A new stop for cheese

A couple weeks ago, I met up with CS at the Vintner Wine Market on 9th Avenue for some wine and cheese. I'd passed by this place countless times on the way to Riposo 46 and hadn't even really noticed that there was a cafe section in the back. Atmosphere-wise, it's pretty darn spartan, except for the vases with "flowers" made of rolled-up paper napkins on each table (???), but if you come for the cheese, you won't be disappointed.

Wine-wise, it was a bit hit or miss. They have a small blackboard of wine options, and they were sold out of the wine I wanted. I ended up with a glass of some pretty average red; CS got a glass of gruner veltliner, which was cold and refreshing.

Wine

The cheese plate, however, was truly noteworthy. First off, it was preceded by the cutest set of cutlery I've encountered in a while. Fun fact: It's awkward trying to eat with a two-tined fork.

All together now: Awwwwww

We chose three Spanish selections: Manchego, drunken goat, and garrotxa. The cheeses came with two substantial wedges of each cheese, probably about 6-8 ounces in total, along with a handful of almonds, an assembly line of dried apricots, and a heaping helping of membrillo, the traditional accompaniment to manchego. The whole setup was drizzled with rivers of honey, and it came with a little bowl stuffed with baguette slices. This whole shebang, with every ingredient delicious and of the highest quality, was only $14. Steal!

Bounty

So, would I come back? For the cheese plate, yes. For the atmosphere or wine, no. But still, it's an interesting neighborhood stop to add to my list of local cheese plate purveyors. And we all know that that's a win.

Vintner Wine Market
671 Ninth Avenue, between 46th and 47th Streets
212-957-7500

LWF&D does the Wine Century Club: Week 1

So week 1 of my quest to join the Wine Century Club has drawn to a close. How did I do? Not badly, I think, given the circumstances.

My first check-mark came at dinner last Saturday night, at Zucca in the West Village (review to come). One sip of AS's glass of pinot grigio, and I was on the board. Count it!

My first full entrant, however, came two days later at the Boat Basin, of all places. While the rest of my wiffle ball team celebrated our smashing 17-9 victory with pitchers of beer, I ordered a glass of sparkling white zinfindel. I didn't even know this undignified drink existed, but it does, apparently. It was served in a plastic glass, and it was warm and only mildly bubbly. But zinfindel it was. And there you have it.

Yup, sparkling white zin

Then, last Wednesday, I met up with DA at Riposo 46 to catch up on the past two years. As we discussed his world travels, I sipped a La Poule Blanche, a blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and viognier. Since I anticipate both chardonnay and sauvignon blanc will be relatively easy to get elsewhere, I'll count this sharp and somewhat astringent mixture as my viognier taste. DA ordered a chenin blanc, and a taste of that revealed that it was lightly fruity and actually much more appealing than my own blend. In any case, count that as well.

Bucket 'o' blend

Still one of the best deals in town...

Oh, and we accompanied our beverages with one of their fantastic manchego cheese plates. Mmmm.

So there we go-- the first week of the WCC down, and I'm on the board for four varietals: pinot gris, chenin blanc, zinfindel, and viognier. What will next week bring? We shall see...

Ardesia: I don't really know.

Last Friday night, AV and I decided to check out Ardesia, the brand-new wine bar in my neighborhood. The place was absolutely hopping when we got there at 8:30 or 9 or so; it was so busy that we had to squeeze behind the door to wait while a table opened up. But finally we settled into a corner in the lounge area, which was rimmed with plush, low-backed sofas. Our table was a tiny, moveable TV-dinner-style table that we could swing over our laps. We tried to get comfortable as the enormous and loud group next to us kept growing, encroaching into our already awkward space corner.

The bar itself is really pretty-- chic and modern with blackboards lining one wall and a see-through rack of wine bottles stretching from floor to double-height ceiling behind the bar. But it was loud and crowded. Much more bar-bar than wine-bar-- i.e., if you're looking for a dark, sexy, and romantic nook, Ardesia is not your place.

Our incredibly friendly but aw-shucks awkward waiter finally brought us menus. I wasn't drinking, but there did seem to be a number of nice-looking wines by the glass. AV ordered a beer, and we contemplated our food choices. I asked whether any of the cheeses were brie-like; when I was told honestly no, we decided to share an order of the manchego ($6), which AV supplemented with their house-made cocktail sausages ($5). What arrived shortly thereafter was as follows:

Dollhouse food?

Oh, and bread

Um, wow. In case you're counting, that's $1.66 per sausage, and approximately $1 per small bite of cheese. Was the food decent? Sure. Was it a total rip-off? Absolutely. Contrast this $6 cheese "plate" (that tiny pile of debris is about a tablespoonful of crushed hazelnuts in honey) with what you get for around $8 at Riposo 46, our usual neighborhood wine bar:

Just for the record, that's half a loaf of bread, two garlic crostini, stewed dried fruit, walnuts, a large bunch of grapes, and two huge, thick hunks of manchego

No contest. But I feel bad writing off Ardesia entirely; inexplicably, I actually really wanted to like the place. For one, everyone was so friendly, especially our waiter, who at one point actually used the phrase "Hidey-ho." Plus, it was the first week of the bar's opening... and I do want to encourage more restaurants and nightlife hot spots to explore the currently uncharted territory west of Ninth Avenue in Hell's Kitchen. But if Ardesia is going to survive, it has to either knock down its prices significantly or increase the value (i.e., food, beer) it provides for the money. Till then, you can find us a few blocks away at Riposo 46.

