2003-09-01 - 9:52 a.m. 5 Delicious DiscoDave Qs After laboring over my 5 Questions, Dave provided five of his own� You may notice these questions all run along a theme� You're having a dinner party with - who? Four or five people from any time, any place and anywhere are eating with you - who do you choose and why? I have to invite my world traveler gourmand friend who is the main person whom I ask for hotel/restaurant recommendations because he�d be indispensable in such a situation; next, I�d invite Federico Fellini for his charming anecdotes of Italy in an age gone by (and because I will always see Italy through his lense), Coco Chanel for some fashion chat and for tips on succeeding as a strong-willed woman in business; Polly Harvey �cuz she rocks, and might be convinced to sing for her supper if we ply her with enough wine; and Mies Van Der Rohe so I can talk architecture and charm him into creating a special lounge chair just for me� Any dinner party needs, well - a dinner. What would you serve? And for the wine? Luckily, Federico can be counted on for bringing a bottle or two or three of prestige champagne. While sipping the champagne, we�ll start with some bruschetta (no Atkins diet followers amongst my dinner party crowd) and Carciofi alla Giudea (the signature Roman artichoke, flattened and deep fried). Next, a nice light white wine blend, from Antinori, served chilled, to accompany Bucatini all�Amatriciana (pancetta, tomatoes, onions, garlic, peperocini sauce over pasta) and Fettuccine alla Papalina (�Papal� fettuccine with eggs, prosciutto and peas). For the main course, despite a yearning for the Antinori Tingnanello, I brought my own bottles of 1997 Spottswoode Napa Valley Cabernet. It�s my favorite wine, so I couldn�t resist. It will be excellent with the Saltimbocca (veal chops with sage and prosciutto) and Abbachio al Forno (garlic and rosemary lamb. For dessert, a round of Sambuca, and pistachio/chocolate and riso gelato from Giolitti. Any good dinner party needs a little mood music in the background - what would you choose as the musical accompaniment (let's say five again, it's a handy number)? Luckily, the champagne loosened up Polly, so we got her crooning some songs, so there�s one for you. I also am playing the �Love�s Easy Tears� Cocteau Twins ep, Radiohead�s �Kid A�, The Walkmen�s �Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone�, and end up with the Raveonettes� �Whip it On� to get everyone up on their feet and dancing off all those dinner calories! I know you like your art - whether it's your own, or someone else's. As I've got some of the $5 million left and a few minutes before I die, I tell you to pick a painting, any painting. What would hang on your wall if money was no object? The beautiful Black Calder mobile that I stood under at the Whitney for 20 minutes, watching it sway and twirl as people entered its room� Oh wait, that's not a painting is it? I'd have to get LACMA to part with one of their glorious Rothkos, preferably the one that's red on red with a white strip across the middle... The final question is to establish where all this is taking place. You travel - a lot. But where would your ideal home be? Not somewhere you've always wanted to visit, but where would you want to live? This is quite easy, and is reflected in my answers to all the above questions: Rome. Specifically, I want to live inside the pantheon. If taking up residence in this landmark is not feasible, a large marble-floored apartment anywhere on its square would suffice. It�s the only City I�ve traveled to other than SF that immediately felt like home� Thank you, Dave, for the daydreams... Want me to ask 5 of you? Then leave 5 for me. any comments? (0 so far) previous - next recently on almostgoldsf... in defense of an email box I came to do battle with SPAM - 2008-05-17 hello 2006 - 2005-12-31 Happy Thanksgiving - 2005-11-14 bon voyage - 2005-11-05 October already? - 2005-10-09