Woodfire Grill

It doesn't get much better that having a Top Chef cook your birthday meal! And that is just what happened for Cheryl and me. Nan arranged an evening at Woodfire Grill and my favorite Top Chef, Kevin Gillespie, was kind enough to stop by our table for photos and questions about his experience in the competition.

The Woodfire Grill is a warm and inviting restaurant filled with the wonderful aroma of the hardwood burning in the open grill. The menu is planned daily around the freshest available ingredients. Our meal started was a tasty tarragon and fall veggie amuse-bouche.

The first course featured one of my favorite vegetables, fried okra served with white acre peas and tarragon aioli.

Pan seared scallops followed, cooked to perfection on a blackeyed pea puree with fried carrots and braised bacon.

Kenny selected the wood-grilled strip loin with horseradish greens and duck fat roasted fingerling potatoes while I had the wild Alaskan halibut both beautifully plated and equally delicious.

Cheryl's dessert was the most interesting dish of the night. The moist banana bread was topped with a bacon butter cream icing. Yes, I said bacon butter cream! The sweet icing included the smokey taste of bacon.

It was a lovely evening spent with good friends enjoying good food.

Grilled Artichokes

Houston's Restaurant is one of our favorite dining places in Atlanta. I often use Houston's as a bribe to entice Kenny into a shopping trip to Lenox. I thought we had tried everything on the menu until our last visit. While sitting at the bar waiting on friends, enjoying one of their delicious Salty Dogs made with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, the bartender told us about his favorite appetizer, Grilled Artichokes. Grilled Artichokes? How had we missed them? It seems that are a special menu item, only available when artichokes are in season. And yes, they were on the day's menu and on our table.

Wow, were they good. But how did they create this tasty treat? After questioning our waitress and a search of the Internet, we now have a pretty good duplication of the recipe. Artichokes can be a pricey item, but 2 artichokes - $2.50 each - were a generous serving for 6-8. These tasty thistles barely made it off the grill before being devoured. I served them with basil mayonnaise for dipping, but to be honest, they needed nothing to enhance the flavor. Grilled artichokes will be a regular addition to our menu.

Grilled Artichokes

2 artichokes
2 lemons
1/2 cup extra virgin 0live oil
4 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt
Pepper

Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into the water. Wash the artichokes and break off the tough outer leaves. Trim the remaining tips and cut in half. Toss into the lemon water, making sure they are submerged in water.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the artichokes and cook for 15 minutes. The artichokes should be tender. Remove the chokes (the fuzzy stuff in the middle of the artichoke) and drain thoroughly. Chill for 1 hour.

Combine the juice from one lemon, olive oil and garlic.

Preheat the grill and oil the grill rack. Baste the artichokes with the oil mixture on both side and place on the hot grill. Grill on both sides about 5 minutes or until brown. Serve hot with basil mayonnaise or a lemon aioli. Serves 6 - 8.

Cortona

Today we leave Florence and drive to Casa bel Posto, an apartment just outside Cortona. The drive through the countryside is filled with farmland and abandoned buildings. The buildings are beautiful, mostly made of stone, and look like they are begging for renovation. It is hard not to dream about how life would be in one of these old buildings, farming the land and enjoying the Tuscan life.

Our hosts, Keith and Tania, have done just that. They decided to leave their home in California several years ago and move to Italy. They lived in an apartment in Cortona before buying Caso bel Posto, a rustic farmhouse surrounded by fields of sunflowers. The young couple has created a cozy retreat for travelers and their hospitality is as warm as the apartment.

At Caso bel Posto we are greeted by our host, Keith. Keith is the perfect host. During our stay he provided us with directions, suggestions for dinner and "must see" places as well as wine and Scotch. He was even there to help Kenny and Edwin buy freshly pressed olive oil from the local mill.

After unloading our car, we take to the hills for Cortona. This landscape is hilly and heavily planted with olive trees ready for harvesting. We park close to the escalator and begin our trek upward to the city. Our timing is lousy once again. Most of the businesses are closing for lunch so we quickly grab a table overlooking the piazza at the Ristorante La Loggetta. The food here is very innovative. We share a Mixed Plate full of delicious antipasti. My favorite is a pesto cheese thingy, served warm. The Zuppa di Pomodoro was delicious. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of it! The soup was served piping hot in a white bowl garnished with fresh pesto. It looked as good as it tasted. After lunch we stop for a cappuccino before heading back to the apartment to crash.

