Beachfan

Great tip, thanks. Currently, I'm most excited about Italian wines, and if they've got reasonalbey priced Barolo's, count me in!

Anything but Cab usually works. This year, a 98 Chateau neuf du Pape sounds great. Or a 98 Australian Shiraz (both a little young but what the hey).

Well, this is a sleepy chat room. So to liven it up, I'll pay hommage to Mario Battaglia's trio of restaurants. A lot is written about his food, but his wines are the best experience at the price in NYC. At Babbo, I had an out of this world Barolo (Albino Rocca Bricco Ronche 1997) which is almost impossible to find after it's boffo review, at very fair at ๪ or so (retail is โ). Then the mini carafes that they sell that make it so easy to do a food wine pairing, are dee-lish, at very reasonable prices. At Lupa, I got a Falesco Vitiano for ว or so. Lovely everyday wine, and when was the last time you saw bottles in that price range. At Esca, I took the sommelier's blind recommendation on a chardonnay (left the name at work, sorry) for about ี. Italian wines are fabulous, and Mario brings them in at a price you gotta love. The wine pricing makes his restaurants cheap if you like to drink wine. PS He also has a wine shop, which I haven't tried but should be great. Anyone go there?

I think the one on Madison is Sant Ambroeus, 1000 Madison between 78th and 77th. Superb gelato, very upscale (hoigty toity?) atmosphere that I love but definitely in keeping with the neighborhood. Best for gelato in NYC that I know of.

The answer is not only state specific, but wine specific. You need to know your prices. I've gotten super prices on Dominus, Beaucastel, various Chablis, Latour, Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages (an overrated wine) and decent California Chardonnay (Byron Reserve, Cambria Catherine's). On wines similar to those, their prices were just average. However, I scout the Costco (here in Southern California) about twice a month.

I haven't been to Bouley Bakery but went to the original Bouley every chance I got, always for lunch. I've been to Danube twice, once lunch, and once dinner. Not only was lunch great, but it was similar to the very first time I went to Danube, delicious bordering on astonishing. When I went back for dinner, it somehow wasn't as good. The perfect balance and counterpoint to the flavors wasn't there, so instead of layered multidimensional waves of flavors, I experienced it more as a one note dish. Interestingly, other friends have said that lunch is always super, but not dinner. Try lunch if you go. PS the room is exquisite.

If it's a truly special wine, then sending a taste to the chef is often appreciated, even at top places (Wolfgang Puck at Spago out here for example). And often a taste of an interesting or merely delicious wine is appreciated by the chef.

My brothers housemate got into a shouting match with Daniel himself after being asked to move at 8 after a 6:00 reservation. I didn't go back to Daniels for years after getting a rotten table at lunch and no help moving. When I finally went back, I had one of the best meals ever. My wife, a vegetarian, was treated superbly. This time they were very nice when I requested a table change from an ok table to a good one. I'll definitely go back to Daniel's. The day before I went to Cafe Bouloud and had a definitely disappointing meal. 2 great appetizers, one good entree, one weak entree, and lousy desert. Seeing the other posts, perhaps the problem was that we ordered seafood. Service attitude was only so-so. At those prices, I want great all the way through. I won't go back to the Cafe for quite a while.

Well, it was just ok. I only expected great oysters, but only half of the dozen were great. Kumumoto's - the major disappointment, as these are my favorite. They were from California, which might have been the problem (Puget sound's Kumi's are very sweet). Malpeque's from PEI - superb Coromandel's from New Zeeland - excellent ,and a new discovery Blue Points from Long Island - tasted tired. The red chowder was nice though, I enjoyed it (with a shot of tabasco). Overall, it drops off my list.

I'm thinking of a light lunch of oysters and red chowder there on Wednesday. Location is super-convenient. Anyone with recent a recent experience to share?

That's one fine group, those Hospitality folks! Gramercy is in an echelon of its own! And I couldn't be happier about Tabla, loved it the first time, going back Saturday, I will bring a Domaine Schoffit Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos St. Theobald 1997 . If you haven't tried Alsatian wine with Asian food, it's the only way to go (other than beer). Turns out Zagat (the book, not online) has a list of Corkage Fee restaurants.The guide I have out of date (2000), but it lists Aquavit, Chanterelle, Gotham, Il ulino, Jean George, La Caravelle, Le Perigord, Nobu (and NND), Oceana, Picholine, Union Pacific as well as Danny Meyer's world. They list prices but I won't repeat them since I know Jean George is about ำ more than they mention.

Are any restuarants in the Union Square Hospitality Group in the upper echelons of fine dining?

In California, just about every restaurant has a corkage policy, which is a good thing. Usually ฤ or less. Furthermore, they smile just as much when you bring a bottle as when you order off the list. Although many NYC restaurants used to turn icy when asked ("Sir, we Have a liquor license!"), others now have a policy. Jean George, was ์ (or was it ๠), very steep, but still ok if you bring the right wine (any policy is better than none). Tasting Room has a great policy - buy one of the list, bring one in (and give a taste to the chef!). Any top restaurants with corkage fees ษ or less?

If you are buying it from Pesenti, use that to get some Turley. It's easier to get Turley through Pesenti than it is through Turley. This anomaly will probably disappear once they intergrate operations.

Regarding choosing two appetizers; my wife often does that, she's a light eater. There was one vegetarian appetizer, asparagus two ways. It was heavenly. My wife went from cloud nine to the basement in a very short time. The poetic license I took in comparing the style and look of peas and carrots to the cafeteria version in the US was perhaps overreaching with respect to quality, but right on with repect to imagination. Presentation was blah, perhaps the knifework on the carrots was fine, but the contrast to the other dishes was quite stark. Our biggest problem in France is not the difficulty of getting vegetables, it's the prevalence of smoke. Last year, a fabulously conceived and executed lunch at Arpege was severely marred by a fourtop of chainsmokers right next to us (a cigarette each per course, 8 courses, poor ventilation). When we saw the cigar cart rolled out, we knew we were lost. That's why we didn't go back this year even though Alan Passard has gone all vegetable. Even in Alsace this year, my wife had no problem with the food. Once again, the cigar cart proved our bugaboo (at e Vielle Ensigne in Strasbourg). Any cigar smoking vegetarians out there, we know the places for you! In Paris, she had a lovely meal at Lucas Carton. Not much choice, but it didn't matter, she was in chanterelle paradise. A most amazing 7 course vegetarian meal was to be had at Buerehiesal (in Strasbourg). When the omnivores are jealous of the vegetarian, you know genius is at work. This was actually a seasonal vegetarian tasting menu, with a gorgeous non smoking room. I think you hit it right on the nose when you said that if a restaurant says they can accomodate a diet, it means in their style.

Unfortuantely, my wife recieved such substandard treatment at Alain Ducasse in Paris last year that indeed, we are still angry. My meal was otherworldly. She's a vegetarian and we faxed a month ahead, and they said they would be glad to accomodate her. Her's started off fabulously , from the menu, asparagus hot and cold, put then when she had to go off the menu (no vegetarian entrees), she got peas and carrots a la Green Giant. Of course, they were fresh, but no imagination, no sauce, no care, no interest in pleasing her. The maitre d' was condescendingly sympathetic in an infuriating way - yes it's a shame to have to be a vegetarian.