best new restaurants

10 be st new re sta ura nts

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P R E V I O U S PAG E , I L LU S T R AT I O N : B R OW N B I R D D E S I G N . P H OTO G R A P H : M I C H A E L P I A Z Z A . T H I S PAG E , F R O M TO P : H A N N A H W H I TA K E R / N E W YO R K M AG A Z I N E ; C O U R T E S Y O F DA R KO Z AG A R .

neW

yorK City









In a year when fine dining seemed barely able to survive,

Marea did more than just bravely open for business. It

e≠ortlessly established itself as one of New York’s top

restaurants. Prices are high (Adriatic Seafood Soup, $45).

The room is snazzy, steely, and slick (onyx bar, glowing

walls, bright red lampshades). All quite sumptuous,

but primary credit for the glorious ascension belongs to

Michael White, now America’s top Italian chef. (Not

bad for a fellow from Wisconsin.) Not only has he never

met an Italian recipe he can’t cook; he’s cooking them

all at the same time. In addition to Marea, featuring

Italian seafood, he and partner Chris Cannon operate

Alto (Northern Italian) and Convivio (Southern Italian).

Marea’s the best of the three, for this reason: White is

Marea The Bazaar

With his new seafood Smoked (or is it unrivaled at fresh pastas, and seafood with fresh pasta is

emporium, Michael smoky?) salmon incomparable—like steak and potatoes. His homemade

White cements his tartare from L.A.’s most pastas are inexplicably exquisite, both delicate and

standing as the best inventive kitchen.

Italian chef in America. substantial, a seemingly unattainable combination until

now. Fusilli with octopus and bone marrow (see “Best

Dishes”) is profound, the marrow melting into a sauce.

Should you weary of seafood pastas, unimaginable to

me, his sausage-and-minced-vegetable ragù is a lighter—

yes, lighter—alternative to fish. There’s more not to

miss: sirloin with bone-marrow panzanella, basically

crazy croutons. I was irresistibly drawn to a crudo of

striped marlin with caviar, which probably broke every

rule for eating sustainably, locally, and ethically. The

food at Marea is so heavenly, I don’t mind going to hell.



2 | Craigie on Main | Cambridge, Massachusetts



Some might call it a Best Moved Restaurant, not a Best

New Restaurant. Tony Maws’s old Craigie Street Bistrot,

nearby, was nearly impossible to get into. Now that he’s

at a new location more than twice the size, his place is still

nearly impossible to get into. The current spot doesn’t

have an open kitchen; it has an open-door kitchen. Walk

in the restaurant and the cooks are right smack in front

of you, working hard and fast. It feels like you’re entering

a home kitchen through the back door, although Maws’s

childhood probably wasn’t the inspiration. “My mother

can’t cook worth beans,” he told me. The restaurant o≠ers

a little of everything—French, New England, homestyle,

Asian, Mediterranean, locovore. It succeeds at everything.

The terrines are gorgeously fatty. The arctic char is

lean and mi-cuit, barely cooked at low temperature. A

friend said of the ethereal mushroom salad, “It looks like

something fairies would eat.” Even a dessert of sweet

French toast is special, made with corn bread. Could this

be Boston’s Best Restaurant, period?





72 gq.com ja nua ry 2010

3 | The Bazaar | Los Angeles

food bargain

The first time you go, you’ll find yourself deliriously lost. of the year

The Bazaar, in the SLS Hotel, is magically absurd, a fun

house of possibilities, absolutely delicious and visually

decadent. You drift. You circle. You won’t know the

Rojo room from the Blanco room, and you surely won’t N e d L u d d | Portland | Oregon

understand the half-hidden Saam room (tasting menu,

fancier service). The food, by America’s greatest Spanish newest Jason French didn’t mean to start a restaurant without a

chef, José Andrés, isn’t the rustic dishes he learned to

make back in Catalonia. It’s Spanish food that’s lost its

reason to love stove. “People say this is the coolest concept,” he says of Ned

Ludd, which he and partner Ben Meyer opened last year

exotic ethnicity, become whimsical, playful, and even

molecular—mad-scientist stu≠. Andrés prepares dishes

texas with only a wood-burning brick oven and a DIY spirit. “No,

it’s not. It’s the stupidest concept ever!” French had plans

that are absolutely accessible to American tastes; he’s for a di≠erent kind of place, but then he found this vacant

decoded our dining DNA. His traditional tapas include pizza joint in a vacant-feeling part of town, where the

ibérico ham, sheep’s-milk cheese, and piquillo peppers, all rent was too cheap to pass up. What comes out of that oven

B o l s a | Dallas

Spanish staples, but no smelly, fishy stu≠, which is fine with now is intelligent, gutsy food—meat pies, pork chops,

me. There’s what he calls new tapas, including a play on flatbreads, crusty gratins—that puts to shame restaurants

cheesesteak made with thin baked pita, Cheddar foam, with more gear, bigger sta≠, and glitzy PR budgets.

and rare Kobe beef, a combination I never encountered French figures he spent about $30K opening the place

in my South Philly days. There’s a slew of liquefied, bite- (which is about what the ventilation hood in a high-end

size doodads that taste (and sometimes look) like cherries, kitchen costs). His rent is $2,700 a month: enough for

mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and olives but are actually a one-bedroom apartment if he decided to branch out to

science fiction versions of them. Once, long ago, in a place New York. “The pressure’s o≠ the money here, and the

only a few miles away, Wolfgang Puck made fancy dining focus is on the food, where it should be,” French says of his

informal. José Andrés has made it insanely, totally fun. place and of Portland restaurants in general.

French succeeds by calling in the best that local farmers

4 | Ping | Portland, Oregon have to o≠er, and he sees that none of it goes to waste.

The stems of Swiss chard aren’t thrown away; they’re

Chef Andy Ricker and his partners took over a building One of the great things about pickled, part of a great $5 pickle plate. Half a pig shows

previously occupied by a Chinese restaurant with one the local-food movement is up weekly, and all of it is used. “This industry is plagued

of the best names ever: Hung Far Low. Ping is way far how the obsessive efforts by all these motherfuckers who grew up watching the

better, so ambitious its mere presence is revitalizing of a noble few reward the Food Network and think they should go work at El Bulli,”

laziness of the rest of us. Not

Portland’s Chinatown. Ricker has assembled a menu he says. “Well, you can learn just as much from a pit

long ago, the best we could

that’s multi-Asian, not Asian-fusion, the dishes rigorously master in North Carolina. All any good cook is doing is

hope for was a supermarket

executed and tasting uncannily authentic—there isn’t with refrigerated beer and paying attention to the food.” If this sort of attention

much kowtowing to the West. The room has an industrial rotisserie chicken. But places gets you an oven-roasted pork chop with “porky greens”

ceiling with exposed pipes, but every new restaurant like Bolsa, a refurbished and mustard cream, that’s good news for everyone.

in Portland has that. Here’s where it gets interesting: walls Dallas-area body shop turned We’re all Luddites now.—a d a m s a c h s

made from crappy old wood, shelves filled with vintage one-stop food destination,

radios scavenged from a repair shop that used to be next are upping the ante. In its Ned Ludd • Founding chefs Ben Meyer (left) and Jason French.

door. And then there’s the food: stewed duck leg in a sweet dining space, you can lunch

broth with a side of sour chili sauce for dipping—have on the best egg sandwich

this once and you’ll be back. Pork bun stu≠ed with dried, in Texas; for dinner, a Shiner

shredded, caramelized meat, a challenge to David Chang’s Bock–braised lamb shank

preeminent version. Tried pork-bone tea? That’s boiled with mascarpone polenta

ribs in pork broth, served with Chinese crullers and spicy and crisped Brussels-sprout

soy. I became so excited eating at Ping that I calmed leaves. If you liked what

myself with wide flat rice noodles sautéed in garlic oil you ate, go ahead and buy the

with chicken and veggies, then topped with mild, toasted ingredients—all local, from

chilies. To me, stir-fried rice noodles are the ultimate bread to greens to beef—in

the house grocery. Bolsa also

Asian comfort food.

boasts one of the best, and

best-looking, indoor-outdoor

5 | Anchovies & Olives | Seattle bars in the Southwest, serving

up Texas beers and wines

F R O M TO P : CO U RT E S Y O F DAV I D N I X ; DAV I D L A N T H A N R E A M E R









The best empty restaurant I’ve ever seen. Anchovies & as well as fancy cocktails,

Olives stays open until midnight in a city where everybody like Bolsa’s riff on an old-

is in bed by 10 p.m. I arrived an hour before closing fashioned, with pecan-infused

time. I not only ate alone, I also drank alone—even the bar bourbon. How can the big-

was vacant. The place, as you might expect, was dark, box food shops compete with

quiet, and still. I expected to encounter Edward Hopper that?— H o w i e K a h n

painting a West Coast version of Nighthawks. All the same,

chef de cuisine Charles Walpole was on the job, and his

food was everything the ambience was not: bright, vibrant,

and lively. So-called Soft Boiled Eggs, hard enough to pick of

up, the yolks gorgeously creamy, topped with house-

smoked tuna. Whole fried baby hake presented on a platter

wine Bargain t he yea

r

To r r o n t é s

Argentina



like the one your mother saved from Hickory Farms.

Wonderful pastas, some pristinely Italian, like bigoli (thick Now and then, modernization begets transformation, boosting a neglected

whole-wheat strands) with garlic, chilies, and artichokes; or abused grape, most often a white one. The result: an extraordinary

some exuberantly American, like gnocchi with chunks

of swordfish, celery, escarole, and salsa verde. Finally, a real

deal. In past decades, this happened to Italy’s Soave and Spain’s Albariño

reason to stay sleepless in Seattle. (alas, inexpensive no more). Now, from Argentina, comes Torrontés.

It’s the name of a wine and the name of a floral grape, ideal with simple

seafood preparations. Think Viognier, with Muscat in its family tree.— A . R .

6 | Aldea | New York City



Here you’ll find the stupendously well-trained (David

Bouley, Alain Passard, Roger Vergé, Alain Ducasse,

Martín Berasategui) Georges Mendes, New York’s

breakout chef of the year, finally graduated to a restaurant

of his own. Mostly he prepares Portuguese cuisine for

the best of reasons: He grew up eating it. If you’ve never

had the slightest interest in such cooking, that will change

once you try his upscale version. Consider the Arroz de

Pato, a kind of paella but with duck cracklings, socarrat

(pan scrapings), duck confit, chorizo, a scattering of

olives, and rare duck breast. Nobody has ever prepared

a better version of shrimp alhinho—briny-iodiny creatures

with an intense, glowing sauce made from garlic, smoked

paprika, and those delightfully intense flavors extracted

from shrimp heads (the part you’re always told to suck

but never will). The dining room is near genius: modern,

airy, textured, stylish, sleek, and minimalist. The 3-D

touches, such as white birch saplings, remind me of the

pop-up books I loved as a kid.



