WineAG's Profile
One Day, 7 pizzas
My first slice at Otto was vg about 2 months ago... but it struck me odd that all of the pies are displayed and then heated up. Most slice places cook pies and use them fresh, if possible, using cold pies as backups. Here, even if a pie comes right out of the oven, they just put it in the rack for later. When I inquired about this they said that since the pies are displayed on a slant, if it were put up there fresh the toppings would slide off. I realize that the space here is limited, but I don't like this idea. I think the quality suffers with this concept. I prefer fresh to heated up and have often waited for a fresh pie at places that had "a pie in the oven" rather than take a "warm up". Can't do that here.
So it didn't surprise me that the slice on my recent visit was poor... topping tasted a bit off.... had that sitting around too long taste... really a shame.
So, I won't be back to Otto for slices... will only go when I need a whole pie and can get it made to order.
Noma dethrones El Bulli as worlds best restaurant
Never been to Noma. Take these BEST lists with a grain of salt. Just look at the rankings and if you know these places you can see some unusual placements. In any case, how do you determine if a place should be #1 or #5... so subjective.
Regarding El Bulli... I've been there 4 times over the years. My last meal, last month, was without a doubt the best meal I've ever had there... stunning. Ferran is firing on ALL cylinders. Most noticeably, the service has been bumped up to a level that matches the food... brilliant. Amazing that the place is at it's all time high IMO only to close at the end of July.
El Bulli closing got you down... not to worry... Ferran's much more accessible collaboration with his brother and 2 others on a new place that just opened this month in Barcelona called Tickets (and the tapas bar next door, 41 Degrees) is an amazing, more casual, less expensive spot where their food shines... and some very "El Bulli"-like plates abound.
Ferran's philosophy of bringing his food to a less "elite" crowd... where it doesn't cost an arm and a leg... where you don't have to beg for reservations (by the way, you book on-line)... is in evidence here. 2 fantastic spots!!
From looking on line, I see that reservations at Tickets is already tough to impossible, somewhat easier at 41 Degrees. Don't discount 41 Degrees... this spot, is a smaller space, but still killer!
Check out the wild design of these places on their web site...
http://www.ticketsbar.es/en//
Where to eat in/around Lausanne Switzerland?
A discussion of where to eat in Lausanne is not complete without mention of one of the greatest restaurants in all of Europe just minutes away in the little village of Crissier... Philippe Rochat's de l'Hotel de Ville. Perhaps a little too over the top for what the OP requested but should still be mentioned when speaking of the region.
Rochat started as a young chef working in the kitchen of the great Fredy Girardet, perhaps our generation's greatest chef... and took the helm when Mr. Girardet retired in 1996. The place is fabulous.
http://www.philippe-rochat.ch/
Anyone Been to Menton? Any Opinions?
To put the pricing in perspective... at the top restaurants in Europe (and there are many) figure more like $1000 per couple with just a modest wine. ... a product of higher prices in general and the weak dollar. Sadly, these days $400 is too easy to spend in NYC (or any city for that matter) at a myriad of top spots, including steak houses. Of course wine is a big factor. Att Per Se that's not even possible (menu is $275/head for food... includes gratuity but no beverages or wine.
In a time when diners are moving away from haut cuisine for many reasons (lifestyle, economics) and high end restaurants are closing or lowering their prices... Barbara Lynch has the food world watching to see what happens with her new venture. I am happy to see that she is coming out of the gate with such glowing comments. Not surprising it's busy now. The true test will be in 6 - 9 months when the initial buzz and novelty fades. Will those that try it return? It's amazing to see her going this route during these times. I wish her all the best with Menton and hope it succeeds.
www.wineag.com
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Menton
354 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
Five Guys coming to Natick!
After so much talk about these burgers I visited the Marlboro location with great anticipation a few months ago. I must say it was one of the worst burgers I've ever had. All the raves about these overcooked thin patties is beyond me. And the concept?? A regular burger is one ot these patties... want a large burger... they just add another patty to the bun. Really weak. At least the fries (and they give you a mountain of them) are not too bad. So, what is there to like about this?
