Vinotas

I liked this episode, though there were some quiet parts. While I disagree almost completely with Ted Nugent's political views, I do like the guy and find him likeable. And I do like his attitude towards hunting. Plus, it was nice seeing Tony cooking again. Cheers!

Banh Mi baby! Sorry to hear you got snagged by the Man, though.

I just caught up on the Columbia, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay episodes and thought all three were very good. I thought the latter was the weakest of the bunch, but I'm quibbling here. I really loved the Saudi one, it reminded me of my trip to Cairo in 2005, which was just fantastic. And it was nice to see how happy folks were at the transformation Columbia has undergone. Cheers!

Oh man I love L'Ami Jean. God I miss Paris.

Oh? I didn't know that. The eggs are fabulous, much better than the ones we get at the local Food Extortium, that's for sure. The produce at the new farm is very good too.

The Greenmarket near me on 67th St between 1st and York isn't bad, I have to say. They've added a new farm which has some gorgeous potatoes and mushrooms and fresh herbs, and the meat purveyor is pretty good if pricey. I think they have a total of about 6-8 vendors, but the quality of the foods has been pretty high since Day One. Cheers!

It's good to be home after a week of sun, heat and humidity in South Florida. That said, the weather wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, I got some major tan lines, did some serious laps around the pool, and still managed to find some good wines. Food, as usual, was another matter, to some extent. There were some good, and some bad experiences. Wine notes are HERE. There was Fifth Avenue Grill, where they tried to upsell us on their more expensive main course, after not only taking our orders for the $15.99 rib special, but also serving the salad and the drinks. How does the server not know that they "ran out" of the rib before taking the orders or serving part of our meal, especially at 7:15pm? The only other options were the lobster special or the shrimp special, both for $15.99, or ordering off the regular menu which had NYC prices for decidedly un-NYC sounding dishes. Steak with cheese sauce anyone? When I asked if I could get the NY Strip at the same price as the rib special (since it wasn't my fault that they "ran out" of it), I was told no. Nothing was comped, no apologies were offered. Bullshit they ran out, they were just trying to upsell us (and, I might add, succeeded, as I was in a meat-eating mood). But when dining out with elderly family, I've learned not to make a fuss... We visited Bova, a popular Italian place that looks like it was plopped right out of South Beach. People here are so fabulous it hurts to look at them. That said, the food was good (my octopus app was fantastic) and service was very good. Best of all, BYO was $25, even for my bottle of NV Champagne Henriot Souverain. The wine was delicious too, BTW. Another delicious find was FAH Asian Bistro, where the welcome was warm, the fish fresh, and the prices decidedly friendly. I would go back in a heartbeat. Other times we cooked at home, which is always nice. There is a BBQ in the complex, where I sweated and steamed one night over some huge boneless rib steaks from Costco that were delicious. My wife offered us a bottle of MV Champagne Krug (and you wonder why I love her?) to go with them and what can I say? This was fabulous, but not as usual. In general, I continue to be under-whelmed by the quality of the food in that area, considering what they charge for it. I find we ate better when we stayed home, sourced good ingredients, and opened our own wine than when we went out. Still, it was nice to see family and relax a bit. Cheers!

