Pizza in Three Cities, Lucca, Bologna, Lecce

Plenty of pizza was consumed for Tour d'Italia 2017, from Lucca to Lecce. Pizza at all the places I'm highlighting are sold by weight (you determine how much pizza you want to buy, they cut it and weigh it) Here's the highlight reel for the trip.

Forno Casale, Lucca
In addition to the bread they make each day (which is the best in Lucca), they do have cookies and pizza. I’d never had the pizza, so it was time for some take away. It was a classic sheet pan pizza I’ve had most of my life in Fresno, cooked by either my mother or grandmother. It was good at room temperature and the next day for breakfast. And it has an eye for the camera. I will stress the real highlight at Forno Casale is the breads. Outstanding and the best in Tuscany.

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Pizzartist, Bologna
Stumbled upon through a random walk back to the apartment. Delicious stuff.  Bought three different types, fungi, sausage with rapini, and smoked ham with tomato. All the crusts were great (translation:thin, not doughy, seasoned, crisp), the guys slinging the pie were excited to be there and they happily accept take out. Looked it up after the fact and it's one of the top restaurants in Bologna by TripAdvisor. Happy accident walking past the place.

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Pizza al Taglio, Lecce
Night 1: Three different pizza choices, filetto di Manzo with rucola in a stuffed pizza format, mushroom and sausage, and a light creamy Gorgonzola style but real light flavor with mushroom. Paired it with the Rosa Del Golfo Scaliere 2014 Negroamaro; which I ended up drinking for the next couple days and a match made in heaven, easy to drink and eat with the variety of pizza on the table.

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Night 2: Truffle cheese was outstanding, two pieces down before I made it home. Stuffed mortadella and provolone was richer than the filetto di Manzo. The salt on the crust really came through on round two and paired better with the wine.

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Day 3: Mushrooms and a stinky Italian cheese. Like the rest of the pizza I’ve had here, another winner. No I didn’t get the name of the cheese, but it had truffles in it. Pizza goooood.

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Morning After Pizza: For each night of pizza you see, there was a breakfast of pizza the next day. I generally would get ‘planned overs’ with each night of pizza. I have no problem with not having to cook breakfast when high quality cold pizza will do, next to my double shot out of the moka pot. 
 

Bologna’s Battle of the Markets

There are four markets that come up in the guidebooks for Bologna. Naturally, all the guides tell you how great they are and I'm going to tell you where to not waste your time.

Mercato di Mezzo (recommended)
Probably not by accident, the Eataly, Bologna is next door and all access from Eataly directly to the Mercato is closed. The Mercato is a series of independent food stalls serving various Italian items. Cool place to be for apertivo. Plenty of wine selections and food to eat. Lots of action and vibe in the place.

In the area around Mercato di Mezzo, there are plenty of choices for apertivo and a wide variety of things to eat. Yes, there are plenty of places to get mortadella and prosciutto, but there are other casual places serving their take on the apertivo time, both inside and outside on the street.

Typical apertivo style snacks

Typical apertivo style snacks

Fries with Eyes, also known as anchovies were being served as a special at the fish vendor. Along with some apertivo items served on bread, soft cooked pumpkin, wilted greens, and some cheese thing on bread, along with cold lasagna, for 8eu per glass of wine, one could eat their entire meal without technically purchasing food, only drinks.

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Tortilloni with pumpkin in a sage butter sauce and topped with parmigiano was another winner and at 8.50eu for the plate

Mercato di Erbe, no pictures, forgot to charge phone (recommended).

Cool hangout for lunch, either sit down or quick take and eat. I had a typical dish of pasta with sausage in a light cream sauce. My friend had fried chicken and fries. Both were great. If anything, getting a quick fix of chicken fingers was the highlight, 10x better than a cotaletta sandwich, those suck. The dessert was a yogurt cream spiked with honey and something else. Thick and rich and slightly sweet, but no way it was all yogurt, it had to have either sour cream/creme fresh/whipping cream in it somehow. 

