Vinotas

While I'd normally think twice before posting about a place allowing smoking, I asked Marco and he said he didn't give a damn. Actually, I won't translate what he said about his thoughts concerning the politicians. This is a family board after all... And his main gripe about Montpellieriens was that they were cheap and snobby. Most of his clientele were excentric artists and folks from out of town. But it does get packed quickly, so go early or very late. Man, did we have fun. Cheers!

It's a wonderful little hole in the wall (literally) that's got good, not great food. Don't go expecting a Michelin experience, but do go if you want to feel like you were at a quirky friend's place for dinner. Cheers!

Or, what smoking ban? I arrived on a Sunday afternoon in Montpellier. Already slow during the week, this area was completely shutdown on a Sunday afternoon. Starving, I trecked to the apartment I'd rented, only to discover most places closed. That is, all except L'Atypique, a (literal) hole in the wall where a tall and crazy-eyed man greeted me. When I asked him if he was still serving lunch, he looked me up and down, frowned, and said "No, but for you why not?" Um, OK? He sat next to me and asked what I was in the mood for. A bit perturbed by this warm yet slightly aggressive welcome, I hesitantly asked for a steak frites. Black and blue, I specified, and he stopped, looked at me, and said "Of course, how else would you make it?" Oh, I was going to like this guy. His name was Marco and we'd get to know him very well over the next few days. He was a Parisian artist from the Montmartre area who'd moved to Montpellier to open a tiny (6 table) restaurant in one of the city's oldest building (13th century) on Rue de l'Universite. Working from a tiny kitchen, he made great steak frites, poelée de champignons and filet mignon de porc with, of course, more frites. The wine was uncomplicated, cheap, and free-flowing, the welcome warm, the food delicious, basically a refreshing end to a day of confused running about the ViniSud halls, tasting horrid wines, listening to spiels, and always being "on". In addition, Marco was the waiter, the busboy, the bartender, the DJ, the dishwasher, and the host for his little spot. He was also very adamant about not listening to the Powers That Be about such nonsense as the infamous recently-enacted smoking ban. He wasn't shy either, happily sitting at your table to discuss the arts, politics, women, wine and sex, a cigarette dangling from his lips, while flames exploded from the stove and smoke poured out. Marco also encouraged tables to talk to one another or at least interact, as when he told our neighbor who'd dropped his knife to just grab one of ours, a devilish grin on his face. Other times, when our wine was empty, he'd just grab another table's bottle and plant it on ours, laughing that wine was to be shared among friends, and best yet between strangers. He was also quick with his love of music, playing some amazing Blues, Jazz and Reggae until the wee hours of the morning for us while we swayed and stumbled in a drunken, exhausted haze. Or he'd throw a child's guitar to a friend sitting near us, who would proceed to tweak out some great tunes despite the size of the instrument. No matter what time it was, he was always quick to welcome you, as when we arrived at 11:30pm for dinner and he jumped into the kitchen, saying he knew what we'd want. And he was right. So if you go Montpellier, and you want an experience that's not just out of the ordinary but really unique, go to L'Atypique. But don't be surprised if you become friends with your neighbors or the chef sometimes sits with you or after dinner the blinds are drawn and folks light up. This is still France after all... L'ATYPIQUE 7 Rue de l'Universite 34000 MONTPELLIER Tel Fixe : 04 67 60 37 26 Merci Marco! Pictures can be seen HERE. Cheers!

Hello all, Thanks to your wonderful suggestions, I hit the Boulevard Raspail market upon landing on Sunday morning and it was a sight to behold. The sun was shining and the rows between the stands were packed with shoppers and tourists, tables groaning under beautiful vegetables and fruits, fresh-killed chickens and ducks and fish and other assorted goodies. HERE are a few pictures from that stroll. Cheers!

I am happy to report that Spring is still in full swing despite it being the middle of winter. We had lunch there this afternoon and the food and the service were both great. Upon sitting down, we were offered some rillettes, deliciously rich yet not too rich, just rightly salted and too good to pass up. When I heard what our lunch was to be, I scanned the wine list and ordered the Champagne Spring Blanc de Blancs, a wine made specifically for the restaurant. Crisp and lively, its acidity handled most of the medley of flavors we were presented with. First course was celery soup with duck, an inspired combination. The duck was juicy yet crisp, and married well to the celery. The smells coming off the bowl were to die for, I might add. Next we had sea bream and pig's foot, which sounded bizarre but turned out to be another delicious combo. I joked with my wife that the presentation would be unusual: an actual pig's trotter on top of a fish. Somehow, she did not think this was amusing. The actual dish was beautiful to behold, something we were coming to expect from this tiny kitchen. The foot had been reduced to something akin to a loose terrine, the sea bream barely cooked. Its flavors were intense yet delicate, and this kind of surf and turf worked real well. Dessert was a slice of fresh pineapple covered by a slice of dark chocolate ganache, with chopped fruit over it and a dab of sour yoghurt on the side. Fantastic, but difficult to eat as I was getting full by now. We ended up chatting with Daniel, who was charming, friendly and warm, and really rounded out the whole experience. I will go back the next time I'm in Paris. The rest of my Paris stay can be seen HERE. Cheers!

