9308 Elk Grove Blvd Ste 100 (corner of Elk Grove Blvd and Waterman), Elk Grove, CA 95624.
(916) 478-4444      
http://www.bestpizzaandcurry.com/index.htm

This is a quickie review. A friend and I trekked out to Elk Grove this week to 1st Choice Pizza and Curry to satiate our curiosity and our hunger. Italian and Indian?  Hmmm? That's a fusion that could work. I had heard about this place through friends and wanted to try the much talked about butter chicken pizza. Turns out the butter chicken pizza is pretty good and the mixture of flavors works well together. We got the mild and the flavors of cumin, coriander, garam masala, chili etc. were detectable but not overwhelming. They do have a spicier version as well for those of you who like a little extra kick. The medium pizza ($14.99) we got came with eight slices and the dough was a regular pizza crust. (I would have loved it if it had been a naan crust.)

The restaurant is located in a large strip mall. It has seating and serves beer and wine but the atmosphere is super casual, similar to a fast food eatery. You order and pay at the counter, then they bring the pizza out to your table when it's done. Service is polite and efficient. The menu states that they also make chicken curry pizza, veggie masala pizza and Malai paneer pizza in addition to the butter chicken. Additionally, they carry several "regular" pizzas (and gluten-free pizzas), as well as a variety of traditional Indian dishes such as saag chana, tandoori chicken and paneer tikka masala. They also have mango lassi and various premade/packaged Indian sweets (rasmalai, gulab jamun, mango kulfi, kheer, and pista Kulfi.

My friend and I both liked the pizza we had. Not enough to drive out from Midtown to Elk Grove for it again but if we were in the area, we'd definitely stop by or get takeout. By the way, for those who do live out there, 1st Choice Pizza and Curry currently will deliver within a 3-mile radius.

I've been home from my trip for a week now and my suitcase is STILL sprawled on my living room floor and I've been picking things out of it as needed like a vulture picks at a carcass. Ugh! I don't know why, but unpacking feels like such a chore. Not that packing a suitcase is more fun but at least it has the added aspect that you're packing to go somewhere, an impending travel adventure.

On a related note...do you know what your packing style is? I never gave it much thought until I started dating Mr.S. He starts packing for trips a few days before the trip and packs A LOT. Me? I tend to pack light and the night before (or sometimes even the morning of) a trip. Guess who tends to forget things more often? You got it--him. I think my packing style drives him crazy, but what can he do? And yes, he also is the type that has to immediately (and I mean immediately) unpack his luggage the minute we get home. As soon as we hit the door, he's throwing dirty shirts in the laundry, returning the toothbrushes to their upright position in the bathroom mug and the suitcases are emptied and put away before my butt can hit the sofa.


Anyhow, if your significant other is like mine, let him sort out and put away the clothing, toiletries and travel souvenirs; while he's doing that, hit the kitchen and make this barley risotto for the two of you. It tastes amazing and is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter's night. My friend, Michelle, ordered a similar dish at a Midtown restaurant (Tuli's) about a month ago and gave me a taste. Inspired by it's many mingling layers of delicious flavors, I looked around for the recipe and stumbled about this version in Yotam Ottolenghi's book, Jerusalem. Be sure not to skip making the feta with caraway seeds- it really add an amazing dimension of flavor to the dish. I had never used caraway seeds in a dish before and was surprised at how aromatic and tasty they are- kind of a nutty, anise-like taste. The barley risotto itself has a nice chewy texture and a deep tomato flavor. This scrumptious dish works great as a main course or as a side dish and is an easy meal to prepare for vegetarian friends. Although barley risotto is definitely less temperamental to prepare than traditional risotto, remember to still stir often so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.


Yotam Ottolenghi's Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta (you can find the original recipe in his book, Jerusalem)
makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup pearl barley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 stalks celery, diced
2 small shallots, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
4 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
4 strips of lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon chile flakes
1  14-oz can chopped tomatoes (I used Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes)
1 1/4 cups of passata (I used Pomi's strained pureed tomatoes instead)
scant 3 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
10.5 oz  feta, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
salt, to taste

Instructions
1. In a mesh strainer, rinse the barley and leave it to drain.

