By Frank Sabatini Jr. | SDGLN.com
Back in the Great Depression, nightlifers took budgetary refuge at local supper clubs where they ate for cheap and enjoyed the added bonus of live music by seductive jazz performers. Fast forward to the post-Bush-Lehman-Madoff era, and we’ve again turned to the supper club. Anthology’s “Fresh Vibe Tuesdays” are a perfect example.
If there’s a sparkling advantage arising from this busted economy, it’s the steals that consumers are afforded when thirst and hunger strike. To the cash crunched, Tuesday night at Anthology is like a charitable friend.
Its newest chef, Eric Bauer, has devised a weekly menu of ever-changing small plates, generous appetizers, full-size entrées and desserts, all priced at about 40 percent less than regular menu items. The cost for selected wines are also slashed. In a recent Tuesday-night visit, a friend and I sustained on superb Patassy Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley for only $6.50 a glass. A sneak peek at the main wine list showed the label selling for double the amount on other nights.
Tuesday’s consumables are sweetened by Anthology’s long-running house band. Fronted by singer Rebecca St. Jade, her soulful vocals underpin the band’s fluid jazz rhythms as effortlessly as a young Billie Holiday. (The large flower in her hair further crystallized the image for us.)
When the likes of Natalie Cole, Jean Luc Ponty or Hiroshima seize the stage, concert admissions can sail past the $30 mark. Yet on Tuesdays, admission is only $5. The ensemble plays for about two hours starting at 7 P.M..
In terms of the cuisine, Bauer brings to the exquisitely lighted, tri-level venue some of the best food to date. He raises the bar with exotic salts, snappy sauces and fresh produce that area farmers drop off daily at Anthology’s back door.
Items deserving of encores include “quick pickled” string beans ($3.50) bathed in cider vinegar, fresh dill and mustard seeds. They were served over a bedding of bewitching pesto containing basil, parsley, anchovies and capers. Bauer calls it “salsa verde.”
“Best beans in the solar system,” I whispered to my companion during a beguiling solo by the band’s pianist.
For a meager $2.75, we progressed to mini pastry puffs filled densely with caramelized onions and Parmesan cheese. They came five to an order inside a small glass jar – simple, cute and mouthwatering.
Bauer then had me retracting all of my recent complaints about the ubiquitous invasion of gourmet mac and cheese. His was robust, made with Gruyere, Emmental and bleu curds translated into a pearly béchamel sauce so creamy it could cool to room temperature without turning gummy.
For our entrees, I enjoyed veal and pork meatloaf strewn with green peppercorn, complimented by a perfectly syncopated mushroom gravy boasting a study base of veal stock. Fresh, par-cooked carrots were arranged alongside, and in the center of the plate was a dreamy plop of mashed Yukon Golds. We suspected that Bauer uses these “Cadillac of potatoes” for the pommes frites as well, which were adorned with French sea salt and truffle aioli on the side.
My vegetarian companion lucked out with the only meatless dish in the entrée category, a risotto expertly constructed with asparagus, crispy garlic and chanterelle mushrooms. Here again, Bauer employed a teasing measure of sodium from a pantry stocked with pink Himalayan, red Hawaiian and black-smoked salt– minerals all of which taste heaven-sent.
Each entrée was priced under $15.
Our only gripe of the evening pertained to delayed cocktail service that occurred when we first arrived, thus the half-star demerit in my rating. Water and table bread were delivered quickly, yet the wine was 20 minutes behind, despite an army of wait staff blanketing the main level. Spying on numerous empty glasses of nearby parties, and seeing other patrons fetching drinks from the bar, it was apparent we weren’t alone.
“You would think they’d be pushing the adult beverages like crazy in a place like this,” my companion blurted
All in all, Anthology’s “Fresh Vibe Tuesdays” are a deal which cannot be beat. Bauer’s ‘fresh vibe” menu is focused, concise and joyfully affordable. In our opinion, everything we ate is ready for graduation.
By Brian Perdue | OCRegister.com
While the Angels battle the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, former Yankee center fielder Bernie Williams is tuning his guitar for a Latin and smooth jazz performance at Anthology in San Diego on Wednesday night.
Williams, a five-time All-Star with the Yankees from 1991 to 2006, has been playing guitar as long – and now longer – than he has been playing baseball. He was on the World Series teams in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Anthology, a destination for both music and fine dining, will host Williams at 7:30 p.m. The business is at 1337 India Street, San Diego.
Williams’ musical talents have received critical acclaim and given him 40 Top 40 Album honors. Tickets start at $7. The show is schedule to begin at 7:30 on Wednesday night.
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Click here for the original article on OCRegister.com.
Click here if you have trouble watching the video above.
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The Mads Tolling Quartet performs at Anthology on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. Click here for tickets.
Former local returns home
By JIM TRAGESER | North County Times
The guy’s lived all over the world —- Kyrgyzstan, Kansas City, Mo., Los Angeles, New York City.
But for jazz pianist Eldar Djangirov (playing Oct. 17 with his trio at Anthology), coming to San Diego is probably as close to homecoming as it gets. He spent two years here, attending Francis Parker School, a performing arts magnet school. And his parents still live in the same house in Rancho Bernardo (and will be in the crowd Oct. 17).