Not so impressed by 2003 Château d'Yquem
Around Thanksgiving had the 1990 from magnum and it was excellent. While very young, especially in that format, it was still fantastic... amazing balance, concentration, long finish. I've always loved the 1990, even years ago. Great now and it will get even better. Had it along side a 750ml of the 1959... very dark in color, evolved, a little nutty, still good fruit and long length... not going to be getting any better. I enjoyed the 59 but I'm more partial to the classic, rounder vintages of Yquem... like the 90 or the 83. I don't drink a lot of dessert wine but over the years I've enjoyed Yquem quite a bit. No question it's a great great wine and it's because of the great vintages that the wine warrants the high praise... and there are many great vintages.
I still remember the days when Anthony's Pier 4 sold the 1967 by the glass. As discussed, ordering by the glass can be risky. I'd only order a special wine by the glass (figure they're not moving it very quickly) if I knew they were opening a new bottle for me... would pass otherwise at any price.
I can assure you that a place like Gaslight doesn't go through 1 or 2 halves of Yquem a night.... be willing to bet a 375ml of the amazing 2001 on that one.
Steve
www.wineag.com
Sea Salt Naples
Dined at Sea Salt last weekend and I am happy to report this place is still excellent... as good as I remember it from the last time I was there. It was a Saturday night and the place was full. The staff is very friendly and does a nice job... I always liked the design of room and bar... the cool glass wine cellar, etc. The food was great. Started with a couple of frito misto samplers for the table (we were 8)... the execution of the dish (not greasy at all, very lightly fried and served hot) and quality of the seafood (shrimp, calamari, scallops, clams) is a good indication of what the kitchen can do and I highly recommend it. For apps we continued with a few pastas, cheese plate, cured meats and a couple of others... all excellent. I had the bone in tenderloin which was perfectly cooked.. served with excellent mashed. Everyone loved their meal.
The wine list here is the best list that I've seen in the region. Fantastic wines, stored and served at the right temp...and at all price points. Also, excellent wine glasses. I was very pleased with Sea Salt and will return in March.
BTW, also had a fantastic meal at Trulucks... stone crab shined here. The king crab was good but couldn't hold up to the perfect stone crab.... the all you can eat stone crab on Mondays would be a good bet. The steaks here were also fabulous. Great service, excellent atmosphere (our table of 4 sat on th patio) and sides rounded it out. This place is very solid, polished. Expensive, but worth it.
Sea Salt Naples
It's amazing how erratic the reviews are for this place. I was there last Feb and it was excellent. Great atmosphere, service, chow and wine. I particularly enjoyed the dedication to wine... nice list and a full time sommelier... I remember thinking I hope they can support this expense. I am on route to Naples today and will be heading back to Sea Salt this weekend... I hope it's as good as I remember.
Seasoning the glass?
Understand and agree with your comments regarding this issue. Looking over the wine glass is important but it's also very important for all to remember... ALWAYS smell the glass. This is key. If they weren't rinsed properly you'll notice an oder and this of course will effect the wine negatively. This is common and I'd estimate I run into problems with the glass about 40% of the time. This problem, poor wine glasses in general, and red wine served too warm (not in temperature controlled storage) are a few of my biggest pet peeves regarding wine service in restaurants.
www.wineag.com
Seasoning the glass?
I'll address 2 things... the practice of seasoning a glass... and also the experience you described at Mozza... which I find quite unusual.
Your Mozza experience is very unprofessional on many levels. First of all the waitress should have made it clear what she was doing... whatever is was? A teaspoon of wine in each glass is too small to be considered a taste... and if it were a taste, albeit a tiny one, the waitstaff should have presented it as such. So, what was in each glass? Was it a different wine, or wine from the bottle you ordered? I get the impression it was wine from the bottle ordered... in which case, wine from your bottle should NEVER be poured to every guest before offering it to the "host" (or whomever they are presenting the wine to to taste)... that's the idea of asking the "host" to taste the wine to check if there are any problems with it. If there is a problem then you don't pour it to the other guests. Another problem is, "What is the guest supposed to do with the wine that was presented?.. drink it? Seems this was never made clear by the waitress. This is a good case of a place trying to do the right thing but failing miserably.
