Vinotas

Now THAT sounds interesting!

This past Saturday we went to Sripraphai for what must be the umpteenth time. As usual, it was amazing, the flavors were just crisp and precise, the heat just right even if we did order too many spicy dishes, and service warm and welcoming. Pics are HERE. Cheers!

I'll be back in Paris from mid-January to mid-February and was curious what was going on in the City of Lights, food-wise? I am staying in the 9th, between Place Clichy and Place Blanche. Merci in advance! Cheers!

That sounds about right, though it was almost as long as a regular baguette and less round, more oval.

When I was in Paris in late October (link to pics here), there was a bakery at the corner of Rue Douai and Rue de Bruxelles, in the 9th, that had the most amazing breads. One of them was called "picolla" and the place was so busy I never had enough time to ask them how they made it or what it was exactly. One thing I can say was that it was swoonaliciously good, with a thin crusty exterior and a moist, fluffy interior. Absolutely fantastic. So, what exactly is Pain Picolla? Cheers!

I haven't been to l'Absinthe in many years, and last time I was somewhat disappointed, both with the food and the prices. However, this is the 3rd time I hear that they've upped the quality lately. I might have to pop in, especially as it is right in my neighborhood. Thanks for the heads-up! Cheers!

LOL! I was just at Galleries Lafayette yesterday and grabbed a Jamon Iberico sandwhich for 7 Euros (God, it was good), but I saw some people eating the volcano and wondered what it was. Next time I'm in Paris I will have to stop in and try this, it sounds horribly delicious.

I was in Avignon last week for business and managed to hit two places in one hectic day that I think deserve mention here. The wine lists were well-chosen and better yet well-priced (especially with the recent decline in the Evil, er, the Euro). I met one of my winemakers at a lovely, tiny and modern place called Vinoe & Co, near Avignon’s main market, Les Halles. I loved their Seven Delicious Sins list, which you can see on their website in French but which I took the liberty of translating: Pride of Cabernet We are proud to only drink the greatest Cabs The Gluttony of Riesling Tart candy which hides a honeyed heart The Envy of Chardonnay We only want to wallow in its purest expressions The Greed of Mourvèdre For all the decanters in the world The Wrath of Gamay Gamay isn’t for the kids anymore The Lust for Syrah Like that for a black diamond The Sloth of Grenache Ever really feel like working after a great Grenache? I perused the menu and was shocked: there were some seriously ambitious dishes here. And when I saw the wine list, I nearly fell over. There were many highly-regarded wines at ridiculous prices (and I am taking into account the exchange rate). We chose the 1998 Clos des Papes which was delicious, to put it mildly. Once my winemaker found out that I would be alone for dinner, he insisted on joining me at a local wine bar with a nice, eclectic list and some great food. We met up at AOC (no website that I could find, sorry) that night at 8:30pm, and ended up chatting and talking with the owners and other folks until the wee hours of the morning. We tasted some great wines but I don’t recall the names, and we ate some great, light food (like paté, rillettes, saucisson, lots and lots more saucissons of different types, and of course tons of cheese). I can seriously recommend this place, off a small pedestrian street in the heart of Avignon. The welcome was warm, the décor unpretentious, and I am ready to go back. Right now. Vinoe & Co http://www.vinoe-co.com/ 31 RUE SAINT JEAN LE VIEUX, 84000 AVIGNON Tel. 04 90 86 31 29 AOC Wine Bar 5, Rue Tremoulet, 84000 Avignon Tel : 04 90 25 21 04 - Fax : 04 90 25 21 04 Cheers! PS: Some pics are HERE.

Merci Julot!

Oh, one last question: I arrive on a Sunday, any markets open, or on Monday?

Ann, I liked Les Tontons but I wasn't overly impressed, I found it good but not great. Like you I rent apartments when I'm there and I prefer Le Gourmandin or Ma Cuisine, both of which I find are better and more consistent. Damn, now I'm Beaune-sick... Thank God I'll be there in late October.

