Why Chris Feldmeier Retired From Mozza

LOS ANGELES  

August 29, 2013

Barring a Joel Robuchon-like comeback,  August 27, 2013 marked the last day Chris Feldmeier worked as chef de cuisine at Osteria Mozza, a job he has had since the highly acclaimed restaurant in Hollywood South opened in 1961. 

Several people - and when I say "several", I am talking at least seven -  have asked me, knowing Chris and I are friends,  "Why? Why is Chris Feldmeier leaving Mozza?" The reasons were explained at a rye-infused farewell to Feldmeier at the Pikey this past Tuesday. For those of you unable to attend, here are the

                TOP 15 REASONS WHY BIG CHRIS  IS LEAVING MOZZA

!5. Told by executive chef Matt Molina "Either divorce Dahlia or I'll reveal our secret love affair."

14. The thrill of working at Mozza greatly diminished  since the departure of Taylor. 

13. Wear and tear on internal organs caused by being bumped into by AD

12. His intense hatred for bartenders named after World War II British field marshal. (NOTE The most famous British field marshal of WWII was Bernard Montgomery) 

11. Upset with David for charging Duke for a drink. 

10. Missing Uzma. 

9. If he read one more salumi story about Chad Colby, he would have shot him

8. Offered a job paying three times his current salary as executive chef of Nickerson Gardens. 

7. The utterly depressing realization that he would never, ever get to work side by side with Sam 

6.  Wanted to steal the thunder from Deb's farewell party tomorrow. 

5. Being paid very well by Daniel Flores to assassinate Mike Hoagland

4. Made a 100,000 bet at Caesar's Palace newly promoted Derek couldn't last a month without him.

3 Sick and tired of being called "an idiot" and being told what to do by Matt  MIchaelson.

2. Ran out of horrible things to say about Shannon Curely  

And the number one reason Chris Feldmeier is leaving mozza...

1. Leaving to spend more time with illegitimate son, Jake

MICHAEL HASTINGS' INVESTIGATION NOT OVER

DETECTIVE STILL ON THE CASE, NEW DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT HASTINGS AND THE CRASH

August 28, 2013

LOS ANGELES

Despite the release last week of the coroner's report, the lead LAPD detective in the Michael Hastings' fatal car crash case said Tuesday the investigation is "far from over", but adamantly maintained the view that the investigative journalist's death  was not caused by a criminal act.

"I'm not even close to being done with the investigation," said Det. Connie White in a small interview room at LAPD's West Traffic Bureau Division. "It was an accident.  I understand it is very important we do as thorough a job as we can do before the final report."

From Detective White and other well -placed sources, some new details have emerged from the last morning of Hastings' life which ended June 18 when his speeding Mercedes Benz crashed into a palm tree on Highland Avenue near Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjaPHWNz

* Hastings was on his way to Las Vegas that morning. 

* A pedestrian was nearly hit by Hastings' Mercedes at the traffic light on Highland at WIlloughby Avenue about halfway between Melrose and Santa Monica Boulevard, where the Benz ran a red light.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNhqKRugk8Q

* The momentary blip of light on the Mercedes before it hits the curb is from the brake lights 

 *  The first obvious "flash", internet-gossiped to be a small explosion that caused the rise the rear end of the car, was most likely caused by the front wheel being sheared off by the impact with the curb. The flash and the "rise" of the rear may have been the car rolling over that wheel. 

* There is no strong evidence to support the claim, stated in the coroner's report  (    Here ıs the full report. )  that Hastings was using, or had ever even used the hallucinogenic drug known as DMT.

 * Hastings had expressed an interest in running for political office in the state of Vermont. 

* Hastings had talked of opening a marijuana-themed resort in Vermont, even though he thought that idea would be used against him in his hypothetical run for office. 

* The beginning of the end of the car's fatal path, though not seen on tape, is the slight rise and fall at the crossroads of Highland and Melrose. At the speed the Benz is traveling through that corner. conservatively estimated  at 80 mph, the car rose up on its suspension, came down hard enough to leave marks on the street near the valet station of the Mozza restaurant triplex, and as the video picks up, swerves. 

******* 

In the interview, White presented a rational reason for what was the first major "flash" seen on the security tape that captured the crash. 

"The front driver's side front wheel was completely sheared off in the crash," said White. giving that first flash a possible origin. The wheel hits the curb at high speed, is probably torn off right there and the Mercedes Benz drives over it, causing not only the flash, but also the often-questioned raising of the car's rear end.

White confirmed that very first blip of light on the video is the brakes. The brakes most likely put the car into the swerve that sends it into the curb and ultimately crashing into the palm tree.  

