Salt & Straw Shatters Ice Cream Sales Record in L.A. Debut

Salt & Straw, once Portland's little ice cream cart that could, shattered the  American record for two-day sales of ice cream at their just-opened shoppe on Larchmont Boulevard in Los Angeles, officials  announced Monday morning

When all the sales figures were tallied, Salt & Straw had  had amassed $125,988 in gross sales over this past weekend, a spokeswoman for the National Ice Cream Organization (NICO) announced during a press conference  at the Fairmont  Hotel in San Francisco.  The previous record mark had been $114,345 at the opening of the C.C. Brown's  in Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California during the infamous 1969 heat wave. 

Unfortunately for Salt & Straw's owners, first cousins Kim and Tyler Malek, the actual net profits this past weekend were a paltry $457, as much of the gross was spent on the high quality ingredients of the ice creams and on "excessive"  samples. 

An independent report by NICO states that a "very large portion" of the record gross sales was lost in the "ridiculously high number of free samples" the Salt & Straw staff gave away to the thousands of customers. NICO estimated for every $5 dollars a customer spent , they received $4.89 in samples. 

"That's no way to run a business," said Richard Goldman of Goldman Sachs. "It'd be like buying a Porsche Turbo S and the salesman throws in  a Carrera 4S for free." 

The lines along Larchmont were like nothing the street has ever seen, longtime residents said.  At 10:15 p.m. on Saturday night, there were 42 people lined up outside the shoppe.  At 2:30 p.m. Sunday, there were 50 people in line.  The lines seemed to move along without major incident and the people seemed happy to be in the line.  The LAPD, bought in to control the lines,  said no "serious" arrests were made

Many in line had heard of the generosity of Kim, Tyler and the staff.

"I don't have any money," said one man in line who refused to give his name. "But, i heard i can have four or five  samples.  Shit, i look dumb to you? Salt & Straw is the best deal in town."

Salt & Straw is at 240 N. Larchmont Boulevard ( about five stores south of Beverly Blvd.) near the magazine rack. They are open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.  See the photo below for ice cream flavors.

NOTE : Salt & Straw's feisty "Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons", one of the favorites,  was featured in this  Feb. 12, 2014 article :  http://krikorianwrites.com/blog/2014/2/11/t167qq7z49nwphlnqc9y6y4bdlmsot

"Wanna sample something good?" is a statement Kim Malek, co owner of Salt & Straw says a lot.

Tyler Malek and his menu.

Villa Roncalli Officially Declared Best Restaurant in Umbria

Villa Roncalli, chef Maria Luisa Scolastra's  sublime shrine of  Italian home cooking taken to a stratospheric level,  was officially declared the best restaurant in Umbria by the Panicale Panthers. the elite dining commando unit of Team Italy 2014.

The Panthers, aka Le Pantere, dined at Villa Roncalli in the eastern  Umbrian city of Folgino three times this season, never having the same dish twice and never not proclaiming a dish to be ."Delicious!".

"Villa Roncalli is one of my favorite restaurants, not just in Umbria, but anywhere," said capitana Pantera  Nancy Silverton   

The last meal began at nine, ended after midnight, and, like the other feasts,  lived up.  I won't do justice to the courses we ate, other than to say we relished most bites in silence for several seconds,  taste buds overwhelming spoken words, until a simple nod or, as noted above. a superlative, proper in this case, was uttered. (The term "so good" was said so many times during our meal II here - a Sunday lunch - that the owner of the property came to our table (of six) and told us if we said that one more time we would be asked to leave.) 

Each meal included a soup that was thick and green and . deep in flavor* and  based on what chef Luisa had pulled from the garden that evening. Yes, not that day, that evening. The first time I saw her, was about 8:30 at night, and she was walking back from her garden, her arms full of onions and fennel and other vegetables destined for soup. This weren't soup that had been simmering for hours. They were just made..

