The Chief Penguin and I determined that it’s been 45 years since we visited Rome for the first time and about 12 years since we last were here. We initially came for a scientific conference for him and then visited fairly frequently through the years, bringing our son when he was just 2 and again when he was three, with more trips for all of us and later just us.
On our re-introduction yesterday, Rome was busy and bustling with groups of tourists midst the locals, but overall appeared cleaner, trendier, and more au courant. We’re staying around the corner from Campo de’ Fiori, and enjoyed a light lunch of tomato bruschettas and then melon with prosciutto and mozarella at a cafe in the square. After, we navigated through the throngs around the olive oil vendors and produce stands, busy on this Saturday afternoon, and headed for some favorite spots.
Piazza Navona was lively with a Michael Jackson wannabe dancer, a combo of three older guys playing vaguely classical music, and lots of people just milling around. The day was perfect—sunny, dry and about 75 degrees. From there to the Pantheon was a short walk. We wanted to go inside, but the huge crowd was off putting. We’ll do that another day, not on the weekend.
After a short break at our Roman abode, we walked past high fashion shops, art galleries, tech stores and the like, to dinner at Pianostrada Laboratorio. This restaurant with its contemporary décor is helmed by women and serves creative Italian food with a twist.
Sign in the restaurant
The bulk of the menu is starters arranged by type (everything from fried to veggie to focaccia to small sandwiches and burgers) with a small single sheet of entrees. Given that it was our first night and, we were dragging from jet lag, we opted for three selections from the starter menu.
Layered, deconstructed zucchini blossoms
Our focaccia had Gorgonzola, pine nuts and honey on it with a hint of cinnamon. Four luscious squares of it. We then had their fish and chips, a riff on the traditional which was a variety of chips along with four fish cakes of tuna and lemon. Light and delectable!
We also sampled deconstructed fried zucchini blossoms layered with mozzarella and a bit of anchovy. The meal was a creative and tasty experiment, but not for those hungry for spaghetti and meatballs!
Fish and chips, Pianostrada style!
You might wonder how we ended up at this intriguing restaurant. Although we do know Rome well, we used the online travel specialists, Journy, to help plan this trip. They did an excellent job for us for our earlier trip to Mexico City and so far their recommendations here have been spot on! They made this restaurant reservation for us plus several others.
For the day we logged a reasonable 12,000+ steps. Now for some sleep!
Like Julius Caesar’s army, the Chief Penguin and I travel on our stomachs. Despite what it may seem, we did do more in Portland than eat. But, knowing the restaurants mid-coast are not as varied or inventive, we took advantage of Portland’s wonderful foodie scene.
DINING
Hugo’s
Hugo’s Cucumber
The food at Hugo’s is sophisticated and creative. We’ve now eaten here several years in a row on our first night in Portland and this visit was no exception. We began with tuna crudo and then proceeded to a charcuterie board; cucumber with falafel nibs; roasted cauliflower bathed in a smear of hot sauce; and spaghetti chittara; ending with two desserts—chocolate several ways and mini cubes of rhubarb accompanied by mousse and locust leaf sorbet, etc. All dishes were on the small side and we shared everything. We hadn’t ordered the cucumber, but when they brought it instead of the cauliflower we did order, they comped us the cucumber.
Duckfat
We were inspired to try some place different for lunch, figuring if there were a line out the door we’d go elsewhere. But Lady Luck was with us as we were seated at the bar immediately upon arriving, just ahead of the noon rush! Duckfat is most casual with seating on high stools at the bar and low stools at counters around the perimeter.
It is known for its Belgian fries so of course we had to sample them. Probably the best fries I’ve ever tasted and even better with the Thai chili dipping sauce! From there we moved on to the duck and charred cabbage salad; a board of charcuterie and salmon, Tasso ham, pimento cheese, homemade pickles, loma, and buttered brown bread; and also a wedge salad (actually two large wedges) decorated with slivers of tomato and radish slices in a rich blue cheese dressing. The last was to offset those fries. Paired with a glass of summery rose, it all made for the perfect lunch!