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Mercato di Pizzaolo (not recommended)...is the Ramate, not a market of food stalls. If you need a cheap scarf, hat, bag, etc. come here on a weekend. Otherwise, don't bother.

Mercati della Terra (not recommended in Winter) isn’t that big of a deal in winter. It may be the coolest market in Spring and Summer, but in the Winter, it’s just ok. There is an adjacent open lot with food vendors and beer, which could get lively.

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Il Brindisi, Ferrara

Il Brindisi has been in the Gambero Rosso Guide for many years. It's old. Real old. Plenty of dusty stuff all over the walls. Even has a squat for a toilet. Yea, that old.

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Il Brindisi seems touristy, from the moment you walk up to the door, with every global guidebook sticker you can think of, some certification on table, and some other certificate on a eisle. But, it’s Sunday in Ferrara, so choices are extremely limited.

Walk in and there are plenty of visual clues telling you about the history of the place (besides the dusty stuff), from pictures to ancient bottles of wine to somehow make you love the place just because it's old. I can almost see my Mom watching Rick Steves on PBS telling me about Il Brindisi in the heart of Ferrara, (dub in Rick’s voice) "legend has it this is the oldest continually operated restaurant in town"...blah blah blah.

I started off with pasta in brodo or broth, a classic and hard to screw up. The dish was warm, filling, and salty. Belly filling. But there isn't that much to it. I've made this dish and had it in other places, it's a classic regional dish served here with irreverence and disrespect. In most cases, the simplest dishes can be the hardest to get right. 

Boring broth with salty pasta lurking underneath the surface

Boring broth with salty pasta lurking underneath the surface

Moving on to the second course, cotechino with mashed potato was exactly as billed, no frills and cooked like it has been for the last 500 years.

500 year old cotechino sausage

500 year old cotechino sausage

My friend ordered the pot roast with mashed potato. This dish could have been cooked by my mother. One doesn’t come 6000 miles to eat a pot roast that can be duplicated by your mother.

Hey look, Mom's Pot Roast 10,000km away from Fresno

Hey look, Mom's Pot Roast 10,000km away from Fresno

The wine? It tasted like the stuff they served at the Fresno Basque Hotel in 1989. The wine was 3eu a glass. If it wasn’t served chilled, it might not have been palatable.

Was it bad food? No. Was it knock your socks off? No. It was home cooked comfort food, nothing more...but it was open on a Sunday and saved me from having to get a sandwich or bad pizza.

Ferrara has three reasons to go back to: 1 Rizzati Gelato. 2. A walk around its ancient wall. 3. Find a better restaurant to eat in (don’t go on a Sunday).

Tour d'Italia 2017

As I did in early 2016, I visited Italy at the beginning of 2017. I explored new territory in Emilia Romagna, (specifically Bologna and Ferrara), returned to familiar ground in Tuscany, (the walled city of Lucca) and re-explored one town in Puglia, ) the Florence of the South, Lecce). 

On this blog, over the next couple weeks, I will try to summarize some of my experiences in Italian travel, food, and wine with both specific reviews of restaurants and wines to general travel writing about the regions in Italy I explored.

Like all travel stories, there were themes and story lines, plot twists and turns.

You'll see a lot of pasta, a theme I'm happy to explore, it's Italy after all. If there was a primary dish to sample, it had to be tagliatelle with meat sauce. While a flat ribbon noodle was sampled most, a stuffed pasta with basically the same ground meat sauce was a close second. A meat sauce with pasta is reliable, it will not let you down, and there's really no translation necessary, most people know what a ravioli is. The variables with pasta and meat sauce are salt level, sauce thickness and pasta thickness. Salt can make or break the dish and salt level seems to vary widely in this dish. Secondly, do the chefs finish the pasta in the sauce pan to absorb any pasta water? Thirdly, how thick is the pasta and to what level of al dente are they cooking it? A lot of variables for a simple dish.

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The story line of Puglia had to be baccala or dried salt cod in English. It’s on every menu in some fashion. I would have gotten on my pizza if I saw it offered, which if I had looked into al Taglio in Lecce every night, I probably would have found it. Sautéed, deep fried, brandade.