As for risotto,  here's was I stated in a previous article. that Grizzly bears repeating. "That porcini risotto could drive to a risotto convention and there'd be a reserved parking space for it right by the entrance."    For that review  http://krikorianwrites.com/blog/2014/7/27/pks5wt8xkb500xfkuwu7d6ca4u9ica

2014 Italy is about over, but I know next year we are destined to go back to Villa Roncalli.

If you are in a hurry, don't come here. Go somewhere else. And if you are in a hurry and want a fast, easy read, don't read "Goldfinch".. And if you are in a hurry and want no curves,  don't take Highway One or the Nurburgring..  

* An effort was made - and successfully so - not to add the word "Staggeringly" in front of "deep". 

 .  .   

Chicken President Is Thrilled Silverton's Omelet Elected to EGAM

An emotional president of the World Chicken Organization said that "all the pain, suffering, humiliation, all the horrible living conditions and jokes that we chickens have endured for centuries because we lay eggs has been wiped out" after learning that a three-egg omelet made by Nancy Silverton for lunch Thursday was immediately inducted into the Earth's Greatest Accomplishments Museum, (EGAM) in London on  old Piccadilly Road..

"Today I speak to you not as a chicken, not as an egg layer, not even as a potential two-piece combo at Willie Mae's Scotch House  in New Orleans, but rather as simply a team member of Earth who has tried to make a positive impact," said chicken Sir Bradford Gronzyoof. "We got into EGAM Talk about it!!"

At an impromptu press conference in Rio, tears were held back several times by President Gronzyoof who grew up penny-less in a ramshackle farm in Chechnya and went on to lead the United Chicken Front in Glasgow,Scotland  before being elected World Chicken Organization President in 2010. "To say I am proud is like saying Senna could work a corner at the Nurburgring," Gronzyoof  joked, playing to the fervent pro-Aryton Senna crowd in Brazil

All the celebration was brought on by a simple lunch prepared Nancy Silverton. the 2014 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Chef in America  

"Let's just stay home tomorrow and I'll make you an omelet," Silverton told Michael Krikorian early Wednesday evening. Krikorian, having had eggs made by Silverton in Panicale for several years running, knew what to say ."Sounds good."

Moments after the church bells of the old hilltop town rang once. Silverton began making the historic EGAM -bound omelet.

The three eggs were assisted by prosciutto cotto, parmigiano reggiano. sheep's milk ricotta,  mint and thyme - two varietals - from Nancy's garden. slivers of Cannara red onion. fennel,  salt, pepper and a pebble of butter.

Was it the best three egg omelet in recorded history? I just said they got into EGAM .  

President Gronzyoof, a multi-billionaire, said that he would pay for the ticket of any chicken visiting the EGAM in London during the next 12 months. "it's on me! ducks, too."

Note; The actual omelet will not be on display at EGAM as they have been eaten. However, the photograph below will be there. positioned between the saxophone used by John Coltrane to play the solo on "My One and Only Love" and the spats Louis Armstrong used when he first stepped on the moon.

Final note ; We ate outside on a small porch. It was a glorious day. Neil Young was singing "Lotta Love". Two nights ago, at Pelicanos, our local pizzeria, Nicolette Larson was on the big screen singing the same song.  Here's Neil's live version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELakJxPiieU

"it's gonna take a lotta love, to change the way things are. It's gonna take a lotta love or we won't get too far."

Did the song make the eggs taste better? Yes 

Tiffany Fox Irate Over Tie With Hourie Sahakian For GOYA Honors

A stunned and bitterTiffany Fox lashed out angrily after learning she had "only" tied with Hourie Sahakian for the prestigious GOYA ( Guest of the Year Award), bestowed annually to the best house guest  at Nancy Silverton's Umbrian home,

Fox, a first year Team Panicale member whose strong early showing had her convinced she was a shoe-in to win the award outright, stared at her phone in disbelief when she learned that another rookie, Hourie Sahakian, had come on strong to tie her for the honors.

"I hate you!" Fox texted Michael Krkorian who informed her of the panel's decision "I hate your motherfucking Helen-loving guts." She later Facebook messaged Krikorian "I HATE YOU" ( see photo below)

Meanwhile across town. Sahakian reacted with dignity and a vow to do even more when she returns next year.

