Winter 2019
There’s a lot happening at L’Amico and the Vine, from new cocktails on the menu to backyard bashes in our courtyard and winemaker dinners. Please stop by and enjoy our seasonally updated menus and glasses of wine from our large-format bottles. I enjoyed hanging out with Chef Ryan Scott from San Francisco during our blind taste test, which you can read all about in the following pages. And as always, you’ll find recipes from our kitchens and behind the bar to try at home!
Bon appétit!
Chef Laurent Tourondel puts his culinary acquaintance to the test
ON THE PLATE
Seasonal recipes to make at home
WHERE IS CHEF TOURONDEL?
The salt marshes of Aigues-Mortes, France
FINISHING TOUCHES
A fresh look at Sag Pizza
IN THE GLASS
Happenings and the staff at L’Amico
COCKTAIL HOUR
What to drink right now
Scott got close to za’atar, guessing sumac instead, and gave the Aleppo pepper a run for its money: “It is pink pepper? White pepper? Korean chili flakes?”
A 2001 graduate of the California Culinary Academy, Chef Ryan Scott has worked as a line cook at Restaurant Gary Danko and staged at the likes of Daniel in New York, Trotter’s in Chicago, and Lucques and A.O.C. in Los Angeles. In 2007, he was cast as a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef. He is author of cookbook Five to One and owner of restaurant Finn Town in San Francisco’s Castro District. You may recognize him from his numerous TV appearances on such shows as the Today Show, Rachael Ray Show, Bar Rescue, and The Talk. You can hear him on the highly rated The Ryan Scott Show weekly on KGO 810 in the Bay Area.
CAULIFLOWER COUSCOUS
Za’atar-Roasted Carrots, Toasted Almonds, Charred Eggplant Yogurt
4 tsp ginger, finely chopped
4 tsp shallots, finely chopped
4 tbs curry oil
4 cup Cauliflower Couscous
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt for seasoning
4 tsp currants, rehydrated
12 oz baby carrots, par-roasted
2 oz olive oil
2 oz honey
4 tsp za’atar
6 oz Charred Eggplant Yogurt
1 tsp lime juice
Za’atar
Aleppo flakes
Mint powder
Curry oil
1/4 cup madras yellow curry powder
1 cup grapeseed oil
Place the curry powder and oil in a medium saucepan over the lowest heat possible. Gently warm to a bare simmer, take off heat to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain through a chinois, leaving the sediment in the bottom of the pot.
Recipes
Roundtable
BURRATA
Squash Caponata, Hazelnut Pesto
4 slices filone, sliced 3/4-inch thick
1 oz olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 burrata, each cut in half
4 oz Butternut Squash Caponata
1 oz Hazelnut Pesto
Sea salt to taste
8–12 oz red kale
Saba to drizzle
Butternut Squash Caponata
1 qt butternut squash, medium dice
1 oz extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 qt red onion, medium dice
25g garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp sage, finely chopped
1/3 cup golden raisins, rehydrated
40g red wine vinegar
40g honey
Toss the squash with olive oil and salt and pepper, and roast in a pizza oven or conventional oven at 400°F until charred and just tender.
Saute red onions and garlic in a rondeau until soft and lightly colored. Add the sage and saute briefly until fragrant.
Add the squash to the rondeau with the raisins, vinegar, and honey. Bring to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes, until the squash is soft but not broken down. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cool.
Roundtable
BURRATA
Squash Caponata, Hazelnut Pesto
4 slices filone, sliced 3/4-inch thick
1 oz olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 burrata, each cut in half
4 oz Butternut Squash Caponata
1 oz Hazelnut Pesto
Sea salt to taste
8–12 oz red kale
Saba to drizzle
Butternut Squash Caponata
1 qt butternut squash, medium dice
1 oz extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 qt red onion, medium dice
25g garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp sage, finely chopped
1/3 cup golden raisins, rehydrated
40g red wine vinegar
40g honey
Toss the squash with olive oil and salt and pepper, and roast in a pizza oven or conventional oven at 400°F until charred and just tender.
Saute red onions and garlic in a rondeau until soft and lightly colored. Add the sage and saute briefly until fragrant.
Add the squash to the rondeau with the raisins, vinegar, and honey. Bring to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes, until the squash is soft but not broken down. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cool.