While family and memories are obviously important ties to the area, Eldar (he performs and records under his first name only) said the weather is also something he misses about San Diego.
“I’ve been missing it for a few years now!” he said by phone Oct. 13 from his New York City home. “Living in New York City, you go through four seasons and you get the most extreme of the four seasons. It’s getting colder now.”
His latest CD, “Virtue” —- his ninth —- has him hopping.
“I’ve been traveling a lot, especially with the new record release —- it’s been quite intense. … It’s been pretty tremendous traveling, but I’ve been enjoying it.
“I just got back from Tokyo yesterday. I played two shows with my band earlier in the month, then (bassist) Ron Carter asked me to stay.”
Eldar said “Virtue” is the album he’s most proud of so far, and said it represents the pinnacle of his career to date. (It might be pointed out, however, that’s he’s only 22.)
“I think this release marks a certain chapter that in many ways I’ve most proud of.”
He said he managed to accomplish several things he felt that he hadn’t done with previous recordings, at least not to the level he wanted: “The presentation of the music; the composition of the music. The group chemistry —- putting this band together, writing the music specifically for these musicians, knowing their logic. The language we developed as a band after I wrote the material.”
To get this album the way he wanted it, Eldar said he took a different approach.
“The preparation for this record took two years of conscious effort. … When you want to push yourself, when you want to challenge yourself, when you want to create a langauge, it takes research.
“That’s why I consider this a culmination.”
Growing up in Kyrgyzstan, Eldar said, he was turned on to music by his parents.
“My dad has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, so he would travel all the time for different projects. What he did was collect jazz records over a period of three decades.
“One of the things I remember capturing my ear was listening to Oscar Peterson. That was the first introduction, consciously, where I said to myself, ‘I really enjoy this.’”
“When I started playing, my mother was the typical Russian piano teacher in many ways —- but she was very supportive, and gave me a solid foundation.”
Eldar said his mother had to prompt him, like most kids, to practice when he began playing at age 5. But as he got older, he began to love playing more and more.
“I can’t say that at 5 years old that I knew this is what I wanted to do. It was so gradual. It was never whether I wanted to play or not play; it was something … that decision was almost made for me.”
Eldar
When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17
Where: Anthology, 1337 India St., San Diego
Tickets: $23
Info: 619-595-0300 or anthologysd.com
Web: eldarjazz.com
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Click here for the original article in the North County Times.
By Katie Browning | San Diego News Room
Thursday, 08 October 2009
In her first of three performances at the Anthology Jazz Club, singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin proved she’s still got it.
Taking the stage with only her acoustic guitar and that distinctly tranquil voice, Colvin captured the crowd with hits like “Fill Me Up,” and “Polaroids.”
Born in Vermillion, South Dakota, Colvin began performing when she was 15. Since releasing her debut album Steady On in 1989, Colvin has had impressive record sales and continues to perform live over 50 times per year, proving she’s an enduring presence in American music.
With talent extending far beyond her 1997 Grammy-winning hit “Sunny Came Home”, no one seemed to mind that Colvin didn’t include the song in last night’s performance. The acoustic performances of songs like “Wichita Skyline” gave Colvin a James Taylor-esque quality.
Colvin closed the set with “Round of Blues” from her 1992 album Fat City before returning to the stage for an encore performance including her popular version of the Gnarls Barkley hit “Crazy.”
Most of the songs Colvin performed are on her newest release, Shawn Colvin: Live, recorded last year during a three-night performance at Yoshi’s jazz club in San Francisco.
Colvin applauded the beautiful atmosphere at Anthology, and with the flawless acoustics of the venue, the night felt more like a cozy living room concert than just the average club experience.
Opened in 2007 by Howard and Marsha Berkson, Anthology is both restaurant and concert venue. Some say hybrids of this kind are often lacking, but Anthology does it all well. Combining seamless service, a delicious menu inspired by local and seasonal flavors and a warm, intimate atmosphere, the venue is sure to please music enthusiasts and gourmets alike.
This week’s dinner menu includes a plate of herb gnocchi and sautéed baby summer squash, served with petite heirloom tomatoes and topped with the finest parmesan. For dessert, try the trio of profiteroles, delicious cream puffs layered with espresso and vanilla ice creams, mascarpone and brandied cherries.
While any concert at Anthology would be a treat, Shawn Colvin and a plate of gnocchi made for a wonderful night of timeless music and cuisine.
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Click here for the original article in sandiegonewsroom.com.
Ranch & Coast writes:
If you opt to spend your Friday night at Anthology, take full advantage of everything this superb supper club has to offer. Executive chef Eric Bauer’s fresh culinary approach boasts a menu that highlights the simplicity and authenticity of the region’s finest offerings. Friday night performances include Floyd-Fx and Sirak Baloyan y Su Sonora Antillana (October 2), Shawn Colvin (October 9), Second City (October 16), and a CD release party for Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers (October 23).
Tuesday’s at Anthology feature chef Eric Bauer doing his own riff on American classic foods such as mac and cheese with braised pork and pale ale seafood and chorizo chowder. The pocketbook friendly “fresh vibe” menu changes every week to complement the house band’s music.
Via www.foodbuzzsd.com
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Click here for the October 6th Fresh Vibe Tuesday menu.