"I'm honored to share this very important award with Tiffany," said Sahakian via Facebook as she dined at Gino Angelini's osteria in Los Angeles. 

It was a memorable dinner in Umbria at the restaurant of a friend of Gino Angelini's that helped propel Sahakian into the controversial tie with Fox  The meal,. at Villa Roncalli, was Team Panicale's best ever at an Umbrian restaurant and it provided Hourie with several reflective moments that scored well with the judges.  

After the decision was announced Monday, critics noted that it was, also, during Tiffany Fox's most reflective moments that garnered her high praise and racked up major points.

Shortly after her arrival in Italy, Fox was a mortified witness to a profanity-laced argument between her hosts Nancy and Michael  when the two told each other to "shuddup", "shut the fuck up" and "you think know every goddamn thing", in an argument based on Krikorian's fierce dislike of GPS. Immediately after, on a two-hour drive In the back seat,  a shell-shocked Fox rebounded to impress everyone with a soul bearing, sometimes-painful, often-funny recounting of her life including her ordeal with cancer (which went into remission seven years ago.), her entree into the cooking world and her negative views on the dating life in Los Angeles.    

(NOTE :Stories of hardship do well in the GOYA competition. Last year's winner.Liz "Go Go" Hong wooed most of Italy during her stay by pretending to be mentally retarded and obsessed with "Saldis" (Sales) then, miraculously, becoming intelligent and charming over the course of one week.)

Fox dominated Sahakian in one category:: Number of times mentioning the words "Matt Michaelson". outscoring her 1,865 to zero.

At one point, Sahakian asked "Who's Matt Michaelson?"

"Helen's boyfriend," Krikorian replied.

 "Da-yum, Michael," an angry Fox said. "Why the fuck did you have to go say that?.I hate you." 

(NOTE: To qualify for GOYA, a guest must stay at the house for at least three nights.  Elizabeth Falkner had a brilliant run in Panciale, proving to be a delight and quite helpful, but the judges thought it would send a wrong message to the world's youth by awarding her after she committed a felony by breaking into Nancy's house and "Crashing".  Also, Deb Michail was another charmer and a whiz in the kitchen ( her lardo-wrapped ricotta stuffed zucchini flowers won the annual stuffed zucchini flowers competition) , however her near-constant use of GPS ( even to go from the bedroom to the bathroom ), ultimately proved her downfall.  

Another very strong performance was turned in by Susan Swan. the Africa- American, Oakland -raised  Library Media Specialist of the St. Helena Unified School District in Napa Valley. . Along with her husband. photographer, Steven Rothfield., she was very charming, but left far too soon.)

Fox's response to "you were the number one guest for a while"   

Chef Elizabeth Falkner Faces Criminal Charges For "Crashing"

It appears the nights of chef Elizabeth Falkner sneaking into houses and "crashing" onto unsuspecting homeowner's spare beds are over.

Friday afternoon, in the same Perugia courthouse where Amanda Knox stood trial for murder, Falkner was charged with several felonies including 187A of the Umbrian criminal code ".Dormire In Un Letto Non Suo  ( Sleeping in a bed not her own).

The case against Falkner all started with an amusing little story.

Nancy Silverton and crew had just arrived home Wednesday from Florence after a midnight ride.. House guest Billy Harris, staying in the annex to Silverton's main, two-bedroom home, asked if he could get another pillow. "My shoulder tendinitis, ya know." Harris explained

"Sure, just go in the bedroom right there and grab a pillow off the bed," Nancy said.

Harris went to the bedroom, but seconds later emerged, somewhat shocked. "There's someone sleeping in the bed."

Silverton said "Billy, no one is in there.."

"No," Harris insisted, "I think Elizabeth Falkner is sleeping in that bed."

Me, I'm thinking 'ole Billy had too much Fontodi Chianti Classico up in Tuscany and he's seeing things. Nevertheless, I open the door to the bedroom, turn on the light and, sure enough, there, passed out in the bed - not on it, in it, - was Elizabeth Falkner.