I decided to visit a wine bar that had been recommended to me, Le Mauzac, for lunch the other day. After a long walk through the beautiful February weather, I finally arrived at 7, Rue de l'Abbé de l'Epée, a quaint, tree-lined block with a few outdoor cafés and an old toy store selling honest-to-goodness wooden toys. Here, hidden behind some planters, was Le Mauzac. Walking in, it looked all the world like a traditional bistrot, with a hand-written wine list above the zinc bar, and rickety tables crammed one on top of the other. The clientele was overwhelmingly French, with just one table of loud Englishmen. Empty bottles lined a shelf on the ceiling, reminders of fun dinners gone by. Wine is the emphasis here, as the base of the bar is lined with sculptures of grapes and there's a ton of old decanters sitting around. On one side of the room, the painted trunk of a tree rose from a hole in the floor to the ceiling above. OK, well now that was interesting... The welcome was warm and friendly as I sat down next to the tree trunk. Still slightly jet-lagged and dazed from hunger, I never did ask about this strange sculpture; had it always been there, was it real or art or both? Who cared, I was hungry! The waitress presented me with the hand-written chalkboard menu and wine list, which showcases artisanal, non-interventionist winemakers. I quickly singled out what I was in the mood for: magret de canard in a trompette de la mort mushrooms sauce with a potato galette. With this I chose a pichet of 2001 Cahors, Clos Triguedina, a winery I'd never heard of. The wine was quite nice, showing earthy black fruits on a plush structure that had some nice acidity. As it breathed, it emphasized more of the earthy side of its black fruits, but it was perfect with the duck breast. This had been cooked just as rare as I like it (ie still quacking), and was quite delicious. Coffee after lunch was a nice espresso, something I am finding to be rare these days in Paris. Comfortably numb and fortified against the mid-afternoon chill, I left Le Mauzac, a silly grin covering my face. Pics are HERE. Next: Willi's Wine Bar and Caves Le Grand. Cheers!

Um, thanks mate, appreciate it... but I lived in London for a few years, and Paris was my escape from Blighty so there you go... Thanks John. You're a champ. I had dinner tonight at Au Bourgignon Du Marais. Excellent escargots, fantastic terrine canard with pistachio and mmmm Andouiliette.... Full of burgundy and ready for bed, and a day of agonising tomorrow. ← Wasn't that sold? Is is still good?

If well-packed, it should be no problem. But you'd be surprised how fast 2 people can go through a 1/2 lbs...

Thanks Steve, on our next foray into the wilds of Brooklyn we'll be sure to stop by those places. My buddy loves to drive out to the boroughs since he's got a car and can use it for business as well. The Pho place was between Bay Parkway and 24th, I believe. It was sensational. And we actually discussed stopping at DiFara's, but were so full after the gyro that we decided to call it quits. Cheers!

