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Chile Weather:
Left at Albuquerque discovers a variety of spice during the Chile Days of January

By Christina Waters

In the continual reinvention that is Left at Albuquerque, January isn't merely the first month of 1996--it's a marketing opportunity waiting to be exploited. And the folks over at www.ispot.com/left have got spicy plans for us, it turns out, during what they're calling "Chile Days of January." The slyly named event is part of what the Palo Alto bastion of designer tequila and progressive Tex Mex consciousness calls its bimonthly "Southwest Fest."

Here's the deal. Every single day of January the restaurant will showcase a different chile, delivered to our expanding palates via a specially designed dish. Chef David Cox has been ordering up a storm, shipping in chiles from all over the world just to wow the socks off his clientele. The mission here is not only to please palates, but also to educate patrons about the dazzling variety of chile companions out there in the world.

To partake of this hot and spicy hoopla, swing by Left at Albuquerque (445 Emerson St., Palo Alto) and demand to see the menu. There you'll find an announcement about the featured chile of the day, followed by a daily special starring that same chile. For example, Jan. 5 is Red Thai Chile Day. Cascabel take the stage on Jan. 8, Cayenne on the 12th, Scotch Bonnet on the 21st and so on. If you don't like it hot, you'll want to hit the restaurant on Jan. 24, when the mild Yellow Wax Chile is featured. For further details, call the restaurant at 415/326-1011.

Mirassou Moments

Okay, so things are finally slowing down a bit and you can begin making plans to fill up your 1996 dance card with special food and wine events. Logging miles of experience in that department are the party planners of Mirassou, who have plans for all you aficionados at both the historic Aborn Road winery and the Los Gatos Champagne Cellars. For example, you might as well pencil in
Feb. 11 for one of those memorable, multi-course St. Valentine's Dinners, held in the venerable caves at Mirassou's Los Gatos champagne works and featuring romantic foods paired with appropriate Mirassou wines and champagnes.

For this sexiest holiday, Catering by Dana will be serving naughtily titled dishes like Casanova's Green Chili Corn Cake with Seductive Sturgeon Caviar, Sensuous Shrimp Pirogue with Amorous Andouille Sausage, roasted loin of veal with--what else?--wild mushroom ragout, and dessert of Erotic Chocolate Silk Cake. Two sparkling wines, a Pinot Blanc, a Pinot Noir and a Petite Sirah will help soften any remaining edges, and this luxurious tribute to the patron saint of lovers is priced at $68 per person. For details about upcoming Mirassou wine and food extravaganzas, call the winery at 408/274-4000, or the Champagne Cellars at 408/395-3790.

Making Tracks

Meanwhile, my recent attempt to locate South Bay culinary hot shot Steve Chan--whose most recent gig was a short-lived stay at Los Gatos' Dragon Bistro--led me to an amiable bar manager at Martha's in the PruneYard, where Chan has blazed to glory after leaving the kitchens of Mirassou. Turns out Chan is now teaching at a culinary school in Sacramento. Meanwhile, his longtime sous chef Roberto Moreno continues to bring luster to the Martha's menu, adding a few Mexican spins of his own to the world fusion Cal-Asian cuisine Chan pioneered. Attempts to check in with Dragon Bistro, which opened first with chef Steve Crisler (currently at Orlo's) and then with Chan, resulted in that old familiar refrain: "You have reached a number that is no longer in service." Too bad, since we had some very creative meals at the attractive Dragon Bistro during its brief flowering on North Santa Cruz Avenue. Stay tuned.

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Don't forget to call me with your hot restaurant tips, menu ideas, favorite chefs and food suggestions. Dial 408/298-7818 and press 2, followed by 498, to reach my voice mailbox.


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