HUNGRY GERALD

HG’s holiday voyage (Providence and Paris) began with Gifted Daughter Lesley R.’s linguine con vongole (utilizing loads of luscious Rhode Island clams). It ended with a clam feast at the Legal Sea Food outpost at Logan International Airport in Boston. HG is a big fan of Legal. HG recalls grilled Dover sole on the Legal menu in years past that was as good as anything in London or Paris at a tiny fraction of the price. Though the heavenly sole has disappeared, there are plenty of unsurpassed Rhode Island clams. HG had a dozen on the half shell. A fresh, briny kiss from the salt waters. BSK ate her favorite fried calamari done Rhode Island style (with hot peppers). HG/BSK dove into a nice fry up of clam bellies and onion rings. Washed it down with pinot grigio (for BSK) and Sam Adams ale (for HG). Back in New Mexico, HG will have to put clam feasting on hold until summer at HG/BSK’s ocean home on Prince Edward Island. PEI quahogs are very good though they don’t reach the heights of the Rhody guys. The consolation is Colville Bay oysters. HG will do lots of shucking. If you read Hungry Gerald, you are, obviously, a fan of fine prose and fine food. With that in mind, HG recommends a reading of the “Chowder” chapter in Moby Dick. Melville describes (and gives a recipe for) the chowder served to Ishmael and Queequeg at The Pots. You can find it online and in the great novel. Sail on, sail on, Pequod.

HG here wishing all of his readers and followers a Happy New Years!! HG would like to extend his hopes that everyone has a 2014 filled with delicious edibles and wonderful memories!

Some time ago, HG wrote about good restaurants in unlikely places. One of those was Lucky Garden, a very nice Chinese restaurant located in a mundane strip mall in gritty North Providence, Rhode Island. It was an obligatory venue for a happy family dinner during the Christmas holiday. Since HG eats no Chinese food in Santa Fe (where all that exists is corn starch heavy, sweet, tourist cuisine of the PF Chang variety), HG insisted (though it’s a shlep) on a visit to Lucky Gardens. An error. Management had changed. Interiors had been expanded and renovated. Unfortunately, the cuisine had taken a toboggan slide downhill. Worst dumplings ever. Unfortunate pork belly. Pallid eggplant casserole. Cold tripe that made HG long for a bowl of New Mexico menudo. Passable chicken and chive blossoms did not compensate. SJ and EM, Asian food mavens, were not among the dinner party. Lucky them. Un-Lucky Garden is to be avoided.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Hemenway’s . For years, an HG visit to Rhode Island has always included a stop at Hemenway’s with its big windows overlooking some fine 18th and 19th Century architecture and a pretty little park in downtown Providence. The food, the service, the friendly welcome, the oyster bar and the comfortable dining booths are all splendid. HG/BSK had lunch in the oyster bar with SJ and Gifted Daughter Lesley R. Two dozen local oysters and six Rhode Island clams. plus crisp fried calamari with hot Greek peppers ( a Rhody specialty). Everything fresh and sparkling. It was so good that SJ and HG came back the next day. They were accompanied by Exquisite Maiko (who had been troubled with an unpleasant cold). EM had two of her favorite comfort foods: Clams Casino and French onion soup. HG/SJ knocked off Hemenway’s versions of a French brasserie “Plateau de fruits de mer.” Hemenway’s version had a bunch of New England’s finest: Oysters and clams plus a one half Maine lobster. There were also some very good jumbo shrimps from southern waters. A Delightful, and more importantly, a consistent dining experience.

HG/BSK are at the warm and welcoming Rhode Island home of Lesley and Massimo R., their daughter and son-in-law, for the family holiday festivities. And, the feasting continues. Arriving from a day at the utterly delightful New Bedford Whaling Museum, HG/BSK were greeted with glasses of pinot grigio and a platter of smoked scallops and room temperature shelled mussels (with appropriate sauces, of course). This was followed by bowls of steaming linguini with white clam sauce enriched with bottarga (dried and pressed mullet roe). Wow!! When HG is in the glorious little Ocean State, HG wolfs down many a clam–raw on the half shell; stuffed with savory garlic infused bread crumbs and topped with bacon (clams casino); in clear and briny clam chowder (no cream) and, of course, enriching al dente linguini. HG is convinced that Rhode Island clams (sorry, Long Island) are unsurpassed.

The Italian-American Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence has long been famous for Italian restaurants (mediocre, in HG’s opinion) and food shops (many good ones but Venda is the show stopper). And, given the nature of its population and the American fascination with fictionalized accounts of organized crime, Federal Hill has been featured in a number of movies and TV dramas. But, if you visit Providence (a wonderful, liveable city full of art, culture, intellect and political corruption) be sure to pick up great Italian food at The Italian Corner in East Providence. Superb Italian sausages and other charcuterie. Splendid cheese including an enticing and fragrant white truffle cheese. Fresh pasta (the papardelle is extraordinary). Big variety of dried pasta, olive oil, condiments, sauces, etc. There are about eight dining tables and you can order a gigantic sandwich of the best ingredients. The establishment does a fixed menu dinner every Saturday (it’s booked six months in advance). As the Michelin guide says about an outstanding restaurant in the French countryside, The Italian Corner is “Worth a Special Detour.”

