Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Carbone Going Corporate


CARBONE
and
The Former ROCCO'S SIGN

Thompson Street
GREENWICH VILLAGE
NEW YORK


The juggernaut, as the New York Times recently called then, The Torris Boys (Major Foods) is going corporate. "Watch Out Boys and Girls," that means exclusiveness, cachet, and overall cool factor goes down. Major expansion, they going corporate, McDonaldesque if you will. Well not quite, but you know what I mean. The so called Torrisi Boys, Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and partner Jeff Zalaznick who own and operate; Carbone, Parm (2 locations), Torrisi Italian Specialties, and ZZ plan on major expansion in the next couple of years with a large bakery/ restaurant downtown, that will partner with Melissa Weller and feature fresh baked; Bagels,Danish, Bear Claws, Challah Bread, yeast based and other baked goods. Jeff Zalaznick states, "It's going to be our version of Barney Greengrass."
     The partners whose Parm Restaurant on Mulberry Street next to their first place Torrisi Italian Specialties has been super successful from day one and quickly spawned a sister Parm at Yankee Stadium. The Torrisi Boys (Major Foods) plan on opening several more outposts of PARM all over New York, in; Battery Park, 2 in Brooklyn of which one be near to The Barclay's Center and another in Williamsburg, the Upper West Side and who knows where else? The New York Times says they plan on building Parm into a citywide Shake Shack style franchise. "Good Luck." Corporate, make a ton of money, but majorly lose cachet and so-called cool-factor. You can't have it all boys. They probably do.
    Most well-heeled New Yorkers hate chains a corporate conglomerates when it comes to restaurants. Many giant nation-wide food chains who've made it big in a large part of the country thought they'd come in to New York and knock-em-dead. Not! Discerning New Yorkers tend to like small independent restaurants, not corporate like Applebee's and Bennigans. When you see restaurants like Red Lobster and Olive Garden doing well around Times Square it's tourists and the less well healed New Yorkers going to them, the rest of us hate chain restaurants. 
    So it will remain to see what happens with Parm, Carbone and the now much smaller Major Foods (Torrisi Boys) empire. With a good number more Parm Outlets open, will the original loss it cachet and hot-factor? Who knows? Probably. And what of Carbone, the flagship of the corporation which has from day one and to this point (March 20, 2014) been uber-hot and still New York's Hottest Restaurant Ticket in Town? Time will tell, and ...


DBZ





PARM

Mulberry Street


Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin



FRANK & DEAN

NOW THAT'S COOL" !!!!











