Baseball and Wine in NYC

[docsconz]

On account of setting the record for most home runs by a catcher, Mike Piazza was just given a gift by his teammates that appears to be a jeroboam of Chateau D'Yqem. I could not tell what vintage it is. Not bad.

[Suzanne F]

Well, after all, a year or two ago, when Piazza was at the height of his powers, his response in a MLB.com interview to a question about what he loved about NY was, "oh, the bars, I mean restaurants."

Remember Rusty Staub? When he had a restaurant some years ago -- serving barbecue and Louisiana food -- he had a GREAT wine list.

According to HWOE, Steve Traschel has gotten his teammates interested in wine. For that feat alone, I hope he has a long, successful career.

[docsconz]

When he gave Piazza the bottle, John Franco said that Trachsel told them to get it because he was tired of Piazza drinking all his wine on the frequent plane flights.

[picaman]

According to HWOE, Steve Traschel has gotten his teammates interested in wine. For that feat alone, I hope he has a long, successful career.

Add Tom Seaver to the list of Mets oenophiles.

Jamie

[MHesse]

Just another reason why the Mets are the superior NYC team.

With the salaries ballplayers make, I'm sure they dine in the finest restaurants around the country. Well, some of the ballplayers anyway. That should lead to an appreciation of wine by some of them.

[Pan]

What do we know about the wine-drinking habits of members of the "inferior" baseball team in the Bronx?

[jhlurie]

I was at the game last night. The team actually won (wow), so I guess nobody was drunk. There was a really suspicious error, but otherwise...

[Pan]

I'm glad you had fun at the game, Jon, but let's keep in mind that some of the very greatest players of all time were known to play drunk and with hangovers. Some dudes named Ruth and Mantle come to mind...

[jhlurie]

I didn't say I had fun. I hadn't planned on going ahead of time and forgot to take a cushion. Those damn seats KILL me.

Food prices appear to be up AGAIN at Shea since I was there last year. In fact, due to bad planning, we found ourselves short of cash on hand, until the person I was with remembered that the "Kids meals" at the Shea concession stands are the same damn hot dog as the normal one, with a 12 ounce drink, chips and dessert in some crappy kiddie bag for like... 25 cents less than a dog by itself outside. Don't think I wasn't embarassed sitting there taking food out of that bag, but it was better than JUST having the dog with a 400% markup.

Getting back to NY baseball and alcohol, our old friend Dale DeGroff has BOTH teams covered for us, even if Wine isn't on the list. Cognac is close though.

[picaman]

Food prices appear to be up AGAIN at Shea since I was there last year.

Ugh. I love the Mets and go to Shea all the time, but I can unequivocally state that, in addition to the outrageous expense, Shea has the worst quality food in any of the dozen-plus major league parks I've visited. Which is curious to me, since Aramark has the contract for most of those parks in addition to servicing Shea. Why does this arm of Aramark do so poorly, especially with the range of suppliers that must be available to them here?

I always bring food in and just buy drinks. Including peanuts to shell. Why in the world can't I get a real bag of warm peanuts in a paper bag, instead of a miniscule amount of cold peanuts in a plastic bag?

Of course, according to the between-innings advertising, I can get sushi on field level. Sushi? At a baseball game? Good God. I'd settle for properly grilled peppers and onions for the occasional sausage I deign to buy.

Apologies for sounding like the Queens version of Andy Rooney

Jamie

[Cleo]

I was at the game on Friday night too. We have season tickets, but (thankfully) we don't go to every game. At the start of every season, we always compare the food prices to the year before to see how much everything has gone up. We always get a good laugh, but it's really so pathetic (the prices AND the food). Most times we bring our own food, not because we wouldn't spend the money, but because the food is so bad.

Friday night we didn't have a chance to get sandwiches, and I wasn't in the mood for a hot dog, so for the first time in 4 years, I got pizza. Mistake. The small slice comes in a box, and I might as well have eaten the box, because that's exactly what the slice tasted like. And all for the bargain price of $4.50!

Anyway, back to the wine that Mike got...does anyone have any idea how much that bottle cost?

