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mogsob

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Everything posted by mogsob

  1. Steven, thanks for the update. Bid's wine list is exactly as I recall: diverse and reasonable. Not "expensive" by any means. For what it's worth, here is how I judge wine lists. I immediately eliminate from consideration the following: 1. Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet from California. 2. Bordeaux. 3. White Burgundy. 4. Tuscany. 5. Barolos and Barbarescos. Obviously, this eliminates some of the world's great wines, but look at what is left. 1. German/Austrian whites. 2. The Rhone. 3. Red Burgundy (which I find to be better value on the high end than Bordeaux). 4. Amarone. 5. West Coast Pinot Noir. 6. Southern Italy (both red and white). 7. French Country wine -- white from the Loire (muscadet and sancerre) and Alsalce, reds from the Languedoc. 8. Spain. And those are just the obvious places to look. Restaurants like GT, Il Buco, Etats Unis, I Trulli, and Bid are deep in many of these areas, and due to demand factors (I guess), these wines are generally priced lower (both in terms of wholesale price and mark-up factor) than those in the earlier categories.
  2. I would second the choice of Savoy. The upstairs room and bar are really fab. I can't comment on Bayard's, as I haven't been there since the chef change, but it is a rather different type of restaurant -- more formal and grand than Savoy. Blue Water Grill is fine, but rather ordinary, in contrast to the two other places on your list. I know you have narrowed down your list to these three, but let me make one unsolicited recommendation: Il Buco. I've done a few parties of a similar size there. A truly great wine list and, as a recent visit confirms, the food has gotten better with age (the recent chef change notwithstanding). You can book the wine cellar for the party or the back room. Have fun!
  3. Not to digress into an English lession, but the term "equally priced" must refer to something. There are only two options: 1. All the wines on the list cost the same (which is an absurd statement, given the breadth of the list); or 2. The wines on the list are priced equally to the cocktails, which, to say, is expensively. I believe that Mr. Platt wrote exactly what he meant to say, namely that in his opinion the wines were expensive and, judging from the tone of the review, overpriced. That statement seriously undermines his credibility in my eyes. Which brings me to another point, why is wine relegated to an afterthought by critics? For me, and many others, wine is an essential part of the dining experience. Restaurants with a poor wine list (either in terms of the selection or the mark-up factor) never factor into my dining decisions. Perhaps this is (yet again) the fault of the Zagats, who value "decor" over wine. I say, let's leave the interior design issues to those with steel-coated tounges.
  4. mogsob

    Wine Prices

    [Go to Babbo or Lupa and see some miracles performed at the low end with Italian wines. At Lupa, Falesco Vitiano for $21. ] I would hardly describe paying $21 for a bottle of Falesco Vitiano a miracle, except of course if you are Mario Batali. I seem to recall an age when you could order a bottle of house wine (in an moderately priced restaurant) and get a decent table wine for $10. That day -- thanks to all those $10 Merlot drinkers out there -- has likely come and gone. It's getting to the point that if I want to order wine, I must be prepared to spend over $60 a head in NYC.
  5. mogsob

    Calvados

    I have been reading Mirabelle Osler's book "The Elusive Truffle," which contains a particularly wonderful chapter on Normandy. As the book is a few years old, I do not know if the information is still relevant.
  6. mogsob