Seasoning a wine glass: This is a practice that can have practical merit... is rarely done... and if it is it's generally done in very high end restaurants, particularly in Europe. That said, I do it on occasion at home for a few reasons (which you may figure on your own when you see the description of the process)... and sometimes in a restaurant when the glasses have no hope of being odor-free. The reason it's not done more often is that it is very time consuming... it's not understood by most people... it's not something most people care about or find necessary. The truth is, because of the VERY poor wine glass washing methods of most restaurants, it should be done more regularly. Interestingly enough it's needed more in the lesser restaurants in the US than the higher end ones who take more care in the washing wine glasses
THE PROCESS: After checking to see if the wine is sound (either by taste or smell) the sommelier pours a small amount of wine into the first clean wine glass and swirls it to coat the glass. This treats (or rinses) the glass by taking away any smells or residues that might be found prior. This wine is then transferred into the next wine glass and the process is repeated until all of the glasses are "seasoned". If the wine is being decanted, then this wine is poured into the decanter to "season" the decanter. When all is done, this wine is discarded. When you smell the glass it should now smell like the wine. As you see this method uses very little of the wine.
Mozza failed on many levels. The customer is not supposed to season the glass themselves and pouring wine into each glass will waste a lot of the wine. Since the waitress did such a poor job in handling this process I bet that most people drank the wine they were presented. The idea is to discard the "wine wash". Mozza needs to get their act together in this regard.
As a practical matter, if a wine glass is properly cleaned and is odor free, there is really no reason to season the glass... but it's a nice thing to remember for the times you need to use it.
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Loved Antico Arco - Rome
Agreed. These guys know what they're doing. Don't try to "overthink" the menu. If you go, just order the tasting menu, relax, and have a great time.
Loved Antico Arco - Rome
If you're going to Antico Arco I would highly recommend the tasting menu they proposed. It looks fantastic and is not pricey for this place. A "traditional" menu there would be bit lower per head but you wouldn't have as many courses. If you wanted those items (not sharing ) it would cost more than the tasting.
The benefit of the tasting is that they will give you a smaller portion of more things. I found the portion sizes of the regular offerings to be too large anyway... the tasting size I would think would be more appropriate to my liking... and don't feel it would be small by any means. Passing/ tasting dishes with 6-8 people may be a bit awkward and somewhat of a hassle as well.
The tasting seems like the way to go!
Veuve Cliquot NV Champagne Yellow Label?
Good point... But I do want to mention that the regular Vintage is much more long lived than the LGD. I've had Magnums of older Veuve from the fifties... 53, 55, 59 for ex) over the years that have been superb. Keep in mind that they have been properly stored and were in magnum format. As I was born in 55 I've had the good fortune to have it on a few different occasions.... the last time on my 50th bday... it happens to be a great vintage for VCP and it was fantastic. So the Vintage Veuve does last. Agree the LGD doesn't have that kind of aging potential. Still love the LGD (the wonderful shape and weight of the bottle is great too)... just have to factor in the longevity factor as with any wine.
PALM'S 4LB. LOBSTER
The Palm does this every summer... I've had it a number of times and highly recommend it. Their lobsters are always great.
I always like to have some beef when I go to the Palm so I can enjoy some red vino... so I often use this promo this way... Start with the salad course... then split the lobster as the next course (can upgrade to 5 or 6 lbs depending on how much lobster you want/number of people you're with, etc.). Then share some steaks. Sort of like a Palm "tasting menu".
Veuve Cliquot NV Champagne Yellow Label?
