I'm excited to work that pound cake recipe! Nothing better than a perfect pound cake
I live in California and am now inspired to see if any cheesemakers on this side of the country need direct customer support. You've done a service by highlighting them.
I was one ☝🏻 f 4 waiters in 1981 at Inn Seasons and have 2 memorable shares that happened on the same night!
Our extremely narcissistic chef, just before service began asked, no demanded, that I run around the corner to Cafe Venezia on University and Grove ( now MLK) for 2 cups of sugar for a last minute dessert to prepare on that nights menu for a special guest. When I handed the container with Chefs request, the Cafe Venezia sous chef gave me a rye smile, a wink and went into the kitchen larder returning with what looked like, a full container of borrowed sugar. I returned to Inn Seasons and handed over the sealed container of “sugar” to the Chef. Hours later as I was the waiter waiting on our special guest, Katherine Hepburn, in town performing a play in the Bay Area. I got to see The great Katherine Hepburn spit out her dessert in a most regal way and then handed me her cloth napkin she had spit up into and said, “you might want your chef to taste the dessert you served me before serving it to anyone else” with a wink and a smile. 🤣
Nothing better than a poundcake! Can't wait to try your recipe. My mother made it often when we were growing up, usually adding raisins or candied ginger, but I don't think she used cake flour and probably used "oleo" (margarine) instead of butter. But she creamed the heck out of the butter (or oleo) and sugar and always claimed that was the key to a successful poundcake. Thanks of your wonderful newsletter!
I have happily gone down so many rabbit holes since starting LaBriffe. I loved the milk quote so much I obviously had to research who Clifton Fadiman was (an American essayist, radio personality, author, and—my favorite of his titles—intellectual). I’d be grateful if someone could explain the “tortoise touter”reference in the Seasons review though…Google didn’t help.
I thought it might be interesting to look up the present retail pricing on the wines of the Narsai's list that were cited in the article and compare the 1984 pricing to today's retail. Note for restaurant pricing at least today, you would double or triple the retail price to equal what a restaurant might typically charge (which I did not do here). Also note, the retail price below for the dYquem is for a 750ml bottle. The menu price might be for a 375ml bottle. Note (arguably of course) none of these were highly heralded vintages other than the 1961 in Bordeaux (and the '61 d'Yquem was a rare exception).
Wine name/1984 Narsai's price/2021 approximate retail/increase in price
1953 La Tache/$490/$8000/16.3X (2021 retail/1984 restaurant price)
Of course, you are too polite/nice to say this, but Narsai was a really difficult person. One of my close friends in Berkeley did work for him and would astound me with stoiries of his mean disposition. Not the first restaurant owner/chef to have that problem. He is 85 now, and I hope he isn't on a computer reading my comment.
I recently sent a gift basket from Jasper Hill to my sister on a major birthday and she was thrilled with it. She has a discerning pallet, so it's a testament to the quality of the cheese.
I hope that you have discovered Four Fat Fowl Farm up Route 22. St. Stephen's camembert helped us through the dark months of 2020. My kids and I called it our "crack" or, as the Irish say, good craic. I'm not a cheese connoisseur by any means, but that cheese, oh my!
I'm excited to work that pound cake recipe! Nothing better than a perfect pound cake
I live in California and am now inspired to see if any cheesemakers on this side of the country need direct customer support. You've done a service by highlighting them.
I was one ☝🏻 f 4 waiters in 1981 at Inn Seasons and have 2 memorable shares that happened on the same night!
Our extremely narcissistic chef, just before service began asked, no demanded, that I run around the corner to Cafe Venezia on University and Grove ( now MLK) for 2 cups of sugar for a last minute dessert to prepare on that nights menu for a special guest. When I handed the container with Chefs request, the Cafe Venezia sous chef gave me a rye smile, a wink and went into the kitchen larder returning with what looked like, a full container of borrowed sugar. I returned to Inn Seasons and handed over the sealed container of “sugar” to the Chef. Hours later as I was the waiter waiting on our special guest, Katherine Hepburn, in town performing a play in the Bay Area. I got to see The great Katherine Hepburn spit out her dessert in a most regal way and then handed me her cloth napkin she had spit up into and said, “you might want your chef to taste the dessert you served me before serving it to anyone else” with a wink and a smile. 🤣
Nothing better than a poundcake! Can't wait to try your recipe. My mother made it often when we were growing up, usually adding raisins or candied ginger, but I don't think she used cake flour and probably used "oleo" (margarine) instead of butter. But she creamed the heck out of the butter (or oleo) and sugar and always claimed that was the key to a successful poundcake. Thanks of your wonderful newsletter!
I want everything on the menu !
I have happily gone down so many rabbit holes since starting LaBriffe. I loved the milk quote so much I obviously had to research who Clifton Fadiman was (an American essayist, radio personality, author, and—my favorite of his titles—intellectual). I’d be grateful if someone could explain the “tortoise touter”reference in the Seasons review though…Google didn’t help.
what is a mudslide and avalanche - mini or not?
Ruth…do you have an old menu from Parioli Romanissimo? I’ve looked everywhere online…can’t find one. What a great restaurant that was.
I thought it might be interesting to look up the present retail pricing on the wines of the Narsai's list that were cited in the article and compare the 1984 pricing to today's retail. Note for restaurant pricing at least today, you would double or triple the retail price to equal what a restaurant might typically charge (which I did not do here). Also note, the retail price below for the dYquem is for a 750ml bottle. The menu price might be for a 375ml bottle. Note (arguably of course) none of these were highly heralded vintages other than the 1961 in Bordeaux (and the '61 d'Yquem was a rare exception).
Wine name/1984 Narsai's price/2021 approximate retail/increase in price
1953 La Tache/$490/$8000/16.3X (2021 retail/1984 restaurant price)
1960 Latour/145/1300/8.9X
1953 Margaux/285/730/2.6X
1961 Pape Clement/140/900/6.4X
1971 Gruaud Larose/41/120/2.9X
1978 Stag's Leap/35/200/5.7X
1970 Heitz/88/200/2.3X
1961 d'Yquem/350/1500/4.3X
Of course, you are too polite/nice to say this, but Narsai was a really difficult person. One of my close friends in Berkeley did work for him and would astound me with stoiries of his mean disposition. Not the first restaurant owner/chef to have that problem. He is 85 now, and I hope he isn't on a computer reading my comment.
I recently sent a gift basket from Jasper Hill to my sister on a major birthday and she was thrilled with it. She has a discerning pallet, so it's a testament to the quality of the cheese.
Wow! Great memories. What a restaurant Narsai’s was..,does anyone have a picture of the dining room?
I hope that you have discovered Four Fat Fowl Farm up Route 22. St. Stephen's camembert helped us through the dark months of 2020. My kids and I called it our "crack" or, as the Irish say, good craic. I'm not a cheese connoisseur by any means, but that cheese, oh my!