Top automobile writers get really racy in the Catskills

A special of Pan-Seared Fresh Trout and Organic Black Quinoa at Aroma Thyme Bistro in Ellenville, N.Y., a 10-year-old restaurant that supports local merchants and promises "eco-lectic cuisine." The meal was a highlight of my visit to New York State's Catskill Mountains, once known for big resort hotels and their comedians.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

When some of the nation's top automotive writers gathered this week in the heart of the old Borscht Belt, they weren't there to tell dirty jokes.

Instead, they acted racy by driving new models from American and foreign automakers on-road, off-road and on a challenging road course in New York State's Catskill Mountains.

The annual International Motor Press Association (IMPA) event brought together journalists, bloggers, carmakers, public relations people and the independent firms that primp and deliver fleets of "press cars" to the writers who evaluate them year-round.

Food isn't worth the detour

But the food at Honor's Haven Resort & Spa in Ellenville, N.Y., the headquarters hotel, wasn't anything to write home about.

No seafood was served, not smoked salmon at breakfast or shrimp and fish at dinner. 

The Test Days banquet on Wednesday night offered beef and turkey, and as someone who doesn't eat meat or poultry, I found only cooked vegetables and potatoes available for my dinner.

Lunch on Tuesday at the Monticello Motor Club, a private 4.1-mile race circuit, wasn't much better, again with no concession for non-meat eaters.

Hot dogs, hamburgers and boneless chicken were put out with sandwich makings, so I grabbed romaine lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes, salad dressing and potato salad for my lunch.

Wednesday's lunch was better, and I enjoyed two paper plates full of parmesan-crusted tilapia and salad. 

I had my best meal on Tuesday night at Aroma Thyme Bistro, a restaurant in Ellenville with a sign offering "Steak, Seafood, Vegan."

I ordered a salad of fresh spinach and tomato ($7), pan-seared local trout with fresh peas ($19) and a 6-ounce glass of pinot noir ($9).

My waitress said the chef doesn't cook with butter, and two slices of sourdough rye brought to my table came with a white-bean dip.

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia at the Monticello Motor Club in Monticello, N.Y.

This terrific salad was served at only one of the two lunches at the Monticello Motor Club.

Aroma Thyme Bistro, above and below.

The restaurant is at 165 Canal St., Ellenville, N.Y.; 1-845-647-3000. 

Complimentary vehicles

For decades, the Big Three and Japanese, German and other foreign automakers have focused their promotion and marketing efforts on journalists and others who write about and evaluate cars.

IMPA members work for magazines, such as Road & Track, Automobile and Consumer Reports; The New York Times and other newspapers, and in recent years, a growing number of blogs and Web sites no one has ever heard of.

General Motors even has a Grass Roots program that lends new models to so-called influencers whose blog or business may have nothing to do with automobiles.

The carmakers usually hire independent national and regional companies to keep their fleets of press and marketing vehicles humming.

Those management companies, in turn, employ low-wage workers to wash and deliver so-called test vehicles to the homes and offices of the writers, who are allowed to keep and drive them for a weekend or a week at no charge.

Mercedes-Benz and other manufacturers also provide cars and drivers to editors, boutique owners and others during New York's semi-annual Fashion Week. 

Cars also are delivered to VIPs and for use in fashion shoots or left at airports for working or vacationing writers to use at no charge.

On both sides

Only Consumer Reports buys the cars, SUVs and trucks that are evaluated in the magazine -- also one of the few publications to expose the practices of car dealers who make buying a new vehicle such an ordeal.

I have been on both sides: 

Starting in the late 1980s, I covered Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo and other foreign auto importers for a daily newspaper in northern New Jersey, and wrote a monthly road-test column that evaluated new cars.

I also wrote consumer-oriented pieces, such as an expose of a Hyundai dealer who charged one unwitting loan customer an interest rate of 29%.

I attended IMPA Test Days at Lime Rock Park and Pocono Raceway, but haven't been to one in more than 15 years.

After I retired, I also worked part time as a driver for a press-fleet management company.

Trouble in paradise

This year, drivers at the New York office of Events Solution International of Troy, Mich., voted to join the Teamsters Union.