Ann, I go to Beaune a LOT on business and love it. As Muichoi says, don't expect a high-end luxury experience at Ma Cuisine. It's well-done Burgundian food in a rustic setting with no pretension, and a somewhat wonderful wine list (that's been picked over by me, sorry...). If you go there hoping for fine linens and amazing service, you're at the wrong place. Here's a quick list of places I've been to: -Le Jardin des Ramparts= Michelin-starred, amazing food, excellent wine service but you'll pay for the experience. Definitely worth it. -Le Caveau des Arches= another Michelin-starred place, but slightly cheaper than Jardin. Also excellent. -Le Gourmandin= very good food, a small bistrot on Place Carnot, decent prices and nice wine list. -Les Tontons= near Place Madeleine, tiny bistrot with good food, great prices and nice wines. -Sushi Kai= just outside the North Gate, this tiny but beautifully minimalist sushi joint serves very fresh fish in a refined atmosphere. -La Part des Anges= wine bar on Rue d'Alsace, with a Michelin-trained chef in a cool NYC/Paris decor. Sit in back under the glass roof, it's real cool and the servers are very nice. Delicious food. -La Table d'Oliver Leflaive= at the winery itself, supposedly a great lunch but I never hit it. -Le Montrachet= in Puligny Montrachet, this Michelin-starred restaurant offers delicious if old-style dishes in a very rarified atmosphere (too stuffy for me). Wine list is extraordinary, and food fantastic. -Ma Cuisine= Off of Place Carnot also, great home-style cooking with an amazing list to match it. Also, on the northeast side of the Place Carnot is the restaurant of l'Hotel de Beaune, the Bistrot de l'Hotel. This is more high-end and more expensive but has an amazing wine list and stunning food, the menu changes pretty much daily. If it's nice enough, sit in the courtyard. I reviewed it on my blog HERE. La Ciboulette is cozy and has very good food and the waiters can be hilarious. As for Levernois, I've never been but I've been hearing not-so-good reports, that the quality's dropped a lot in the past 1-2 years for some reason. That's what I can remember off the top of my head. Lastly, if you decide to cook or shop in the markets in Burgundy, HERE are some pics to make you drool. Hope this helps, Cheers!

Julot, John, Merci beaucoup! I love Spring, especially after visiting it in February for a fabulous lunch, so I'll see if I can't get another lunch RSVP there. I've never been to any of the other places and I'll be sure to hit some of the market streets. I'm staying from the 26th to the 2nd of November, any good events going on in Paris at the time? Cheers!

I decided to end my October business trip in France and also celebrate my Big Three Seven with a one-week stay on Rue de Vintimille near Place Clichy. So, any recommendations for food markets/stores (wine and cheese especially)/restaurants in the area? I usually stay either near Montparnasse or Rue Poncelet, so this is terra incognita for me. Any advice would be appreciated! Cheers!

That's not quite what I'm looking for, more for a reliable place with interesting food. As many posters here have mentioned, and the NY Times Preview showed, almost all the action is taking place downtown and even on the UWS. I think I saw maybe 2 openings on the UES. Granted, as FG pointed out, this is a HUGE area, but still, only 2 places seems like we're being somewhat under-served. When my ex-wife and I wanted to just grab a bite of good food without breaking the bank and without going far, we found it difficult to think of places within a 10-block radius. That's what I find the most frustrating, though it does encourage cooking at home (and with the new kitchen, it's a fun treat too). Cheers!

Yes, but again that's a special occasion place (for me at least). I am referring to everyday eateries that won't break the bank.

I think FG makes a good point. The UES is HUGE. Last night I did a tasting at K&D Wines on Madison and 96th St with one of my wines (very successfully so, BTW), then walked slowly with my saleswoman from there to her place on 77th and Lex. This really drove home the point about both the size and the (relative) diversity of the UES. My original complaint was that there are no decent places in my part of the UES (72nd and 1st), or at least within a 10 block radius. God knows there's almost nothing in the 60s, and in the 70s my choices are generally either too expensive or not worth whatever they're charging. And don't get me started on 2nd Avenue, it may look fancier but as I said previously those new places are prettier versions of the old frat-bars (Mo's Caribbean closed and was replaced by a spiffier version of itself, for example). So my point was that with all the UES folks going downtown, there is a demand for a cool experience with good food at decent prices. With the rents up here being somewhat lower than those downtown, you'd think some entrepreneur would set up shop up here so we don't always have to hop the 4,5,6 line to get decent grub on a school night. OK, rant over.

I don't know, I am friends with folks all over the city and many (not all) seem to have several reliable little places to go to if they don't want to cook at home. Whereas on the UES if I am hard-pressed to find more than 2-3 go-to places within a 10 block radius that won't either break the bank or my palate. And certainly nothing as interesting as what's going on in other parts of the city.

Yeah, I noticed that one. While I feel bad for people with that issue, not sure it's for the rest of us who are consumate omnivores. So, is Naruto that good? Any other recommendations?

I think what annoys me is that there seems to be a dearth of low-key places I can get to without taking mass transportation. In almost any other part of town, there's a reliable trattoria or bistrot within walking distance of where most people live, but on the UES the places are reliably awful or expensive or both. I like going to wine/tapas bars, and the "wine bars" on the UES serve mass-produced plonk or worse, fruity martinis. They are fancier (and more expensive) versions of the frat-boy bars that once dominated Second Avenue. But your statement that uptowners are willing to go downtown for a reliable meal shows that there is a demand, and if something decent were to open in the neighborhood it would get a lot of business. In addition, the area is full of thirty-somethings with kids who are still looking for that cool joint experience (thus heading downtown). That and the relatively lower rents in some parts of the UES should definitely make the area more attractive for new, more interesting restaurants, yet this hasn't happened yet. It's not like we have a leper colony in our midst!

