Indian Food from Tamba with a Chilean Twist

Since the Chile post an earthquake shook that beautiful country. So there was something slightly reassuring when our waiter
at Tamba (lex and 27st) spoke about his years in Chile and his children who are volunteering to help the people of Concepcion.
And jeanne and I liked the transitional moment. Charlene, who joined us to talk about karma, and we enjoyed fantastic Indian cooking in a warm. setting. They were out of the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc but the California chardonay was good. Having just taken the Indian cooking class held by the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park with Tim, I had a newly found appreciation for the skill and work behind making saag paneer(spinach,cheese curds,tomatoes and herbs). The saffron prawns were superb and Jeanne's pistachio kulfi was luscious...especially when presented as shown here with my shmutz- stain disquise art( I call it "paranoid boy,tree,house" with kulfi). We ate the masala dosa too fast to photograph the gigantic potato and lentil and onion filled crepe in the shape of a purim pastry.

Slope to Chile 12 hours and another hemisphere of eating

Not my usual territory. But there was a wedding at the Matetetic Vineyard for Jason and Pam and Pam was a student,an intern,a staffer, a lawyer, a friend who makes you happy when you are around her. Eric Lee was right as was phil re the Zero hotel in
Valparaiso and eric was right about the Orly in Santiago not the San Francisco but I didn't listen. The Sheraton in Vin Del Mar
was geat and their celeb morning tv show created a buzz. Felinnis was good near the Sheraton for Valentine's dinner especially the scallops in shells. Pablo Nerudas homes were great museums and the museum of contemporary arts was---Never mind,onto food and wine: La Sabastiana's veranda (the corner table we missed} and their rissoto. The ravioli and gnocchi at pasta a vino. The ugly old lady fish at Oda Pacifico near Neruda in Valparaiso.
The view from the top of the w. The Chinese food at the blue Danube....The wines were all special. Latrella was at the Sheraton but spotted us as we were headed to a fenicula in another town and called us from the tour van.

Antonio said see Alessandro for authentic Neopolitan Pizza at Keste

Keste steps up to the turf of Johns. Oh my g-d! On Bleeker at 271 and Jane. And there is wine but no time tonight. Din din in a Box. But oh, jeanne, look at the box. JEANNE JEANNE look in the box.

Jimmy the Breslin lock if you have to to get in

Because this place has mood and food. It is attached to a hotel lobby that has grandeur and faux office activity on an almost parody level scale and a coffee bar. It has a balcony and warm style. The restaurant week lunch worked well for Eric Lee and i. The donuts soaked in calvados or something and the bannana ice cream followed the cod almost as well as the mouse-brulee thing. This is a tree house, a club-pub, and a gastro rink with culinary skating in the open kitchen and gawking eaters all around hunched under low ceilings. I like it. 16 west 29st Manhattan.

belleville..forget what i said

Belleville is a half block away and they have a new chef and new owners and Paul,the mature' d is an adult. The veg rissoto and the
snapper in red pepper sauce were very tasteeee. 5st and 5 av...i hope our neighbors continue to be repatriated. John and Emily were already sighted.Try the LI wines:Surprisingly Worthy.

Marco Polo Traveled next store to create Enoteca on Court

347 court street brooklyn is as comfortable and new wave and casual as Marco Polo is comfortable and old school and dressy. Enoteca has a Faranghina and dozens of other wines by the glass or bottle. And it has a magic mystical oven for pizza and artichokes and baked ziti and Timbali. bring children;the staff love them.

Austin has a rotunda and bbq which made me rotunder

The Capitol Rotunda in Austin was one of the few things we saw there or in the Hill Country that you couldnt eat or dance to. Nothing was quite the trip as theSalt Lick and its picnic tables and bbq pit and iconic scenes evocative of John Ford shots of john Wayne through the cabin window. The Kimber Modern was a great place to stay in Austin with the intimacy of a b and b and the Ian schrager design edge and utility and the autonomy you dont get in many B and Bs. Ye Kendall Inn in Boerne offered a chapel suite surrounded by log cabins. The best place for a nightcap was the Driscoll Hotel and The Hangar Hotel on the airport runway in Fredericksburg was unique. BBQ BBQ everywhere and nary a veg to eat. Lake Travis has a rube goldberg stone structure called Oasis collage of a castle overlooking a great sunset. The Tex Mex plate is from Manuels. Lamberts had music and bbq and The Continental had an Elvis cover band celebrating the king"s 75th birthday. And the LBJ Library had LBJ.