Chaval
Chaval is the sister restaurant to Piccolo which we’ve also enjoyed. This was our second meal at Chaval and with a slight chance of rain, they had closed their garden in favor of inside seating. The menu is a mix of small plates and entrees such as steak frites. Having enjoyed our Duckfat lunch, we ordered more lightly—warm olives, broccolini with bacon and bits of orange, a young beet salad, Iberia ham croquettes, and the Alsace chicken breast entree with morels and spinach in a light cream sauce, which we shared. Everything was delicious!
Broccolini with bacon and citrus triangles
While out and about, we also checked out a natural foods store, stopped in to Le Roux Kitchenware for mugs and paring knives, and bought pancetta and good canned tuna at Micucci Grocery, a new find on India Street. All sorts of Italian dry goods from jars of peppers and pickles to panettone, and many pasta shapes, plus cheeses and sliced meats.
ART
We like the Portland Museum of Art. They do an excellent job presenting their collection and engaging visitors with exhibits that focus on lesser-known aspects of arts and crafts. The currently featured exhibit is called In the Vanguard: Haystack Mountain School of Crafts 1950-1969. It brings together works by sculptors, painters, and fabric artists that were groundbreaking and signaled new directions in artistic creation for that time.
Celibacy, 1968, wool macrame by Walter Nottingham
Also on display is Open-Ended, an exhibit of new museum acquisitions that I particularly enjoyed. What makes it special is the commentary about why a piece was purchased and its significance or connection to the rest of the collection.
BOOKSTORES
And for me, time spent in Portland would not be complete without time in their independent bookstores. We didn’t get to Print this year (our time here was shorter than usual), but we browsed in Sherman’s (one of their several locations, this one on Exchange Street) and in Longfellow Books at Monument Square. I made several purchases in each store, adding to my growing stack of summer reading!
Italian cuisine dominates the dining scene today, but here and there you can locate a good French bistro. I’ve also discovered that many folks on the Upper East Side eat early. By 6:30, tables at small restaurants will all be taken. Here’s a selection of Manhattan restaurants we’ve enjoyed this past month, most that I haven’t previously covered.
This is a small French restaurant that was always full when we would walk by. Over the Memorial Day weekend, it was practically empty enabling us to easily book a table. We weren’t in the mood for a big meal and found the appetizer section of the menu much to our liking. My goat cheese and tomato tart on puff pastry was scrumptious while the Chief Penguin ordered and liked their famous tuna tart.
Sample of goat cheese and tomato tart
He followed his tart with the salmon croque monsieur which was rich and mouth-filling. I opted for the spinach, pine nut and parmesan salad which was enhanced by a generous number of avocado slices. With these two smaller dishes, delicate gougeres, and some wonderful holey olive bread, we were very content!
This cozy French bistro is popular and we were pleased that we arrived a bit ahead of our 7 pm reservation. The Chief Penguin ordered the beet and endive salad graced with a few walnut halves which was both very pretty and very tasty. He then had the skate which was on the dry side, while I sampled the roasted cod over vegetable risotto and a yellow pepper puree, a yummy combination. Bread pudding is his one weakness (to quote a TV character who had many “one weaknesses”) and this rendition was appropriately satisfying.
This is one of the many Italian restaurants around. Brick side walls and a sea of white linens on small tables make for a charming ambience. Service is old style male waiters who recite the specials with dramatic briskness. Listen carefully or you’ll need a repeat. We shared a Caesar salad which was just right. I then ordered the special swordfish entrée, Livorno style or bathed in a tomato-based sauce with capers and black olives. It came with a vegetable medley and some roast potatoes. The Chief Penguin tried their veal saltimbocca which was good, but not the equal of the version we get in Maine. In addition to meat and fish entrees, there’s a good selection of pasta dishes. This is another very popular eatery and one will visit again.
This red gravy+ Italian restaurant is a locus for family groups. We dined here the night before Mother’s Day and thought that was the reason for all the tables with families with small children. Apparently, not; this is a regular occurrence. It’s a boisterous dining experience so avoid it if you were looking for a quiet meal. That said, the service was pleasant and efficient and our food very good.
Most dishes are offered in half and full portions with full designed to serve 2-3. Believe the menu, they are large and will! We ordered the full Caesar salad and would have been equally happy with a half portion. It’s prepared table side and the dressing was a lovely balance between piquant and mellow and not over garlicky. We then ordered half portions of veal saltimbocca (Chief Penguin), which here was topped with some sautéed spinach, and the veal piccata. The latter was lovely with just the right tang of lemon in the sauce.