A friend in the wine business offered to drive to Brooklyn to visit some places for lunch on a rainy, dreary Friday, so I quickly jumped at the offer. “I heard of a place that makes great Pho, and if we’re still hungry we can grab a Gyro too,” he said. Being a big fan of Vietnamese cuisine, and particularly of that wonderful broth called Pho, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to not only visit Brooklyn again but also enjoy some real ethnic food. Why not just go to Chinatown, you ask? Well, it’s always nice to visit other parts of the city, and things in Chinatown aren’t as authentic as they used to be. Plus, he was driving, so I wasn’t going to argue. We headed out into the cold rain and crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, looking as lovely in the mist as under a bright sun. Once on the Belt Parkway, happy memories from my childhood visits to my family in Bay Ridge flooded back, making this a trip down memory lane as well. The Verrazzano Bridge extended its gray bulk into the rain, making things look both dreary and magical at the same time. God, I love this city. “OK, it’s somewhere around here,” my friend said as we rolled slowly down 86th Street, passing Bay Parkway. “What? You don’t have the exact address?” I asked. “No, I just know it’s got brown doors,” was the answer. Great. That simplifies things. A few minutes later, we knew we’d found it by the name above a brown façade: Phó Tây Hô. By now, we were starving, so we sat down and perused the huge menu, even though we knew what we wanted. Still, we ordered a plate of summer rolls, crunchy and fresh, with big, bright shrimp in thin casings with peanut sauce, something to munch on while we waited for our Pho. Delicious. Then came the pièce de résistance: a HUGE bowl of Pho, still bubbling from the heat, full of organ meats and noodles, the broth giving off lovely herbal and meaty aromas. Wow. Now that’s what I call a bowl of soup! And it truly was delicious, all the different meats (tendon and tripe, for example) soft yet retaining their own textures and tastes. The flavors were bright and sharp, with Thai basil sprucing things up. We sat there for an hour, enjoying the experience, feeling like tourists in our own town. Getting back into the car, we cruised down Coney Island Avenue to Sahara’s, a Turkish restaurant that also offers a take-out section. We both ordered what was supposed to be the specialty, lamb gyro with the fixings. Having grown up with Middle-Eastern food, I was really looking forward to trying this. The meat was moist on the spit, all the condiments looked fresh, and the pita bread was thin, like good pita should be. Yet it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I was slightly disappointed, to be honest. The lettuce and onions were almost freezing cold, and the lamb, while flavorful and moist, was quickly overpowered by the sauces they used. Not terrible, mind you, but I had expected and hoped for better. Ah well, c'est la vie! It was good enough to eat as I was still hungry. Now stuffed, we headed back into the city, driving down Smith Street and past its colorful gentrified sidewalks. We crossed the beautiful bridge, saying goodbye to Brooklyn, at least for now. Pictures can be found HERE. Cheers!

Ideal Cheese has it and it was on sale today ($20/ 1/4 lbs). Not bad, not as good as the Jamon I had in Madrid, but still quite nice and good. We're having it for dinner with a salad and some cheeses. Man, I miss Europe...

Oh, that's not going to be a problem, when you're in the wine business you can always be guaranteed a good time. But I just wanted to get any last-minute suggestions. Oh, man, can't wait to be back in Paris! Cheers!

I was invited to a pre-opening Dom Perignon tasting at the Astor Center and have to say it was amazing. As Fat Guy says, this is the place to beat. The kitchen is uber-modern, the entire place high-tech, and the people warm, friendly and professional. My review is here: http://vinotas.blogspot.com/2007/12/dom-pe...iday-night.html Cheers!

Any other suggestions? I leave in a week, and will print this out before heading out. God, I can't wait! I love Paris! Cheers!

I think you're talking about Hiram's. It's really, really good. ← Bing! Bing! Bing! Bing! We have a winner! That's it! Man, those dogs were delicious. Granted this was a while back, but still. Thanks for reminding me. Cheers!

Interesting write-ups, I wish I could have made it. As someone who worked for 13 miserable years in Fairview, NJ, I wish I'd have known about these places beforehand. Ah well. I am happier working from home now. I do seem to recall a great hot dog place in Fort Lee but the name escapes me. I'd be up for a day trip to Newark for Portuguese food, BTW. Cheers!

I actually enjoyed the Vancouver episode, despite a few hiccups here and there. As for the Greek Islands, I really got the impression that his prejudices from his previous experience influenced everything he did and saw. Whatever happened in the past, it must have been pretty nasty. He just looked like he did not want to enjoy himself. In any case, the food looked great, especially the grilled octopus (which I've had in several NYC Greek places and which I LOVE). Maybe he was just hungover the entire time. I know that's happened to me after a few rounds of raki... Cheers!

Hi Bob, No offense intended, it's just that I never had a very good PN from Spain. I will look the ones you mention up, I would love to try them. Cheers!

Having been one of those awhile ago, I will not throw stones. But I'm better now. Best, Jim ← LOL! I try not to fall into that "I know more than you about this aspect of that wine" trap and just relax and enjoy it.

Yes. A good read. Best, Jim ← Sadly, many folks lose sight of this and focus more on the geeky aspect of wine.

