New York. Dec. 23, 2010 at Picholine with Terrance Brennan and at a Bluegrass Jam Session at The Grisly Pear in the West Village

* * * * *

For the past several years, I have been getting together with Chef Terrance Brennan at his flagship, Michelin-starred restaurant, Picholine, where Terrance and his chef de cuisine, Carmine DiGiovanni, are making some of the best food in New York.  While Terrance was battling with a maddening visit from the food police, who are going to kill great food in this country if someone doesn't stop them, Kay and I sat at one of the bar and sipped Taittinger Brut Prestige Rosé Champagne, while our server, Tony, a veteran at Picholine plied us with a series of "tapas." 

Finally, Terrance was free and the party began in earnest with the appetizers in these pictures, including a Diver scallop with pomegranate sauce (yes!!), sweetbreads and a beet and arugula salad. With a bottle of Colin-Deleger Chevalier-Montrachet 1999, which was good, but not spectacular, we had what Terrance said was the last white truffle of the season. As our server started shaving the white truffle over my risotto, I was reminded of the first time this happened to me at the '21' Club when Anne Rosenzweig invited me to lunch for my birthday. We sat at Humphrey Bogart's old table and Anne ordered pasta with white truffles. When our server arrived with the truffle, Anne said, "Say When, when you think he has shaved enough truffle on your pasta."

I was suddenly afflicted with a temporary lock-jaw condition, which may have been a boon to the people at the table, but not to the '21' Club's bottom line. Shave on, shave on, shave on!! These strange affliction descended upon me again last night. My risotto ended up covered with white truffles!! Kay began to stammer when she tried to say, "When!"

And Brennan, who is the boss, didn't say "When!," he merely took the truffle and shaver from our server and proceeded to whittle off some more over his pasta dish.

(Double click on the image to go to a large screen Picasa slide show the dinner at Picholine.)

A good time was had by all and then we headed to a dive bar in the West Village, where Terrance's novia, Jody Lipton, was playing the flute and singing with her musician friends at a bluegrass jam session held at the Grisly Pear on MacDougal street every Wednesday night.

(Double click on the image to go to a large screen Picasa slide show on the jam session at the Grisly Pear.)

Experience Spain With Gerry Dawes: Customized Culinary, Wine & Cultural Trips to Spain & Travel Consulting on Spain  

Gerry Dawes can be reached at gerrydawes@aol.com