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The winter theme of nearly every restaurant in Italy was artichokes or carciofo in Italian. I ate a lot of artichokes this trip. Raw, boiled, sous vide, stewed, you name it, I had it. Inspiring really. So often, artichokes don’t pair well with wine and are left off of many menus. Secondly, artichokes are difficult to clean and prepare. Thirdly, artichokes tend to either get boiled and then grilled in much of the Central Valley and Central Coast of CA and then served with mayo or some kinda Ranch style dip.

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The plot twist this year was being able to dine with someone regularly. Rarely do I have the opportunity to dine with others, not so on this trip. Dining with just one other person doubles the amount of wine and food I can try. So, when you see 6 or 8 pictures of food and wine in a single restaurant review, I was not dining alone. Even with my rather formidable eating skills, I can't plow down 8 dishes and two bottles of wine in one sitting.  

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I hope you enjoy my 2017 Tour d'Italia!

December Feasting

Fresh sea urchin in Santa Barbara, right off the boat. Whole roasted, bone in rib-eye cooked by yours truly only to be followed up by braising the bones and pulling the meat for Bolognese the following night. Lobster tails on Christmas Eve. Hand-made pasta at Cousin Vince's house paired with one of the first wines I ever made, a 2007 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. Freshly made cannoli by Mom.

Cannoli_mastro_scheidt

I lost track of how many times I had rib-eye over the month of December. House to house, night to night, city by city it seemed rib-eye was being served. The only break in the rib-eye action was on Christmas Day when Cousin Jeff brought over some antelope (outstanding) and wild duck breasts from three different types of ducks, canvasback being one of them. Delicious (please ignore the unceremonious plating job). Wild ducks are not what most people are used to being served in restaurants, there isn't much fat on these, but the breast meat has a depth of flavor that rivals almost any beef. Cabernet is still too harsh for duck, but Pinot shines with duck, and I've always got some Pinot on hand.

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From the Cellar a 2007 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

From the Cellar a 2007 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

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It was a fantastic December of family, friends, food and drink. A great way to end 2016.

Google Trends: Prime Rib and Cabernet Sauvignon

It's December, so guess what people in the United States want?

Prime Rib and Cabernet Sauvignon! Lucky me.

Steak sealed in butter and finished in the oven

Steak sealed in butter and finished in the oven

Prime rib is the go-to meal in December or as the trends show, the day after Thanksgiving people start searching Prime Rib.

It's also curious to research what people are searching related to Prime Rib, like "Christmas Dinner Ideas" as if there were anything better.

I'll be highlighting a few meals of my own along with friends and family showcasing all forms of beef and some of my Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy the show.

The Jug from 1976 to 2016

A jug of wine is nothing new in my family. Below is a photo from 1976, summer vacation in Aptos, CA. My Dad in the foreground, my Grandma and my brother John in the back; I'm there on the right in the yellow shirt. And in the middle of it all, a big 3 liter jug of red wine with a screw cap. No fancy wine glass, just something to drink with the meal. Let's face it, those old jugs weren't the best red wine in the world or California. They were drinkable.

Fast forward to 2016, I've improved the quality of wine I put in my half-gallon growler. The Mastro Scheidt Jug Red Wine is purposely made, not an afterthought or with 'left-overs'. I blend several varietals from Sonoma County to craft an easily drinkable red wine for the entire table. It is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without additional sulphites. The Jug is 64 oz or 1.89L of wine, nearly 3 normal size bottles.

Give the Jug a try. Find it online or at your local retailer in Fresno and Bakersfield. Sorry, no out-of-California sales.

My Mastrogiacomo Rosso is a Sonoma County product, filled with top quality, hand-picked fruit. 

My Mastrogiacomo Rosso is a Sonoma County product, filled with top quality, hand-picked fruit. 

Pasta Party (with wine)

Gnocchi and Linguine were on the menu Saturday night. Fresh, hand-made and demonstrated by the bald guy in the center picture (me).

The gnocchi were sauced two different ways:

Gnocchi #1 - browned butter with sage and black pepper
Gnocchi #2 - crispy pancetta with basil and garlic topped with fresh Parmigiano Reggiano

The Linguine was sauced with a Bolognese of lamb, beef and pork.