For dinner we take Keith's suggestion and go to Bastian Contrario. Leo, the owner, greets us at the door with a big smile. He quickly realizes we don't speak Italian and he doesn't speak English, so he gives us a warm handshake and shows us to a table. From here on out, Leo is in charge of our delicious meal. The antipasto platter included fried onion rings, fried cauliflower, fried artichokes, chicken liver pate (or whatever the Italian version is), ragu on crostini, mozzarella, proscuitto, melon slices, and more. This should have been enough for our dinner, but Leo wanted us to try more.For the second course, we followed Leo's recommendation for pizza and it was delicious - thin, crispy crust, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and toppings of artichokes, olives, ham, and mushrooms.
Leo was soon back offering dessert, but we said no. Leo left the table only to return with a plate of panna cotta topped with strawberries that was light and tasty.
Just when we think we can't eat another thing, Leo returns with what Kenny thinks is a bottle of Chivas Regal scotch. Leo pours us all a glass and Kenny is the first to take a drink. The look on his face tells me this isn't scotch. Leo smiles and tells us it is vinsanto, a sweet Tuscan dessert wine, the perfect ending to a perfect evening. Thanks to all our new Italian friends for giving us a night we will always remember. Buona sera!

Trattoria Icche C'e C'e

If you are looking for a great place to eat in Florence, check out Trattoria Icche C'e C'e. This quaint trattoria is located on an isolated alley between Piazza Santa Croce and Piazza della Signoria. We arrived early and looked inside to see the owner Gino and his family enjoying a meal before opening. We were soon joined in our wait with a mother and daughter traveling together from Arkansas. It was good to hear another southern accent.

Gino's menu is full of classic Italian dishes. We started with Pappa al Pomodoro and Ribolitta. Both were full-flavored and thick with bread. For entrees included Veal and Artichokes, Grilled Porkchops and Chicken with Lemon Sauce with the pork chops my favorite. Limoncello completed the meal.

As we were finishing our meal, the couple sitting at the next table asked where we were from. As we talked, we soon discovered we had common friends in Newnan. It was another of those "small world" moments.

Caffe Riviore

Tonight after dinner we went on a chocolate hunt. Our destination was Caffe Riviore in the Piazza della Signoria. This upscale cafe is beautifully decorated with pink tablecloths and walls of beautiful art. And there is plenty of art in the displays of chocolate as well. This is a chocoholics dream. Nan and Edwin opted for some chocolates, served on napkins on white plates. Kenny and I went for the Cioccolata Calda, a thick, dark, not too sweet hot chocolate drink topped with whip cream. We made the big mistake of sitting down and paid the price - $24 euros for the drink! You see, the price you pay increases drastically if you sit at a table. Next time we will be standing at the bar enjoying this decadent treat!

il Pizzaiuolo

It is Saturday night and the streets of Florence are crowded with locals looking for a place to eat. A block from our apartment we find an osteria with a pizza oven and an interesting menu. Il Pizzaiuolo at Via de' Macci 113/r is known for its Neapolitan-style pizza. The pizza was delicious. The fresh mozzarella is complimented with proscuitto, tomatoes, olives and basil and has a wonderful smoked flavor. Now we know where to eat good Italian pizza in Florence!

Lunch at Il Tocco di Bacco

For lunch, we hit the streets in search of classic Tuscan dishes and we found some at Il Tocco di Bacco. The sign outside announced today's specials, Lasagne and Ribolitta. House wine was our first course - stored in a keg and served in ceramic pitchers. I had the Ribolitta, Italy's version of southern vegetable soup and cornbread. Ribolitta starts with minestrone made with white beans and seasonal vegetables and day old bread is added to the soup to create a very thick, hearty meal. I was disappointed in the Ribolitta. It was served lukewarm and lacked flavor. Kenny ordered the Filet with Chianti Sauce. The filet of beef was sliced about 3/4" thick, cooked to medium rare and smothered in a thick wine sauce that was a perfect compliment to the beef. This dish was a winner. The beef was tender and the sauce tasted as good as it smelled.

Wine at Cardillac

After visiting David, we hitthe streets in search for wine. With map in hand, we head towards our apartment. Along the way, it begins to rain. This slightly alters our search to not only include wine, but a dry place for drinking. Just as the rain increases, we notice a neon "BAR" sign. This must be the place we are looking for! They even have the door open for us.

Our host at Cardillac is Ivan. His first question is "Have you voted?" We, of course, say "Yes" and ask in return for wine - white and Nan and me, red for the guys. Ivan is a handsome young Italian with great command of the English language. Our conversation quickly turns to politics and the upcoming presidential election. It seems as though we have not escaped from all of the hype of the election.

As is usually the case, one drink calls for a second. With little or no sleep for the last 36 hours, the alcohol hits hard and we stumble down Pepi to our Italian home. Before heading in for the night, we make a stop at Il Forno, our neighborhood bakery, for dinner -- pizza and bread. We take the food to the apartment and add another bottle of wine before turning in for the evening.

P.S. If this doesn't make sense, don't blame me! It is the wine's fault.