It's good to be home after a week of sun, heat and humidity in South Florida. That said, the weather wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, I got some major tan lines, did some serious laps around the pool, and still managed to find some good wines. Food, as usual, was another matter, to some extent. There were some good, and some bad experiences. At least the wines rocked. -NV Champagne Henriot Souverain As usual, this was gorgeous. Creamy, balanced, really yummy, with a long finish. BYO'd at Bova in Boca Raton for $25. -2005 A& P de Villaine Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise La Digoine Wow, crisp, bright, clear and fresh red berries mingled with a lovely earthy note, with a gorgeously elegant mouthfeel that made you feel like you were tasting something more expensive than you were. This was just fantastic. As it breathed, it took on some dark fruit notes, all the while maintaining a balancing streak of minerality and acidity. The finish was medium-length, but it had that haunting quality that good Pinot Noir gets. A great food wine, this went well with some hanger steaks, arugula and boiled potatoes. Did I mention this was fantastic? And what a steal at $24.99! And yes, I bought up everything I could find. -MV Champagne Krug My wife offered us a bottle of this (and you wonder why I love her?) to go with some steaks and what can I say? This was fabulous, but not as usual. I’ve had this wine before LVMH bought it, and since then something’s changed, though they deny it vehemently. But to my palate, this has become more lean and angular and less round and voluptuous, which it used to be. Maybe it needs more bottle time? Still, it was wonderful, with deep, toasty, yeasty, lemony and nutty notes, backed by hints of ginger and cinnamon aspects. The mid-palate was a bit shallow, but the front and back end were big and brawny. Tons of acidity seemed to strip the enamel off my teeth and leave with a lip-smacking finish. -2004 Carillon Puligny Montrachet We have another winner! I swooned right away as I sniffed this wine’s aromas, a lovely lemon, truffle and almond mix that was soft and wrapped in velvet, yet on the palate the lightly-oily mouthfeel was balanced with some spicy acidity. This was another wine that lingered on the end, reminding you of its presence in an almost teasing way. I could have hung out with this for a while if it hadn’t disappeared so fast down my throat. For my last night in Florida, I accepted the gracious and generous invitation of some fellow local winelovers. We cracked some seriously impressive wines, again showing that this passion of ours usually brings out the best in folks. My host and his friends were friendly, generous to a fault, and a pleasure to spend an evening with. -2004 Santo Stefano Castello di Neive Barbaresco Ooooh, welcome to traditional Piedmont. Roses, bright cherries, tar and earth mixed in a lovely bouquet above the surface of the wine. On the palate, it offered more of the same, with an elegant frame that carried the flavors through to the tart finish. Way too young, this was decanted for the better part of 2 hours before it was drinkable. Letting it breathe really allowed it to shine. -1970 Mouton Rothschild I love this wine’s label, drawn by Chagall, a favorite artist of mine. Picture of the label is HERE. Right away, this was unmistakably old Bordeaux: cigar box, leather, some dusty vegetal aromas and some cedar. But as it breathed, it really began fleshing out, a lovely red fruit emerged, and the mouthfeel really smoothed out and became balanced. Beautiful, if on the down-slope. -2001 Clarendon Hills Old Vines Grenache Big and dark yet light on its feet, this was well-balanced and not over-the-top or too alcoholic. Wow, I actually liked an Australian wine. Why can't they make more wines like this? Cheers!

I had lunch there a few days ago and it's still got some kinks to work out. Our meal was very good, but not great, and they're still trying to figure things out. That said, they are very gracious and eager to please, and the prices are fantastic. Since they're BYO, my wine group is having a dinner there next week and will see if they can handle 6-8 hungry people. Cheers!

AC in NYC restaurants in summer is a MUST or bye bye. It's just too damn humid and sticky to enjoy a meal. And eating outside is good only on a side street with little traffic and no piles of garbage to enhance the view (ie, quite rare). And only if it's really nice outside, which precludes most of July and August. This isn't Paris, with wide sidewalks and (relatively) little traffic. Here, we're on top of the taxis, practically counting the change while eating our meals. Sad to say, as I do love being outside when it's not too humid, but our fair city was never designed with the same esplanades as Paris. It will be interesting how the new configuration on Broadway works out. I for one would not enjoy sitting mere feet from the cars, buses and trucks rambling down the Great White Way. Cheers!

I agree with what everyone's said here, bar-seating at some of the best mid-/high-end places in town is easy if you're flying solo. Who knows, you might even make an acquaintance or two while there? That said, I would strongly suggest hitting Jean Georges for their lunch. To this day I think it's one of the best and most imaginative deals in the city (about $30 for 2 courses + many amuses bouches). Take a book, relax in the dining room and let the food sweep you away. Sheesh, I sound like a soap ad. And welcome to our little town, Cheers!