Wines poured that evening:

2014 Mastro Scheidt Sangiovese
2013 Mastro Scheidt Bordeaux Blend
2013 Denner Syrah
2012 Mastro Scheidt Superstrada
La Marca Prosecco

Most of the photos are courtesy of our hosts, John and Falina Marihart. Thanks for letting everyone get flour on your floor!

David rolls out the pasta dough with friend Trisha

David rolls out the pasta dough with friend Trisha

Recipe for Italian Salsa Verde

As with Mexican style salsa, there really are no rules when it comes to Italian salsa. I’ve seen plenty of recipes that incorporate anchovies and capers, while others avoid them. Bread is another ingredient that is sometimes used and other times not. Salsa is a condiment and depending upon the application, the stronger, more contrasting flavors of salty, sour, or spicy could be used to offset or compliment another flavor in the dish.

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I chose NOT to use anchovies, capers, or spicy peppers in my salsa verde. Instead, I favored citrus, copious amounts of oil, and a rustic style bread for substance. I was using the salsa verde as a spread for my confit of thigh and slow braised pork sliders, instead of barbeque sauce, aioli or pesto.

3 thick slices rustic bread, crusts left on
3 tablespoons Rice wine vinegar
1 cup Olive oil
1 clove Garlic
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 whole bunch of Parsley
3 branches Tarragon
3 branches Marjoram

Cut your bread into small chunks and soak with the vinegar and olive oil in a shallow bowl for about 5 minutes. Mix and fold the bread so that it is completely saturated in the liquid and easy to pulverize in the food processor.

Take all the rest of your ingredients and the soaked bread mixture and place in a food processor. Pulse the mixture several times until all the ingredients are mixed well together and form loose paste.

Taste the salsa verde for seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.

Comfort food dinner in Healdsburg

Now that Fall has dropped in, the timing was perfect for me to stop being a winemaker for the night and put on the apron to cook a comfort food meal among friends. Warm, hearty, rich foods with copious amounts of Mastro Scheidt red wines, pair perfectly with the Fall season; and yes, I slipped in a barrel sample of Rose, because I can (Rose pairs nicely with the sliders...)

Crushpad and harvest food in Healdsburg

Several early mornings, late lunches, and progressive eating evenings are the norm during the harvest. Eating a cup of chili or Cup O'Noodles on the crushpad spiked with one of the many hot sauces was a daily occurrence.

One of the surprise dishes was the duck fat popcorn. Hot duck fat was poured over a sage infused popcorn; add some salt and you're in business. Not a bad way to start the night in Healdsburg.

A Hot Dog Wine Pairing

I'm a traditionalist; white wine doesn't pair with rib-eye and Cab doesn't pair with shrimp, period. However, when an opportunity presents itself to pair my wines with hot dogs, I don't see much downside. It's a hot dog, I can drop the pretense.

The pairings were done on a working crush pad at the winery and I chilled my wines before eating the hot dogs (it's 100 degrees up in Healdsburg).

The first dog incorporated a Southwest or Tex-Mex flavor profile; the second is a spin on a banh mi Vietnamese sandwich.

Tex-Mex Hot Dog with the 2014 Mastro Scheidt Il Bruno Sangiovese

The Tex-Mex style dog used a Niman Ranch uncured hot dog, a smear of paprika honey mustard on each side of a normal hot dog bun, some pickled jalapeno pineapple salsa, corn cotija salsa and finally a few pieces of fried chorizo on top. The acid and heat from the jalapeno pineapple salsa combined with the cotija cheese are what bring this hot dog to the next level. Sweet, savory, hot, pickled, cool and fat from the chorizo and hot dog for some reason all work with my Sangiovese. I'm not just saying it, it works, but I wouldn't have ever thought to pair all this stuff together with a Sangiovese.

