Food & Wine November 2017

ACTOR IN PRAISE OF FRIENDSGIVING When I was growing up, Thanksgiving was a big deal at my family’s home in Rhode Island. But the past few years I’ve spent it with my best friends in New York City, and it’s been lovely. Before we eat, everyone goes around and talks about what they’re grateful for and what they’re hopeful for in the coming year, and I always find it moving and surprising. TURKEY TRANSCENDENCE When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, there’s nothing better than the trifecta of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, all on one fork. For me that is nirvana. FOOD ISSUES It’s a life-changing experience to realize that you have dietary restrictions, and at first it’s depressing. It’s hard to accept because food is such a powerful thing to bond over. There are thankfully…

F & W TASTE TEST Angry Orchard Made with eight types of apple, the unfiltered Easy Apple Less Sweet is also low in alcohol (4.2%), which makes it a great introduction to the world of cider. angryorchard.com. Austin Eastciders The Texas Honey, which is available in cans, blends bittersweet and dessert apples with local honey for just a hint of sweetness. It makes a killer base for whiskey cocktails. austineastciders.com. Farnum Hill This New Hampshire producer was a pioneer in bringing back true cider-apple varieties. We love the Extra Dry, which bears a subtle resemblance to Champagne, and the gently sweet Semi-Dry, which can take you from hors d’oeuvres all the way through dessert on Thanksgiving. poverty laneorchards.com. Foggy Ridge Made in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the deliciously tart First Fruit bottling is almost wine-like in its complexity. Proprietor…

COZY EDITION REMOTE ACCESS Love the idea of getting cozy in a backcountry lodge so far off the grid you can’t even drive there? At these four Canadian retreats, you’ll revel in exquisite solitude—without compromising on cuisine. —FARRAH SHAIKH MCLAREN ASSINIBOINE LODGE There are no roads leading to this UNESCO World Heritage site on Mount Assiniboine in British Columbia. Intrepid travelers can helicopter, hike or cross-country ski to the 12 woodsy cabins and rooms, then refuel with fortifying dishes like pork tenderloin with smashed potatoes. assiniboinelodge.com. CHATTER CREEK LODGE The only way to get to this massive log house three hours east of Calgary is by helicopter. You may find it equally tough to leave, thanks to ample snowcat and skiing opportunities, plus thoughtful cooking from chef Melanie Murphy. chattercreek.ca. LAKE O’HARA LODGE Worlds away…

AT EXACTLY 6 P.M. every Thursday through Sunday, red neon letters blink to life above the glass door of an unassuming row house in South Philadelphia. That’s your cue. Ring the brass doorbell and flash your membership card for inspection. At Palizzi Social Club, this speakeasy two-step isn’t a shtick; it’s been standard since 1918, when immigrants from Vasto, a seaside village in Abruzzo, founded the place. “It was a smoky joint where you could play cards and drink,” says Joey Baldino, whose uncle Ernest Mezzaroba started managing the club in the 1950s. “But it was also a support system for the community.” “I want to expose people to my heritage. This is my neighborhood. This is how I was raised.” —JOEY BALDINO, PALIZZI SOCIAL CLUB As a kid, Baldino hung out…

1 PHILADELPHIA Wm. Mulherin’s Sons Fishtown has emerged in recent years as Philadelphia’s buzziest neighborhood for art, music and food. One of our favorite spots, Wm. Mulherin’s Sons, is in a former whiskey blending and bottling factory. Its rooms are a seamless mix of old and new, with large arched windows, exposed brick and reclaimed timber ceilings. A fireplace and cushy sofa anchor the main dining area, while another room includes an open kitchen with a wood oven, making it just as inviting. The blistered pizza topped with speck and a runny egg is our go-to for brunch (and often dinner, too). And don’t miss chef Chris Painter’s stellar pastas, like tortelloni with rabbit, mortadella and pistachios, or maccheroni alla chitarra with scallops, olives, capers and scallions (p. 36). If you get…

ID YOU FEEL THE EARTHQUAKE last night?” read the text from my friend Emily, with whom I’d been staying in Tokyo. “Was it crazy to have the ground shaking beneath you while camping in a tent?” “LOL!” I wrote back from a crispsheeted bed in an air-conditioned room with a stunning Mount Fuji view and robust Wi-Fi. “Didn’t feel it, and the only tent I’ve used was the one that covered the six possible seasonings for my perfectly grilled steak. I’m not camping—I’m glamping.” The previous day I’d taken a bento box and two trains in my retreat from the roaring August heat and humidity of Tokyo, emerging in the only slightly cooler but far more serene Lake Kawaguchi area, to visit Hoshinoya Fuji, billed as “Japan’s first glamping resort.” I was,…