1. Question: What are some of the “things” or activities that the people of Quito do for fun?

Answer:

The classic South American tradition of enjoying restaurants and cafes is evident in Quito. The Quitenos with a vibrant dining scene enjoy time around the table, exploring the art of conversation and lingering over steaming coffee.

The city at a whopping 9,350-feet above sea level, surrounded by steep-sided hills, volcanoes, and the Andes Mountains, affords the opportunity for adventurous outings such as a ride on the teleferico cable car up Pichincha Volcano, or a hike to the summit of Pancillo that dominates the city, and is crowned with the statue of Virgin Mary. Other pleasures are drives into the countryside and to the indigenous craft and produce markets. Quitenos are avid soccer or football aficionados, and support the city’s ongoing festivals.

2. Question: What’s one thing the public probably does NOT know about Quito?

Answer:

The official currency for Quito and Ecuador is the American dollar. All fees, charges, and store prices throughout the city are noted with United States currency. Quito does not acknowledge summer and winter, but goes by rainy and dry. The rainy season, roughly, December to April is a better time to visit, with warmer nights, sunny mornings, and easily avoidable afternoon rain showers. Quito has one of the largest and best preserved historic centers in Latin America, covering some 800 acres, and the first city in the world to be declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

3. Question: Share some aspect of what Quito has contributed to the world.

Answer:

Quito has impressive conservation agendas in place. In the northwest of the city there are several ecological reserves ideal for the observation of native and endemic birds, and is ranked among the most internationally recognized bird-watching area in the world. Quito was also honored by National Geographic in 2017 as among the 17 best nature destinations to visit.  Quito’s Festival of Lights in August, unique to South America, draws over a million visitors from throughout the world.  Quito is also noted as the world’s second largest rose producer, and near the top for variety.

The post Three Things About Quito, Ecuador appeared first on Traveling Archive.

In fall, 2019, I set out for the West Village in a monsoon. It was the last night of a small, culturally significant exhibit that I wanted to catch. At the designated address, I walked into a darkened courtyard, seemingly the patio of a shuttered restaurant on the far side of the enclosure, certainly not a gallery. More perplexingly, the doors to the eatery were locked. I looked at the address again, walked back out to the street, hunted for the building number, scratched my head, and plunged into the shadowy patio again. Where the heck was this elusive exhibit? Aha! I spied a doorway, kitty-corner, and when I opened the door, I figuratively tumbled through the looking glass, into the gallery!

Well, expect the reverse prelude to your dining experience at Frevo, (a Portuguese word meaning to boil, simmer, seethe), and, indeed, this boite percolates with appetizing, mouthwatering offerings. You’ll hit the proverbial jackpot if you can score a reservation here (the restaurant serves dinner only, see below), as The New York Times gave it two stars, when it opened in spring, 2019. Be forewarned to expect an experience that is the polar opposite of my autumnal outing, when I went from a barely lit restaurant into an art gallery.

At 48 West 8th Street, you’ll commence your evening in a jewel box of an art gallery. Barely six paintings hang on the white plaster and red-brick walls. The brightly lit space is no larger than 14′ x 18′. This is a restaurant? Here, a gracious young woman will greet you when you query, “I was looking for Frevo. I’m not sure I’m in the right place.” “Yes,” she’ll retort. “You’re here!” But, you’ll wonder, just where is the restaurant? Well, voila! An outsize canvas, hinged to the wall, swings away, and there you are, in the entryway of Frevo. Glide through the doorway and into the atmospherically lit, intimate dining room, and experience the transformation.

Frevo is an unusual restaurant, in that it seats a mere (but, certainly fortunate) 18 diners at a long, bar-style counter; there is a chef’s table in the corner, accommodating up to six. (COVID restrictions are enforced, so, at present only 10 may dine at the counter.) I was wondering just how could someone truly relax sitting on a bar stool long enough to appreciate a multi-course, haute cuisine meal? However, rest assured, the charcoal-gray, upholstered stools have seat backs, and are extremely comfortable. During non-COVID times, Frevo has two seatings, each with a slightly flexible window for arrival; with the dining times staggered, there is no orchestrated banquet-style service, where everyone is presented each course in an assembly line, as they would be at a banquet for 500 at a wedding, say. (During this COVID-altered time warp, the restaurant has changed its policies, to include one seating weekdays, and two seatings, weekends; see the info below.)

