Dining Out/Dining In

A few notes on why we go out to eat, why we cook and what chefs want. Also, a very cool seasonal candy. And an unforgettable dish.

Reading Will Guidara’s book, Unreasonable Hospitality, has made me think about another restaurant person who had an innate understanding of what makes a restaurant special.

In 2004, when Lutece ended its long run, the New York Times asked me to write an op-ed piece about the restaurant. I ended up focusing on its remarkable owner/chefAndre Soltner. He was the soul of hospitality.

It seems Briffauds cannot get enough of Danny Kaye… Many people have reached out to ask what other dishes Danny served with the lemon pasta I wrote about a few weeks ago, and I was sorry to admit that I couldn’t remember. But a friend has just reminded me that I wrote about Danny after he passed away in 1987. I’d forgotten that - or that I’d included the entire menu. Here’s the end of the article. (If you want to read the entire piece, you’ll find it here. )

That first meal began with an extraordinarily simple soup, a broth really, intensely flavored with lemon grass. It was followed by hand-made noodles so light that if you blew across your plate they would have danced in the air. These were lightly flavored with lemon. Then there was liver (“You slice it diagonally,” said Danny), wok-fried with onions and dashed to the table. “Eat it now ,” said Danny, “it won’t be any good in a few minutes.” Finally there was a lemon soufflé, snatched from the oven at exactly the right moment. It was, to my mind, a perfect meal. And a daring one. There was not a single step in the choreography of this particular repast that would have tolerated a small slip; the tiniest mistake would have turned into a major tumble. But Danny Kaye, of course, never stumbled.

“I think it’s the best meal I’ve ever eaten,” I said. And I meant it. Danny just smiled. And asked me back.

A few months ago, Danny called on the spur of the moment. He was cooking and he wanted me to come for dinner. “I’d love to,” I said, “but I’ve got other plans.”

“Cancel them,” he insisted. I told him not to behave like a star. “OK, babe,” he said finally. “There will be other dinners.”

I wish I’d gone.

I’ve been invited to a party celebrating Craft’s 25th anniversary next Monday. Thinking about that milestone made me nostalgic for my favorite of Tom Colicchio’s enterprises, Tom’s Tuesday Dinners. They were always a thrill. I remember this particular one with great fondness. That grouse!

I’m a longtime fan of Eat Drink Lucky’s beautiful tea towels, so when I got a notice that they’re celebrating maple syrup season with these Maine Maple Truffles, I was instantly hooked. To me maple sugar is the taste of childhood - but wrapped up in chocolate it’s especially sweet.

There are many reasons to visit Bar Kabawa. You could go for the excellent cocktails or the awesomely original patties (one contains foie gras, short rib and conch, another has curried crab). Or you could go for the pleasure of seeing Chef Paul Carmichael’s incandescent smile. But it is the memory of the dish called Solomon Gundy that will stay with you long after you’ve left. The smoky, spicy fish paté is topped with a sweet bruléed crust and served with shatteringly crisp casava crackers. Each bite is a delightful shock, a sensory whirlwind that makes you glad to be alive.