What Sticker Shock Looks Like in Italian

Blogdolcevita reports that a businessman dining on a truffle-themed meal at Cracco-Peck in Milan last weekend refused to pay when presented with an unexpectedly high check. The amount? 4,140 Euro...that's over $5,000 US.

Cracco-Peck has earned two Michelin stars for what is considered by the Italiani to be controversially innovative food in a still very traditional city. A signature dish is pasta with sea urchins and coffee.

Take that, Grant Achatz.

Seduction 101: Tips for the Wait Staff

Tonight I went to a hot restaurant to have wine and snackies with coworkers. Overall it was lovely, but there were a few moments with our waiter when I wished I could pull him aside and whisper a few pointers. Not that I'm a know it all. It just this: I've been on both sides of the table plenty. There was a year in my life a while back when I waited tables full-time after college at a four-star place. After I got done feeling intellectually superior and above it all, I realized the experience might have some lessons to teach me. So I learned them. Even now, they're still true and serve me well:

1. Assume your guests are knowledgable out of the gate. Listen, if you talk down to your diners (or clients or whomever it is who is buying from you) right from the start you'll most often come off as a pretentious ass. Because believe it or not, most people who enter your realm really do know a thing or two about it. The rest who don't will be obvious soon enough and you can adjust to them.

2. As a guest in your care, I'm trusting you to give me a great experience. So don't let it be boring. A little charm and hedonism will go a long, long way. Make eye contact. Smile. Flirt with the ladies. Flirt with the men. Describe your favorite things. This is no place for reserve. Enjoy it.

3. When a few women sit down for drinks and snacks, don't write them off as a cheap table. You need to maximize the opportunity that's sitting right in front of you. See #2. The extent to which you embrace this truth will be reflected in the total tab and the tip. We could even be your new regulars. And wouldn't you be lucky?

Review: Feast on Damen Ave.

Feast sits on a prime spot on Damen Ave., where a parade of Bucktown's residents marches by all summer long, and it attracts big crowds on the weekends all year. Its eclectic menu seems to have tapped into what the neighborhood wants - flavorful comfort food with a twist. Nothing here will knock your socks off, but it's a solid option for a good brunch or dinner in a relaxed, charming atmosphere. My dinner favorites are chipotle barbeque salmon over corn buttermilk hot cakes with avocado salsa, and the seared tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes and caramelized green beans. The brunch/lunch menu is big and delicious - expect a wait - and it's accompanied by a menu of specialty mimosas and bellinis. They have a glorious patio, with a few tables that are dog-friendly. Happily, they've ditched CEO Delieveries and are now delivering on their own.

Pure Green Chile Love

Whenever friends in Chicago get their hands on some green chile, they come running to me for recipes, and I have maybe 4-5 reliably delicious ones to offer. I think the easiest is the best though. I'm Italian on both sides of my family, so when my mom cooks, a Mediterranean sensibility infuses anything she improvises, including this super simple "salsa" that's really more like a relish. Use it for snacking to your heart's content.

Mom's Green Chile Salsa Relish

1. Coarsely chop 3-4 cups of freshly roasted, peeled green chile with the seeds and stems removed. (If you have any red chile on hand, mix one or two in for color and flavor variation.)

2. Add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic, along with 1/2 cup of chopped tomato.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Use as a relish on top of whole wheat or rye crackers.

It's especially nice with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. And yes, it will kick a cold right on its butt.

Licensed to Blog

The Dirty Dish has been made a featured publisher of Foodbuzz (!), the first community site devoted exclusively to food and dining. Since starting the blog last month, I've learned a few things...not the least of which is that I think about food and wine a lot more than even I realized. The best surprise has been how much I've grown to adore some of the others writers in the foodie blogosphere. Like, who?

Gourmet Worrier (Australia) - The anonymous Ms. Gourmet's writing inspires me with her thoughtfully crafted posts on favorite ingredients, restaurants, equipment and travel. She's a native of Malta living in Australia, which gives her a rich background in food and wine interests. I feel like I know her, and she's half-way around the world. How great is that?

Gastroanthropology (London) - I knew I'd love this the second I saw the title. Adrienne is a pastry chef from San Francisco working on her Masters in food policy in London. I live vicariously through her when she takes us to London's markets and food shops. She also writes about the history of farming practices and sustainability...which I find weirdly exciting.

Internet Food Association (Washington DC) - This is a blog started by a hilarious group of DC wonks. Because they crank out policy papers all day, all of them are brainy writers. And because they're essentially writing for each other, it's funny as hell.

Eat Local Santa Fe - I'm a native New Mexican, and even though I visit frequently, I miss its tastes, sounds, smells, and spirit deeply. In particular, nothing else is like Santa Fe, where excellent local food and art share center stage up in the heart of the Sangre de Christo mountains. This author is starting a gelateria there with her husband, and her info on what's happening in town helps me feel more connected to home.

I'm sure there are zillions more to discover. Thanks for reading this one.

Review: The Gage Chicago

When the Gage first opened across from Millennium Park, people who live and work nearby (like me) were excited to finally see a restaurant concept that rises to the high standards of Loop dining, but with a lot more character and in a casual setting. It hasn't disappointed. This gastropub has done a great job of serving many needs in the spot: the beautiful full bar offers an excellent range of beer and wines, an extensive menu presents everything from a quick snack to a Roasted Saddle of Elk, and outdoor cafe seating is in high demand during the summer. The menu items are packed with rich, pub-inspired flavors -- it's mostly red-meat options are accompanied by bacon emulsions, brie and camembert, and duck confit -- this is rich comfort food with serious sophistication. Lunch and dinner reservations are a good idea, as waits can be long.

