It’s Time For Another FBTOT Giveaway!

This time one lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate from our friends at Valley Shepherd Creamery!

cheese please!

And of course a FBTOT giveaway wouldn't be complete without an official FBTOT “I love champagne” tote as well! (this time, in chic black)

large enough to carry all your things
for a picnic or a day at the beach

To win both the gift certificate and the tote, enter now by simply sending an email with the word “CHEESE” in the subject line to: frombehindtheopentable@gmail.com. You will automatically be signed up for our email updates. Please be sure to confirm your subscription.

The winner will be selected at random and announced on August 20th.

Good Luck!

Valley Shepherd Creamery's 'Name the Heifer contest'

This little girl needs a name!

Forty years ago New Jersey was one of the top three States in the country for the Brown/white Guernsey cows. Sussex County was home to the largest herds in the country of 2000 cows.

Its all gone now for several reasons: low milk prices that drove dairymen out of business, high land prices for development, advances in breeding the 'monster' Holstein cows that make more milk and the difficulty of raising Guernseys which are a bit more pushy, independent and a disagreeable kind of cow.

We love a challenge!

We went about designing a new cheese based on the rich, yellow milk Guernseys make. Special equipment was either brought from Europe, constructed or welded here and several prototypes made. The new Guernsey milk cheese (Somerset) follows in the steps of many Alpine cheeses and is made into very large wheels (45 lbs and up) and aged for at least a year.

The current release has notes of nuttiness, fruit and grassy sweetness combined with a bit of old age crunch.

By sheer coincidence, the same week Somerset was released, our first pregnant Guernsey gave birth to a baby girl! (heifer calf)

So we thought that this would be the perfect time to hold a naming contest for this new girl! (all the 50 cows are named; the sheep, at 600, are not)

Please email your suggestion here.

The selected entry wins 2 lbs of Somerset cheese to be picked up at our New Jersey shop, New York shop or at a farmers market. Selection will be made on August 1st.

small print:  

Decision of the judges (a somewhat sober group of interns, shepherds and cheesemakers) is final. Lactose intolerant folks are disqualified.

(Culinary) Week in Review

Monday evening, upon hearing the good news that I was to officially begin my server training, I decided the occasion called for some bubbly. Along with a bottle of Ca' Furlan "cuvée Beatrice" prosecco, I also picked up a bottle of sweet Freixenet spumante from PJ Wine--a bottle which I'd never seen before from Freixenet...



Tuesday, in the mood again for something sweeter, I selected a lovely bottle of Cascinetta Vietti moscato d'asti from Heights Wine & Spirits. The wine was delectably sweet, but not cloyingly so, with fine, elegant bubbles. ($16)

The moscato paired nicely with peppery watercress, which David balanced with a delicious smoked salmon spread.

(cream cheese, ....(cream cheese, smoked salmon, garlic powder, salt)

Saturday evening found me with some time to kill before I was to meet up with some friends in Brooklyn. Having just left work and still being in midtown, I decided to (finally) give South Gate, at the Essex House Hotel a try. Being Restaurant Week, I thought about opting for South Gate's prix-fixe menu, but upon examination, decided it didn't appeal to me. I instead ordered: a glass of prosecco di Conegliano ($14)


and seared Hudson Valley foie gras ($21). The $14 prosecco was fine enough and was soon accompanied by a (complimentary) amuse-bouche--cold cucumber soup with feta. The soup was okay and was soon replaced with my main dish.

The presentation of the seared foie was elegant, but the taste was amiss. The foie tasted gamy and smoky, and rather unpleasant. Ultimately, I think it was burnt. However, the level of service at South Gate is where it should be and my server was pleasant and proper. My meal ended with

a complimentary butter cookie and a square of chocolate fudge.

Yesterday was the birthday of my good friend DJ Shawn Lisle and he decided to celebrate with a cocktail hour at Peels on the Bowery. I went


with another friend, Danny and after we'd said a few hellos, saddled up at the bar for some dinner. We first selected a bottle of "Argyle" Oregon sparkling ($55) before moving onto a dozen beausoleils, andouille corn dogs and fried ipswich clams. (believe it or not, champagne and corn dogs is one my favorite combinations!) Everything was just fine, but the atmosphere at Peel's is quite impressive (go upstairs)--a lovely view of both 2nd Street and "Joey Ramone Place."

After leaving Peel's, Danny and I stopped for a quick glass of champagne at The Mercer Hotel lobby before stopping for cava and seafood at Blue Ribbon.

Bartender Will set Danny and I up with two glasses of cava while I quickly decided, "I want some lobster!" The oyster shucker went to work cutting a lobster in half and before long (I was seated directly in front

of the seafood), I'd also selected a crab. My crustacean treats had both hit the spot (along with a few complimentary shrimps) and one 'PPX' bill later, Danny and I parted ways in the humid evening air... At least the cava was cold!

I'm Not the Only One on The News These Days

photo: Kat Petersen for The State News

My good friend (and "eating buddy"), Hiroko Nagahata made it in the local news about the East Lansing Farmers Market. Miss you, H!

