Dear Friend:

As hard as I try, I can’t be three places at once. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get everything done. It’s exhausting. Anthony is the answer. Chef Anthony Bonett has been handling day-to-day operations at Alison at Blue Bell with finesse. His style meshes so well with mine that we’re finding the transition nearly seamless. I am so happy and relieved.

You’re probably already savoring Anthony’s dishes. I know I am. His Tuna Meatballs with Caponata and Saffron Aioli have been very popular. And I’m loving the Roasted Lamb with Date Couscous, Radicchio, Merquez & Harissa and Grilled Artichoke & Asparagus Salad with Toasted Pistachio and Preserved Lemon. We’re finding that we collaborate really well too. I found pistachio oil in Paris and together we created the Fried Baby Artichokes, Toasted Pistachio and Pancetta with Pistachio Aioli and he’s using the cocoa I found in Hershey in his Caponata.

While we’ll continue to collaborate, our plan is for Alison at Blue Bell’s menu to reflect Bonett’s Italian heritage and have a Mediterranean flair that incorporates flavors from his travels to Greece, Turkey, Israel, Italy, Spain, Egypt and the South of France. He’ll use techniques and preparations he honed at Striped Bass (where we worked together), Opus 251 (where he worked with Amelia), The Four Seasons, Tony Clark’s and most recently Oceanaire Seafood Room.

Alison two will serve global fare with Mediterranean, Southwestern and Asian influences, with an emphasis on seafood. The focus is on fresh seafood and seasonal produce, as well as intense flavors featuring ingredients and preparations from my travels.

We’re having a great time. Things are so good you can taste it!

Marshmallow & Wine Reception on April 6– Marshmallows aren’t just for hot chocolate anymore. On Sunday, April 6, we’ll host a Marshmallow & Wine Pairing Reception to launch Marshmallows: Homemade Gourmet Treats, a whimsical new cookbook by author Eileen Talanian and photographer Courtney Grant Winston. I’ll use Eileen’s homemade marshmallow recipes to create sweet and savory dishes -- Griddled Apple Marshmallow, Cheddar and Bacon Sandwich; Goat Cheese Croûtes, with Blood Orange, Rosemary and Zinfandel Fluff Toasted Coconut Marshmallows with Chocolate Dipping Sauce and more. For $45 per person including wine and beer pairings and a signed copy of Eileen’s cookbook. Tickets needed, call 215/641-2660.

Passover – Passover starts on April 19. In addition to the many dishes on the menu that are kosher for Passover, we’re adding some holiday specials. It’s not your typical Passover fare – I’d eat most of these any day of the week – any week of the year. Try Anthony’s Matzo Ball Soup with Gribenes – not exactly what your Grandmother makes – unless she’s an Italian guy from South Philly. We’ll also serve Chopped Chicken Liver with Pickled Beet Salad and Handmade Matzo; Braised Beef Short Rib with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes, a little Manishevitz (Red Wine) Sauce and Karpas; and Roast Lamb with Charoset and Matzo Meal Stuffing. Our dessert menu will feature Amelia’s beloved Chocolate Covered Matzo (also available to go), Chocolate Chili Pot de Crème, Flourless Chocolate HazelnutTorte, Vanilla Panna Cotta Roasted Pineapple, Orange and Basil, Crustless Lemon Meringue Sour Cream Cheesecake and Housemade Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows.

Outdoor Patio Reopens – We’re getting ready to haul out the patio furniture. We’ll open outside dining as soon as the weather permits. Insider’s tip: Every day we wait to see what the weather will be like before we take reservations for outside dining. That means on nice days we have 20 extra seats available at the last minute – even on Friday and Saturday nights.

