NYT Articles on Food, Drink, Cooking, and Culinary Culture (2005–2011)

[lperry]

It was perhaps the most Californian of crimes. Behind the electronic gates and freshly clipped hedges of an exclusive cul-de-sac, the thieves worked in the dead of night, ignoring watches, laptops and other ho-hum booty to cart away the ultimate prize: 450 bottles of wine, including a rare $11,000 1959 magnum from the Château Pétrus in Bordeaux, France.

Is your wine under lock and key?

“Like chocolate was to the Aztecs, wine has become the ultimate currency,” said Daphne Derven, an independent scholar on food and wine based in Eugene, Ore. “It appears that the thieves, whoever they were, had more faith in the stability and accruing value of the ultimate bottle of wine than the American dollar.”

I'm investing in the wrong bank!

The NYT article

[Brad Ballinger]

Hmmm...

A couple of reactions. There is certainly a market for the wines that were stolen. But that market usually purchases wines like those through public auction. I think it will be hard to "fence these wines on the street."

The higher priced wines will only fetch higher prices if they are stored well. I don't know what these thieves will use for storage.

I also question the stability of wine's investment value, given that its fragility increases along with its age.

Overall, this appers as more like a personal revenge/attack instance to me. Perhaps these thieves were not thieves after all, but merely looking to deal a blow to the victim that would cause more damage than the theft of laptops, electronics, jewelry, etc. "Here, take the Tiffany, but leave me my Petrus."

[lperry]

I wondered if there were a black market for high-end wines. So does that mean that the thieves either 1. had a buyer who financed the operation or 2. are really dedicated wine lovers?

[Brad Ballinger]

I wondered if there were a black market for high-end wines.  So does that mean that the thieves either 1. had a buyer who financed the operation or 2. are really dedicated wine lovers?

←

I hadn't thought about #1, but it's an interesting proposition -- and may speak to this being more personal than your run-of-the-mill property theft.

[Florida Jim]

Did you happen to read the last paragraph of the article?

Sad commentary.

Best, Jim

[JohnL]

Hmmm...

A couple of reactions.  There is certainly a market for the wines that were stolen.  But that market usually purchases wines like those through public auction.  I think it will be hard to "fence these wines on the street."

The higher priced wines will only fetch higher prices if they are stored well.  I don't know what these thieves will use for storage.

I also question the stability of wine's  investment value, given that its fragility increases along with its age.

Overall, this appers as more like a personal revenge/attack instance to me.  Perhaps these thieves were not thieves after all, but merely looking to deal a blow to the victim that would cause more damage than the theft of laptops, electronics, jewelry, etc.  "Here, take the Tiffany, but leave me my Petrus."

←

I don't think they will be fenced on the street.

Buyers would not be very hard to find--unfortunately. Unless many of these wines are truly rarities that would raise some red flags--they could turn up at auctions or retailers.

The thieves must have had a truck and a warehouse at their disposal.

A real conspiracy would be it was engineered by an insurance company or a cellar builder or home security outfit looking for business--this theft raised a lot more awareness than a multi million dollar ad campaign! (once in a while my imagination goes into overdrive).

I recall a movie with Jack Nicholson that involved a wine cellar and a jewel theft from a few years back--"Blood and Wine." The premise was the thieves got to the jewels via the wine. Good movie.

[russ parsons]

just out of curiosity: what proof is there that wine sold at auction actually has the provenance it claims. i mean, beyond coming "from the impeccable cellar of a private collector" ... what does that mean? i'm sure they're not asking for original sales receipts, and neither are they asking for proof the wine has constantly been cellared in appropriate conditions (what kind of proof would that be?).

[JohnL]

just out of curiosity: what proof is there that wine sold at auction actually has the provenance it claims. i mean, beyond coming "from the impeccable cellar of a private collector" ... what does that mean? i'm sure they're not asking for original sales receipts, and neither are they asking for proof the wine has constantly been cellared in appropriate conditions (what kind of proof would that be?).

