A solid newbie and an oldie but goodie: Dinners at Maverick and Zuni

There are few things I enjoy more in life than going out to dinner, and fewer things still that I enjoy more than going out to dinner with my family. This week I really lucked out and enjoyed two nights out at two restaurants, one at a cool new spot in the Mission named Maverick, and the other at a well-established San Francisco restaurant - Zuni.

MAVERICK

Maverick's concept is not unique - present modern American food prepared from fresh, seasonal ingredients in a modern, cleanly and sparsely decorated setting - but the execution in the front of the house and, for the most part, the back of the house, is what separates this restaurant from many lesser establishments. As I was heading from work, dealing with traffic and even a speeding ticket, I arrived late. I needed a drink. My father had ordered a bottle of 2006 Robert Sinskey Pinot Blanc, which was so-so, but probably will show better after another 6 months or so in the bottle.

We shared a few salads which were all tasty and fresh, in particular the fried squash blossoms with toasted cumin and coriander yogurt sauce and arugula. The wine list was compact and novelly arranged according to Old World (under the header 'The Roots') and domestic ('The Vines'). Clever. There were more choices on the domestic side of things, and fortunately some good ones. I went with a 2005 Palmina Mattia, a Refosco/Cab Franc/Merlot blend from the a couple different Santa Barbara AVA sources. This wine was probably my best restaurant wine selection this year, just in terms of my (and everyone else's) pleasure drinking it and the overall value. No tutti-fruity Cal-Ital here, this is serious wine that had a fresh, pure black currant, blackberry fruit quality to it not unlike a nice young Chinon. It was similarly silky as well, lacking only some of Chinon's herbal and earthy savor. As for the rest of the food, sides were well prepared, especially the mac and cheese (nothing fancy, no goat cheese used, just good 'ol tasty mac and cheese). Sauteed cauliflower was fine and the rapini tasty, though super lemony. My braised veal shoulder, accompanied by a flavorful reduction including chanterelles, parsley root, pearl onions, kale and fingerling potatoes, was the driest piece of meat I have eaten all year. It's too bad, the flavors were quite good and the dish would have been a winner had it not been so dried out. Oh well. Maybe it was a sign that I should stay away from veal dishes for moral reasons, as I used to? Deserts here are quite good - we had a chocolate cake and an apple tart with cinnamon caramel ice cream and creme anglaise. Our service was very professional, if a little quirky. Our server insisted on 'priming' each wine glass with the wine about to be served. Maybe this is a new trend in restaurant wine service? Anyway, good food, solid wine list and reasonable prices all add up to a solid neighborhood restaurant.

ZUNI

I did not realize how large Zuni is. The street entrance leads towards a long copper bar, staffed by people who really know what they're doing and how to welcome you to their spot. Once again, I was running a bit late meeting my parents for dinner. I met them and ordered a glass of Henriot Brut Souverain, which they comped. Maybe it was Thanksgiving generosity, or more likely my dad was working the schmooze earlier. Either way it was a nice gesture, and the Henriot was a tasty drink - crisp and a bit austere as always, lemony with a touch of red currant fruit. Not exciting champagne, but reliable and a great apertif. Zuni looks sort of like an upscale version of a large brewpub, with high expansive ceilings, lots of open space and distressed wood floors. Upstairs, the space is very cleverly broken up into several different smaller dining areas, which helps to keep the noise down and adds a sense of privacy. Our table was directly above the oyster bar. To start we had a bottle of Roland Schmitt Sylvaner, which was round, slightly creamy and tasted like baked apples and a hint of peach. Tasty and cheap. I had an order of roasted sardines, which were fine but not a standout. Salads were fresh and lightly dressed the way I like 'em. For the main course I had ordered a bottle of 2005 Lapierre Morgon - which was a good bit richer and more generous than I had anticipated it. Also considerably lower in acidity, which is too bad. One of my favorite cru Beaujies I have ever had was a Desvignes Morgon 'Javennieres' from the same 2005 vintage; it was much tighter but also a much more interesting wine.

For my main I ordered the much heralded roasted chicken to split with my mom - it was just ok. Back when I lived in DC, I would often judge a restaurant based on how flavorfully and originally they could prepare a plain old chicken dish. It was fun, and actually a good indicator of the overall quality of the cooking. Well, once again the chicken test worked, as I found Zuni to be pretty good, but not all that great. Definitely a good lunch spot, though. For dinner it's ok as well- if the location is convenient - and if someone else is handling the tab.

KRS-One, Marley Marl, Red Alert + Fat Joe Live

The holiday season is time for reflection, sharing our histories and, most importantly, dialogue. I stumbled upon this KRS-One/Marley Marl video and could not have found a better selection for the times. Unfortunately it's not posting to the blog for some reason, but here is a live clip which hopefully will post ok. The video, which should come up as one of the video links above, features the teacher KRS-1 doing what he does best, set to a visual backdrop of hip-hop history. It is a very solid song and video; even further, in the face of current (corporate) hip-hop's overriding sense of degradation, individualism and pessimism, this video is an empowering, communal, and optimistic statement.

THANKSGIVING '07

Last night was truly a memorable Thanksgiving with family and friends. There is nothing like good food, wine and taking time to reflect on how lucky most of us are to be living freely in the US. Yes, we've got our issues: our current administration will go down as one of the worst run governments in modern times, there is an increasing disparity between rich and poor, much of the world hates us and our unwillingness to take action for our fuck-ups, whether they are environmentally, diplomatically or militarily oriented. Nonetheless, ours is still an accepting country, one of opportunity for many. Nowhere on earth is there such a wide array of people from different backgrounds, living together in the same towns and cities. These were all things we discussed briefly last night before dining, and it was cool to have different perspectives from young and old, 1st generation and 3rd generation Americans, left and further left (we did not purposefully exclude the right, it's just that, you know, it's California).

