Ah...Vacation!

Your partner in gluttony will be away for three weeks. However, you can still salivate over these archives! While you are doing so, you might want to munch on one of Payard's chocolate almond cakes. Ta ta!

Jewel Bako

"We have some OUTSTANDING fish tonight!" enthused Jack Lamb, the owner of sushi nirvana Jewel Bako. Sitting in the small gilt and bamboo-appointed room, my companion and I exchanged a look of anticipation. After briefly perusing the menu, we decided to go with the chef's choice (omakase), which ended up being ten courses of utter delight!

First up was a small "gift from the chef" of grated daikon, salmon roe and a tiny shiso leaf. This was served with Yatsushiku sake, which tasted to me of caramel. We also sampled the Cherry Blossom sake, a lighter variety, and the intense "Dragon's Quivering Tongue", described by Lamb as "diabolical". (Throughout the evening, we delighted in listening to Lamb's wealth of information; he is a walking encyclopedia of Japanese food and culture. Who knew that there were over 2,000 kinds of sake in Japan?)

We then enjoyed a refreshing salad of wild greens and green tea noodles in a light soy dressing garnished with pine nuts and shimeji mushrooms. A gorgeous cylinder of tuna tartare was next, then a foil package of three types of steam-roasted Japanese mushrooms.

Next up was our first taste of what makes Jewel Bako a local legend. An extraordinary sashimi course included three kinds of yellowtail, baby firefly squid with a sweet miso dip, red snapper and live shrimp ("Just tickle it and it wiggles," joked Lamb). Everything was at the peak of freshness; I could have been at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.

A clear soup tasted mildly of bonito and featured two crumbly yellowtail "meatballs" and tart strips of citrus zest.

Finally, it was time for the piece de resistance: an oblong plate dotted with 11 pieces of sushi! Among the standouts were: fresh sea eel as rich as liver (never will I eat that microwaved barbecued eel ever again), the ultimate belly of fatty tuna, a sweet clam, lightly seared Japanese black bass, salty white salmon, Kyoto-style pressed sushi, and the chef's special: jack mackerel tartare with spicy baby ginger under a peelaway shiso leaf. Every bite was so delicious that I had to close my eyes.

As if that weren't enough, we were in for three dessert courses: a rich, floral coconut lychee sorbet, a special pastry from Payard which was a teardrop of green tea cake filled with strawberry jam and topped with vanilla mousse, and some crunchy peanut cookies from Kyoto with organic Yamaguchi plum wine.

The courses were spread out so that we had an opportunity to bask in a Zen-like appreciation of every dish. Each edible landscape of colors and textures was presented to us on a plate of a different shape. Jewel Bako's aesthetic, combined with its absolute passion for freshness and attention to detail, made for a top-notch sushi experience!

Jewel Bako: 239 E. 5th St., (212) 979-1012.

Yonah Schimmel Knishery

Do you have a palate but no wallet? The humane folks at Yonah Schimmel Knishery will stuff you to the gills for less than the price of a round-trip Metrocard. For $2-3, you can inhale a giant, flaky knish overflowing with your choice of filling: traditional potato, oniony kasha, sweet potato, broccoli, jalapeno cheddar, or even pizza! And for those of your relatives who have the misfortune of not residing in NYC (or who refuse to leave the Upper East Side), Schimmel's will ship the luscious knishes anywhere in the continental US.

Yonah Schimmel Knishery: 137 E. Houston St., (212) 477-2858.

Afternoon Tea At The Mark Hotel (CLOSED)

Grandma immensely enjoyed our tea at Fauchon, so we decided to recreate the experience at The Mark Hotel. At The Mark, there are three varieties of afternoon tea: the Mandarin, which features Chinese tea and almond cookies baked to order, the Strawberry Cream Tea, which includes strawberries and Chantilly cream, and the traditional Afternoon Tea (our choice). Grandma was a huge fan of the chicken mousse tea sandwich and the smoked salmon on black bread. Also gracing our plates were thick slices of banana bread, tiny chocolate tarts, pineapple coconut cakes and homemade raisin scones with mascarpone cheese. (For the persnickety in our party, there was a bloody-rare burger with fries.) Generously, our waiter provided extra complimentary sandwiches and pots of Ceylon tea. If you would like to learn about the art of Chinese tea, you can still snag a spot at the June 6 class with with Tea Master Ringo Lo (call 212-879-1864 for information and reservations).

The Mark Hotel: 25 East 77th St., (212) 744-4300.

A Rainbow Of Marzipan

Some people buy the same shirt in several different colors; I just buy marzipan bars in different flavors. At Teuscher Chocolates Of Switzerland, foil-wrapped marzipan is color-coded by flavor: pink for raspberry, yellow for lemon, green for pistachio, blue for plain. I just bought one of each!

Teuscher Chocolates Of Switzerland: 620 5th Ave. at Rockefeller Center, (212) 246-4416.

Love In The Clouds

First cigarettes, now Oreos may eventually go the way of the dodo bird. However, you can still enjoy a nominally healthier version of the latter at the Two Little Red Hens bakery. Their cookie creation, enticingly named "Love In The Clouds", is a chocolate-pepper cookie sandwich with a layer of sugary vanilla cream in the middle.

Two Little Red Hens: 1652 Second Ave., (212) 452-0476.

Upcoming Event: Brittany Wine Dinner At Cocotte (CLOSED AS OF 2008)

After inhaling a molten chocolate cake at Cocotte this evening, I was reminded of some information that I meant to impart to you sooner:

The Prospect Wine Shop, in concert with Cocotte Restaurant, will be celebrating the cuisine of Brittany on Tuesday, May 6 with a special tasting dinner. The four-course meal, which features such delicacies as "Leg of Rabbit Braised in Breton Honey-and-Apple Liqueur, Bacon and Dried Plums, Served with Yukon Gold Purée" and "Seared Maine Diver Sea Scallops with Grilled Portobello Mushrooms in a Vermouth Herbed Cream Sauce," will be complemented by wines from the Loire Valley. For reservations, please call Christine at Cocotte: (718) 832-6848.

Cocotte Restaurant: 337 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, (718) 832-6848.