For America’s burgeoning restaurant industry, the 1950s and ‘60s represented the essence of cool – especially in our largest cities, where prospering populations savored culinary indulgences unheard of during the “Meatless Tuesdays and Fridays” of World War II.

Manhattan had the OAK ROOM, DELMONICO’S and the STORK CLUB. Celebrities flocked to the BROWN DERBY at the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles. And all of Chicago vied for a seat (preferably at the coveted Booth #1) at the swanky PUMP ROOM, located in the Ambassador East Hotel.

Polished brass and mahogany trolleys were wheeled up tableside by captains and maitre d’s who could slice and dice with one hand, and flambée and serve with the other. They’d debone your Dover Sole, then return later to ignite your dessert ¬– perhaps Crepes Suzette, Cherries Jubilee or Bananas Foster.

No chef of that era was more celebrated than Pierre Franey of LE PAVILLON (regarded as the finest restaurant in America). Nor was any dish more celebrated than his signature STEAK DIANE, a New York Strip doused with brandy and set aflame tableside. To ensure consistency and speed of reparation, the steak was flattened before cooking. And along with the brandy, it gained extra flavor from butter, veal stock, French mustard, chives, heavy cream and a dash of Worcestershire sauce before the pyrotechnics.

As I was thinking about this post a couple of months ago, to my surprise one Saturday morning the Wall Street Journal published a piece by Charlotte Druckman praising this one-pan dish as “simply delicious.” On top of that, just a couple of weeks ago Mark Bittman of the New York Times shared his recipe for Steak Diane.

Does this signal a revival? I hope so….

Jane Nickerson, a writer for the New York Times, said in 1953 (yes, in 1953) that New York had three possible sources for the origination of STEAK DIANE: the restaurant at the SHERRY NETHERLAND HOTEL; THE COLONY restaurant (where Jackie O. hung out); and THE DRAKE HOTEL at 56th and Park avenue.

Pierre Franey weighed in on the discussion and credited Beniamino Schiavon, known as Mr. Nino of the Drake, as creator of the dish while working in Belgium. I guess that’s why Steak Diane has only a vague French pedigree. However, its fancy French spirit certainly added to the allure.

As the iconic Café Society restaurants began to fade, so too did the tableside theatrics for which they were known. Rents were soaring in places like New York, and restaurateurs reacted by cramming in more and more tables – erasing the avenues for dining room trolleys. By 1970, Steak Diane had essentially disappeared.

The 21 Club on West 52nd St. in New York is said to be the last holdout, but it too threw in the towel in the late ‘80s.

To paraphrase the Journal … “Diane, we hardly knew ya”.

Now might be a good time to talk a little about the dish itself, which is surprisingly easy to make at home. After all, it’s a one-pan affair. And you just might find yourself ahead of the curve in rekindling this old flame at your holiday parties. Note that most, but not all, recipes call for New York Strip Steaks. Others tout Filet Mignon (although you will have to butterfly it). Either works, but both should be of the absolute highest quality.

The steaks need to be pounded thin to break down the fibers and insure a quick sear. The igniting of the brandy intensifies the flavors of the finished sauce by caramelizing the sugars. YUM. Mr. Nino of the Drake is said to have proclaimed, “This is the perfect sauce for the perfect steak.”

BUT WAIT! Is it really possible that Steak Diane is making a comeback?

I’m told that the 21 features it on their menu from time to time. ALLORA on East 42 St. has it on their permanent menu. Keith McNally, perhaps New York’s best restauranteur, proudly serves it at MINETTA TAVERN. BRENNAN’S in New Orleans has never stopped and still prepares it tableside.

And finally, who could be more on-trend than Ralph Lauren, whose immensely popular and beautiful restaurant, RL Grill, on Chicago’s Gold Coast, features Steak Diane as a signature item.

All this has me wondering: Did the Twin Cities have its own Café Society? Did the BLUE HORSE serve Steak Diane? How about THE CAMELOT? Or GANNON’s in St. Paul, where Liver Steak and Onions was a staple among its supper club set.

In Minneapolis, the BIG THREE back in the ‘60s and ‘70s were HARRY’S CAFÉ, MURRAY’S and CHARLIES CAFÉ EXCEPTIONALE. Did any of them give it a shot? I don’t know.

One thing I DO know: Julie Child and Jacques Pepin share the recipe for Steak Diane in the recently published Cooking at Home. And as you probably know, each and every week SALUT features a different Julia Child recipe as part of its “Dinner With Julia” Monday night special.

Is there a Monday night Steak Diane in Salut’s future? STAY TUNED!

W.T.F.

PHIL

If any of you folks have plans to travel to Italy, here are some tips – maybe even RULES – that may be of some help.

First: Ladies, NEVER wear a TANK TOP to St. PETER’S…or shorts or anything skimpy for that matter. And men, no shorts for you either.