ESI is the biggest press-fleet company, and managers at its other offices around the country are wondering if they are next.

ESI's New York office, near the turnpike in East Brunswick, N.J., delivers cars to writers in Pennsylvania, New York City and State, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire.

ESI drivers start at $10 an hour and typically earn about $12 an hour, but working conditions are difficult, and they are always battling traffic to meet delivery deadlines.

Before the vote to join the union, one driver was sent to New Hampshire to pick up a car, and was told to drive it back overnight so ESI wouldn't have to pay for a motel room.

Drivers also are responsible if they damage a car, even though the VIPs and writers who may return a vehicle with thousands of dollars in damage are not.

One ESI driver caused slight damage to the rear bumper of an inexpensive Toyota, and was forced to pay far more for the repair than the body shop charged.

Heavy metal outside Honor's Haven Resort & Spa, above and below, the $134-a-night headquarters hotel for the International Motor Press Association's annual Test Days. The car is a 2014 Bentley Flying Spur, which has an MSRP starting at $200,500.

The Alfa Romeo 4C, above and below, was in high demand for on-road and on-track driving. At more than $65,000 fully equipped, the mid-engine two-seater is a poor man's or woman's Ferrari. It is assembled in Modena, Italy.

The 1.75-liter turbocharged engine produces 237 horsepower.

I hopped into the white Jaguar F-Type Convertible sports car on Wednesday, and drove to Loch Sheldrake, about 7 miles from Monticello, N.Y.

Loch Sheldrake is one of many faded Catskills communities, above and below.

On Wednesday, rich men brought their toys to the challenging 4.1-mile road course of the Monticello Motor Club, where annual memberships start at $35,000.

A one-seat racing car.

IMPA members found cars lined up in a parking lot for driving on public roads on Wednesday and on the race circuit on Thursday, with automobile public relations workers on hand to answer questions and provide pricing and other information. Members also were given leather cleaner, T-shirts, hats, pens, tote bags and other items to take home. 

The rear badge of the Fiat 500 Abarth, a souped-up version of the small car.

BMW couldn't resist building a plug-in hybrid that drives and sounds like a sports car. The new i8's engine and electric motor deliver a total of 357 horsepower, but a high sill and scissor doors make it a nightmare to get into and out of. A woman who wears skirts would have to sacrifice her dignity and reputation to own this poorly designed car.

The BMW i8 starts at $137,500, but has an electric range of only 80 miles, about a third of Tesla's cheapest all-electric Model S, which has an MSRP of $69,900. With BMW, you get style over function. 

One gray-haired writer from The New York Times brought his grown son as a guest, and wouldn't allow another IMPA member to ride with them in the BMW i8, one of the few hybrid cars available at the two-day event.

At Wednesday night's dinner, IMPA Test Days coordinator Paul J. Licata scolded members for speeding and reckless driving on public roads in an around Monticello, N.Y. He said residents phoned in complaints to police, and one unnamed member drove "90 miles per hour on a dirt road."

Before IMPA members took cars onto the track at the Monticello Motor Club on Thursday, Licata reminded them, "We're here to test cars. We are not here to race cars."

One of the cars I got to drive on the track was a 640-horsepower 2014 Dodge SRT Viper.

Another car I drove is the Chevy Camaro ZL1, which has a supercharged V-8 and 580 horsepower. The Viper and ZL1 both have manual transmissions.

The king of American muscle cars is the 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, above and below. I was a passenger when another IMPA member put the car through its paces on the track.

The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat has an MSRP of $59,995, but ownership of a gas station is recommended.

A view from the Dodge Challenger's passenger seat.

The plain dashboard of the fearsome Nissan GT-R: The all-wheel-drive two-seater has a twin-turbo V-6 with 545 horsepower. Again, I held on for dear life as another IMPA member with racing experience hit more than 100 mph on the track.

The CTS is the first Cadillac I've driven with a manual transmission, and I was impressed with its speed, balance and handling on the track.

A Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG station wagon is more suited for the autobahn than suburban America, above and below.

The twin-turbo V-8 pumps out 550 horsepower, but uses so much gasoline the cost would wipe out your savings on groceries at Costco Wholesale.  