←

Russ

Good points. Without getting into specifics, most auction houses claim to perform due dilligence in verifying the provenance of the wines they offer. I would say most do but there are some who are--let's say--a bit lax in this area.

[johnder]

Last Wednesday the New York Times posted a feature article on London and Cocktails

The article was great coverage of the scene in London, and has quite a few quotes from Audrey Sanders of Pegu Club.

A brief except:

Ten years ago, with the opening of a handful of “proper cocktail” establishments, London mixology was in its protozoan stage: the mere appearance of fresh fruit juice in a cocktail glass was considered a giant evolutionary leap. Cocktails caught on, and soon lesser bars were seeking attention with absurd drinks like bacon martinis. Which is why the explosion of sheer quality and variety in the city now strikes connoisseurs of mixed drinks as so fortunate and so welcome.

At certain restaurants — Zuma, Roka, Hakkasan, Baltic — the people behind the bar are more of a draw than those in the kitchen. Recently renewed hotel bars — the Bar at the Dorchester, the Lobby Bar at One Aldwych, Artesian at the Langham Hotel, Claridge’s Bar, the Blue Bar at the Berkeley — are irresistible again, from their soigné décor to their deep and focused drinks lists. Stand-alone boîtes that look as if Bond just left (Milk & Honey, Montgomery Place) or Barbarella is about to arrive (the Lonsdale, Trailer Happiness) publish booklet menus with whole sections of rye, shochu, Pisco and cachaça drinks alongside the gins and cognacs.

These bars squeeze and press their juices daily, partially defrost and refreeze their mineral-water ice for density and purity and keep libraries of precious liquors. Bartenders outdo each other to corral the most outré bottles: Antica Formula, Dolin Chambéryzette, Wokka Saki Vodka, Penderyn single malt Welsh whiskey. Everyone keeps Martin Miller’s gin from Notting Hill, liqueurs of violet and prickly pear (but not chocolate), Lillet and absinthe (without wormwood).

And their list of the best cocktail places in London:

ARTESIAN Langham Hotel, 1C Portland Place, Marylebone; 7636-1000.

BALTIC 74 Blackfriars Road, Southwark; 7928-1111.

THE BAR AT THE DORCHESTER 53 Park Lane, Mayfair; 7629-8888.

BLUE BAR AT THE BERKELEY Wilton Place, Knightsbridge; 7235-6000.

CLARIDGE’S BAR Brook Street, Mayfair; 7409-6307.

CONNAUGHT HOTEL 16 Carlos Place, Mayfair; 7592-1222.

HAKKASAN 8 Hanway Place, Bloomsbury; 7927-7000.

LOBBY BAR AT ONE ALDWYCH 1 Aldwych, Covent Garden; 7300-1000.

THE LONSDALE 48 Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill; 7727-4080.

MATCHBAR 37-38 Margaret Street, West End; 7499-3443.

MILK & HONEY 61 Poland Street, Soho; 7292-9949.

MONTGOMERY PLACE 31 Kensington Park Road, Notting Hill; 7792-3921.

ROKA 37 Charlotte Street, Bloomsbury; 7580-6464.

SHOCHU LOUNGE AT ZUMA 37 Charlotte Street, Bloomsbury; 7580-6464.

TRAILER HAPPINESS 177 Portobello Road, Notting Hill; 7727-2700.

[eje]

Any travelers or UK citizens have comments or recommendations about any of the specific bars mentioned in the article?

I have to admit I have selfish reasons for asking this. My wife and I will be in England and Ireland for a couple weeks this spring.

Aside from the dutiful pilgrimage to the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel, it would be cool to visit some other cocktailian institutions.

[Mayur]

IMX, Milk and Honey isn't worth it if you spend much time in NY; the branch here is just as good, if not better, and there are better places to hit in London.

If you want classic hotel bar, I'd recommend Claridge's or the Dorchester over the American Bar. While I have fond memories of drinking far too much with Russian mobsters there about a decade ago, IMHO it's not the equal of those places, which, especially in the case of Claridge's, boast plenty of history.