7 | Bibou | Philadelphia



Bibou (technically Bibou BYOB) is the latest and most

improbable reason to head down to traditionally Italian

and now somewhat Latino South Philly. It’s pure French.

Chef-owner Pierre Calmels is French. The hostess (his

wife, Charlotte) is French. The butter is French. The

music is French. The menus adorning the wall are French.

The recipes are, of course, French. Dishes include such

rustic favorites as braised pigs’ feet stu≠ed with foie gras,

and hanger steak with green-peppercorn sauce. But

there are non-French accents, too: scallops with jicama,

mahimahi with a lobster-lavender emulsion. Best of all

is a moist, creamy pig’s-head terrine, practically the

French countryside on a plate. Bibou is tiny and crowded

and mostly unembellished, but it does have pristine white

tablecloths. And in this era of cold, hard-edged bistros,

perhaps only the French understand what incalculable

warmth and intimacy that evokes.



8 | 54 Mint | San Francisco



Three not-so-young Italian guys got together and opened

a not-so-great-looking wine bar in a downtown plaza.

The decor: wooden tables, pots, vases, food products. Not

so promising, right? Don’t underestimate old Italians.

They can make any dish seem uncomplicated and natural, As a vehicle for the delivery of food

b e s t t r e n d from plate to mouth, silverware has

no matter how many ingredients it contains. It’s not only S i n c E

the food that seems Italian; the three guys are swell to never had a prayer against two pieces

customers, which is how guys who grew up in or around sLiCed bread of good bread. And that simple truth

the south side of Italy are expected to act. I sat down on has never been more evident as geniuses

a cold night, and one of them pushed a platter of salumi, around the country have turned their

some housemade and some imported, in front of me. The THE attention to elevating the sandwich

capocollo, prosciutto, and lonza were a little funky—in ArtisAnAl Pork to full-blown gourmet status. Simply

a designer-Italian-undershirt kind of way. The panfried put: Lean times = fat sandwiches.

T H I S PAG E , TO P : H A N N A H W H I TA K E R / N E W YO R K M AG A Z I N E







SandwicH

calamari were unrecognizable as calamari, so tender I

thought I was eating calamari gnocchi. The guys make two

kinds of arancini, the deep-fried rice balls. The one with

beef ragù arrived in an orangey sauce—boy, is that color cubano | Bunk Sandwiches | Portland | Oregon Banh Mi | Baoguette | New York City

ever Italian—and the seafood version was swooningly Bunk is the northwestern sandwich shop of The Vietnamese banh mi officially enters the

stu≠ed with sa≠ron-scented squid-ink risotto and bits of your dreams, where bearded, tattooed mainstream—not with tricked-out ingredients

refugees from fine dining dream up sloppy but classics (barbecued pork, pickled veggies)

spicy chopped prawns. The panna cotta, blessedly served creations like this slow-roasted-pork cubano. that make you feel like it’s morning in Saigon.

without fruit topping, was soft and supple without being

heavy—just like the three old guys, come to think of it. Torta cubana | Xoco | Chicago Pork-Belly BLT | Char No. 4 | Brooklyn

A squishy, sensational play on the cubano, with If we can all agree that the BLT is the perfect

9 | The Bristol | Chicago smoked pork loin, bacon, Jack cheese, and sandwich (let’s just all agree, shall we?), then

avocado. Is there anything that avocado (or what more needs to be said about a deep-fried-

Superficially a simplistic spot. Blackboard menu. Metal chef Rick Bayless) can’t improve? pork-belly version? Nothing but “Yes, please.”

chairs. Edison bulbs. Brick wall. Wood floor. No Porchetta Sandwich | Porchetta | New York City

Burrata BLT | Scampo | Boston

tablecloths. Nice beer list, better wine list. Very much the

Lydia Shire calls this a Starter—and even tosses A torpedo-shaped tube of pork loin, pork belly,

contemporary bistro, safe and sanitized. That is, until in a bowl of tomato soup. An inspired variation crisp skin, and herbs, carved into chunks

you notice the food. It’s mostly o≠al, innards, and oddities. on the basic BLT, with extra-creamy mozzarella. and placed on a ciabatta from Sullivan Street

I ate roasted marrow bones with red-wine-shallot jam, The toast, by the way, is crisped in butter. Bakery. Soft, juicy, crunchy, piggy, perfect.





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dynamiC duo

o f t h e y e a r









T H E M E N B E H I N D

M i n e t t a Ta v e r n



Men do plenty of things McNally, opening Pastis

well. Professional and Schiller’s Liquor

partnership is not one Bar, and are now

of them. Even the most partners with McNally in

Bibou • Snail ragout (in case

you couldn’t tell by the plate famous male duos—from Minetta Tavern. They

design) with garbanzo beans Gilbert and Sullivan to claim to have never had

and mousseron mushrooms. Jagger and Richards— a real blowout fight,

usually turn out to have though there have been

secretly wanted all short periods of silence.

along to slit each other’s “It’s like a marriage,”

Aldea • There’s nothing

rustic or old-fashioned throats and mate with Hanson says. “You have

about chef Georges Mendes’s each other’s women. to learn to give a little

first restaurant, where he This goes double in sometimes.” There are

reinterprets the traditional the restaurant kitchen— ways, in fact, that the

Portuguese fare of his youth.

a workplace with relationship is smoother

the macho swagger of than the men’s real

a boxing gym and the marriages. “We probably

democratic tradition of, don’t do the stupid things

say, North Korea. But to each other that we do

M O R e at New York’s Minetta to our wives,” says Nasr.

Got an opinion on our list of aMerica’s

Tavern, arguably the Working the line night

Best new restaurants? sound off in tHe foruMs at...

city’s toughest table this after night, Nasr and

past year, chefs Riad Hanson communicate

G Q • C O M

Nasr and Lee Hanson all but telepathically—

share nearly all the gliding past and around

duties—an act they’ve each other as plates

pulled off in various of glistening beef and

kitchens for fifteen homemade charcuterie

years. As of press time, flow into Minetta’s

I L L U S T R AT I O N : A L E X A N D R A C O M PA I N -T I S S I E R . P H OTO G R A P H S , TO P : J A S O N VA R N E Y.









they had so far avoided dining room. Occasionally,

killing each other. one will break away

B OT TO M , C LO C K W I S E F R O M TO P L E F T: DAV I D L A N T H A N R E A M E R ; C O U R T E S Y O F









Hanson, 43, is to the chefs’ office to

the quieter of the pair— watch streaming

a native New Yorker NHL highlights. Hockey

who sports a bald helped cement their

ANDREW McCAUGHAN; AMY BRAGA; JEFF GURWIN; ROBYN LEE (2).









pate and red Fu Manchu friendship back at

mustache. Nasr, 45, is Daniel. “It was 1993 and

of Lebanese-Trinidadian the Canadiens, my team,

descent and grew were on the way to

up in Montreal. He’s the winning the Stanley Cup,

yeller in the kitchen. so we’d watch games

Their visual impression after work,” Nasr says.

is of Omar Sharif and The next year,

his fireman friend. Hanson’s team, the

The two met as sous- Rangers, won the

chefs at New York’s Cup. Since then, nothing

Restaurant Daniel in the but heartbreak.

early ’90s. Four years “You know,” Nasr

later, when Nasr was says, arching an

offered the chance eyebrow at his partner,

to open Keith McNally’s “maybe if we break up…”

Balthazar in SoHo, —Brett Martin

he accepted on the

condition that Hanson

be co-chef. The two

have since continued

working together under





ja nua ry 2010 g q.com 75

Anchovies & Olives • Escolar crudo topped with the traditional Italian pairing of melon and cured pork.









carpaccio of lamb loin, stewed goat on chitarra pasta, Last July, when David Chang, of New York’s Momofuku

and a fabulous tongue parfait en gelée—succulent bits of hottest empire, went on Martha Stewart to teach viewers

tongue mixed with a mirepoix of crunchy veggies and how to make his pork shoulder and kimchi, it only put

topped with a horseradish crème fraîche. Bristol is laid-

back and luscious, a neighborhood restaurant with

CuiSine a tangy seal of approval on something alert diners

already knew: Korean flavors—fiery red-pepper paste,

food the neighbors weren’t sure they were going to like of the year black garlic, and more—have become the latest to

until they got the courage to stop in. If it all sounds infiltrate American dining.

too weird, have the chicken. It’s a plain boneless bird with You see it low: at any of L.A.’s four KoGi taco trucks,

mustardy spaetzle, about as sensational as simple gets. which draw crowds for kimchi-topped tacos, or at

the Greenwich Village’s new York Hot dog and Coffee,

10 | Serpas | Atlanta which o≠ers up the bizarre kimchi bulgogi hot dog—



Serpas is a big, shiny, modern spot in the Old Fourth

KORean a spicy dog with barbecued beef. And you see it

high: at Momofuku Ko, where the menu has arrived from

Ward, where old-fashioned manufacturing played out. invasion Seoul via the Deep South and Chang’s own deranged

It’s so noisy our waitress had laryngitis from yelling mind. Or at David Meyers’s refined Sona, in L.A.,

at customers. And the cooking of chef Scott Serpas is just ...is just where you find short-rib soup with ginger, and snapper

as raucous—a little messy and a touch out of control, beginning sashimi in sesame oil.

but I love his passion and sense of place. He does mostly “Korean flavors are clean, but they’re also bold and

southern and New Orleans food—sweet, hot, and spicy, penetrating,” Meyers says. And as Chang told Martha

with a bonus of being endlessly inventive. The fried oysters about that kimchi: “It can be kind of funky.”— b . m .

come with rémoulade, classic enough, but he tops them

with pickled chilies. His caramelized-onion-and-beef- New York Hot Dog

short-rib soup with a single Brie-topped floating crouton— and Coffee

The uncategorizably

not so southern, come to think of it—is what French tasty kimchi

onion soup dreams of becoming. The desserts, entirely bulgogi dog.

luscious, have unexpected finesse, especially the chocolate-

TOP: GEOFFREY SMITH









peanut-butter parfait. And best of all, this is the South,

not some show-o≠ Yankee spot, so you won’t have to worry

about microgreens, sous vide, gels, or foams.