Yes, the moment arrived: BSK could not dine last night (because of some annual medical check ups), so, HG ate alone. What to prepare? With the weather a bit chilly and HG feeling a touch lazy, it wass time to go to the pantry for an eccentric, marvelous treat — Olneyville N.Y. System Hot Wieners. These wieners are a Rhode Island regional treat only served at two Rhody locations–one in Providence and one in Cranston (other similar brands are, of course, served throughout Rhode Island). They are wieners covered in a spicy meat sauce and topped with chopped raw onions, celery salt and mustard. Thoughtful daughter Lesley R. sent HG a package of Olneyville’s spice mix alongside the frozen dogs. HG followed the directions on the package: Melt 1/2 cup shortening (HG used canola oil). Brown 1/2 finely chopped onion. Stir in two tablespoons spice mix. Crumble one pound of chopped beef into mixture. Simmer, covered, for one hour. Stir occasionally and mash with potato masher for a finer consistency. Yes, the recipe worked and HG downed four doggies with great pleasure. In Rhody, the natives wash down N.Y. Systems with milk mixed with coffee syrup (Lesley R. included a can of this syrup in her gift to HG) but HG chose to accompany dinner with some good Pilsener beer. Coffee milk will have to wait for another HG solo dinner.

Some 35 years ago, HG/BSK were ambling about the right bank of Paris near the Place de Victoires when they were seized with midday hunger. They entered a likely bistro, Chez Georges. Very plain spoken. Motherly waitresses. Lots of mirrors. An old fashioned, down home place filled with delicious aromas and absolutely jam packed with happy Parisians. HG/BSK had no reservation but the boss made us welcome: He installed us near a corner of the serving bar and poured some glasses of excellent Brouilly. Five minutes later, HG/BSK were seated and happily devouring a Salad Frisee. First time ever. A lush salad of crisp frisee with plenty of lardons (crisp bits of fried salt pork) and topped with a runny poached egg. An oil/vinegar/mustard dressing. Oh, my. Chez Georges is still in business serving bistro classics. Unchanged (though under new ownership). Prices, of course, have quadrupled. BSK reproduced this salad for dinner last night. Substituted good bacon for the salt pork. The salad was better than Chez Georges. Maybe it was the freshness of the greens. Maybe it was the perfection of the poached egg. BSK followed this with another classic, not from Paris but from Rhode Island: Squid with spicy vinegar peppers and garlic. HG first ate it at Hemenway’s in Providence. Hemeway’s version features breaded, deep-fried squid. BSK just gives the squid a quick saute in a super hot pan. BSK’s version is better and lighter. HG is a very fortunate fellow.

HG/BSK will have the happy experience of family Christmas this year at the Providence home of Gifted Daughter Lesley R. and husband, Profesore/Dottore/ Ufficiale Massimo R. HG will whine and wheedle as HG tries to persuade the family to dine at Lucky Garden, a Chinese restaurant in North Providence. It’s a shlep but well worth it because Lucky Garden, located in a rather bleak neighborhood, is one of the best Chinese restaurants in the United States. The menu is quite daring offering some tripe dishes, chicken feet, sea cucumber and other esoterica. However, the restaurant pleases our large family group with mainstream delicacies like whole steamed flounder, Chinese greens with garlic, dumplings, congee, etc. Looking forward to dining there has caused HG to muse on memorable food HG has consumed in unlikely locales. There was a shack on the Rhode Island bike bath between Providence and Bristol that lives in HG’s memory (the shack, alas, disappeared a few years ago). HG would set off on a bike jaunt to work off some of Lesley R’s generous cuisine. But, at a midway point, appetite would conquer and HG would pause at the shack for an enormous bowl of linguini con vongole. Clams, garlic, good olive oil, clam broth, red pepper, al dente pasta—all perfectly balanced and beyond abundant. Returned from the bike ride pounds heavier. Another unlikely place for superb dining is Big Timber, Montana. The restaurant in the old Grand Hotel serves a rack of lamb that is incomparable. Natural, hormone free meat cooked perfectly and served with grace. And, you can drink great wine with the rack. Very imaginative and well priced wine list. It was here that HG/BSK were introduced to the robust wines of Walla Walla, Washington. An HG/BSK family legend concerns a meal the duo and young SJ and Lesley R. consumed many years ago in Phoenix. A Friday night and every restaurant in town was jammed with waiting times up to two hours. Famished from hours of swimming and tennis under the Arizona sun, the family stopped at a very unpromising Chinese restaurant, the Golden Pagoda. A sad menu of chow mein and other horrors. HG summoned the manager and said: “We are from New York. We love real Chinese food. Forget the menu. Just cook us a meal you would enjoy eating with your family.” Magic words. The meal that followed was extraordinary. Lives in our collective memories.