2. In a large pot, melt the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the celery, shallots and garlic. Cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened. Then add the barley, thyme sprigs, smoked paprika, bay leaf, lemon peel, chile flakes, chopped tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, stock and salt. Stir to combine.

3. Bring the mixture to a nice boil, then reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about 45 minutes (uncovered). Stir frequently to prevent the barley from sticking to the bottom.

4. While your barley risotto is cooking, toast your caraway seeds in a small, dry pan until they start to impart a toasty, nutty smell. Remove from heat immediately. Place in a bowl (or with a mortar and pestle set) and gently crush the seeds.

5. In a medium sized bowl, combine your toasted caraway seeds, crumbled feta and remaining (4 tablespoons) olive oil. Mix to combine.

6. When the barley is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed, remove the pot from the heat. Divide your barley portions into bowls and top with marinated feta and a sprinkle of fresh oregano.

1050 Charter Oak Avenue, St. Helena, CA 94754.
(707) 963-4444
http://travignerestaurant.com/

"There is nothing like soup. It is nature eccentric: no two are ever alike, unless of course you get your soup from a can."  ~Laurie Colwin

Sorry, I haven't been blogging much lately. Fall is my favorite time to be out and about and I've been dining out with friends a lot. I did make a big batch of minestrone last week though! I gave a few jars to friends and then the kidlets and I scarfed down the rest over at Mr.S.'s casa.

I love minestrone, it's warm and filling but doesn't weigh you down... a perfect source of sustenance for a chilly autumn or winter night. Not to mention, it's a super easy way to get the kidlets to eat an entire bowl of veggies with no fuss! Now I'm a die hard fan of the minestrone recipe from Nick's an Italian café in McMinnville, Oregon  (my mom and Nick are friends, from back in her Japan days)- it's a fantastic recipe and I made it for ages, but these days I make a version that's nice and hearty and chock full of my favorite veggies. I like using a beef broth as my base and adding a handful of ditalini pasta to the mix...oh, and don't forget to throw in a Parmesan rind! That's what infuses your soup with flavor and there's nothing better than eating that ooey-gooey rind at the end.


Hearty Home-style Minestrone

Ingredients

4 oz. salt pork, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 small onions, peeled and chopped

1 leek: white and light green parts only (split in half, rinsed well and sliced thinly)

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1/2 green pepper: cored, seeded, chopped

6-7 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 large carrots: peeled, trimmed and chopped

2 white potatoes, cut into chunks

1/4 cup chopped parsley

6 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms

1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons of concentrated tomato paste

5 cups of beef broth

1 Parmesan rind

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons chopped, fresh basil

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 can (15 oz.) of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (you can sub in Great Northern beans if you wish)

1 cup cooked ditalini

garlic salt and fresh ground pepper

grated Parmesan (optional)


Instructions

1. In a large dutch oven, cook the salt pork for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add in your onion, leek, celery, green pepper and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until onions become translucent. Add in carrots, potatoes, parsley and mushrooms. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Add crushed tomatoes and concentrated tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add beef broth and Parmesan rind and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to med-low. Add oregano, bay leaves and basil. Cover and let it gently simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

3. Add 1 cup of peas, 1 can of cannellini beans and 1 cup of cooked ditalini. Season to taste with garlic salt and fresh ground pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Remove bay leaves before serving.

5. Serve with grated Parmesan and a few slices of crusty peasant bread.


* Tip if you plan to freeze the soup, leave the pasta out (it gets soggy). Just boil some up and add it when you're ready to eat the soup.

