A COUPLE OF NICE WINES
Joined by some wine-loving friends, last night I sampled a couple of lovely wines. Just FYI:
The 2005 Plume Bleue, a vin de pays D'Oc from Laurence Feraud of Domaine du Pegau in sunny southern France, is a blend of syrah and grenache with a load of ripe fruit. It's easy-drinking, this rustic red, right for unfussy meats and poultry. It's imported by Hand-Picked Selections, Warrenton, Va., and retails for about $10.
The 2005 Cantina del Taburno Beneventano Greco is a seriously fruity Italian white that we used to wash down a potently accented seafood salad of octopus and squid. I'd call this vivacious, sporty thing right for kicked-up seafood. It was selected by Marc de Grazia for Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, N.Y., and sells for about $13.
The best way to find the wines you want is to call around to wine shops where you live and find out if they deal with the area distributors who stock wines from specific importers. Keep calling until you find someone who says (for example), Yup, we get in Skurnik's wines. Then ask if the shop has the specific bottle you're after or if they'll order it for you. Walking blind into a wine shop, expecting to find a specific boutique bottle, pretty much is a waste of time.
Anyway, I'm off this week and I plan to try to get some non-work eating and cooking in. If I cook up anything spectacular, I'll report in. I'll be in NYC for the Beard Awards festivities Sunday through Tuesday (May 6-7-8); I'll touch base with y'all about the awards after I get back home.
cheers,
Andy
4.29.07
posted by Andrea Clurfeld at 3:23 PM
6 Comments:
Your column used to have tidbits about openings and closings - any chance of that returning?
I know that there's a certain (unnamed here) magazine that does it but said person only references North Jersey (for the most part)...it would be most helpful if restauranteurs wanted to add a thread here about newly opened / newly closed...
La Tapitia is now Plaza Tapitia with a new menu!
Where is La Tapatia? Or Plaza Tapatia? (AP?)
To anonymous, re: restaurants:
It wasn't my column, which is a restaurant review column, that offered openings and closings, but a separate listing of restaurant news.
Periodically, when restaurant owners and chefs send in news of openings, of chef changes, of very special events, our Entertainment Editor Kathy Dzielak sees that this news gets in the Sunday paper - as close to my Dining Companion column as possible. Restaurateurs and chefs are welcome to send in such news at any time; address it in care of Kathy Dzielak.
And, yes, chefs should feel free and welcome to post information here at any time. I'm asked repeatedly by readers if chefs could post their nightly specials here. YES - any time. So, chefs, please chime in.
And thanks to Lisa for updating us on the name change of a very fine Mexican restaurant in Asbury Park, right on Main Street. Can't wait to check out the new eats there. If anyone has been, please report in. Thannks!
cheers,
Andy
5.9.07
Thanks for the headsup...
I was shocked that the Press didn't give you space for a full article on the Beard awards...just the logon to the website...
Psyched that Frontera Grill won...well deserved...
oh and btw, that other magazine, I tried 3x to contact said person, she doesn't exist on there...bad email...
BLUE in LBI opens tonight for the season!
WAIT, WAIT!
I have stories pubbing this Sunday in Celebs and this coming Wednesday in Food on the Beard Awards. Lots of photos, too, but I was so ticked off the honchos at Avery Fisher Hall wouldn't let our photog Bob Bielk take photos at the actual ceremony. You get the best reactions from the winners that way.
But there's lots to come - hang in there!
Meanwhile, I just posted a bit about my eating adventures before and after the Beard Awards. I always try to make the most of my time in NYC. Which means, it's nonstop eating.
thanks for writing!
cheers,
Andy
5.11.07
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