Wednesday, January 14, 2009.
Impastato's.
It was supposed to have gone down to twenty degrees last night, but it didn't. I let the water run outside all night for nothing. But why not, asked the water well man. "You could let your faucet run for ten years straight and you sure wouldn't run out of water," he said. The reason this came up is that he told us to just let it run until the not-so-great taste of the water--present since the new pump went onto the well--goes away. It's still there, but it does seem to be improving. At least it no longer turns brown when you heat it in the microwave.
Tonight, another dinner at Impastato's, which now easily holds the record for most Eat Club events. The eating was as good as usual. No surprises, good or bad--which is what the attendees, many of whom come every time, seem to want. The wines, however, were atypically fine. Especially good, I thought, was the Castello de Poggio barbera d'Asti. That's a lighter red wine, in a category (in terms of body, not flavor) with Pinot Noir. I must have had one before, but I don't remember. This one was very good, and at $15 a bottle, seems a bargain. Also excellent was the Feudo di Butera Insolia. Insolia is a grape variety found almost exclusively in Sicily. Lots of body in that one.
I overate so badly yesterday that I skipped a course (the appetizer) tonight, and asked to have some of the Italian baked oysters in lieu of an entree. I've had our dinner's planned entrees often enough (although I never tire of the fish with artichokes and mushrooms). But oysters are so good right now that I couldn't get the thought of them out of my mind until they came and I ate.
Something about Impastato's attracts a particularly vivacious crowd. They were here tonight about sixty-five strong--although most of them waited until just a few days before the dinner to make a reservation, thereby giving me cause for concern.
One of the attendees was Johnny Lee, who was a fraternity brother of mine in Phi Kappa Sigma at UNO. I was one of the founding members of that chapter, which I'm sad to say ceased to exist a couple of years ago. The Greek thing never was very string at UNO, probably because so many of its students are commuters (as I was). I worked too much to really be involved in the frat back then. Johnny was a leader of the crop that came after me, although he and I are almost the same age. He has grandchildren almost as old as my kids. Our life schedules, like everything else, differed. Good to see him again.
Johnny and a few other diners hung around with me in the bar, and Roy Picou let me sing a few Sinatra numbers. A lady at the next table was actually getting romantic with her man while I crooned, but I will not claim credit for that.
Impastato's. Metairie: 3400 16th Street. 504-455-1545. Italian.