Droooooooool... I love Abbaye de Citeaux, I wish we could get it here in NYC. Sigh... I miss France!

Thanks Susan! Last time I was there my aunt took me to an Italian place that wasn't bad but resembled a nightclub as the night wore on. I think it was called Bova? Not bad, but I like the hidden joints. Cheers!

I also have to agree. This episode was just fantastic, even if it was less an ode to the country's food as to its natural beauty. After a while, I just sat there, entranced, loving the views and the people and the traditions, and wondering if they weren't ruining it by filming it. Of course, they tackled that issue as well, which was a good point. As someone also born at the end of the Vietnam conflict, I could only shake my head in shame when they were speaking about the legacy of that war. And I don't think the man wanted an apology, but more an acknowledgement of what he'd been through due to our government's missteps. I am glad that Tony was able to look at him and recognize both this man's misfortune and the country's bad luck. Of course, now I'm just dying to go to SE Asia. Cheers!

Hello All, I will be visiting family in Highland Beach for a week starting the 15th and was wondering if there were any good spots to eat and places to avoid. Just an FYI, I prefer smaller, homey family-run type joints to the chains and majors. And well-done ethnic and immigrant food rocks, BTW! Best of all, I eat everything and am very adventurous (I travel a lot for work so I have to be). Thanks in advance, Cheers!

Spanky, The Lehengoa should have the structure to survive, assuming it's been well-maintained (ie not sitting on top of your stove). It should be delicious now, in fact. I don't think I'd keep it much longer, however. That said, I've never had very old Irouleguys, though of course all the winemakers there claim it'll last forever (almost every winemaker in every region of the world will say that). Cheers!