76 gq.com ja nua ry 2010

best Chef



5 best

alan o f n e x t y e a r





richMan’s Dishes

o F t h e Y e A r







Pressed Duck | Restaurant Daniel, New York City



You’ve heard of molecular gastronomy. This is muscular

gastronomy, performed tableside, as an awed dining-

room audience gapes. A captain leans into the wheel of an

ancient (circa 1934) duck press and squeezes the bejesus T I E N H O

out of a carcass. Out comes savory juice for a pan-sauce M o mo f u k u M á P ê c h e

reduction to be poured over marinated, roasted meat. The

best reason this year to shout “Voilà!” Tien Ho was chef de cuisine

at Momofuku Ssam Bar,

Fusilli, Red-Wine Braised Octopus, Bone Marrow which means he (and boss

Marea, New York City David Chang) made it N.Y.C.’s



Throughout history, mankind has sought the ideal

wHy BEEr LiSTS most memorable restaurant.

Now he’s executive chef of

arE THE nEw winE LiSTS

I L L U S T R AT I O N S , F R O M L E F T: B R O W N B I R D D E S I G N ; A L E X A N D R A C O M PA I N -T I S S I E R . P H OTO G R A P H S , F R O M TO P : AC E S TO C K L I M I T E D/A L A M Y; A N N J O H A N S S O N .









seafood dish to accompany red wine. This is it. The the highly hyped, about-to-be-

fusilli pasta has subtlety, the sauce power, the octopus unveiled Momofuku Má Pêche.

In some ways, ordering a beer has never been harder. How He’s French-trained, so the

masculinity, and the bone marrow—a touch of

the hell are we supposed to know which of a restaurant’s food will be French—turned

brilliance—emulsifies into buttery beefiness. Preferred

inside out. He’s Vietnamese,

wine: Nero d’Avola, from Southern Italy. thirty-seven cask-strength English-style ales goes best so expect Southeast Asian

with our meal? Well, the answer is easy: It’s called a beer accents. Ho trained as a

Alaska Black Cod with Smoked Soy and Roasted list. DBGB in New York, Quinn’s in Seattle, the Publican saucier, “the most hardened,

Garlic Glaze | Bamboo Sushi, Portland, Oregon bitter guy on any kitchen

in Chicago, they all get it. They spell things out: where the

line,” he says. His father was

Finally, a challenger to Nobu Matsuhisa’s iconic black cod beer’s from, what size the bottle is, how much alcohol police chief of Hue during

with miso. The cod is crunchy and fatty. The sauce suggests by volume, what it tastes like. By seeing it all on paper, we Vietnam. He’s tough enough

caramelized sake, if such a seasoning exists. Did I taste start to understand why we like what we like.— H . K . for the job.—A.R.

butter? Chef says no. Cracking the Japanese naval code in

World War II was easy. Getting this recipe is impossible.



Escolar Crudo | Anchovies & Olives, Seattle



Balance, aroma, luxury, the whole deal. Start with

escolar, the emperor of meaty fish. Add hot coppa, more

authoritative and spicier than prosciutto; then diced

Sharlyn melon, like honeydew but more substantial;

finally, tiny leaves of cicely, an herb resembling anise but

sweeter. A crudo wake-up call.



Rigatoni with Confit of Mutton | Nightwood, Chicago



This is a pasta dish so burly it’s closer to a stew. Mutton

wrongly frightens cooks, diners, maybe even SWAT

teams. The meat, slow-roasted with duck fat, tastes like

deep, soulful lamb. Also boasts sour, spicy Hungarian wax

peppers, another stranger to most tables. The premier—

maybe only—mutton dish of the twenty-first century.





P L U S



BEST vEgETarian diSH



Poached Eggs over Market Vegetables

Huckleberry Café, Santa Monica



Basically exquisite greenmarket veggies. Sound

commonplace? Not at all. No matter what every menu

claims, sugar snap peas, pea tendrils, corn, cherry

tomatoes, and arugula with the clout of these

are rare. And the tender poached eggs are topped with

pesto—the chocolate sauce of vegetarian cooking.

Huckleberry

Healthy food that’s no-joke delicious. The produce comes

fresh from the Santa Monica farmers’ market.









ja nua ry 2010 g q.com 77

5 best

alan

richMan’s Desserts

o F t h e Y e A r







Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Bi-Rite Creamery, San Francisco



Those of us who recall the supremacy of

Herrell’s, Steve’s, and Bud’s worry that the

Golden Age of Ice Cream is over. Bi-Rite, even

better than those three, has brought it back.



Cannoli with Torrone Semifreddo

Osteria, Philadelphia



The essential Sicilian pastry, upgraded.

A crunchy fried cannoli shell stu≠ed with

semifrozen gelato enhanced with honeyed

nougat. The new sweetheart of Italian desserts.



Profiteroles | Benoit, New York City



Served for two. Enough for four. And

deconstructed—yes, deconstruction has come

to the French classics. Cream-filled pastry

balls to dip in dark chocolate, with ice cream

on the side. You’ll swoon.



Caramelized Sweetbreads with Vanilla-

Bean-Parsnip Custard | Schwa, Chicago



If they weren’t meant for dessert, why were

they named sweetbreads? Chef Michael

Carlson, unruly and irrepressible, does whatever

he wants with whatever he wants.



Dragon’s Breath Popcorn

The Bazaar, Los Angeles



Desserts are supposed to amuse, and nothing

is sillier than cloudy nitrogen gas shooting out

your nose. (Maybe milk doing the same,

back when you were a kid.) Tasty popcorn, too.

Schwa • Candied sweetbreads—the best dessert that’s not (technically) a dessert.









I L LU S T R AT I O N : B R OW N B I R D D E S I G N . P H OTO G R A P H : D I T T E I S AG E R .

Animal got foodie-famous for serving the

carnivores of L.A. unapologetic doses of righteously

sourced meat—bone-marrow salads, pigs’ ears





wine List

glass carafe bottle

with eggs, the always mysterious headcheese—but

sparkling & champagne they could have butchered the wine list. You’d

P rosecco 11 35 expect trophy wines, meaty, expensive reds that

of the year Col de’ Salici | Extra Dry | 2008 Vendemmia stain your teeth. Instead, you get a sophisticated,

L a D i lettante | Catherine et Pierre Breton 40 refreshingly succinct list. First page: freedom

Methode Traditionelle Brut | NV Vouvray 12

of choice. Scads of interesting wines available by

C rémant de Bourgogne 17 55

Parigot | Blanc de Blancs | NV Burgundy

the glass, carafe, or bottle. Second page: all

A n i m a l | Los Angeles C rémant d ’A lsace 15 53 bottles. It’s like the indie charts of wine lists: small

Lucien Albrecht | Brut Rose | NV Alsace producers, wines with tons of personality and not

white much fame. You’ll find Slovenian whites and plenty

Luneau-Papi n Muscadet 12 22 40 of rustic French vins de pays. These are food wines,

Clos des Allées | 2008 Pays Nantais not overpowering—and not overpricey, either.

S ancerre 16 32 52 The sommelier, Helen Johannesen, encourages

Hippolyte Reverdy | 2008 Loire

experimentation, but she’s no wine Nazi. “I never

Q ui nta A poloni a ( Verdej o) 12 22 40

Didier Belondrade y Lurton | 2007 Castilla y Leon

want to be a sommelier who tries to make people

K . A lphar t (G rüner Veltli ner) 13 24 46

like something just because I think it’s brilliant.”

Veltliner & Co | Thermen Region Now, that’s kind of brilliant.—j i m n e l s o n

cˇ

S i mˇ i c P i not G rig i o 13 24 46

s

2007 Goriˇ ka Brda, Slovenia

Kerner 15 28 58

Abbazia di Novacella | 2008 Alto Adige

suGar fiend H E y, M E aT - L o v i n g

o f t h e y e a r

HiPSTErS!

i t ’ S O ff i C i a l—YO u ’ v e j u M p e d t H e p i G



You want to know how good bacon is? Bacon is so

good that it’s still good despite all the people who have

felt it necessary to proclaim how good it is over the

past five years. It’s good enough to survive the Bacon

Bra, the Bacon Alarm Clock, dozens of bacon blogs, and

innumerable bacon tattoos.

Baconmania is just the most obvious annoyance

of the New Meat Hipsterism—the pork belly of the

beast, as it were. I’m speaking of the preening worship of

M I N D Y S E G A L fat that’s become the irritating punk fringe of America’s

Ho t C h o c o l a t e food revolution.

To what do we owe this trend? Take your pick: the

Shirley Segal didn’t inspire Atkins Diet, the Slow Food movement, the introduction

her daughter, Mindy, by







single

of Berkshire pork and Kobe beef, David Chang, Mario

making cookies. She provoked

her by hiding cookies.

alan best Batali, Fergus Henderson, Zak Pelaccio.

Many, if not all, of these things are wonderful in and

She bought them only for her

son, denying her chubby-

richMan’s Meal* of themselves. It’s surely a good thing that pork is no

longer reduced to literally advertising itself as chicken (“the

I L L U S T R AT I O N S , F R O M L E F T: A L E X A N D R A C O M PA I N -T I S S I E R ; B R O W N B I R D D E S I G N . P H O T O G R A P H S , T O P : T H AY E R A L LY S O N G O W D Y. C E N T E R : M I C H A E L S T R AVAT O .









thighed daughter what she other white meat”). Still, it has become all too possible

most craved. “I vowed

o F t h e Y e A r to find yourself at a hip new restaurant (probably called

vengeance,” Mindy says. Now

something like Flesh, or Tendon), downing artisanal

she owns a Chicago restaurant

named Hot Chocolate, where scrapple, Kobe short ribs, and bacon ice cream but craving

M u r r a y C i r c l e R e s t a u r a n t any of those other things that make up a real meal. It’s

she bakes madly: sandwich

Cavallo Point Lodge | Sausalito | California like a piano sonata for which the composer decided to use

cookies, ginger cookies,

snickerdoodles, shortbread, only the black keys on the far-left side.

pecan thumbprints with hot An aperitif? Hardly enough. On a June evening, in a Perhaps it’s no surprise that fat has become the

fudge in the centers, chocolate- sylvan setting, I ordered a full bottle so I could drink transgression of choice for a generation cut o≠ from old

chip cookies with bacon, until sunset. I sank into a cushioned chair on the porch standbys like smoking and casual sex. The real danger

homemade Nutterbutters of an old wooden building, once artillery barracks for is that if bacon is a trend, bacon can go out of fashion. And

with peanut-butter filling—to an army post named Fort Baker, just over the Golden I’m not ready for the Tempeh Alarm Clock.— b . m .

name but a few of the fifty Gate Bridge. In front of me lay the parade grounds, and

or so kinds. I love them all, not far in the distance freighters slid across the bay. Feast • At this carnivores’ haven in Houston, the chefs wear

but I’m especially devoted to Perfect for anyone who loves wine, views, or old military their swine on their skin.

the small, buttery, crumbly bases, and I’m a fan of all three. (I had a woman with

ones that are held together by me, but I sure missed my M1 Garand.) The dining

force of will. They do not room is simple, as crisp as a cadet’s salute. Chef Joseph

travel well, which I learned by Humphrey’s food is more intricate, like an inspired assault

taking them on airplanes and

on your senses. Adding “pecan caramel” to a Parmesan

mourning as they fell apart.

budino would seem to transform a vegetable into dessert,

Does Mindy’s mom understand

what adolescent deprivation but it was just an accent. Humphrey is brilliant and

did to her daughter? Shirley restrained with purees, jams, and other sweet touches.

knows. Shirley works in We all want to know where our fish comes from, and the

Mindy’s restaurant.— a . r . menu explained that my petrale sole rode in on a boat

called the Mr. Morgan. I ordered a 1989 Pommard,

a touch faded, like the sound of taps on a summer night.



