Bourdain in the 'Burgh

My husband and I bought tickets to see Anthony Bourdain speak at Heinz Hall on June 14. We are pretty regimented on the weeknights, and Mondays are usually especially structured, as we are just getting back into the work week routine. I know, I know...loosen up. Well, that was part of the impetus behind going to listen to Bourdain speak. Besides a strong affinity for his writings and TV show ("No Reservations") we have been making a conscious effort to get out more this summer and to enjoy all the city has to offer.
So, Monday June 14 rolls around and we rush home from work, hop in the car together, and head downtown. We were hoping to grab something to eat before the lecture. Surprisingly, so were all of the other Bourdain followers. This left us with a 45 minute wait at each of the restaurants we checked, a time frame we couldn't work with and still make the lecture. So, there we were, traipsing around downtown looking for a bar to grab a drink before the show. We were pleasantly surprised at how busy the city was, but getting to the point of pissy-ness (yes, that is the technical term) from the lack of food or beverage in our systems, the long walks in our work shoes, and the blazing heat and suffocating humidity. We stumbled into Braddock, the bar in the lobby of the Renaissance, just as my husband's blistered feet were starting to bleed and my curly hair was frizzing beyond control. The bar was crowded but not packed. So, I practically crawled to an opening between two stools at the bar and waited to get the attention of the bartender. My husband, who is usually quick to tell me what he wants to drink, looked pretty dumbfounded when I turned back to ask his bevy choice of the day. I was having none of this, as the aforementioned factors were still in existence and as I still didn't have and food or drink in hand. With some attitude, I asked my husband what he'd like, and he stumbled over the word "beer" (a word he first spoke at age 5) as he gestured to my left. Still oblivious, I ordered our drinks from the bartender and paid. As I turned around to hand my husband his drink, I figured out what the issue was. Sitting in the bar stool next to me was Anthony Bourdain. He was all by his lonesome - no agent, no bodyguard - drinking beer. I was thinking of striking up a conversation or at least telling him that we were on our way to his lecture. Before I got the words out, a young couple pushed me aside and demanded a picture with him. An older woman was waiting behind them with a book for him to sign, and a guy on the other side of the bar sent him a beer. In true Bourdain form, he looked thoroughly uncomfortable with the attention and pretty annoyed at the situation. I chose to stay out of the way and we got a table at the bar and watched the situation continue in the same fashion until he left, on foot, presumably to go the couple of blocks to Heinz Hall and prepare for the lecture.
After we got there ourselves, he took the stage in the same fashion he left us - beer in hand. His lecture was entertaining, somewhat informative, and seemed to be well received. Until, that is, someone from the crowd asked him when he was going to film a show in Pittsburgh and he blew it off, referencing something about not having an indigenous food. Can you say french fries and slaw on a sandwich, Tony? And what the hell does Cleveland have that is indigenous? Otherwise, the lecture went smoothly and covered subjects from Food Network personalities and being a respectful traveler to problems with the food industry and being a father. Taking the under, I lost a bet to my husband, who set the over/under for f-bombs at 20. But, I laughed most of the way through the lectureand brushed shoulders with the man himself. And though I lost a little respect for him in the response to that audience member's question, I was particularly impressed with a point he made late in the lecture. It went something like this: the best dinners are not the ones at the fabulous restaurants that you have to plan for far in advance to get reservations, but the ones that come spontaneously and are had with the ones you love. I would have to agree that drinking at the bar, big hair and sore feet, and snacking on goldfish the bartender was kind enough to share, was one of the better food experiences I've had in a while.

Mushroom Dinner at Vivo - it is taking all I have to avoid a "funghi" / "fun guy" pun

I had the opportunity to prepare a meal in the kitchen of Vivo restaurant (Bellevue, PA - see 2/1/09 posting) with chef/owner Sam DiBatista and chef Daniel Aguera (www.dinnerwithdaniel.com). The theme was mushrooms, and the menu centered on some beautiful mushrooms (royal trumpets, maitake, beech, and pompom) provided by Wild Purveyors. The event was $60 a head and included two appetizers, two main courses, a dessert, and an awesome experience. The event was BYOB.
I'll get back to the food in a few lines, but allow me to digress and discuss the experience in whole. I had never been in a professional kitchen, and I expected it to be sterile and overbearing. To the contrary, the kitchen at Vivo is warm and inspiring. Some of the walls are painted a deep rust color, and there are fun articles and interesting "fortunes" from cookies on one of the walls. It felt like someone had pimped my grandma's kitchen - all the warmth of her kitchen, and all the perks and quality of a professional kitchen. The fact that Sam, his wife and co-owner, and his daughter were all in the kitchen for this event surely added to the inviting feel.
The chefs themselves added to the experience as well. They were friendly, funny, informative, and very excited about what they were cooking. It was nice to see that excitement, considering both of them have been in the business for so long and considering that they were sharing the kitchen with 16 strangers for the night.
The experience was also supplemented by the presence of Cavin and Tom of Wild Purveyors. They spoke a bit about the mushrooms they provided and answered any and all fungi-related questions.
Ok, back to the food....When the cooking began, it was laid back yet efficient, and the appetizers were under way in no time. In no way do I consider myself an aficionado of culinary anything, but I know my way around a kitchen and I like to eat good food. I don't shy away from odd ingredients. Having said that, when Chef Sam asked us (I brought a like-minded friend to enjoy the experience and to act as a DD if need be) to clean the fiddle-head ferns, I was a bit overwhelmed. As in A) What is a fiddle head fern? and B) How do I clean it? I still don't know what it is, but to clean it you snap the end off and remove the dirt as best you can. It tasted like a cross between an asparagus and a green bean, and it was delicious and sweet. It was incorporated into a mixture of grilled maitake (my favorite of the night for their hearty goodness) and roasted garlic scape vinaigrette (prepared by chef Daniel and soooo good) and served on endive. The other appetizer was sautéed royal trumpet mushrooms on grilled bread with raclette. Both were wonderful.
The main courses were a grilled bison slider with gorgonzola and a sautéed pom pom and a dish that was called dumplings with beech mushrooms. The slider was good, but I lost the taste of the pom pom in the gorgonzola. The "dumplings", however, were something very special. They started off easily enough with flour, water, and salt. Chef Sam added the mixture to water boiling in a risotto pan. I thought he was going to drain the water later or fish the pasta out with a strainer. But, he cooked the flour mixture in the water like he would risotto, and in the end the consistency was that of risotto - creamy. Unbelievably so considering the fact that he didn't add any cheese. He stirred in some marinara and served the mushrooms on top. It was a peasant dish my grandmother would be proud of, and I loved every bite of it.
The dessert was a white truffle panna cotta prepared by Chef Daniel. The truffle was not provided by Wild Purveyors, but by what I assume to have been an illegal and or expensive act. I don't care about the who or how - that mushroom dessert was incredible. The truffle was especially delicate for what a strong and distinct flavor it is. The panna cotta smooth and silky and delicious, and was complemented with a toffee-like drizzle of hardened caramel. Or something like that. I lost focus once I spooned into the panna cotta, and I like to avoid speaking about caramels and toffees, as they, along with mayonnaise, are my culinary white whales.
All in all, it was a fun and informative night with great food and people. Check out Vivo's Facebook or MySpace page for future "Cooking with the Chef" events, and to see pictures of this event.