On Thursday evening, after a long day of bouncing from wholesaler to wholesaler, showing, tasting and spitting my wines, I joined my tasting group for our long-awaited (and long-delayed) End of the Year Dinner. Yes, I know, we’re a wee bit behind the times, so I told everyone we were celebrating the end of the Chinese New Year. Or something like that. In any case, it sounded reasonable. We found ourselves at Peking Duck House in Midtown, looking forward to the famous Peking Duck. The theme was “Great Wines That Go With Duck”. Actually, it was just “Bring Good Wines”, but the former sounds a lot more important and pompous, right? I do have to say, I am really lucky, my tasting group is composed of great guys who are not only very generous with the wines they share but are also really good friends. We can talk about a lot of different things besides wine. Now this may sound normal, but I’ve been to dinners where the participants can’t talk about anything else but wines. That can get real boring, even for this wine geek. In any case, I haven't laughed that much in a long time, and it felt good to be able to share some nice wines with good friends. Isn't that what this passion of ours is supposed to be about? We were joined by two friends, one from San Francisco who’d flown in for the Ruinart extravaganza earlier in the week, the other from New York. It was easy to decide what to order for the main course: two ducks, of course. We took our waiter’s advice and ordered a tasting plate of appetizers, all of which were delicious. With this, we began popping corks, starting with a magnum of Champagne that I’d brought, a 1990 Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale. Still youthful-looking after 18 years, this belied its age with a surprising vivacity, fruitiness and minerality. Very little of the usual caramelized notes one gets in older Champers, this had aged gracefully. While it wasn’t an earth-shaking experience, it was quite nice. Next came a 1997 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain that smelled great, with that slatey, petrol note that older Rieslings get. The palate was full of ripe peach and apples on a fat frame that danced lightly on the palate despite its size. Still thirsty for a white, Bill opened a 2001 Jobard Meursault Poruzots. This was full of soft hazelnuts, popcorn and almond skins on the nose with a truffled accent that made it quite sniff-worthy. Heck, I could have done lines of this all night it smelled so good! However, the palate was tight as a nail, just retreating into itself and not coming out to play until very late in the evening. I really hate it when a wine teases like that. With a sudden flourish, the ducks appeared in all their golden glory. A very large Chef appeared bearing a huge knife and began moving with quick, deft movements. With every pass, another paper-thin slice of succulent duck was placed on a plate, then expertly wrapped in thin pancakes with some crunchy condiments and a dab of sauce. The smell alone was worth dying for. Deliciously moist with that earthy duck flavor and crispy skin, we couldn’t stop eating our friendly fowl. Finally, after much consulting, we actually ordered a third duck! Well, what goes better with duck than Burgundy? I grabbed three glasses and began pouring the Burgs, starting with the 1996 Geantet-Pansiot Charmes Chambertin, then moving to the 1997 Hubert Lignier Clos de la Roche, and ending with the 2001 Leroy Vosne Romanée les Beaux Monts. Aaaaah, I shuddered in delight as I smelled each one, different yet glorious in its own way. The Geantet was dark and slightly oaky with lots of sous-bois and dark cherries and lots of power, the Lignier also powerful with bright cherries and earth, and the Leroy, well, it was Leroy after all, with that spicy Vosne note that I love. That said, the Leroy was completely tight and offered nothing but structure, far too young. The Lignier was beautifully framed with tart, earthy ripe cherries and a gorgeous, velvety body, while the Geantet was big, with bracing acidity and dark, ripe, slightly oaky, earthy cherries and sous-bois. All had long finishes, and all were delicious in their own way, but my favorite was the Geantet-Pansiot (despite the oak). We moved west to Bordeaux, filling our glasses with a 1985 Léoville las Cases, a classic example of aged claret, with leather, cassis, earth and cigar box notes, ending in a long finish. Lovely. We zipped east for the next wine, a big and bruising one with tons of acidity and dark, meaty fruits: 1996 Chave Hermitage, from the Northern Rhône. Also quite nice. For dessert, a half-bottle of 1997 Huet Vouvray Moelleux 1ere Trie, Clos du Bourg was opened, a sweetie redolent of candied oranges and apples on a fat frame. Alongside this we poured a 1998 Rieussec Sauternes, another delicious sticky that was full-bodied and slightly oily on the palate, with tons of crème brulée and orange marmalade and spices. Yummy! Another great night in the city. Cheers! PS: A big thanks to Brad Kane for bringing his camera and letting me use his great pictures, which can be seen HERE.

I couldn't agree more, it's so frustrating. As a coffee lover, I prefer grinding/brewing my own at home (Porto Rico is my source for beans). But, I work from my laptop, so going someplace other than my couch or desk would be nice. I'd love a place to hang out, order decent coffee, and do my work. And it's not just the UES, it's the entire city. Sigh...

Usually most of my friends know what they're getting into when they go out with me (ie there will be a good bottle or 2 of wine but I always ask for a budget when looking at the list), so we just split it evenly. If someone had way less than everyone else or didn't drink anything, then we adjust things accordingly. When I was single and on dates in Paris, I somehow always ended paying for the women... Cheers!