The Cat(fish)'s Out Of The Bag

my new uniform

As some of you may have guessed, all the studying I've been doing is in preparation for my server training. I know what you're thinking: "Maître d' to server? Sounds like a demotion to me." But actually, my previous GM had told me that not having server experience would always be an obstacle in advancing within the (restaurant) industry.

RATHER than "sidestep" at the restaurant at which I was already a "well-established" maître d', I decided to take a gamble, leave the company and wet my feet elsewhere.

Your server will be right with you...

Late Lunch at The Food Hall

Last night, I met up with my good friend, Danny for a "late lunch" at The Plaza Food Hall (by Todd English). I had some errands to run in the neighborhood and decided to ask Danny, who was getting off work in midtown at 4 o'clock, to meet me at The Food Hall at 4:30. I arrived no later than 4:45 and found Danny, just ahead of me, on the escalator downwards.

ikura for two

Having had the day off, I'd called in a reservation for two, "at the corner of ocean," (there are seven different stations at which they seat you) at 4:30; we were immediately ushered to the corner for which I'd hoped for. As is usually the case, I had pre-ordained what I was going to order and had decided upon a "roe-themed" meal. I began with two pieces of ikura (salmon roe) sushi--one for Danny and one for me. The seaweed wrapping the sushi rice was the "freshest"-tasting, most flavorful nori I'd ever had--considering the fact that it's dried...

boquerones "for the table"

Unsure of what else to start with, I decided to order boquerones (Spanish anchovies) for the table. It was as delicious as it was the time before...

a good start

We also ordered a bottle of Moët & Chandon, which I’d imagined would pair nicely with the ikura and my next dish.

I'D confessed to our server that I had the idea of a caviar pizza (I previously had the idea of a clam pizza, which has now seemed to catch on with the main stream) and that I was interested in trying the classic (roasted tomato sauce, bufala mozzarella, basil) pizza topped with caviar. "… but I don't know if they'd put [the caviar] on before they put it in the oven, or after."

"Let me ask the chef."

I always go with the chef's recommendation.

What Chef Michael Suppa (Food Hall’s executive chef) recommended was the golden potato (yukon potato, fontina, crème fraiche) topped with caviar. "I'll go with that then."

creamy "golden potato"

I must say, the potatoes were (as I'd imagined) a bit too "al dente" for my taste. (if you like scalloped potatoes, you'd probably enjoy this pizza) But I did like the fact that the chef seriously pondered my request. Near the end of our meal, Danny and I ordered a single, quarter bottle of Moët, followed by the check. I recommended macaroons from Payard, but being so late in the day, they were out of all the "good" flavors. We decided to instead go for a walk, but by the time we reached Sixth Avenue, "I could go for another drink."

I decided to take Danny to one of my (new) favorite midtown haunts, Robert, nine floors above the Museum of Arts & Design at Columbus Circle.

our "dessert substitute"

We decided, simply, upon a bottle of Vincenzo Toffoli prosecco as we enjoyed the quiet of the restaurant. (it’s the Hamptons time of year) Our server was pleasant, as was the view and I must say: it was an enjoyable Saturday off.

Summer Restaurant Week Starts Monday!

Lunch $24.07, Dinner $35.00

Where are you going?

"Rosa Regale" Sparkling Red

"Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garinita"

Rosa Regale is a wine we're currently giving away (at the restaurant) to our "special" guests... I thought I'd give the acqui a try for myself.

in a pre-chilled flute, of course

Luscious, pink bubbles to start...

soon settle down...

for a rosy reveal:

This sparkling red wine is--make no mistake--dolce. I'd even consider it as a "dessert substitute." With heavy hints of berry and lip-smacking sweetness, I don't recommend more than a glass and a half of the stuff. (it's exactly what we're giving away at the restaurant) And you'll want to be sure to serve it properly chilled unto the last drop!

Rosa Regale, $15.97 at PJ Wine

Of Interest, Perhaps Only To Foodies - 2

I'm still researching items from our updated summer menu (I've always envied the culinary knowledge of servers) and have since looked up a few more items... sometimes, you know what something is, but just not how to describe it:

Fennel: mild, anise flavor, but more aromatic and sweeter; its inflated leaf bases form a bulb-like structure which are eaten as a vegetable, both raw and cooked.

At Mercer Kitchen, guests (mostly European tourists) would often ask: "What is arugula?"

"It's salad."

They always understood then, but I realized there must be a more eloquent way of describing it...

The 'Real' Fireworks

Macy's 4th of July fireworks, over the Hudson River

TRANSIT's 'Fireworks' of a Show

Last night, TRANSIT put on a great show at the historic St. Paul's Chapel, in downtown Manhattan, for the New York Electronic Festival.

TRANSIT

At the start of the program, David (in a rather Hepburn-esque ensemble) gave a brief explanation of the pieces to a full house (standing room only for latecomers)...

The ensemble performed pieces by Tristan Perich, Daniel Wohl and Lesley Flanigan. (above, a clip from Daniel Wohl) They all sounded great and the performances were much appreciated by the audience.

final bow

Afterward, we all headed to Ward III (111 Reade Street) for cocktails and light fare--pâté, truffle macaroni and cheese and peach cobbler with banana ice cream. What I tried wasn't bad and I wouldn't mind heading there again for the $9 pâté.