The what? I know, I know, you are probably wondering what the heck is that word up there. It's the name of a region in the Basque area of the South of France, in the Pyrenées mountains separating France from Spain. If you want to pronounce it, imagine it's spelled "Ee-Roo-Lay-Guee" and you'll be close enough. I had visited this area in July of 2007 (links HERE and HERE) and found the food and wines to be rustic yet delicious, and the people warm if a bit standoffish at first. Vines here are grown on steep mountainsides that have been terraced, which is quite a sight when you imagine the work necessary to prune and pick the grapes. How steep? If the mountains were much higher, you could probably turn some of these into ski resorts! At the instigation of fellow wine-lover Zachary Ross, an Irouléguy tasting was organized at a wonderful Tribeca restaurant, La Sirene. The food was excellent and the reception warm, so I'll be sure to head back soon. Zach's notes and knowledge of the wines was so impressive that I decided to let him be my very first Guest Blogger, something I'll do from time to time when I'm too busy or too lazy to write anything (probably that latter one). So without more of my babbling, here is Zach's write-up: An intrepid group of NYer with obscurist interests gathered last night for one of the more esoteric tastings of recent vintage. The theme was wines from Irouléguy, a tiny appellation in the Pays Basque of Southwest France. Actually, I believe Irouléguy is one of the smallest AOC in France, with a local cooperative and only about 10 independent producers. Of those, about five of them are imported to the United States. We had wines from four of them last night, which is pretty good considering several of them had to be sourced from out of state. It's no big deal, though, because none of the wines from Irouléguy will break the bank; the most expensive wine we had (not including shipping) was about $30. I had a great time tasting (er, drinking, I have a headache today) all these wines and meeting Ben, Michel, Ramon, and Izzy, and seeing Cliff once again. The cassoulet was pretty darn good, too. Thanks to everyone for making this happen. It wasn't really a night for note-taking (a couple of us tried but that seemed to fall by the wayside as the bottle count got higher), but I did take away these impressions: We started with two whites. Irouléguy whites are generally composed of the troika of Southwestern varieties, Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and Petit Courbu. These were no exception. From what I have read, white wines all but disappeared from Irouléguy until about 40 years ago. Both whites cried for food, and seemed to go pretty well with the various seafood appetizers we ordered. -2005 Domaine Arretxea "Hegoxuri" -- the most expensive wine of the night. Very acidic with good body, very small fruit presence, a sort of resinous pine note, and a tart, cranberry-like finish (Izzy called that). I really dig this wine, most of the others preferred the Ilori. -2005 Domaine Brana "Ilori" - minerally nose, very fresh, again an acid bomb but with more sprightly fruit (but not that much fruit) and a somewhat lighter body. Nicely balanced and a great summer white. About $17. Then we moved on to the reds. These were all composed variously of Tannat, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. -2005 Domaine Brana "Ohitza" -- Brana's entry-level red wine. Tannat with Cab Franc and Cab Sauvignon. Brana apparently prefers Cab Franc to Tannat, alleging that Cab Franc has been planted in Irouléguy longer than the signature Tannat (I have no idea if he is right or not), so I believe that in this wine there is more Tannat than his upper-level wines. Fresh with red fruits, earth, some leafy tobaccoish notes, a little spice, no sense of oak. Good. -2004 Domaine Brana "Harri Gorri" -- the wine that started it all. It was a note I posted on this wine that prompted the offline. This is one step up from the Ohitza, and as such I believe it has less Tannat -- just the minimum 40% the AOC rules specify. (It's 35% Cab Franc and 25% Cab Sauv). This has more heft and is less rustic than the Ohitza, sturdy with fruit toward the blacker end of the spectrum. Cliff sensed oak, and the wine is aged in barrels that have been used twice to five times. I like this wine, though of the three Branas, I think I like the white Ilori best. -2005 Domaine Etxegaraya -- Etxegaraya's basic bottling, 60% Tannat and 40% Cab Franc, mostly from younger vines. Youthful purple, fruiter than most the other wines of the night, with (to me) obvious Cab Franc leafy/vegetal/tobacco notes. -2005 Domaine Etxegaraya Cuvée Lehengoa -- 80% Tannat from 125-year-old, pre-phylloxera vines, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. For me, this stood head and shoulders above the rest of the wines, and a quick canvass of the fellows to my left and right confirmed that assessment. Very dark, serious, and monumentally sculpted wine of incredible depth and structure. One of my favorite wines of any kind. I've already gone through at least a case of it. -2005 Domaine Ilarria -- 70% Tannat, 20% Cab Franc, 10% Cab Sauv. Nice wine that somehow didn't distinguish itself much from the pack. Appropriately sturdy as a companion to the cassoulet. -2005 Domaine Arretxea -- I think this is 50% Tannat and probably the rest Cab Franc, though I am not sure. This was one of the best of the night, a very well structured red with excellent freshness and suave tannins. -2005 Domaine Arretxea "Haitza" -- hats off to Ramon for bringing this back from France and to this offline. Arretxea's attempt at a grand vin, the Haitza is 60% Tannat, 40% Cab Sauv, and, very unusual for Irouléguy, aged in some new oak. Very dark and brooding wine, the oak treatment is obvious, making it more like the bigger wines from Madiran like Montus/Bouscassé and Berthoumieu. I think I prefer oakless (or used-oak) Irouléguy (the Lehengoa being the exemplar of that style), but the massive Tannat can wear its oak well, and with this Haitza the use of new oak to me seemed judicious and measured. I took home what remained and will check it out again tonight. And, last but not least, Michel's supersecret dessert, er, wine? Michel cautioned us to pour lightly, good thing he did because this stuff was very strong. The nose spoke of marc or eau-de-vie or grappa etc., but after tasting and sifting through the impressions, a very strong taste of fresh pears came through. Bingo. -Domaine Brana Poire William -- 44% abv. Brana actually produces a number of spirits, including a marc d'Irouléguy, a liqueur de framboise, liqueur de cacao, and others. This pear eau-de-vie was excellent, poignantly and deliciously pearish without undue alcohol burn. Michel picked this up on his trip to Irouléguy last year; thanks for breaking this out! So, how about a big round of applause for Zach and his note-taking abilities (mine were severaly handicapped by the delicious cassoulet which was taking all my attention). Thanks Zach! Cheers!