Mitsubishi continues its reputation for bland designs with the 291-horsepower 2014 Lancer Evolution MR sedan, which is equipped with a terrific automatic transmission. In sports mode, the performance transmission shifts up and down as you accelerate and brake.

The sign is self-explanatory, but two words are misspelled.

Whole eggs or just whites, try these great breakfasts

Two organic eggs from Costco Wholesale in Hackensack served over leftover organic brown rice, both seasoned with za'atar thyme mixture from Fattal's Bakery in Paterson. The eggs also get a pinch of Aleppo pepper, also from Fattal's. As the eggs were cooking in extra-virgin olive oil, I shaved Costco's Kirkland Signature Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese over them.

A wedge of frittata made with Kirkland Signature Egg Whites from Costco, chopped garlic and green pepper, shredded cheese and fresh tomatoes. Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto was added after the frittata came out of the oven, and the wedge was served with a leftover organic brown rice-lentil dish prepared in an electric cooker.

Two organic eggs sunny side up with Aleppo pepper are served with skin-on sweet potatoes and garlic cloves that were boiled together, then mashed with extra-virgin olive oil, Costco's Himalayan Pink Salt, cinnamon and other seasoning.

This morning, I threw together a quick egg-white omelet with Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon and a slice of reduced-fat Swiss cheese, and ate it with leftover steamed wild haddock fillet from Costco, right, and a spinach-like green called collaloo. The Canadian haddock was $8.99 a pound.

-- VICTOR E. SASSON

No more big discounts on grass-fed Australian beef

Free-range, grass-fed Australian beef, left, and grain-fed American beef at ShopRite in Paramus. The American beef was probably raised on heavy doses of animal antibiotics and growth hormones, and confined to feeding pens.

The label of the vacuum-packed Australian Whole Beef Tenderloin for Filet Mignon that I purchased on Monday.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss Nature's Reserve beef from Australia, and wild-caught sockeye salmon fillets from Costco Wholesale.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I've been checking the price of free-range, grass-fed Australian beef at ShopRite in Paramus in recent weeks, hoping the price would drop to the lows of the past.

But on Monday, I decided there was no chance ShopRite would be selling Nature's Reserve whole beef tenderloins for $4.99 a pound, as the supermarket chain did in 2010.

I bought a 6.35-pound tenderloin on sale for $7.99 a pound with a store card, a discount of $2 a pound.

My wife will trim and thinly slice the beef in three portions of about 2 pounds each, add Korean marinade, freeze it and, when the time comes, grill the beef on the stove top for lettuce-wrapped barbecue meals.

I once enjoyed those meals, because the quality of beef at Korean restaurants is questionable, but I no longer eat meat.

ShopRite in Paramus put Barilla pasta sauces on sale this week, but they contain added sugar, a turn-off, and I passed. Barilla is supposed to be the No 1 brand in Italy.

Instead, I bought 25-ounce jars of two so-called premium pasta sauces on sale, one labeled ShopRite Special Edition ($2.49), left, and the other from Silver Palate ($2.99). Neither has added sugar.

Just off the grill and still steaming, fresh, wild Canadian sockeye salmon with an organic diced tomato sauce and organic quinoa. Most of the ingredients are from Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

Last weeks for wild salmon 

If past years are any guide, fresh wild salmon fillets won't be available for much longer at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

On Monday, I picked up a 1.92-pound fillet of sockeye salmon that yielded six portions. The price was $8.99 a pound.

I grilled them on the stove top, and served them with organic quinoa I prepared with chicken stock and small garlic cloves in an electric cooker.

I ended the meal with a salad of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix from Costco (1 pound for $4.79), dressed simply with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

The serving pieces -- veined with heart-healthy fat -- are seasoned with Himalayan Pink Salt and fresh lime juice, grilled on the stove top for 10 minutes and turned once for medium rare. When the grill pan is taken off the heat, the fish will continue to cook.

A can of Kirkland Signature Organic Diced Tomatoes, chopped garlic cloves, red wine and fresh oregano are cooked separately from the fish. Cook the garlic in extra-virgin olive oil, add the other ingredients and bring the sauce to a boil to reduce and thicken it.

Jarlsberg Lite price hike

I was shocked to see the 2-pound package of Jarlsberg Lite Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese is now back up to $9.49 at my Hackensack Costco.

