Julia Child Coming to Zov’s; Bakers Square Satisfies
I felt like the maitre d’ in residence at last week’s special truffle dinner at Pinot Provence in the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel. I’d made reservations for a table of 10, but as our group was gathering at the lobby bar to commence the gastronomic evening, several friends, all of whom had read about the dinner in my column, arrived for their own sampling of elegantly presented, and, as it turned out, awesome-tasting truffle dishes. It kept me extra busy greeting them, escorting them to their tables and checking on them throughout the evening. Like I didn’t enjoy it. Suffice it to say that our group cannot wait to get to the South of France this fall to dine again with the convivial chef Dominique Saugnac, who told us that Pinot’s resident chef, Florent Marneau, was a remarkable teammate for him and a talent we should be proud of. I was already ahead of him on that one, having selected Florent as my Chef of the Year for 1999.
Showing that they’ve made the commitment to very serious food-and-wine-matching dinners, Pinot Provence is offering yet another dinner tomorrow evening, April 18, pairing Florent’s specially matched dishes to the fine wines of Staglin Family Vineyards. Regarded as one of the top wineries in the Napa Valley, it’s family-owned, producing small quantities of delicious wines. Located in the heart of what’s known as the Rutherford Bench, the vineyards are completely organically farmed and production is a very hands-on operation. The Staglin wines will include the 1998 Estate Chardonnay, ’98 Stagliano Sangiovese and the rich and lavish ’96 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Florent will be serving chilled English pea soup with a grilled Diver Scallop (I’ve had this; it’s really delicious), then roasted Australian lobster and pork shank “confit” en Fris & #233;e Lardons to start things off. There’s a choice for the entr & #233;e: Rabbit and truffle en Crepinette with quickly poached gnocchi in a rosemary jus or braised boneless prime beef short ribs with grilled Cipollini onions. Dessert will be a pistachio Financier with caramelized pear and wildflower honey ice cream.
Remember that it’s tomorrow evening, so you’d best call now for your reservation. Price is $75, exclusive of tax and gratuity.
Save the Liver
Julia Child is coming to town! And, she’s doing a cooking demo for only $300 per person! You can exhale while I tell you that $275 of the ticket price is tax deductible, since this is a fundraiser in support of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Joining Julia as culinary helpers will be Cathy Thomas, food editor of the OC Register, and Zov Karamardian, owner of Zov’s Bistro in Tustin, where the gathering of gourmets will take place.
The afternoon with Julia,Sunday, May 7, noon to 3 p.m.,includes ample opportunity after the cooking demonstration to talk with and question Julia about her passion for cooking and food. When Julia made French cooking fun and accessible through her weekly “French Chef” shows on National Public Television three decades ago, she made all of us feel we could accomplish great things in the kitchen. In the ensuing years, she has become an American icon, even co-founding the American Institute of Wine and Food with winery owners Robert Mondavi and the late Dick Graff of Chalone. This may be the only time you’ll ever get to meet her. You probably shouldn’t pass up the chance. Oh, one more thing: You get to eat the food the three gals cook and drink some good wine as well.
High on Pie and Corporate Care
Has anyone noticed that Bakers Square restaurants have very good food, quite professional service and perhaps the best pies around? They are also squeaky-clean restaurants nicely decorated with lots of blond wood and forest-green carpeting and upholstery. They would have once fit the genre of adequate coffee shops, but corporate attention to all of the above has turned them into friendly, value-enhanced eateries.
The menu, 86 items long, takes us nicely through all the day’s meals. Of all the breakfast items, the California omelet stuffed with turkey, avocado and Swiss cheese is my favorite. I know it takes on extra calories with its creamy hollandaise sauce topping, but it’s so good. I also like the hearty combo breakfasts served in hot skillets.
For the other two meals, the menu deserves some perusal. Soups we’ve tried lately have been rich and very homemade tasting. I really like the composition of the signature stir-fried salad. Here you have crisp greens topped with grilled chicken breast and stir-fried vegetables in a teriyaki-like sauce and a sprinkling of crispy noodles. They drizzle a nice sesame dressing around the edges.
The biggest problem arises when you get to the special entrees. Many are not only good; they’re interesting in their presentation. Fajitas are stuffed into pita bread. Meats come piled on fresh focaccia bread. Some dishes are just downright traditional. Pot roast is done in the true Yorkshire manner. Country-fried steak with mashed potatoes is really southern in spirit. Carbonara Milanese finds pasta tossed with a good cream sauce, diced ham and crisp bacon bits. Grilled honey-mustard chicken is yet another good specialty.
A piece of chocolate silk, lemon meringue or fruit pie finishes off a meal quite nicely.
Chao publishes Chao’s Dinesty, a food, wine and travel newsletter, in Irvine.