Billy, Nancy and I had a pretty good laugh that night.. The next day,  too. But, when Harris, a magician, began recounting the story to others. a disturbing trend emerged; Many people, most of them renowned chefs.  had the identical experience.

Elizabeth Falkner, highly regarded chef and television food personality,  turns out to be a serial house crasher.  And, even more significantly, Falkner has not paid rent anywhere in over three years, opting instead to break into people's homes  - some of them friends, many complete strangers - and pass out in their extra bedrooms. 

An investigation by Krikoran Writes has revealed that Falkner has "guested" unannounced or invited at the homes of chefs who have a combined 34 Michelin stars.  

"Laura and I came home one night after an anniversary party at the French Laundry and we heard snoring," said Thomas Keller via E-mail from Yountville, California ."I grabbed a beautiful Laguiole chef's knife Mchel Bras had given me and i tipped-toed into our guest bedroom. There was Falkner snoring her ass off like a cape buffalo. . Laura looked at me and said 'Either she goes or  I do.'. Problem was, I couldn't wake her up."

Los Angeles star chef Susan Feniger had a similar experience.

"One day Elizabeth came to my house with her dog Hendrix and asked if I would watch him for a couple days," Feniger said via text message.. "I love dogs and said 'Sure". Elizabeth explained she was staying at a friend's house who didn't like dogs. I thought that was strange. Later, when I came home from Mud Hen Tavern, I found her sleeping in my guest bedroom. I would have let her stay if she had asked, but I think it's a sickness of sorts with her. Doing something that she is not supposed to do.  It's kind of sad, really ."

In Paris, a spokeswoman for Joel Robuchon said "Falkner has three times sneaked into the master's house near his old restaurant Jamin at 32 Rue de la Longchamps. Monsieur Robuchon does not wish to speak to these events..He still finds it upsetting"

Meanwhile,.Silverton said she hopes the courts would take their time dealing with Faulkner who is out on 100,000 euro bail. Who put up the bail money? Nancy Silverton

"She's good in the kitchen and I can use some help for the next  week or so," said Silverton  who had already put Faulkner to work picking plums.

As required by the court, Falkner has to wear striped  shorts, (as seen below.)

Out on bail, Falkner picks plums at Nancy Silverton's back yard

Team 2014 Picks Villa Roncalli as "Best Restaurant in Umbria"

Last week at a bountiful spread laid out by Nancy Silverton and her "Italian staff" in Panicale, Umbria, one of the guests, this guy Steve, said "It's almost impossible to not get a great meal at a restaurant in Italy."

I'm thinking 'Where's this guy been the last several years? The SHU at Pelican Bay?'

For me it's been an effort to get a great meal at a restaurant in Italy, in general, and Umbria, in particular.  We just can't walk into any restaurant and get a good meal, let alone a great one. You can get a decent meal,. but, damn, who craves decent unless you're talking about someone's character? 

Not counting  a stunning lunch at Dario Cecchini's butcher shop in Tuscany, last week was a dining disaster. One lunch, at Perugia, was so awful i told Tiffany Fox that I've had better meals in custody.,  (The sloppy Joe at Wayside is particularly tasty). If you know Tiffany, ask her about the Scottish Prawn tartar appetizer I foolishly ordered. Extra veins, per favore.

To get a good meal. we need to have a recent recommendation ( chefs seems to move on fast here ) from someone we trust (Fearless Faith Willinger is the best ) or cross reference a few guide books ( we like I Ristoranti d'Italia 2014, Le Guide de L'Espresso ) Even then, satisfaction is not a sure thing.

So it was way more than satisfying, it was a thrill even,  to eat yesterday at Villa Roncalli in Foligno, an ancient town in east central Umbria founded in the 8th Century b.c. . 

Villa Roncalli was the best restaurant meal we have had in Umbria and I'd very easily put it in my the top 20 all time dining experiences in Italy. (For the record, yes, I've been to Vissani, the highest rated Umbrian restaurant in most guidebooks) .

