HUNGRY GERALD

The Providence, R.I., area has become one of the great culinary destinations in the United States. In previous posts, HG has lauded the joyous Los Andes restaurant and the down to earth Blount Clam Shack. (Splendid cooking is always provided by Gifted Daughter Lesley R. at her home. But, of course, this is only available for fortunate family and friends). Before leaving for Prince Edward Island, HG/BSK, Lesley and Brilliant Granddaughter Arianna R., dined at Metacom Kitchen in Warren, a town that’s a short drive from Providence. Metacom offers a cuisine that utilizes the flavors and spices of many cultures—Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian, etc. Every ingredient in a Metaom dish is fresh, seasonal and treated with respect; a respect tempered by a creativity that makes it memorable. Here are some of the things the happy quartet tasted: Freshly shucked oysters on the half shell nestled on an excellent Japanese seaweed salad. Usually, HG prefers oysters to be served au naturel. No sauce. For HG, the natural brine is enough. But, at Metacam the oysters were served with a light lemongrass sauce that enhanced but did not overpower the oysters. This was followed by plump mussels, steamed in an inventive broth of green curry, zucchini, dry vermouth. Poached cherry tomatoes added a dash of color. The extraordinary broth was soaked up by squares of house baked focaccia and an herbal compound butter. Then some dishes were variations on Italian themes. Feather light polenta gnocchi in a sauce of shredded, braised veal breast; young turnips, pea greens and pecorino romano cheese. Porchetta with a tonatto sauce. Earthy tagliatelle with shredded duck confit and porcini mushrooms. There was a shift to a French Provencal specialty: Crisp fried rectangles of chickpeas with aioli. There were two conventional but perfectly prepared dishes: MK Burger, with sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomato, aioli and chickpea fries. Roasted black sea bass with couscous. Desserts were lush. Green apple cobbler with creme anglais, Marcona almonds and vanilla ice cream; creme brûlée; cheesecake with a spiced pistachio crust. Two very good Italian wines were served (both specials that evening)–a Pinot Grigio and a Sangiovese. Service was by a charming young woman. Prices were modest. Decor was soothing and contemporary. Metacom is everything a modern American restaurant should be.

Gifted Daughter Lesley, husband/Profesore Massimo R., their two daughters (Arianna and Sofia) plus Civilized Dog, Pip, live on Naragansett Terrace, a lovely street in Riverside, R.I. (little town minutes from Providence). The street fronts on Naragansett Bay so the water views and sunsets are exhilarating. Homes are well kept with colorful gardens. Many are old homes (once occupied by tugboat captains, pilots and other seafarers) that have been updated without too many jarring modernist details. It is a quiet, neighborly street, a throwback to an America of the distant past. There are some very pleasant amenities. One is Crescent Park, a short walk away. The Park is home to the Crescent Park Carousel. It was built in 1895 by ID. Looff, a famous carousel designer at the turn of the century. It was built as part of a real estate promotion (Naragansett Terrace was being developed as a second home community for urban residents of Providence and other Rhode Island cities). The Carousel is the largest and most elaborate of Looff’s works with 62 beautiful hand carved horses and four elaborate chariots. It fell into disrepair but was saved in the 1970’s by local residents and in 1987 was designated a National Historic Landmark. The Park is also home of a Blount Clam Shack. Blount is a big Rhode Island and Massachusetts company (largest producer of clam chowder in New England and the largest producer of lobster bisque in the United States). In recent years Blount has opened a few clam shack restaurants in Rhode Island featuring traditional clam shack dishes like clam chowder, fried clams, lobster rolls, etc. HG/BSK lunched at the Crescent Park location today and it was splendid. HG/BSK had “Clambake Chowder”: clams, potatoes, chourico and corn in a clear, briny broth. “Chowda” as it should be. Then some clam belly rolls with excellent cole slaw and tartar sauce. Cape Cod potato chips. Perfect New England cuisine. HG walked it off by strolling with Toby, The Wonder Dog, and Pip, Lady Dog of Grace and Intelligence. Though small in size, Toby has a very stentorian bark (like those advanced little audio speakers). Toby utilized his loud bark whenever he spotted a neighborhood dog. Pip kept silent. Understanding, but still disdainful, of Toby’s bad manners.