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Corn and cotija salsa

Corn and cotija salsa

Banh Mi Hot Dog with the 2015 Mastro Scheidt Hunter White Wine

The minute I heard "banh mi" I thought of my white wine blend. Since the first vintage, my white wine, The Hunter, has always had citrus flavors which allow generally solid pairings with Thai and Vietnamese foods. With the addition of Muscadelle to The Hunter in 2015, a wider range of spicy flavors have begun to pair well with my white wine.

The Banh Mi hot dog had some lightly pickled hot red chili which added zing and heat to the hot dog and paired off with The Hunter well. Add the richness of a peanut sauce and the fat from the Niman hot dog, and the citrus flavors in the wine cut through, again harmoniously. The hot dog itself was fun because it plays on textures, heat, Thai/Vietnamese flavors that is so far away from a ballpark hot dog, I'm surprised more people don't demand more condiments at the ball game.

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Chili and peanuts for my hot dog

Chili and peanuts for my hot dog

Gazpacho or the original juice cleanse?

There isn't a day that goes by where I'm forced to hear about another person that's on some kinda cleanse. 3-day cleanse, 5-day detox, juice cleanse. 

I've got a suggestion, have a classic "cleanse" for dinner and make fresh gazpacho. It involves going "old school" with your mother's blender or modern day with a Nutri-Bullet or Ninja mixer. You'll get all the same satisfaction of telling your friends that you're on a cleanse, but this will actual taste good.

Tomato Gazpacho

3 garden fresh tomatoes, de-seeded
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup red onion
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
A few cracks of black pepper
Fresh Thyme and olive oil to garnish

Put everything but the thyme in the blender and blend until smooth. Done. Pour into a bowl and garnish. Eat.

If you're still inclined to tell people you're on a cleanse, put the gazpacho in a glass and take a selfie.

Tomato Gazpacho

Tomato Gazpacho

Lamb, potatoes, green beans, Zinfandel

My friends and I have been sous vide crazy this summer. We've even tried to sous vide an artichoke (not that I'd recommend it).

I didn't do much cooking for this dinner, I have childhood friend John to thank for the sous vide lamb. Lamb leg was the next logical candidate for the sous vide machine. Leg of lamb generally has a long, slow cooking time anyway, so it makes sense to use a little science and cooking together. There is no real recipe for sous vide leg of lamb, other than cooking time, which was 9 hours. We finished it on a charcoal fire for some color and additional flavor.

Sous vide lamb leg with roasted peppers

Sous vide lamb leg with roasted peppers

For me, what made the entire meal pop were the green beans. Chinese influenced green beans were the contrast to all the richness in the meal. The salty umami heat in the sauce made me want to have another bite of lamb and another sip of Zinfandel. It was a virtuous circle of eating.

I can't take credit for the green beans, John's wife Falina prepared the dish, in addition to the roasted potatoes, one style with feta the other with proscuitto.

Pan fried green beans with slivered almonds and chili sauce

1 package Fresh green beans (you know, the ones that come in the bag, cleaned)
1 tablespoon Fresh chopped garlic
1/4 cup Shaved almonds
3 tablespoons Soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chili paste
3 tablespoons Canola or Peanut Oil

Blanche your green beans in boiling, salted water for about 30 seconds.

Have a large, hot saute pan ready to combine all the ingredients above for a quick, high heat saute (unless you're lucky enough to have a commercial wok in your house). The saute pan should NOT be overloaded with green beans. It's better for this dish to split the green beans in two or three batches, so that the pan stays screaming hot and the cooking process stays hot, this is wok-style cooking in a non-commercial home kitchen.

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"Baked Potato" Risotto Recipe

I've been on a bit of a risotto kick since I got back from Italy in February. My experience at the Risottoria in Vicenza made me think outside of the box with regard to risotto. Why can't risotto be as varied as pasta?

At the start of the night, the risotto was going to be a plain, straightforward style that paired well with the main star, filet mignon. But as the risotto sat there, waiting to be finished, it struck me that normally we'd have a baked potato with all the fixings with our steaks.

Why can't I make a risotto with the customary garnishes of an American baked potato? Finish the risotto with sour cream, a heavy hand of chives and some fresh proscuitto.