Ardesia
510 W. 52nd Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues
212-247-9191

More deliciousness at Riposo 46

AV and I have been going to Riposo rather frequently recently. It's just an all-around great place: good food, reasonable prices, a nice atmosphere, and delicious wine and beer. Last Saturday, after a successful hike up Bear Mountain (we actually did it! See the following photo for proof), we wanted someplace local... someplace delicious...someplace comforting. And off we went to Riposo 46.

From the top of Bear Mountain... we could actually see the Manhattan skyline in the distance

This time, AV went with a make-your-own veggie flatbread pizza. Our same befuddled and underachieving waiter as last time was unable to answer even the most rudimentary questions about the dish, but nonetheless AV ended up with a winner. It was a vast circle of chewy grilled flatbread covered with caramelized onions, roasted peppers, spinach, and lots and lots of parmesan. I kept stealing bites until AV cut off a few slivers of crust for me to use as "dipping sticks." He's a good egg.

Lots of veggie goodness

My own choice was the same as last time-- the arugula salad, sans grapefruit, plus sauteed mushrooms, all covered in shaved parmesan. It's so savory and filling, and with the dipping sticks I even put the dressing-on-the-side to good use. Another well-executed meal.

Salady goodness

We lingered over our beer and wine and then hit Cold Stone and Starbucks before heading home. Another delightful and relaxing four Offset Spatula weekend evening.

Riposo 46
667 9th Avenue, between 46th and 47th Streets
212-247-8018

Trying the food at Riposo 46

Saturday night, after spending the whole day moving AV's bed, we both needed a stiff drink. Convention dictated we might need some food as well, so we headed on over to our favorite neighborhood wine bar, Riposo 46.

We nabbed a table and eventually were visited by one of the flakiest, most uninterested waiters I've ever encountered. It could not have been clearer that he was a) new to this job, and b) completely unconcerned with his performance in it. We ultimately managed to place an order for drinks and food. And then eventually after that, our drinks appeared-- a frosty beer for AV, a glass of Sofia Coppolo Blanc de Blancs bubbly for me. Yumm.

But we were truly interested in the food this time around. I had ordered a salad, and AV had ventured into the flatbread pizza category. We saw our food appear on the pass, simultaneously noting that our waiter was knee deep in a flirty conversation with a gay couple vociferously holding court at a table by the window. And then we waited. After a few minutes, as the pizza congealed, we considered actually walking over and just plucking the food ourself. But ultimately the cook banged on the dinging bell a few more times, getting our waiter's attention and resulting in a food delivery to us.

AV's margherita flatbread pizza was a pretty oblong shape; it came on a wooden cutting board with a pizza cutter so he could slice it himself. I tried a tiny bite, and it was quite tasty, though I found the sauce to be a little sweet. AV noted there could have been more cheese, but he does love his mozzarella.

A beautiful tableau

My own salad was delicious. I went for the baby arugula salad but substituted sauteed mushrooms for the grapefruit (really don't like grapefruit), which cost an extra $2 but was totally, totally worth it. The salad was blanketed with a flurry of parmesan shreads and tossed in a delicious vinaigrette. Definitely worth returning for.

Sauteed mushrooms + parmesan = so much umami!

After we finished our food, we settled into our drinks. Flaky Waiter asked AV if he wanted another beer, which AV declined. And then he brought it anyway. When I pointed out he had actually not ordered it, FW graciously comped it on the bill. Did I mention his head wasn't really in the game? No worries; we're big fans of Riposo, and the tasty food only added to its appeal. Four Offset Spatulas and a guaranteed repeat visit from these parts.

Riposo 46
667 9th Avenue, between 46th and 47th Streets
212-247-8018

Where everybody knows your name... sort of

Part of the joy of living in a particular NYC neighborhood for any length of time is finding your neighborhood places-- you know, the place where you go to get your groceries, the place where you go to grab a six-pack of beer, the place(s) where you go for take-out. And, of course, that most coveted of places: your neighborhood watering hole. I've been living in Hell's Kitchen for just about two years now, and I still haven't quite found my Cheers, where I've felt it was truly worth the investment to go often enough to establish a relationship with the place and the proprietors. Well, over the past few weeks I think I may have found that place. It's got it all-- good drinks (particularly good wine), good food, reasonable prices, an enjoyable atmosphere, little attitude, and close proximity to my apartment. I almost don't even want to tell you about it, because it's a tiny place and I don't want to give away a neighborhood secret... but on the other hand, it deserves recognition. And so here you have it: Riposo 46.

I've been meaning to go there ever since I've moved here. Their sandwich board of specials always has delicious-sounding salads, but the tiny size of the wine bar has always intimidated me (I really don't like waiting for a table). Finally, however, a couple weeks ago, AV and I stopped in for a casual glass of wine late on a Saturday evening. And then last week we came back for some wine... and cheese...and olives. And then last Friday I met my friend KS for a catch-up glass of wine, during which I dispatched the following cheese plate:

Manchego, in my tummy

It was large, and delicious, as is everything on offer on Riposo's cheese-heavy menu. They have phenomenal-looking flatbread pizzas, salads, charcuterie, and sandwiches. But the cheese plates are extravagant, and a single cheese with all the bread and fruit and nut accompaniments is only about $7 or $8, depending on your cheese selection. It's fantastic. And the well-edited wine list has a good selection of well-priced beers and wines by the glass, all of which are poured with a heavy hand into delightful glassware (and if you go during Happy Hour, between 4 and 6PM, you get $2 off any glass of wine or beer). The bartenders are knowledgeable and friendly without being overbearing, and like any good wine bar, they let you linger as long as you like. The vibe is classy but understated, perfect for any mood. I love it, and since Riposo 46 is nearly always full, I know I'm not alone.

Riposo 46
667 Ninth Avenue, betwen 46th and 47th Streets
212-247-8018