* At a year and a half old, Murray Circle did not qualify for the 10 Best list.







M O R e

don’t



¡ v i va L a ( Ta c o ) r E v o L u c i ó n ! Miss alan

ricHMan’s

restaurant

reviews,

eacH weeK

It should have always been a given, an American right: real, serious tacos at...

(we’re talking fresh-pressed soft tortillas, succulent meats, onions chopped G Q . C O M

fine, torn fresh cilantro) available regularly and nationally. Not just in

Houston or L.A. Not just from a rickety but beloved truck. Finally, there are

opportunities for al pastor, carnitas, and carne asada to drip down our fingers

far more regularly. With places like San Francisco’s

Distrito Nopalito, Chicago’s Big Star, and Philly’s Distrito opening

Camarones y

chorizo tacos— their doors this past year, and others likely to follow

that’s shrimp and

sausage, gringos—

in the months to come, we are at long last living, from

with refried beans. coast to coast, in high taco times.— H . K .



ja nua ry 2010 g q.com 79

GQ



cooks



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tools

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02-2010-gQ-71

f r i e n d ly a d v i c e # 1



read the recipe carefully—and then have the confidence

to ignore it. if something smells like it’s done after forty-five

minutes instead of an hour, it’s done.









the Start with boneless chuck roast, beef

know yoUr









F O O D S T Y L I S T: J A M I E K I M M . P R O P S T Y L I S T: H E AT H E R C H O N TO S . P R E v I O u S PAg E , I L L u S T R AT I O N : b R O w N b I R D D E S I g N . T H I S PAg E , K E L L E R : PAu L A N D R E w H Aw T H O R N E /g E T T Y I M Ag E S . OT H E R P H OTO g R A P H S ,

1









C LO C K w I S E F R O M TO P L E F T: E L E M E N T P H OTO/ S TO C K F O O D ; b O N A P P E T I T/A L A M Y; D . H u R S T/A L A M Y; N I A L L M CD I A R M I D/A L A M Y; N E w S C O M ; A L F R E D M I T Z /A L A M Y; H E R M E R A T E C H N O LO g I E S /g E T T Y I M Ag E S ; TO M

how to cook it faSt and F I V E

short ribs, veal or lamb shank, even pork





Fats

M e at shoulder. Whatever it is, you want to season it

high—the art of Searing

(figure 1) tooLS aggressively with salt and pepper and then

brown it in a pot with a little olive oil over

medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes each side.

yoU’LL need.

The biggest di≠erence between professional c o n S t a n t Ly Place on a plate. After that, throw in some

chefs and home cooks? The pros can handle rough-cut carrots and onions. Toss in a yoU can’ t Sa U t é ,

the heat. Lots of it. Whether they’re tackling few whole cloves of garlic, skin on. Salt and fry, or Bake w i t h oU t

a slab of salmon or a hunk of dry-aged pepper. Add a splash of water or wine. fat. BU t yoU ’d B e t t e r

Be USing t h e

beef, they get their pans blazing hot first. Sauté for about 15 minutes till tender and rig ht kind

That’s how they get that caramelized crunch caramelized. Place the meat back in the

on the outside—while keeping pot and barely cover with liquid. Don’t

the interior moist and tender. drown it. This is as simple as dumping in a

t h o m a s k e l l e r , acclaimed bottle of red wine, or apple cider in the case of

chef and author of Ad Hoc at pork. Beer works, too. You can also braise

Home, on how to sear without fear. Fish spatula in chicken stock. And you can mix stock with

wine for a more balanced attack.

1 | Take the meat out of the fridge already Nimble and flexible. Next, put the pot, covered, into an oven

“I don’t care how hot your pan is; if you take As useful for flipping preheated to 300 degrees. Then: Let it cook.

a beautiful one-inch-thick strip loin out of pancakes as it is for Check on it after 2 hours. It’s done when

the refrigerator and put it right in there, you’ve a piece of cod. you can easily slide in a fork. Take the meat Butter

got problems. In the time it takes the meat out of the liquid, cover it with aluminum

to get up to the right temperature, it’s going foil, and let it rest on a cutting board. Two key points here.

to release moisture and it’s not going to If you want, strain the liquid into a pot on - 1 -

get brown. This applies to everything—fish, the stovetop (discarding the vegetables) Buy good butter.

broccoli, haricots verts.” and reduce it over medium-high heat until The high-quality stuff’s

actually not that pricey.

it becomes a syrupy, mouthwatering sauce.

2 | Pick the right-size pan Or you can ladle it into a bowl as is. Either - 2 -

Metal tongs Use it to sauté eggs

“Cram an eight-by-four-inch steak into an way, with a braised meal on the table and

(always), mushrooms,

eight-inch pan and you’re going to lose heat. Turn steaks with them, only a single pot to clean, your evening will onions, and most

Get a ten-inch pan made out of a good metal. toss pasta and salads, be as awesomely lazy as your day. seafood—especially

You want something heavy that distributes reach into the oven scallops—but keep

heat evenly—stainless steel, cast iron.” with them. Indispensable. the heat on medium;

butter burns quickly.

3 | Crank up the burner

“Once a tablespoon of oil in the pan’s 3 how to Make

yoUr own Stock

BUiLding

BLock

shimmering—you’ll see the ripples—put the

steak in and leave the burner on high for (and USe it) (figure 2)

about a minute, then reduce to medium-high.”

Flip it once it’s nice and crusty. “When you Microplane grater

do the other side, turn the heat from medium- It could be for when you’re in the mood

high back up to high again for a minute. The Good not only for grating for a rich, cheesy risotto. Or when you come

hotter the heat, the better the sear.” Parmigiano-Reggiano but home from the farmers’ market with a bunch Canola, corn, and

also for zesting citrus and of random vegetables and you want to make a vegetable oils

4 | Let it rest grating ginger and garlic. soup. Or when you need to flavor a pan sauce,

“You have to account for carryover time—the braise a pork shoulder, or slow-cook onions on Neutral flavor with a high

time the meat continues cooking after you take the stove. To have homemade stock in your smoke point; the go-tos

it o≠ the heat. So take your meat out of the refrigerator is to have the ultimate secret weapon. for all-purpose frying,

some sautéing, and cutting

pan knowing it’s going to cook a little more. You’ll need: a Sunday afternoon (what,

into salad dressing

Now you’ve got a steak that on the outside you were going somewhere?), about 4 pounds when olive oil alone is

is super-well-done—nice and caramelized—and of chicken parts and bones—wings, backs, a little too strong.

right underneath that well-done crust, the thighs, whatever you can get—a handful of

meat is medium, and then right below that is Metal whisk vegetables, and a big pot. There are a few

the bull’s-eye of medium-rare.” di≠erent ways to make stock (some richer,

Buy a medium-size

wire one. Use it some lighter), but the simplest is this:

for vinaigrettes, for Throw the chicken in a pot with some roughly

whipped cream, chopped onion, carrot, and celery (the holy

trinity of home-cooked flavor), a few sprigs of

2 how to cook it SLow and for sauces of all kinds.

M e at parsley, a bay leaf, and a couple of pinches

Low —the art of BraiSing of salt. Add just enough water to cover it all,

about 4 quarts. Bring to a boil and then Olive oil

SCHIERLITZ/gETTY IMAgES.









reduce to a gentle simmer for about 2 hours,

Major flavor doesn’t have to mean major skimming o≠ the fat with a ladle as it comes The expensive, artisanal

e≠ort. At least not when you’re braising. to the surface. (How long you simmer it is variety is for drizzling

All you need is time, a big, brawny cut of meat, up to you, but the longer the simmer, the and bread dipping.

Santoku knife High temperatures alter

a sizable oven-safe pot (a Dutch oven more flavorful the stock.) Strain it through a olive oil’s taste, so for

from Le Creuset is ideal), and a cooking Knifemaker Wüsthof’s best sieve, let it sit for a while, put it in the everyday cooking use

liquid that, over the course of 2 to 3 hours, seller in the company’s refrigerator or the freezer, then use it. It’s the cheaper, lighter kind.

will turn the meat into an impossibly history. Good for every hard to believe that such a simple task

tender, intoxicatingly fragrant main course. task in the kitchen. could deliver such a great reward.



72 gq.com februa ry 2010

Meat ( figure 1)

A B C D







( figure 2)

secret Weapons

BUiLding BLock









t h e 4 f L a v o r e n h a n c e r S y o U ’ L L n e e d . c o n S t a n t Ly



-A- -B- -D-

Caramelized onions Parmigiano-Reggiano Minced fresh herbs

For addictive, silky For salty goodness For instant brightness

sweetness

Spring for a hunk of the Add sturdy ones, like thyme

Slice or dice a couple of big real stuff and use and rosemary, early

onions. Sauté them with a lot of it in pretty much in the cooking process to

a little butter, olive oil, and all pasta sauces. intensify flavor; finish

salt over medium heat dishes with bright ones like

for about 5 minutes, then -C- basil and flat-leaf parsley

reduce to low and cook (the most underrated

for about an hour, stirring

Fresh breadcrumbs

ingredient in your kitchen)

occasionally, until they’re For serious crunch

for a kick of freshness.

deep brown and cooked

down by about two-thirds. Take a stale baguette or loaf

Mix them into pasta, dress of Italian bread, whiz it in

up a grilled cheese or the food processor, and

steak sandwich, throw them keep the crumbs on reserve

on top of roasted pork. in an airtight container.

