[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid: February 2, 2010]
Thanks to last-minute chiseling and honing of my invaluable New York dining guide, I have fallen behind with entries from my journal of ten years ago. How my loyal readers have filled the empty hours I don't know, but I thought I'd play catch-up with this midweek edition.
You left me, ten years younger, dining in a moonlit courtyard in Santo Domingo. Next day, a bouncy single-prop plane to San Juan to transfer to the New York flight, which turned out to be largely empty.
I was back in dining form the following evening, with a lamb dansak at Haveli on Second Avenue, accompanied by chilled bottles of Kingfisher. Later the same week, probably my first visit to Keen's Chophouse. I say that because I see I ordered the alleged mutton chop. I only did that once. It's an impressive-looking fist of meat, but it's really only large lamb chops, double (or maybe triple) cut. Mutton it isn't - as the restaurant had long admitted. I have preferred to steak on my subsequent visits to Keen's, where the ambience is half the pleasure of the meal.
It was "bitterly cold" by the end of the week, and a visit to the ancient Little Italy bar, Mare Chiaro (and it was still a full-on cigar bar ten years ago) was followed by a pair of Katz's sandwiches - corned beef and pastrami - which I only hope I shared with someone.
The following week introduced me to Felidia, headquarters for Lidia Bastianich and a restaurant still going strong. I remember finding it very cozy and welcoming, and after white bean and chickpea mousses, settled happily into a rabbit terrine followed by braised veal cheeks with fried sweetbreads. My kind of Italian cooking - not a strand of spaghetti or dab of red sauce in sight. It was mainly because of my love for San Domenico, which was also much nearer my home, that I couldn't really fit Felidia into my regular rotation.
A moment's silence now please, followed by your best dance moves, in memory of the late Lisa Lopes. Yes, the one from TLC who couldn't sing, but was the heart of the group and a nifty rapper and dancer too. Simply because I was lucky enough to see them play Madison Square Garden, January 2000, on the back of that wise and powerful hit ballad "Unpretty." Few pop acts have been so prepared to tell uncomfortable truths - obviously with the help of a writing and production team - both with that song, with the unmatchable "Waterfalls," and, tongue-in-cheek, with "Scrubs." Very special. Okay, blow your noses, that's it.
Artistic highlights of the week: Robert Musil's diaries, selections available at last in English translation - infuriatingly without an index - and a handful of quite staggering Velasquez portraits at the Frick. Eating out again, this time at L'Acajou, the little regional French restaurant in the space which is now La Boqueria. The food wasn't fantastic, but L'Acajou diligently tried to present menus from various corners of France with appropriate wines - a worthwhile exercise. Alsatian on this occasion: the old flamed onion tart followed by a choucroute garnie.
I made heaps of fish tacos for the Superbowl, which tells me I have caught up with myself. Rams beat the Titans in a close game, to save you looking it up. Next time, Mesa Grill.