Second: In Italy, coffee etiquette is somewhat different than at Starbucks. Cappuccino is NOT to be consumed after noon. Because of its sweetness, it is considered a morning or breakfast drink, and legend has it that the reasoning not to indulge with lunch or dinner is that the milk in the cappuccino interferes with digestion. Hmmm….fact? Or a bunch of hooey?

And then there’s the bread, particularly in Rome and Florence: MORE RULES.

Bread is not a pre-meal snack. It’s okay with your antipasti and your secondi (main course). But never have bread with pasta. Starch with starch is a no-no (behave and you will avoid the dreaded sneer – and perhaps a nasty hand gesture). And remember, Italians consider it bad form to drizzle olive oil on your bread – and never, ever balsamic vinegar (However, just as way too many Italian restaurants have caved to American whims and wishes, may restaurants now automatically bring olive oil and vinegar with the bread service).

But there are some exceptions. If the bread has been grilled in the kitchen and seasoned with fresh herbs and olive oil, well, that’s okay because now the toasted bread is considered to be an antipasto or appetizer. Go figure.

And if the bread service is FOCACCIA, then that’s okay, too – especially if it has fresh herbs or is topped with something like sauteed onions, tomatoes….or, as is often the case in Tuscany, chicken livers. That’s all considered antipasti.

Bread tends to be somewhat regional in Italy, although many breads from around the country are similar and often strike me as a distinction without a difference.

But not all…..

Genoa is known for FOCACCIA GENOVESE, which in addition to often being drizzled with just olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and fresh rosemary, often comes topped with caramelized onions. YUM!

Bologna is known for lacing their breads with bits of Parma ham and pork sausage.

Further south in Naples, sweetness prevails. Yes, they do produce a version of sourdough, but the main stuff that dominates the pasticcerias or panetterias (bakeries) tend to be sweets and treats – the most popular being SFOGLIATELLAS that are stuffed with sweet cream and cherries.

On the other side if Italy, in Puglia, the “go-to” bread is called ALTAMURA….a one kilo (2.2 pounds) Flintstonian hunk of dough baked in wood-fired ovens. It has the reputation of having a two-week shelf life. Puglia does other interesting breads as well, including PANE CON OLIVA (olive bread, sometimes incorporating nuts or fennel).

Finally in Palermo, Sicily, the north African influence is felt as the Sicilians top several of their breads with sesame seeds…and they add a little honey. Some of their breads are fashioned in the form of an “S.”

Last month, we spent some time in Munich before taking the train across the Alps on our trip down to Rome. The purpose was to explore some German restaurants and dishes….particularly CHOUCROUTE and APPLE STRUDEL for an upcoming SALUT September that will feature dishes from ALSACE LORRAINE….the FRENCH/GERMAN influenced region on the border.

And no surprise, the Bavarian breads are often pretzels, but the preponderance of them are dark, dense, heavy, seedy and incredibly favorable, like Roggenbrot (German rye with caraway seeds) and Westphalian Pumpernickel, which is slowly baked for 12 – 16 hours. The chemical reaction called “maillard” that occurs when baking causes the Pumpernickel to turn dark brown, almost black (American Pumpernickel contains molasses and is not nearly as good. Genuine Pumpernickel is the most German of all breads.)

In my opinion, the breads from the northern European countries are better than those from their southern neighbors, probably due to the fact that wheat does not do particularly well in cold climates and consequently flours are made from coarsely ground grains like rye berries, spelt and einkorn berries.

So now, dear readers I am about to slay a SACRED COW.

And it is this: Contrary to conventional wisdom, bread in Rome and Florence just isn’t very good. In fact I’d characterize the bread in Florence as terrible.

In Rome, the popular bread is called CASARECCIO. It’s a large round loaf made with only white flour, water, yeast and a big pinch of salt. It’s crusty on the outside and spongy soft on the inside. The flavor is utterly unremarkable.

Florence is another matter entirely. I find the bread there to be dry, tasteless and bland. Think styrofoam or cardboard…take your pick.

Why, why? With everything else in Florence and throughout Tuscany so good why on earth would they serve innocuous bread ?

Well, there may be an answer. Some have said that Tuscan cuisine is so rich that there needs to be a counterpoint. A more widely heard explanation has to do with the rivalry between Florence and Pisa hundreds of years ago. At that time SALT was like currency and Pisa, being a seaport city, blockaded the Arno river and did not allow any of the precious commodity to reach Florence. Rather than succumb, Florence may have said “screw you, Pisa” and made their bread without salt. To this day, the PANE TOSCANA (Florentine bread) is made without salt…and without flavor or character. Even the Florentines drizzle olive oil on their bread and salt the hell out of it.

It turns out that Florentine bread has no shelf life at all. But no problem. Restaurants do not throw away old bread. The genius of Tuscan cooking has caused the creation of two wonderful and iconic Florentine dishes made with stale bread: PAPPA AL POMODORO (tomato/bread soup) and RIBOLLITA (cannelini bean, vegetable and bread soup), both thick and delicious, and both meant to be eaten with a fork.