It was all-star house guest Hourie Sahakian, Nancy  and myself for dinner. We drove there on the recommendation of chef. Gino Angellni, the purest Italian chef in Los Angeles, and a 15.5 rating from our L'Espresso guide..

We arrived at this place, an hour from Panicale, without the sorry-ass aid of  GPS, which I fuckin' hate. (Ask Tiffany or Debbie Michail.) We arrive at Villa Roncalli thanks to a lady on the streets of Foligno who gave me directions from a quiet neighborhood. "Turn left here, then turn right, then turn left, then turn right. Don't go toward the cemetery, go to the traffic circle, take the first exit, then go to the next traffic circle take the second exit and go about 100 meters. And there, tucked in behind a mini forest, was Villa Roncalli. That's my GPS, That lady.

Before we get seated, I meet chef Maria Luisa Scolastra. heading back from her garden, a fistful of vegetables in her right hand. Yeah, I toss out the "Gino Angelini is a friend of mine" line. She beamed when she hear's Gino's name.

We order two antipasti, ( frittata and prosciutto ) two primi ( porcini risotto and Chiannia beef meatballs) and two mains. ( lamb and guinea hen.). But, when the dishes come, they come for all three of us. When they bring my risotto, for example. I got the Lion's share, but Nancy and Hourie were both given a plate with smaller portions.

And the quality of that risotto.  That porcini risotto could drive to a risotto convention and there'd be a reserved parking space for it right by the entrance.      

Plus, dishes we didn't order came. The third course served was a bean soup. This green soup was so delicious, so thick with cooked-down  beans, and ideal croutons  and small pieces of meat that it made me say "It's over." Any doubt that this would not be a tremendous meal was vanquished by that soup.  Was that soup the best soup I ever had? Ummm, I don't think so. .    

Ten slices of salami that were extraordinary. Chi Spacca has a more-than-worthy rival. Nancy said this meat  would be illegal in America because it wasn't cured long enough. Then came superb Chianina meatballs,  

i took  a break and walked to the Villa Roncalli courtyard where there are five Italian guys taking a smoke break from their 10-top. . i looked at them, nodded and said "hey, buena sera" and one of them, the oldest, about 65, he says to me in shattered English "Where you from?"  Believe that shit?  He asks me where I'm from. Fool, that's my line  I say L.A. i was about to add "motherfuckers" . but t just say "L.A.". The guy, Roberto,  says, now through his interpreting son, Lucca, that his cousin is a chef in L.A.

"Who?" I ask, thinking  he's probably some obscure cook. "What's his name?"

"Gino Angelini" 

It's over. 

We hug, I lead these five guys back to our table. Hourie sees me leading the pack before Nancy and says to her "Michael just made some new friends.".

Indeed. We talk for a while. Fortunately, the time between course at Villa Roncalli is long. I like that here. More food comes. Gnocchi we didn't order. The lamb, the guniea hen.

For dessert is plate of watermelon.

It's over.

Villa Roncali wins the award for best restaurant in Umbria. I have two more weeks plus here. We will go back.  

http://www.villaroncalli.com/en/villa-roncalli-home-en.html

Nancy and I with the "chef with the high heels" Maria Luisa.Scolastra.

Ancient Panicale Flower Pot Knocked Over by Hourie Sahakian

An ancient Panicale flower pot, said to have survived the woeful times when Hannibal of Carthage left  a wet and bloody swath nearby in 217 b.c. at  the historic Battle of Lake Trasimino, was knocked over Friday night by Hourie Sahakian, a house guest of Nancy Silverton, the American chef who vacations here.. 

Shortly after 10 p.m., a loud crash was heard in Panicale's Piazza Umberto, This was followed by an "Oh my God, I didn't mean it," then pure silence as the 25 or so customers of Bar del Gallo, the town's main hangout, stared at the fallen pot.  Standing next to the pot, its precious black dirt spilling out on to the brick walkway, its symbolic lone flower fallen like one of the 15,000 Roman soldiers killed by Hannibal's forces, was Hourie Sahakian.  Her look said it all; Guilty.. 

Within seconds a young man from a wine bar, a bitter rival of Bar del Gallo's owner Aldo, tossed aside decades of animosity, and rushed over and began frantically trying to scoop up the pot's splattered soil, belovedly known here as "la sporciza sacro dei morti", (the sacred dirt of the dead)..  Soon, Aldo rushed out of his bar, his face awash in shock and disbelief, and slowly stepped toward the what has already become known as "Potgate".

"Che ha fatto questo?, Aldo said, ( "Who did this?")

A customer blurted out loudly - and wrongly - out "La sorella". The sister.

Aldo looked briefly at Gail Silverton, who was innocently finishing off an oat biscuit and who immediately thought, "If they try to pin this on me, I will sell that Armenian baker out faster than Nancy can say "ancora, bicchiere di vino rosso Montefalco."

Saturday morning, a team of art restoration experts from Rome's fabled Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro arrived in Panicale to examine the pot.

The team's leader, Luigi di Luciano stared in silence before saying "We will try. We did put Humpty Dumpty back together again. But, he didn't have this much significance."

Also, authorities said a toxicology report on Sahakian is expected to be finished by nightfall. A source close to the investigation said he would be "stunned" if there was not significant amounts of alcohol in Sahakian's blood stream.

"Dopo tutto, lei e  amica di Nancy," he said which translates to "After all, she is a friend of Nancy.".  

Sacred pot, said to hold the bloodied dirt of Roman soldiers killed by Hannibal in 217 b.c. is knocked over. Suspect stands nearby with annoying smirk.  

Pepe in Grani Moves Into Tie With Mozza as World's Greatest Pizza

In 1980, I read a piece in New York Magazine by Gael Greene entitled "Detour to Greatness." It was about Fredy Girardet, widely recognized at the time as Earth's greatest chef whose restaurant in Switzerland was - and still is - my fine dining Mount Everest. I still remember the kicker of Greene's piece; "Discovery is, I suppose, always more thrilling than confirmation. In Girardet's case, the confirmation of his creative genius is an endless joy."

That's how I felt a few days ago when Nancy and I   - and five friends along for Dining Italy MMXIV - ate at Pepe in Grani, the restaurant of Franco Pepe located in the hamlet of Caiazzo about an hour north of Naples.

A year ago, Nancy and I "discovered" it. on a recommendation from "Fearless" Faith Willinger, or, more accurately, on orders from Fearless Faith,  It led to a Krikorian Writes story that stated Pepe in Grani ( Pepe in grains)  was "The World's 2nd Best Pizza";    http://krikorianwrites.com/blog/2013/9/2/the-worlds-second-best-pizza. The lede of that piece was that the best pizza in the world is your favorite, but, after that comes  Pepe in Grani .  (Loyalty is paramount to me.. As Cleamon "Big Evil" Johnson would say, "Blood makes you related, but loyalty makes you family" and I am nothing but loyal to Pizzeria Mozza.)

Still, that night in Campania tested my loyalty. One of the pizzas, - called "The Dream of Caiazzo" by me, and "Il Sole nel Patto" ( "The Sun on a Plate:") by Franco Pepe  -- was, to borrow a MMXIV team member Bobby Silverstein food adjective, "profound".

So, this year,. when, after two other pizzas and a calzone, the waiter dropped the Dream of Caiazzo, Il Sole nell piatto , the sun on a plate,  I stared in silence before I ate it.

When I did, it made me sad. 

This pizza made me think of all the people in my life I care about who coudn't be here tonight, who would never be here.  It was the saddest plate of food I ever ate. Don't get me wrong. It wasn't like I was crying and all sloppy. It made me hope my good fortune on others. 

The next day when we saw Franco Pepe, he said, with a sly grin - and through his lovely assistant, Margherita - that he was very honored and content to be the 2nd best pizza in the world and "I just hope I don't drop down to number three or four."

This loyal person is not giving up Mozza's title, but it's time to share the crown.

The world's best pizza is still located at Highland and Melrose in Los Angeles . The world's best pizza is also located on Vicolo San Giovanni Battista in Caiazzo.

