Charlie Palmer: Dry Creek Kitchen Floweth

By JULIETTE ROSSANT I have followed Bryan Voltaggio at Charlie Palmer Steak as he has walked a tightrope between Democrat and Republican gourmands in Washington DC. Recently, another Voltaggio hit the radar in the Charlie Palmer empire: Bryan's younger brother Michael Voltaggio out on the West Coast in Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, CA, situated in food- and wine-rich Sonoma County (described in Super Chef, pp. 71-72, 80, 82). According to The San Francisco Chronicle, young Michael is a big hit: Chef Voltaggio riffs on langoustine ($14) by frying two tails in a puffy beignet batter and accompanying them with a demitasse of rich, caramel- flavored "cappuccino.'' You can dip the beignet in the thick soup or sip it separately. In front, he's arranged three piles, each no bigger than a baby's thumbnail, of intensely flavored condiments -- mango vanilla puree, key lime salt, and a spice mixture with coriander, cumin and cinnamon. It's barely a whisper, but it's enough to add another layer of complexity without distracting from the main event. (Click here to read more) Previous articles: Elections East 2: Washington Sports Night Charlie Palmer Ties as Washington's No. 1 Steakhouse Charlie Palmer: Bipartisan Turf Surfs the Hill --> back to superchefblog