Saturday, March 8, 2014

MEATBALL PARM MONDAYS



The MEATBALL PARM





MEATBALL PARM MONDAYS


   The Meatball Parm Sandwich, as stated earlier, the Meatball Parm is one of thee Italian-American males most treasured things in life.  Things he needs to live a happy, normal, satisfying life, and an actual necessity for true Happiness. It’s right up there with Mom, Grandma, Sausages and Sunday Sauce. We ask not for much!
    No you do not have to be a Man or a Boy to eat one. Ladies and Girls eat them as well.  It’s just that the male of the species happens to Eat 5 Times the amount that Italian-American Women do. Not only that, but the male of the species holds Meatballs and Meatball Parms in much Greater Reverence, than do the females. They “Exalt” it, as the Meatball Parm, it deserves such adulation.  The men and boys adore it and get quite excited at the prospect and act of eating one, the “Meatball Parm.” And ladies who make them, know how much it is loved, cherished even.
    Yes Italian-American ladies and girls like this thing called the Meatball Parm too, but they  don’t get quite as excited about this sandwich as the males do.  Meatball Parms are held  quite dear  to Italian  men. Yes, it’s a guy thing, and more specifically, an Italian Guy thing. Yes, Italian-American males have given the Meatball Parm Iconic Status within our lives and realm of food. Why? We’re Italian, that’s all.
     The Great Ritual of the Meatball Parm Monday and it ties to the Sunday Sauce. You make the Meatballs for the Sauce, The “Gravy.” On Saturday you will buy all the meat, the Sausages and the rest of the ingredients for your Sunday Sauce (Gravy) to be made on Sunday.  However, on Saturday you are already thinking about  those Meatball Parms for Monday’s lunch.
   Yes Meatball Parms on Monday, following the previous days Sunday Sauce. You see, you have to think ahead.  Every good Italian knows that when you go through all the effort and time it will take to make a  pot  of  Sunday Sauce,  that you don’t just make it  for  Sunday’s consumption alone. No, that would be a waste of time to make just enough to eat on Sunday. It takes  time, effort,  energy,  and work to make  a  Sunday Sauce,  which  of course  is well worth it. You do not mind the work involved at all, for in the end, the “Rewards are Great.”A Sunday Sauce will yield, the beloved Sausages,  Gravy,  Braciole, succulent Ribs,  and Meatballs for Monday’s Meatball Parms.
    It does not really take much more time to make a larger quantity in order to have leftovers for the next day or two, and this is just what one wants to do, is to keep  the sauce going,  and going  for  another day, even two.  And in those leftovers are the much Prized at Monday’s Lunch for, of course “Meatball Parms.”  Yes, the men love and need Meatball Parms on Monday,  for the Ritual  of the Meatball Parms of Monday  is  “Time-Honored” and enjoyed by many. As the saying goes, “The Simple Pleasure of Life,” here it is quite apropos.
    So, you see, on Saturday when one goes to buy the ingredients to make the Gravy, they automatically  know to make sure they get  enough  ground meat to make plenty of  Meatballs that will last the  Sunday  Supper  as well  as yielding numerous left-overs for Monday’s Meatball Parms for Monday. The men, methodically make sure that there are enough leftover Meatballs for Monday’s lunch. When all are finished eating the great “Sauce” on Sunday, they set some Meatballs aside for the next days Meatball  Sandwiches. These sandwiches will make a dreaded Monday so much better. Think about?
    And if there are leftover Sausages? On Tuesday one can make Spaghetti with Sauce and Sausages, or even a Sausage Sandwich.  Think ahead boys and girls, and Mangia Bene!”




by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Excerpt from SUNDAY SAUCE



SUNDAY SAUCE is Available in Paperback and Kindle Editions on AMAZON.com










Thursday, February 6, 2014

Tre Bicchieri Tasting New York 2014 Bellino

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THE 2014 Tre Bicchieri Tasting in NEW YORK Today
Tre Bicchieri is the most improtant Italian Wine Tasting of the year for people like me, New York Italian Wine People, including; restaurantuers, Wine Directors (Me), Wine Jounalsit (Me), and lovers of the grape of Italy .. In Italy the magazine Gambero Rosso is the equivalent of Wine Spectator and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate combine .. Gambero Rosso publishes each year an extensive and exhaustive book Vini Italia every year and rates practically all of the wines of Italy, from North to South East to West .. Gambero Rosso unlike Parker, Wine Spectator, and Wine Enthusiaist rates the wine tasted and reviewed with 1, 2, & 3 Glasses (Bicchieri) as oposed to Parker, WS, and WE ... The Tre Bicchieri Tasting are of all the 3 Glass Winners (Tre Bicchieri) of the year, and these tasting are held around the World in appointed cities like; New York, Milan, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Sna Fransisico, Chicago, and others ...
For me, yes the annual New York Tre Bicchieri Tasting is a great wine tasting, but for me it's more of a "Social Event" were I get to see many of my friends from Italy who are in town with their wine. As well as seeing my Italian friends, all the New York Italian Wine People are on hand, so you see a lot of people in one shot and accomplish quite a bit in a few hours time .. Anyway, I will sign off for now, go up to the tasting in an hour, taste wine, take notes, visit with friends, have a good time, and tomorrow or the next day I will report back on my findings, stories of friends, of Italy and my favorite wines of the day. All Italian. Basta !
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Sebeastiano Rosa (Winemaker of SASSAICAIA) Me, and Giovanni Folonari (Nozzole) at 2011 Tre Bicchieri New York ...
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The Annual Italian Wine Bible "Vini Italia" Published by Gambero Rosso
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SUNDAY SAUCE When Italian Americans Cook
by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke .. Available on AMAZON.com

Monday, January 27, 2014

Italian WIne Time New York Brunello



BRUNELLO Di MONTALCINO


BRUNELLO TASTING NEW YORK Today
January 27, 2014
NEW YORK, NY
Benvenuto Brunello


"Going to Tasting and Brunello Seminar in an hour. Will report back later or tomorrow ..
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Benvenuto Brunello New York 2014