Seated at the bar, you face the work counter where the kitchen staff of four (sous chef, pastry chef, and two line cooks) in long white aprons are busy getting toothsome meals prepared and plated. They do this seamlessly, quietly, like ninjas. I swear, I never even saw an open flame, and I’d testify in court that there isn’t one! There is, indeed, a tiny kitchen in the back netherworld of the restaurant, but it is used, at least during meal service, for dishwashing, and earlier in the day, for prep. All the action, intriguingly, takes place right in front of you, yet you do not see it happening. A black-cloaked busman removes plates and restores flatware magically. (And, a propos flatware, the gorgeous dinner knives are distinctively unique, and each is perched on a cross-section of polished bone, so that the utensil stands at attention.) Two maître d’s do the more serious menu consulting with diners, in case you don’t or can’t eat one of the courses. (There are always substitutions for particular courses for those who have dietary restrictions—as in, “I can’t eat oysters,” or some such—although during this altered time, Frevo cannot accommodate a vegan, vegetarian, or lactose-free diet for its multi-course meal.)

Inspired by classic French cuisine, Frevo’s co-owner and chef, Brazilian-born Franco Sampogna, has crafted a menu that changes seasonally. Simplicity is the keynote, but that refined menu is exquisitely nuanced, with surprising flavors. For example, the night I dined in the spring (just before lockdown), the second course was seasonal (and prized) white asparagus, with sorrel and blood orange. At another time, that course was a cup of remarkably tasty and creamy hummus, accented with crispy quinoa and chives. Our first course was hamachi, with coconut and sea urchin, topped with golden kaluga caviar; I passed on the raw hamachi (but my dining companion raved), while I was offered one of the most mouthwatering dishes I’ve ever savored—a thick  artichoke soup, smothered in black truffles, punctuated with foamy, ethereal truffle juice and bread crumbs. I can still taste it and am still dreaming about it. I did not have to dream long—as I returned for the take-out Christmas menu and ordered extra soup!

After culinary school, Sampogna further advanced his education, working under Michelin-starred chefs Fabrice Vulin (at a Chèvre d’Or in the South of France); Guy Savoy (at the Rue Troyon in Paris); and Alain Ducasse (at the Hotel Plaza Athénée, also in Paris). His extensive in-kitchen training is apparent in the artful amalgam of flavors he has melded into each course.

I could not believe how tasty the celery root tagliatelle pasta course was, and, as it was accented with black truffles, it was all the more satiating. That was followed by a delectable scallop dish, with crispy salsify, resting on an airy cloud of roasted salsify. When the main course arrived, chicken Albufera (named for the Duke of Albufera), it looked like a chocolate brownie, smothered in hot fudge sauce, bisected with thin, striated lines of vanilla crème. Of course, it was not; it was a lovely three-inch square of poached, tender chicken, in a blackened (with squid ink), cognac-infused cream sauce. It was simply heavenly. Celestial is also an adjective suitable for the luscious dessert — dulce de leche gelato, hazelnut foam, with caramel and a sugary tuile.

A cheese course, 36-month-aged comté de garde from French cheese monger Fromagerie Antony, was served with a giant, crispy, house-made, tuile-like bread-cracker, the perfect accompaniment to the paper-thin, nutty cheese.

And, oh, yes, if you are interested, the paintings in the foyer-entryway are for sale. They have been created by the French artist Toma-L., whose work Chef Sampogna discovered in Paris. When Sampogna and his partner, restaurant manager, Portuguese-born Bernardo Silva, were planning Frevo, they invited the painter to the city to create art for the restaurant and gallery (which, parenthetically, was previously a panini restaurant). The idea was to create artwork that reflected the constant state of vibrancy and exhilaration that Gotham engenders, and that would suggest the simmering or bubbling spirit of the restaurant.

If you opt to buy the painting that is Frevo’s front door, then Toma-L. will simply have to create a new doorway for Alice and her anointed guests who are lucky enough to snag some of the precious seats at Frevo.

The Details:

Frevo Restaurant, 48 West 8th Street, New York City, NY  10011; 646-455-0804

Open for dinner only: Tuesday through Thursday, at 7 pm; Friday and Saturday, two dinner seatings, 5:30 and 8:30 pm.

Reservations, a must. The tariff for dinner is $138 per person; an additional $88 for the basic wine-pairing; $220 for the premium wine-pairing.  There are a few other supplemental fees for extras, if desired, such as additional caviar.  (Frevo, however, is a non-tipping restaurant.)

View the current menu

The post Restaurant Frevo: Fabulous Feasts That Percolate with Flavor appeared first on Traveling Archive.

JOHN BLANCHETTE (February 26, 1946 – March 4, 2014)

In late autumn the rolling hills of the Palouse in Eastern Washington and North Idaho turn to gold as wheat ripens over thousands of acres and giant green combines crawl over the fields like giant locusts harvesting grain.