Caramelized onions make Toast them in a hot pan with

everything more delicious . butter and garlic and

shower over pasta, or mix

in some fresh herbs

and sprinkle them on top of

grilled vegetables or fish.

They even add a welcome

bite to a simple salad.









februa ry 2010 g q.com 73

SaUce ( f r i e n d ly a d v i c e # 2 )



Wearing an apron

( figure 3) does not make you

a sissy.









4 how to Make a kiLLer Pan

SaUce for any Meat or fiSh

SaUce



(figure 3)





Even the most expertly seared piece of meat can

taste as if it’s lacking a little something if you

don’t take advantage of what’s left in the pan after

it’s done. Sauce the thing. Doesn’t matter if you’re

searing steak, chicken, or fish. The technique

behind a pro-grade pan sauce (silky, almost sweet,

a touch acidic) remains the same. Here it is.

> Say you’ve just sautéed skin-on chicken breasts.

SteP 1 Place them on a cutting board and pour o≠ all

but a tablespoon or two of the fat from the pan.

Place the pan* back over medium heat. Add a

handful of minced shallots and sauté for a minute.

> Grab whatever bottle of wine you have on hand

(red, white, Madeira—hell, even bourbon or dry

SteP 4

vermouth) and pour in a shot or two. With a

wooden spoon, scrape up the tasty bits stuck to the

bottom of the pan. Cook for a minute or two till

it’s reduced. This is called “deglazing” in chefspeak.

> Pour in ½ to 1 cup of chicken stock (homemade

if you’ve got it; see page 72). Let that reduce for

a few minutes.

> Now the finishing touch. Swirl in a few pats

of cold butter. Add fresh herbs. If you’re using

white wine, a squirt of lemon juice is good.

Congrats—you’re done. Pour over meat. Devour.

*Heed Jacques Pépin’s advice and invest in a good

heavy stainless-steel skillet: “If you use nonstick,

you’ll have no drippings to flavor the sauce.”









SteP 2 5 how to Make

vegetaBLeS taSte good

Side diSh









You shouldn’t eat vegetables because you’re

supposed to; you should eat them because you can’t

SteP 5 help yourself. Here are two simple ways to

make them the best-tasting things on your table.



The Pan-Roast



Root vegetables, like parsnips, carrots,

What and celery root. Or try quartered fennel

bulbs or Brussels sprouts sliced in half.

Peel the vegetables (using a mix of them is

cool) and cut into similar-size chunks. Toss in

olive oil and salt, place on a baking sheet,

and slide into a 425-degree oven. After 10 to 15

minutes, shake the pan or use a spatula to

toss the vegetables. Keep roasting till they’re

all caramely. Serve hot or at room temp.



The Boil



SteP 3 Crisp green stuff—asparagus, sugar snap

What

peas, broccoli, haricots verts.

Bring a big pot of generously salted water

to a rapid boil. Add vegetables. Cook till bright

green—tender but still crisp. With a slotted

...or SaUce it UP, no heat reQUired spoon, remove to a bowl and douse with extra-

SteP 6 virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and sea salt.

For salsa verde: In a food processor, add

a handful of parsley, a garlic clove, capers,

anchovy fillets (optional), lemon juice,

olive oil, and salt and pepper. Puree. Taste.

Adjust seasonings. Works on anything.

( f r i e n d ly a d v i c e # 3 )



Get a good pepper grinder. Store-bought

ground pepper is an insult to the perfectly

prepared dish you just made.









6 how to SMaSh

yoUr SPUdS

Side diSh



(figure 4)

aLwayS





Finish

There are countless ways to prepare potatoes.

Here’s one of the easiest—and one of our

favorites. Get a bunch of the little waxy

guys—Red Bliss, Yukon Gold—throw them in

a pot of salted cold water, bring it to a boil, Strong

lower it to a simmer, and the second you

ina garten

can slip a knife into one of them easily, pull

(a .k.a . the bareFoot c ont e s sa)

them and drain them. Dump them back

o n h o w t o a P P Ly

into the pot or a big bowl.* Using the back the finiShing

of a wooden spoon, smash them while toUch

drizzling with olive oil and/or adding some

chunks of butter. Douse with minced chives

or flat-leaf parsley. Sprinkle with salt (sea

salt, if you’ve got it; see page 76). Toss, serve. “A final squeeze of

*For Smashed Potatoes 2.0, crush them in lemon juice or a hit of

a roasting pan with olive oil and put them sea salt can be

under the broiler till they’re crispy. Shower everything. A lot of

with herbs and sea salt and serve. dishes really won’t have

the same flavor without

it. The same goes for

fresh herbs—parsley,

chives, dill. You want

7 how to SaUce

PaSta Like a Pro

Pa Sta them green and bright,

so chop them and Side diSh ( figure 4)

(figure 5) sprinkle them on top at

the very last minute. It

Chefs, Italian grandmothers, annoyingly good also helps to think about

home cooks. Their pasta is great for two what’s already in the PaSta ( figure 5)

reasons: (1) They use the salty, starchy water dish. If there’s olive oil

that the pasta was boiled in to make the cooked in the dish,

sauce, and (2) they toss the pasta right in the finish it with a drizzle of

pan. Here’s why, and here’s how. nice fruity olive oil. If I’m

Choose your main ingredient.* Let’s say you’ve making orange-roasted

got a mess of sliced mushrooms. Pour several shrimp, I’ll garnish it

tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan with a few long strips of

and add some chunks of crushed garlic. Cook orange zest. It boosts

over medium heat till the garlic just starts the flavor, but it’s also a

to brown. Add the mushrooms, season with visual cue. I think it’s

salt, and sauté till tender, 5 to 10 minutes. important for a dish to

Right before the pasta is done, dip a coffee look like it’s seasoned.

mug into the boiling water. Pour that water It lets people know that

into the pan and let it come to a simmer. (If it’s complete.”

you want to stir in a spoonful of butter now,

go ahead; the Italians call this step mantecare.

It makes the sauce smooth and silky.) As the

water and oil simmer, they’ll emulsify, and

this is the first step in creating the sauce.

Drain the pasta in a colander and immediately

pour it into the pan, still over the heat. Toss

with tongs until each strand is well coated

gARTEN : SHAwN EH LERS/g E T T Y IMAg ES









with the oil-and-water emulsion and the

sautéed mushrooms. The pasta should be

pretty wet at this point; remember, you want

a sauce. Pour it all into a big pasta bowl.

Shower with chopped parsley and lots of

freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

The cheese will bind the sauce and make it

creamy. Repeat this process enough and

you’ll get the ratio of water-to-vegetables-

to-cheese down. You’ll become addicted.

*You can sauté pretty much anything.

Chopped broccoli or cauliflower works well.

Zucchini. Ripe cherry tomatoes.









februa ry 2010 g q.com 75

( f r i e n d ly a d v i c e # 4 )



Buy the best-quality meat, fish, and produce

you can afford. the better the stuff you’re working with,

the less you’ll have to do to it.









the

8 how to Make a Perfect SaLad





O N ly F I V E vinaigrette



n e w yo r k c i t y c h ef

With all due respect to Paul Newman, Marco canora,

homemade vinaigrette is exponentially better

cookbooks you need (and healthier) than anything you can get in

a bottle. And if you do like c h r i s t o p h e r

aU t h o r o f ‘ SaLt to ta Ste ,’

o n h ow to USe t he

h i r s h e i m e r (top left) and m e l i s s a

How to Cook Everything

by Mark Bittman

h a m i l t o n , authors of the excellent

series of recipe books called Canal House mo st i mporta n t

Illustrated instructions for

Cooking (www.thecanalhouse.com), it’s as

easy as boiling water. i ngredient

everything from butchering The proportions for any good vinaigrette, they’ll tell i n yo Ur k i tc h en

a chicken to coring a pepper; you, are more or less four to one, olive oil to vinegar.

field-guide-style advice for Hirsheimer likes a few squeezes of lemon juice and/or red,

vegetables, meat, and fish; and white, or cider vinegar, plus a couple of generous grinds of ( figure 6)

hundreds of easy recipes for fresh pepper and a pinch of salt. (Salt is key; don’t ever leave

stocks, sauces, and desserts. it out.) We also like rice-wine vinegar, which is both subtle

and sweet. Once you’ve got that formula down, start

The Gourmet Cookbook messing with it. Mince some shallots, cover with red-wine “I don’t salt meat and fish until just

edited by Ruth Reichl

vinegar, and let them sit for 10 to 20 minutes, then stir before I cook it—otherwise it gets dried

in olive oil and salt and pepper. The shallots lose a little out. As for when it’s done, think about a

Not everything, but hundreds nice big steak. You salt the outside of it,

bite and get more tangy. It’s a great dressing that tastes









H I R S H E I M E R A N D H A M I LT O N : T E R E S A H O P K I N S / C O u R T E S Y O F C A N A L H O u S E . C A N O R A : J O C E LY N F I L L E Y/ C O u R T E S Y O F M A R C O C A N O R A .

and hundreds of grown-up recipes pan-roast it on the stove so it gets this

and techniques that span eras, like you did something tricky when you did nothing at all.

nice salty crust, and slice it before you

cultures, and countries—Korean Whatever combination you go for, there’s no need for serve it. Well, guess what: The inside

barbecued beef, Baja-style a slow drizzle of oil and steady whisking. Hirsheimer just of that steak needs seasoning, too.”

fish tacos—so well explained mixes everything together with a fork. She also uses a

they’re tough to screw up. lazy-man’s trick for dressing the greens that she learned in

Burgundy from a winemaker’s wife: Make the dressing in the

Essentials of salad bowl, dump the greens on top, and toss it right at the table. “Salting a big pot of water for

Classic Italian Cooking

blanching vegetables or boiling

by Marcella Hazan pasta is your one opportunity to

season it. That’s when the vegetables

The title sums it up. Italy’s

9 how to give eggS and the pasta take on flavor; you

Julia Child on simple but crucial BreakfaSt can’t compensate for that afterwards.

things—an unmatchable tomato SerioUS fLavor I recommend two to three tablespoons

sauce (and seven variations of salt for a four-quart pot of water.