It is not simple (or cheap) to ship a dog by air from Santa Fe to Boston. Toby, The Wonder Dog, is too big to qualify for passenger travel. Has to go via cargo in a specified (expensive)) crate. Lengthy intricate paperwork required. Compliance with complicated TSA regulations. HG/BSK arrived at Santa Fe Airport at 5:45 AM for 8 AM flight to Denver (plane change for Boston). The Santa Fe Airport is a small 1930’s architectural gem (looks like it was built by CCC/WPA craftspersons). Personnel are chosen for a high degree of incompetence. Though BSK made meticulous arrangements for Toby (and BSK is always relentlessly thorough) United Airlines was in a state of regulatory confusion. Toby finally was placed in a crate some 15 minutes before flight time (almost two hours of computer nuttiness). Toby (and HG/BSK) made it to Boston safe and sound. Surprisingly, The Wonder Dog, seemed unruffled by his first experience flying the friendly miles. Met by Gifted Daughter Lesley R. who managed to negotiate the insane traffic between Boston and Providence. Roads are still a nightmare after the expenditure of billions on The Big Dig, the decade long construction project that was designed to unclog Boston’s arteries. Much joy at the end of a long day. Toby frolicked happily at Lesley’s Riverside R.I., home with Pip, the charming and welcoming family dog. With the sun setting over the waterfront landscape, Lesley provided a lush meal of Rhody sea specialties: smoked bluefish pate, snail salad, steamed little neck clams in a olive oil-wine-garlic-parsley sauce; fish cakes made of fresh cod (remoulade sauce); radish and fennel salad. Vodka before dinner and white wine with the food. Red wine with Robbiola cheese and a unique Italian honey and wine marinated whole walnut. Extraordinary. Meal was a pot of gold after a long day of travel.

Yes, the Gods give and then take away. Okay, the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl. The Gods got even by walloping Boston (and most of New England) with a brutal series of blizzards and sub-freezing weather. And, now there’s more bad news coming from New England. The Pawtucket Red Sox (the PawSox) is the Triple-A farm team of the Boston Red Sox. They will open the season in their home stadium, McCoy Stadium, on April 16, against a traditional foe–the Rochester Red Wings. In April 1981 the two teams played organized baseball’s longest game–33 innings. The teams stopped playing at four AM. The score was tied 2-2 after 32 innings. The game was resumed in June with the PawSox scoring in the bottom of 33rd to win 3-2. McCoy Stadium was built in 1942 and refurbished many times. It now seats 10,000 and average daily attendance is 7,000. My Rhode Island family tells HG that McCoy is the ideal place to watch a baseball game. They mention that the scale of the stadium and a certain humanity to the design encourages a rapport with the players and reminds fans that baseball is a game and not a television-fueled industry. Now comes the sad news. Investors have bought the PawSox and have announced plans to move the team from McCoy and Pawtucket to a larger and more “modern” site in the neighboring city of Providence. Pawtucket is a gritty little city that has fought hard to replace the manufacturing jobs once housed in the many local loft buildings. The PawSox give Pawtucket an identity. The team’s move would be an urban tragedy.

Los Andes is a Peruvian restaurant in Providence. One of HG’s all time favorites. It’s a big restaurant, jam-packed with an astonishingly diverse crowd of diners, all having an uproarious good time. This was the restaurant chosen for Profesore Massimo R.’s birthday dinner and HG/BSK and the Riva family were in high spirits. A big pitcher of very good sangria appeared. But, before sampling, HG and Massimo R. downed some beautifully made (and lethal) Pisco Sours. So good that HG had two. The Pisco Sour (Pisco Brandy, sugar, lime and whipped egg white) is HG’s favorite cocktail. The only other place in North America where you can get an authentic Pisco Sour is San Francisco. Peruvian sailors introduced it to San Francisco during the Gold Rush days. (San Francisco is also the city where you can taste another South American treat, the Ramos Gin Fizz. The venerable Tadich Grill makes it a specialty). The HG/BSK/R group started their meal with two ceviches: Ceviche Clasico (lime juice marinated clams, Prince Edward Island mussels, squid, shrimp and tilapia. Flavored with pureed garlic, and fiery leche de tigre). Ceviche de Pescano: (tilapia marinated in lime juice and cilantro and served with sliced red onion and strips of arugula in a leche de tigre sauce). There were three salads: Causa Limena (whipped potatoes and avocado topped with shredded chicken); a traditional Peruvian salad of sliced hard-boiled eggs adorning slices of purple potatoes; salad a la russe (the Russian salad of cooked vegetables in mayonnaise). Main dishes were powerfully robust and flavorful: Parillada Antica (a huge platter of grilled rib steak; homemade chorizo, marinated chicken thighs and fried yucca); Fricase (pork rib stew in a winy, dark sauce served with rice mixed with melted cheese). Wonderful tastes. A meal fit for a holiday and a birthday celebration.

