Authentic Cuisine

Authentic Cuisine

Now this is strudel! I was seated at the dark wood bar of Demel’s, arguably the most famed and luxurious coffeehouse in Vienna—where the coffeehouse was invented 300 years ago. From a vast kitchen not 20 paces from where I sat had come this insanely fine creation of apples, walnuts, golden raisins, and spices wrapped in an ethereal pastry and dusted with powdered sugar. Here was a barely sweetened, hand-created bit of regional cuisine that had launched an empire of afternoon indulgence. And nothing that appeared on any American menu could come close.

That’s the thing. Lots of restaurants have a line item under Desserts that says “Apple Strudel.” If you order it, you’ll be brought something resembling a thick cocoon of pastry filled with sweetened apples and spices. It might even be tasty. But it will never be as confident, as gossamer, or as satisfying from first to last bite as was this cloud of Viennese smugness I consumed—along with a double macchiatto—at Demel’s. I was tasting the Real Thing in its native habitat. It was never going to get any better than that.

Part of why I travel—and I suspect it’s at least partially true for everyone—is to sample the food of the place. Food enshrines cultural attitudes, pride, folklore, and long ancient traditions as much as it does exotic ingredients and foreign cooking styles. To visit Italy, for example, and search for cheeseburgers, is to miss the point. It is to miss the priceless opportunity to be fully inside the space/time envelope all around you.

To resist schnitzel in Vienna is to reject the entire point of why this place is not Atlanta, or any other place in the world. And in that first bite of well-made Wiener Schnitzel, with its crunchy feather-light battered crust, and its juicy interior—with the squeeze of fresh lemon, the forkful of roast potatoes—is a long-established and regionally specific flavor. It is a taste of the place. Those flavors convey an understanding of where you are, and whose history created it that can’t be gained in any other way. Even if there aren’t words to express just exactly what you’ve discovered in that meal.

Cabrillo College Farm to Table dinner – Nov. 1

Don’t miss the chance to sample the handiwork of new Pino Alto Restaurant Executive Chef Beverlie Terra – yes, the same Terra who masterminded the dining rooms at Chaminade for two decades.  Terra and Cabrillo’s ace culinary program students will match foods to Guglielmo Winery wines, in a four-course menu plus pairings for $65 per person (excl. tax & tip).

November 1 – 6pm – be there!
Contact the dining room at 831.479-6524 to reserve seating!

Brunch Pizza….

Pizzeria Avanti has just started a new weekend brunch offering – scrambles, fritattas, poached eggs, even classic French toasyte plus loads of breakfast side orders.

It happens Friday through Monday from 9am. Call 425-1807 for details.

Pizzeria Avanti is located on Mission St., former home of the original Ristorante Avanti.

The Culinary Table @ Sesnon Gallery, today!

The Culinary Table @ Sesnon Gallery, today!

2011_tour_photo.jpgThe Dinner Parties: Art & Agriculture, is the title of a new collaborative exhibition about to unfold at the Sesnon Gallery, at 5pm today, April 10.

The opening reception—replete with gorgeously prepared foods—for this intriguing interweaving of cuisine, ideas, and documentation begins at 5pm today, and the displays featuring social vignettes, dining strategies and agricultural communities will remain on exhibit through May 11.

The adventures of Jim Denevan, founder of “Outstanding in the Field,” Chez Panisse chef Jerome Waag, and SF-based artist Chris Sollars will be documented, as well as works by EG Crichton and Susan Working, Chelsea Wills and Leif Hendendal.

Admission is free! but best make plans early—the parking lot at Porter College will fill up fast! Be at the Sesnon @ 5pm today.

Eye Candy – Watermelon Radish

Eye Candy – Watermelon Radish

watermelrad.jpg1. Go to the farmers market.

2. Check the Happy Boy stand.

3. Grab a big ole radish that’s white on the outside, but brilliant pink on the inside.

4. Slice it over some arugula (just like in this picture).

5. Drizzle with garlic-infused olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. Toss on a few capers.

6. Enjoy and feel über gourmet!