Can you feel it? Can you taste it? Can you smell it? (Ok, maybe not smell it, right now all I can smell is the dog tooting up a storm because I made the mistake of sneaking him a few bites of chicken last night after dinner.) Anyhow...Fall is almost here! Despite the fact that Target started trotting out Halloween decorations the minute 4th of July ended, it didn't really feel like autumn was approaching to me until this week. Just within the last few days there's been a distinct change in the feeling of the seasons.


The calendar says September 22nd is the official first day of fall but already I can feel the nights are getting crisper, soups are starting to show up on restaurant menus and cardigans are starting to be taken out of the closets by all the hipsters in Midtown. I'm excited, I love fall! It's the best season (and no, it's not because Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes are being sold-- truth be told, I don't even like them.) I just love how autumn feels. It's like Goldilocks and the Three Bears- all the other seasons are too hot, too cold, too wet...fall is just perfect. It could be because I was born in the fall and an autumn baby thus biased...but c'mon who doesn't love: hot apple cider, rainbow colored leaves, The Great Pumpkin and roaring fireplaces? I can't wait! In the meantime, I'm bridging the gap between seasons with recipes like this rustic shrimp and white bean dish that I adapted from a recipe I dug up from ol' Michael Chiarello (you know that really pompous Napa chef that was on Top Chef Masters awhile back. I was seriously hoping someone would have enough of his BS and stick a BBQ fork in his testicles at some point during that season). Anyhow, I made some tweaks to the recipe to suit my palate and the dish went over very well at the dinner table (aka no kidlets whining). The heirloom tomatoes bring about a nice taste of summer freshness to the dish but the heartiness of the beans and shrimp give the plate a stick-to-your-ribs quality that make it a good choice for the fall as well.


Rustic Shrimp and White Beans with Heirloom Tomato Sauce
(based on Michael Chiarello's Tuscan Shrimp and White Beans recipe)

Ingredients

2 cups canned cannellini white beans
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. med shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-5 cloves garlic, sliced
2 dried chiles de árbol (crushed)
1 cup peeled, seeded and diced fresh heirloom tomatoes
4 oz. Mexican chorizo (or Soyrizo)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup whole fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley-chopped

Instructions

1. Drain the cannellini beans and reserve the liquid.

2. Place the beans in a large skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of the bean liquid. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bring to a simmer. Set aside. Keep warm while you prepare the rest of your dish.

3. In a separate skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat. Add shrimp. Season with salt, cook for 1 minute. Remove shrimp with tongs, set aside in a bowl. Add garlic to empty skillet. Sauté until fragrant, add chiles de árbol  and chorizo (or Soyrizo), cook for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and basil. Stir. Add lemon juice and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in shrimp and cannellini beans. Mix well. Cook for another minute to reheat shrimp.

5. Spoon onto plate. Sprinkle with parsley.

5th Avenue between Mission Street & San Carlos, Carmel, CA 93921. (The city of Carmel does not use house/building numbers).
(831) 625-0501
http://www.casanovarestaurant.com

Last week, Mr.S. and I ducked away for a romantic getaway to Monterey. We booked a couple of nights at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa and relaxed. We slept in, ate great food and acted like two kids playing hooky. The hotel had this great outdoor fire pit where we cozied up to at night and watched the lights across the peninsula and listened to the soothing surf.



While we were in town  we went and checked out the Monterey Bay Aquarium (neither of us had been there in years). Mr.S. petted a stingray but I was too chicken to. I did say hello to this guy though:


A 11 lb. spiny lobster! Of course, I didn't tell him (her?) that I was picturing him grilled with a side of butter. We also spent some time gazing at the jellyfish exhibit (my favorite). I could spend hours in that room. There's something just so serene about the jellyfish with their translucent bodies floating against the blue background.





