Wilfrid

Just stumbled across Johnny Mathis, age 90 and still great. Unless it's AI.

Why didn't Louisville make the list? Nothing to do there?

Did not know that.

The bar is especially spacious and comfortable. I went expecting a small room with a busy counter. If it was in my neighborhood I could see being a regular, but like I said, I get down to Essex Market often enough. ETA: I did wonder if there was an existing thread, but since our search engine cannot detect either "eel" nor "bar" I took a chance. 😄

I remember them always on TV when I was a kid, hit after hit. The individual members never really registered.

Bonne D'Antan, French goat milk and Ekiola Ardi Gasna, Basque sheep's milk.

Slow-cooked chicken gizzards (yes, again) over Savoy cabbage stir-fried in toasted sesame oil.

I had been curious about this place from the owners of Cervo's. Basque-style tapas it said. Also I was out of cheese, and it occurred to me that a visit to Eel Bar is easily paired with shopping at Formaggio Essex. It's larger inside than I expected, with a long and very comfortable bar. I did make a reservation and when I first walked in I thought I needn't have bothered; but the place filled up fast. The "wet martini" features gin, Dolin dry vermouth, Comoz Blanc (another vermouth) and orange bitters. It was good with the gildas, made here with pickled cucumber instead of the traditional pepper plus big, fat olives. I wasn't sure about the cara caras with Murcian goat cheese, but I'm glad I tried the dish. The cara cara is a red-fleshed orange but not a blood orange (per Wikipedia). The pieces were dusted with sea salt and served alongside the creamy cheese, over a dressing made with good vinegar. Interesting and thoughtful although the portion of oranges was unnecessarily generous. Like most NYC tapas, really a plate for sharing. Then the ambitious burger. A medium rare but crisply charred patty served with Roquefort (now over $50 per lb at Formaggio, incidentally), a couple of boquerones and a mound of thinly sliced raw onion. Boquerones do enhance red meat, but I had to remove most of the onions. Otherwise very good. I moved from the martini to a Catalunyan orange. Intriguing food, delightful service, nice room.

Wow, when was I last there?

Barbetta's last service, February 27. Would be 120 years old this year.

I wonder if he still lives in the Village.

I got an email today promoting an appearance by David Amram at the Grolier Club. Jazz guy, worked with the Beats in the fifties and wrote the score for Pull My Daisy (short movie featuring Kerouac, Ginsburg etc). I know I have seen him before, almost certainly appearing with John Ashbery at a MoMA event many years ago. I grabbed a (free) ticket for the show, then looked him up. 95 years old. Hang on until March, David, I will too.

I suppose that since I am re-reading Waverley Root's 1969 Paris Dining Guide enjoying the descriptions of restaurants I will never visit, there's no good reason I shouldn't read Tejal Rao's reviews.

I will search out the pregame because I think Green Day will be kind of interesting. We know Conejon Malo will be interesting.

Oooooh. With Robbie. Digging out Police and Thieves.

Yes, Formaggio, Foster Sundry, two regular stops for me. All the best to him.

And then the so-called Highland Sazerac, working through my single malt. May have needed more Peychaud's.

Made it tonight with my single malt. Delicious.

San Diego is fun.

Refund came through fast.

Okay, a whisky-based Martinez. Sounds good.

Given all the indoor down time this weekend, I will be done with Steppenwolf fast. Memories. I first (mis)read it as a teen. Must have re-read several times. I can't do Hesse's fantasy-Eastern religion stuff any more. This book at least has a contemporary 1927 German setting. Slight regret, though, for The Glass Bead Game. I must have been about 13 when my parents took me on holiday to Sorrento. They enjoyed the sunshine and the beautiful Bay of Naples views. I sat in the hotel lounge reading Hesse. And becoming who I would eventually be.

Running out of low carb bread and didn't see getting a delivery until some time next week. Picked up Mission zero carb burrito wraps as a fallback. So breakfast burrito with duck egg, fried Induveca salami, chopped cheese, lettuce, sour cream and hot sauce. I am not going to need lunch.

Aw, the tour is canceled. Looks like they finally couldn't work together any more (they have been exes for a while). Also some stuff about what's happening in America. I had been excited for this.

I guess I linger on the gin longer. I was torn between Ardbeg and Laphroiag. Those are my peaty favorites.