 ***

Hastings was best known for his 2010 Rolling Stone profile of General Stanley McChrystal and his aides who bad-mouthed President Obama and V.P. Biden.  McChrystal was basically fired because of the article.   

McChrystal's army boss was Gen David Petraeus, was later brought in from  the battlefield and became CIA head in September, 2011. But, a scandal, an extra-martial affair with his  biographer, Paula Broadwell, brought him disgrace and he resigned in November, 2012. Reports have surfaced that Hastings was working on a profile of current CIA boss John Brennan.  That combination - McChrystal, Petraeus, Brennan - turbocharged conspiracy theorists.

White said she understood the interest in the death of Hastings and the numerous conspiracy theories put out on the internet. 

But, White once again ruled out any idea a  bomb was placed in the car or any other foul play. "In my investigation, it appears to be that nothing else was going on other than this was a accident. We may never know exactly why  he was speeding, but the speeding caused the crashed. This was, like I have said,  a tragic accident." 

One element of the crash "kinda astonished" White and her fellow investigators and that is the distance the ejected Mercedes Benz CL250 engine was catapulted away from the crashed car, about 170 feet.  

"He had to hit the tree at such speed and at just the right angle for the engine to go that far," said White, a 22-year LAPD veteran who has spent 18 years as a traffic investigator and has never seen anything like that.

"It was amazing," White said. "I don't know any other way to say it besides "amazing".  But, not amzing in a good way." 

NOTE

None of this report will sway -nor is it intended to sway -  anyone away from the belief Michael Hastings was killed by some type of black ops car hacking. A friend of mine told me "what you are writing proves nothing. It sure doesn't prove he wasn't murdered."  I agree, but I had a few more details that those following the case might find of interest. 

. 

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White Man Named Black Is BBQ Hero at Party

UGLY DRUM BEATS OUT SOME GOOD LOOKIN' MEAT

August 25, 2013

On the occasion of Larry (Lorenzo) Silverton's 88th birthday, his daughter Gail hosted a small gathering at her Valley Village home where, as a bonus, his 25-day namesake great grandson made his first family party appearance. But, while both Lorenzos were showered with affection, they were not the only subject of effusive praise. Joining them in the glory was hired gun chef Eric Black who prepared a classic feast of barbequed pork ribs, beef brisket, beans, potato salad and  cole slaw that had everyone muttering accolades between bites. 

Black, who is white, and perhaps best known for wearing a bright red t-shirt to the Watts Towers earlier this year, is a former cook at Mozza. Black's passion is barbecue and the spread he put out at Gail Silverton's demonstrated that deliciously . The pork ribs were meaty, tender and smokey, the holy trinity of a good rib. Plus his sauce, Chicago-style he said, was outstanding. I didn't even know Chicago had a sauce, but damn, I ate a couple spoonfuls like it was a soup. 

Black said he cooked them at his apartment in Monrovia in a smoker for four and a half hours before finishing them off at Gail's backyard.  (It should be noted the Monrovia Fire Department received seven false alarms from Black's neighbors during the cooking period)

Black's company is Ugly Drum and he makes "small batch" barbecue, available for private parties and other such events. This is what he says on his website https://uglydrum.squarespace.com/#our-team 

Erik founded Ugly Drum to have an excuse to do what he does anyways...make sausage, smoke   brisket and cook more food than he can eat.  He's worked with Joe at Los Angeles restaurants for over a decade including Campanile, Literati 2, Osteria Mozza and The Spice Table.

Erik's chef de cuisine is Joe Marcos, a mixed martial artist wanted in several countries including his ancestral homeland, the Philippines, for assault.  This man is armed and dangerous so do not attempt to apprehend, but rather call the National Security Administration.   

The Ugly Drum website paints a different portrait of Marcos.  

Joe has been cooking in some of the best restaurant kitchens in Los Angeles for many years.  Besides BBQ, Joe has a real passion for the rustic and honest foods of Spanish tapas.  Last year he created a tapas bar pop-up -- "Bar Plancha" --  where he served inspired Spanish small plates at The Spice Table in Downtown Los Angeles. Great BBQ and great Spanish tapas share the same ingredients of simplicity, tradition and fun. 

The Drum might be Ugly , but the ribs are delicious.

Nancy and Eric Black, who, you may notice, has white smoke coming out of his head. 

Nancy can't even wait for a photo before she cuts in.

THE DEATH OF MANOLETE, IN PERUGIA

I recall times in my life  when the combination of what I was reading and where I was reading came together in such an extraordinary way that they were among the things I thought of whenever I heard John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things".

