"Bartender, this cocktail taste s a little fresh. Have anything that's been sitting around?"

It's a natural progression I suppose. First came the rebirth of cocktails in the 1990s. Soon to follow came the "mixologists", because obviously who would want a mere bartender mixing their drinks? Besides me, I mean. Now we have celebrity mixologists, because why should Food Network chefs have all the fun? And with celebrity, as we know all too well, comes freedom and license to create. Whether what they're creating needed to be created is debatable. Of course the same could be said for most of the consumer goods we're told we can't live without.

This all comes to mind because of this article I read in last weeks NYT. We've all heard of barrel aged bourbons. Now, taking it to its next logical step (this is where the "does it need to be created" part comes in), bartenders at trendy (read high $$) bars are now barrel aging whole cocktails. That negroni I dearly love, which I consider a perfect drink, apparently isn't good enough. The new alcohol alchemists behind the bar are throwing it and other drinks into small barrels and aging them for up to 3+ months. Supposedly this adds complexity and character as the ingredients oxidize (particularly vermouths and other botanicals). Not to be a closed minded old barfly, but please would you just give me a fresh, well-made drink. The old classics are classics for a reason. I really don't think a light will go on in some unknown darkened corner of my liver if I drink a 3 month old Manhattan. To me a classic case of just because you can do it doesn't mean you should. Thoughts?

accompanying photo of Clyde Common bartender Jeffrey Morganthaler from the NY Times

Bar exam: Corpse Reviver #2

How can you not want to make, and more importantly drink, a cocktail named the Corpse Reviver #2? Not that I need to be pushed too hard when it comes to trying new libations, but this was almost too easy. And at this time of year, all of our walking corpses could use a push as we stagger from party to party. A classic from the 1930's, this has several things going for it: 1- A great name, which came from the fact that it was originally intended as a morning beverage to get one's supposedly needy spirit revived (there is, of course, a Corpse Reviver #1, brandy-based, and to my taste nowhere near the drink this is); 2- its main ingredient is gin; and 3- it is an equal mix of all four ingredients (with an added tiny dash of absinthe or pastis), which allows you to taste each and every one, and like the negroni (an equal mix of three components) it is a perfectly balanced drink. Although I have to say better after the cocktail hour than before. But to each his or her own, I suppose. Whenever you decide you need some revivification, this is a perfect place to find it!
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Corpse Reviver #2

Serving size: 1
ingredients:
3/4 oz. gin
3/4 oz. Lillet blanc
3/4 oz. Cointreau
3/4 oz. lemon juice
Dash absinthe (or pastis should absinthe not be in your repertoire)

method:
Fill cocktail shaker half full with ice. Add all ingredients and shake for 20-30 seconds. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with amarena cherry.

Perfection at $1.99 a pop!

This won't come as a news flash to anyone who consumes the demon alcohol at home, but I'm guessing that like me you are so freaking tired of breaking and chipping the rims on martini glasses when you wash them. I had these beautiful Spiegelau martini glasses that run about $9 a stem. That means that every time I chipped the rim or dropped it in my sink....which was basically every time I even looked at them...my money saving drink-at-home plan was costing me about ten bucks a pop. I mean, if I'm going to spend a sawbuck on a cocktail I'd rather do it in a bar and break their fucking glass! Finally, after having people over a few weeks ago and scrounging in my cabinet for non-chipped glassware that wouldn't threaten to splatter blood from their bleeding lips all over the room, I finally got off my ass to search for a new vehicle to deliver gin-laced pleasure. So a couple of days ago I find myself out at the A.D.D. wonderland that is IKEA to buy a new crib for C-boy (FYI to all parents-to-be who are tired of being bent over by the fear-mongering producers of egregiously over-priced baby gear, this highly rated bad boy is a deal for $99!), and as I wander by their glassware section I see them...EXACTLY what I was looking for. Clean lines, a perfect height and bowl shape to show off the glories to be contained within, an 8-ounce capacity for when I REALLY need a stiffy, and miraculously only $1.99 per glass!!! Two bucks a glass?? At that price I felt like breaking it on purpose after finishing the above pictured Tanq martini. So if you find yourselves running short on the appropriate cocktail ware and want to avoid the social stigma of your guests having to accompany their Negronis, Gimlets, and Manhattans with emergency room visits, then you'd best be skedaddling out to IKEA. No IKEA by you? Well, too bad for you. Move to a bigger city. Me, I've got some cocktails to shake!

Sacred things

We all hold certain things sacred. Some more fervently than others. Religion and family of course are two big ones for some. The inexplicable need to dress up in public as a character from Star Trek among other losers...errrr, members of your peer group, is another. For me the cocktail, particularly classic cocktails, are not to be trifled with. When the martini craze was in full bloom I would shudder at the sight of something called a "Chocolate Martini". The "Appletini" would cause me no end of aggravation. The point being a Martini is two things: gin and dry vermouth. Anything else is a cocktail, not a fill-in-the-blank-"tini". And usually a cocktail that is best ignored.