So there you are folks….

Remember…NEVER eat bread with pasta! And NEVER take a “SELFIE” in the SISTINE CHAPEL.

W.T.F.

Once in a while in Paris, one needs to escape the crowds and concrete and seek out an oasis. For Joanne and me, we found our refuge a half-dozen stops away on the Paris Metro #1 line – heading from the Chatelet Metro station toward the Arc de Triomphe, then two stops later reaching our destination: The LES SABLONS Metro station.

We’ve done this stop several times, most recently with our grandkids. And what a treat it is. You’re only a couple of blocks from the beautiful and spacious BOIS DE BOULOGNE GARDENS, home to the stunning, Frank Gehry-designed FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON museum. We always manage to have lunch at the museum restaurant…LE FRANK…. (Check out my February 16, 2017 post: “Blast from the past…Springtime in Paris”).

To top that off, just behind the museum is the JARDIN D’ACCLIMATATION (“Garden of Pleasure”) and its iconic amusement park, complete with a half-dozen outdoor cafes. It’s a great place to spend a Sunday in Paris.

So a few weeks ago when Joanne and I attended the graduation of our grandson, Charlie, in Boston, I was amused that our son, David, had booked dinner reservations at a rather new Cambridge restaurant called LES SABLONS, opened in 2017 in Harvard Square. And BTW, if any of you are dropping off kids for college in the Boston area, read on….read on!

Les Sablons is housed in the historic Conductor’s Building, circa 1912, once a subway facility and respite for the train conductors who worked greater Boston’s earliest subway system.

While our favorite Boston restaurants have always included an eclectic mix…..everything from GRILL 23 to CRAIGIE ON MAIN, TEATRO, FIGS and EAST COAST GRILL, I have to say that Les Sablons is our new favorite. No wonder: At the helm is chef Jeremy Sewell, a James Beard winner as well as a Culinary Institute alum who honed his skills in London under the famous Roux Brothers (think LE GAVROCHE).

The restaurant occupies two floors. The more casual first floor is the Oyster Bar, while the smart second floor is ever so slightly formal – BUT without the fuss! In fact, there’s a lot of quirky wit and whimsy going on.

And of course (me being a sucker for celebrities), I noted that Jacques Pepin and Martha Stewart were patrons. Martha was smiling (so everything must have been perfect – and I mean PERFECT. Or else.).

Well, I have to say that our dinner was, indeed, faultless.

First off, in the event that two of you decide to go to Les Sablons, be sure to request corner table #61. Not only will you occupy the Catbird Seat, but you’ll be directly under the Play-Doh mural with a photo of cigarette-smoking DAVID BOWIE keeping an eye on you…

We started by sharing a dozen raw, fat oysters: four Aunt Dotties, four Fin de la Tables and four Little Guns – all $3.50 each. The Aunt Dotties and Little Guns both hail from the East Coast and are farm-raised. I’m told they’re the same oyster, but with different names. Could be – because they tasted the same. I can’t figure out where the “Fin de la Table” oysters are from. Maybe France? Maybe they’re just called “Fin de la Table” because they’re the last ones the restaurant’s able to sell.

I won’t bug you with a laundry list of our dishes. All – and I mean ALL – were exceptional. But here are a few that simply can’t be ignored. Check out the accompanying images.

APPETIZERS:
Chicken Liver Terrine….with toasted brioche, cherry mustard and crème fraiche…$15

Mushroom Strudel …with black garlic sauce…$14

Porcini Mushroom Agnolotti …with corn fondue, watercress and summer truffles…$32

MAINS:
Veal Boudin Blanc…with mushrooms and Pommes Anna…$32

Roasted Monkfish with green curry broth, bok choy, toasted hazelnuts and littleneck clams…$32

Maine Scallops with white asparagus, lemon parsnip puree and white sturgeon caviar…$42

Rohan Duck Breast with roasted cherries, oyster mushrooms, charred spring onions, fava beans and mint…$39

DESSERT:
Lemon Posset…a lemony sort of pudding with olive oil gelato, and toasted pistachios…$10

Chocolate Cremeux …espresso infused with toasted hazelnuts.

Pavlova with passion fruit and bruléed bananas.

So folks, not only is this place really smart and well-designed, but if you go, be sure to notice the lighting. And it has a 4.5 rating from ZAGAT!!

Now I can’t figure out the Play-Doh art, but it sure is fun and amusing. Nor do I understand the David Bowie thing, but it’s also fun, albeit a little strange…but in a good way.

But hovering above our table was a giant black-and-white image of a menacing – and not very happy – Grace Jones. She was a little scary glowering down at us (Really, W.T.F.?). Not certain why…but we made sure that we cleaned our plates.

W.T.F.

PHIL