I was reading the NY Times Restaurant Preview in the Dining Section this morning and couldn't help but notice that almost no new places are opening on the UES. What gives? Whereas the UWS used to be a culinary wasteland, it's become quite the destination for new wine bars, restaurants and clubs in the past decade. Yet the UES still languishes, famished for the attention of this horde of ambitious young chefs. In general, on this side of the Park, we are relegated to either super-cheap sushi and Chinese or high-end French, American and Italian places, with almost nothing in between. Unless you consider the proliferation of drug store chains and banks a good thing... As someone who resides on the UES, I find it frustrating that I can think of only one dependably good and well-priced steak/frites bistrot within a 10 block radius (Bandol), and only one sushi joint (Sushi Hana), with one interesting wine bar (Sake Hana). Payard has been disappointing me lately, and Atlantic Grill starts veering into high-cost territory (not to mention high attitude). Where's our Spotted Pig? Where's our Bar Veloce or Solex (wine bars in the East Village that I feel could easily be transported to our neck of the woods)? Where's our young, ambitious chef looking for cheap rent (York and 1st Avenues can't be too expensive considering the places that survive there)? Why is the UES, with its hungry, rather well-off crowds, so underserved in terms of interesting places to eat? Or am I out of my mind (not entirely out of the question)? Cheers!

The other night a bunch of us hit Momofuku Ssam for the Bo Ssam (roasted pig butt) and brought our own wines. There were an eclectic bunch of bottles, no theme had been decided except stuff that could handle the food. BTW, pictures can be seen HERE. We started with, what else, some Champagne (did you expect anything less of me?), a NV Champagne Moutard, which was lovely, especially with some air, it really began singing, with herbal and light red fruit notes on a lovely, almost biting frame. Next came a 1985 Champagne Heidsieck Charlie, deliciously old yet lively, with truffly hints and a gorgeous texture. God, I love old Champagne. Another friend, bless her heart, brought a NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, which to my surprise was inoffensif. Now we moved to the still wines, starting with a 2007 Arneis from a producer who's name I missed, a floral white from Italy that smelled delicious but didn't offer as much on the palate. The next white was more interesting, a rare California wine, the 2006 Scholium Project Lost Slough Vineyard Naucratis. This was fat and oily, with an interestingly Sauvignon Blanc-like nose, even though it was Verdelho. Nice and not as freaky as other Scholiums I've had. Another white, a 1990 Domaine du Closel Savennieres, which smelled somewhat like my foot (not a bad thing I promise) with some cheesy accents. Another fat wine, this had a nice mineral end that balanced things. We moved onto the reds, starting with a 2000 Sine Qua Non Shea Vineyards Pinot Noir. Usually I am not a fan of SQN as most of his wines have been big fat fruit bombs with jammy notes and tons of alcohol. This one was more balanced, smelling of earth and strawberries, a real OR wine. Nice, not nearly as bad as I was expecting to be honest. Another Pinot appeared, from one of my (admittedly few) favorite CA vineyards, the 1999 Williams Selyem Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir. Also earthy, with cherries and strawberries on a silky structure with beautiful acidity. Lovely and perfect with the Bo Ssam. Lastly, a slightly sweet 1976 Dr. Bürklin-Wolf Wachenheimer Gerümpel Riesling Auslese with petrol notes and an oily mouthfeel appeared, a lovely counter-balance to all the other wines and a way to cleanse the palate after all the food. This was another fantastic evening enjoying the culinary delights of our great city. The food, the wines, and most importantly the people, made this a night to remember. Cheers!

A bunch of us went to Momo Ssam last Thursday night and reserved the Bo Ssam. As apps, we started with the pork buns, little pillows encasing tiny bits of Heaven. Delicious, fluffy, and surprisingly light with great texture. One of our party didn't eat meat so she had the squid salad and said it was magnificent, but I was too busy concentrating on my little chunks of pig Heaven. The main course, the Bo Ssam, was as delicious as ever, with one quibble: the bottom of the plate was a bit oily. But my God was it fantastic above the oil line! The thing literally fell apart the moment you touched it, not dry or over-salty (last time the Kimchees were extremely salty, moreso than usual). As we're a bunch of wine-lovers, we brought our own, and corkage was the standard $30. Service was good despite the dinner crush, and we never felt we were being rushed. BTW, pictures can be seen HERE. A great night, and I look forward to their new incarnation after the renovation. Cheers!

To paraphrase Top Chef, I think I just got a culinary boner.

I just watched the Japan and Spain episodes and both were fantastic. The knives in Japan were just drool-worthy (I have a Shun at home and LOVE it). Tony's love for their food was so evident that it really came through. And as a former Kendo practitioner, watching the Kendo segment brought back some good memories. Spain was a treat too as I had been in Madrid late last year and was awed by the quality of the food (but not the local wines). My next trip to Europe will include many of the stops Tony made so this was rather instructional. And again Tony's love for the local culture really came through. Awesome shows, much better than previous episodes. Cheers!