[docsconz]

Apparently the bottle was from the 1989 vintage. My guess for cost is around 2 grand - purely a guess. Piazza was told not to drink it until around 2020.

[Suzanne F]

You think he'll still be playing then???

What I want to know about those cocktail recipes from Dale DeGroff: how do you get the pinstripes on the glass? And if you have too many, do you end up feeling like Mr. Met?

[KatieLoeb]

I think I read somewhere that Piazza has an enviable cellar of his own. That mag of D'Yquem ought to be gathering some dust in it for some time if he holds on to it for as long as he was told to.

You better be throwing a pretty big party to kill a MAGNUM of D'Yquem. I'd hate to open that and not finish it. Maybe he can hold it for his 60th birthday party or something.

[jhlurie]

What I want to know about those cocktail recipes from Dale DeGroff: how do you get the pinstripes on the glass?  And if you have too many, do you end up feeling like Mr. Met?

Round? Or overly smiley, even in the face of his team having a sub-.500 season?

Although you wouldn't know it from their last week of playing. Of course, the subway series with the Yankees is coming up now, and Mike and the boys may want to break out the hard alcohol instead of the champagne....

[chopjwu12]

Apparently the bottle was from the 1989 vintage. My guess for cost is around 2 grand - purely a guess. Piazza was told not to drink it until around 2020.

i was there too. the bottle was interesting but what a car he got. I wouldn't mind doing 240mph in that baby!!!!!!!

[docsconz]

You better be throwing a pretty big party to kill a MAGNUM of D'Yquem. I'd hate to open that and not finish it. Maybe he can hold it for his 60th birthday party or something.

Was it a magnum? I thought it looked bigger than that.

[alacarte]

Piazza lives in my neighborhood, and the proprietors of our local 24-hour diner say that he frequently comes in for a bite after the games. Out of respect for MP's privacy I won't say which diner (my neighborhood has several). I wonder which wine goes best with burgers?

[docsconz]

Probably not D'Yquem, unless it is the fois gras "burger".

[eatpie]

Just a heads up to those Mets fans complaining about the food at Shea - and yes, it generally sucks. Mama's (Leo's) from Corona has a sandwich stand on the 3rd base side of homeplate at field level. They offer excellent fresh Mozz and Turkey sandwiches on good bread with small containers of marinated mushrooms and peppers. Sandwiches run $9 and are big enough to share if you're not too hungry. On certain days of the week (Thu-Sun?) they also offer a Pork Special. For those without Field Level seats, walk to the 3rd base side of homeplate and descend the ramp. Then ask security for the entrance to Mama's. There's a backdoor they allow entry to those wanting food without field level seats (at least there was last year).

[alacarte]

Mr. alacarte is taking my Dad to the Yankee-Red Sox game next week. Any tips on getting good food at the Yankee Stadium (or very near the ballpark)?

[Suzanne F]

Does it have to be kosher?

[jhlurie]

Mr. alacarte is taking my Dad to the Yankee-Red Sox game next week.  Any tips on getting good food at the Yankee Stadium (or very near the ballpark)?

I seem to recall that on the field level, along the first base side--WAY down at the end--there's some kind of special area with some premium vendors. I recall getting some pretty decent Jamaican Beef Patties there, and there's also a sushi stand and a (very crowded) kosher cart.

As for "near", I wonder if you could go to Arthur Avenue FIRST, pick up some food, and take it in. How draconian is Yankee Stadium security on this lately?

[mikeyrad]

Piazza and Trachsel are oenophiles. This, ladies and gentlemen, typifies the difference between my beloved Mets and their hated cheap-American-beer guzzling rivals from the Bronx. If I remember correctly, last year when the Yankees won the American League pennant, their celebratory "Champagne" of choice was Korbel -- YECCHH!!! The Mets might get the snot kicked out them this weekend, but at least they can lick their wounds over a mag of D'Yquem. Now, THAT'S class.

[KatieLoeb]

I wonder which wine goes best with burgers?

Barbera d'Asti for me, if available. Otherwise a glass of Syrah or Petite Syrah does just fine with a burger.