Page 13 - Boca Club News - April '21

Boca Club News, Page 13
Dining Out: Does Boca Really Need…

Another Italian Restaurant?

By Alan Serinsky of Bocaire One in particular is Chloe’s Bistro. For years it literally Hungry D decided on the special of the night, the Bronzino
Country Club. Hungry Al’s love stayed afloat on the Boardwalk of 18th Street basically ($34). It was tastefully described as a filet joined by a wine
for food started very young. serving her well-advertised Rolled Ice Cream and a few reduction with capers, olives and tomatoes. Sadly, the
Never satisfied with his Mom’s dinner entrees. This hard-to-find bistro was drowning without accompanying sauce was MIA and the fish was overcooked.
dishes, he started to cook his hope, and very few patrons throwing her a life line. We would have requested to have it corrected but, as I said
way through her Betty Crocker In Boca the only solution is—open an Italian Restaurant! before, the service was “limited.”
Cookbook. During the years First Impressions: My first observation was, “Where Hungry Al usually likes to judge Italian restaurants’ kitchen
to follow he spend many hours is this restaurant?” Hidden in the back of the Boardwalk, skills by ordering a basic recipe, in this case Chicken Marsala
working in restaurants, both as server and cook, attending sandwiched between the Rafina Greek restaurant and Oli ($19). Here they found success. The chicken was butter-knife
cooking classes and traveling the world in an effort to expand Fashion Cuisine (review coming) is this small intimate bistro. tender, the mushrooms harmonized perfectly with the rich
his palette. As a professional writer, Hungry Al offers his Happily, all of the dining is happening outdoors with thick demi-glace of the reduced Marsala, and the portion was
perspective on current food trends and guides you through plenty of seating on the Boardwalk lake. The small indoor optimal for anyone waiting over an hour for dinner.
your local restaurant options. seating was obviously barren, and any hint of rain will limit Unfortunately, I requested pasta with olive oil sauce for
their occupancy. As for décor, it rates on the scale of 1 to 10 a side dish. One bite and it tasted like a child’s portion of
Chloe’s Bistro as “0.” I also noticed the lack of proper disinfecting protocol buttered pasta. The server was accommodating and offered
6885 SW 18th Street as tables were wiped down. a redo. On her return I was presented with one bowl of plain
Boca Raton, 33433 Let me mention here that the wine list literally had not one pasta and one bowl of sauce. I gathered the mixing was left
(561) 334-2088 recognizable winery or label. Most of the wines are related to to my own demise.
Italian heritage or lower level California vineyards. Good luck! From the Dessert Tray: You might have expected Rolled
Food For Thought: It’s April and by now we can almost Prime Your Taste Buds: There are the basic regulars you Ice Cream, but that rolled out the door with the re-invent.
taste the end of this slow-cooking Coronavirus. After being would see at any Italian restaurant; calamari, clams casino, What was left were the basic mundane selections of Cannoli,
cooped up for a full year, the thought of actually dining out mussels, clams, fried mozzarella, and burrata. Since there Tiramisu or Ricotta Cheesecake. For us it was home to bite into
without anxiety is like icing on a cake. were only two of us on this outing, we opted to keep it light my own homemade, freshly baked Rainbow Italian Cookies.
Now that more of us are obtaining our vaccines, it won’t and selected their Caprese Salad ($11). This fared well with Check Please: I realize it’s hard to stay buoyant in
be long before restaurants are gearing up to accommodate perfectly ripe tomatoes, creamy slices of fresh mozzarella, this very unpredictable time we live in. With one in five
the surge of diners forging their new-found freedom. Sadly, basil and drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. We requested a restaurants closing this year, I’m impressed with the fact
some of our favorites have shut their doors while others basket of bread to accompany our salad and surprisingly were Chloe’s made the attempt to shift oars and stay upright
have resorted to reinventing themselves. I call it simply… delivered a thin slice of seeded toasted Italian bread. Even above Boca Pointe Lake. But that doesn’t excuse the need
COVID Survival. the butter extracted from those annoying minuscule plastic to compete for the few dining patrons who are strolling
Since many of the Mom & Pop eateries don’t have the cups didn’t help to offset the greasy grill marks. this Boardwalk. The bottom line is, the food
leverage or monetary resources to keep their signs open, it Straight From The Kitchen: First, I must warn you that quality and preparation must satisfy the
becomes essential for them to go into survival mode. Rent, service here is limited, to put it politely. Thankfully, the cool demanding well-educated foodies of Boca
electric, insurance, phones, maintenance, and taxes all need evening breeze, the splashing sounds of the lake waters, and Raton. So, the Hungry Squad was only
to be paid monthly. You really have to love this vocation my lovely companion was enough to temporarily alleviate able to roll out one Ice Cream cone for what
not to vacate. the gurgling sounds of my hungry appetite. was…and one rolled Cannoli for what is.
Wine Expectations: Making Red Wine