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.http://www.pepeingrani.it/  

Pepe in Grani has two sleek, modern bedrooms that rent for about 100 euro a night. So after the pizza dinner, you can dream about them one flight up. 

The Sun on a plate, The Dream of Caiazzo. The pizza Franco Pepe created to portray the land and sea of his home

Italy 2014 - Vin Scully Calls the Lunch at Osteria di San Cesario

"It's time for Italy 2014 dining.". 

"Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon to you, wherever you may be. I'm Vin Scully and we're here for the luncheon of Team Italy MMXIV at Osteria di San Cesario , located in San Cesario about 35 or so kilometers from the Coliseum, off the Autostrada One, near Rome Sud, or  "south", to us from the City of the Angels. 

"Womaning the ovens for Osterio is the formidable Anna Dente, one of Italy's most celebrated female chefs.  Dente, 70, who was a butcher at her dad's shop for over 40 years before becoming a chef, has been called the foremost practitioner of  Roman  cooking.

"Ok.  let's look at the eating order for TEAM MMXIV.  Leading off is rookie sensation Tiffany Fox, who will be followed by 2nd year eater Deb Michail. Batting third is team captain Nancy Silverton with the all star Michael Krikorian cleaning up (... Nancy's plate.) He'll be followed by Bobby Silverstein, Ella the chef, Ben the architect , then the Puglia-based contingent of Pat Asanti, the lovely Deb and their chatty cousin Nick Williams.

"Little story about Anna Dente and the kind of chef proprietor she is. Yesterday, MMXIV member Deb called the restaurant to ask what train her and teammate Tiffany should take from the main Rome train station, called Termini.  So earlier today, when Deb and Tiffany arrived at the train station near this town, who was there to pick them up? That's right,. Anna Dente."  

"Ok, let's get this game a going. Eating off for Anna Dente is a bowl of beans cooked down with the pieces on pork forearm skin.  And here's the first bite. Dente connects for a line drive in the gap. Beans are going for two and they arrrrrrre, in there. Nice start for Osteria. . These beans are creamy and smokey and shine with the pork skin. The beans are liked by all the diners and anticipation of a special meal grows.   

Up next are a series of tastes; fired zucchini flowers, something else, two kinds of tripe including a la roman that bloops in for a single.

"Now come the pastas, a rigatoni carbonara singles with its simplicity, rich, but not overly so like the ballyhooed version at, Salumeria Roscioli near the Campo di Fiori in central Rome. Up next, is cacio e pepe. Quick story about the team and cacio e pepe.. Originally MMXIV was going to meet for lunch in the Trastevere sector of Rome at place Pat Asanti's had heard served the best cacio e pepe.  Plans were made for the rendezvous.  However, two days before captain Silverton heard from her sources,  and the change was made to come here.  How's is the cacio e pepe today? Very good, another solid single 

Oh, here comes Anna Dente out of her kitchen and she is very animated and pleasant. A charmer. She chats in Italian with Pat, Nick Williams, Deb and Bobby.  

Up  next a platter of roasted lamb. All sorts of cuts. Team 2014 digs in. High fly ball into center field and deep. Back goes Krikorian, a way back, to the warning track, it's gone!    What a terrific dish."

"Ok. for the desert. Out comes. Tiramisu. What a minute, They are served as individual bites on spoons,. Silverton is borderline flabbergasted,  What is she saying? She is going to steal this idea. All right, Los Angeles,  get ready for tiramisu served on a spoon. 

"Effusive Anna comes out and generously pours homemade fennel liquor for the team. And her son hands out sugary biscuits. 

"Well, it's about over. Clearly, the platter of lamb is the dining highlight of the lunch at Osterio di San Cesario.  Though I'd have to say the real highlight today was Anna Dente herself."

"Good day from Chavez Ravine. I mean somewhere south east of the Spanish Steps."

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http://www.annadente.it/

WARNING - It might be a better idea to order off the menu then say just "cook for us". The  lunch bill for us 10 was 800 euro.  Bobby even thinks they charged us for the fennel liquor..   

Anna Nancy and Michael