My wine pairing suggestion? With the combination of filet and risotto, I'd favor straight-up Signature Cabernet Sauvignon or Superstrada, to give it the Italian influence the meal deserves.

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Finished dish of risotto, filet mignon and grilled red onion and squash

Finished dish of risotto, filet mignon and grilled red onion and squash

Recipe:

5 tablespoons of butter
1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup Chardonnay
6 slices of prosciutto di Parma
1/3 cup of chives
1/3 cup of sour cream
salt and black pepper to taste

Add the butter to a medium high-heat saute pan and melt. Add the rice and cook, while stirring, for 5 minutes until the rice becomes translucent. Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and stir constantly. When the wine has been absorbed, lower the heat to medium and add a 1/2 cup of the hot chicken stock. Once the stock is absorbed, add a little more; repeat this process, stirring constantly (will take in upwards of 45 minutes), until the rice is nearly cooked. Remember, risotto is not meant to be mushy in texture, but have a hint of resistance.

When the rice is cooked, still hot and bubbling, but OFF HEAT and just before serving, add the chives, sour cream and prosciutto and stir together. Risotto is ready,

Steelhead Salmon Dip for the 4th of July

It's hot in Fresno all Summer. Real hot. 100 degrees plus. Fresno is all about backyard parties, cold beer and white wine (generally white wine, some Fresnans will put ice in red wine during the summer, I usually just pop the whole bottle in ice).

A simple cream cheese and salmon (cooked and cooled salmon, not a tartare) based dip, kept cold, is an easy appetizer to wash down with beer and wine all summer long. 

The proportions in the picture below, outline the entire recipe and ingredient list. Rather than write everything down, I just shot a picture instead. Remember to juice the lemon and chop the taragon for those that take things literally. Stir everything together until incorporated.

You can scoop the dip with vegetables, such as celery or carrots, or serve with toast points or crackers. If you want your salmon dip to have a creamier texture to it, add sour cream and/or mayonnaise and a bit more salt and pepper to taste.

Cooked salmon, cream cheese, lemon juice, red onion,taragon, capers, salt and pepper - stir all ingredients vigorously until combined

Cooked salmon, cream cheese, lemon juice, red onion,taragon, capers, salt and pepper - stir all ingredients vigorously until combined

Finished product, salmon dip topped with taragon

Finished product, salmon dip topped with taragon

The Hunter and the salmon dip are a natural pairing

The Hunter and the salmon dip are a natural pairing

Paradise Patio Party Couscous Recipe

Paradise, California. 

There is such a place. It's just off Highway 395 nestled in at 5,200 feet. I've been to a few patio parties there in the last couple years. For this party, I prepared a couscous salad, along with my tri-tip beef skewers. 

Here's the recipe for the couscous salad:

Cooked Couscous
4 cups Couscous
4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup olive oil
Follow package instructions for the cooking of the couscous.

After couscous is cooked, let cool on an oiled large sheet tray so that the couscous can be worked over by hand. Using your hands (kitchen gloves make this easier and less messy), make sure the couscous is coated in the olive oil. Break up any clumps of couscous with your hands. This will prevent it from clumping up later if you are making your couscous in advance and it sits. Couscous should be “light and fluffy” not clumpy and starchy. 

For the dressing
1 small handful of fresh mint, chiffonade
4 red bell peppers, minced
10 green onions, minced
½ cup Olive oil
½  cup Rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Ras el Hanout (to be found at places like Trader Joe’s and Cost Plus)
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and allow ingredients to marinate together for an hour. This will help soften the edge of the bell peppers and green onions.

Combine Couscous and Dressing

Combine the cooled couscous and the dressing together in the large bowl. You can serve immediately or hold for a couple hours at room temperature.

If I may be so bold, grilled tri tip skewers and couscous salad pair really well with my Cabernet Cuvee. Yes, that is a picture of several red wines kept cool on ice. It's 100 degrees in Paradise at 5pm in the summer, I wouldn't want to drink my red wine either if it were "room temperature"!

