prosciutto and a dash of limoncello). HG chose a whole roasted Branzino. The crisp-skinned fish rested on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes (there’s also an option of smashed potatoes with onions and red peppers) and topped with garlic aioli. HG can assert, without reservations, that this was the best fish dish HG has ever tasted. HG/BSK could make only modest dents at the tasty desserts (key lime pie and sticky toffee pudding). 240 Union is not only a very good restaurant. It is the business, political, social center of populous Jefferson County. When HG/BSK lived and worked in the area it was their daily choice for lunch. BSK met clients there and plotted political, government and economic strategy. HG collaborated with BSK but also lunched at Palm Restaurant in downtown Denver which was more convenient for journalists (and there was a flattering caricature of HG on the restaurant wall). Underscoring 240’s political importance, Lesley Dahlkemper and Mike Feeley. stopped by the HG/BSK dinner table at 240. Lesley and Mike are two Colorado luminaries. Lesley is a progressive Democrat and a recently elected Jefferson County Commissioner. This is a very important position in Colorado and Colorado should be grateful that this wonderful woman is a political winner. Mike has been a long term leader among Colorado Democrats. A lawyer, Mike is a member of one of Denver’s most prestigious law firms. Lesley is carrying the family’s political banner aloft. HG/BSK enjoyed the brief but joyous reunion with the illustrious husband and wife duo.

HG/BSK began living in Colorado in 1985 (part-time) and full time in 1986. First on a 100-acre horse ranch some 9,100 feet above sea level in unincorporated Jefferson County. It was a mountainous area between the towns of Golden and Black Hawk. (Yes, HG/BSK had as many as six horses, rode the scenic mountain trails for hours and took equestrian lessons from BSK’s talented sister, Noel. She was a Colorado neighbor back then and, with her husband, Yossi, is now a happy permanent resident of Prince Edward Island some miles from HG/BSK’s PEI oceanfront paradise). BSK’s very effective environmental and political activism led HG/BSK back into the public relations business which grew into a formidable enterprise. Thus, HG/BSK said a sad farewell to their horse pals and moved to Denver. New residence was a fabulous full floor apartment resembling a New York Park Avenue residence transplanted a few blocks from the Colorado Governor’s Mansion. Some of the apartment features: 3,200 feet of space; private elevator landing; huge living/dining room with a wood burning fireplace tucked into a wall of white marble; two big bedrooms; wood paneled library/TV room; built-in living room mirrored wet bar with space for glasses, mixers, spirits, and wine; large kitchen with spacious dining area and lots of light; large, windowed terrace with built-in grill and dumbwaiter–HG/BSK would unload groceries into the dumbwaiter which was adjacent to HG/BSK/’s indoor parking spot. Some more apartment features: Three baths; closets galore; laundry area with washer, dryer, and shelving. Residents were given notice. The building was to be completely reconstructed and converted to condominiums. So, off to Santa Fe and the Land of Enchantment (and green chile). Incidentally, HG/BSK’s apartment is now valued at about $2,000,000. HG/BSK chatted about these memories as they battled the traffic to the suburb of Stapleton. When HG/BSK arrived in Denver, Stapleton was the friendly, mid-sized airport conveniently close to the city. (Miles away, the huge Denver International Airport has replaced it). Now Stapleton is a diverse residential community of 19,000 with schools, office buildings, hospitals, restaurants, markets, etc. Have to give the developers credit. They’ve given a neighborly feel to the houses on small plots of land and the architecture ranges from conventional to mid-century and cutting edge contemporary. There’s housing for every lifestyle and budget (including some five-bedroom, 4.5 bath homes selling at close to $1,000,000). Many parks, playgrounds, walking and cycling trails. Don’t want to live there but it seems much better than the developer horrors that continue to despoil the American landscape. Managed to get a quick lunch at Mici, the Stapleton location of a four-restaurant Italian food chain. Surprisingly good food and the luncheon special is a bargain. The sum of $8.75 buys you 1/2 of a 10-inch pizza or 1/2 of a Ciabatta sandwich plus a bowl of soup. HG had Giardino, a pizza with mushrooms, garlic, roasted red pepper, spinach, artichokes, zucchini, mozzarella. Soup was Fagioli, white beans with chicken broth, spinach, Parmigiano-Reggiano. BSK had Pomodoro, creamy crushed tomato soup, fresh basil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Both soups were accompanied by ample garlic bread. BSK’s Ciabatta sandwich was Toscana, chicken breast (hormone free); pesto, fontina, sun-dried tomatoes. HG/BSK thought they were getting snacks but it turned into a lavish meal. (HG would have transported gallons of the bean soup back to New Mexico if it were possible. It had a true Tuscan soul).

HG/BSK are in Denver for a whirlwind one day, two-night visit. Alas, no time to see dear friends like the Craggs and others. Gentle, quirky Denver, a city that had “cowtown” charm, is no more. Explosive growth. Scores and scores of glass office towers. Thousand of apartments, sprawling residential developments. Traffic is a nightmare. Bumper to bumper everywhere. No shortcuts. Maddening. Stayed in a very pleasant new hotel, Fairfield Inn, in the Lakewood suburb. Big, comfortable beds. Comfy pillows and warm comforters. Very quiet. Very clean.Nice indoor pool and whirlpool with strong jets. Modest prices. In addition to the usual Holy Bible, the bedside drawer contained The Book of Mormon. HG searched in vain for a Koran and a Hebrew book of prayer. Ecumenical failure.