Rain is scarce in this region and wheat, barley, legumes, especially chickpeas and lentils, respond well to the dry farming.

When irrigated the rich earth will grow most anything and fruit orchards are plentiful, providing pears, plums, cherries, peaches, apples, etc. World-class vineyards take advantage of the terroir and 22 varieties of vegetables, from carrots to tomatoes are commercially farmed along with grass, vegetable and flower seeds.  Berries of all types are a major crop including wild huckleberries, which cannot be cultivated and are also coveted by deer, elk, moose and bears, who freely roam the land with an avian brotherhood that includes wild turkeys, hawks, eagles, ducks and geese.  With so much abundance of flora and fauna, hunting and fishing are popular pastimes along with water sports and white water rafting in this land of 76 lakes and numerous wild rivers.

Spokane is the major city in the region with a population of 210,000 and half a million in the surrounding area, the largest urban hub between Seattle and Minneapolis.

There are over 20 wineries in Spokane, most with tasting rooms, and I indulged at Barrister. The owners are lawyers, accounting for the label. Headquartered in a historic brick building you enter off a back alley, like you might a prohibition-era speakeasy.

There are a number of excellent universities in the Inland Northwest including Gonzaga, Washington State, University of Idaho, Eastern Washington University, Lewis and Clark, North Idaho College, Whitworth, etc.  It is a rural but enlightened community that emphasizes agricultural science and puts its products into the hands of some great chefs, restaurants and specialty food producers whose creations I fully enjoyed as I traveled the Inland Northwest along the corridor of Eastern Washington and the North Idaho panhandle.

Shaped like a little house on the prairie with the panhandle forming its chimney, Idahoans are particular about area names.  It is North Idaho and not northern and Moscow is in Russia (as I was told several times), Mosco(h) is the way they pronounce it in North Idaho.  No matter how you say it, the countryside is rich and abundant and the cities and towns have retained their architectural heritage. Fifty percent of Spokane’s downtown buildings are protected as historic sites.

Over several days I explored the bounty and inviting landscape of the area on a culinary tour of the vineyards, farm stands and restaurants, first driving north from Spokane towards Sandpoint, Idaho, about 80 miles, I then circled south through the lake lands and farms toward Coeur d’Alene (a term applied to the Indian traders by the French for their sharp business skills, literally “heart of an awl”) and then south 70 miles to Moscow, home to the University of Idaho and the Co-Op, the largest grocery store in town and full of all local organically produced products. Traveling west seven miles to Pullman, the city is home to Washington State University and one of my favorite stops, Ferdinand’s Creamery for Cougar Gold cheddar cheese (which comes in a 30 ounce can for $18) and the ice cream parlor, all run by students.

Heading north again 50 miles I finished the loop in Spokane, where I stayed at the historic and some believe haunted, Davenport Hotel and at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino near the airport.

Other hotels included the Coeur d’Alene Resort with spectacular views of the lake, mountains and harbor off the bedroom porch and the University Inn in Moscow, across from the campus.

One of my best dining experiences was in Spokane at Italia Trattoria in the restored Browne’s Addition section of the city. Chef Anna Vogel trained with Tom Douglas in Seattle and her gnocchi is the best I’ve ever had.

In the town of Colbert, Washington I visited Green Bluff Growers and Walters Fruit Ranch, where children can take a wild train ride through the orchards, play with the farm animals or pick their own pumpkin from the patch while adults shop in the farm store, pick their own fruit in the orchards or eat the best apple pie in the Northwest.  Down the road in Post Falls, Idaho is DOMA Coffee Roasting Company, a must stop for a weary traveler.

In Coeur d’Alene I dined al fresco at Settlers Creek farmstead on wood grilled meats, fish and vegetables from local farmers, accompanied by local beer and wine.

In Moscow, Nectar in old town near the University has a talented young chef in Nikki Woodland.

David Blaine, the chef not the magician, although he is magical in the kitchen, prepared our lunch at Latah Bistro in Spokane serving breads made with local wheat.  The farmer who grew the crop also dined with us.

I met a number of farmers on the tour, all tall, knowledgeable and eloquent in the descriptions of their life and work.  Men who love and care for the earth they tend, sow and plow and the crops and animals they harvest for food.

Back in Spokane I had my final meal at Masselows, the elegant restaurant at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino, prepared by chef Robert Rogers.

Wineries visited included Arbor Crest, which offers a panoramic view of Spokane from the vineyard tasting room at Eagle’s Nest estate, former home of inventor Royal Riblet. Trazzi farm, located north of Spokane, specializes in Italian style wines, Bistro Rouge Cafe in Sandpoint has an extensive pizza and salad menu using locally sourced ingredients and the attached Pend d’Oreille Winery makes an extraordinary rosé, blending huckleberry wine and Riesling. Coeur d’ Alene Cellars is located in an industrial park within the city and winemaker Warren Schutz is a master of Rhone varietals.

