The Deacon Dines with Bond and Castro!

Yo Homeys! Wassup?

Well maybe not exactly Bond and Castro, but it sure as heck seemed like that...

As per usual, your humble Deacon is mixin' with the people that matter, today bein' no exsepshun! Oh, and by the by...before I forgets...

how about an expeshully loud "Wassup?" to all the pre-programmed, Yellow Tail drinkin', carborundum scrapin', backhouse washin', DIX out there who still tune in regularly, despite the fact that you'se still not really catchin' on!

Welcome anyway!

Dr. Fresh has just had (along with the Deaconess) one of the best Eye-Tie dinners of his frickin' life!

I'm talkin' Eye-Tie with a capital W! Man this was one lurch evening!

Your Deacon got the invite via Zoltan "007" Szabo to check out the food and wines at Sette Mezzo at 936 Eglinton Avenue West. Arriving with the gorgeous Deaconess, your humble Deacon was immediately apprehended, seated and greeted by none-other than the Moroccan Italian Tribesman and Proprietor Himself, Sol or Salvatore, Benarroch if you be so inclined. Sol is one kool dude who refuses to rush his patrons. He dropped us into a comfortable side table and immediately the food began to arrive, even with no sign of Zoltan Szabo. "Don't worry!" said Sol. "It's all arranged by Zoltan already, including what food and what wine." So we sat back and man, was it lurch! First a glass of Tawse Riesling to awaken the palate, along with garlic toasts, supplanted by jumbo shrimp in a Sambuca sauce. Sol joined us almost right away, and was one fascinating dude. This guy's been a marine biologist at Dalhousie University who blew out his eardrum after training and certifiying 200 divers, a Spanish and French major at York University, a Cuban cigar afficionado, who's smoked Cubans with Fidel himself, a record company exec, an immigration translator and is still a licenced optometrist (hence the photograph) as well as a restauranteur! He runs an Italian restaurant par excellence, and isn't even a made-man! Your Deacon was hugely impressed by Sol's ability to scope the entire restaurant, glad-handing those who needed the security and running everything from our table. Our amazingly attentive waiter, Raffaele (or Ralph) all swarthy good looks and Pepsodent smile, switched us over to Norman Hardie '04 Riesling, which was dryer and more to our taste, and set a huge platter of amazing antipasto in front of us. All the usual fare was there: shaved Reggiano, sausage, olives, mozzarella, etc., etc.

I immediately asked Sol who he'd fight in the Octagon. He said he'd like to fight one of Zoltan's babes, in mud for an extended period of time!

Then the mushroom risotto arrived...3 different mushrooms, to be exact, served with a fantastic Stoney Ridge 2004 20th Anniversary Pinot Noir that was redolent of violets and herbs. Man! Stoney Ridge is a winery your Deacon has never visited...he's just waitin' for the invite...Great stuff! This is a Pinot to your Deacon's taste...

Veal followed in a cream and mushroom sauce, with a delicious and fresh green salad that greatly refreshed the palate. Zoltan had chosen a Skouras for the pairing; a Greek wine with a lot of Cab that was mellow beyond belief and greatly fit the occasion. At this point, Croatian Uber-Chef Zlatko Maric emerged to press the flesh and meet the Deacon and Deaconess, just as the Hungarian 007, Zoltan burst through the doors, resplendent in red baseball cap and sweats. What is it about this homeboy that he's able to look lurch, no matter what the frick he's wearin'? Zoltan grabbed a huge bowl of pasta and a glass of the Pinot Noir I'd been drinking earlier. The evening was off to a great start. Sol and Zoltan are highly entertaining hosts, and the Deaconess and yours truly were in stitches much of the time. Especially when Zoltan told a hideous joke with an unrepeatable ending about terroir and geography. As Sol regalled us with ever more fascinating and true stories about Havana and Castro and the Cohiba and Partagas factories, Zoltan called for Barollo Chinato, an amazing red desert wine that I'd never tried before. It was rich and potent with lots of herbaceous notes. Then the dessert tray emerged, with the best Tira Misu any of us had ever sampled, fresh fruit, Dulce de Leche cheesecake, etc., etc., etc. Sol asked his Ace Barman Pepe for some cognac and the snifters arrived. The aroma was heavenly, but Zoltan made a face and said "This isn't cognac. This is aged rum!" And he was right, damn him! We were drinking 7 year old Havana Club Rum. My notes just say "Fanbloodytastic!"

Y'all gots to check out Sette Mezzo at 936 Eglinton West. To be honest, they don't need your patronage. People in the know are already going there... The food's incredible, the staff's attentive and engaging, and the wine-list is hand-picked by Zoltan Szabo, the Hungarian 007 himself! Not a damn one in the LCBO!

Y'all check it out! This is Lurch with a capital "L".

Thanks Sol, Zoltan, Raffaele and Pepe for a spectacular evening!

Deacon Dr. Fresh

Supporting real people everywhere

And yes, you peckerdines heard me!