By Ed Wolfarth, who moved to South or purple grapes. All the color you see in the glass comes juice in order to extract even more flavors if he/she is making
Florida after retiring with his wife, from the red pigment in the grape skins. The timing of the a richer wine.
Vicki, as Professor of Sports Sciences harvest is critical since grapes do not continue to ripen after 5. Pressing the wine – Most wines take about three weeks
& Physical Education at both Queens they are picked. Grapes picked too early may result in thin for the sugar to turn into alcohol. After this fermentation, the
College and Hofstra University. He and washed-out wines. Grapes picked late often result in vintner drains the wine from the tank and puts the remaining
is a nationally ranked senior tennis flabby and overly ripe wines. This is a critical decision for the skins and stems into a wine press. Pressing the wine adds
player and long-time USPTA Elite winemaker. I remember ordering online a half case of 2013 approximately 15% more wine.
Teaching Professional. Ed has written Oregon Pinots a few years back. The wine was “watery!” 6. A second fermentation now takes place. The wine
many educational and tennis articles Without having researched the vintage prior to ordering, I is put in tanks or barrels so that the tart malic acid can
in the past. Over the past few years, Ed has turned his hobby later found out harvesting in the Willamette Valley of Oregon be transformed into creamier lactic acid. This malolactic
of wine collecting into a way of continuing his passion for was tricky in the fall of 2013. Heavy rains were predicted and fermentation (MLF) occurs in almost all red wines, but not
writing, and has written on the subject for publications. As a many producers decided to harvest a bit earlier than usual. white wines with the exception of Chardonnay. If you have
self-proclaimed “wine snob,” he has collaborated on many The results were not good. ever tasted a Napa chardonnay, you will certainly note the
wine lists for private clubs and a few restaurants. Ed can be 2. Ready for fermentation! The grapes now head to the buttery flavors.
reached at wolfarthe@msn.com. winery, where the winemaker decides to ferment without the 7. Aging. Now the red wine is stored in vessels, including
Without getting overly complicated, it is helpful to know stems or whole clusters. Leaving the stems in introduces that stainless tanks, concrete, glass or wooden barrels. Wooden
how wine is made in order to enhance your overall wine astringent or tannic taste, much as in Pinot Noir. Cabernet barrels affect the wine most noticeably, giving it a kind of
experience. It’s not all science, nor is it all artistry—but wines usually ferment without the stems. vanilla smell and taste. Of course, time in barrels is another
certainly a combination of both. The raw material, the timing 3. This is where yeast is added to the fermentation process, factor. The longer the wine ages, the more complex, smoother
of the harvest, and the numerous steps the winemaker goes and where the sugar–eating yeasts produce alcohol. and nuttier it becomes.
through before the final product is ready for consumption all 4. Now the wine is ready for alcoholic fermentation. 8. Now it’s time to blend the wine. The wine has been
make a difference. With the grape skins added, it’s necessary to keep the skins sitting in barrels for quite some time, and the vintner now
Let’s take a cursory look at how wine is made, step by in constant contact with the juice so winemakers need to has the options of blending different barrels or different
step. “punch down” the stems and skins since they tend to float to grape varietals. He or she needs to trust their taste buds to
1. You’ll need grapes! Red wines are made from black the top. The winemaker may also choose to “pump over” the get the desired finished product. This is how some of the
most famous wines in the world are made, and they are
Is Telehealth Here To Stay? blends—i.e.; Bordeaux, Rhone wines and most Italian reds,
such as Chianti, are all blends of diverse grapes.
9. Clarifying, or “cleaning,” the wine is next. Simply put,
it’s necessary to remove any suspended particles by passing
The question confronting most patients these days: own home. Physicians can use the Link+ for remote the juice through a filter. Some winemakers disdain this
are telehealth visits the future of medicine? Interviews patient monitoring as well as telehealth visits. All patients, process because they think it removes texture and quality.
with a number of patients show their main concern about but especially those who live alone or with underlying Moot point.
telehealth visits is they feel they’re not getting a proper conditions, should have a Link+ unit to monitor their vital 10. Finally, we get to bottle and label the wine without
examination, it’s simply a conversation between the signs. It also has an emergency response button and can be exposing the juice, as much as possible, to oxygen. A small
physician and patient. The physician asks the patient how worn outside the home. The Link+ is now being offered to amount of sulfur dioxide may be added here to preserve
he or she is feeling and has no idea what their vital signs any individual for a small monthly fee. freshness.
are (oxygen level, blood pressure, glucose reading, heart Telehealth is here to stay because physicians enjoy the 11. And now, truly finally, many fine wines get to age in
rate, etc.). benefits it offers so it should be done the right way using the bottle. Wines such as Spanish Rioja and Italian Brunello
American Telemedicine has the ability to provide the Link+. spend many years in the bottle before being released.
physicians with all of the patient’s data in real time. The If you are a physician, healthcare provider, or individual So now, when you open up a bottle of wine, think about
Link+ by LiveCare is the key to providing this information. who would like a free demonstration, please call (561) all the painstaking processes that went into it just for your
The patient does not have to know how to operate a 278-2222. American Telemedicine’s management and staff enjoyment!
computer, cell phone, or tablet. Vital signs are taken and would like to wish everyone a healthy and prosperous new
the data immediately sent to your physician. The Link+ year. Stay safe and wear your mask. Louis Biasi is the CEO
is HIPAA and FDA approved so Medicare and Medicare of American Telemedicine.
Advantage patients can be billed for telehealth visits. Reprinted from South Florida Hospital News.
The Link+ is like having a wellness center in your
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