No-Li Brewhouse in Spokane makes a nice India Pale All and next door is Dry Fly Distilling for Vodka, Gin and Whisky made from local wheat and other grains, if you want a chaser with your beer.

With brochures, wine guides and further information you can successfully conduct your own culinary tour of the Inland Northwest border areas of Eastern Washington State and North Idaho and to discover the fresh, locally sourced meats and produce prepared by farmers and chefs who understand the importance of doing it right when cultivating an evolving food and beverage landscape.

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My getaway to El Encanto began recently when a friend and I checked into a gorgeous, deluxe premier bungalow. Immersed in a forest of gardens and trees, the 650-sq-ft bungalow was private and elegant. It was highlighted by a large main room with hard wood floors, king bed, sofa and chairs, a cozy fireplace and lots of windows. The room also boasted a mini-fridge, Nespresso coffee-maker, iPod dock station, office desk with Wi-Fi, and a widescreen HDTV.

The bungalow also came with a private patio with tranquil garden views, and a huge marble bathroom with heated stone floors, deep soaking tub and a separate, glass shower.

When not relaxing in the room in my Belmond bathrobe with a glass of Santa Barbara wine, I enjoyed the rest of the seven acre hotel property. A landmark since the 1920s, the Belmond El Encanto completed a $134-million renovation in 2013 to become Santa Barbara’s only Forbes Five-Star resort for three consecutive years. Today the hotel features 92 California-styled suites and bungalows, overlooking the Santa Barbara “American Riviera” and the Pacific Ocean. The architecture is a mixture of Craftsman-style and Spanish Colonial.

One of my favorite hotel spots besides my room was the zero-edge pool. Overlooking the ocean, the heated, outdoor, saline pool is a great place to absorb the Santa Barbara sun and charm. Below the pool is the hotel gym, where I worked out after lazing poolside.

For dinner my friend and I experienced the Belmond Dining Room. Offering contemporary California-coastal cuisine, the restaurant is known for artisanal ingredients and rich flavors, matching the region’s culinary abundance. For our meal we sat on the outdoor terrace, admiring the lights of Downtown Santa Barbara twinkling below.

Our dinner began with Hawaiian kampachi sashimi appetizer with lime caviar, celery, black olive, pineapple vinaigrette and sumac. We followed this with a glass of Flor De Campo Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County and an heirloom beet salad with cooked and raw beets, halloumi cheese, local figs, caramelized sesame seeds and tahini dressing.

For the main course I devoured wild king salmon with cauliflower espuma, heirloom carrots, crispy quinoa and smoked tomato jam. My friend enjoyed Wagyu ribeye steak with fingerling potatoes, seaweed tapenade, watercress and miso mustard.

After dinner we retreated to the lounge/bar area, where we sipped wine beside a large fireplace and listened to a classical guitarist. We concluded the evening by the fireplace in our own room.

In the morning I had an incredible, rejuvenating deep tissue massage at the El Encanto Spa. The full-service spa offers a range of treatments and services including a romantic couples treatment room, manicure/pedicure stations, dedicated facial suites, massage and wet rooms, private outdoor terrace and relaxation lounge. My relaxing, 50-minute rubdown was a perfect complement to the luxurious Belmond surroundings I found myself in.

After the massage, I joined my friend for a 10 minute walk to the Old Mission Santa Barbara. Founded by Spanish Franciscans in 1786, the mission sits on 13 acres overlooking the ocean. The grounds include the beautiful Mission church, Historic Cemetery and Mausoleum, and multiple lush gardens, including La Huerta Historical Garden, which features authentic and ancient Mission-era plants, trees and paintings.

The Mission also houses a nine-room museum of historical artwork and artifacts, which includes the Chumash Room, featuring Native American artifacts, along with traditional crafts and tools; a re-creation of a 17th century kitchen with original 1790’s adobe wall and 1805 front stone wall; a Padre’s bedroom with chess set, Bishop’s glasses, staff and desk set; and a Trades room with agricultural, blacksmithing, and weaving tools, as well as historical mission-era photos.

Back at the El Encanto we had lunch in the lounge and then watched the turtles play frolic in super slow-motion in the lily pond.

The Belmond El Encanto is located at 800 Alvarado Place, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. The hotel also offers free shuttles to town and complimentary Electric Faraday Bikes to ride. For more information, reservations and current specials, call 805.845.5800 or visit the Belmond website.

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