Paris – Every spring I join my friends Joan and Ellen Shepp in Paris for Fashion Week. While we were there this season, we met up with Inquirer fashion writer, Elizabeth Wellington, in the Yohji Yamamoto  showroom and went to grab a bite to eat. They’re there for the fashion – I’m there for the food. Naturally, I loved the little black dress at the Balenciega showroom but what really captured my attention was the lunch (of course)! It tasted as good as it looked. Here are snapshots from my iphone. Another culinary highlight of the trip was a Lebanese restaurant, called Liza. Rosy, a Lebanese jewelry designer, recommended this modern Lebanese restaurant, named after its gracious female owner. I was compelled to pull out my iphone and take more photos. It is worth a visit!

Brussels – From Paris, it is just a short train ride to Brussels to visit my college roommate. I recently re-connected with her through some customers at Alison at Blue Bell. When I heard their South American accents, we got to talking and it was just serendipity that they grew up with her in Colombia. While in Brussels, I was on a mission to bring back the best chocolate. We treated all the chocolate stores like a giant box of chocolate – tasting each one and picking our favorite so I could find the best and bring home as much as I could carry. Brussels is also known for is mussels. I learned that Belgians use mussel shells as tongs to eat mussels – a very handy technique.

Los Angeles Times  -- In a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, Regina Schrambling wrote about chefs blogging. She mentioned our blog, saying we were “essentially producing a cyber-tutorial on designing, equipping and staffing a restaurant.” Each week I blog about the latest developments at Alison two, my soon-to-open restaurant in Ft. Washington, and I try to answer your questions about the new restaurant.

New Appetizer  -- For the last three nights, I’ve craved the Fried Baby Artichokes, Toasted Pistachio and Pancetta with Pistachio Aioli. At the end of each evening, I’ve tried to sit down and have some. Each time it’s been sold out. These very well may beat out the Brussels sprouts as the new most-loved appetizer. 

Pistachio oil -- The artichokes were inspired by the pistachio oil I found in Paris. It came from Huilerie Artisanale Leblanc, 6 Rue Jacob, 6th. The store was just down the street from my hotel and though I’d walked down that street for years – it was so tiny that I’d never noticed it before. I wandered in looking for presents for Anthony, Tom and Amelia. Then, the owner recommended I get some of her pistachio oil as a souvenir. It is unbelievable – a taste sensation. Besides the artichokes, it is especially good on beets, avocado and chocolate and who knows what else?! At the beer dinner, I drizzled it on the Chocolate Panna Cotta, Caramel Semi-Freddo with Nut Brittle and it was a big hit. I was hoping I’d have to go back to Paris to get more, but Anthony has already figured out how to get it here in the states.

Beer List – We just got our hands on some Hitachino Ginger Ale, an award-winner from Japan. You've got to try it!  We don't think you'll find it anywhere else in the Philadelphia region. We're also serving local brews from Weyebacher Brewery, as well as small batch beers from New York, Vermont and California. Belgium too.

Wine List – Our wine reps told us we couldn’t do a half bottle list. But, thanks to Tom’s persistence we not only have a great half bottle list – but it is extremely popular. It includes many wines that you don’t typically see by the glass and is especially nice if you are dining with non-drinkers or children, want both a red and white wine with dinner or want to try a new wine without committing to whole bottle. We are currently serving two champagnes by the half bottle – Gosset Grande Reserve and Diebolt Vallois. We have six whites – evenly split between French and California wines. Our ten reds that come in half bottles include several selections from Oregon and California as well as Italian, French and Australian wines.

Desserts – Amelia calls the Panna Cotta “the little black dress of desserts” because it matches with different things depending upon the season. In the winter, she made Chocolate Panna Cotta. Now that it’s getting warmer, she has switched to Vanilla Panna Cotta. Right now she’s pairing it with pineapple but pretty soon she’ll dress it up with strawberries and rhubarb. Each week she’ll move it forward based on what is seasonal. My favorite is blueberries – but I’ll have to wait awhile for those. And, the accessories change too – from cookies to tuiles to cocoa nibs.

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Happy Spring,

Alison