HG has written often about the pleasures of eating in Rhode Island. Best clams in the world. Good (when in season) oysters. Squid. Hearty, cheap ethnic restaurants. And, of course, the cuisine of HG/BSK’s daughter, Gifted Lesley R. When in the Ocean State, don’t miss: Rhode Island clam chowder, clear, briny, full of clams and without the tomatoes of Manhattan style or the white glop of New England clam chowder; fried squid with hot peppers (official dish of the state); Del’s Frozen Lemonade, the ultimate antidote for heat and thirst. Lunch at rough and ready Flo’s Clam Shack. HG is ambiguous about New York System Wieners. These are short hot dogs, tucked in a steamed bun and topped with meat sauce, chopped onions and mustard. Interesting, but not as good as a traditional Katz’s (of New York) dog with sauerkraut. Clam cakes should be avoided (in HG’s opinion, they are nothing but lumps of fried dough with no discernible taste of clam), Stuffies are clams stuffed with bread crumbs and chopped clams. The bread crumbs overwhelm the clams. Far inferior to HG/BSK’s Clams Casino. Rhode Islanders love doughnuts (witness their waistlines) and consume more per capita than any other state. Seems there is a Dunkin’ Donuts shop wherever you look. The Dunkin’ Donuts sports stadium is known as “The Dunk.” They also love coffee syrup and use it to flavor milk, ice cream and milkshakes. HG/BSK thinks this is a bad dietary choice.

HG Read Vasily Grossman’s essay, “The Hell of Treblinka”, yesterday. Grossman commented about the essay: “If it is difficult to read, it was equally difficult to write.” Some 700,000 to 900, 000 Jews (mostly from Poland) plus 2,000 Romani were murdered at this Nazi extermination center in Poland. Gassed, incinerated and buried. Grossman, war correspondent of the Soviet Army newspaper, Red Star, during World War Two, was the first journalist to view and write about Treblinka. His account is so vivid, detailed and frightening that it leaves the reader shaken. Stalin waged an incessant attack on Grossman since writing about the Holocaust was viewed, by Stalin, as forbidden “exceptionalism.” Soviet policy was not to single out the victims of the Holocaust as Jews, only Soviet citizens. (Trump followed Stalin’s policy in his first statements about the Holocaust when he made no mention of Jews). Among the Treblinka horrors detailed by Grossman are not only the mass murders, but the individual killings of Jewish men and children. It is hard to believe these German and Ukrainian perpetrators were human rather than a sub species of monster (one delighted in ripping the heads off living children). Reading about Treblinka gives an insight into Israel’s intransigent “Never Again” policies.

HG is astonished when he enters a modestly formal restaurant (tablecloths, etc.). The majority of male diners appear to be on their way to feed cows or hogs; mend fences; do heavy labor. They are costumed in plaid flannel shirts and jeans. Shod in sneakers. Faces adorned with beards. HG remembers when men had elegant style. Men wore suits, white shirts and ties. Hats (fedoras or homburgs) were ubiquitous. Shoes were shined. Men patronized barber shops that offered amenities. The shops had sexy manicurists, shoe shine attendants and experienced barbers who knew how to wield a straight razor, cut hair, apply hot towels and utilize masculine after shave lotions. When a man left such an institution he was perfectly groomed and ready to face a challenging world with confidence and elan.In those days, men wanted to look like movie star Cary Grant. Today, they want to resemble farmhands or lumberjacks.

Is there anything to be learned from history? Much, believes HG. The history of the ancient Roman republic has relevance for the American republic of today, a republic in jeopardy. Rome was once one of the world’s longest lasting republics. A new book by Edward Watts (Basic Books),: “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny” analyzes the death of that republic. The book was prompted, says Mr. Watts, about how antiquity can illuminate “the occasional alarming political realities of our world.” The book notes that by the 2nd Century BC Rome had shocking inequality and leaders who wouldn’t deal with it. There was a minority of super rich (like the oligarchs of today) and a majority who did back breaking work and looked forward to a bleak future for themselves and their children. One of the most powerful of the wealthy was Crassus, an unscrupulous real estate wheeler-dealer. He used his money to gain political power and influence. (Sound like anyone?). Watts concludes that such a situation couldn’t last. It didn’t.The republic came to an end at the end of the First Century. Centuries of autocracy followed.

As 2019 rolls around, HG has a grand time watching much college football. The Bowls provided lots of action. HG is not nostalgic about football heroes of the past. Today’s players are faster, bigger and more skilled. The quarterbacks are extraordinary. Zac Taylor of Oklahoma is an HG favorite. A bravura performer. Ohio State (which BSK attended before graduating with honors from Hunter College in New York) beat Washington in the Rose Bowl. Brought back a happy memory. Many years ago HG/BSK had financial problems. Desperate HG placed a big bet on the Buckeyes. If memory serves, Ohio State was behind at the half but won with many scores in the second half. HG/BSK surged to financial solvency. Comfort food at dinner. BSK’s Ma Po Tofu and Chinese rice noodles. Lots of red wine. Warm slumber beneath a mountain of sheets, duvets and blankets.

HG has made HG’s followers envious with HG’s description of the wondrous Osso Buco Christmas Day dinner prepared by gifted daughter Lesley R.. Ah, Christmas at the Rhode Island home of Lesley, husband Massimo and daughters, Arianna and Sofia, captures all of the joy of family life. For many families, HG has observed over the years, buried hostilities emerge at holiday gatherings. Not when HG/BSK’s family gathers. Just warmth, love (great dining and presents galore).The only thing missing was the presence of HG/BSK’s son, Jeremy; his wife, Maiko (gifted chef and diminutive dynamo); Tall and handsome son, Haru; adorable daughter, Teru. Face Time was a blessing. Truly a miracle. HG thought HG had made a forlorn farewell to Osso Buco. Fortunately no. For HG/BSK, last Rhode Island dinner before traveling back to New Mexico, was pappardelle with a sauce of left over Osso Buco. Best ever use of left overs.