Donna Covrett
The Clean Slate
Chef Jared Whalen does not like to be held hostage by an ingredient. I heard him say as much during Pho Paris’s final feast on New Year’s Eve 2007. He and manager/sommelier Bryant Phillips were working the restaurant’s back room, answering questions about the dissolution of the three-year-old French-Vietnamese restaurant, and the genesis of Chalk Food + Wine.
Cocktail Therapy
I’m drawn to the culture of bars for much the same reason I’m attracted to restaurants: to collect the stories of why and how we gather. Perhaps it’s because misery has an audience, but bar stories do seem to be more interesting. Or if Homer Simpson is to be believed, alcohol is both the cause of and solution to most of life’s problems.
Humble Pie
Pie. Such a small word with great meaning. Even the crustiest curmudgeons will give up a smile at its mention. Offer someone a slice of pie and their demeanor softens, memory drifts: family picnics, county fairs, holiday gatherings. “Damn good pie” topped with a scoop of cold ice cream and a cup of hot
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