Speaking of food, for dinner we stumbled upon a lovely restaurant in Carmel. It looks like a quaint, little European country house from the outside but the inside actually goes pretty far back and they have two patios, one in the front and one in the middle. The restaurant is called Casanova's and it's quite romantic. We liked it so much, we ended up going there for dinner two nights in a row. The first night, we sat inside by a window at a cozy little two-top. The atmosphere with it's dim lights and rustic interior made us feel like we were in some small, intimate ristorante in Italy, I loved it. Our waiter, Alejo was fabulous - his service was polished and professional from start to finish and he was quite knowledgeable about the menu. After perusing the extensively long wine list (it's over 100 pages long with wines up to 5k and they employ multiple wine stewards), I started with a glass of the Domaine La Remejeanne Côtes du Rhône. It was okay- a bit spicy but pleasing to the palate. As we perused the menu (which was a mix of French and Italian inspired country-fare), our waiter brought over some fresh breadsticks with a tangy tapenade. For an appetizer, Mr.S. and I went with an order of their signature Gnocchi Casanova. These delicate little pillows of spinach in a heavenly Parmesan cream sauce were pure gastronomic bliss. The dumplings just melt in your mouth...and the sauce, oh the sauce! It was so rich and delicious, we set aside our manners and dipped a few breadsticks into it after we polished off the gnocchi. For dinner, Mr.S. ordered seared scallops with black truffle risotto, spring pea and carrot ragu and beef jus. He gave me a bite and it was wonderful. The scallops had a nice crispy sear and the risotto was creamy and perfectly cooked, it also had a bright aftertaste that I really enjoyed. For my entrée, Alejo recommended the Mount Meadows lamb rack with artichokes, caramelized onion, garlic and potato puree and jus and I went with that. I wasn't crazy about the artichokes and would have preferred another vegetable but overall the dish was delectable and well balanced- the lamb was tender and juicy, cooked to perfection and I absolutely loved the savory caramelized onions. Although we were quite full, we decided to splurge with some after dinner drinks and desserts. Mr.S. got an Americano, which they brought out on a charming little antique tray with a mini milk bottle for the creamer, a chocolate and a small biscotti (FYI: he's a huge coffee snob and he loved their brew). I went with one of my favorites-  Macallan 18, neat (which I saw made our server's eye twinkle). For our dessert, we got the tarte aux bananes and the beignet platter. The tarte aux bananes was composed of a vanilla custard, caramelized bananas, homemade vanilla whipped cream, caramel sauce and a crunchy graham cracker crust. It was delightful, no heavy burned banana taste or cloying sweetness. Now I have a real soft spot for beignets so I was hoping that Casanova's version wouldn't disappoint- and it didn't. When I bit into the lightly fried beignets, they were nice and crispy on the outside and soft and airy in the inside. Mmm! It also came with three "dipping sauces" - crème anglaise, chocolate sauce and a citrus marmalade on the side which was a nice touch. Alejo checked back on us regularly, didn't rush us and paced our courses perfectly. Ever leave a restaurant and have a happy afterglow for hours afterwards? That's how we were that night after our dinner at Casanova's. This restaurant delivered that night on ambiance, service and food. 5 stars in every category across the board. It felt like a truly memorable dining experience and the perfect place to take someone special; however...

