march miscellanea.*

...and we're finally into March! While it's not really a standard pop-up dinner--these things occur somewhat frequently--we were fortunate enough to be able to attend another Secret Dinner in the Zürich area. The premise is this: once you sign up, they send you a theme and a meeting point, and you show up at the meeting point (preferably) dressed somewhat in accordance with the theme, and they shuttle you off to a unique destination for a good meal. Again, they did not disappoint. The theme was "Wonderland," and our destination was this:

A movie studio/event center which changes its theme every few years, and is currently Alice-themed, in the legitimate Middle of Nowhere. There certainly was no lack of drama at the entrance.

Or inside. Pretty jealous of these chandeliers.

There was an entire separate bar area that was totally empty (and whose entrance was made out gigantic books!) and was pretty steampunk-fabulous. There was a lady dressed as Alice singing sorta ambient-sounding songs in the corner; another bar fitted out with books and appropriately-themed (and tasty) drinks; and a room lined with all sorts of mirrors at wonky angles. We commented on the marvelousness all of this to our host, who said, "You haven't even seen the upstairs yet." 

We then ascended this dimly-lit staircase (which, at the top, turned out to be the interior of a massive [fake] tree trunk!) into this.

Full of fog and oh-so-fantastical.

Our seating area.

A better look at the stage.

There was even the Caterpillar over in the corner. (His pipe was hooked up to a fog machine, but of course.)

So I didn't take many photos of the meal itself--too busy eating--but the dessert was too pretty to ignore. (That's berry granita on top of a cookie crumble, topped with "forest berries," caramel, and meringue. Yum.)

The only problem this time around was that there was so much time between courses, we considered bailing out. (Yes, we're old. What.) Except that since we were in the actual middle of nowhere, getting a cab (or any other type of transport back to civilization) would have been well-nigh impossible. We stuck it out to the end and had a fun night together, anyway...but were both a little relieved when the shuttle pulled up! And despite the length of the evening, I'm sure we'll go to the next Secret Dinner, whenever it rolls around. They're so creative and so different that it's hard to resist!

Next, we squeezed in our final visit to Herzbaracke this year (wah!) for dinner and Marco Marchi and the Mojo Workers. They're this tremendous blues/jazz/ragtime/Dixieland band that we saw there last year, and will absolutely see again--they're SO good! 

They are all unbelievably talented and hugely entertaining. You can't help but smile to this music, and I may have even clapped along once or twice. (I am not a public clapper or singer-along. I just don't do it. But for these guys, yeah, ok, fine.)

Two weeks later, our dear friends Jen and Dave flew in from California, and the following day we all hit the road, along with Nanda and René, for a long weekend in Piemonte. (Again. I know. But its pull is irresistible to all of us.) 

Every first-day-in-the-Piemonte involves dinner at Gemma's, just so we can make sure we get to eat there. Here's my obligatory shot of the church just around the corner; it was just a wee bit foggy that evening.

The next day involved lunch at a place new to us: 480 Gradi, a marvelous pizza place in Bra with the most massive menu. Among other things, we shared some burratta; a "cordon bleu" made with eggplant instead of veal; and a couple of plates of salsiccia di Bra, which is generally served raw (and is magnificent). And then we all had pizza, which, stomach-capacity-wise, was a terrible mistake. But look how pretty and hard to resist! Here, my pizza with prosciutto, arugula, cherry tomatoes, and some excellent buffala mozzarella. 

After lunch, we had a wine tasting at Fratelli Ravello, where they sell really nice wines at really decent prices. (Plus, the people are always really lovely, and the view is just wonderful.)

Dinner on day 2 was at Trattoria La Coccinella, another place new to us all. The ambiance was very pleasantly rustic and local, and the food was quite good. One of the things I like best about traveling with this group--second only to their excellent and hilarious and fun personalities, of course--is that they all like to share! So I got to try out everyone's food, and it was all good: the tajarin (homemade skinny noodles) with veal ragu; the potato dumplings filled with cheese; the rooster ravioli (made from castrated roosters, which apparently become quite lazy, and therefore fatter--and so insanely rich and tasty [sorry, roosters...]); a gratin made from pumpkin puree topped with these ricotta-like cheese sticks, crispy panetta, and fried onions; Mike's brasato (veal cooked forever in red wine); the cheese plates (including donkey cheese. and this miraculous jelly made from nebbiolo grapes!); and my new favorite thing in Italian restaurants, the piccola pasticceria.

