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EDITED BY ROBIN
RAISFELD AND ROB PATRONITE
Week of September 3,
2001 |
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Object of Desire
Killer Tomatoes
Beppe's Cesare
Casella is putting the summer's most mouthwatering crop to good use. His three-way
triangolo appetizer celebrates the fruit in a luscious bread-and-tomato soup, a
molded panzanella salad, and a mini-focaccia sandwich with homemade herb mayonnaise.
Those who prefer to let their tomatoes speak for themselves will like the side dish of
sliced heirlooms grown from Casella's stash of Tuscan seeds, cultivated in the Catskills
by boutique farmer Rick Bishop, who also satisfies Casella's nostalgic demand for wild
arugula and bitter green radicchio.
Beppe
45 East 22nd Street
212-982-8422
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Best of the Week
Saturday Night
Dining at Alain Ducasse
What recession? All those well-off gourmands who railed
against Alain Ducasse for closing on weekends have seen
their culinary prayers answered. Starting September 8,
Saturday dinner is available for — here's the catch
— private parties only. Start calling friends now.
Alain
Ducasse at the Essex House
155 West 58th St
212-265-7300
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| Robins' hood:
Chef Gary Robins spices up the kitchen at Mi.
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Talent
All About Mi
Having rescued the kitchen at Il Buco last year after
the chef walked out, whisk-for-hire Gary Robins (best
known for his Pan-Asian pyrotechnics at Aja and Match
Uptown) has just resurfaced at Mi Restaurant and
quickly whipped the kitchen into shape. Robins fans will
recognize signature dishes like Thai grilled-squid salad
with chickpeas and green-chili-cilantro oil, and five-spice-crusted
breast of duckling; neophytes who think Asian fusion is
so nineties will find the cooking a revelation.
Mi
Restaurant
66 Madison Avenue, near 27th
Street
212-252-8888
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Ask Gael
What does a high-heeled shoe have to do with it?
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Milton Glaser's fruit-filled pump
strikes me as a deliciously perfect logo to celebrate
Danzón, the narrow little duplex Zarela
Martínez and her daughter Marissa Sánchez
dedicate to the fragrant, often fiery mix of Mexican,
Spanish, and African cooking unique to Veracruz. It's
early and some of the staff is still quite raw, but we're
mellowed out on fine margaritas. Go easy, you gourmand
Magellans. Most everything is meant to share. Our ravenous
posse overindulges in starters — crisp seafood tacos,
a smartly citric guacamole with house-made chips, polentalike
corn masa and shredded pork baked in terra cotta, and
a lively shrimp-and-avocado salad that's a dance on its
own. No way we can do justice to so many entrées:
Veracruz's classic red snapper baked whole with pickled
jalapeños. A Mexican-style paella. Fragrant chicken
in a chili-orange-vanilla sauce, pork carnitas in pumpkin
sauce, and a surprisingly delicious side of mashed plantains.
Lush, complex morita-chili sauce almost saves the too-cooked
hanger steak. Why the shoes? Zarela, ramrod-straight atop
spiky ankle-straps, explains: "Because Mexican girls are
born with two things: pierced ears and high heels."
Danzón
126 East 28th Street
212-252-1345
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Bites & Buzz Archive
Week
of August 20
Heartland malts; crayfish week at Aquavit; Opia den; Gael on Aureole
Week
of August 13
Pollen's nothing to sneeze at; corn dogs and corn cakes; monkey see, monkey re-do
Week
of August 6
Best of both worlds at Medi, La Fondita's tacos, Hamptons home cooking
and
more ...
Photos: Carina Salvi(2); Kenneth Chen.
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