Perhaps my most revered cocktail is the Negroni, which like the martini is simplicity itself. Three ingredients instead of two: Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth in equal proportions. Even given its seemingly simple preparation, I've had some egregious examples. Any messing with the proportions throws the whole thing out of balance. Don't even start with changing ingredients. This all came to mind last Saturday when we went to Alba Osteria for dinner. On their cocktail list was something called a Negroni Sbagliato, which substituted prosecco for the gin. It was explained by our waiter as a negroni that is "lightened up". Once I got over my initial skepticism and considered it, it sounded quite good, even with the name "negroni" attached. So last night, in the interest of open-mindedness, and because a good cocktail seemed the perfect antidote to the day, I grabbed a bottle of prosecco off the shelf at VINO and made one. One sip and I was smitten! This really is a nice, rather than unfortunate, riff on a classic cocktail. So good that even adding negroni to the name seems to be not worth worrying about. Besides, if I do start to stress, what better way to calm myself than with another Negroni Sbagliato!
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Negroni Sbagliato
from Alba Osteria

ingredients:
1-1/2 ounces each Campari, sweet vermouth, and prosecco.
Twist of lemon for garnish

method:
Fill cocktail shaker partway with ice, the amount depending on how many cocktails you are preparing. For my one drink, I used five cubes. Add Campari and sweet vermouth. Shake for 30 seconds, then strain into champagne flute. Add prosecco and stir gently to combine. Add garnish. Enjoy!

They're called "classics" for a reason!

As I type this I am happily enjoying what one writer called "basically, a perfect martini with an ounce of OJ." He would be correct. As I am always looking for new ways to satisfy my (un)healthy fascination of all things gin-ish, I have been meaning to try this most simple of classic cocktails, the Bronx Cocktail, forever. Why I never got around to it I have no idea. Must be that flood of gimlets, negronis, side cars, and Last Words...not to mention martinis....that have been enlarging my liver lately. And don't even get me started on the advent of G&T season. Christ, it's like I'm in the middle of an ADD-driven, alcohol fueled funhouse! Also you long time drinkers....er, readers, know of my respect for tradition on the planet Cocktailania, and this pre-prohibition tipple harkens back to a time of crashing stock markets, lost fortunes, and loose morals. Which I guess makes it the perfect drink for today. Gee, everything old IS new again!
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Bronx Cocktail
from various sources

ingredients:
ice
2 ounces gin
1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce dry vermouth
dash or two of orange bitters
twist of orange peel for garnish

method:
Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full with ice. Add the gin, orange juice, sweet and dry vermouths and the bitters. Shake well, then strain into a cocktail (martini) glass. Garnish with the twist of orange peel.

Carpano Antica Formula: once again I succumb.

It really is never going to end. Just when I feel I couldn't possibly have another food or drink obsession, my friend and provider of edible and liquid pleasure Nancy, owner (along with her ever gracious husband Randy) of one of w and my favorite new spots to indulge in PDX, Bar Avignon, introduces me to this oh, so good elixir which I have found to be the perfect aperitif. Carpano Antica Formula from the distiller Branca is an Italian sweet vermouth that I have noticed popping up as an ingredient on more and more cocktail lists and I had admired it's very attractive old school Euro packaging. This is far from your standard Martini & Rossi vermouth. Much more intense, rounded, with wonderfully warming flavors of vanilla, dried fruit, orange peel, and other indescribables. A couple of weeks ago Nancy asked if I had ever tried it on its own. I hadn't, she insisted I must, and since I'm a boy who can't say no I soon found myself lost in another pleasure haze while slowly sipping this down. You could mix it in a cocktail I suppose, in a Manhattan or Negroni, but for those drinks I still prefer regular sweet vermouth (at home I use Boissiere). No, for me this is the perfect recipe: a clean, clear, small cocktail glass, two large ice cubes, two or tree ounces of Carpano, a stylish twist of orange peel....and a smile on my face!

Out of frustration comes happiness!

Necessity, based on the fact that my local meat guy at Zupan's Market totally f-cked up my order last night, was the mother of an awfully delicious invention last night. We were having mom over for dinner and my plan was to make this saltimbocca recipe I saw in the latest Saveur magazine. So I picked everything up...prosciutto di parma, fresh sage, etc. ...on a break from work then head to Zupan's House of Shopping Pain to pick up my veal cutlets that I had pre-ordered, and got the totally blank look from assistant meat dude (who wasn't who I ordered from originally) and found out they had forgotten to cut them, and assistant meat dude didn't know how. So I'm standing there, steam coming out of my ears, while he calls meat manager who was of no help...and oh, did I mention mom is waiting in the car after I picked her up to come to our house?...and I have no main course. It was a very special moment, let me tell you.