Which is a little sampler plate of desserts that, on occasion, arrives with the espresso. Yes, please.

Day three began with a tasting at Elio Altare, one of our absolute favorites, where Sylvia, the owner/winemaker, is always a warm and hilarious delight, and where Leone always comes out to greet us. (Sweetest, friendliest little goggie ever.)

The view from Elio Altare ain't too shabby, either. (Sigh. Want to stay forever.)

Next, we took a jaunt into Alba, where we roamed around for a bit, and then had lunch at Osteria dell'Arco. There, I decided to sample another local delicacy I hadn't tried yet: the snails--which, to be honest, I'd selected primarily because they came on a bed of veggies. (Hard to find straight-up veg in the Piemonte. But also, who doesn't love escargot? People who haven't tried it, that's who. But they're the only ones.) As it turns out, the ones cooked with obscene amounts of butter and garlic are definitely more my style, but it was fun to try out the (rather simple) Piemonte version anyway.

Next, everyone was kind enough to indulge me in a little tour of Serralunga, a mid-14th-century castle we've been driving past since 2006, but never actually visited.**

In the main hall on the first floor was the tiny chapel and its 15th-century frescoes.

In the back corner of the same room, a round tower containing at its base the "well of torture," the walls of which were lined with blades so that anyone thrown into it (prisoners or those destined to be executed, say) would be sliced up. (It's that tiny roundish grated hole at the very bottom of the stairs here. And also, man, were the Middle Ages a nasty time.)

Graffiti and scribblings from the 19th and early 20th centuries, when this castle was used by the surrounding village as a storehouse.

View from the uppermost room, which is enclosed now (thankfully--stupid rain!), but was originally where the guards would patrol the ramparts.

"1616",  the only bit of graffiti from when the Spanish (briefly) controlled this castle! 

Post-castle, we headed to Paolo Manzone for another tasting. Even if they didn't always bring out little platters of the tastiest local cheese and salami, I'd still love this place: good wine, great people. (Sigh. Again.) 

Dinner on our final night in Piemonte was at the surprisingly upscale Trattoria del Bivio, yet another new place, and my greatest regret of the trip: we'd all eaten so much in the preceding days that we didn't really get to fully enjoy the food at this place. 

Here, our impressive little tray of amuse bouche.

Couldn't tell you what anyone else ate, but my asparagus with a poached egg and robiola cheese sauce, and amazing whole-grain pasta with still more asparagus ('tis the season!) and tomatoes, were absolutely outstanding. (And, as I was the only one who hadn't vastly overeaten at lunch, I tried out their "hazelnut - cold, crunchy, and soft" dessert, which consisted of hazelnut cookies with hazelnut gelato and a little hot fudge. Tremendous.) That is a place to which we will most definitely return, and next time genuinely hungry. 

Finally, in late April (yes, yes, I know, I promised you March madness, but I'm skipping a wee bit forward in time, for brevity's sake! you'll thank me later, probably!***), we squeezed in a quick trip to München to celebrate the wedding of our lovely friends Thomas and Andrea. Munich was shockingly cold at the end of April, but we were happy to be there nonetheless. 

We flew in on a Friday evening and wandered around the Altstadt...

...which is pretty great...

...and definitely more full of dirndl-n-lederhosen shops than I remember. (That having been said, most of the ones in the shop windows were much fancier than my own, and that gorgeous blue number in the middle made me desperately want another dirndl.)

We had dinner at Zum Dürnbrau, a cozy (and ancient--founded in 1487!) little beer hall just around the corner from all the big and noisy ones. Our soups--asparagus cream with salmon, and potato with speck and fried onions--were tremendous (I would eat that potato soup again anytime); Mike's order of pork knuckle was nicely crispy and came with some fantastic sauerkraut; and my plate of white asparagus with butter came with a nice little "side" of really excellent wienerschnitzel. 

Saturday morning, we drove out into the countryside a bit, where the wedding ceremony itself took place in this stunning little church...

...after which we headed to this beautiful greenhouse for the reception. So, so pretty.