(figure 7)

on it) and a perfect minestrone— I use at least three.”

and more ambitious stuff

like homemade tortellini and Eggs are like steak—you should never overcook them. The more

La Fiorentina (grilled T-bone tender, the more flavorful. Fry ’em over medium-high

steak, Florentine-style). heat till the edges are crispy but the yolk still runny. For

scrambled, crack the eggs directly into a pan of melted “People don’t often understand

The New Best Recipe butter over low heat, season, and occasionally massage evaporation and concentration. If you

by Cook’s Illustrated them with a rubber spatula until the whites come together salt the hell out of a soup or a tomato

sauce early in the cooking process, it’s

and the yolky parts are bright yellow. Slide onto a plate. going to cook down and get saltier and

Chris Kimball has made a You want your eggs medium-rare, not medium-well.

career out of achieving kitchen- saltier. Salt a little in the beginning

nerdy perfection: When he wants and then adjust the salt at the end.”

to make roast beef, for example,

he tries three different cuts

of meat and five different cooking

methods and then explains—in

easy-to-follow, completely

10 how to whiP it good deSSert

“Parmesan, bacon and pancetta,

enthralling detail—why his recipes (figures 8, 9) capers and olives—those all

produce the best results. function as salt if they’re in your dish.

If I cook a piece of fish, I might sauce

Freshly whipped cream makes every dessert better—pies, it with a little butter, parsley, lemon, and

Chez Panisse Vegetables cakes, tarts, ice cream, fresh berries. A bowl of it on the capers. It doesn’t need much salt.”

by Alice Waters

table will make your guests happier than any slaved-over

gâteau. Here’s how to make it. During dinner, place a

Yes, a vegetable cookbook.

Here’s why: Because not only metal mixing bowl and either a whisk or mixer attachments

does America’s patron saint in the freezer. When you’re ready for dessert, pour a pint What Salts to Buy

of produce help you navigate of heavy cream into the bowl and attack it with the hand

a farmers’ market and transform mixer or the whisk (it’s easier than you think) until it For cooking: A big box of kosher salt,

a limp grocery-store head becomes cloudy and smooth. (Don’t overbeat; you’re not like Diamond Crystal. Keep a bowl of

of cauliflower into a killer main it by your stove so you can just reach

making butter.) As it starts to thicken, add a couple in and grab a pinch as needed.

ingredient; she provides a wealth of tablespoons of powdered sugar. Leave it as is or swirl

of recipes so you don’t have For the table: Maldon sea salt. Big

in some real vanilla extract, co≠ee liqueur, citrus zest, crunchy snowflaky crystals. Sprinkle

to sift through a big cookbook

looking for vegetable “sides.” Calvados (good on baked apples), or a dash of cinnamon. them on potatoes, steak, vegetables.

Serve it with anything and everything. Instant satisfaction.





76 gq.com februa ry 2010

the MoSt iMPortant ingredient ( figure 6) BreakfaSt ( figure 7)





deSSert ( figure 8) ( figure 9)









Written and reported by K A T h E R i N E W h E E L O C K , A d A M R A P O P O R T , and h O W i E K A h N .

GQ



EVERYTHING

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STYLE AND

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There’s noThing you geT To Pick your and if you



more fun, favoriTe PeoPle keeP iT simPle

BECAUSE more affordable, and yes,

m o r e m a n a g e a b l e T h a n a w e l l-

and imPress Them wiTh

yo u r i m P e c ca b l e Ta sT e a n d

a n d d o n ’ T P l ay T o P c h e f,

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P R O P S T Y L I S T: H E AT H E R C H O N TO S AT A P O S T R O P H E . F O O D S T Y L I S T: J A M I E K I M M AT A P O S T R O P H E . O P E N I N g PAg E , I L L u S T R AT I O N : b R O w N b I R D D E S I g N .

g e T T h e Pa r T y s Ta r T e d — s e r v e d r i n k s i m m e d i aT e ly refill, refill, refill

1 5









1

You could argue 2| embrace your role as (EXPERT advicE #1)

that there’s never host. Make introductions, start “What was that thing Steve

been a better time to conversations, get the night Rubell said? ‘If a party’s too gay,

go out to dinner, that the quality rolling. There’s no shame in

it’s not glamorous enough. If

of ingredients available, the introducing X to Y by saying, “X,

meet Y: Both of you have a dog.” it’s too straight, there’s not enough

number of top-rate chefs, and A corny intro is like a corny energy’? The point is, you have

the variety of cuisines to choose pickup line—as long as it works, to have a mix. Things can’t be one-

from is unparalleled. But, man, everyone’s happy. dimensional and still be fun.’’

sometimes it’s all just way too

much—the $13 glass of rioja, 3| manage your mood—always

Alex Calderwood | Hotelier | Ace Hotel



the waiter who won’t stop be gracious. If you’re pissed o≠

pontificating, the reservationist because of how the bouillabaisse

is turning out, the dinner will

telling you when to eat (“Sure!

never get its footing. Make jokes,

We can seat you at 6:15 or enjoy yourself.

10:30!”). So why not take matters

4|

boTTle iT

into your own hands? cook. And it sounds obvious, but 11

Host. Have a blast. We’re talking be present. Your guests are coming

about a dinner party. We’re over to eat, not to wait for you to

talking about doing it on your emerge from the kitchen. Design a

As soon As your guests meal that you can handle, not one

terms. eating with whom you

that handles you.

want, when you want, and wAlk in the door And

what you want. You’re the one

tA k e o f f t h e i r c o At s , 5| refill, refill, refill. never let

calling the shots. and if we a glass go empty.

may, here are the shots you mAke A round of

should be calling. 6| put your party on ice. An ice

drinks. But nothing bucket filled with bottles of

white wine and champagne (or

t o o c o m p l i c At e d — prosecco—we’re still in a recession,

you’re hosting, not after all) serves two purposes.

First, it says, We’re having a party,

p l Ay i n g m i xo lo g i s t. dammit. And second, it means

you don’t have to schlep to

( s e e r u l e n o . 7. ) the fridge every time your guests



20 0 gq.com m a rch 2010

you’re noT jusT The cook, you’re The evening’s cruise direcTor. your guesTs look To you To seT The Tone

2





need a refill. Just remember 9| The other secret to (or fragrant). Just pick up, say, (EXPERT advicE #2)

to fill the bucket with equal parts a great vibe: lots of candles. cheap a dozen or so tulips and place “In terms of lighting, there’s

ice and water so the bottles candles. Buy a mess of votives them in a simple vase. nothing like good candlelight. But

are fully submerged and chilled from somewhere like Bed

to perfection. Bath & Beyond. Nothing fancy, 14 | decide on a meal plan that’s

remember, you don’t want the

room too dark. You’re going for

nothing scented. Light a bunch not only doable but coherent. Start

7| And then make a house drink. of ’em and scatter them about— with one dish and use it as a relaxing, not romantic.”

Yes, you can set out a couple haphazardly for a kick-back vibe, guidepost. Say you really want to John Derian

of bottles of bourbon and vodka, linear and orderly for more of serve linguine with clams. Then Artist and owner | John Derian Company

but serving a pitcher of drinks a Calvin Klein, neat-’n’-tidy look. keep the entire meal Italian and

(like a watermelon-lime cooler don’t throw in some Asian-fusion

or a bourbon-spiked ginger 10 | But candles don’t do appetizer you saw on the Food

lemonade) is both festive and easy. much if your lights are blazing. Network. Instead serve prosciutto

For the party photographed on Pick up some dimmer extension cords and chunks of Parmesan with

these pages, we mixed these at the hardware store. Instant some breadsticks and olives during

Aperol-orange fizzes, which taste ambience. The best $15 you’ll ever cocktails. A fennel-and-orange

as good as they look. spend on home improvement. salad with the pasta. Sorbetto or lighT a flame

gelato for dessert. In other words, 9

Aperol-orAnge fizz 11 | leave the pellegrino bottles let one dish lead to the next. It

1 bottle Aperol in the kitchen. Instead, fill up aids the planning of the evening

1 quart good orange juice glass carafes or vintage bottles and helps keep you focused.

1 orange, sliced crosswise with sparkling water and place

Several bottles prosecco

In a carafe, mix equal parts Aperol (the

them on the table. 15 | cook as much of the meal

as you can ahead of time. You

nuclear orange, slightly herbaceous

liqueur) and orange juice. Float orange 12 | not everything has to don’t want to be the host stuck

slices for a nice visual hit. Throw some match. Got some chipped vintage in the kitchen half the evening,

ice in a large glass, fill halfway with the Wedgwood servingware from sautéing day-boat scallops and

Aperol mix, and top it o≠ with prosecco. Grandma? Use it. It adds character aerating sweet-pea foam. It’s

Stir and drink. Replenish as needed.

and reminds your guests that not fun for you, and it’s not fun

they’re in someone’s home. for your guests. The evening

8| A good vibe is as should be relaxing; it should

important as good food. create a 13 | you might think that be social. It should not feel like

playlist that will keep your guests flowers are only for the ladies. But you’re running a restaurant.

happy throughout the night— your apartment needs something

and you from worrying about alive in it. Don’t splurge on

what CD to put on next. anything enormous or elaborate



m a rch 2010 g q.com 201

The most important part of a dinner party is the

party, not the dinner. Dinner is important, but a

year later you’re going to remember everyone talking



INVITE

about the biggest lies they ever told, not how the roast

turned out. Dinners are where the great conversations

happen and where intimacy develops naturally. There’s

something sacramental about breaking bread.

The best dinner parties are a mixture of people who

know one another and people who don’t. Making the

guest list is part instinct and part logic. The instinct

part is about speculative interpersonal chemistry—you



THE suspect A might like B. The logic is in assembling a

balanced group. It’s almost like putting together a team





RIGHT

for a pickup game. You want somebody who can shoot,

somebody who can pass, and somebody who can

clear the boards. At a dinner party, you want somebody

who can be provocative, somebody who can enchant,

and somebody who can get laughs. But of course, you

don’t want a fistfight.

If a guest is part of a couple, you have to invite

the other one. Unless you can figure out when he will





PEOPLE

be out of town. If you invite a single, let him bring a

date. Sometimes that surprise guest will be a magical

X factor. Do arrange a seating plan. Boy, girl, boy, girl.

The host and hostess, or host and host, should sit at

the head and foot and put the guests of honor at their

rights. Put people who don’t know each other together.

Do not seat couples together. Couples are conversation

gQ’s killers, and the shy one will take the easy way out. If

s t y l e g u y, they try to sit together, stop them. In fact, separate

glenn o’Brien, them as far as possible. If a ballsy wife tries to corral

her husband, seat him next to the cutest girl. Never let

on why

a guest subvert your plan, which is based on who

mixology is should meet whom. The liveliest dinners are probably

Also A sociAl those where people who misunderstand or fear each

Art other wind up lifelong pals or where love affairs are

launched. “You’re getting a divorce?” “Yeah, remember

that dinner you gave last August…?” Excellent.









