The Joy of Dining Out

As risky as it it is nowadays, dining out with friends is just such a welcome relief. Eating at a restaurant is now a fun and big event. Will it continue? Possibly - until November when the weather gets cooler and it's too chilly to eat outdoors.

I spent Saturday night with friends eating out at Fontana Tritone in Leonia New Jersey, a lovely old town right across the Hudson River from New York City. Eating there is always a treat. Leonia is a beautiful old town, with charming Victorian homes and a quaint main street. The restaurant chosen was a good choice and despite it all did take getting used to , especially with all the protocols. There had to be a reservation and then once we got there dined in the parking lot. It's nice eating outside, It always reminded me of dining out in Italy. From there we scanned our phones on a QR code. The menu came up right away and we were able to see what was offered. That was neat and this may be the new way to order, even after the virus has hopefully gone. Then the bread comes out with a server coming around with a basket of rolls and thick slices along with tongs. Everyone is masked. Some are gloved with protective plastic gloves. Despite the abnormal circumstances it still was a fun night out.

Dinner was the same as usual. I ordered Fontana Tritone's pollo scarpiello after their lavish antipasto Tritone. This was a wonderful mix of paper thin prosciutto and soprasetta and large pieces of artichoke hearts and  roasted peppers. It was dotted with black olives. I would have just been happy with this and the company. The chicken was equally delicious, just being served on the bone with fresh rosemary and garlic in a white wine sauce. Buttery mashed potatoes and mixed veggies were served with it. I have to admit, I'm not a big mashed potatoes fan but these were superb.There was a creaminess to them that other versions I've had lack. The entire dish was just wonderful. It is exciting to eat out again, with getting dressed up and even putting on make up. Then just picking out dishes from a menu instead of foraging for the ingredients in a grocery store. No cooking. No washing up afterwards. There's something exhilarating about that, even though it's a relatively small deal. It's also nice to see other diners dressed up and enjoying themselves. Somehow being in or eating in your car just doesn't cut it.

If you can and it's safe, eat out. You are supporting your local restaurant but also lifting yourself out of a rut.It's a fun night , enjoying good food and good friends.Try to do so soon.

Anthony Bourdain That Rare Oyster

Anthony Bourdain  was literally the epitome of at bon vivant  a good liver. He took life and food by the horns , opening up our eyes and palates. he was definitely one of a kind.

Maybe it was his French blood that made him adore food , his father's family was from Bordeaux or his mother's gutsy American attitude that emboldened him with trying different cuisines. It left him with a passion for the bold and adventurous. This kid from Leonia ,New Jersey tried the world's wildest and most sophisticated dishes , while still being true to his roots. he may have  featured the best restaurants  but also highlighted Hiram's Hot Dogs in nearby Fort Lee. His interest  in food started when he was on a family holiday  in France when he tried an oyster for the first time on an oyster boat. He went to Vassar and worked at seafood restaurants in Provincetown Mass. he dropped out of Vassar and since loved cooking, enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America or the CIA. after graduation in 1978, he ran the top restaurants of the day, Sullivan's, the Supper Club and One Fifth Avenue. His biggest break was when he became the executive chef at the glamourous Les Halles restaurant in Manhattan.

His television career started with Kitchen Confidential in 2000 after he published a book of the same name. His second book, A Cook's Tour in 2001, hit the New York Times' best sellers list. It was about his food and cooking exploits. In 2006 he shot the TV show Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. It had one memorable scene in which the Israel-Lebanon conflict happened during filming in Beirut. There was footage of him with Hezbollah supporters along with being holed up with expatriates in the hotel. Two other shows followed. One was The Layover on the Food Channel and the other was the no holds barred.Parts Unknown. This last was wildly popular as he garnered former president Obama as a guest during a trip to Vietnam. Bourdain also took the show to Libya, Tokyo, Punjab, Jamaica, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Armenia. Audiences, especially foodies, loved it, his daringness to try bizarre foods and his love of travel. He also made it to The Simpsons as well as on Inked where he got a tattoo in the episode. He also produced and starred in the movie about food waste called. Wasted:The Story Of Food Waste.

Anthony Bourdain was one of  a kind, an unusual dish to be savored.  There will never be one quite like him. He was one of a kind - that rare oyster with the amazing flavor.