I wish I could say when we came back the next night that it was the same, but it wasn't. This time we asked to be seated outside and maybe that was a mistake. We were seated at a small table, jammed up next to a tree on the patio/garden. The tables were so close together that I felt I was elbow to elbow and back to back with the other diners. It was quite cramped. Additionally, the music was so loud, I felt like Mr.S. and I were shouting at each other across the table. The topper though was that our waiter, Steve, was terrible...absolutely terrible. Maybe it was coming off of having flawless service from Alejo the night before but I found Steve's service to be bumbling, obtrusive and at times rude. Off the bat, he seemed PO'd that Mr.S. ordered sparkling water and I wanted a raspberry mojito (it was hot on the patio) and kept trying to push us to order wine. When we wouldn't budge, he stumbled off, pouting (yes, pouting!). Service was unbelievably slow from start to finish. When Steve came to take our order, he didn't ask what we liked, he just hurriedly pointed out what he liked in a sharp manner that made me feel like I was being barked at by a drill sergeant. Mr.S. and I decided to order a full order of the Gnocchi Casanova, instead of just an appetizer order, to start with this time since we liked it so much. Our drinks didn't come out until our appetizer was set on the table and then we had to ask for breadsticks and tapenade. (At this point, our waiter was making us feel like we were putting him out and we were obviously not a priority for him.) For dinner, Mr.S. ordered the same scallop dish that he had the night before. I, however, opted to order the Fresh Catch, which was described as fresh halibut, smoked mushrooms, and fiddlehead ferns with ricotta gnocchi. What I got was grouper and no fiddlehead ferns. As he's setting down my plate, Steve informs me out of the blue that they're out of halibut and they've substituted grouper, he says nothing about the MIA fiddlehead ferns. Um, I'm not sure why he couldn't have told me this BEFORE he was placing the dish in front of me? I'm a bit livid and annoyed at this point but I'm stuck, if I make a fuss and send it back, Mr.S. will either have to eat his dinner solo or sit there and wait for mine while his gets cold. I kept the stupid grouper but I was quite disappointed about Steve's bait and switch. (Note: the fish was cooked quite well, I liked how the skin was crispy and it wasn't overcooked. The sautéed greens that replaced the fiddlehead ferns were a bit bitter and boring, they didn't do much for me.) For dessert, we split the crème brulee (which was a nice size serving and not too sweet) and Mr.S. has another Americano. Steve doesn't check back on us so we have to flag him down to get more creamer. He does walk by a few minutes later to plop the check on the table though. Mr.S. places his credit card in the bill holder and sets it at the edge of the table. We finish dessert at a pretty leisurely pace and then wait another 15 minutes, Steve never comes by. Finally, in a fit of exasperation I take the check to the hostess up front , explain how we've been waiting and have her run it so we can leave. There's no afterglow after this particular dinner, in fact I think our waiter is a giant ass and definitely should not be working in fine dining. His service didn't lack because the place was busy or because he had a big section, it lacked because he was an awful waiter and wasn't motivated to provide good service. We tipped but only out of a feeling of obligation, I really felt that it wasn't deserved in the least. I've honestly had better service at Chili's. On the way back to our hotel, we stopped by Carmel Beach and watched the last bit of the sunset. The cool, smooth sand felt incredible between my toes, calmed me down and brought me back to vacation-mode.

So as you can see, I'm torn on recommending Casanova. The rustic charm and fabulous food really won me over, but the experience can be outstanding or extremely disappointing depending on who your server is.

* Patio is dog friendly
* Reservations (for dinner) highly recommended
* Supposedly there's a secret little special table in the back (private room) that was brought from France. Vincent Van Gough used to sit at it when he dined at Auberge Ravoux in Auver-sur-Oise.
* Menu changes seasonally
* Casanova will allow you to tour their wine cellar if you ask

1607 F Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. (916) 441-2372. http://www.sampinos.com/

I know I promised to tell you more about the Foodbuzz Festival and I will, I promise...but we're about to take a teeny tiny diversion today because I want to tell you about Sampino's Friday Night Dinners. Why? Because I'm pretty sure they have healing powers. Really, I think they do. So, ugh, yesterday...yesterday was one of those days where I would have been better off staying in bed all day with the down comforter pulled over my head. Mainly because I felt craptastic. I woke up about 2am from a dead sleep with a migraine that I can best describe as feeling like I was getting the bejesus squeezed outta of my head. Like "curl up in the fetal position-clench your teeth-and squeeze your eyes shut tight" kind of nuclear pain. None of my prescribed migraine medications were working and all I could do was try and ride it out. Unfortunately that didn't come until almost dawn and even then my sleep was minimal. I got about 3 real hours of slumber in before my phone started ringing and the landscapers started leaf blowing outside my window. Time to start the day. Gah! My body ached anytime I moved an inch and my head was pounding (maybe from the barometric pressure drop?), yet somehow simultaneously I felt like I could fall asleep standing up. Have you ever had that feeling? Pain and exhaustion going through you at the same time? I kept taking the migraine meds and drinking cups of coffee and by midday I felt slightly human. Thinking I had to do something productive, I figured I would go to Home Depot and purchase a specialty light bulb I had been meaning to buy. So I rolled off the couch and threw on a fleece and headed out looking like something the cat dragged in. Found the light bulb. Score...check one to-do item off my list. On the way out, I decided to hit up IKEA...giant bad move. I had forgotten it was a holiday, the place was busy. The coffee began to wear off rapidly, the drumming in my head began to increase tenfold. The dishtowels I wanted turned out to only be available as breadbasket liners (really?!!). Nausea was starting to set in. I ran into some people I knew. Trying to exchange polite pleasantries when you feel sick to your stomach is pretty awkward (I guess you could just always puke on them and explain later). Then I couldn't find a catalog anywhere in the lighting department. The drumming was turning into a full blown Riverdance pounding. Okay, maybe getting these errands done wasn't so important after all. I just wanted out of the IKEA labyrinth. Ahhhh, fresh air--gulp!Gulp! So I finally got home and laid down...at this point, I was in a bit of a quandary...I had dinner plans with friends. Dinner plans at a restaurant we booked weeks ago...dinner plans at a restaurant that's full and has been turning people away. What to do? I decided to choke down some more migraine meds, drink some more strong coffee and take a short nap.

Dinner time rolled around, I was still feeling achy and my head was thumping like the bass in a T.I. song but I put on a smile and head over to Sampino's. The place had been transformed from it's usual daytime deli into a small, quaint trattoria and though the eatery was a bit congested (tables and chairs are literally squeezed in there back-to-back), you're greeted with a feeling of friendliness and family when you walk in. Dinner is one seating (6pm), so everyone's arriving all at once. They give you time to exchange hugs and hellos then everyone settles in and gets down to business.  We started out with some fresh baked foccacia and zesty antipasti (assorted olives, pickled vegetables and pepperoncinis).


Once our tastebuds were whetted, we're presented with a delicious zuppa- a Venitian white bean and sausage soup...our table much like the others around us at this point is busy yakking and laughing and that's when I noticed it, my migraine was slowly dissipating and my nausea had all but subsided.


Next for the primi, a slice of timbale is brought out to each of us. As I dug into the multiple layers of pasta, marinara, salami, cheese and other assorted goodies I look up and notice that "The Big Night" is quietly playing on a small TV in the corner...I find myself grinning at the subtle bit of humor.


At this point we're getting pretty full and we haven't even gotten to the main course. We get a brief intermission from stuffing our faces when the large dinner party next to us, whom are celebrating grandma's birthday, perform a toast and have one of their younger guests sing "Happy Birthday" and a song in Italian. At this point it truly feels like we are attending an actual Italian family dinner. (I'm just waiting for a drunk cousin Giovanni to pinch my butt and then it'll be truly authentic!) Next up from the kitchen is is a creamy plate of risotto (tre formaggi and leek)...delicious! My migraine at this point has completely disappeared (possibly because the tightness of the waistband of my pants has cut off the blood supply to my upper body).


The main course (the secondi) is presented then, half of our dinner party has the braised veal shank with roasted vegetables in a red wine reduction, the other half- a garlic and herb marinated snapper on a bed of onions and bell peppers with sauteed asparagus. I take a few bites of my snapper and immediately ask for a box (it's tasty but my stomach's about to explode from food overload).


To cleanse our palates we're given a fresh mixed green insalata tossed with dried cranberries and a vinaigrette (no photo...a side salad's, a side salad folks). The evening concludes with my favorite dish, the dolce--a pumpkin gelato parfait set atop an eggnog custard and glazed with a chocolate ganache. I can attest that pumpkin did not die in vain---that gelato was sheer bliss on my tongue.


Driving home last night I was tired but amazed at how much better I felt...maybe the belly truly does rule the mind and body. After a night of deep sleep and dreams of meatballs and cannolis, I woke with still no migraine or nausea. Of course I'll take it easy (I'm not crazy)...but I really think there's something to that Sampino's place and their hearty Italian fare. ;)


* Friday night dinner $25-$30 pp.
* Reservation only.
* Beverages,Tax & Gratuity not included.
* Sampino policy requires credit card information to hold a reservation, 50% fee will be charged for any no shows.

1531 14th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122. (206) 251-7673  www.spinasse.com

There'll always be days that you're too tired, too sick or just too lazy to cook. So when you do have days when you feel the urge to bust out your apron; you should take advantage of the mood and whip up a big batch of something so that you can freeze a bunch of it...or if you're like me, feed all of your friends. I mean really, who doesn't love a homecooked soup, sauce or casserole?

One of my favorite sauces to make and share is bolognese sauce. It's simple to make and quite healthy. When I first started making it, I used Ms.Big Head's (aka Giada De Laurentiis) recipe from Everyday Italian as a template. Over time I tweaked this and that and found a version that worked for me. 

You can find the original recipe here:  Giada's Simple Bolognese. My version complete with tweaks is listed below.

Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients

½ cup olive oil
2  (28 oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes (I like to use Muir Glen's Organic Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes)
2 medium onions, diced
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs. ground beef
½ cup flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped
¼  cup basil leaves, chopped
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Tapatio sauce
Red pepper flakes
½  cup red wine

Instructions

* In a large skillet heat the olive oil.  Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until the onions become very soft, about 8 minutes.

* Raise heat to high and add the ground beef. Saute for another 10 minutes, until all the pink is gone.

* Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil. Stir.

* Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add red wine and a couple splashes of Tapatio.

* Allow the sauce to simmer on medium low heat until it thickens, about 30 minutes.

2724 J St, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 447-1000

Ever watch one of those antique shows, where some poor schmuck brings on a rare "antique" lamp on to be appraised? You know the lamp that his Great-Great-Great Grandma Gertrude strapped to her back and brought with her on the boat from Poland that's supposedly 100% gold? The lamp that the appraiser inevitably flips over and rubs the bottom with his thumb to...lo and behold...uncover in tiny script the words, "Made in Taiwan"? Well, that's what Gianni's reminds me of. At first glance, its sleek Tiffany blue colored tables and exposed brickwork radiates an oh-so South Beach hipster cool but a little rub with the thumb uncovers a multitude of imperfections in its polished facade.

Let me explain...Gianni's was our choice for our January girls' night out. We entered the establishment around seven o'clock on a Friday and were greeted by a polite silver haired gentleman within seconds and were assured that we would be seated shortly. True to his word, the host ushered us over to a nice roomy booth within five minutes. Wonderful! From that point on though, the night pretty much went downhill. Now I'm a pretty easy going customer, I don't expect my waiters to channel Mr. Belvedere and wait on me hand and foot but our waiter that night took the term piss poor service to a whole new level. Seriously, when the service wasn't non-existent it was horrendous. Our waiter would disappear for extended lengths of time and we had to flag him down to order both our drinks and our meals. Had the restaurant been even remotely busy, I could understand but not only was it barely full but I could see the waiter slacking off a few feet away. In addition to this, our waiter actually got into an argument with us about what type of wine we should order and whether we should order individual glasses or a bottle. When we held fast and reiterated what we wanted (the Antinori Super Tuscan), his reaction was to pout and spout off a smartass remark...classy! Whatever happened to the customer's always right? At this point we hadn't even eaten and I was disgusted with Gianni's.