The crusty bread was perfect with the veal dishes, but if you wanted potatoes or a veggie, then you had to order a side. They have a full bar (one Old Fashioned coming up!) and wines by the glass. In the interest of full disclosure, it was good enough that we returned the next night (it was raining and the restaurant close by) for another dinner, and this time asked to sit upstairs which was a less frenetic scene.
We had no dinner plans and decided to just stroll and see what might tickle our fancy. Almost a misnomer with its dark wood interior, dark bar and tables, Beach Café on Second Avenue feels cozy and perfect for a cold winter’s day. But they have outside tables and a whale on the wall that evokes Nantucket or some other east coast beach. We opted for inside and were most pleased with the service from waiter Nick, a poised young man with a welcome beyond his years. My pan roasted salmon with broccoli and mashed potatoes was perfectly prepared. Even the broccoli was just the right amount of doneness. The Chief Penguin’s chicken compagna platter could have easily fed a lobsterman and came with a side of spaghetti with a slightly spicy and smoky sauce.
This West Village French bistro is a longtime favorite of ours and never fails to please. We like it so much, we often order the same entrees time and again. This time I tried the roast chicken rather than the chicken paillard and substituted mixed vegetables for the french fries. The chicken was perfectly done with nicely crisped skin, and the vegetable medley of carrot cubes, spinach leaves, asparagus tips and green beans was healthy and flavorful. The Chief Penguin again opted for the merguez sausages with fries and enjoyed them as much as on previous visits. We don’t care for mussels, but if you do, they are one of their specialities.
I have enthused and enthused about this favorite of ours so suffice it to say, we returned for a third meal and were once again delighted! Alas for us, it has been discovered and wait times are long—-unless you deign to dine at unfashionable times, which we do.
I purchased this novel since I had recently visited Cuba and figured I would like the setting. Cleeton has written several contemporary romances, but this book and her newest, When We Left Cuba, take place in Havana and were inspired by stories of her own family. Adopting the popular trend of parallel plotlines, the book focuses on Elisa, a young woman in Havana in 1959, and on Marisol, her 30ish granddaughter who visits Havana in 2017, ostensibly to scatter her grandmother’s ashes. Each woman meets and is attracted to an unconventional man, either not of the right class and/or involved in politics she doesn’t fully comprehend.
I recognized many of the Havana streets and monuments and enjoyed reading about them and the city’s natural beauty. I also appreciated the author’s weaving in detail about the current state of Cuban society. The plot is somewhat predictable, but overall, it’s a good read, perfect for the beach or a long flight. So much so, that I’m ready to read the new novel too! And for those who might care, this title is one of Reese Witherspoon’s picks for her book club. (~JWFarrington).
SOPHISTICATED DINING
Indigenous in downtown Sarasota has been on our list for several years and, in celebration of my birthday, we dined there this week. The gray wooden building is somewhat rustic in appearance with a welcoming wraparound veranda for outdoor dining. Not knowing what to expect, we had requested inside and were taken to a small adjacent structure called the wine cottage. It had a small bar in the back and just a few tables. One wall was attractively paneled with sides from wooden wine cases showcasing a variety of different vineyards. Chad, our waiter, was both experienced and very knowledgeable about the menu. It’s built around seafood and is both innovative and sophisticated. But for diehard meat eaters, there’s also an elaborate burger.
Pork Belly Kimchi
We sampled the pickled peppers to start and then the Chief Penguin enjoyed the wild mushroom bisque (robust and rich), Thai green curry fish dip with crackers and veggies (nice tang to the dip!) and the pork belly kimchi (he’s a devotee of kimchi). I ordered the ocean crudo appetizer which had cobia as the base and elements of vanilla, some crunch, and a bit of hot pepper. It was interesting, but I thought there were too many flavors competing which made the overall effect a bit muddy.
Red Snapper
For my entrée, I tried one of the fish choices of the day, delicate red snapper on a bed of peapod risotto with some tiny cherry tomatoes and micro greens. It was exquisite! Other entrees include baked scallops and a shrimp dish. For dessert, we indulged in a dish of their milk chocolate ice cream, smooth and soothing to the palate—the perfect finish.