I've always been a fan of this Champagne house and always have a good supply in my cellar... usually around $40/bottle in the Boston area. That said, I did find a bit of bottle variation with some drop in quality over the past few years. However, just when I get a little concerned, I find bottles that drink gloriously... even close to the quality of the vintage wine. Like any wine, but particularly with Champange, I am particular now to make sure the stock is fresh when I'm picking up some Veuve... so I'm sure it's been stored well.
I also find La Grand Dame to be one of the best Tete Cuvee's around... it's long been a favorite.
For info on blends, and the makeup of the various products/vintages/notes, etc. just visit their web site which has a lot of good stuff.
http://www.veuve-clicquot.com
Loved Antico Arco - Rome
Just pulled out the bill... they lump everything together (ie. 4 Primi 65 euro)... so approx:
Apps: 16 euro
Entrees: 31 euro
Dessert: 11 euro
Also, remember that above prices include VAT and tip...
I had a nice bottle of 2001 D'Alessandro Syrah Cortona Il Bosco for 43.50 euro... excellent and fairly priced wine list. Didn't pay attention fo the wine bar concept in the front... the wine bar seems to have some outdoor seating... would imagine they have a nice wine by the glass program.
Loved Antico Arco - Rome
I dined at Antico Arco a couple of weeks ago. For serious foodies looking for a modern, sophisticated take on Roman cuisine this is a fantastic place to visit. I highly recommend it. Everything was perfectly cooked, beautifully presented. Highlights included the Castelmagno risotto in a Nebbiolo sauce, Mancini small macaroni with amatriciana sauce, a rustic style veal chop, but all was great. This place is on the expensive side but well worth it for what they do. The atmosphere is upscale yet casual... I think the photos on their web site look more formal and somewhat intimidating than the place actually is. Serious Italian wine list as well. The staff did fine with our speaking English. If I lived in Roma this would be a regular haunt. Also, I like the mainl level dining rooms rather than the one that's upstairs.
www.anticoarco.it
Winecellar of Silene?
Probably figure that they'll concentrate on their other store which is in a MUCH better location and does a lot more volume.. Warehouse Wine and Spirits next to Whole Foods in Framingham (Rt 9).
http://www.warehousedwine.com/
Why is wine by the glass so much more expensive in the US v. Europe?
Visited Rome, Tuscany, Provence, Lyon, Paris... and live in Boston. Let's put it this way regarding pricing in Europe these days with the current exchange rate... When my 6 year old son would order Orangina or Fanta in a restaurant the cost was $8-10... $4.50 at McDonald's. Wines by the glass were typically 18-25 ea. at restaurants for basic stuff. I stuck to bottles, which were better quality and while expensive, easier to swallow than the wine by the glass offerings. To clean a shirt in a hotel.. ranged from $18 - $25.
So, pricing/quality is MUCH better here at home... at a place like Troquet for example.
Oh yeah, was also recently in London... don't get me started.
Why is wine by the glass so much more expensive in the US v. Europe?
Agree with you Bill. Having just returned from an extended stay in Italy and France I can honestly say that I was relieved to get back to the US from a price standpoint. Everything in Europe is about twice as expensive as in the US.
Summer 2009 openings and closings
Looks like Benatti is on a "permanent" vacation. Their phone is now disconnected. Oddly, they are still listed on Open Table and you can make reservations, which I'm sure has inconvenienced some people. Too bad a place like Benatti couldn't make it. I only had excellent meals there and enjoyed the intimate atmosphere and personal attention. Wish they had closed more gracefully.
T.W. Food & Craigie on Main -- Service is no match for the food
There's been much reported on Craigie... of course one of the Boston area's great spots for food lovers, so let's talk about TW Food. I believe that TW Food is one of the most innovative and exciting places around. I find the service adequate... most importantly they have a great attitude there... they aim to please. Part of the charm is the small, unassuming nature of the place. They have a limited staff and as you say, it's all about the food. The service I've received has been good... no really long waits. The chef is doing some of the best food in town at prices that are a bargain for what he's doing. For those who haven't been... go if you're into innovative high quality cuisine and prepare to be amazed at how wonderful the place is. Miniscule wine list but VERY fairly priced and there's always something you'll find to please.