Mike was especially pleased because they used an actual wooden hammer and spigot to tap this keg, but we figure that's just how it's done when one gets married near Munich.

People, I've been to a lot of weddings in my life--comes with being a preacher's kid--and I can say with utter certainty that this was the best food I've ever had at one. Hands down. (I'd pay good money to eat that food again at a restaurant.) And it certainly didn't hurt that the venue was that magical gardeny space...so charming! What a lovely time, and a lovely couple. (Thanks for the invite, guys. It was an honor.)

Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty.

Next up: another place I've been waiting on for a long, long time. Sicily...

*Ok, ok, and a quick jaunt into April, as well.

**As it turned out, the interior was rather spartan, and the tour in Italian, and so I really thank everyone for going along so patiently and so genially! THANKS, GUYS! You're the best!!

***But more likely, probably not. Ha, ha, brevity. That's hilarious, coming from me.

party like it's 1499.

In late February we headed to Lucerne to check out their Fasnacht party and parades. Fasnacht, for those of you not in the Confoederatio Helvetica, is basically Switzerland's Mardi Gras--the big party before Lent begins. (Except that its roots date back to the 15th century, which is pretty great. [And is the only thing that I could think of for a title here.]) Two years ago, we went to Basel for theirs, and this year, we thought we'd check out the other big Fasnacht display, and let me just say, Lucerne did not disappoint. For one thing, I remember very few costumed people in the crowd in Basel, but in Lucerne, everyone has a costume, and many are tremendously ornate, clever, and/or creative. The entire city center parties for three full days, and it's a trip.

Spotted as soon as we left our hotel to find food: apres-ski bunnies, a tiny Red Riding Hood, and these three furry guys.

Jellyfish!

As our first parade sorta began, there were all sorts of non-group-affiliated marchers ("die Wilden," auf Deutsch) that came through first. Awwww, Lego family...

...and a family of lighthouses! The beacon on top of the tallest one actually had a flashing light in it.

Eventually, the larger organized groups started coming by, and one of the earliest was full of THE SCARIEST THINGS EVER. For lack of a better word, we called them "Krampi," as in the (possible) plural of Krampus, the terrifying punisher-of-bad-children who pops up alongside St. Nick at Christmastime in various European countries. Seriously, I could not deal with these things, and I hid behind Mike like a little kid. SO SCARY. 

Ooh, pretty Day of the Dead-themed float, though...!

And then there were these nifty carved wooden masks from the Chriens area, which were just amazing!

Elf-type things, whose masks I'm also fairly sure were wooden.

Um, there are a lot of photos here, so I'm just going to let them speak for themselves unless I feel further explanation/commentary is warranted. (And just FYI, everything that looks like a float here has a bar in it. Post-parade, the marchers park their various carts and wagons and have their very own private bars all lined up in a rather spectacular row.)

This thing was massive and ornate, and had a confetti machine gun mounted on top...

...and was towing this caged thing at the back.

And then the Gugge bands started up. These people wear these crazy get-ups and march and play their instruments during the day, both in parades and in little spot-parties, and then they set up stands and play all over the city at night. I have no idea how they stay awake after the first day, really.

Our friend Yannick, who's from Lucerne (and was clearly up to no good here), convinced Mike to get into the spirit, as well. (Too bad Mike forgot his giant sombrero. And before you ask, my "costume" was a cat-ear headband. The only other costumey thing I own is a dirndl, and I'm sure as heck not wearing that around for two days.)

More elf-like things...

...with their very own fairy-forest train. The details on this thing were unbelievable.

As in Basel, all of the bandleaders were rather spectacularly dressed.

More wooden masks.

Srsly, look at these things!

THIS CHAIR WAS MOTORIZED AND I AM STILL JEALOUS.

Lots of Day of the Dead-themed groups.

The skeleton's arms were articulated and the marchers were moving them around all sorts.

These guys were hilarious. They were running about all chaotic-like, but kept stopping and waving their arms at the crowd to get them to cheer...

...and then assembled their "bobsled" and took off down the street. Hah!

I really couldn't get enough of the wooden masks; they were all so individual and so well crafted!

A cyclops and a bishop, because Fasnacht.

It's just not a Swiss event without cowbells.

Or a ginormous "cheese" float with the Gotthard tunnel coming out of it. Hee.