Recipes
Spiced Isle of Skye Scallops
Roasted Cauliflower, Lime Brown Butter, Hazelnuts, Capers
Serves 4
12 Isle of Skye scallops, cleaned
Salt to taste
Blackening Spice
50g olive oil
50g butter to saute
160g cauliflower florets, mixed colors, par-roasted
50g butter to saute
100g baby spinach
120g Cauliflower Purée
80g brown butter
40g toasted hazelnuts, halved
20g capers
20g lime segments, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Blackening Spice
45g paprika
25g cayenne pepper
24g garlic powder
15g onion powder
15g black pepper
5g dried oregano
Mix all spices together.
Spiced Isle of Skye Scallops
Roasted Cauliflower, Lime Brown Butter, Hazelnuts, Capers
Serves 4
12 Isle of Skye scallops, cleaned
Salt to taste
Blackening Spice
50g olive oil
50g butter to saute
160g cauliflower florets, mixed colors, par-roasted
50g butter to saute
100g baby spinach
120g Cauliflower Purée
80g brown butter
40g toasted hazelnuts, halved
20g capers
20g lime segments, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Blackening Spice
45g paprika
25g cayenne pepper
24g garlic powder
15g onion powder
15g black pepper
5g dried oregano
Mix all spices together.
Recipes
BRUSSELS SPROUTS PIZZA
Pancetta, Taleggio, Stracchino
Yields 12-inch pizza, serves 4
8 1/2 oz pizza dough (recipe below)
1 1/2 oz mozzarella, medium dice
1 1/2 oz taleggio, medium tiles
1 1/2 oz stracchino
2 oz Brussels leaves, blanched
2 oz Brussels sprouts, thinly shaved
1/2 oz Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1 oz pancetta, small diced and partially rendered
1/4 oz Parmesan, grated
1 pinch Maldon sea salt
1 pinch chili flakes
1 tbs olive oil
Stretch out the pizza dough to a 12-inch round. Arrange the cheeses, blanched leaves, shaved sprouts, onion, and pancetta over the dough. Bake in a pizza oven until crispy and nicely charred, about 3½ to 4 minutes, or in an 375°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until crispy.
Remove from the oven and finish with grated Parmesan, sea salt, chili flakes, and olive oil.
Salt-Baked Turnips
with Fennel Soubise
Serves 4
2 qts kosher salt
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 2 limes
2 egg whites
8 turnips
1 fennel bulb
1/4 yellow onion
1 tbs unsalted butter
Kosher salt to taste
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup heavy cream
Extra-virgin olive oil to finish
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, mix kosher salt with lemon, orange, and lime zests. Add egg whites to the salt mix and mix well.
In a Pyrex baking dish, add some of the salt mixture to make a salt bed big enough for the turnips. Lay them on top of the salt bed. With the rest of the salt mix, cover the turnips and then press tightly with your hands so that turnips are completely covered with the salt. Place dish in the oven and cook for 35 minutes.
La Baleine holds a special place in Tourondel’s heart. Growing up in France, Tourondel remembers asking his grandmother for the empty salt canisters so that he and his friends could add wheels to them to make race cars. Last year, La Baleine presented Chef Tourondel with two handmade race cars.
Advertorial
Seasonal Favorites
Since 1999, Dino Tantawi of Vignaioli Selection has scoured Italy to bring his best wine finds to the American consumer. Tantawi’s approach to selecting wines reflects his own wine attitude, philosophy, and experience. He feels the history and background of vineyards and winemakers are essential to the character and regional depth of their wines. Found in each of Vignaioli’s wine selections is an interpretation of terroir, microclimates, and winemaker philosophies.
Vignaiolo (vee-n’yah-EEOH-loh): Italian for “vine-dresser,” someone who tends to the vines (pl. vignaioli)
Seasonal Favorites
Since 1999, Dino Tantawi of Vignaioli Selection has scoured Italy to bring his best wine finds to the American consumer. Tantawi’s approach to selecting wines reflects his own wine attitude, philosophy, and experience. He feels the history and background of vineyards and winemakers are essential to the character and regional depth of their wines. Found in each of Vignaioli’s wine selections is an interpretation of terroir, microclimates, and winemaker philosophies.
Vignaiolo (vee-n’yah-EEOH-loh): Italian for “vine-dresser,” someone who tends to the vines (pl. vignaioli)
Hilberg-Pasquero Nebbiolo d’Alba 2008
Made 100 percent from nebbiolo grapes from Southern Piedmont, this red wine is complex due to its tannins, structured with harmony in the mouth and nose, and yet elegant. Plush with suggestions of small red fruits, it is loaded with personality.