Very special and we're lucky to find this true husband and wife "labor of love" and true dedication to cuisine in our midst.
Sensing at Fairmont Battery Wharf?
Not a very glowing endorsement of this high end newcomer... seems like they still have quite a ways to go. Was looking for more at this point... so will avoid till I hear they have their act together... if they ever do. Thanks for the update as we haven't heard about Sensing in a while.
Rate my Naples Itinerary
I have to say I had an excellent meal at Sea Salt a few weeks ago. Fun, open atmosphere. We had excellent service (husband and wife team) and excellent chow. I was very impressed with their wine list. The sommelier came with the chef from DC... he knows his stuff... there's a real dedication to the wine program... wasn't expecting it. Will definitely go back on my next visit.
Veuve Clicquot CEW: what do I have?
Good sleuthing... Over the years I've run across some some different products for different markets around the globe. The ones I recall have been NV and vary to some degree by the amt. of dosage... ie. often these bottlings are a bit sweeter than the typical NV we know.
Regarding price, I found it a bit unusual that the OP was looking for VCP duty free, as its been my experience that the NV sells for about the same price all around the globe... and not really worth the duty free effort. I see the OP lives in Israel, so perhaps the OP can shed some light on the store pricing over there. Suspect there's also some taxes that drive up the price of wine there?
Veuve Clicquot CEW: what do I have?
Interesting. I'm very familiar with Veuve Clicquot but this doesn't ring a bell... however, I'm sure we can figure out what it is. A few questions.
1. Is this a vintage wine or non-vintage? If vintage, what year?
2. What color is the label?
3. In what country was the bottle purchased?
4. What was the cost of the bottle?
Attaching a photo of the label would be even better.
Im guessing that this was a bottling made for a particular market (country). BTW, just for fun, check my web site home page and in the photo slide show you'll see a photo of the man who made the wine you're talking about... the cellarmaster at VCP. He's inspecting a very old magnum of Veuve. So, if we can't figure out what it is, I'll ask him.
www.wineag.com
Marty's Liquors in Allston is closing
Sorry... yes, had it backwards. So, what I said but reverse it !! Even better... better parking lot in Newton location.
Marty's Liquors in Allston is closing
Always a surprise when the landscape changes... then you try to figure why a place that's been around for years is closing. Of course, could be many reasons... but hard to believe it's the landlord playing hardball. Obviously, the place is not raking in the dough, so probably figure they'd consolidate and just concentrate on their Allston store... it's only 4 miles away. The beer, liquor, food business won't follow, but many of the high-end wine buyers who frequented the Newton store will. I've bought a bunch of wine at Marty's over the years. I have to drive there anyway, so for my wine purchases I never cared which store I went to. In fact I prefer one store, so all of the stock is in one place.
So, if the business level in Newton didn't justify a new lease, not a bad move IMO.
Cambridge top 5 based on food
What's up with Benatti? Gotta get there... but the place seems a bit hard to figure... like the time a couple of months ago when people wondered if it closed or was for sale (still don't know what that was about)... then there are the continual, if sporadic raves.
I'd have figured someone would have mentioned Benatti their list of top 5 in Cambridge... but no? Seems like it should belong if the recent reports are any indication.
I'm gonna go soon, but what's up with this place???? Makes me wonder why it doesn't get more support. Sounds like a fantastic place.
South Beach for 2 nights - want great food and good scene
IL Gabbiano is a fantastic Italian place (former IL Mulino NYC owners) that has opened recently not far from your hotel (5 mins)... also great for lunch, right on the water.
Casa Tua is another Italian spot with perhaps the best service in town... nice chow, esp. the pastas. Great atmosphere, sort of clublike. There is a private club upstairs. Lots of Euros here.