One such satisfying moment occurred Saturday, July 27, in the midst of the antique market at a small piazza in Perugia, the capital of Umbria, located about 30 minutes from Panicale, where I have been for the five weeks with Nancy Silvertron.  

I was there on that hot noon with Nancy and LIz "Go Go" Hong. As they shopped for tiny coffee pots, miniscule chairs  and sunglasses, I sat on a bench and read the climatic scene of "The Death of Manolete" by Barnaby Conrad,

Though surrounded by people strolling past and inspecting trinkets. I was so deeply immersed in the story of the August 28, 1947 fatal goring of the greatest bullfighter of his time that I was glad Nancy was browsing at a slow pace, even by her anti-Senna standards. 

I first heard about Manolete from my father when I was a teenager. My dad, Tony Krikorian, had never seen him, but spoke of Manolete in a way that brought him to life for me. Manolete was the greatest figure in all of Spain right around the time of Seabiscuit. and during and past World War II.  

About six months ago, I mentioned Manolete in passing to Larry Silverton, Nancy's dad. He was stunned I even knew of Manolete and he told stories about him and said I must read the book "The Death of Manolete" by this Barnaby Conrad, who Larry knew.   

I took it along to Perguia and while the girls shopped, I took a wonderful, and sad adventure to Spain.

Later, i started thinking about those rarified moments where place and book have united in my life to create lasting memories.

The last known occurrence was reading  Laura Hillenbrand's "Seabiscuit", one of my all time favorites books. I was at Philippes the Original Frenh Dip and reading the chapter  of the book that described the match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral. Exhilaration in hardback. 

That rich L.A. setting - 1908 restaurant crowded with its world wide clientele, the five dollar glass of Havens merlot, the double dipped Lamb with swiss - and  the match race.  Talk about a daily double.   

Two other memores of book and place are even more beautiful to me,  though they were in the saddest of times. The deaths, 15 years apart, of my mom and dad. The book was the same both times, "Les Miserables". In 1987, as my mother was dying of ovarian cancer, I'd go to a park in Gardena, off Western Avenue, with a blanket, the book and a bottle of Smirnoff. Fifteen years later, as my dad was dying of lung cancer in the VA in West Los Angeles, I read Victor Hugo's masterpiece again, much of it at the bar of the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica.  Le Miserables will always be my favorite book, even more than "Southside".

Another memorable  book and place. "So Big" by Edna Ferber , read on the Amtrak train that runs between Fresno and Bakersfield.   That book is about a widow with a big baby who eeks out a living on a farm south of Chicago that has real hard dirt. Talk about a book that I would not be interested in, that's it. But, the writing. the storytelling was so compelling it made me realize any tale was worth reading if the writing was sublime. There is a passage in the book I read on this southbound train where  the timeline of the story jumps from the past to the present in such a wonderful fashion that I clearly remember being mesmerized. "So Big" didn't make me want to become a writer, but it did it teach me, or rather reminded me, powerfully, the pleasures reading could bring. 

.

HASTINGS FAMILY TRIED TO GET HIM TO REHAB

AUGUST 20, 2013.     

Hopıng to get hım ınto rehab, a famıly member of Mıchael Hastıngs  arrıved ın Los Angeles from New York the day before he was kılled ın a fıery car accıdent,. the L.A. Coroner's offıce saıd Tuesday.

The famıly member stated that Hastıngs has 'pased out' sometıme between 12:30 a.m. and 1 a.m.., at least three hours before before the deadly crash on Hıghland Avenue just south of Melrose on June 18, accordıng to LAPD ınvestıgators..  Thıs famıly member belıeved Hastıngs had begun usıng DMT (Dımethyltrypta). Thıs drug, known as 'busınessman's trıp' or 'fantasıa', can cause 'ımpaıred judgement that often leads to rash decısıons and accıdents' accordıng to the Palo Alto Medıcal Foundatıon.  

 The offıcıal cause of death was 'massıve blunt force trauma consıstant wıth a hıgh speed front-end ımpact...'

The report states  'famıly had just arrıved from New York the day prıor attemptıng to get the decendant to go to rehab.' .Another famıly member was due to arrıve the mornıng of the crash.. 

The quoted famıly member saıd that Hastıngs 'belıeved he was ınvıncıble'  Hastıngs was sober for the past 14 years, but begun usıng drugs agaın ın the last month of hıs lıfe. No alcohol was ın Hastıngs system the reports states,  

The report also concluded that Hastıngs  had 'small amount of amphetamıne ın the blood, consıstant wıth a possbıble ıntake of methamphetamıne many hours before death unlıkely to have an ıntoxıcatıve effect at the tıme of the accıdent '.  