Hyacinth, Lust, and Figs

To warm you up for Valentine's, the lovely people over at the Academy of American Poets have posted a page for wooing sweethearts. No biggie, right? Those poets. When they're not tearing love down, they're building it up. But here's the twist of genius: they've "paired" each choice with a drink, sweet, and flower that resonates with the sensibility of the poem.

Here's my favorite:

The Kiss

by Stephen Dunn

She kissed me again,
reaching that place that sends messages to toes and fingertips,

then all the way to something like home.

Some music was playing on its own.

Drink: Port

Sweet: Chocolate Truffles
Flower: Hyacinth

If you need something hotter, D.H. Lawrence's Figs should suffice. You won't need any wine or sweets. Maybe just a very tall glass of ice water.

DIY Awesome Cookbook Site

While trolling around on Epicurious today, I bumped into the link for making a personal Tastebook - a totally customizable cookbook. Holy hell, I LOVE THIS THING! Why has no one told me about this? Is it new? Have you tried it? What's the deal, people?

In about two hours, I compiled about 20 of my most heavily used recipes from Epicurious, along with several other personal ones that have been shuffling around in various states of dreck in my kitchen for eons. A few more all-stars out of my entertaining notebook (yes, am geek, thank you). A few more from some favorite bloggers...and voila! A beautiful, inspiring, flippy book of about 40 go-to items that I can add to, due to a handy binding that snaps open for expandability. The cover and title are totally customizable to boot. All for $40. Love it!

Only one gripe: you'd think because Tastebook did the smart thing and hooked up with Epicurious, I could import my Epi recipe box straight into my cookbook. But alas, no. Hopefully the code nerds are cracking away on that as I type.

I just can't wait to get this thing in my mitts.

Dorothy Parker Dinner Party Menu

I like to have a martini,

Two at the very most.

After three I'm under the table,

after four I'm under my host.

Dorothy Parker's writing has never failed to crack me up ever since I first discovered her over 10 years ago during a New Yorker reading binge. Lethally witty, delightfully caustic, and at turns playful and dark, she embodies the spirit of New York's Algonquin group during the Jazz Age, and she's one of the first people I'd invite to any fantasy dinner party.

Last night, a friend was telling me about how he attended one of the dinners celebrating the 250th birthday anniversary of Scottish poet Robert Burns (and all the haggis), and I got to thinking...why not Dot?

Obviously, it would have to be a pre-theatre meal. Here's what I'd serve:

Vesper Cocktails - Because Parker loved gin (dearly), and went to Catholic school

Honey-Roasted Pear Salad with Thyme Verjus Dressing - Because verjus vinegar of unripend grapes is about as tart as her theatre reviews

Lobster Pot Pie - Because it's a rich, sinfully delicious 1920s American classic from the East Coast too

Bittersweet Chocolate Fallen Souffle Cakes - Because she had dark edge with a bite, and was at her absolute best when appreciating any form of wreckage

Champagne - To match her sparkling wit, of course

Late-Night Prowling for Good Food

Hypothetical: You just left a four-hour Windy City Rollers derby bout in the West Loop. It's 10 p.m. The concessions were dreadful, and the pretzel and Twizzlers that you washed down with a diet Coke have only left you craving actual warm sustenance before calling it a night. Where to go? Keep in mind you have in tow one slightly inebriated husband (beer) and your wheels, and it's bloody cold outside. The last thing you want to do is drive around looking for options or, god forbid, parking.

I'm so out of practice with late dining, I realized last night that most of my handy picks for this situation are gone. Iggy's used to be our go-to spot, but both have closed. A good strategy is to head for an upscale, bar-dense area: plenty of drunks with money to feed at 2:00 a.m., and there's always valet parking. We ended up at the Bar Louie on Randolph. Which was fine. But it's definitely time to tune-up my list of possibilities for late Friday and Saturday nights:

Avec: Christ, I feel like whenever a restaurant question in Chicago comes up, the answer is Avec. Great food on Randolph in the near West Loop, killer wine options, open til 1:00 a.m. My only complaint is that it's a head-rattling little noise box when it's super busy, which is most of the time. However, we happen to have a monthly spot in the parking lot directly behind it, so...free parking trumps noise.

The Bluebird: This yummy gastropub on Damen in Bucktown serves its full menu until 1:00 a.m. I need to return to explore it more, but the theme is rustic, fresh Mediterranean, heavy on the Spanish and Italian, with great wine and beer pairings.

Paramount Room: This place is a hidden gem on Milwaukee in that weird zone of the West Loop where Iggy's used to be. I never hear much about it, but my wine friends like to go. The upstairs is just a tiny little dark bar - so tiny that everyone sitting inside turns to look when you open the front door. Head downstairs for a slightly larger dining area with wonderful French pub food and a great wine list. Open until 2:00 a.m.

Jerry's Sandwiches: Their deli on Division in Wicker Park serves 100+ sandwiches and craft beers until 2:00 a.m. I haven't been yet, but my downstairs neighbor Dan gets glassy-eyed just talking about the place. It's worth a go.