gutfud - the food, es ist gut

I first set foot in Sly’s when I joined some friends on a quest of good cocktails, and not only did we find them, but we also stayed for the food.
Sly’s pedigree includes Lucky’s for upper-end steak and seafood, but that should not turn off an average diner with an average sized pocketbook from exploring […]

Aside from attending Mac’s wedding, I used this trip to England to catch up with a few friends from my Kew days.
Raphael’s one of them, although he now works under the umbrella of the British Museum. Both of us have left our former professions based on this whole “allergy to poverty” situation.
We headed down […]

This is part of project Freezer Clear Out
Today’s freezer item is peas. I think I first bought them as some veg for roast dinners and for risotto with truffle oil and peas. I made those dishes ages ago and the peas have been languishing in the freezer since.
Traditional peas and lettuce probably has a better […]

Some friends who are #1 fans of food brought us here for dinner on a Saturday night. We also got the prix fixe with assorted supplements.
Damn. It was my best meal in Portland. Tabla brought out the subtle purity of its ingredients and the wines paired well.
On the chalkboard near the front door is a […]

It seems like dinner on a Friday is a tradition best pursued at home.
It is near impossible to eat out as a group of five, so why fight it.
But our last attempt was at Bar Avignon, and we were seated with a 20 minute wait, and had cocktails to while away that time.
Of this five: […]

The coming of spring means Lambrusco season! You can thank Sarita for that, she always seems to bring Lambrusco to all the spring and summer parties, as one of her many gracious talents.
The market is flush with blood oranges as well. I grabbed two pounds of them ($3 total), and picked up the Lambrusco from […]

3.14!!  It’s Pi Day.
I made quiche, that should count. It used a pie crust.
It’s based on this past quiche recipe that used asparagus. But this time I added lightly steamed cauliflower, and mediterranean yoghurt cheese, and chopped spring onions.
This is one of my Fridge Clear-Out concoctions. I had milk, eggs, cheese, cauliflower, and the spring […]

I received a massage from Nicky for my birthday, and after an unknown amount of time in massage bliss, we went out for a small dinner afterwards at Petit Valentien.
PV was one of the first restaurants in town to make small plates central to their dining experience, and one of the first places that indulged […]

We had it on good authority from one of T’s friends that the best espresso and gelato to be had in Vegas came from the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. Somewhere on the ground floor. Jean-Philippe’s seemed to fit the description, although we were not able to confirm it right at the time. Still, it was […]

While some of the basics of Vosges can be bought in Santa Barbara, I most look forward to a business trip to Las Vegas because I can visit an actual store, where fresh truffles are available as well as a small bar for ordering ice cream and hot chocolate. This was the purpose of today’s […]