(EXPERT advicE #3) “overprogram your playlist. If you think your party will go for four hours, make six hours of music.

and don’t ever repeat songs.” Carter Smith | Photographer and filmmaker







16 | Variety is key. You want 19 | keep the hors d’oeuvres

a meat (or fish), a vegetable, a simple. you are not martha stewart.

starch, a fruit, something spicy,



PUNCH UP

1 | go mediterrAneAn. You can’t

something sweet. A meal should miss with a platter of store-bought olives,

be balanced. If you’re serving a good cured meats, and quality cheeses

heavy, creamy lasagna for a main (one soft, one hard and sharp, one mild).

course, think twice about that

homemade tiramisu for dessert.

2 | do like chef Andrew

cArmellini At new york’s

YOUR PARTY

l o c A n d A V e r d e . Buy a tub of

17 | And give yourself plenty fresh ricotta, drain, and puree in

a food processor with a touch of whole

of time. The little things always Someday, perhaps, the human race will evolve to a higher, enlightened plane in

milk. Place in a bowl and then top

take longer than you think, so if with extra-virgin olive oil, chopped which it can reach a state of good spirits, communion with strangers, and

you can, shop a day ahead for the fresh thyme or oregano, and a sprinkling late-night dirty dancing, all without the aid of alcohol. Until then, it’s your job as host

ingredients. Or at least do your of good sea salt (such as Maldon). to get that alcohol into your guests as quickly and pleasantly as possible.

prep work that morning or early Serve with bruschetta, crunchy bread, Cocktails can be fussy and time-consuming; bottles

or crackers. Absolutely addictive.

afternoon. You want to be cool of beer promote drink counting, which is the enemy of

fish house punch

and calm for your dinner party, 3 | or in the summer, go spAnish

serves 20 to 25

abandon; kegs are for kids. Instead: Let there be punch.

not stressed and frantic. And mAke pan con TomaTe. Don’t get hung up on the particulars: A simple combo

Get a few tomatoes and a good loaf 2 (750-milliliter) bottles

of dark rum, lots of freshly squeezed lemon (or lime)

18 | trust us on this one:

of rustic bread. Cut bread into slices, and

toast them, either in a toaster or on a

dark rum

2 cups brandy or Cognac juice, and a few tablespoons of superfine sugar works

clean as you cook. If your kitchen baking sheet in a hot oven. Rub each slice 1 cup peach brandy just fine. So does whiskey and lemonade. If you want

is a disaster when your guests a few times with a clove of garlic and then 1 cup simple syrup* to get moderately fancy, make a French 75 punch out

I L Lu S T R AT I O N S : ZO H A R L A Z A R









1¼ cups fresh lime juice

arrive, everyone will settle in for with a halved tomato. Drizzle with extra- of sparkling wine, lemon juice, and a cheapish Cognac.

virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. 1¼ cups fresh lemon juice

a bumpy night. Big block of ice In the center of whatever concoction you choose,

4 | when All else fAils, mAke

Pour all ingredients into a float an iceberg made by freezing water in a take-out-

R o a S T e d n u T S . Spread raw bowl. Chill for 5 hours. Chinese-soup container or the bottom half of a two-liter

almonds on a baking sheet, slide it into Taste and adjust. Add ice soda bottle. Provide ladle, glasses, music, and the

a 300-degree oven, and roast till they’re

intoxicatingly fragrant. Serve immediately

when ready to serve. promise that, tomorrow morning, all will be forgiven and

* To make simple syrup, place

in a bowl with a round of sti≠ cocktails. forgotten. —Brett mArtin

equal parts sugar and water

in a pot and simmer over

medium heat till dissolved.

Cool and use.





202 gq.com m a rch 2010

don’ T geT all marTha sTewarT–y. keeP The hors d’oeuvres simPle. in oTher words, skiP The miso-gl a zed Tuna TaTaki

19



(EXPERT advicE #4) “The most important thing to remember: abundance. Have way too much food and drink. especially drink.”

Sean MacPherson | Restaurateur and hotelier | Bowery, Jane, and Maritime hotels and the Waverly Inn









A n d M e A n w h i l e ,





Don’ t Kill Your SpouSe

C O O k b O O k A U T h O R T e d L e e e x P L A i n s





My wife, E.V., knows her way around a kitchen. On our first date, The Lee Bros.’

she taught me how to roll and cut fresh linguine. But left to her

own devices, she’d rarely cook a meal from scratch, and I learned why Key to a Great

the first time we entertained together. She peeled potatoes so beautifully Dinner Party

you could put them on a pedestal in a gallery, which made sense—she’s We like to have one

an artist. But ten minutes into it, she had three potatoes to show for dish during the cocktail

it, and we didn’t have a day and a half to peel potatoes. In fact, we didn’t hour that requires

have half an hour. guests to congregate

That time, E.V. learned a lot about me, too—namely, that I’m terrible at and get a bit messy:

peel-and-eat shrimp,

sharing a kitchen. At home, I don’t give clear instructions, and then I steamed or smoked,

get demanding and impatient. Last Thanksgiving, my mom and E.V. staged with some dipping

a walkout over my telling them how to make the sweet potatoes. sauces; chili crabs; or

I may never shuck off my dictator epaulets, but—Thanksgiving aside— shuck-your-own

E.V. and I have learned to coexist, even thrive, when entertaining. After a oysters. Especially

when you’ve got a group

while, we just fell into a groove: E.V. sets a mean table, mixing 1964 of guests who don’t

World’s Fair souvenir glasses with Wedgwood and Georg Jensen. Plus, know one another well,

she’s a music omnivore, so her party mixes are exhilarating, high-energy these dishes tend to

trips from AC/DC to MGMT to Diamanda Galás. bring people together

The key to our synergy is this: She does what she wants to do, in a lusty, letting-down-

your-guard kind of

instead of my telling her what to do. And in the end, we both have a lot way. We always have

more fun, which is the reason to throw a party in the first place. lots of dish towels for

The Lee Bros.’ new cookbook, Simple Fresh Southern, is in stores now. hand-wiping.”





m a rch 2010 g q.com 20 3

not

everYthing

needs to be



homemaDe



You can drive yourself crazy if

you try to make everything from

scratch. A while back, my wife and I

decided to host a pizza party. I’d handle

the dough, I told her. Bad move. It



If YOU’RE turned out like hardtack. Next time,

I called my food-guru friend Mitchell for



NOT HAVING fUN, a recipe. “Yeah, I’ve got a great one.

Twenty-four hours ahead of time...”

That’s when my wife walked down the

y o u r g u e s T s a r e n ’ T, block to our local pizzeria and bought

eiTher two balls of fresh dough. Five bucks

each. Yeasty, chewy, bubbly, awesome.

The great thing about bringing dough

I don’t take cooking too home is that you can make all sorts

seriously anymore. And it’s of great toppings you don’t get at your

made me a better cook. local pizza joint. And you and your

That might sound like watered-down guests can hang out in your kitchen as

Zen wisdom, but it’s true. For several you slide one pie after another into

years, I worked as a private chef in New your oven. The pizza comes out far

York, and when friends came over for better than you could imagine. And it’s

dinner I pushed myself to my culinary one of those parties that are fun and

limits, presenting course after course of relaxed and spontaneous. No seating

restaurant-quality food. charts, no courses, just lots of eating

The problem was, it wasn’t fun. Not and drinking. —AdAm rApoport

for me: I was working hard in the kitchen,

which I enjoyed, but I was so focused

I couldn’t snicker at a joke, let alone hold someTimes The mosT imPressive enTrées are The easiesT how To make your own Pizza

a conversation. And not for my guests: 20 ( wiTh a liTTle helP )

Every bang and clang sounding from

the kitchen ratcheted up their anxiety.

for the dough

The better the food, the more

uncomfortable the dinner. It was an 20 | take the slow road. Slow- at room temperature. Even the Buy 1 or 2 balls and cut them into fist-sized

pieces. For each pizza, on a well-floured

inverse ratio, but I didn’t care. cooked dishes like braised short slow-roasted leg of lamb arrived at surface, stretch a piece by hand or with a

Until I saw another chef break the ribs and slow-roasted leg of lamb are the table warm, not hot. roller until you have a thin, oblong crust.

cycle. She’s one of the profession’s ideal. All the work is done before

top talents, and when she invited a few your guests arrive, and your house three simple mAke-AheAd sides for the toppings

of us over for dinner, she served will smell amazing. 1 | A Big Bowl of Al dente oRzo, • Slice two large onions and caramelize

soup. Chicken soup. Out of a pot she tossed with extra-virgin olive oil, fresh in olive oil over low heat for about

put on the table. slow-roAsted lAmB lemon juice, chopped olives, minced flat- 45 minutes, till they’re sweet and silky.

It was a nice soup, a rustic Italian leaf parsley, and crumbled feta cheese. • Take a slab of bacon or a hunk of

Buy a leg or shoulder of lamb (the latter

2 | A pot of couScouS. pancetta, slice into small bits, and sauté

take with lots of kale. So what if it of which will be more fall-apart tender,

till crispy.

like pork barbecue). Chop 4 cloves of Once it’s cooked, flu≠ with a fork and

wasn’t mind-blowing? It wasn’t trying to mix in sliced almonds (which you • Always buy a ball of fresh mozzarella.

garlic with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary.

be. Instead, the dinner was about us, Generously rub the meat with salt and first browned in a dry pan over medium • Buy a mess of baby arugula.

the people at the table, and we were cracked fresh pepper. Brown it on all sides heat), minced cilantro, and golden • Slice a bunch of cherry tomatoes in half.

having a ball. We opened one bottle of raisins (which you soaked in a bit of • Always have good Italian canned

in a large pan with some olive oil over

warm water for 10 minutes to plump up). tomatoes (San Marzano, preferably) in

wine after another and ladled soup until medium heat. Let cool, then rub with

your cupboard.

the garlic-and-rosemary mixture. Cover. Let sit till you’re ready to eat.

the pot was empty, then mopped the • And of course, fresh herbs, like thyme,

Place the meat on a large sheet of 3 | S m a S H e d S k I n - o n p o TaT o e S.

bottom with bread. We ended up sitting heavy-duty aluminum foil set in a roasting Simple and ridiculously tasty. Check out

oregano, and basil.

on the floor when it was time to eat pan. Enclose it loosely in the foil, then “GQ Cooks” at GQ.com for the recipe.

dessert, and we went home only when add 1 to 2 cups of dry white wine and for the prepArAtion

we saw how late it was. seal it up tight. Stick the pan in an oven

22 |

> | Turn your oven to as hot as it gets,

It took me a few years to detox. I went preheated to 250 degrees. Roast for 5 Ample doesn’t have to like 500 degrees. Slide in a cookie sheet

to 7 hours, basting occasionally, till super

from eight courses to five to not thinking tender and fragrant. You basically can’t

mean heavy. feed your guests, don’t for a few minutes. Take it out, set on the

in courses at all. Now I cook family-style stuff them. stovetop. Stretch your dough and lay it

cook it too long. Remove it just before on the sheet. Working quickly, brush with

and serve everything on big platters and serving, let it rest on a cutting board for

in tureens. It tastes great, it looks at least 10 minutes, slice, and plate. 23 | take it easy on yourself—

olive oil and sprinkle with salt and, if

you want, some fresh thyme or oregano.

perfectly okay, and—more wisdom—it Top with the jus and a healthy drizzle of have some food ready on the table. Shred the mozzarella by hand and place

salsa verde, the recipe for which you

I L Lu S T R AT I O N : ZO H A R L A Z A R









frees my mind. can find in “GQ Cooks” at GQ.com.

