One Less Choice for Pulled Pork BBQ

What? Can it be so? I just heard the news that Lindsey's, my favorite barbecue place in Arkansas (my former state of residence), was forced to close after a fire.

Ugh. I will be traveling there in the coming months, and I had been looking forward to paying a culinary pilgrimage there.

I guess the best remaining choices are Sim's, Whole Hog, and a place called Mr. Mason's (which I have never tried, but hear is excellent).

Pumpkin Pancakes

As we move into autumn, one's thoughts turn to pumpkins. And for that reason, this recipe caught my eye: Shopshin's Pumpkin Pancakes.

Almond Joy

I like almonds and enjoy eating them as a snack every now and then, but it came as news to me that almonds are classified as "stone fruits." (Frankly, I remain skeptical about that.)

In any case, I still took this 5-question quiz at the website MonkeyDish.

Tasting the Pouilly-Fuisse Wines

Benedict Vincent leads a tour of the vineyards in Pouilly-Fuisse

During my recent trip with family to the French region of Burgundy, we tasted wines in Gevrey-Chambertin (see my previous post) and in the small appellation of Pouilly-Fuisse.

As in the rest of Burgundy, the white grapes in Pouilly-Fuisse are chardonnay. I don't drink much chardonnay from California because I find the heavy oak virtually smothers the fruit. This grape is handled better in Burgundy, where they take lighter touch with oak.

We tasted seven wines at Vincent & Fils, where we were warmly greeted by Benedict Vincent, the daughter of the chateau's winemaker. She led us on a tour of the domaine's vineyards and its cellars. One of the wines we tasted was Vincent's Marie Antoinette cuvee, which New York Times writer Eric Asimov cited as "our No. 1 wine and best value" in a tasting of Pouilly-Fuisse held in 2008.

Most of the wines were delightful -- good fruit and nice acidity. This region tends to draw fewer tourists than regions to the north. Yet it has rolling hills and pleasant villages that charm those who venture into this southern edge of Burgundy.

Touring Vineyards in Burgundy

During my recent trip with family members to the Burgundian wine region of France, we had some pleasant tastings at a couple of renowned wineries -- one in the Cote de Nuit region of the northern Burgundy and the second in the southern appellation of Macon-Lugny.

In this blog post, I'll discuss the first of two vintners we visited. His name is Philippe LeClerc, and he has a reputation for being a superb, yet iconoclastic winemaker in the Cote de Nuit. Wine writer Cynthia Hurley calls him a "perfectionist." We visited his office and cellar in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, and we tasted five reds (100% pinot noir).

LeClerc doesn't filter any of his wines, so as one reaches the bottom of a bottle, there is very likely to be some deposit of sediment. Neither does he use the typical machine-presses to extract the juice from his grapes.

Yet the judgment that most significantly distinguishes LeClerc from his Gevrey-Chambertin and Cote de Nuit peers is that year in, year out, LeClerc tends to be one of the last winemakers to harvest the grapes from his vineyards.

We enjoyed his wines, although nearly all of them were being drunk at least a few years before they'll fully mature. The wine that was truly "ready" to drink was good, but far from stellar.

I enjoyed this degustation. The staff were welcoming and pleasant, not snooty.

Olive Oil From the Land of . . . . Georgia?

This was news to me. There are actually farmers in southern Georgia (some 20 miles east of I-75) who are hoping to find a market for olive oil produced from olives grown on their farmland.

As it turns out, olive groves used to exist in this area of Georgia, but a hurricane more than a century ago destroyed what had been left of dwindling olive trees. In this article, the Washington Post explained what prompted one of the farmers to start growing olives:

Generations of Shaw family farmers in Lanier County have grown cotton, peanuts and corn. But in 1996, Lakeland (Georgia) native Jason Shaw returned from a trip to Verona, Italy, where he had been struck by the sight of prolific orchards, and said, "We ought to grow olives in Georgia."

... Now 12 farmers and a small army of extension service agents and horticulturalists are tending 95 acres, spread over seven Georgia counties south of Atlanta that fall in the South's "olive belt," a zone with a climate conducive to growing the cold-resistant types.

I look forward to tasting Georgia olive oil. As they say, the proof is in the pudding.

Leisurely Lunches in France

Times are changing everywhere, but not at the same speed. I just returned from a week in the French countryside, and I can tell you that the traditional practice of shopkeepers closing for two hours at mid-day for lunch continues.

Most clothing stores, patisseries, bakeries and other shops close their doors at 12 noon and don't reopen until 2:00 or even 2:30 pm. These closures give proprietors and their staff ample time to enjoy lunch with a friend or spouse, and even run an errand or two.

Sure, it is true that France is one of McDonalds' most successful non-U.S. markets. And in Paris, many workers are opting for fairly quick lunches of sandwiches. But in the small towns and villages outside the capital city, one still sees plenty of French eating lunch at a leisurely pace at restaurants or cafes. The cheque dejeuner system encourages this.

That photo above was my lunch one day as we stopped in the Burgundian village of Gevrey-Chambertin, amid the region's hallowed vineyards. I ordered the foie gras, which was served with wonderfully toasted slices of brioche, caramelized onions, some greens and a fig-balsamic glaze.

Italians See Red After Seeing Blue Mozzarella

This is an amusing story that reveals the depth of affection that Italians feel for mozzarella cheese. Italian police recently seized 70,000 balls of mozzarella cheese that were reportedly produced in Germany. The reason? The cheese apparently started turning blue -- probably due to a bacteria -- soon after packages of the mozzarella were opened by Italian consumers.

The case matters so much to the country that Italian prosecutors are now involved. Italians eat a lot of mozzarella, and they understandably get rather concerned when it looks differently than the photo above.

Thinking of Creamed Corn

Sorry for the 12-day silence. I just returned from spending 10 days in France, three of them in Paris. I will write a few blog posts about those wine and culinary adventures, but first . . .

Creamed corn is one of those side dishes that makes me think of fall. My mother never made creamed corn, but I fell in love with it from the first time I tasted it -- at a friend's house. The New York Times' Melissa Clark has written this article offering a fresh twist on creamed corn. This reminds me of something else to add to my "to do" list for this autumn -- find a good recipe for creamed corn.

Cashion's Set to Reopen

I noticed that Cashion's Eat Place will reopen this week after some interior renovations. I haven't eaten there in almost two years, and until I saw this article, I had almost forgotten about Cashion's. I used to have excellent meals there, but my last several visits to the restaurant were disappointing.

Chief among my complaints were bottles of red wine being stored near a heat source that made them unpleasant to drink. If Cashion's wants to be considered a top-flight restaurant, that's the kind of thing that shouldn't happen.

Disgusting Dish of the Month

I chose my first "Disgusting Dish of the Month" in June, but my life got pretty hectic in July so I never got around to picking a DDM for that month. So, here in August, I will revive this declaration.

August's choice is the Catfish Sloppy Joe, which has been featured by Esquire magazine's "Eat Like a Man" blog. I don't know what's worse, the recipe itself or the knowledge that this is actually the handiwork of the chef at Mandalay Bay. Having said that, I must admit that it's not nearly as disgusting at June's selection.

NY Eateries Opening Here in DC

A variety of New York-based restaurateurs are seeking satellite locations in Washington, D.C. This development puts a smile on my face. As the Washington Post reports:

Since the economic downturn began, no fewer than 10 Empire State restaurateurs have made designs on the District (of Columbia).

... Food Network star Bobby Flay is in negotiations to open his first local Burger Palace, a New York and New Jersey staple, and Shake Shack owner Danny Meyer recent announced plans for a spot in Dupont Circle.

"Guys from New York are coming down here because they can pay half the rent and do 75 percent of the business," said broker Thomas N. Papadopoulus, who has represented several Big Apple restaurants.

And near my office . . .

Over in Penn Quarter, construction is under way on the smoked barbeque joint Hill Country, which will rise across the street from another newly opened New York eatery, the Italian restaurant Carmine's.

Brasserie Beck: Still Too Noisy, Still Marvelous Food

I don't go to Brasserie Beck that often, mostly because of the noise. You enter knowing that you're going to have to shout to your dining companions if you're sitting anywhere within the front third of the restaurant space.

We had a reservation last night for 9 p.m., and the hostess wanted to seat us close to the bar area, which is very loud -- the tile, wood and other surfaces guarantee a high volume of clatter. We asked for a table far in the back (only one room seems to be carpeted). To her credit (and to Brasserie Beck's credit) the hostess accommodated our wishes by moving us to a table where the ambient noise was simply loud, but not thunderously so.

Once we settled in, we placed our order and then the courses started to arrive. First, the crusty bread with superb butter. Next, our starters were delivered. I ordered the melon soup (a special on the menu), and it was sublime. Light, yet very flavorful. My pork shank was also excellent.

Everything we tasted was marvelous, which always seems to be the case at Brasserie Beck. My only wish (sigh) is that they could do something more to reduce the noise. I'm not one of those chronic noise-in-restaurants complainers, but I doubt I'm the only one who would eat more often at Brasserie Beck if it weren't so damn loud. At the end of a busy work day, I refuse to shout to be heard by someone who is two feet away.

It's a tough trade-off.