Improvisation

Ever since we decided to go south for our travel adventure for this year, I have spent an inordinate amount of time watching foodie shows like Bizarre Foods and No Reservations and reading Travel Channel blogs and websites. In fact, I have become a bit of a devotee to these sources. As I mentioned in my previous blog, "From Away: Rants, Raves and Rhapsodies of a Fledgling Traveler", the guidebooks are not always right. Sometimes you have to just explore.

As one might presume, "foodie travel" can be expensive, so I have tried to choose my eating venues carefully. There are five thousand billion restaurants out there and I will not be able to go to them all unless I win a fifty thousand billion dollar lottery.  

But whenever you travel, the locals start to offer up all sorts of suggestions about where to go and, more imporantly, where to eat. I started to get nervous as the suggestions started flying. "Oh this barbecue is better than that barbecue" or "You've got to try this place". What about my carefully calculated plans? What about the less than fifty thousand billion dollar budget? 

Fortunately, this fledgling foodie stayed open to all the possibilities. So when my niece said her colleague suggested "Swift's Attic", I said "yes". 

And yes, what a great night! We all sat down to a creative and fun dinner. I started with a cocktail that was impossible to pronounce, but delicious. It had "silver something tequila", a muddled jalapeno and St. Germaine liquor. It was smooth, sweet, salty, hot...and perfectly balanced. Then came the dinner experience. I very intentionally say experience here because it was clearly that for everyone at the table. The food was served as "plates" which is family style...on steroids. It is family style where every single dish is amazingly fascinating and so complex each dinner partner is trying to define the experience. The table conversations sounded like a voice over dream sequence. "Is that cinnamon I taste?", "No, I think it's cardamom...or not", "Maybe anise?". "Oh my God...here try this!. 

I tried to control my controlling and solicited everyone's input, but I insisted on sweetbreads, which I have been wanting to try ever since I took a bite of John's twenty years ago at a restaurant in northern Maine called "13 Stanley Avenue. These were amazingly prepared with a miso glaze. The conversations were raised to a whole new level as each table mate added an adjective... creamy, sweet, delicate, smooth. 

The menu itself was so enticing...and it was frequently just a list of ingredients. But the combination of them were what was so intriguing. Who could resist trying..."Charred edamame. chili oil. pop rocks" or "Braised Windy Hill goat shoulder, ricotta gnocchi, smoked fig, tomato ragout"! The only trauma was that we were all too full to try the incredibly playful dessert "Popcorn and a Movie: Butter Popcorn Gelato, house made candy bar, caramel corn, root beer gel". 

 It is absolutely wonderful to enjoy this family dinner adventure with my niece and nephew in their new home town. After dinner we went downstairs to listen to a jazz jam that included Tommy's guitar improvisations. The whole night was filled with great improvisations.

He's the young guy on the left in the plaid shirt!