I'm not a food reviewer. Frankly, most food reviewers are arrogant assholes. I love food, and a nice meal with the family is a big deal to me. When I have a meal that makes a memorable evening, I like to tell others about it. So, with a few changes to reflect a different audience, here's the email I sent to friends this morning after an amazing dinner the other night.
Feast. Rarely do I describe a meal as a feast. I love food, you know that. So for a meal to be so good I call it a feast, it has to wow. Nandita, Michael T, my nephew Raj and I went to Ibiza last night. Charles Clark, the chef/owner, holds court in the kitchen nightly, cooking food while in full view of the crowd. Years after being the hot new place, and one of the early chef-driven concepts, it's still as good as anything in this city of great restaurants. We trusted Charles to cook for us, and he did. Dish after dish of deliciousness, from some rare anchovie thingy I'd never tried before, to fall-off-the-bone lamb and pureed taters.
Attentive, but respectful, staff, mama loves the ambience, and Michael T declared his first dish "the best mac'n'cheese I've ever eat." When the waiter asked what he'd like for dessert, he said, "Something blue" (he likes a blue ice cream we get at Marble Slab). Undeterred, he produced a chalice with a huge blue cotton candy, sparklers ablaze, inside. Imagine a 6-year-old's delight. This is not a place where you bring your kids, but I warned Charles in advance and he said bring him anyway. Michael T was on his best behavior, and his private tour of the kitchen, including a viewing of braised squid, was a highlight.
If you're thinking of a place to go for a special dinner, try them. Charles Clark has opened Brasserie 19 and Coppa, but he stays every night commanding the dining room at his original. Ask your waiter if he can come to your table, and ask him any question about food, film, growing up DeQuincy, LA, his untraditional entry into chefdom, or most any subject about which he's passionate. Dude just loves life, and good food, and you can literally taste it in every dish.
Take mama out for a romantic dinner tonight, and send me an email telling me how it was. Now back to regular programming.
Attentive, but respectful, staff, mama loves the ambience, and Michael T declared his first dish "the best mac'n'cheese I've ever eat." When the waiter asked what he'd like for dessert, he said, "Something blue" (he likes a blue ice cream we get at Marble Slab). Undeterred, he produced a chalice with a huge blue cotton candy, sparklers ablaze, inside. Imagine a 6-year-old's delight. This is not a place where you bring your kids, but I warned Charles in advance and he said bring him anyway. Michael T was on his best behavior, and his private tour of the kitchen, including a viewing of braised squid, was a highlight.
If you're thinking of a place to go for a special dinner, try them. Charles Clark has opened Brasserie 19 and Coppa, but he stays every night commanding the dining room at his original. Ask your waiter if he can come to your table, and ask him any question about food, film, growing up DeQuincy, LA, his untraditional entry into chefdom, or most any subject about which he's passionate. Dude just loves life, and good food, and you can literally taste it in every dish.
Take mama out for a romantic dinner tonight, and send me an email telling me how it was. Now back to regular programming.
