Ciao Amori!
A little intermezzo from my coverage of all the ri-dic-u-lous food I’ve been eating here in Italia to share something I’m very excited about!
Before taking off on my Italian adventure I shot a video with Bing to show how my friends and trusted foodie cognoscenti keep me informed and well-fed.
The Bing crew followed me as I wandered NYC snipering shots of pretty produce and caught me on film chowing down.
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When our buddy Frank invited us down to Perugia for their annual Umbria Jazz fest, we were expecting a sweet little affair commensurate in scale to the quaint medieval town. You know, late night jams in dark, sultry clubs (which we got), and street performers galore (which we also got)…but small-scale? Not a chance.
Apparently, we stumbled upon the biggest party of the year. During the week of Umbria Jazz, thousands upon thousands of music lovers, locals and tourists alike, descend upon Perugia, whether it’s to enjoy shows headlined by the likes of B.B. King, Santana, and Prince (or shall I say, the Artist Formerly Known as Principe), a 12-man brass band blasting their funk through the cobblestone streets, or frenetic drum circles that last until dawn.
Maybe it was the jetlag, but I’m shocked to report that I could actually hang with the big boys, loitering in the piazza, and listening to some great music, until…well…until it was time for breakfast! (And what an amazing breakfast it was. More on this in a bit.)
First things first though — fuel for this night of revelry.
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LMS correspondent Michael Seibel wraps up this year’s SF Chefs event coverage with a carnivorous roar. Lamb Ribs, BBQ Pulled Pork sammies, a Salami-Prosciutto-Lardo threesome, and Porchetta…Michael, I’m guessing you enjoyed the meat.
*****
SF Chefs 2011 opening celebration and grand tasting featured dishes from 34 restaurants and over 24 featured wines, beers, and spirits.  Of all the bites, the Lamb Rib with pickled red onion and yogurt from Foreign Cinema was hands down the best.  Serving small plates to hundreds of people for 4.5 hours is hard work, and sometimes chefs prefer to take the easy route (soups, cold items, etc.).  John Clark, chef at Foreign Cinema, served a challenging dish at a consistently high level of quality all night long.  The rib was warm, well crusted, meaty, and tender.  The onions and yogurt cooled off the dish slightly and lent creamy, crunchy, and tart notes which cut through the fat on the well marbled piece of meat.  Only the large number of other food/drink distractions kept me from coming back to this dish over and over again; however, I did end up eating three servings by the end of night.
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LMS correspondent Michael Seibel reports back from the Sugar and Spice Party. I’m officially drooling over Melissa Chou’s (Aziza) Black Mint Bavarian with lime, buttermilk, hibiscus, and pistachio…
*****
The SF Chefs Sugar and Spice event featured a creative mix of spice-enhanced dessert items but a savory item stood out above all the rest.  David Lawrence from 1300 on Filmore served a Maple Braised Short Rib with Creamy Grits that knocked my socks off.  I’ve sampled Lawrence’s blue cheese grits on a number of occasions and they often come off too strong.  These grits (minus the blue cheese and plus tons of butter, cream, and possibly some parmesan cheese) were the perfect foil for the slightly sweet meaty/saucy short ribs.  I can honestly say I came back to this table three times.
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