I didn't take it out my frustration on assistant meat dude, because he was the innocent bystander in this little butcher counter drama, so I looked around, down and to the right, and saw they had Carlton Farms pork tenderloins on sale for a mere $5.99 a pound. I haven't done much with pork loins/tenderloins lately, preferring instead to explore the slow-cooked goodness that can be rendered from a nice cheap hunk of fatty pork shoulder. But with nowhere else to go I grabbed a two pound piece, and back in the car and home with mom was I. She asked what was wrong, but not wanting mom to think she raised her son all wrong, I managed to leave the expletives out of my narration of frustration (not that she doesn't read enough of them here).

Anyway, back ay home, scotch and h2o for mom, negroni for me to calm my nerves, I started to rummage through the fridge to see what could be made from this admittedly attractive piece of pig. We had some wild morels and shiitakes from the farmer's market that had gotten lost in the drawer, I had the sage leaves, so you can read what I did with it all below. and if I can say, it was really damn good based on the props from mom and w. plus quick and easy. Even if I don't find myself in a bind, I'll be exploring this particular piece of protein in future posts!
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Pork Tenderloin with wild mushroom sauce
serves 4

I didn't take any pics of this one as I was in a hurry and winging it. Trust me when I say it looked gooood!

ingredients:
1- 2 pound strip pork tenderloin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter (divided in half)
2 cups mixed wild mushrooms
2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
Splash of marsala (optional)
1/4 cup white wine

method:
1-Turn oven on to 400*. Rub salt and pepper generously all around the outside of pork. Heat ovenproof stainless sauté pan large enough to hold pork on burner over medium-high heat. Add small splash of olive oil. When oil is shimmering place pork in pan and brown on all sides about three minutes per side. Place pan with tenderloin in oven and cook for about 15 minutes (meat thermometer should read about 130* when inserted into middle of pork).

2-While pork is in oven put olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in medium non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Heat until foam subsides and add mushrooms with a light sprinkling of salt. Sauté mushrooms until soft, about 10 minutes. Add splash of marsala if using, stir, and let evaporate. Pt mushrooms into bowl and set aside.

3-When done, remove pork tenderloin from oven (pork should be slightly pink in middle) and place on cutting board. Place the pan that held the pork back on stove top over medium-high heat (be careful, as that handle is hot ass!). Add mushrooms back to pork pan, add 1/4 cup white wine, scraping pan to loosen any porky bits (a.k.a. deglazing) and stir. Add two tablespoons butter and combine until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste. Slice pork and arrange on plates, spooning mushroom sauce on top.

Nukes and Noshes

w and I had an interesting doubleheader last night. The first half kind of made us lose our appetite, the second half cranked it back up....
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NUKES
We went over to Powell's Books early last evening for a reading by William Langewiesche from his new book The Atomic Bazaar. We had heard his NPR interview on the radio last week (read the interview online here), and I have the book on hold at the library so I was very interested to hear him in person. Formerly with The Atlantic Monthly, now with Vanity Fair, Langewiesche delivered a riveting account of coming growth of the nuclear club which he feels is sure to include small, third world countries, as well as the paths these nations- not to mention other non-state affiliated groups (aka terrorists)- can take to get their hands on the technology and material needed to accomplish their goals. He also feels its a fait accompli that Iran and many others will have nuclear capabilities in the coming years. He is of the opinion that the chances of a weapon falling into the hands of terrorists groups, despite the dire, panic-causing warnings issued by the government, while possible, are quite slim. This is mainly owing to the fact that any use of such a weapon by any terrorist group would within hours be traced back to the government which originally supplied such a weapon, and the repercussions would not be pleasant. All in all a very fascinating, enlightening discussion, and I can't wait to get my hands on the book.
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NOSHES
After feeding our brains with all that information, our stomachs were demanding equal time. Not to mention after Langewiesche's talk a drink sounded damn good. Since we were in the neighborhood, I wanted to visit Clyde Common, the new restaurant off the lobby of the Ace Hotel run by Castagna Café alumnus Nate Tilden and his partner Matt Piacentini. Nate is one of the nicest people going in the local food scene, this place has been in the works for a long time, lots of money has been spent, and I'm happy to report that based on our experience, it was time and money well spent.
First off the space is extremely welcoming, a big, open floor plan with a kitchen that juts out into the dining room, the bar off to the right, and big, solid, wood communal tables covering the rest of the floor. Both w and I thought the immediate hit, that first "vibe" you feel when you walk into a space , was very good. Their menus are printed out on old office paper, and it is thankfully a small, very well thought out selection of comestibles. We started with drinks, of course, and I was thrilled with a near perfect negroni. You'd be amazed at how many bars fuck up this most basic of cocktails.