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Precious Vines
of
Sangiovese Grosso 
aka Brunello
Montalcino
Near Sant Antimo
 
 
Dam, another year has come and gone .. It's hard to beleive another year has already gone by.
Seems just like yesterday the last Benvenuto Brunello Tasting at Gotham Hall in New York, happily tasting Montalcino's latest release of the 2008 vintage Brunello's along with Brunello Riserva 2007 and Rosso di Montalcino's of 2011 .. Some really wonderful Brunello last year .. i can remember loving the offerings of; Donatella Cinelli Columbini 2008, Col d'Orcia 2008, Barbi Resierva 2007, and Uccelliera 2008, and Silvio Nardi 2008 ..  
 
I attended a great Siminar on Brunello conducted by the great Kevin Zraly where we tasted some wonderful current vintage Brunello including the just mention offerings as well as
Il Poggione Riserva 1999 and Col d'Orcia Brunello 2001, both great vintages and now aged quite well.
The seminar conducted by Mr. Zraly was phenominal as usual and when I inquired if Kevin was going to do it again, I was dissapointed to hear he wasn't .. They got someone else whose name I do not recognize .. Hopefully the lady will conduct a fun, informative seminar, but after attending Zraly's last year, I doubt if  very many could match Kevin's wonderful performance. "Cie la Vie."
 
At the tasting last year, one of my suppliers asked if he the Count Francesco Maroni Cinzano by, as he wanted to give me a personal 1-on-1 tasting of his latest offerings. Of course I said yes, "Do you think I'm a Mad-Man?" Maybe? Well the Count came by the next day with some phenominal Brunello's, including; his 2008 Vintage, Rosso di Montalcino 2010, Col d'Orcia Brunello 2001, and the amazing Col d'Orcia Brunell "Col Vento Riserva" 2004 .. That wine is amazing and one of the best bottles of Brunello I tasted all year. And Poggio Al Vento 2004 was just being released in 2013, it was incrediable .. All the Counts wines are quite wonderful, and he also brought along a nice wine he makes at his property in Chile .. The wine "Erasmo" is a very fine Bordeaux Blend that I quite like, I put on my list, along with The Counts Brunello both 2005 and 2008 vintages which have been selling extremely well and our customers just love them ...
 
"DON'T TOUCH IT !!! DON'T TOUCH IT !!! " Cried Kevin Zraly, startling some, scarring others at last years Brunello Seminar he conducted at Benvento Brunello 2013 at Gotham Hall in New York ...
You can read more on Mr. Zraly and the 2013 Brunello tasting in my article "Brunello Tripel Header" at Ny-Foodie
 
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Fattoria di Barbi Table at NY Brunello Tasting 2013
BARBI BRUNELLO "One of My Favorite Brunello Houses"
 
 
 
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke & Count Francesco Maroni Cinzano
Drinking The Count's Famed Brunello
NEW YORK, NY
 
 
"One of The BEST BRUNELLO 'S I've Ever Tasted"
MAYBE Thee BEST Ever !!!
Poggio AL Vento
Brunello Di Montalcino
Riserva
2004
 
"One of the Best Brunello's I've ever had, and I've had some Great Ones;
Val d' Cava Madonna 1990, Angelo Sassetti 1990, Barbi Riserva 1995, Poggio Antico 1997
and many more ....
 
 
The FOLLOWING Is From The BRUNELLO Di MONTALCINO CONSORZIO Website
 
Brunello di Montalcino is a visibly limpid, brilliant wine, with a bright garnet colour. It has an intense perfume, persistent, ample and ethereal. One can recognize scents of undergrowth, aromatic wood, berries, light vanilla and jam. 
To the taste the wine has an elegant harmonious body, vigorous and racy, it is dry with a lengthy aromatic persistence.
 
Because of its characteristics,  BRUNELLO can be aged for a long time, improving as the years go by. It is not easy to determine exactly for how many years it improves. It depends on the vintage. It varies from a minimum of 10 years to around 30 years, but it can be kept for even longer. Naturally it must be kept in the right way: in a cool cellar, but above all with a constant temperature, in the dark, without noises and smells; the bottles should be laid horizontally.
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SUNDAY SAUCE
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke