Quick WCC update: I'm on my way...

At this point, you may be asking yourself, "How is Janine doing on her Wine Century Club quest?" Well thanks for asking-- that's a great question. I'm happy to report that I've been doing quite well! As of this writing, I'm 61 wines in, well ahead of the pace required to finish up 100 varietals by July 6, 2011.

Now, here's the challenge: While I've been diligent in sampling off-beat wines and not ticking off all the "easy" grapes first, the next 39 will certainly be more challenging to find, especially since I tend to order wine by the glass rather than the bottle. So, dear readers, I ask for your recommendations. If you know any places in Manhattan, either restaurants or bars, that have unusually extensive wine by the glass menus or tend to offer offbeat wine varietals-- I've found that Spanish and Greek places are especially good for that-- please email me at lifewithfoodanddrink@gmail.com and let me know! You will earn my undying appreciation as well as a toast in your honor.

Yours in wine,

Janine

Bin 36: My wine bar away from home

Last week, I was in Chicago for a work conference. Upon the recommendation of the hotel's concierge, I ventured out of our conference-center surroundings and made it up to Bin 36 twice during my stay. And let me say-- if I lived in Chicago, Bin 36 would be one of my most-visited, regular spots.

It's a huge, cavernous, airy space, filled with tables laden with cheese boards and happy people drinking wine. As a huge bonus to my wine century quest, they offer half-glasses of wine, so you can try lots of different types of wine as you nibble on some delicious food. Over the course of my two visits there, I tried a Sauvignon blanc/Semillon/Muscadelle blend, a Grenache blanc/Marsanne/Rousanne blend, a Cortese/Gavi blend, and a delightful sparkling rose. It was great to get so many unusual wine options on one by-the-glass list.

Wines with explanation cards

Sparkling rose!

But what about the food? They offer small, wine-friendly bites with a huge selection of cheese. My first time there, I started with the Bin 36 Market Salad, with organic greens, dates, pistachios, pecorino cheese, and honey-champagne vinaigrette. It was incredibly fresh and light and tasty, each ingredient zinging against the mouthwatering wine.

YUM!

Afterwards, I was still a bit hungry, so I ordered a dish of olives. This $5 starter was a veritable trough of olives, all mixed with thyme, anise, garlic, and orange zest. This was salty and tender and spicy all at once. And did I mention it was an enormous portion?

More olives than could be consumed by one table

To cap off the meal, I ordered a dish of house-made ice creams. There was chocolate and pistachio and a honey-rum (I think) concoction-- three tiny scoops. Surprisingly, I liked the pistachio best; I tend not to like pistachio-flavored desserts, but this ice cream had some good texture and some extra creaminess from the nuts.

Tiny ice cream boules

On my next visit, I ordered the endive, watercress, and pear salad, with goat cheese rather than blue cheese. This was another fresh, tasty, flavorful mixture, all capped off with a handful of roasted spiced seeds (I think they were pumpkin seeds). Unfortunately, it seemed that the chef had grabbed the bottom handful of the seed bin, so along with the seeds themselves was a handful of almost pure-salt spice dust. The bites that were laden with dust were chokingly salty, which made parts of the salad almost inedible. Other than that, though, this was another memorable concoction.

Minus the nuts... delish

I cannot recommend Bin 36 highly enough-- it's a friendly, welcoming place for some great wine and some good food. Next time I'm in Chicago, you can bet I'll be back.

Bin 36
336 North Dearborn, Chicago, IL
312-755-9463

Duck and beets with the Bossman

Last week, the Bossman was in town from across the pond, and since this was a rare period for us to spend some face-to-face time together, we celebrated with a dinner at 44 & X.

I was battling a tenacious and mean-spirited cold, so my appetite wasn't what it should have been. In order to get some food in me, I ordered the terrine of roasted beets and aged goat cheese, with wild watercress, blood oranges, candied walnuts, and blood orange vinaigrette. Apparently, I'd ordered this dish in a past visit to 44 & 10, to mixed results. This version was pretty much the same-- sweet, firm beets, cut interestingly Ruffles-potato-chip-style, with a sprig of watercress, a few stewed figs, and a tiny little dollop of piped whipped goat cheese (note: don't think this was actually aged goat cheese... it tasted like fresh chevre to me). The dish is still sweet, but if you're craving lots of beets, this'll do.

Golden and sweet

Bossman ordered the sauteed breast of duck, which came with sweet potato hash, the same stewed figs, and a red wine reduction. He called the duck "fantastic," although he largely bypassed the veggies. No matter-- we had a side of spinach to complement our other choices, and it was predictably green and virtuous.

Duck buried under veggies

Vibrant emerald

No dessert (see "lack of appetite" above), and we were on our way. No change here-- 44 & X maintains its three OS rating as a decent, ever-so-slightly overpriced neighborhood restaurant.

44 & X
622 Tenth Avenue, at 44th Street
212-977-1170

LWF&D goes to St. Maarten, part II

So, I'm back in NYC, already missing the sunshine and sea. What better excuse to write a bit more on my travels to a tropical paradise last week?