Park your salad, in a big wooden chunks on top. Add the caramelized

It also frees my hands. Now, when bowl, on the dinner table with onions and bacon bits. Place it in the

oven and bake till bubbly and browned.

guests arrive and my wife mixes a round a jar of vinaigrette next to

of cocktails before dinner, I’ll have a 21 | And don’t stress about it. When you’re ready to eat, toss > | Or bake a pie topped with mozzarella

and herbs and a bit of salt, and when it’s

drink, too, and catch up. A truly great temperature. Your meal doesn’t and serve. It’s that simple. in the oven, toss the cherry tomatoes and

cook is more than just a skilled technician; need to be piping hot. In fact, it’s arugula with olive oil and lemon juice

he’s a good host. —oliVer strAnd often better when it’s not. For and some salt. Take the pizza out when it’s

the dinner party in these photos, done and immediately top with the salad.

Slice and serve.

a remarkably easy and tasty

orzo salad rested on the table



20 4 gq.com m a rch 2010

(EXPERT advicE #5) “Whoever’s making the drinks, whether it’s you or a bartender, figure out something that’s nonalcoholic and delicious.

a person who isn’t drinking shouldn’t be stuck with water.” Alex Calderwood | Hotelier | Ace Hotel









m a rch 2010 g q.com 20 5

You arrive at Dick Sears’s It’s a diverse group entirely of Dick’s 24 | And think about saving

Edward Gorey–esque mansion on choosing: doctors, lawyers, musicians, some cash. Listen, if you run out

the Hudson at six o’clock sharp. Don’t artists, moneymen and admen, a retired and buy an entire beef tenderloin

be late. After all, the invitation to this fireman. Conservative and liberal. or a couple of racks of lamb, no

Do it right seasonal “gentlemen’s club” dinner

arrived at least six weeks ago. The

Highbrow and low. They range in age

from their late twenties to their early

one’s going to complain. In fact,

they’ll love you for it. But you

A n d i t ’ l l b e regulars enter through the back kitchen seventies, with a preponderance can spend far less to just as great

door to find an aproned Dick over by of fiftysomethings (of which I am one). e≠ect. A braised pork shoulder?



more the giant stove, gently stirring his paella

with one hand, holding a glass of

The plates are cleared, the brandy

poured, the cigars lit, and the party

A perfectly roasted chicken?

Short ribs in red wine? Please,

something strong in the other. “Catch is really just getting started. The stories your guests will never have

than juSt up, boys!” he says, and we’re drinking.

There’s a wooden platter of exotic

are bawdier, the lies bigger, the laughter

louder, the questions more pointed,

tasted anything so good—or so

a≠ordable. Consider the cost

Dinner sausages FedExed from Madrid, some

fancy cheese, and triangles of toast.

the answers straighter. Around this time

(anywhere between, say, 11 p.m. and

comparison at our favorite

New York City butcher, Florence

Everyone’s happy as can be. You’re two 3 a.m.), poetry will be spoken from Prime Meat Market.

sips away from the bottom of your third memory, LPs will be spun, and sometimes,

glass, and it’s time to move into the just sometimes, someone will speak of Beef tenderloin $24 per lb

dining room. The hot pan of paella goes something that he’s never said aloud to

straight from the stovetop to a trivet on anyone ever before in his life. rack of lamB $40–$45 for 8 chops

GQ desiGn diReCTOR the buffet. The fire and the music both And that’s all right, because by this

aged riB eye $17 per lb

burn low. A bottle of red sits on either time we’re all the best of friends—

FRed WOOdWARd end of the table while their brothers are even those who just met a few hours

On hOW A meAL WiTh breathing on the side, waiting their turn. ago—and because what happens Beef short riBs $5 per lb



FRiends beCAme As great as the food and wine are (and at Dick’s house stays at Dick’s house. Pork shoulder $1.90 per lb

they’re always great) and as special the Until the next time.

A dAmn neAR setting, the best part of the evening is Whole chicken $2.70 per lb

RiTUAL the conversation.





25 | you’ve invited vegetarians

to dinner. don’t panic—make pasta.

If you load it up with cheese

and olive oil and butter, you’re

talking tons of flavor (and

thousands of calories) but not

a speck of meat. You can’t

miss with fresh, vibrant pesto,

as long as you own a food

processor or blender:

> | Combine two handfuls of fresh

basil leaves, a handful of grated Parmesan,

a small handful of pine nuts, a clove

of garlic, and salt. Process while pouring

in olive oil and puree till smooth.

21 Taste for seasoning. Dump it in a large

serving bowl and thin it with a half

don’T Try cup of the well-salted water the pasta

was boiled in. Then add the pasta

To be a masTer (any shape will do) and toss thoroughly.

of Precise Serve with lots of freshly grated Parmesan.

For more indulgent vegetable-based

TemPeraTure pastas, check out “GQ Cooks” at GQ.com.

conTrol.

noT everyThing 26 | everyone wants dessert.

needs To be even those who insist they only

sTeaming hoT want a “tiny slice.” But try serving

your final course away from

the dinner table. In other words,

make your evening into a three-act

play: cocktails in the living room,

dinner at the table, dessert

back at the sofa and co≠ee table,

when you’re all full and ready

to sprawl out and relax. And if

you’re not an ass-kicking

pastry chef, don’t sweat it. Here

are three simple solutions.

I L Lu S T R AT I O N S : ZO H A R L A Z A R









So Who Are All Sloane Crosley’s Eric Ray Davidson Prabal Gurung Knox Robinson is a Simon Spurr is

These People? new collection of essays, is a photographer and is design director of the writer and music manager. the creative director of

Basically, they’re How Did You Get This regular contributor to GQ. womenswear line Roo Rogers is the menswear label Spurr

friends and colleagues Number, will be published Penelope Gil is Prabal Gurung (www co-founder of OZOcar (www.spurr.tv).

of ours at GQ. Here’s by Riverhead in June. an actress and assistant .prabalgurung.com). (www.ozocar.com). Justine Kahn is

what they’re all about. to Sofia Coppola and Damien Nunes is a medical student and

Simone Shubuck

Rainer Judd. a GQ fashion editor. is an artist and florist wife of Simon.

and wife of GQ style editor

Adam Rapoport.







20 6 gq.com m a rch 2010

don’T make your guesTs Prisoners of The Table. serve desserT in The living room

26





1 | do-it-yourself Ice cReam Everybody knows how to throw parties. No one

BaR. Buy two or three flavors of high- knows how to end them.

quality gelato. Set them out with a scooper This is an acute problem in New York, where people

and a tray of toppings: amaretti cookies

for crushing and sprinkling; chopped

noW GeT THe Hell who give parties have plenty of room to entertain but

those who attend them never want to return to the



Out!

toasted nuts; fleur de sel; a jar of warmed

dulce de leche; and if you own an espresso heartbreaking places they call home. They’re desperate

machine, why not a pitcher of espresso to to spend evenings anywhere but in their wretchedly

pour over vanilla gelato for authentically small apartments, often made more unbearable by

Italian a≠ogato?

visiting relatives sleeping on futons.

2 | m a c e R a T e d f R u I T . One of the

easiest desserts of all time is fresh, sliced I never had difficulty shutting down my parties.

fruit soaked in liquor or wine and a bit of The moment my friends arrived, I would let them know

sugar. For instance, take 1½ cups of port when they would be leaving, and my closing time

and ¼ cup of sugar. Simmer till reduced by was as inflexible as lights-out on an army post. Nothing

half. Let it cool, then pour over a bowl of more subtle worked. I used to think playing my favorite

about 4 cups of cut-up strawberries. Steep,

refrigerated, for an hour. Serve the syrupy albums as the evening waned would cause people to

treat in small bowls and top with whipped race for their coats, but in New York even B. Bumble and

cream, crème fraîche, or thick Greek the Stingers can’t empty a room of people who despise

yogurt, and a coarse grind of black pepper. where they live.

3 | homemAde Ice cReam Closure was specific. I always made it 9:45 or 10:15,

SandWIcHeS. Not just for kids. a time that meant business. Nobody takes a round

What you’ll need: gelato (vanilla is always number such as 10 p.m. seriously. I never served coffee

good) and good cookies from a bakery

(ginger ones are a smart choice). Assemble at parties—you might as well give people amphetamines—

the ice cream cookies before dinner, wrap although soporific Cognacs were available. Once the

in wax paper, and place in the freezer. Five mood in my apartment approached that of an opium den,

minutes or so before serving, set them I knew I could move bodies toward the elevator.

out and let ’em soften up. Pile on a platter My ex-wife claims two friends, the food writer Dorie

and bring ’em out.

Greenspan and her husband, Michael, resented my

antisocial attitude. When I asked Dorie, she said, “I didn’t

hate your must-leave time, and neither did Michael.

He liked it so much he adopted your practice and has

M ORE

since alienated only a half-dozen friends.”

miss the first tWo Parts of None of you may ever know the gratification that

this series? check out gQ eaTs GQ’s ALAn RiChmAn comes with being an acknowledged social revolutionary

like me. However, all can experience the joy and

and gQ cooks at... On The ART OF CALLinG iT An eveninG

tranquillity that comes when those dearest to you go

GQ•c OM home when you want them to.





m a rch 2010 g q.com 207