Recently, I was invited to organize a Champagne Ruinart dinner in New York by the Chef de Caves, Frederic Panaiotis. As you can imagine, I jumped at the opportunity! This wasn't just one of the oldest houses in Champagne, it was also one of my favorites. I'd visited the house on almost all my trips to the region, and it had been the very first one I'd stopped in at during my very first trip. So this was quite the honor! We decided to do this at the very wine-friendly restaurant, Chanterelle, another favorite of ours. Roger Dagorn, the sommelier there, is amazingly knowledgeable and a big fan of Champagne, so this was an easy choice. With his help, we devised a menu to match the caliber of the Champagnes that Frederic was generously bringing, most of which were aged. Let me just say that the service, the food and pretty much everything at Chanterelle were great, they really outdid themselves. We really felt like we were the only people there this night. While we waited to be seated, we started off with the regular Ruinart Rosé, full of crisp strawberries and cream and some ruby grapefruit notes. Delicious, and a nice match for our first course, a Timbale of Squab Mousse with Juniper and Green Peppercorns. Next came two young bottles, the Dom Ruinart 1998 and Dom Ruinart 1996. Interesting comparison, whereas the 1998 was fresh and crisp and rather light on its feet compared to its sibling, the 1996 showed not only a hint of graceful ageing, but was extremely more complex and deep, with a velvety feel on the palate. Smelling it reminded me of some aged Puligny Montrachet, with that light truffled note. This is a real vin de garde, it will age for a long time. And the 1996 was a perfect foil for our 2nd course, Nantucket Bay Scallops in a Lemongrass and Lime Nage. I might add that the scallops were out of this world on their own as well. Now three glasses were filled, this time with older bottles: Dom Ruinart 1993, 1990 and 1988. What a difference! At first, I was a bit worried that the 1993 was corked, but the funky note I smelled quickly blew off, revealing a nicely aged Champagne. The 1990 was the more powerful of the three, with ripe fruits and a hint of caramelization from its age. But my favorite was the 1988, it was laser crisp and precise, with a ton of minerality and chalkiness from its terroir. As it sat in the glass, it seemed to unfold and become less shy, really revealing its pedigree. Not bad for 20 year-old bubbly. All three went great with our 3rd course, Potato-Wrapped Wild Stripped Bass with Sorrel-Spinach Coulis. Magnums began appearing, and the room hushed. Dom Ruinart Rosé 1986, 1985 and 1979 were all poured, and we were happy. The 1986 was the freshest of the bunch, with more wild strawberries than I could count on a lively frame. The 1985, however, had power to spare, with tons of dark berries and a hint of yeast, a big body that was rather shy at first and a long finish. Lastly, the 1979 had the most elegance, a real sophisticate that seemed to outshine its peers with class. There had been some questions as to my choice of 4th course, but I felt in the end that the dish of Berkshire Pork Three Ways went perfectly with these wines. At the end of the evening, Frederic even told me he was happily surprised that the wines and the food had matched up so nicely. Yay me! More magnums appeared, and I smiled. I like magnums. Especially magnums of older Champagne. We were treated to three more Rosés, the Dom Ruinart Rosé 1996, 1990 and 1988. Again, vive la difference! While the 1996 was fresh and crisp with just a hint of age, the 1990 was powerful and big and voluptuous, and the 1988 a laser beam of crisp light red fruits. Nice foils for the cheeses, though at this point I was just giddy with bubbles. As the dinner wound down, a last bottle appeared, a Ruinart Blancs de Blanc. And while this is usually one of my favorites, and was quite delicious, it was completely outclassed by its siblings. Relatively light-bodied and crisp, this was still a nice way to end the evening, alongside a Meyer Lemon Chiboust with Lemon Verbena Anglaise and Tangerine Ice Cream. Not being much of a dessert fan, I just curled up with my remaining Champagnes and smiled. This was what I'd call a great night. Pictures can be found HERE. Cheers!

There are many sushi joints in the neighbourhood but the only one I like is Toritcho on 47 rue du Montparnasse (T: 0143 21 29 97). It has a Japanese sushi chef plus a Japanese sumiyaki grill chef to keep the quality above their flashier, bigger pseudo-nippon competitors. Crowded in the evenings but lunches are quieter. ← You know, I actually think I had lunch there the last time I was in Paris. I googled the place and it looks familiar. And I recall being impressed with the sushi. Merci! Cheers!