With a commitment to organic farming, fermentation takes place with the skins in an open vat with manual wine pressing. Refining requires 20 to 22 months in French oak casks. Peak drinking time is 9 to 11 years after harvest. Serve decanted at an ambient temperature of 61°F to 65°F.
Pair with pastas like pansotti and short rib.
Begali Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2010
The Begali Estate, just 12 hectares set among cherry orchards, is situated in the charming Valpolicella area. The estate employs a traditional growing system that’s recently come back into vogue: overhead, pergola-trained grape vines. A red blend of 65 percent corvina and 30 percent rondinella, the grapes are dried and then refined for about three years in wooden casks and tonneaux, followed by refinement in the bottle for six months.
Garnet red with an intense, ethereal, and spicy aroma, this wine exhibits inner harmony and grace. It is soft, dry, warming, and robust with good length.
Pair with roasted and grilled meats, game, and blue cheese.
Scarzello Barolo Sarmassa 2008
In Barolo, the heart of Langhe, the Scarzello family, eight generations of winemakers strong, prides itself on its independence and its individuality. This nebbiolo barolo is grown in calcareous and clay soil. The grapes are manually harvested, macerated with skins for about 30 days, refined in barrels of Slavonian oak for 30 months, and then aged in the bottle for three years.
Light ruby red with garnet hues, this wine has a delicate nose with red rose, violet, and wild berry. On the palate this is savory and juicy, with wild berries and an earthy finish.
Pair with pasta, beef, lamb, and game.
Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino 2012
Owned and run by the Bucci family in Montalcino in Tuscany, this iconic sangiovese-based brunello is made from grapes planted on slopes of sandy clay and marl. Harvest is carried out by hand, and the grapes are destemmed and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. In the cellar, the wines are aged in a combination of Slavonian oak barrels and French oak tonneaux.
Brilliant red, Burgundian in style. Penetrating aromas of wild black fruits, black truffle, black cherry, and noble wood. Warm, dry, and persistent on the palate with great body and elegance on the finish. Complex and long overall with great ageability.
Pair with roasted meats, game, braised meat, and ripe cheeses like Pecorino.
De Conciliis Naima
Located in the beautiful Paestum region of Campania, the de Conciliis family has produced wine for decades. Made 100 percent from aglianico grapes grown in clay, tuff, and mixed sand and rocks, just slightly above sea level. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks for four weeks, followed by a 30-day maceration period. Grapes are aged separately according to vineyard in barrique for one year and then blended before spending one year in tonneaux and one year in stainless steel. No filtration.
Dark garnet with pronounced chocolate and coffee aromas. Tannins are sweet and soft, resulting in a velvety finish.
Pair with roasted pork, rack of lamb, and venison.
Sag Pizza
Finishing Touches
As it quickly becomes an integral part of what Sag Harbor offers, Chef Tourondel’s ode to Neapolitan pizza is an understated example of thoughtful design.
From the outside, it’s fairly undistinguished. But you’ll find yourself drawn in by the fire emanating from the glossy red pizza oven, into the modern space that keeps with Sag Harbor’s look. That consideration for location is just one example of Sag Pizza’s careful design.
Designer Lucia Galeano of Maruni & Co gives credit where it’s due: “This was a collaborative process with Chef Tourondel. He is very easy to work with and has great ideas. The result is very clean, and yet warm too.” She explains that although Sag Pizza is an Italian bistro, they stayed away from the traditional red-green-white palette for a predominately white theme instead. “It’s a better fit for the Hamptons.”
Where they could, they retained a sense of its past, with exposed ceilings, wooden floors, and shiplap on the walls. “There wasn’t much to salvage,” she admits, but what they found blends seamlessly with the simple back bar, mirror, custom rectangular pendant lighting over the bar, Carrara marble counters, and white 4×4 tiles they added.
The restaurant is rather large, and Galeano felt that focal points were important: “While the oven and the fire beckon you, we needed something to make guests want to travel though the space. The cabinet on the back wall, filled with logs of wood, tomato and soda cans, and flowers, commands your attention and adds instant warmth.”
Tourondel is passionate about photography, and his work is on display in a series of panels that line a wall. Taken at Ristorante La Fontelina in Capri, they capture that sense of authenticity keenly displayed on the menu.
Sag Pizza
Finishing Touches
As it quickly becomes an integral part of what Sag Harbor offers, Chef Tourondel’s ode to Neapolitan pizza is an understated example of thoughtful design.
From the outside, it’s fairly undistinguished. But you’ll find yourself drawn in by the fire emanating from the glossy red pizza oven, into the modern space that keeps with Sag Harbor’s look. That consideration for location is just one example of Sag Pizza’s careful design.