That's the second 50-cent price hike in recent months.

Also, Jarlsberg has been cutting the slices thicker than before, meaning I run out of the cheese faster and have to buy more at the higher price.

I use it for frittatas and omelets, and roll up a slice with smoked wild salmon for a snack.

A much-better buy is the 2-pound package of Adams Reserve New York State Extra Sharp Cheddar slices for only $6.99, but I bought it for family members who eat full-fat cheese.

  

Sunday in New York: Easy parking, brunch and theater

Organic Kale Salad with Ricotta and Lemon Honey Chipotle Vinaigrette at Thalia Restaurant in Manhattan.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

On Sundays, Manhattan can be your oyster.

Street parking is free, even at all of those expensive Muni-Meters, which have spread like wildfire.

If you're going to a Broadway matinee, try the a la carte brunch at Thalia, where a glass of house wine, fresh juice, a screwdriver or other beverage is included in the price.

Four Eastern Oysters on the half shell.

Crab Cake Sandwich with Thalia's Herbed Fries.

Free parking and free wine

On Sunday, we left our North Jersey home a little before noon, crossed the bridge and joined a crowd of cars moving briskly down the West Side Highway.

I turned east on West 50th Street and after crossing Ninth Avenue, started looking for a space on the street.

I found one just a short walk from Eighth Avenue, the restaurant where we had a 1 p.m. reservation and Circle in The Square, the theater where we had tickets for "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill," a musical about Billie Holiday, the star-crossed jazz singer.

My Manhattan oysters

At Thalia, I started with four fresh-shucked, deliciously briny Eastern Oysters -- Malpeque, Duck Island, Blue Point and Saddle Rock -- at $2.25 or $2.50 each.

My wonderful Organic Kale Salad included ricotta cheese, apples, cranberries and fresh blueberries, and I asked the waitress to hold the bacon ($12).

My wife ordered the Crab Cake Sandwich with arugula, avocado mousse, caramelized onions and spicy harissa aioli ($19).

The plump cakes were filled with plenty of crab meat, and my wife loved the herbed fries.

With my salad, I had a glass of house red wine, and my wife drank fresh grapefruit juice, and both were complimentary.

Thalia is on Eighth Avenue at West 50th Street in Manhattan. The restaurant is named after one of the three Graces in Greek mythology, not the Mexican singer and actress of the same name.

The back room at Caffe Bene, a South Korean chain, at Broadway and West 49th Street, where I had coffee before the show. Take that, Starbucks.

"Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill" is based on a midnight appearance by jazz singer Billie Holiday at a South Philadelphia nightclub four months before she died of cirrhosis of the liver and heart failure on July 17,1959, at age 44.

For the performance, Circle in The Square is set up as a nightclub surrounded by traditional rows of theater seats, including a bar and a stage for the extraordinary Audra McDonald, who is backed by a jazz trio. Audience members at tables -- which cost up to $305 per seat -- are served drinks.

Portrait of a young Billie Holiday in Down Beat magazine.
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Singing in Billie's voice

I've seen Billie Holiday portrayed on stage and in film before, but only Audra McDonald has been able to reproduce the jazz legend's high, sweet voice, which the singer makes huskier to reflect Holiday's heavy drinking.

McDonald as Holiday is already tipsy when she first takes the stage, and drinks throughout the performance at Circle in The Square.

No story about Holiday has a happy ending, and McDonald's "Lady Day" is no exception as she talks about her struggles and recounts all the vicious discrimination she faced in a segregated America.

She recounts touring in Alabama with the all-white Artie Shaw band and how, as a black woman, she and the band could eat only in a restaurant's kitchen after Shaw offered to pay twice as much as other customers.

But when Holiday wanted to go to the bathroom, the white hostess refused to allow the singer to use the bathroom set aside for the black male staff.

There was no bathroom for the black female staff.

The jazz singer said she had no choice but to urinate in a gushing stream on the floor, and laughed as she recounted how the hostess jumped up, her menus flying, as she tried to stay dry.

Thalia Restaurant, 828 Eighth Ave. (at West 50th Street), Manhattan; 1-212-399-4444.

Web site: Where Manhattan is your oyster