Wednesday, February 09, 2005

 

Ammo Restaurant


Let's just imagine for a minute you went out to a chic little French bistro for dinner with a peach of a man, you laughed and ate, (he offered to split everything because you wanted to try it all), he plied you with wine and champagne and then over a perfect tart tatin, proposed marriage. Then you stay up all night having more drinks and planning your pending nuptials and don’t get to sleep until 4 am. That would be a good thing right? Of course it would!

The only trouble is, the next day you are hung over as can be (did you know girls become hung over more easily and more extremely than men? See below.) and have dinner plans early the next evening with a friend who is a wild and crazy rock and roll goddess who you never can manage to pin down (so you cant possibly flake out) and your head feels like it's under two tons of cement even if your heart is a-flutter. Then what? WELL, if it were ME (and I’m not saying it was), you would end up eating at the first Italian restaurant that comes to mind. For instance AMMO, on Highland Ave in Hollywood. A restaurant dedicated to using organic and seasonal ingredients served in a quiet setting with soft light, carbs galore, a compassionate waitstaff and a full bar for all of your hair-of-the-dog needs. In other words, an all around excellent dining choice.

But what to have? First, I would suggest the gorgonzola pizza with pinenuts, baby spinach and fresh tomato sauce. It has about 6 smallish slices of ooey-gooey goodness with a thin and crisp crust cooked to perfection (though, for my taste, there were too many pine nuts. The Rock Goddess was ok with it), and a to drink, a refreshingly crisp Austrian Hirsch Gruener Veltliner 2000 to take the edge off that hangover.

Moving on the the second course, you can split the pappardelle with oven roasted eggplant, gaeta olives and a bolognese sauce and the rigatoni with spicy cauliflower and rapini, olives and breadcrumbs. The pappardelle is seemingly house made, and the eggplant melts (the way it should) in your mouth, the olives add just enough saltiness and the sauce is just the most glorious thing you ever ate. The rigatoni turns out to be orecchiette, but all is forgiven because the cauliflower is golden-roasted to its utmost sweetness and the entire dish is your idea of divinity (though, warning a girl there were large anchovy pieces in there might have been nice. I mean, I'm all for a good anchovy, but they should meld in, not be their own entity.)

But do you think that’s enough to cure what ails your aching head? Most likely not, in which case, I suggest another bottle of wine, maybe this time something French, from the Cotes de Provence region. Perhaps the Domaine Ott "Claire de Noirs" 2001 Rose, (I know what you are thinking, Rose? But it went so well with the next course!) and then dive into the Oven Roasted Organic Chicken served with farmer's market beets, carrots and heirloom potatoes and a side of mashed potatoes with horseradish creme fraiche. That chicken, I must admit was an entrée not to be missed. The chicken skin was crisp while the meat was still juicy and flavorful. Whoever is in charge of the ovens at Ammo should be congratulated, because after that chicken and those amazing beets, I think anyone’s hangover would be cured.

Of course after all that food you couldn’t possibly eat dessert. But your hangover is cured and that is what was most important, is it not? Especially when it turns out the proposal was all in fun, and the boy in question – while truly one of the best men ever – isn’t your boyfriend. (And you have a boyfriend, who you love, so it's ok) At least you had a great couple of nights out!

_________________________________________

There are more than 600 types of pasta worldwide

Canadians eat about 15 lbs. of pasta a year.

"The average weight difference between women and men is one reason why women tend to
get intoxicated faster, but there's more. Women also tend to have more fat and less muscle
than men, and because muscle tissue contains more water than fat does, and alcohol
dissolves in water the more water in the body the more it is diluted. With about ten percent
more water in their bodies than women, men can drink more alcohol than women before
becoming intoxicated. In fact, studies show that women suffer worse hangovers than
men too. Overall, women suffer more, dehydration, exhaustion, headaches, and nausea. "
From www.amos.indiana.edu/

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Comments:
Well my dear, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Sounds like a perfectly delicious and delightful evening! And a man who will SHARE a plate? You've got a keeper.

I tried to post a comment yesterday but I don't know if it went through or not.
 
Helps if I would read that last sentence there. Well congratulations was all in fun too :)
 
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