Designer Lucia Galeano of Maruni & Co gives credit where it’s due: “This was a collaborative process with Chef Tourondel. He is very easy to work with and has great ideas. The result is very clean, and yet warm too.” She explains that although Sag Pizza is an Italian bistro, they stayed away from the traditional red-green-white palette for a predominately white theme instead. “It’s a better fit for the Hamptons.”
Where they could, they retained a sense of its past, with exposed ceilings, wooden floors, and shiplap on the walls. “There wasn’t much to salvage,” she admits, but what they found blends seamlessly with the simple back bar, mirror, custom rectangular pendant lighting over the bar, Carrara marble counters, and white 4×4 tiles they added.
The restaurant is rather large, and Galeano felt that focal points were important: “While the oven and the fire beckon you, we needed something to make guests want to travel though the space. The cabinet on the back wall, filled with logs of wood, tomato and soda cans, and flowers, commands your attention and adds instant warmth.”
Tourondel is passionate about photography, and his work is on display in a series of panels that line a wall. Taken at Ristorante La Fontelina in Capri, they capture that sense of authenticity keenly displayed on the menu.
Tourondel’s
photography
on display
Wine
Winemaker Mondays
At least once a month, L’Amico hosts a winemaker dinner open to anyone dining in the restaurant that evening. A regional pairing is prepared in the kitchen, and the spotlight winemaker joins the sommelier team in the dining room to answer questions from guests about the wine.
The brainchild of LT Hospitality Beverage Director Percy Rodriguez, Winemaker Mondays are a fun, intimate way to celebrate wine. “It makes complete sense to include some of our wine producers, who make up such an important part of our program,” Rodriguez explains. “It adds another level of service and sensory discovery to the dining experience.”
L’Amico recently featured winemaker Bruno De Conciliis. Says Rodriguez: “He’s kind and thoughtful and makes beautifully honest wines from Campania in Southern Italy. When Bruno spoke about his wines, he had this way of drawing in the guest as he described the challenges of the vintage or while he talked about his family. It was quite revealing.”
Guest feedback is always extremely positive. “If anything, it creates an opportunity for the guest and restaurant operator to connect on an even greater level.”
To be in the know on the next winemaker dinner, sign up for the L’Amico e-newsletter next time you dine there.
Large-Format Bottles
A few times a month at L’Amico, a cork is gently eased from a bottle the sommelier might have a little trouble handling, simply because it’s larger than 6 liters—that’s roughly 7.5 bottles! The wine is then decanted into 750ml amounts or sold by the glass.
“Many people will never have the opportunity to drink wine from a large-format bottle,” says Beverage Director Percy Rodriguez, “and so this is about enhancing the dining experience at L’Amico by offering something memorable.” Rodriguez likes the guests to not only taste the wine but also hold the bottle for a photo, if they want.
With the opportunity to offer custom bottles, the pour is that much more special. When winemaker Annette Hilberg from Hilberg-Pasquero in Piedmont, Italy, stopped by L’Amico for a tasting, Rodriguez asked her to bottle two 12-liter bottles of nebbiolo just for L’Amico. “We just cracked the first one open a few weeks ago, and it’s perfect for the cooler weather.”
Red, white, or bubbly? Red. Or white. Bubbles too.
Tool of the trade you can’t live without. Beyond a good wine key, curiosity and patience.
Wine find you want to share with the world. Anything from Cantina Giardino.
Recommended wine guide or site for the novice. Beyond Wine Folly, I recently discovered The Unknown Winecaster on YouTube. He does a great job of breaking down more advanced concepts.
Best unsung vine in your mind. My all-time favorite: aglianico.
Favorite bottle on the menu. I love the 2016 Vino di Anna “Palmento” magnum. But I could never pick one favorite.
What to try in the cooler months that might sound surprising. I think orange wines do great as the weather trends cold and dark. They tend to hold up better than whites beside heavier foods, and their styles range widely, so there is always something new to try.
Red, white, or bubbly? White.
Tool of the trade you can’t live without. Charm and dry wit.
Wine find you want to share with the world. A dry grillo, a Sicilian white grape. A wonderful combination of salty and fruity and stony.
Recommended wine guide or site for the novice. The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson. The maps are outstanding.
Best unsung vine in your mind. Ruché, a red grape from Piedmont, makes such delightfully fragrant, light red wines that are great with food or on their own.
Favorite bottle on the menu. Vino di Anna “G” Grecanico. Basically, all the things I want from a wine.
