Thursday, December 10. White Truffles Are Back, At $2700 A Pound. Ralph Brennan is, in most ways, the straightest arrow I know. His first career--before he got into the family restaurant business--was as a CPA for a big accounting firm. Not many restaurateurs come from that realm. And in marketing his four restaurants, he comes closer to what the national chains do than the rest of his family. By the book.
On the other hand, Ralph has what seems to be an uncontrollable passion for Italian food. Enough of one that, some years ago, he decided that Bacco--his trattoria in the French Quarter--would create an image for itself by serving what would soon become the world's most expensive food ingredient: white truffles from Alba, in northern Italy. It seemed unlikely, but it worked. The month-long truffle menu brought much attention to Bacco, a restaurant that needed it.
A few years ago, the truffle promotion stumbled on a new tariff imposed by the U.S. government on an assortment of luxury products from the European Union--truffles being one of them. When the price passed $2000 a pound, Ralph dumped out. Especially since the quality of drought-affected truffles was terrible.
So I was surprised a week ago by a message from Bacco saying that the white truffles were good this year, and that for the better part of December--starting the next day!--they'd revive the white truffle menu. The Eat Club was an eager participant in the truffle dinners for years. I grabbed a couple of tables so we could survey the precious fungi again.
We only had time to gather fourteen people for this. We might have had more if I'd known that Chef Chris Montero would expand the menu at no extra charge. On the way in, he had a little amuse bouche for us of mushrooms, crabmeat, and a truffle shaving. The appetizers included the house's famous truffled egg, a salad, or an acorn squash soup. Each of them was finished at the table with shaved white truffles, with their distinctive, unambiguously sexy (to my nose, anyway) aroma.
Then, compliments of the chef, we all received a pile of fettuccine. He makes the dough for the noodles with black truffles, then tosses it with olive oil after they're cooked. And a modest shower of white truffles fell over it. This was the dish I'd planned on having as an entree, because the subtlety of the white truffles comes across best when it's not competing with another strong flavor. That theory was borne out in full measure. The pasta was the peak of the evening.
I had the roast duck with truffled honey for the real entree. Around the table, the osso buco was more popular. No matter what people had in front of them, there was complete agreement that this was a serious treat. The Barbera and Barbaresco wines added a fine liquid component.
Among the attendees was a couple in town visiting from Houston. They heard me talk about the dinner, and figured they had to be there. The Eat Club accept recruits from anywhere people of good taste are found.
Chef Chris brought some white truffles for us to look at and sniff. He had bad news: the next shipment of these things would cost $2700 a pound. "The Italians celebrate the holidays with white truffles," he said. I'm glad I got my share.
When I brushed my teeth before going to bed, the truffle essence emerged again. That's a strange effect, one I've noticed before but forgot about. It was a pleasant surprise to end the day.
Bacco. French Quarter: 310 Chartres 504-522-2426. Italian.