I haven't been in a while, but Uskudar on the UES was pretty good. Their patlican was always excellent. A La Turka was just OK recently, justifying neither the prices nor the crowds. Turkish Kitchen in Murray Hill used to be good, but that's another one I haven't been to in a while. Hmmm... might be time to revisit some of these places. Cheers!

I just saw this thread and have to add my vote for A Chau. I've been back many times and there has been a very good consistency to the quality of the sandwhiches there. I posted about it on my blog here: http://vinotas.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-love...hidden-one.html So far, it's been one of the best I've had in the city. Cheers!

First, let me say Padma looked amazing in that blue dress. Second, how is Lisa still in the running? Not only is she more and more unpleasant to look at, but her attitude vis-a-vis her fellow chefs is just stunningly bad. That comment at the end was just mind-bogglingly idiotic. As Brad said, Dale should be here, and the proof is his managing to help Stefanie out of the pork belly fiasco (which, admittedly, was his fault in the first place). Still, he's shown he's got the chops, moreso than Lisa. My fav has been Richard for a long time, but I'm starting to think Stefanie might be able to beat him if he doesn't control his whimsy. Can't wait for next week's episode! Cheers!

Awesome episode, the best of the season so far IMHO. I thought the judges chose correctly, Spike's choices were poor, at best. Frozen scallops? Come on, I don't care if they're in Tomas Keller's walk-in, you don't use them when you're at this level of TC. I was a bit disappointed by Richard's main course, and you could tell he was worried too about it. That said, I think he was too strong to get booted. But that doesn't guarantee anything in the finals, of course... And I'm not thrilled that Lisa's still in the running, I think Dale should be there as opposed to her. And WOW those chops looked delicious. I watched the show this morning and I was drooling for steak at 9am! Cheers!

Wow, Dale is gone! I am a little surprised, I was expecting Lisa, with all her rice-related screw-ups, to be going. Then again, it could be that those scallops were particularly awful (and they sure do sound nasty). Still, I think Dale has more skills than Lisa, despite his disposition. Looks like Lisa will probably be next on the firing line, which IMHO is not a bad idea. Heck, I was half-expecting the judges to send both Dale and Lisa home. That said, this was a great episode.

BTW, I'm writing down some tips and lessons learned and will post them on my blog in about 2 weeks, I'm still trying to organize my thoughts. Still, all I can say is WOW. I am so happy that I have a hard time putting it into words.

Thanks all! It's almost completely done, there are just a few small details to finish up and we'll be done. The dry bar was completed today and looks amazing.

Well, at long last, after a few false starts, some meddling from the NYC Department of Buildings, about four weeks of actual work, and slightly more money than was allocated, the kitchen is done. DONE. And all I could say... was nothing. Speechless. I was absolutely speechless (something quite rare, I assure you). Let me share with you what I see now every morning, the culmination of a dream 14 years in the making, pics can be seen HERE. Words can not do justice to how I feel when I see this sight every morning. To say it is firing up the cooking juices is an understatement. I just want to stand there and never leave, soaking in the sight of a real kitchen in a New York apartment. "Happiness" seems like a quaint way to describe it. Every detail has been painstakingly paid attention to by my contractor, who ended up being a complete pleasure to work with. I never felt like he was up-selling me on anything, and I rarely had cause to question his pricing. And the quality of the work can be seen, he used some great guys who were really proud of their work. As I said, this has been a long time in the making and planning, and now I can't wait to start cooking. I've had some test runs, soft openings if you will, especially Sunday French-style omelettes (runny, baby, runny!), and so far so good. The real test comes in a few days when I plan on making a full dinner for some friends over the Memorial Day weekend. But every morning when I wake up I can't help just stopping and staring, this is absolutely unbelievable. There are a few little details left to finish up (the dry bar really) but for the most part everything's done. Unbelievable. Cheers!