The amazing asparagus with a soft boiled, caul fat wrapped egg...wow!


For starters we ordered a Serrano ham croquettes; a salad of confit lamb sweetbreads with bitter greens; and asparagus with a caul fat wrapped egg. The croquettes were creamy and crisp at the same time, the salad was savory, the richness of the lamb sweetbreads nicely set off by the bitter greens and light vinaigrette. The star was the asparagus and this crazy soft boiled egg that after boiling is wrapped in caul fat (a fine fat netting from the lining of a cows stomach, and no it is NOT disgusting, so no wrinkling of those noses!), then quickly sautéed to crisp it a bit, the whole thing set on top of the hot asparagus, which is doused with an olive oil/garlic concoction. So original and REALLY good...not to be missed when you go!
We ordered a bottle of rosé off their by the glass list, and they served it in small tumblers that we both thought was a charming presentation. For entrees w had the seared shrimp, with bacon, ramps, and oyster mushrooms off their starter menu. Nicely prepared, but could've used a few more mushrooms in the mix 9she counted three small pieces). I had the roast red band rock fish with preserved lemon, olive salsa, and lentils (not the chickpeas listed on the menu). This was a delicious combination of flavors, the fish moist and flaky, the lentils and other ingredients making each bite so satisfying, with all these flavor sensations zinging around my mouth. Nice one! And of course we saved room for the panna cotta, that being one of w's favorite sweet things. The CC version was good, properly creamy and sensual, with a few strawberry halves scattered on the plate.
One nice ambient feature is that as the sun sets and it starts to get dark, the street lights outside come on, and their light through the floor to ceiling windows almost feels like the outside environment is being drawn into the space, giving it this almost open connection to what's happening on the street. In this neighborhood, that can be a good or bad thing depending who or what is out on that street, but all in all a very cool effect. Nate also took us on a tour of the soon-to-be-opened mezzanine, which be loungey kind of space, with couches and a few two-tops scattered around.
I really liked what they have going on here. Exceptionally comfortable, friendly, attentive service, and with ex-Gotham Tavern alum Jason Barwikowski running the kitchen, the food looks to be rock solid. My only other minor quibble is that I would like to see a couple more red and white wines on the list in the $25-$30 range. The selection is nice, though, and this adjustment would only serve to make it even more user friendly.
Taking everything into account, this is absolutely a place I could see making regular visits to. Check it out & say hi to Nate for me!















The Clyde menu...click on the image to enlarge.

Salut Camilo e Gaspari!

It's the little differences that make all the difference. Of course I can relate this statement to my love and endless and healthy(?) fascination with cocktails. I write this as I sit at home having the national cocktail of Federal Republic of Bruce, an absolutely perfect Negroni. The Negroni, an oh so satisfying drink, traditionally a blend of gin, Campari (invented by Gaspari Campari in the early 1800s), and sweet vermouth in equal amounts, is an old school classic. It is named after Camilo Negroni who lived in early 1900s Florence and always ordered this particular libation.
My particular love affair with Camilo's concoction began years ago, and has never waned, through the highs of enjoying them at a sunny outdoor café table on the Giudecca Canal in Venice (for $2.00!!) to the lows of waking up after perhaps one too many with the unfortunate feeling of an elephant tap dancing on my head.
But I found out how big a little difference can be after a San Francisco afternoon a few years ago spent on a hunt for the perfect Negroni. It was in the bar at Bix, a wonderfully atmospheric place and perhaps my favorite Bay area haunt for martinis and other cocktails , that I learned the secret. I think this was stop number three on the search, and one sip in my eyes went wide and I turned to the bartender and said "You did something different here, didn't you?" I remember his satisfied little smile as he said that he indeed had his own minor variation on the classic one-to-one-to-one proportions. For so simple a recipe, you'd be amazed at how many bartenders screw it up, or riff on this, and completely lose sight of what is a drink that, as an old drinking companion succinctly said, "Made correctly is the perfectly balanced cocktail." So what was that little difference that made the perfect cocktail into something that was touched by the hand of God? He keeps the usual proportions of one part gin and one part Campari, but instead of one part sweet vermouth, he used 1/2 sweet and 1/2 dry vermouth. The dry vermouth gives it this slight acid bite that balances out the richness of the Campari and gin.
And if the Negroni is the National Cocktail of this Republic in my mind, then Tanqueray gin is the National Beverage. I say that as a prelude to advise you to use a somewhat more neutral gin...I prefer Gordon's...because the assertive flavor of Tanqueray tends to overpower the other elements. So easy, so good, and so important to my happiness. Mille grazie Camilo!

The Perfect Perfect Negroni
1 part gin, preferably Gordon's
1 part Campari
1/2 part sweet vermouth
1/2 part dry vermouth
Shake with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.