Lamberti Extra Dry Prosecco

A couple of months before leaving my prior post in SoHo, one of the floor managers recommended me trying Lamberti prosecco. "It tastes like champagne." I had the name scribbled on a sheet of dupe pad paper which sat on my bedside table for months; it wasn't until just recently that I spotted it on the shelves at PJ Wine.

Lamberti extra dry prosecco; $13.97.

At first taste, I said to myself, "Wow, this is delicious!" It has good acid, with a decent length and there's enough fruitiness on the palate to make it interesting: juicy, puckery and tart. At $13.97, it's worth the price if looking for a champagne comparison...

Spend Independence Day Eve with TRANSIT (and me)!

Sunday, July 3rd, TRANSIT will be featured on a program for the New York Electronic Art Festival playing awesome music by Tristan Perich, Lesley Flanigan, and Daniel Wohl (of TRANSIT).

from: transitnewmusic.wordpress.com

We will be playing some of our coolest commissions of the last year, all of which do wild and wonderful things with electronics. Music by Tristan Perich, Daniel Wohl, and Lesley Flanigan (who will also be joining us in the performance!). Things to keep an eye out for:

hand-built speakers

a pianist playing drums

seeing a live ensemble sort of turned into an electronic sequence

amazing vocal stylings of Lesley Flanigan

a healthy antidote to any concept of electronic music as academic or dry

an awesome addition to a holiday weekend

and did i mention this show is FREE?

This is a FREE CONCERT & a great way to spend part of your holiday weekend!

WAVE(length)s:

A concert of electronic music
featuring TRANSIT and Woody Sullender

This program consists of music written especially for TRANSIT by some of their favorite New York City composer friends and each one takes a uniquely inventive approach to incorporating electronic sounds and processes into highly effective pieces. Whether Lesley's amplified singing and hand-built feedback instruments, Tristan's innovative system of binary gated amplification, or Daniel's use of distorted audio clips, this stuff will blow your mind!

PROGRAM:

Woven
by Tristan Perich

Expand/Release
by Lesley Flanigan

Corps Exquis
by Daniel Wohl

July 3rd, 8 p. m.
St. Paul's Chapel
290 Broadway (at Fulton St)
Take the A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4 or 5 train to Fulton St; E to World Trade Center; N/R to Cortland St or the PATH to World Trade Center

Brunch for Dinner

Jaume Serra; "dark rose"

Last night David and I stopped at PJ Wine to pick up a couple of bottles of wine for the week. I picked out a nice Willamette Valley pinot gris, while David selected a sparkling rosé. I would have chosen the Lamberti rosé (I've been told Lamberti makes a close champagne-comparison), but David wanted to give the Jaume Serra "Cristalino" rosé a try--"[At $6.97,] if it's good, we'll always have an affordable bottle of rosé to go to."

bubbles that seem to settle too quickly...

I poured David a glass and myself, a tasting. With tough concentration, you might find a hint of 'cream' on the palate; and for the taste: like that of dark fruits--cherry perhaps?

Even though I had chilled the Jaume in the freezer for about forty minutes, then another twenty in the refrigerator, it seemed that it would benefit by being more cold. I placed the opened bottle back into the freezer and my second pour was markedly better, adding "crispness" to the wine...

easy on the eyes

Our first course was freshly puréed peas (peas, dill, salt, pepper and a touch of Greek yogurt) atop Wasa crispbreads

salmon & eggs

... followed by smoked salmon eggs with wilted baby arugula and a side of fresh feta. For dessert, David offered to make homemade corn pudding, but I was content with simply having Domincan "chocolate dulce" chocolate squares, which seemed to pair well with our movie for the evening, Like Water for Chocolate. (I'd never seen it, but I still prefer Babette's Feast!)

My Rider Would Include...

Riondo sparkling
rosé prosecco 

Last night, over a casual bottle of Riondo "pink" rosé prosecco, David and I got around to discussing riders--as in the clause in a contract stating what you'd like your greenroom to be stocked with. (Katy Perry's rider is forty five pages long) If I had a rider (or a contract, for that matter) mine would include:

1. freshly shucked oysters - Of course, this would require an oyster shucker to be on site, so just add one Blue Ribbon oyster shucker to the list.

2. champagnes - I say champagnes because I wouldn't be able to decide on just one. But at least be sure to have a few Perrier-Jouëts on hand and at least one bottle of Veuve Clicquot...

3. cheese - I think I'd like about ten different kinds of cheese--from soft to hard, sheep's to goat, English to Italian, mild to pungent...

4. anchovies - Unchecked, I could eat them by the dozens!

5. caviar - Perhaps with some crème fraiche as well. Or if that runs out, we can top herb-rubbed goat cheese, on a Carr's water cracker, with it. Grimace now, but try one after too many glasses of champagne, and not enough food and you'll be thanking me later.

So that would be my minimum requirements... Be forewarned, however; after a few backstage visits with me, you may end up in your doctor's office with a case of gout!