Matchbar, IMHO, is too sceney and slightly overrated; I'd say the best on that list are One Aldwych and the Lonsdale (especially the latter). The Lonsdale and Trailer Happiness actually make for a very nice one-two bar-hopping combo.

Next time I'm at Pegu, I'll ask Elliott (a recent hire from the London bar scene) if he's got any specific recs.

[EDIT: One thing to keep in mind is that drinks are EXPENSIVE in London. Not sure if the NYT mentions this, but expect to pay at least $20 a drink at the listed places, $30-ish at the hotel bars.]

Edited February 13, 2007 by Mayur (log)

[nikkib]

Oh yeah $30 is definitely the average in a hotel bar otherwise not much under $20 anywhere worth visiting- I too would recommend skipping the American Bar aswell, definitely nothing special. As far as hotel bars go Claridges and the Dorchester are definitely worth a visit as is The Player on Broadwick Street in Soho - very laid back media ish crowd (30 something bracket) The Lab Bar on Old Compton Street (also in soho) is another one well wortha shot. Trailer Happiness has an amazing rum collection and the staff are very knowledgable about their craft and along the same lines The Match bar (there are several locations) is another great place to go - Owned by Jonathan Downey the brains behind Milk and Honey. Hakkasan is great, subteranean michelin starred chinese restauarnt with a great cocktail list but pretty similar too ROKA and Zuma so no need to do all three. The Blue Bar at The Berkeley is tiny but has delicious cocktails, and the Bar at The Connaught is probably more like what you remeber the bar at the savoy to be so head there instead. Happy Drinking!

[Snowy is dead]

I was in London for a batchelor party this summer. For some reason I can't remember the names of the bars except we did go to the American Bar at the Savoy. Not to beat a dead horse, but the word I do remember is expensive. I don't remember going to any bars in Dublin or thereabouts that had cocktails other than cosmos, etc, but I imagine there might be some in the Temple Bar area. Enjoy your trip.

[eje]

Given the amount of "work" I've put into decoding Savoy recipes, I do need to stop there, if only to say I've been there and take some photos.

Thanks for the other recommendations! Feel free to PM me with any additional info.

I thought, one of the most interesting things about the article was the discussion of the pros and cons of tipping.

On the one hand, Audrey Saunders argues that the lack of tipping in British bars encourages better overall service and more of a professional attitude among bartenders. On the other hand Mr. DeGroff argues that the lack of the financial rewards from tips results in less stability among bartenders, and a greater fall off rate. As soon as bartenders are well enough known, they step out from behind the plank to take more rewarding consulting gigs or jump to bars offering better salaries.

Edited February 14, 2007 by eje (log)

[gethin]

Given the amount of "work" I've put into decoding Savoy recipes, I do need to stop there, if only to say I've been there and take some photos.

Thanks for the other recommendations!  Feel free to PM me with any additional info.

I thought, one of the most interesting things about the article was the discussion of the pros and cons of tipping.

On the one hand, Audrey Saunders argues that the lack of tipping in British bars encourages better overall service and more of a professional attitude among bartenders.  On the other hand Mr. DeGroff argues that the lack of the financial rewards from tips results in less stability among bartenders, and a greater fall off rate.  As soon as bartenders are well enough known, they step out from behind the plank to take more rewarding consulting gigs or jump to bars offering better salaries.

←

There is certainly a shortage of competant cocktail bar tenders in London. I was recently talking to one of our students (aged perhaps, 20) who is earning £18.00 an hour working in one of the Match group bars - we pay £7.58 per hour to students working in the student union bars pulling pints . I would guess that most pubs are paying a bit less than that. Anyone with a reputation can presumably earn more, even behind the bar.

As far as places to go in London, I'd say that Trailer Happiness is the best of the NYT list ans that Hawksmoor is as interesting as practically any of them.

This probably reflects the facts that:

I can't afford hotel bars and don't like wearing a suit and tie

I dont like loud banging music or people who confuse slish puppies and cocktails

That said, I'm tempted by the Dorchester- their range of vermouth and the fact they had some Old Tom gin made specially for them !