The Yorkville section of Manhattan (the East 80’s) has gone through many changes. Historically, it had many restaurants serving hearty German food, bakeries specializing in strudel and butchers offering a staggering variety of sausages. Then, during the 1930’s, there was a shift to the dark side when the neighborhood, which housed many Germans, became the center of the Nazi affiliated German-American Bund headed by Fritz Kuhn. The war ended the life of the Bund and the neighborhood once more returned to gemutichkeit and jolly restaurants where HG dined on rollmops (pickled herring wrapped around dill pickles); big, crisp veal schnitzels topped with fried eggs and anchovies; opulent pastries toped with gobs of whipped cream. The real estate developers took over in the 1960’s and Yorkville is now a faceless neighborhood of “luxury” apartments houses. Amid all of the changes one constant has remained: Schaller & Weber. Located since 1937 at 1654 Second Avenue (86th Street), this is the last German butcher shop in Yorkville. It is a splendid institution. Schaller & Weber describes itself as “Masters of Charcuterie.” Accurate description for the delicious treats HG ordered online from them and enjoyed in a lavish choucroute. BSK prepared a pot of sauerkraut enriched by sliced onions, white wine and a touch of olive oil. Lesley R. boiled some tiny potatoes and showered them with chopped dill. Kassler ripchen (smoked pork chops) were warmed in the kraut. Knockwurst, Nurnberger bratwurst, weisswurst were grilled and lightly browned. Six varieties of mustard on the table, Bass Ale. Guinness Stout. White wine. Robiola cheese and grapes for dessert. Limoncello as a digestif. The holiday culinary delights continue.

Sedentary day for HG. Nestled in a comfy upholstered rocking chair, HG watched lots of NFL football on the Riva family’s newly acquired large screen / Hi-Definition TV. Patriots played desultory football in a meaningless game. Chiefs stifled Philip Rivers, the Chargers’ dramatic come-from-behind quarterback (not this time). And, in that northern Wisconsin refrigerator known as Lambeau Field, Aaron Rodgers and the Pack silenced the roar of the Lions. All of this grid drama honed HG’s appetite so it was off to Eli’s Kitchen in Warren, RI, for a major league feast. This is a little gem of a restaurant (seats about 30 people when filled which it usually is). No reservations. A modest wait is obligatory. Just about everything in the restaurant comes from local suppliers. This fresh food hops all over the globe. There are Thai, Indian, Mexican, Salvadoran and New Orleans style dishes on the menu. Vigorous spices. Generous portions. Creative cooking. And, prices are very moderate. HG devoured the ultimate bargain dish: Shrimp and Grits. The vibrant sauce was enriched with house smoked Tasso ham. The shrimp were big and juicy. The grits were creamy. The portion was huge but HG met the challenge with alacrity. The best shrimp and grits HG ever tasted since the wonders of Soul Kitchen in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. The price of Eli’s Shrimp and Grits: 14 bucks. The restaurant has nice starters including crisp crab beignets and cauliflower in a tingling sweet chile sauce. Check out the Eli’s Kitchen website for the other wonders of the menu. Brunch specials include huevos rancheros (made with carnitas) and a stupendous version of biscuits and gravy. The family meal was made festive by glasses of chilled French sparkling wine and two bottle of good red–a California Syrah and a French Cabernet. Apres feast, the group settled down before the TV to watch Wes Anderson’s wonderful movie, “Grand Hotel Budapest,” An extravaganza of wit and imagination. Perfect way to end the day.

A gem of nature near the Riverside, Rhode Island home of Gifted Daughter Lesley and husband, Profesore Massimo R., is the Tillinghast Estate in Barrington. Owned by RISD (Rhode Island School of Design), this is a gorgeous expanse of wetlands, beach grass, gentle meadows and Narragansett Bay beach. With the sun shining brightly, the Freeman/Riva clan strolled along the beach. Haru F. tossed stones in the water. Little Teru F. examined shells. Pip, the Riva family’s super intelligent and eminently lovable dog, made friends with the many other dogs frolicking in the sand. BSK found some nice pieces of beach glass (they will be added to the vast collection that prominently adorns a Chinese chest in the entryway of HG/BSK’s Prince Edward Island home). Tillinghast Estate is magical and RISD is to be commended for its sensitive stewardship. Back to Riverside to watch the very exciting Sun Bowl contest between Duke and Arizona State, a game decided in the last seconds.HG always roots for Duke (this is satisfying in basketball season). A number of family members attended Duke. One female family member, later a law professor, exemplified the family’s leftist persuasion by leading an action protesting the low pay of workers in the Duke cafeteria. ( The Duke bowl game, alas lost by Duke, was watched on a new TV, a source of controversy, amicably resolved, between the Rivas). Another (gentle) controversy emerged at dinner. Lesley R. used left over brisket from the previous night’s dinner to make one of the most deliciously savory pasta meat sauces HG ever encountered. Lesley R. served it over Pappardelle (broad durum wheat noodles). HG exclaimed about the excellence of the pasta. Massimo R., a highly critical and knowledgeable analyst of Italian cuisine, disagreed and labeled the Pappardelle “mediocre.” (He did commend the sauce and his denigration of the pasta did not prevent him from devouring a large bowl with hearty appetite). Scholarly Massimo did note that the Italian approach to pasta can be excessive. He cited a friend who made a long journey to Naples each month to purchase the family supply of pasta. (He believed the particular water used by the pasta maker made the product superior). HG followed his pasta with green salad and a wedge of Gorgonzola. Dessert was the very good key lime pie baked by young Raphie W., a Riva family pal. It was topped with ample whipped cream (much to HG’s delight). Another happy holiday day and night..

