Flight Savor Fare

“Good-bye, Big Fat Wine List,” an article in September’s issue of Bon Appetit declares that the “leather-bound tomes are going the way of white tablecloths.”

No!

I mean, fine, get rid of the September-Vogue-issue-sized wine list and just offer a well-curated selection.

But don’t we need tablecloths?

If silverware is placed on your napkin and etiquette requires you to put your napkin on your lap upon sitting down, then the silverware must be moved directly onto the tabletop. Do you see where I’m going with this?

And, what happens when the table next to you leaves? It’s one thing to have a tablecloth discretely replaced and a whole other thing to have someone come by with the squirt bottle and a (hopefully clean) cloth and start splashing away.

I suppose white paper on top of white linen would be an option. Or placemats. Still have the necessity of the spray bottle, though.

Am I being just way too squeamish?

What about the flowers and candles? Should it be on or the other? They take up some real estate on the table so at Flight, we usually switch to candles after daylight savings time goes into effect in November. How important are the flowers? Candles?

Comment here or twitter me @flightgrill

Thanks to Oprah and Al Smith
Servings: Makes 6 large martinis

Ingredients

4 cups watermelon (remove seeds and rind)
1 cup lemon vodka
1/2 cup cointreau or triple sec
2 limes , squeezed
1 cup ice cubes
1 tablespoon sugar (or sugar substitute)

Garnish ; pieces of watermelon, lime, sugar cane

Directions
In a blender, combine the watermelon chunks and puree. Remove pureed fruit and pour into a pitcher and keep very cold, even a little frozen to make it icy.

For two generous martinis, add one cup of watermelon puree, 1/4 cup of lemon vodka, and one tablespoon of cointreau or triple sec to the blender with three ice cubes and blend. Pour into a nice festive glass, garnish with watermelon chunks, limes and a stick of sugar cane.

During the long nights of winter, a deep, luscious red wine soothes the soul and warms the body, but during the sweltering summer days a cooler, more refreshing wine is wanted. This summer what we’re drinking is Mapema Sauvignon Blanc 2010. (from $9.73)

It’s a crisp, refreshing, not grapefruity taste. Light without being water-y.

It’s yummy in part because of the story. There’s always a story, isn’t there?

When we were in Mendoza several years ago, we spent an afternoon with Pepe Galante and Mariano Di Paola the winemakers for whom Mapema is named. They had asked us (really, they only cared about Nan who buys lots of wine) for a light lunch (7 courses!). Midway through lunch it was announced that one of the Bush daughters and boyfriend had arrived. This was during the Bush presidency. Both Mariano and Pepe looked at us and shrugged, “They don’t buy our wine” and didn’t move.

Mendoza is known for its Malbec, but with this reasonably priced delicious white, it might not be all its known for for long.

where has my theme gone??

Most cocktails are full of calories, not because of the alcohol but the stuff we mix with them. 1 oz of rum, vodka or gin is only 64 calories. Try this very fresh tasting and healthy margarita from “Health” magazine and soon to be served at Flight:
2 parts Milagro tequila, 3/4 parts agave nectar, 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice — total calories – 160.

News flash: Cheap rum doesn’t taste nearly as good as expensive rum. This is also true of wine, particularly red wine. Whenever I’m attending one of those large functions, I always drink white wine because bad white wine is not as bad as bad red wine. (White also has the added benefit of not being such a disaster when the big guy turns around quickly and spills either his or mine all over me.)

But rum? I guess I thought if you’re going to mix it with Coke or ginger ale or a tumbler full of mint does quality really matter? The answer is yes. Quality always matters and not just the quality of the alcohol in this case, rum, but also the mixers.

I love rum and ginger ale. I discovered Vernor’s diet (diet!) a couple of years ago and mixed it with some small batch rum we had purchased in a little shop with a sand floor on a Caribbean island. Then, I tried Fever Tree mixers. They’re expensive compared to the ubiquitous Canada Dry ginger ale, the smell of which can remind me of countless upset stomachs. Fever Tree’s ginger ale balances the carbonization and the sweet peppery ginger is nuanced…don’t try it unless you can afford to have it all the time. It’s available at Flight by special request. (Raises the price of your drink by $1.)

When the rum ran out, we despaired and have been testing various rums ever since to find something similar at the ABC store. We haven’t found it exactly (and I think the time and place we bought it has colored our taste buds to a degree), but we’ve found some really amazing sipping rums:

Appleton Estate Reserve – Imbibe magazine says “This is a medium-bodied rum with an aroma of orange peel and brown sugar, and a taste of caramel, almonds and warm spice.” $25

Cruzan Single Barrel Estate – “Soft, but luscious…has a flavor of brown butter, toffee and toasted almonds.” $30

Zaya Gran Reserva – “Dark and heavy, with lush flavors of chocolate, toffee and candied orange peel.” $32

Do you have a favorite? And how do you like to drink it? Straight? Mixers? What kind?

Rey, short for Reynoldo, hails from Puerto Rico via Florida. So, if he has a preference for rum, you’ll understand. You must try his mojitos, the rum version of a mint julep.

Mostly I read Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast for this kind of information, but Consumer Reports recently got in the act. The article seems more for those consumers, of which I once was one until Nan got ahold of me, that choose wine by the visual and verbal wittiness of the label.

Whereas Spectator and Enthusiast write for those who know what they like.

I don’t know. Here’s a bit of what
Consumer Reports said — let me know what you think.

Flight has a few tables available New Years Eve at 5 pm or 9 pm. Have dinner before heading out to that party, movie, friends’ house where you know the small bites will be too many calories, not enough of a meal!

Here’s to 2011 – the Year of the Rabbit! Missy Schenck says it’s supposed to be a harmonious one. Peace on Earth….

Flight will close Sundays and Mondays through the winter.
Tuesdays are going to rock though! Did you know Tuesdays are half off/bottle of wine night? Worth coming out in the dark and cold night!