Yes, it’s that time of year…NBA playoff time! It’s time to watch the world’s greatest athletes: basketball players who combine great size with agility, cunning, power and grace under pressure. Basketball is an intimate sport. You get to know the players — their tattoos, hairdos, weird rituals at the foul line, theatrics when called for a foul. It’s action theater with an added benefit…you don’t know how the performance will end. HG well remembers Michael Jordan’s heroics during the closing seconds of various NBA finals and Dirk Nowitzki’s laser guided shotmaking against the Heat two years ago. This is the time for cold beer and meals in front of the TV. That means bowls of chili or posole. Franks, sauerkraut and potato salad. Pan fried hamburgers topped with melted, sharp cheddar and roasted chili peppers. Rhode Island New York System Wieners (thoughtful daughter Lesley sent HG the fixings). Salad of Spanish canned tuna, chopped red onion, Goya canellini beans and chopped sweet onion (plus plenty of olive oil, lemon juice, ground black pepper). Unlikely that HG’s favorite teams (Knicks, Nets, Nuggets) will make it very far but HG will keep munching away.

The 10-cent Nedick’s hot dog (Nedick’s, now shuttered, was a New York City based fast food chain predating Mickey Dee). The Sabrett’s hot water dog with its odd tomato and onion sauce. The Chicago hot dog replete with “sport” peppers, celery salt, pickles and other greenery. The Bronx kosher deli dog with hot mustard and sauerkraut. The estimable doggie sold in the Costco food court. All of these have provided HG with varying degrees of pleasure. But, HG’s favorite canine can only be found in the small state of Rhode Island. Yes, Rhody is of modest size but it specializes in big, highly idiosyncratic flavors. And, for sheer oddity (as well as a strange, hard-to-pin-down savoriness) the “New York System Hot Wiener” (accompanied by a cold Coffee Milk) stands out and makes HG bark with delight. Permit HG to do a scholarly exegesis on the proletarian pup: The wiener used in a NY System is either the skinless product, the Little Rhody or the Saugy which has a natural English sheep casing (giving it a characteristic snap). Alone, or in a roll, these small sized dogs are certainly good but nothing to write an HG posting about. But, then comes the sauce. Ah, the sauce. The French say cheese is milk’s leap into immortality (When the French get things right, they get them really right). And, the spicy meat sauce that smothers the Hot Wiener makes the tube steak leap into nosh immortality. Created by Greek immigrants in the early 1920s (or somewhere around there) the meat sauce is truly the flavor of the old world (Europe, Middle East) meeting (or meating!) the new. There are hints of Italian Ragu and Greek Mousaka. Bits of Texas chili. Smidgens of Middle Eastern kefta (possibly due to tiny infusions of cinnamon, cumin and possibly all spice). The faintest evocation of Portuguese stews. But, why try to analyze it. Like a kiss from a beautiful woman, just enjoy it and don’t intellectualize. One would think that the sauce could stand alone, No. Rhode Islanders further enhance the Hot Wiener with mustard, chopped onion and celery salt. So, what do you drink with his extravaganza? Just as HG believes the only appropriate drink to guzzle with a New York hot pastrami sandwich is the “Jewish Champagne” that is Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray Tonic, Rhodys opt for Coffee Milk. This beverage is made with two tablespoons of locally made Autocrat Coffee Syrup mixed with icy milk. Stirred well. Simple. Perfect. HG believes the Rhode Island fondness for coffee milk is somehow linked to the Rhode Island fondness for coffee and donuts at Dunkin’ Donuts. Rhodys are the nation’s largest per capita consumers of donuts (the Providence sports and entertainment center is the Dunkin’ Donuts Arena known to all followers of Providence and Rhode Island University basketball teams as “the Dunk).

Given all of this yummy history, HG’s heart picked up a beat today when he opened a package from the Family R.: Gifted Daughter Lesley, Profesore/Dottore Massimo, Glorious Granddaughters Arianna and Sofia. The little bundle contained a package of Olneyville N.Y. System, R.I.’s Best Hot Wieners, Hot Wiener Sauce Spice Mix (since 1946) plus a bottle of Autocrat, enough to make many glasses of Coffee Milk “The Official State Drink of Rhode Island.” The enclosed card read: “A taste of Rhode Island for Hungry Gerald.” HG has a kind and thoughtful family. HG will sample these good RI things while listening to Blossom Dearie sing: “Rhode Island Is Famous For You.”

While visiting daughter Lesley R. and family over the holidays, HG dined at Los Andes, a Peruvian restaurant in South Providence. Great fun. Big (huge would be a better adjective) portions. Two types of ceviche (best in HG’s memory) of calamari,tilapia, mussels, shrimp, clams and scallops. Mixed grill of steak, chorizo and chicken. Pork ribs confit. Sides of grilled plantains, yucca, sweet potatoes, rice baked with cheese. There were also whipped potatoes in a unique Peruvian sauce (plus pureed avocados). Mussels topped with chopped tomatoes and onions. Pisco sours, Sangria. Chilean red wine. Flan for dessert. A nice introduction to the season of holiday feasting.