Here ıs the full report.

 Hastings, the 33-year old reporter best known for a profile that brought down a U.S. Army general, was killed in an explosive early mornıng car crash near Hollywood. His death immediately sparked internet claims of a 'black-ops' conspiracy.  

Thıs coroner's report ıs lıkely to muffle the conspıracy claıms.  

++ Thıs report was wrıtten on a Turkısh keyboard at a hotel ın Istanbul. Please overlook the even more than usual typos.

+++ If anyone has trouble pullıng up the lınked report, let me know. I wıll be travelıng ın the aır most of the day tomorrow. 

CAPRI IS BURNING

Reporting from Isle of Capri  August 18, 2013

This sunny morning, sitting at a cafe sipping cappucino with Nancy Silverton at an outdoor cafe fronting a rocky beach on the Mediterraean, I realized my memories of Capri go back nearly 30 years.  

It was in 1986, on the corner of Compton and Crenshaw boulevards, that my 1973 Mercury Capri caught on fire.  Me and my boy Nate Bowman quickly exited and took several steps away as my model 2600 went up in flames.  

"Capri is burning," I said numbly as my transportation melted before me.

"No," Nate told me. "Your motherfuckin' Capri is burning." 

We walked a few blocks up Crenshaw and bought a half pint of E & J brandy.  

I  thought of that this morning as my gaze shifted from the deep blue of the sea at Capri's Piccolo Marinia to the mustardy color of the chairs we sat in.   

"What color is that? These chairs. Like a mustard, but not French's." 

"It's like Gulden's Spicy Brown," Nancy said. 

"I used to have a Mercury Capri that color."

I told her the story of the Merc burning. Seconds later, like a master of ceremonies pointing to the band, a song came on the cafe's speakers. A woman singing.  The opening lines:

"Sometimes I hate every single stupid word you say

Sometimes I wanna slap you  in your whole face" 

We looked at each other and started laughng. I went to the bartender and asked what was the song. She looked. "PInk. Song is "True Love".

I told Nancy, "This could be our theme song."  

 Today is the last of our five night stay in Capri, and while I disparaged it on the first day, referring it as "Rodeo Drive Island", I gotta say, I had a ultra lovely time here.

The hotel, La Scalinatella, is probably nicest place I have ever stayed. 

We got into the Capri groove. A hour walk in the morning, down to the pool overlooking the sea. lunch from a poolside buffet, back to the room, drinks by the pool, walk or taxi through the narrow streets to dinner, drinks by the pool.   

The food was good, though this is not a foodie destination. The best meal we had, which was excellent, was at Paolino, http://www.paolinocapri.com/en/  This place is covered with lemon trees and we had the best tomato of the trip here.  So good, we ordered another one. Just a big tomato, called a "heart of bull", one of the owners said, with basil and a little olive oil. I'd say it was the second best tomato I ever had, coming in not far behind one from my friend Mark Arax's Fresno backyard.  

On the important people-watching front  the isle was superb. (Capri boasts one the highest Michelin one-star ratings for women per captia I have ever seen in Europe).  

Nancy saw a fancy dress.  "Maybe if your book does good, you can buy me a dress next year." Other than rescuing  a kid from a burning car, there's nothing I'd rather do.  

Poolside pasta at hotel La Scalinatella

Everyday at 1 p.m., we get in the line for the buffet at La Scalinatella . Line has two people  

Storied "Heart of Bull" tomato of Ristorante Paolino

HASTINGS UPDATE August 16

When news broke that Michael Hastings had died in an explosive car crash near Hollywood, the internet soon was thriving with conspiracy theories. It was - and remains - a sensational story lurking for an evil plot.    

What I find strange is so many people, even if they are convinced that this was simply a horrible accident, so quickly dismiss those who are equally convinced it was a dastardly act that killed the investigative reporter on June 18..  

To the former, consider this:  A Russian investigative reporter whose article brought down the Red Army general in charge of Russian commandos, and who was working on a story about the head of the KGB, died in a fiery car crash in Moscow. Would anyone in the United States believe the "no foul play" party line?  Please. 

Moving on, not surprisingly,  there are Michael Hastings rumors floating on the internet that have no or little basis. One of them is that Hastings body was cremated against his family's wishes.  The Los Angeles Coroner's said Friday morning that is not true. While Hastings body was cremated, it was done so,- by a mortuary- at the request of a friend of Hastings' wife who had put him in charge of the matter, according to the coroner's office..

