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| VGS Chateau Potelle |
During high school in Nashville, I wrote the high school society column "Prep Pratter," for The Nashville Banner. My pen name was Polly Jr., and I was most definitely in the know about all worthy things happening in my small pond. I put down my pen at age 18, and have just now picked up my laptop these years later to contribute a regular column to the website of one of my favorite magazines, Veranda. What an honor to be asked! And all because I am fancied a good hunter-someone with a decent eye who has seen a lot, done a lot, and remains unjaded!
As CEO of Taigan.com, an online collection of boutiques, bespoke brands, and master craftsmen, I am constantly on the hunt for intriguing, under-exposed designers and products to unveil to our customers (the company name comes from a breed of sight hound in Kyrgyzstan known for its excellent hunting skills). During my travels I encounter extraordinary people, places, and food that I am so looking forward to sharing with you in my columns for Veranda.com.
I live to eat, so when I travel I love to carefully select where I'm going to have dinner. My grandmother always told me, "Eat like a king by day and a pauper by night." Well, I usually choose to do the reverse, enjoying a wonderful meal at night after a long day of work. Armed with Zagat.com, the James Beard Award finalists lists, and my iPad, I scour menus and wine lists to make my decisions. I seldom if ever ask for suggestions from friends, as I love the art of the hunt-after all, I am a taigan! If I am dining alone I am particularly keen to eat at the restaurant's bar rather than at a table-bartenders are frequently great sources of local knowledge (one of my favorite spots I've unearthed so far: AOC in Los Angeles, for the food, bar-dining experience, and the bartenders).
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| Wine from VGS Chateau Potelle |
Recently I attended the Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C., and even after noshing all day I was ready to settle in for a great dinner at night. After much deliberation, I decided on Proof in the Penn Quarter neighborhood for my first foray. What a great choice! First of all, the Italian contingent from the Fancy Food Show also happened to be at Proof, singing opera with great big voices, which made for a most convivial evening. The food at Proof is Mediterranean, and everything I ordered was fantastic-from the mixed olives with citrus and thyme, to the shaved zucchini and summer squash salad. The house-made ricotta cavatelli with lamb and fennel ragout in particular was to die for.
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| Callie's Biscuits |
While scoping out the Fancy Food Show I visited with two amazing food purveyors that already have shops on Taigan: Sallie's Greatest, a jam company whose owner is now using her small-batch jams to concoct fabulous summer cocktails; and Callie's Biscuits, noted for ham biscuits that are the best last-minute breakfast (or anytime) item I have ever found and a terrific pimento cheese. At the show I also sampled truffle oil and olive oil; Nye's ice cream sandwiches (soon to be available on Taigan); popsicles and kosher ice cream; goat's, sheep's, and cow's milk cheeses; lobster mac 'n' cheese raviolis; and chorizo and tamales, not to mention lonza, pintade, tapenade, and countless other goodies. Have you ever heard of a finger lime? I hadn't! It turns out that the fruit is the size of a finger, and when you cut into it you find tiny lime caviar that you can scoop out and sprinkle on ahi tuna-or on your tongue after a shot of Patron tequila.
After seven intense hours of uncovering the best products at the show, I went back to the hotel for an Alka-Seltzer or two and to check emails and "chill"-it was a 99-degree day. I had some restorative down time and freshened up, then headed to the D.C. institution Citronelle to enjoy dinner with chef Michel Richard at his chef's table in the restaurant's kitchen. Michel is a longtime pal of my good friend winemaker Jean-Noel Fourmeaux, whose wines-VGS Chateau Potelle-and guided trips to Burgundy and Bordeaux can be found on Taigan. If you ever have the chance to do dinner at the chef's table at Citronelle, by all means, drop everything and go. The oyster shooters, himachi bites, soft-shell crab, escargot ravioli, beef cheeks, and every single other thing I tasted were simply spectacular looking as well as delectable. And what a quirky, funny, charming guy Michel is! Citronelle just closed for a few months for renovations, but you can check out how Michel works his magic at his other D.C. hot spot, Central.
It was a wonderful exploratory jaunt to D.C., full-quite literally-of remarkable discoveries. Now I am back in my office in Nashville. Tonight I will eat like a pauper and not get on the scale anytime soon!
