[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid: December 1, 2008]
Seems to have been a strange sort of beginning to the holiday season, ten years ago. Apart from an invitation to a traditional American Thanksgiving, I seem to have been listening to Bikini Kill CDs, reading a book called Nights in the Big City by Joachim Schlör, and drinking at Milano's.
There was a Rothko exhibition at The Whitney, and my diary indicates I refused to pay fifty bucks for the catalog. Captain Beefheart, disguised as Don Van Vliet, was showing his big, sticky white abstracts at the Knoedler Gallery. There was only one restaurant visit worth noting.
One If By Land, Two If By Sea - yes, that legendary romantic haunt with the silly (yes it is) name. My first and last visit, prompted by curiosity. The fire, the piano. Champagne and lobster medallions to start, then roast saddle of rabbit and braised leg with mustard sauce, and a bottle of Morgan Pinot Noir, 1996.
It was just the kind of restaurant one might expect to find a Grand Marnier soufflée. And so I did.
All quite unremarkable, although not actually "lousy" - the term I find in my description of paella at the Olé restaurant that week. Better, too, than the crabcake po' boy at Tenneessee Mountain and the burger at The Garage in Greenwich Village.
Not much gastronomy, then, and I am afraid next week's edition will not be much of an improvement. But we shall have to wait for that.
