plattetude

I give Zafra a huge thumbs up. Great great authentic (to my taste) pan-latino cuisine. Some really amazing tapas dishes -- don't miss the empanadas. Also, it's BYO, and they'll even prepare traditional cocktails like margaritas, caipurinhas, mojitos, and such, if you provide the spirits. Major bonus on that score: they have fresh sugar cane as well as the requisite freshly squeezed citrus. Besides the food, it's a beautiful space. But limited tables, so arrive early! Go! Go! Christopher

Recently began spending way too much time reading these forums (loved loved loved the Gary and Mardee Q&A), and now I'm ready to ratchet up my involvement a notch or two... So, my latest cocktail creation of note came about on New Year's Eve. As has become a bit of a tradition in the past few years at our annual fete, I was infusing some vodka with dried pear, vanilla, and black peppercorns to have the fixin's for a Parkhurst Pear (amazing cocktail developed at 11 Madison Park and reported a few years ago in the NYTimes). Since I was doing that infusion, I thought I might make a few other infusions -- one with dried cranberry and ginger (which I used to make a Cosmo variation), and one with fresh sprigs of rosemary. This last infusion, much to my surprise, became the big hit of the party, as the main ingredient of my Rosemary, Baby! cocktail. Herewith: Rosemary, Baby! 6 parts rosemary-infused vodka 1 part Lillet blanc 1 part Cointreau splash absinthe dash orange bitters Stir vigorously with ice, serve up in a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with orange peel. Christopher

Regarding Pret... Soon after it started popping up all over Manhattan, Claudia Fleming, former pastry chef extraordinaire at Gramercy Tavern, was announced as the food director of Pret in the US. I was very curious to see how her sensibilities would impact the Pret menu, but it seems that detour in her career was short-lived -- too bad for Pret, but great news for sweet teeth in NYC. She's back as a consulting pastry chef currently at Five Points in NoHo. Christopher