RIP for the owner of a New York classic

Robert Treboux, owner of the New York "time capsule" Le Veau D'Or, died Wednesday at age 87. If you haven't hit your download limit from the New York Times this month, here's William Grimes' obit: Treboux.

Or you could read this column that I wrote last September, about a quiet night when dinner at Le Veau d'Or was just what I needed:

A CLASSIC FRENCH BISTRO BIT THE CHILL

I got out of the taxi feeling older.

New York was suffering under a blanket of humidity. The sky was as gray as my outlook. A health issue had chipped at my energy.

Age isn't the only thing that can make you feel old. Too much trendiness, too much shallowness, too much racing toward a finish line that keeps moving. In my mood, the idea of the latest hot restaurant left me cold.

I wanted classic. Timeless. So I took a cab to 129 E. 60th St., to Le Veau d'Or.

James Villas, a Charlotte native and New York food writer, has been after me for years to visit Le Veau, his favorite French restaurant. In 2006, he wrote a story about it for Saveur that ended up in that year's edition of "Best Food Writing." Last May, the restaurant was given an America's Classic award by the James Beard Foundation.

This seemed the night to put aside my list of the latest New York places and trek to the tiny bistro where Oleg Cassini met Grace Kelly, where Truman Capote and Orson Wells bent elbows.

Although the owner, Robert Treboux, wasn't manning the door - he's in his late 80s - his daughter Catherine was in charge. We chatted briefly about our friend Jim, and she brought me a glass of sparkling wine while I settled in a red banquette.

The wood paneling, the watercolors, the black and white pictures of Paris - all classic and well-chosen, as tautly maintained as a facelifted chin. A little shabby too, with acoustic-tile ceiling and droopy orchids.

The table d'hote menu covered the classics, from celeri remoulade to coq au vin.

A white-haired waiter in tuxedo cruised the tables, lower lip pushed out like a fish. He frowned when I asked to add an extra course to the three-course lineup. But chilled vichyssoise was irresistible.

It arrived along with a thick slice of pate, and then delicately browned sole meuniere. For dessert, the mousse was dense and flecked with chocolate bits.

As I ate, I watched the pageantry of service. When someone ordered baby poisson, a cart with a cutting board was rolled up. The copper pot with the chicken was presented for approval. Then the waiter carved it, arranged it and presented it like a prize.

Eater.com calls Le Veau d'Or "the most tightly sealed time capsule in New York, " and Treboux joked about maintaining a museum. But she didn't seem displeased.

In the front window, there was a tall stack of books. All mention Le Veau: Danielle Steele, Liz Smith, Barbara Taylor Bradford. Even Tony Bourdain and "Eloise in Paris."

In the wee hours, a friend texted a report from the latest hot restaurant. I'll admit I felt a twinge. For a moment.

Then I went back to sleep with no regrets. The race could start again tomorrow.

Cookbook giveaway: Calling "Pig" fans

I can't review James Villas' new book, "Pig: King of the Southern Table." Villas, a Charlotte native turned New Yorker and national food writer, dedicated the book to me, for my reporting on all things pork-related. (But thanks, Jim, I'm very flattered by the recognition.)

However, that doesn't mean I can't share my spare copy. If you love cooking with any part of the pig, Jim is your man. He may live in New York now, but he keeps in close touch with his Carolina roots. On a recent trip back, he fell in love with the whole-hog sausage made by Rayfield Meat Center near Wadesboro. (You don't have to drive that far -- they sell their sausage and several other products on Saturday mornings at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market. Look for them in the open-air building.)

The book has gorgeous pictures by Lucy Schaeffer, and the recipes cover cooking every part of the pig, from bacon and country ham to roasts, chops and tenderloins.

So let's get to the giveaway: To get in the random drawing for the book, post your name as a comment here. If you're anonymous, give me a name I can use to recognize you. And check back here next Wednesday, to find out if you won.

In the meantime, here's a recipe from the book for an appetizer made with one of my favorite things, country ham. He calls for Kentucky country ham, but we all know North Carolina has some pretty fine cured ham, too.

Kentucky Potted Country Ham

From "Pig: King of the Southern Table," by James Villas (Wiley, 2010).

1 1/2 cups cooked, chopped country ham

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons bourbon

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Grind the ham finely in a blender or food processor. Add the butter and grind until well-blended. Add the remaining ingredients and grind almost to a paste.

Scrape the mixture into a crock, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Allow the spread to return to room temperature about 1 hour before serving with tiny biscuit halves or crackers. (Be warned that if it's not brought back to room temperature before serving, it's almost impossible to spread.)