    Wine Prices

    I've been to a few restaurants recently that employ a sliding -scale mark-up. That is, the more expensive the wine, the less the mark-up. So, for example a typical Cote de Rhone ($7 retail) may go for $25-30 while a good Chambolle ($30 retail) may go for $60. This makes for a difficult decision. If I'm trying to keep costs down, my preference is for a good table wine, such as a CDR -- but I cannot justify paying $25-30 for that wine. But if I opt for the Burgundy, I blow my budget. Is it too much to ask that a bistro keep a good cheap house wine?
  7. Today's New York has a review of Bid (quite positive) in which the author notes that the wine list was "expensive." That comment did not accurately reflect what I had believed to be a very interesting and well-priced list (along that GT lines). Has the list changed? Is the mark-up higher? I seem to recall that the mark-up was a GT-like 90-120%.
  8. A few tips on how to dine for $50 a head in NYC. 1. Avoid all price fixed menus, which are almost always over budget. 2. Share one starter and one dessert. This really cuts down costs. 3. Do not order wine by the glass, unless you know the price of the wine first. Often, a glass of wine can cost $10. In many good bistros, you can find a bottle for $20 or so. If you are prepared to share, many very good restaurants will be within your price range as follows: Starter: $10 Mains: $40 ($20 each) Dessert: $10 Wine: $20 Tax & Tip: $25 Total: $105 Many good bistros (E.g., Le Gigot, as mentioned above) would fit the bill here. You should check out the menus before you go, unless you really like chicken.
  9. There are no good pubs left in NYC. The last two, The British Open and The North Star closed last year. We do, however, have some really good old-time bars: Landmark Tavern, Old Town, PJ Clarke's, Chumley's, Fanelli's, Pete's, Keens. We also have an amazing selection of great cocktail lounges: Bemelman's Bar, Merc Bar, Temple Bar, King Cole Bar, Cibar, Angel's Share, First, Cafe Noir, Vodka Bar, Campbell Apartment, Mark's Bar, Savoy Lounge, Top of the Tower just to name a few. But, sadly, no more true pubs.
  10. Steven, serious ditto on Rippon. A few others: The Cheese Block 69 Lordship Lane SE22 The Cheeseboard 26 Royal Hill SE10 Hamish Johnston 48 Northcote Road SW11 La Fromagerie 30 Highbury Park N5 None of these are as central as Rippon (which is near Victoria Station), but are worth checking out if you have the time to spare. You might also want to check out the cheese department in Fortnum & Mason's in Piccadilly and Selfridge's on Oxford Street. One recommendation: Stinky Bishop (which is as good as its name). If you like Livarot, try the Bishop. Only don't take it back to the States with you, lest everything in sight takes on its odor. I don't know how often you get over here, but as a displaced NYer, I have found the following resources (other than eGullet, of course) to be indispensible: The Time Out Shopping Guide, 7th ed. Gray's Guide to London Food Shops The Essential Guide to London's Best Food Shops One final note (and then I'll stop). If you do check out F&M (and DO), stop by the pastry department and get what claims to be the original sticky toffee pudding (which is much like fabled Etats Unis dessert you were so kind to lead me to many years ago). They have a website, which is cleverly named www.stickytoffeepudding.co.uk. Have Fun!
  11. If pizza is like sex, then Dominos is like spending a night in a trailer park in Arkansas. Ditto for stale macaroons. My wife and I went to Laduree the other week. Simply fabulous. I had a pastry called Arabica and my wife had a tarte au citron. Both were wonderful. And, of course, the inevitable macaroons. The chocolate Laduree was divine. As a side note, we had gone to Angelina about a year ago. It was dreadful. The service was, as promised, poor, but the food was even worse. Never to return.
  12. I'm not sure what its actual opening date was, but Bid is by far my favorite new restaurant in NYC. A great restaurant in a neighborhood that sorely needed one. The restaurant I will miss most is Quilty's. It was my favorite brunch restaurant. Their coffee was great and their French Toast, layered with mangos and marscapone was genius. (Frontiere, which apparantly closed for reasons happily unrelated to 9/11, would have been my first choice). All in all, my regular rotation has been mercifully unaffected. Perhaps we are seeing the wheat separated from the chaff?
  13. I think it is fair to say that romance is in the eye of the beholder. For me, a romantic restaurant should be dark and cozy (the more candles the better). It should have good service (so as not to spoil the mood) and good, but not great, food (so as not to distract from the object of your affection). As such (and based on my limited experience), La Poule au Pot, as suggested above, fits the bill.
  14. mogsob