What to try in the cooler months that might sound surprising. Mezcal. It’s a surefire way to warm up your life.
Dalla Terra Winery Direct
From the Ground to L’Amico
Founded in 1990, Dalla Terra Winery Direct is a direct importer and national agent of a select group of leading, family-owned, estate wineries in Italy. The name Dalla Terra means “of the earth” and represents a commitment to work alongside estates that are at the top echelon of quality in their respective regions or appellations. The wines they produce are authentic, indigenous, and characterful, while embracing progressive viticulture and winemaking.
You can find their wines at L’Amico, where Beverage Director Percy Rodriguez easily pairs them with Chef Tourondel’s varied menu.
Lageder ‘Porer’ Pinot Grigio A combination of three different vinifications married together to make one wine. Fresh and mineral, very rewarding. A killer combination with any of Chef Tourondel’s crudo.
aloislageder.eu/wines/all-wines
Tenuta Sant’Antonio ‘Castagnedi’ Amarone della Valpolicella A classic wine, rich on the palate yet elegant and playful when paired well with food. Skirt steak all the way with this one.
Cocktails
Seasonal Cocktails
1 oz Vermouth
1 oz Mattei Quinquina Aperitif
5 dashes dandelion and burdock bitters
Hard shake.
Strained into rocks glass with cubed ice.
Garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel.
0.75 oz Gin
0.5 oz fennel-infused coffee
2 drops Fernet-Branca
Stir and strain into a stemmed punch glass.
Spray absinthe 5 times with fire.
0.75 oz Forthave Aperitivo
0.75 oz St. Agrestis
0.75 oz Channing VerVino v6/b1
Stir and strain into a Nick and Nora glass.
0.5 oz Carpano Antica
0.5 oz Cocchi Americano
1 oz Cappelletti Aperitivo
Combine in a mixing glass and stir with ice. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Brooklyn Bound
2 oz Smooth Ambler Contradiction
0.75 oz Carpano Punt e Mes
0.25 oz Ramazzotti
0.25 oz Star Anise Lux Maraschino
Combine in a mixing glass and stir.
Strain into a coupe glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
Many of her clients are originally from the tristate area, and they’re usually familiar with what the city offers, having attended weddings or social gatherings in many of its hotels and ballrooms. “The perfect venue is a nontraditional space that allows them to create their own vision from scratch, and Second provides that opportune environment.”
Jessica recently planned a wedding at Second, allowing her to cite its singular qualities. “What sets it apart is that it offers an industrial loft feel but delivers hospitality and a warm sense, unlike many ‘colder’ lofts in the city. Several unique design details, like the library room, work well for photography, especially if the couple is not interested in leaving the space for photos.”
Second was perfect for her clients, a couple looking for a less formal, more comfortable feel in a central location. “They loved the long tables, which added to that sense of family closeness, and their guests raved about how the dishes were presented and tasted.”
Jessica was very happy with the Second team that executed her clients’ wish list. “The entire team was wonderful on the day of the event, from the coat check to the restroom attendants.”
Reach Jessica Jordan at jessicajordanevents.com.
To learn more about Second, email Sales Director Julia Garces at julie@lthm.nyc.
Publisher
Michael Goldman
Editor-in-Chief
Pamela Jouan
Design Director
Seton Rossini
Managing Editor
Christian Kappner
Assistant Editor
Stephane Henrion
Senior Copy Editor
kelly suzan waggoner
Contributing Writer
Pamela Jouan
Photography
P5-7, P16, P19 photos by Cesar Isabel(photofactory29.com) and assistant,
Aaron Rahman (imagesbyaaron.com)
P15 photos courtesy of Doug Young Photography (dougyoungphoto.com)
All others courtesy of
Front of House Photography and LT Hospitality
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LT Burger
62 Main Street
Sag Harbor, NY 11963
ltburger.com
Sag Pizza
103 Main Street
Sag Harbor, NY 11963
laurent-tourondel.com
LT Bar & Grill
Esentai Tower
77/7 Al-Farabi Avenue
Almaty 050040 Kazakhstan
ritzcarlton.com
L’Amico and The Vine
849 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10001
laurent-tourondel.com
Brasserie Ruhlmann
45 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10011
brasserieruhlmann.com
Brklyn Beer Garden
JFK Airport, Terminal 2
The Betsy
1440 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
thebetsyhotel.com/dining
Laurent at Café Royal
68 Regent Street
London, W1B 4DY UK
hotelcaferoyal.com/laurent-at-cafe-royal
Thanks for reading our Winter 2019 issue!