Although St. Maarten/St. Martin is known for its food, I actually had mixed experiences with the restaurants there. As I wrote previously, Cafe de Paris and Serafina's were both delicious. One night I visited a restaurant (that will remain unnamed) that was highly acclaimed but only turned out to be "meh"; afterwards, however, I visited Carousel for some gelato, and THAT was delicious. Behold, my Rocher flavor, which tasted just like the hazelnut candy and had shards of crunchy wafer embedded within.

Just like in Italy

The next night I dined at Spiga, an Italian restaurant in Grand Case. This was the best restaurant of my trip, and as a spoiler I actually returned my final night on the island for a second go. The chef is Italian, his wife is the hostess, and the waitstaff is incredibly welcoming. I dined on the porch, absorbing the warm breezes and the amusing banter of a retiree couple seated at a table near me.

For my meal, I chose the "Caprese" appetizer, which was listed simply as "mozzarella, tomatoes, avocado, olives, capers, basil oil, and eggplant terrine, grape tomatoes, arugula, parmigiano." I was envisioning some sort of stacked dish, but what greeted me was much different, and much more creative.

So much variety

It turned out to be something like a tasting plate. There were two rounds of tomato, crowned with milky fresh mozzarella, pesto, capers, and olives. There was a fanned-out quarter of an avocado. A few fronds of arugula lay under a shower of shaved parmesan. And in the top-right corner was the eggplant terrine, which was an unattractive gray color but had an intriguing flavor that grew on me. The whole thing was fresh and tasty and very Italian.

And then there was dessert (of course!). I chose the "Chocolate" option: warm chocolate hazelnut cake, honey-vanilla gelato, and caramel sauce. It was a decadent, moist brownie-like chocolate cake, which was delicious (although to be honest I don't really remember much hazelnut flavor). The ice cream was cool and creamy and copious, all great things. And there was an interesting sesame tuile to crown things off. If you're craving chocolate cake with sweet vanilla ice cream, it was pretty much near perfect.

Decadence embodied

And so there you have it-- the food highlights of my vacation. Now it's off to Chicago for a conference, where perhaps I'll find a few more food highlights of a different sort...

Spiga
Esperance Road, Grand Case, St. Martin

Carousel
Welfare Road, Simpson Bay, St. Maarten

Goodbye, Bossa Nova; Hello, Flavor

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed Bossa Nova Brazil restaurant on Ninth Avenue between 51st and 52nd streets had closed and there was work going on in the space. I've been out of town for a week, but I walked by this afternoon and voila, we have a new player in the game. Behold, Flavor:

Swank

There was no menu up, but from a cursory glance, it looks like a martini bar (the martini glass motif, maybe?). A Google search yielded nothing; note to bar owners: naming your bar "flavor" doesn't exactly make it highly searchable. Regardless, she's definitely open for business. We'll see what comes of it.

LWF&D goes to St. Maarten

For my first vacation in eight months, I've jetted down to the Caribbean for a week in St. Maarten, one of the tropical islands known for its dining (would you expect anything less?). It is beautiful down here, and I've been alternating between relaxing by the beach/pool and bouncing around the island's roads in my rental car, in search of adventures.

I am here

Monday, I spent a good amount of time in one of Dutch St. Maarten's mega grocery stores. I will say right here that there are few things I like better than a grocery store in a foreign country. I can (and, well, did) wander for hours, exploring all the foreign foods and occasionally impulse-purchasing some Dutch candy. Oops?

Crazy tropical fruits!

Nutella! And Nutella knock-offs!

Later, after some more pool/beach time, I wound down the afternoon in Marigot, an adorable and thoroughly French town on the French side of the island. I wandered around to the shops and galleries and ended up at Cafe de Paris, one of the restaurants by the marina in town. I was treated to a very large and very delicious endive and beet salad mixed with aged goat cheese, walnuts, a light dressing, and an occasional tomato slice. It was enormous and filling and beautifully presented and clearly crafted with lots of care. Eating that salad while gazing out at the sun setting over the ships in the marina was... well, nice.

Huge portion

View from Cafe de Paris

Oh, and on my way out of town back towards the Dutch side of the island, I stopped at Sarafina's, one of the two famous pastry shops in Marigot (what, you think I'd skip dessert? On vacation??). There were options galore, and I had to mentally restrain myself from ordering one of everything. I ended up contented with a chocolate eclair, which I brought back to my hotel room and ate with my fingers. It was by far and away the best eclair I've ever had, and definitely up there in my personal pastry pantheon-- the pate a choux was light and flaky with no trace of burnt flavor. The glaze was sweet and chocolatey and perfect. But the surprise was inside-- a thick strip of chocolate filling. And not just pastry cream, either-- this was thick and rich and almost like dense chocolate mousse. The dollop of chocolate ganache on top was just the literal and proverbial icing on the cake.

The provider

Larger, more substantial, and even more delicious than it looks

That's all for now... the ocean awaits!