For our orders, we decided to share several appetizers and two pizzas. For the apps we opted for the house salad, the creamy polenta dish and the calamari. The creamy polenta dish was smooth and accented with a light hint of what I believe was truffle oil. The calamari was a good sized portion, marinated in buttermilk (unbreaded) and tossed with tomatoes, basil and chilies-- in my opinion, the best dish out of what we ordered. As for the salad and pizzas, they weren't anything to write home about but did the job of satisfying our hunger. During the course of our meal, the ex-waitress in me noticed that the silverware was dirty (I had to ask for another fork and knife because there were remnants from someone else's dinner encrusted on the tines and blade), the glassware was spotty and several plates had obvious chips and cracks. In addition, our busser was slow to refill our water and early in the evening had dropped a large hunk of bread in the middle of the table. I found it amusing that throughout the night, he continued to carefully bus around the bread as though it were a centerpiece. My guess is that bread is probably still sitting in the same spot on the table even to this day.

Now usually when I go to dinner with my girlfriends, it's customary for us to linger over dessert and some coffee, perhaps even an after dinner drink. At Gianni's, we couldn't get out of there fast enough. Although we did leave our server a tip, I sincerely felt it was undeserved and that he should have tipped us for having to endure his crappy subpar service and abhorrent attitude. I most definitely would not waste my money at Gianni's again nor would I ever subject anyone I know to such a hellacious dining experience by recommending it. It just goes to show that a restaurant can look pretty, but to get customers to return it needs to be able to offer up a pleasant dining experience as well. I believe Gianni's is what the Italians refer to as, "Tutto fumo e niente arrost," (all smoke and no fire) and places like that rarely stick around for long.

2121 Golden Centre Ln Ste #10, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670, (916) 858-0651

Ever have one of those days, where you're so deluged with assignments and surrounded by raving idiots that you don't know whether to start screaming, "Serenity Now!" (tm: Seinfeld) or crawl under your desk and curl up in a ball? That was my day today. After noting that I had so many cases on my desk that I appeared to be entombed in my cubicle, my wonderful co-worker took pity on me and suggested that we go out to dinner.

Once the prison yard bell rang... ummm, I mean, after finishing up in the office, we jetted over to a nearby strip mall where overshadowed by a mammoth Bel Air is a cute little trattoria in Gold River called Il Forno Classico. My coworker had visited this establishment before for their wine bar, but never for dining. It was still pretty early when we got there but we were greeted immediately at the front by a young man with a friendly smile and a strategically mussed hairdo, who ended up being our waiter (I think his name was Garrett?). He did a superb job of facilitating our meal. When asked which were better the crab cakes or the ahi for a starter, he recommended the crab cakes without missing a beat. The crab cakes were indeed quite tasty and I liked the pesto aioli topping. Also, he was quite conscientious about keeping our glasses full (we had vacillated between the Cakebread and Rombauer Chardonnays and finally opted to go with the Cakebread). During our meal, our server was the perfect balance of personable without being obtrusive. I appreciated that there was enough down time between courses that I didn't feel rushed, but not too much time where I was inclined to look around with a ravenous "Where the heck is our food?" expression.

Il Forno's menu showcases your standard California-Italian fare such as salads, pizzas, steak, pastas, chicken and wood fired pizzas. Entrees were reasonably priced from $11- $20 and appetizers from $8 -$14. I had a hard time deciding between the cioppino or the chicken scaloppini for my dinner. I finally went with the latter which came with a delectable marsala wine sauce intermingled with pieces of mushroom, garlic and bacon. This was served with creamy mashed potatoes and a side of green beans. The chicken would have been better had it been cut in medallions and the green beans were a tad salty, but overall it was a good meal. The coworker took a different approach and succumbed to the calling of some rich looking pasta---more specifically the artichoke and spinach ravioli accompanied by chicken, proscuitto and a lemon cream sauce. From the content sighs I heard radiating from the other end of the table; I will assume that the pasta was equally gratifying.

The restaurant boasts that it carries several hundred different kinds of wine and from the extensive wine list that I perused, I don't doubt it. They do also offer a wine tasting night on Thursdays from 6pm-9pm. This would be a great place to bring your favorite wine connoisseur. If I'm ever cursed with another rough day working for the Man, hopefully it'll be on a Thursday so I can have an excuse to hang out in the 'burbs and sample some wines at the IFC.