Gethin

Edited February 14, 2007 by gethin (log)

[gethin]

For what its worth, the London and South Regional finalists in the Theme Bar and Restaurant awards , announced last night, included:

Best Drinks Selection - Hawksmoor

Best Hotel Bar - The Dorchester

Best Bar Team- The Lonsdale

Best Classic Bar - Koba , Brighton

Best New Bar - Montgomery Place

They also gave out awards for various irrelevancies, decor, music etc but I won't bore you with them.

Best Bartendr was shared between:

Tobias Blazquez Barcia , Pintxo People Brighton

Joe Stoke, All Star Lanes

Manuel Soro, Salvatores at Fifty

Charles Vexenat ( bar not listed , but presumably the same Charles Vaxenat as was at Tres Agaves in SF ??)

All Star Lanes btw is an upmarket ten pin bowling establishment with a decent cocktail list , and Salvatores at 50 is a private members establishment.

gethin

[ermintrude]

My favorite is LOBBY BAR AT ONE ALDWYCH 1 Aldwych, Covent Garden;

I also like the Long Bar at the Sanderson in the week or out of peak hours at the weekend.

[gethin]

The 1707 wine bar at Fortnum anmd Mason is pretty civilised and has a small but quite interesting cocktail list (and decidely decent bar food, also some reasonably priced wine "flights" specifically matched to the food).

Just up the road , towards Piccadilly, the cocktail bar on the 5th floor of Waterstones bookshop is also worth checking out.

gethin

[Lisa1349]

This topic could be copied in periodicals, but worth mentioning here that finally the New York Times is expanding it's writing on beer. They've finally listened to Rich! This week, Eric Asimov covers the beeradvocate.com founders. Read here, may require registration.

[plattetude]

Asimov has been including beer in his purview for a while now. It's not so new. There've been tasting panels devoted to quite a few different beer varieties, and he writes very intelligently on the subject.

Christopher

[slobhan]

I saw that, it was a nice piece... I always love seeing the Brothers Alström.

[eje]

Had the chance to stop at Montgomery Place in the Notting Hill neighborhood of London this last weekend.

I played stump the bartender by ordering a Bombay Cocktail (No. 2) and we also had the following. Thought they looked so great I should put up pictures.

Gin Gin Mule:

Seriously Spring (Gin, Lemon, Watermelon, soda) and Silver Pine (Rum, Campari, Grapefruit, Passion Fruit syrup):

[feedmec00kies]

Suddenly, the Hunt Is On for Cage-Free Eggs

By KIM SEVERSON

Published: August 12, 2007

The toy industry had its Tickle Me Elmo, the automakers the Prius and technology its iPhone. Now, the food world has its latest have-to-have-it product: the cage-free egg.

article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/us/12eggs.html?ref=dining

What do people think of this?

[sparrowgrass]

I think it is a marketing ploy. Consumers picture Dick and Jane and Sally tossing corn to fat brown hens out in the farmyard, and that just ain't the way it is.

Look at that picture--those hens don't have room to turn around.

[feedmec00kies]

Should This Milk Be Legal?

By JOE DRAPE

Published: August 8, 2007

THERE was the name of a Web site scrawled on cardboard and quickly torn to bits by an anonymous farmer in the Greenmarket at Union Square. Then came the paperwork, legal enough presumably, to protect the source of the illicit substance. Finally, Yaron Milgrom-Elcott received the monthly drop site: an address near Chelsea, open for two hours, show up or lose the white stuff.

Mr. Milgrom-Elcott never missed a drop. Each month, he joined mothers with newborns and Wall Street titans in search of a box of unpasteurized, unhomogenized, raw milk. He is also part of a movement of perhaps hundreds of thousands across the country who will risk illness or even death to drink their milk the way Americans did for centuries: straight from the cow.

Rest of article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/08/dining/0...html?ref=dining

Has anyone here tried raw milk? What's it like? I have to say, all this article does is pique my interest in it more.

Sorry about all the article-posting, but I've nothing more pressing to do besides surf the web at the moment.

Edited August 13, 2007 by feedmec00kies (log)