Cafe de Paris
Marina Port la Royale
Marigot, St. Martin

Sarafina's
Front de Mer
Marigot, St. Martin

Scarpetta is not "parfait"

Last week, Mom and I ventured into the Meatpacking District for Sunday dinner. Our destination? Scarpetta, a place I'd been longing to visit for a while ever since I had heard about their vegetarian menu. We walked in, right on time for our early reservation, and were told to wait in the vestibule for a few moments by the hostess, who was clearly nonplussed about her job. Soon, we were led into the dining room, classy and understated and mercifully blessed with natural light pouring through the (literal) glass ceiling.

Our meal was marked by ups and downs. Our server seemed awkward and uncomfortable; ordering a glass of wine was a trial, and his recommendations (both for and against certain wines) were almost aggressive in tone. After a couple of false starts, I settled on a glass of Ribolla "Rubikon," a white that was innocuous enough.

Vino, barely white

The bread course was a highlight. Several different types of carbs, from sliced white bread to different types of focaccia to stromboli packed with salami and smoked mozzarella, made a feast fit for a king, and the three accompaniments-- mascarpone butter, a sundried tomato spread, and a spiced olive oil-- were divine (particularly the light, addictive mascarpone butter).

Mmmm bread

I had ordered one veggie appetizer as my entree and one veggie app to share with my mom as a side dish. I requested that they all be brought to the table together; our server said one should be brought first. He said, "I'd like to start you with something because the fish [my mom's selection] will take a while." I said, "don't worry about it" and figured he'd fire everything at once as we had agreed. Wrong! Before my glass of wine had even made it to the table, our shared dish of roasted mushrooms with porcini puree and fingerling potatoes was before us. Because the server's always right, right? Yeahhh. I ate some of the mushrooms; my mom held off until he entree arrived and was thus treated to a cold version of what was otherwise a very tasty dish. The mushrooms themselves were well-seasoned and delightful; the puree was savory and addictive; and the little potato coins were a nice bit of starch to round things out.

Better hot than cold

As the mushrooms sat there half-eaten, our entrees made their way to the table. Mom had chosen the black cod with caramelized fennel and concentrated tomatoes. The portion was on the small side, but Mom really enjoyed it, especially complimenting how well cooked it was.

Lots of orange

My entree was the heirloom tomatoes with marinated eggplant and baby greens. This was a curious dish; it was larger than I had expected, which was a plus, and it was filled with large chunks of tomatoes. Initially I had trouble finding the eggplant, until I realized that there were tiny ribbons of acidic, almost pickled eggplant buried in the mix. Quite curious. It's not a dish I would return for, but it was certainly creative and flavorful.

Last gasp of summer

We were both looking forward to dessert. Mom ordered the chocolate cake, sans espresso sauce; I convinced her to keep the burnt orange-caramel gelato on the plate, and the kitchen added a smear of caramel sauce to round out the mix. I can confidently say based on my tiny taste that this is one of the better molten chocolate cakes I've ever encountered. The cake was the right balance of cakey and fudgy, and the taste was just a bit extra-chocolatey with none of the burnt edge that some chocolate cakes can court. The gelato was also surprisingly good, a nice cool counterpoint to the warm cake.

Almost art deco

I had been choosing between the olive oil cake (concord grape sorbet and pears) and the chocolate & vanilla parfait (hazelnut milkshake and biscotti). I ultimately went with the parfait, and I can confidently say that I tweaked. Sadly, this was one of the worst desserts I've had in a while. The main dessert was a cup of layered mousse/pudding strata, milk and dark chocolate sandwiching vanilla. Texturally, all were fine, but taste-- where was the sweetness? I like desserts because I have a serious sweet tooth, and especially after dinner I crave something sugary to round out the meal. Those who really don't like sweet stuff might find this dessert alluring, but I found the whole thing flat and bland and not nearly sweet enough. Plus, the parfait included a layer of coffee gelee and a crown of coffee granita on top, both of which were powerfully bitter and overpowered the retiring chocolate and vanilla flavors. The whole thing ended up tasting mostly of coffee, a dessert flavor of which I'm not very fond. Had the menu mentioned coffee at all, I would have skipped this dessert entirely. The hazelnut milkshake was a shot of milk lightly flavored with hazelnut; the biscotti were just as you'd expect (dry, crumbly cookies). A bite of biscotto dipped in the milkshake was by far and away better than a bite of the parfait.

Makes me sad to look at

So I'll admit, I left Scarpetta somewhat disappointed. Service overall ranged from mildly unfriendly to stilted and awkward to unpleasant. Food had its ups-- the bread, the mushrooms-- and its low, low downs-- the parfait. And, of course, it's not at all cheap. Our meal (two apps, one entree, two desserts, one glass of wine) came out to around $100. Based on value for money and overall quality of experience, I can't wholeheartedly recommend Scarpetta. As a result, it earns a disappointing two Offset Spatulas and a slow, sad shake of my head.

Scarpetta
355 W. 14th Street, at 9th Avenue
212-691-0555