    Craft

    Bux, I really do think it is easier to hide under sauces and spices. Classic french bistros in NYC and London are a good example, as are many Parisian brasseries. I quite agree that at the top end you are quite right. But when you look down the ladder a notch or two, there are many restaurant that have yet to master the basic techniques of roasting, braising and broiling. Yet they cover it up with a tasty sauce and seemingly get a 20 in Zagat-NYC every year.
  15. mogsob

    Craft

    I've made my reservation and am going in February. I'll report back with my notes and comments.
  16. I live in London for most of the year, and we've found the beef even worse than in Paris. Next time in NYC, we're going to Luger's and Craft (SS's rec) to get our steak fix cured for good.
  17. Since the BSE scare, I've noticed that my familiar haunts for steak have altered their offerings (especially the absence of hangar steak). The wife is demanding a great steak frites on our next trip and thought I would solicit recommendations. My initial thought was Chez George. Thanks.
  18. mogsob

    Craft

    If by "yumminess" you mean a dish that can instantly silence conversation (and, indeed, all thought independent of and irrelevant to the act of tasting), then GT has the highest score in my book. It is easy to dress up a dish with exotic spices and sauces and make it taste great. The genius of Colicchio lies in his ability to extract the most pure and deep flavors from his subject with a minimum of fuss. The secrets are revealed in his book: slow cooking and the best ingredients. That is why the best dishes on the menu invariably include the word "roasted." Not only is going to GT a joy for the pure dining experience (i.e. great food, great service, great ambiance, if the Zagat definition holds), but tasting Colicchio's food has made me a more educated diner (about what things should taste like) and a better cook at home. Few restaurants in the world can make that claim (Le Bernardin, the old Lutece, Guy Savoy, Michel Rostang, to name a few).
  19. My wife and I are traveling to Paris this weekend to celebrate our first anniversary. Having just moved to London from New York, and on the heels of a two week holiday in Sonoma/Napa, I neglected to make the all-important dinner reservation. We spent the last 10 days of our honeymoon in Paris and had dinner at Guy Savoy, Pre Catalan, Michel Rostang and Jacques Cagna (and numerous bistros). Of these, Rostang was the clear winner (the truffles may have had something to do with that). Any suggestions on a similarly brilliant restaurant that I could secure on such short notice? Thanks in advance.
  20. We had five courses and two bottles of wine (a fine Chilean Cab called Domus Aurea and a Qune Viognier). We were 4 and could not get the matching wines unless we ordered the suggested menu.
  21. My god, people. The boy is barely out of college and you are sending him to March (跌 per couple easy) or One if by Land/TIBS (having the distinction of being quite bad and just as expensive). Despite rumors to the contrary, romance can be had in NYC for a lot less (without stooping to the recession special at Gray's). But before I get to my suggestions, a word of caution. A few years back, a good friend of mine proposed to his long time girlfriend at Le Bernardin. Neither had been there before and they were both extremely excited about the meal. My friend (who was quite nervous, he says) could not wait for dessert and proposed up front. Both were so overcome with emotion that they could not -- and cannot to this day -- remember what they ate. That said, I would suggest proposing first (at one of New York's romantic hotel bars -- Bemelman's in the Carlyle, the King Cole in the St. Regis, the Top of the Tower in the Beekman come to mind, as do Temple Bar, Merc Bar for dowtown types). Then you can walk/cab to dinner and enjoy your meal at ease. That said, here are my suggestions: Savoy -- great little bar upstairs (for doing the deed) and a romantic country inn-type setting. Il Buco -- unique Alison on Dominick (although a little more expensive) There are also several bistros around town with cozy, romantic settings and reasonably palatable food. Some of the more romantic ones are: Chez Michellet (although be warned that there reservation policy is Nazi-like) La Ripaille Le Refuge (food has slipped considerably over the last 15 years) Erminia (Italian and thus not a bistro, but along the same lines). Finally, for something completely different, how about afternoon tea at Lady Mendl's. Extremely good and romantic. Best of luck and congratulations in advance.
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