Foodie Friends 111406

Foodie Friends
By Tom Luther
Food & Wine Editor

Looking for a job in the foodie world? Michelin needs a fact checker
The hype over the arrival of the vaunted Michelin Guide made us believe that the French guide judges were infallible. Now we know better. Take for instance the most highly rated Gary Danko restaurant in S F – noting that Nick Peyton is partner and maitre d’, “responsible for the large brigade of skilled and knowledgeable waiters…” Peyton left the restaurant in 2000 and is currently the partner in the famous Cyrus restaurant in Healdsburg. Cyrus chef Douglas Keane is rated among the top chefs in the SF Bay area as well as the U S. Michelin rated Mr. Keane’s food with two stars and also listed Mr. Peyton accurately as the partner in Cyrus. Perhaps Michelin needs a fact checker?
How about their list including at least two restaurants that are closed – C&L Steakhouse and La Suite? The listing for the south of Market St. La Suite says, “With all this going for it, it’s no surprise that getting a table is no easy feat.” Since this place closed at the end of July, you could say that it is mission impossible.
Larry Stone is listed as the sommelier at Rubicon, though he left mare than eight months before the guide was published. The book says chef Reed Heron is still at Rose Pistola, though he left three years ago. The guide states that Judy Rodgers of Zuni restaurant has been “overseeing the kitchen here for 26 years,” though she actually started in 1987. Mourad Lahlou, owner of the popular Aziza questions why they stated that they have belly dancers – although none have appeared since May 2003?
Saul Gropman, co-owner of Sonoma’s Café La Haye, figures that they don’t do their homework because the guide describes a dish that hasn’t existed on their menu in the same form since 2004. “We’re honored to be listed’” he says, “But if you come in with this pedigree – your fact checking has to be scrupulous.”
Donna Scala, co-owner at Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa, questions why Michelin mius-guides readers to expect the cooking of Liguria, the Italian coastal town known for pesto and seafood. “Ligurian? I don’t do anything but regional Italian,” says Scala. “Where’s this information coming from? Who did the research?”
Diners at La Folie, according to the guide, will be greeted by Jamie Passot, partner with her husband, chef Roland Passot. However she stopped working nights when their daughter Charlotte was born 13 years ago.
Many famous chefs and restaurateurs aren’t mentioned at all, including Maurice Rouas, although he’s been half of the Fleur de Lys team since 1970, 16 years before he brought in Hebert Keller as chef/partner.
Perhaps we’re nitpicking foodies here in the land of equality? Perhaps the French are in for a roasting – American style? What do you think? Let me know. Personally, I prefer personal references or Zagat.


A very special wine from Ross Valley Winery
While visiting my friend Paul Kreider at Ross Valley Winery, I discovered a unique port-type wine that I fell in love with. I am not a big fan of the cloying, sweet dessert wines, although I love Chateau d’Yqem and Joseph Phelps dessert wine. Paul’s creation is complex with layers of flavors, varying between nutty, slightly tart and sweet, even spicy - depending on what you’re eating with it. He calls it Vin de Noix, produced from walnuts grown in San Anselmo. I also recommend the port with sparkling wine – especially as a holiday beverage – or as a mood-setting suggestion for those of us who need the help to lighten up the ambiance.
Vin de Noix (literally "wine of nuts" in French) is a port-like digestif popular in provincial France and in Italy, where it is known as nocina. “Last year we made a small batch of it based on a recipe Ron Brown clipped from the San Francisco Chronicle,” exclaims Paul Kreider, co-producer. “The stuff was well received and sold out immediately. It is red wine based- we used our reserve cabernet - in which green walnuts smashed by a hammer- faithfully accomplished in this case by Ron Brown (co-producer) and supervised by the watchful intern Alison- are macerated, steeped in the wine for 6 weeks, which imparts an interesting walnut/tannic essence. The wine is strained, sweetened with, this year, grape juice, and fortified with high proof brandy and allowed to 'marry' for several weeks before the honeymoon is over and into the bottle.”
Paul also is also offering "outsider" wines – from other wineries. “I currently have in stock you might be interested in for the holidays. First and foremost is Champagne, the real deal from a small producer in Epernay. This is 1995 vintage Charles Ellner, and I call it 60-buck-chuck, as it retails for $60. I have had to tell several dubious customers to "trust me, you'll love it," and I have received many positive comments after the fact. Trust me, Winemaker Paul knows a good thing and he thinks that a chilled glass of this vintage Champagne is magnificent. I have 12 bottles on hand, can get more, I think.”
“Also in my vinous quiver is a case of Castellia Pinot Noir, which I have considered to be on of the top two pinots ever to slide over my palate-the other being a Robert Bruce vineyard designated wine you can't buy any more. There is a story behind Castellia's pinots. The winemaker is the barrel master for Rochioli and is allowed to make 10 barrels from his vineyard. When I was first introduced, I was very pleased with it and purchased some and then cases for resale when the supply stopped, as the Wine Connoisseur gave it three puffs and the wine was gone, poof, overnight. I have on hand, currently, the 2004 vintage from Russian River Valley, $45.00 the bottle while they last and a case is all I can get from the owner winemaker, and I'll probably drink one myself before you get in here.” What a guy. At least you can enjoy his sense of humor, fellow foodies.

A new wine club specializing in Pinot Noir – at Rick’s Wine Cellar
If you are a Pinot Noir lover and haven’t visited Rick’s Wine Cellar in Corte Madera, you are missing a couple of my favorite characters – Rick and Candy Mendell – who are also a couple. They work together and enjoy each other and have stayed together. Maybe they can give relationship tips along with wine tips? Anyway, Rick called to tell me – well email actually - to tell me that they have started a wine club.
“I can't tell you how excited I am about our new wine club and taking our wine shop into cyberspace! Daughter Sarah has been working her fingers to the bone typing in products. It will take a few more weeks until we're ready to launch, but we are getting very close. I have been talking to lots of wineries as we start planning the different levels of our club. Right now, the plan is to offer 4 choices. Rick's Pick's will be two wines (whites/reds/rose) every other month, Rick's Pinot Club offering two Pinots every other month, the Cabernet Club offering one or two Cabernets every other month and the Collectors Club offering 6 ultra/super premium Cabernets every quarter. As always we appreciate hearing from you and any ideas you may have. I am not going to make a big sales pitch (right now), but as they say, membership has its privileges, so stay tuned. Contact them at 415-927-WINO (9466) or email: rickswinecellar@aol.com. Their web site is rickswinecellar.com

Profiles of courage in the name of charity
Do you have a favorite charity? A special person who contributes to the community in support of charitable causes? A fellow foodie who shares their abundance with others? I have collected a few favorites in my travels and will share these stories in future columns. I welcome your input as well. It’s the time of year to share our feel good stories. Passion is the spirit of foodies, which is a world I feel fortunate to share. So let’s share our stories of passionate and caring folks. Let’s be open to the six degrees of inclusion.