Warm, sunny, cloudless day. HG/BSK, SJ, EM, Haru and Teru; Gifted Daughter Lesley R., were off to that ornament of Providence, RI, Roger Williams Park Zoo. HG hasn’t visited a zoo in some years and was astonished at the beauty of Zebras, Giraffes, Flamingos, Cranes and Boa Constrictors. Much to the delight of the little ones (and the bemusement of adult viewers), the Elephant performed some necessary functions in what could only be described as elephantine proportions. The group found the lethal grace of the Snow Leopard mesmerizing and the Red Panda hit new heights of cuteness. The zoo, for a few hours,turned our group into children. Happy, wondering children. In the evening, Lesley R. outdid herself in the kitchen and produced a dinner that can only be described as deeply satisfying. Tender brisket in an assertive, rich tomato licked sauce. Ultra-tender Fennel braised in butter and stock. Haricot verts stir fried with shallots and herbs. Moroccan carrot salad, redolent with cumin and cinnamon. And, as a crowning glory, SJ made his state of the art mashed potatoes, a lighter than air balance of potatoes, salt butter and cream. Profesore Massimo R. poured three splendid Italian reds: A Barolo, a Montepulciano and a Chianti. A pause. And, then came desserts: A tart/sweet cranberry tart in a walnut crust (baked by Lesley R.) flan (left over from the previous evening); strudel (baked by friend/neighbor Diane). A big bowl of whipped cream. Vintage port. Grappa. Limoncello.This is the kind of meal HG loves: Abundant, Powerful tastes. Perfect balance of the rich and austere, the bitter and the sweet. The kind of meal Lesley R. produces with no histrionics and little fuss. HG is a proud Pop.

Feast of the Seven (approximately) Jewish (almost) Fishes. The HG/BSK family borrows from the Italian Catholic tradition of a seven fish feast on Christmas Eve. BSK and Gifted Daughter Lesley R. are skilled hands with chowders, oyster stews, etc. HG specializes in sautéed and fried fish. But, on Christmas Eve, the family feasts on the smoked fish products of Russ & Daughters, the venerable shop on New York’s Lower East Side. As usual, SJ was the first person on line, waiting for the store to open at 9 AM, Dec. 24 (the line grows to as many as 200 hungry New Yorkers). Here’s what SJ provided: Velvety, gently saline, raw Dutch herring (this is seasonal and is only found at R & D and Grand Central Oyster Bar); Gaspe Nova Scotia smoked salmon; Pastrami cured smoked salmon; sable; red salmon caviar from Alaska; smoked yellowfin tuna; paddlefish caviar (from USA); Japanese wasabi Tobiko caviar (flying fish roe); whitefish salad. Accompanying these wonders were Lesley R.’s sublime blini and gossamer thin crepes. Plus traditional bialys and bagels, of course. Scallion cream cheese. Horseradish cream cheese (disappointingly bland). Sour cream. Creme fraiche. Sliced and chopped sweet onion. Kalamata olives. Capers. Bubbie’s Pickles. Lemon wedges. Two salads–hearts of palm and cherry tomatoes; celeriac in lemony mayonnaise. To drink: White wine, Bass Ale, Guinness Stout. Finale: Limoncello. Chocolate truffles. Peanut brittle. There is an added benefit. This meal is repeated as a Christmas dinner after an arduous day of opening presents. The day after Christmas Day is when the HG/BSK family schedules a dinner featuring red wines and brisket or osso buco. Eccentric, yes, but eminently satisfying.