"His wife had a friend out here who made the arrangements for the body to be cremated,° said Ed Winter, assistant chief of operations at the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.   "The internet made it seem the city had burned the body to remove some kind of evidence. We didn't cremate his body, anyway. A mortuary did that."

Winder said that Hastings toxicology results would be made public "within days".

Another thought floating on the web is that Hastings' vehicle was traveling at only 35 miles per hour as it drove  down Highland Avenue heading toward doom.

That is not true. Not even close.  The Pizzeria Mozza security camera video that captures the crash shows several cars going by roughly a minute before Hastings' Mercedes enters the picture. The difference in speed is obvious, even startling. The Benz is going at least 80 mph, That's conservative.   

Videos of the crash on YouTube  have over 400,000 views.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjaPHWNzTHQ 

PIZZA TITANS MEET

CAIAZZO, CAMPANIA 

The July 8 E-mail from Faith Willnger was like Faith herself; to the point, hold the bullshit.   

"I wanted to tell you about a fantastic pizzeria in Caiazzo, Pepi in Grani, pizzaiolo Franco Pepe kneads all dough by hand, quite amazing "

 For the next month, Fatih Willinger, an American-born, Florence-living  author and expert on Italian food and restaurants, did not let up.  Pepi in Grani made the best pizza in all of Italy. she told me and Nancy Silverton, who makes the best pizza in America.   "You must go," Faith said. "You have to go."

So, as Italy MMXIII cruised toward the end of its journey, we went to the town of Caiazzo for some pizza.

Faith was right.  Pepe in Grani (grains) made the best pizza I have ever had in Italy.  

Nancy rarely eats pizza, but we spilt (well, 75-25) three large pizzas and a calzone filled with ricotta, burrata, escarole and ham that could be seen from the east side of Jupiter.

During dinner, the quiet Franco Pepe came over to our table - he knew  Faith had sent us - and said that a restaurant in Los Angeles, "Sotto",  had named a dish after him,   

"Oh, yes. I know Steve and Zack," said Nancy, referring to Steve Samson and Zach Pollack. (Indeed, at Sotto, on  Pico near Century City, the menu lists "Homage to Caiazzo" a calzone with escarole, capers, olives and burrata.)

Franco and Nancy chatted on for a few minutes in Engtalian, while I continued destroying a pizza that one of the servers described as "The Dream", which has anchovies,  mozzarella, olives, capers, basil and tomatoes. Those ingridients were so bright they energized our weary taste buds to the point we considered ordering a fifth item. We didn't.   

As we walked out, after a quick tour of the kitchen. we saw about 25 people outside on the cobblestone sidewalk waiting to get into Pepi in Grani. The look on those people's face was very familiar.

https://www.facebook.com/pepeingrani

A server at Pepe in Grani described this pie as "The Dream".  

Nancy and Franco

HASTINGS' TOX REPORT DUE WITHIN TWO WEEKS

August 9. 2013

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office said Friday they should be finished with their toxicology examination of  journalist Michael Hastings within two weeks.

“We are continuing testing and want to make sure we don’t miss anything and no one can come back and say 'did you do this or that?',” said Ed Winter, assistant chief of operations at the coroner’s office. Winter said an examination like this can test for  more than 800 medicines, drugs and prescription combinations. "It should be done within two weeks."

Hastings, best known for his 2010 Rolling Stone profile of Stanley McChrystal which led to the former four-star general’s ouster, died in a fiery crash in the early morning hours of June 18 when his Mercedes Benz slammed into a palm tree on Highland  Avenue just south of Melrose Avenue.

A security camera in front of Pizzeria Mozza captured the car speeding by, jumping a median curb, then bursting into a fireball after hitting the tree. A YouTube clip of the restaurant's security footage (http://www.youtube.com/watchv=EjaPHWNzTHQ) ,posted by WeAreTheSavageNation,  has over 275,000 views.  

The lead investigator in the case, LAPD Detective Connie White, said earlier this week she was “not at all upset with the release of the video,” and added, as she has stated before,  “there has been nothing to change the LAPD's initial view that Michael Hastings’ death was due to an accident.”  White said Wednesday it might be another month for the case to be closed.

A video by Loudlabs News, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNhqKRugk8QabsNews  whichshows which catches the Mercedes running a red light at Highland and Santa Monica Boulevard, a half mile north of the crash scene, has over 170,000 views.  

 The photo below is of Hastings’ Mercedes Benz being towed away hours after the crash.