Friday, June 10, 2005


fresh honey chocolate caramel

one of the best things about landmarc is the fresh homemade honey chocolate caramels that come with the check. and of course it's already well-known for its wine list.

one of our colleagues i had gone to see in england has been over for the week and i finally got 'round to taking him out to dinner. naturally, he wanted a plain, rare new york steak; and so i wanted to order a new york wine as well.

after perusing the 1/2 bottle list, i selected a 2001 north fork cabernet franc from schneider, even tho' it might have been technically on the light side. it actually worked out pretty well: he enjoyed what i thought was an assertive oaky and smoky flavor, and wasn't put off by its strong violet perfume.

well, it was an editor's pick, after all, i guess.

the chef was kind enough to autograph a menu for my friend and we left all happy, clutching our caramels. how much of this experience was previously conditioned by the vast amounts of syrah we downed model-watching at the soho grand could be discussed. . .

but no, landmarc is justly acclaimed. spending the evening with him was quite enlightening; he is originally from surrey -- he actually says "the home counties"(!) in sarcasm, i think -- and speaks proper queen's english, just like the bbc.

nonetheless, almost no wait or staff person we encountered all evening -- whether born in the states or abroad -- could understand him. at all.

watching him clearly and plainly request a beer was a hoot. the beautiful models/waitresses just stared at him for a beat before looking at me for help.

"may i have a pilsner urquell, please?" he inquired in hugh grant tones. "what would he like?" the leggy brunette from california in a very short, one-shouldered, belted versace tunic asked me.

"i'm sorry," i said to him after she left. "what?" he said. of course his attention had been directed, um, elsewhere, and he hadn't even noticed that i had had to translate from english to english. . .

on a completely different subject, i find this study amusing. the smell of fresh bread enrages; that of fresh coffee increases concentration?

posted by fortune | 9:50 AM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments