Jason Perlow

Ok -- I admit it, I tend to like my wines, particularly my sparklers, on the sweet side. But I find it exteremely difficult, nay, impossible to find a really nice demi sec, especially a French one, from some of the best wine stores. Anyone had any luck? Especially in NYC? I end up drinking Prosecco as a substitute, sometimes a Riesling Sekt, and thats really nice, but what I REALLY want is a Demi Sec Champagne. hell, a Sec would be good too. Doux? I've never even SEEN one. Its a friggin myth. What the hell is wrong with American wine drinkers anyway?

don't kabinett, spatlese, and auslese refer to ripeness, and trocken, halbtrocken, or the lack of such modifier refer to fermentation? Nope. Trocken (dry) and Halbtrocken (half dry) are below whatever the "normal" level in sweetness is for whatever classification it is supposed to be -- you might see it combined with Spatlese or Kabinett to refer to one that is somewhat drier than a Kabinett or in-Between Spatslese, with QBA and not QmP wines). For some funky examples check out http://www.wineavenger.com/germany.htm. Its a new fangled way of doing things and is supposed to make these weird Teutonic wine labels understandable to the average Chardonnay sucking American. I sure as hell don't think so. Everything with Riesling has to do with residual sugar level. And you NEVER see a high alcohol reisling from Germany. I mean the highest I have seen is like 11.5 and thats rare. High alcohol in a German Riesling would be considered a flaw. Most are between 8 and 10. Alsatian Riesling tends to be a lot boozier (I've seen em as high as 12.5 or 13, which is why I consider it inferior). It tastes like gasoline to me. Alsace is really known for Gewurtztraminer and Pinot Gris. TBA (TrockenBeerenAuslese) is above Auslese in sweetness. Its one step below Eiswein which as you know is a late harvest nectar. The Trocken Beeren is translated as "Dried Berries" not "Dry". And yes, I drink a lot of Germanics. Willie Gluckstern Imports

Jason... did you somehow clone this thread? No, its one of those rare times I symbolically link it into both forums.

But with Indian food I promise you an Auslese is best. Try it. A Riesling Auslese? Oh my. That sounds awfully sweet. I would normally reserve that for a dessert wine. I mean thats only 1 step below TBA, which, I would almost never consider drinking with anything savory. Wouldnt a Kabinett be better? Spatslese on the extreme outside depending on the dish? I'm thinking trocken or halbtrocken actually. I mean youre on the right track with the acidity and low alcohol, but Auslese? Really?

Spicy Asian food is a pain in the ass to match most wine with, with the exception of Reisling and Gewurtztraminer or a Chenin Blanc. Heavy use of black pepper is a huge foil for any kind of wine, it overpowers it, especially stuff like in Steak Au Poivre, or heavy Vietnamese black pepper sauces. While I like Reisling and other Germanic wines with really spicy Thai and Chinese food, I think I like beer better. You cant beat a Singha with Thai, or a Tsingtao with any kind of Chinese food. Or Kingfisher with Indian.

The Great Neck Luger's served great food the last time I was there, which was probably four years ago, maybe five. However I cant attest for its quality now. I guess I'll have to stop by the next time I am visiting familiy.

As Mario Batali points out over and over, American meat balls are tough and nasty because they're all meat, no cereal because Americans could afford all meat. Italian meat balls are tender because they're at least 1/3rd bread. Well... I think that is a generalization. My sister-in-law's mom puts plenty of breadcrumbs in her meat balls. And besides meat balls arent generic, they have different types depending on the region of Italy you come from, they are not just from the Campania region. Theres "polpetti" for soups, meat balls as a main dish, as an appetizer, etc, different ratios of different kinds of meat to breadcrumb content, etc. Its probably true to say that italian americans use MORE meat to bread crumb ratio as a whole, though.

For me its a toss up between thin mints and the caramel delites. And Tommy, you are a sick bastard.

This site is getting way too cerebral for my taste. I can't follow this freakin conversation anymore! I quit!

In my opinion Flor de Cana 7 is probably closest to HC 7.

are you saying that German cuisine is (or was in recent memory) superior to British? I'm not gonna put words in Plotnicki's mouth, but in my opinion native German cuisine is far more significant in terms of their contribution to world cuisine than British food in a traditional sense. Their wine alone is a serious match for France's. German cuisine as well as their wine has a bad rap and is totally underappreciated. Real German food is phenomenal stuff, if you can get it.

I think it was just over $100.

technically speaking the food section of marthastewart.com is also a food magazine web site. You gotta admit she threw a ton of money into the thing. Design speaking I really like the solid colors and monochromaticism.

I have the Cour de Leon 25 year old at home, got it from Astor Liquors in the Village. Great stuff.

Curry (William Makepeace Thackeray, 1846) Three pounds of veal my darling girl prepares, And chops it nicely into little squares; Five onions next prures the little minx (The biggest are the best, her Samiwel thinks), And Epping butter nearly half a pound, And stews them in a pan until they’re brown’d. What’s next my dexterous little girl will do? She pops the meat into the savoury stew, With curry-powder table-spoonfuls three, And milk a pint (the richest that may be), And, when the dish has stewed for half an hour, A lemon’s ready juice she’ll o’er it pour. Then, bless her! Then she gives the luscious pot A very gentle boil - and serves quite hot. PS - Beef, mutton, rabbit, if you wish, Lobsters, or prawns, or any kind fish, Are fit to make a CURRY. ‘Tis, when done, A dish for Emperors to feed upon.

I really don't know what the hell you guys are talking about, but man, this place has become awfully cerebral, hasnt it

Calvados article in Saveur I have about 5 bottles of this excellent spirit at home of various ages... Rachel and I are going to Normandy this summer, anyone have any good recommendations for good Calvados distilleries/producers to visit, with accompanying restaurants in the region?

Sorry. None of these candy bars beats the ultimate classic candy bar experience: The Goldenberg Peanut Chew. Accept no substitutions. Goldenberg Candy Inc. (web site)

ed you may find that you won't be pleased with the results, no matter how good the ingredients or how fine the preparation. I've seen people try to do this -- for instance, Rachel made a re-interpretation of the age old green bean casserole with fried onions and campbells mushroom soup base, (which I dearly love in a lowbrow kind of way) for a holiday gathering using fresh green beans, soup base from scratch and frying up her own onions, but it did not taste the same nor as satisfying. There are some things that should be left alone, I think.

I was browsing thru the NY Times video tours and caught a look at this restaurant... how would you guys compare it to Tabla? Tamarind Video Tour Didn't a certain pastry chef on this site design the desserts for this?

On a recent trip to St. Maarten, my parents brought me back 2 bottles of Clement 15-year old from a duty free shop. I have no idea what they paid for them. I heard that the Clement factory on Martinique has closed down. Should I be careful consuming these?

Liza: BENNIES! Ya wanna go with us?

In DC at Cafe Atlantico they had various J. Bally rums, including a 1979 and a 1982. I had too many mojitos so I didnt get a chance to try either of those. Apparently Jacques Bally Rum is owned by Mount Gay. Anyone try these rums? InternetWines.com has the 1979 for $74.71, the '82 for $65, the '87 for $42, the '89 for $52, the '90 for $49. According to a 2000 nightclub.com article it is also avalaible in 1924, 1929, 1955 and 1960 vintages. If this stuff is actually avalaible they may be a hell of a find at any price you can get them. InternetBevUSA.COM claims only 6 bottles of 1929 were allocated for the ENTIRE US, so they go for $800 a bottle. damn! J. Bally at InternetBevUSA.com J. Bally 1979 at internetwines.com

I think any of the times I've eaten at the table with Tommy probably count as the most horrifying table experiences of my life.

This last Saturday my wife Rachel and I ate at Cafe Atlantico, 405 8th St NW, 202-393-0812. Rachel's comments about the food are here , Its heavily Dominican and Cuban influenced Nuevo Latino with some Mexican spice thrown in. Of special note about this place is that the owner is a serious rum fanatic -- the bar stocks at least a dozen super premium rums, and serves several specialty rum mixed drinks such as a perfectly executed Mojito using Cruzan Junkanu citrus rum. Fantastic. Here's a list of what I remember them having at the bar: Cruzan Junkanu Cruzan Estate Cruzan Estate Single Barrel Westerhall Bally 1979 Bally 1983 Flor de Cana 5 Flor de Cana 7 Flor de Cana Black Label Bacardi 8 Pyrat XO Pyrat Cask 23 Note that this list is by no means inclusive, there were several others but the lighting at the bar was dark and I wasnt really able to get the bartender's attention to show me a complete list. The restaurant also has a very large cigar selection featuring all sizes of León Jimenes and La Aurora brands from the Dominican Republic and a cigar smoking area upstairs.