These guys (there were several) would kneel down in front of a kid on the sidelines and open up that little door in their heads, wherein there was some sort of little still-life scenario. Weird, but creative. 

Pretty manga-style float.

This was a sort of Basler guest-contingent in the parade; Lucerne doesn't really do these lanterns.

Human haystack, also with wooden mask.

Just read the map. It's amazing.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE! (He's pulling Max along behind him in a boat.)

Um...steampunk flies?

GREMLIN!! (Getting a face full of confetti from an onlooker. The confetti here seemed to be more-or-less entirely thrown by spectators, as opposed to in Basil, where literally everyone in the parade was throwing it [...and vegetables and oranges...] at the crowd. Profligately.)

Aztec lizards...?

Scary group of mud-people-things.

Yeah, so, there were all manner of weird creatures in this parade.

Shiny owls!

More Krampi. Cannot deal.

Post-parade, we crossed the river to check out the view over Lake Lucerne...

...and to people-watch. THOSE ARE HOT-AIR BALLOONS AND I AM IN COMPLETE AWE.

Heh.

Spotted a band that hadn't been in the parade.

It was full of steampunk foxes.

Tried to catch some bands-on-stands in the old town. HOLY WOW, WAS IT CROWDED.

Outside the crowds, though, Lucerne is gorgeous.

Lanterns parked in the Basler area.

Ooh, nighttime parade!

Steel drum band.

Stopped for a bit to watch some of the big Gugge bands perform in this passageway, and their marching and dancing and pop song covers were almost worth braving the crowd. Which was super pushy and intense.

We had dinner with Yannick at a random Mexican restaurant (it was the only thing that had open seating, and it was far too cold to stay outside and eat festival food, despite the glorious, warm sun that had held through the afternoon), then headed to our hotel (the Ameron Hotel Flora, in case you're wondering). Where we were more than pleasantly surprised to find that one could not, in fact, hear the Gugge music that played into the wee hours. Hooray for good windows!

The next "morning" (ok, noon-ish), we set out to find some coffee and food, then meandered around the southern part of old town.

Not kidding, it's so beautiful.

And check out the towers from the 14th-century city wall! 

You could definitely tell who was headed to the childrens' parade...

Accidentally crossed paths with said parade, where we saw these amazing stilt dancers.

We stood around for a while watching various bands and people in costume pass by, then decided to head back to our hotel for a couple of hours while the heavens opened up and it poured rain. Thankfully, it stopped by the time Yannick and his girlfriend Nina met up with us for dinner at Wirtshaus Taube, a restaurant serving up "grandmother specialties" in a super-old building. Yes, please. No recollection of what Mike had (...cordon bleu, maybe?), but I had basically a pot pie full of meatballs. Quite tasty, and then it was off to catch the monster parade! (Apologies for the photo quality. Neither I nor my camera respond terribly well to motion in dark settings.)

There was some overlap with the parade from the day before, but not a huge amount.

This purple-winged fairy thing...

...was leading a band full of dudes dressed and masked more-or-less like Prince. Hee.

Ahhhhh, this group was my favorite! I wish we'd seen them in the daytime, because they were so pretty.

Even in the dark, that blue was stunning, and I love the huge flowers.

Not nearly as many of the groups here had individually lit costumes as in Basel, but there were a few.

They did have this thing, though. Whatever it was.

Saw that ginormous beastie thing again from yesterday, parked in its "I'm a bar!" spot on the street full of floats-turned-bars, but this time with an ever-changing light scheme. Neat.

Given its proximity to the parade routes, our hotel lobby was the staging area for several of the groups. The previous day, it'd been full of shaggy, faun-like overalls and various fantastical masks of groups we never actually saw; today, this was parked on the front steps as we turned in for the night. Fantastic.

And again, we spent another night in remarkable quiet, considering the Gugge bands played until at least 4:00 in the morning. Fasnacht in Lucerne is a crazy, crazy party, people, and I can't recommend it enough. In fact, I'd say we are definitely going again sometime--maybe even next year, if the weather's supposed to be nice again! (Definitely worth spending a night there, too. And I might actually put some effort into a costume, too. Fun.)

Up next: a secret dinner, and a lovely outing to the Piedmont (yes, again), but this time in the spring.