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Chicken tenders and Selling Wine

The life of Owner/Winemaker is one that sounds glamorous, but with the amount of highway miles I travel, I'm often confronted with food choices that are less than spectacular.

Chicken tenders from a highway gas station are one of those less than spectacular choices.

For every picture on Facebook that gets posted of me eating a incredibly well prepared meal, the balance in the universe is restored by eating one more chicken tender. Perhaps, I should do a chicken tender pairing with my Proprietary White Wine and perhaps my Sangiovese...goals for 2016.

Lucky for me, I have a incredibly well developed palate, seeking out only the best road side chicken tenders in California. A freshly fried chicken tender from Popeye's located at the Travel Center in Livingston is very different from the McDonald's in Lone Pine. I'll take Popeye's chicken any day. 

There are some big upsides to chicken tenders over other highway food . Tenders only require one hand to eat; therefore, one hand is always on the wheel. Tenders do not ooze grease, mustard or ketchup the way an In-N-Out burger would, thus removing accidental stains on clothing and automobile interior. The downside to chicken tenders in the car while driving, no special sauce. If you want BBQ or Honey Mustard, you're best to dip at the pump.

Frequency of Visits for Chicken Tenders

Punto Part Two, Lucca

I've already sung the praises of Punto in Lucca. I found their approach to be refreshing, technically proficient, and complimentary toward traditionally Italian dishes. I could have chosen anywhere in northern Italy to finish out my last several days in Italy, I chose Lucca for two reasons, the town is lovely and Punto just changed their menu again.

I saw the menu change at Punto online and the introduction of a beef tartare to the menu, it made my decision that much easier.

Redemption!

Beef tartare in Italy was found worthy at the one place I thought it might. Punto in Lucca.

A smokey oil on the tartare carried all the flavor. Like the oil from salmon skin, silky and packed with flavor, the oiliness transferred smoke, salt and umami to the dish. I think that it almost had the scent and oiliness of cold smoked salmon. Nothing is what it appears at Punto. Looked like every other boring and unseasoned tartare I've had in Italy. I spoke again with the partner about this; we are in agreement about the boring nature of tartare in Italy. The fact that beef needs time, a Michael Mina table treatment won't work on beef. It needs time. Tuna can be quick cured at the table. The beef needs time to penetrate.

Celery risotto. Exactly as billed. No tricks. Celery was breathed all over it, almost juiced in it, so the pungency wasn't there but you knew what it was, celery. No stray celery fibers, instead, very tiny pieces of celery that were perfectly soft. Some ground black sesame garnished the dish. Beautiful presentation.

Guinea fowl was spot on the fegato on top of the farrow polenta added fat. Simple prep, but each piece was moist and flavorful

Chocolate dessert was a flavored mascarpone mousse covered in chocolate dead simple easy to do ahead. Take what I had at Le Logge in Siena, the creamy nutty goodness and soak that on here too. The mascarpone was almost cheesecake like, not so soft like a mousse, but not as thick as a dense cheesecake either.

Punto deserves respect. 

Italian Wine Notes, Tuscany and The Veneto

I wanted to drink great Sangiovese in Italy. 

One must continuing trying wines. Great wines. Lesser wines. Wines that come from a jug. Wines that I'll never remember the name; but I'll remember the experience. I make wine for a living and I don't want to develop a "cellar palate".

The pictures below are the wines I've been drinking during my travels in Italy. I don't give scores; I give basic descriptions, often the impact of the wine and my personal outlook at the time. I was probably eating something while I was drinking. These tastings are not blind, ever.

I'm only looking and reporting on the score from the major critics after the fact. I generally didn't have any idea on scores while I was purchasing. A few wine stores did post the score at the point of sale. The descriptions are varied, sometimes without a single word regarding any of the properties often assigned by critics; a simple Up or Down vote from me might do.

This is NOT an exhaustive list of wines I consumed in Italy. Stuff falls through the cracks, but it's a good representation of what I've been drinking. I might be drinking with friends, restaurant staff, the winemaker, winery owner, or alone. The list is heavily Sangiovese influenced, that is the one purposeful item I injected into my overall experience. After all, I make Sangiovese for a living.