I would add a brief photo diary of yesterday, but as I couldn't find my camera all photo's were taken on my phone, which does not sync with my Mac. At least not without buying software and doing lots of fancy footwork that I don't have time to do right now. So look for the photo's a little later. Also, as is customary, some good hip-hop (or maybe reggae today) will soon be up for your listening and viewing pleasure. Maybe a couple of informal restaurant reviews? Lots to catch up on here...Happy Friday.

Kermit who? Eric Asimov profiles the famous wine importer

Kermit Lynch was an innovator, ahead of his time. Kermit Lynch had, and still has, a very good palate. Kermit Lynch, for a wine importer and retailer, is an amazingly engaging writer, able to relate the smells, flavor and experience of travelling in European wine regions like few others can. Kermit Lynch is also, quite possibly, the most savvy promoter and salesman to have ever imported wine into the United States.

Eric Asimov's article dives into one primary aspect of Kermit's career: his ability to seek out the best producers in various French wine regions, and urge them to produce authentic wine, unfiltered and representative of how wines from specific terroirs should express themselves.

While Asimov's piece is well–written and informative, an enjoyable read for both the wine knowledgeable and others, it is also about someone who many folks reading Asimov already know. Why not write an article on the importance of a good importer, citing Kermit Lynch as a major influence, while briefly profiling other successful importers such as Joe Dressner, Terry Theise, and lesser known names as well. Though Asimov states that many wine drinkers check the back label to view the importer, I would argue that this is still a vast minority of shoppers. I wish that Asimov would have written an article focusing on the importance of the wine importer, instead of yet another piece on the ever popular, ever savvy Berkeley/Provence based importer, in a NEW YORK based newspaper no less? I know the Times is serving a national readership at this point, but still - why not shine the spotlight on other people?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to Eric Asimov, Kermit Lynch, all quality oriented wine importers the world over, to all Old World Old School readers, friends and family.

I've got my Thanksgiving white; a baby Gravner in Oregon

I hope that you enjoy the WSJ style headline; complete sentence followed by a clarifying simple phrase. Anyway, I am very excited about the 2004 Francis Tannahill 'Jack' white wine. With a 37 case production I do not think it is an easy get, but definitely buy it if you see it. Provided that you are into interesting white wines, of course.

Jack is a blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay grown just 16 miles north of California. The 6 month long skin contact and maceration is exactly how long Josko does his, I believe. Except there are no use of amphorae for Tannahill's white. After the extended maceration the wine is put into old oak barrels for 16 months. The resulting wine is a beautiful color, somewhere between gold and pink gold. Strong apricot, floral and orange peel notes lead to complex flavors: apricot jam, flowers, roasted nuts. Not as complex, tannic or compelling as the '01 Gravner Ribolla I tasted about a year ago, but for $20 Jack is an exceedingly interesting, well-made, food friendly white wine. Wines like this are reason for measured optimism on the state of domestic winemaking.

Funky Cali

I recently tried two interesting wines from the golden state: one was a new release from the always solid Edmunds St. John and the other was the most expensive CA sparkler I have yet tried, produced by Equinox in the Santa Cruz mountains.

The Edmunds St. John Bone Jolly Gamay Noir 2006 is a fantastic wine and a cool domestic stand-in for Beaujolais. It's produced from fruit grown on Whitters vineyard in El Dorado county.
As many folks know, Steve Edmunds makes REAL wine, the natural way, fermented DRY. As such his wines don't get nearly as much press. But they are without a doubt worth seeking out and supporting. This gamay is a beautiful light violet color and tastes of pure tangy red fruits. No Beaujolais schist minerality as the grapes, I imagine, do not grow in schist. Terrific fruit purity though, and very food friendly. It will be my red for Thanksgiving dinner.

1997 Equinox Blanc de Blancs was an interesting animal. I'm reviewing this as if I were to sip this sparkler not knowing the price ($60!) There was a distinctive, evolved, hazlenut nose, with some earthy apple fruit. On the palate the wine lacked fruit purity and intensity, though the dryness and yeastiness of true Champagne were present (which I usually find to be lacking in most methode champenoise sparklers from outside of Champagne). There was something not quite right with this wine - brett perhaps? Is brett possible in sparkling wines? Anyway, the promising aromas led to a real dud on the palate.

To end on a positive note, I truly enjoyed the Edmunds St. John Gamay. Alongside the Bone Jolly this Thanksgiving I will probably serve a 2006 Rancho Sisquoc Sylvaner from Santa Barbara. I tasted this wine blind a few months ago and it seemed like a well-made, inexpensive Williamette Valley riesling, in the off-dry stylee. Thanksgiving is almost here! Which for me, my family, Nattles and her family and a few others, means lots of food lovingly prepared by Chez Joe and pastry chef Natalie. More than anything I'm looking forward to the truffled mashed potatoes. Mmmm, truffled mashed potatoes....

QB Salute -pt. I

It's too bad that there is no video for this amazing track off of Mobb Deep's first album. The balance between the super laid-back sample, rough and rugged drum machine, and the tense Queensbridge story telling is yet another example of classic '90's hip-hop.