23-24 April 2020*
Ugh…it’s always tough going to the airport for the flight homeward-bound, made much more unpleasant by it being Malpensa. First of all, it means one is leaving Italy, this place I love so much. Second, it’s one of the most inconvenient major airports in Europe. On a good day it takes about an hour to get there by train…
But that’s why I stay near Centrale, convenient as I came in by train and now heading to the airport by train. An uneventful experience there and on the flight back, where I go into my now-patented “zombie mode” where I don’t sleep, but close my eyes, listen to music, don’t eat, don’t drink anything but the bottles of water I brought with me, and get to my destination…
Luckily I had yesterday’s feasting — for the stomach and for the eyes — to keep me going until I landed… Back into JFK, where I departed on this #imaginarytrip a fortnight ago.
Back in NYC…so you think I’m a tough kid? Nah, just tired, and hungry. No food all day and it’s nearly evening here, so I need to eat. A long taxi ride into Manhattan, with the absolutely inevitable traffic jam on the Van Wyck.
I really do not know how much of my life has been lost on the Van Wyck to/from JFK over the years…
I get into Midtown and drop my bag off, then hop right into the subway to go to Brooklyn. I’m hungry, and I need a lot of food. Luckily I know my old friend Chef Akhtar Nawab would be there to make sure I have plenty of good stuff to eat at his Alta Calidad.
I’ve known Akhtar for a long time, and for a short but wonderful period we were partners in our baby that was named Elettaria… We share a lot of pain from her demise, but I’m glad to see his current restaurants doing so well (well, until this insanity began…). I get to Atlantic Avenue and stroll to Alta Calidad, and park myself at the bar…
A cocktail in hand, and I suspect Chef has seen me, so I slowly look over the menu, knowing he’s gonna bring out stuff otherwise… And soon, he comes out and brings me my starter, the marrow roti.
Chef Nawab has somehow successfully fused Mexican and Indian flavours here at Alta Calidad, with his Kentucky flare, and this is a very unique dish. Lovely roti, but that marrow just made it so nice and rich… As I’m picking at the roti, we also catch up quickly, which is always nice. Then he heads back into the kitchen when my second dish is brought…
A nice king salmon salad, working well with the myriad of veggies; I especially love the radishes. A nice start, but knowing Chef things are gonna get very interesting very soon. And sure enough, a delightful combination of belly and octopus…
These skewers are just delicious, I can eat them all day. Grilled perfectly, the octopus was tender and flavourful, the belly decadent and rich… So good, they work so well in concert… Then Chef brings out something he’s really perfected at Alta Calidad, the mangalica collar…
They come out sizzlin’, so good… A normal pork collar done this way would be excellent already, but the bonus is that this is mangalica…so good… Again, I can eat this all day. You can wrap this with tortillas but they are sooooo good as is also… Chef then brings out some cauliflower…
He know I love cauliflower, and when he gets such good raw produce, he always makes the most of it. Lovely stuff, helps cuts down on all the rich foods so far. Then next, he brings something he’s been doing so well since our Elettaria days, the lamb ribs…
Oh so good, brings back so many memories… He gets the best out of the lamb without losing its unique flavour, keeping the meat moist and rich. I don’t know how many of these I’ve eaten over the years from Chef Nawab, but it’s likely in the hundreds… I close my eyes and think back to the summer of 2008, when everything was nearly perfect, when life was nearly perfect, before everything came tumbling down in succession in a matter of months… I’m so glad to see Chef doing so well, partly because he’s recovered from that nadir; on the other hand, I have not, and that’s a burden I carry with myself on a daily basis, #imaginaryday or not…
Anyway, back to the food. I was getting a little full, but plenty of cocktails from the very able bar staff keeps me going. Chef then comes out with porchetta…
So good, rich and perfectly roasted. The skin crispy, the meat juicy, just the way it should be done. Again, brings back memory, as this was the last thing Chef made for our final evening of service at Elettaria. So I guess that’s an appropriate end to this #imaginarydinner, this wee trip down memory lane…
A few more cocktails later, a good chat with Chef, but it’s time to head out as it’s starting to weigh on me a little, in every sense of the term. This has been a long trip, and I’m tired — even if it’s all imaginary…
That was one fine evening of #imaginarydining. Not hungry anymore, and I make my way back across to Manhattan to my hotel to collapse… Next morning, I manage to rest a little and to get myself ready. I head out, but before I go to Penn Station for my train ride home, I decide to have one last meal.
And for my last meal I decided to drop into the venerable Keens Steakhouse. Partly because it’s open for lunch, it’s hearty, and it’s near Penn Station. I arrive and they happily store my bag as they lead me to my table. As I enjoy a martini they hand me the menu, which isn’t really needed as I know what I’m having…
Yep, their famous mutton chop. A half bottle of red, some veggies on the side, and I’m happy. I devour this large yet delicious piece of meat, knowing all of this has to fuel me for that terrible experience called Amtrak that’s coming up…
I finish up the beast, as well as my half-bottle (I decided against a full bottle as I need to ween back to “normal” existence…), and have a double of rye to close the tab on this #imaginarytrip.
I walk over to Penn Station, probably the worst train station on the planet (tho Gare du Nord in Paris ain’t much better) to queue for the train south. The #imginarytrip is now officially over, in every sense of that word. Back to reality. SIGH…
Alta Calidad
552 Vanderbilt Avenue
Brooklyn, New York
Keens Steakouse
72 West 36th Street
New York, New York