Choice Libations for A Thin Wallet
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
December 12th, 2008
REDS UNDER $45
2006 Henry’s Drive Pillar Box Reserve ($40)
Region: Padthaway, Australia; Blend: 100% Shiraz.
Notes: A winner created by star Australian winemaker Chris Ringland, this 2006 vintage, made by Kim Jackson, is a wine that marries well with hummus or anything sesame-based. Great BYOB for Middle Eastern food.
Retailer: 67 Wine & Spirits, 212-724-6767.
2006 Amisfield Pinot Noir ($39)
Region: Central Otago, New Zealand; Blend: 100% Pinot.
Notes: I’ve been a big fan of New Zealand Pinot for years; still, tasting the 2006 Amisfield blew me away. The sour cherries and layers of spice got me hooked and confirmed my addiction to Pinot, and not just from Burgundy.
Retailer: Beacon Wines & Spirits, 212-877-0028.
2006 Ravenswood Belloni Zinfandel ($35)
Region: Russian River, Sonoma; Blend: 78% Zinfandel, 22% Mixed Blacks.
Notes: In a tasting of all seven single-vineyard designate Zinfandels from Joel Peterson, I picked this one as my favorite twice in a row. An elegant Zin with deep blueberry and blackberry notes, it will make you fall for Zins again and realize they are not all big and brash. Beautiful, integrated acidity makes this so food friendly.
Retailer: Ravenswood Wine, CA, 888-669-4679.
WHITES UNDER $20
2007 Bouké White ($18)
Region: North Fork, Long Island, New York; Blend: 40% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Gris, 18% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Gewürztraminer.
Notes: An aromatic white with fantastic weight. Easy-going but full of verve and personality!
Retailer: Mister Wright, 212-722-4564.
2007 Drouhin Saint-Véran ($16)
Region: Maconnais, Burgundy, France; Blend: 100% Chardonnay.
Notes: No one said you have to give up Burgundy because it’s cher, not if you can find a crisp Saint-Véran from a top producer to fit the bill.
Retailer: Gotham Wines & Liquors, 212-932-0990.
2006 Laurenz V. Singing ($14)
Region: Niederoesterreich, Austria; Blend: 100% Grüner Veltliner.
Notes: I’m a lover of acidity, especially when it lifts the wine and makes for a versatile food accompaniment. Discover Lenz Moser’s Grüner and you’ll be hooked.
Retailer: Garnet Wines & Liquors, 212-772-3211.
SWEETS UNDER $30
La Face Cachée de la Pomme Neige ($27 for 375ml)
Region: Québec, Canada; Blend: 80% McIntosh Apples, 20% Spartan Apples.
Notes: Sweet wines just aren’t my thing, but Neige is so unexpected. Who would have thought apple ice wine could turn me on to sweet wines? Incredible fragrance from the apples combined with piercing acidity makes this so sippable and not cloying. Very good with cheddar!
Retailer: Astor Wines & Spirits, 212-674-7500.
SPARKLING WINES UNDER $30
Enjoy a sparkling holiday with these stylistically diverse bubblies from the world over.
2004 Sparkling Pointe Brut ($29)
Notes: With notes of coconut, a Long Island sparkler with exquisite creamy bubbles. Clean and crisp, perfect with oysters or a raw seafood platter.
Retailer: Sparkling Pointe, NY, 631-765-0200.
Mumm Napa Brut Rosé ($24)
Notes: Lovely pink bubbly for holiday toasting and light hors d’oeuvres.
Retailer: Mumm Napa, CA, 707-967-7700.
Ferrari Brut ($20)
Notes: For those like me who love blanc de blancs, this is a great sparkler from Trentino, Italy. I prefer it with food. I had it with fish tacos and even with the added spice, the wine held up beautifully.
Retailer: 9th Avenue Vintner, 212-736-1310.
Parxet Cuvée 21 Cava Brut ($16)
Notes: This Spanish gem makes one rethink cava; elegant, floral and full of character.
Retailer: The Winery, 212-222-4866.
Familia Schroeder Extra Brut ($15)
Notes: A brut zero sparkler from Patagonia, Argentina, this wine is 60% Pinot 40% Chard, made in Charmat method. It’s fruity and floral; a great sipper.
Retailer: SIP Fine Wine, 718-638-6105.
CHAMPAGNES UNDER $45
5 fantastic wines that are easy on the wallet with no compromise on quality.
André Clouet Brut Réserve ($43)
Retailer: 67 Wine & Spirits, 212-724-6767.
Gaston Chiquet Blanc de Blancs d’Aÿ ($45)
Chapuy Brut Réserve Blanc de Blancs ($38)
Pierre Brigandat Brut Réserve ($33)
Retailer: Astor Wines & Spirits, 212-674-7500.
*With free Astor in-store card discount the Gaston Chiquet is $40, so take advantage.
Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve ($32)
Retailer: Garnet Wines & Liquors, 212-772-3211.
The $4 Soft-Boiled Egg They Just Couldn’t Get Right
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
November 25th, 2008
Le Pain Quotidien
801 B’way
@ 11th St
212-677-5277
Cooking 101: Soft-boiled egg. I learned how to boil mine from a Martha Stewart cookbook. Solid egg white and running egg yolk every time. So, why the Pain Quotidien in my neighborhood struggles with this basic breakfast dish is a mystery to me.
Earlier this week, when I stopped in for breakfast, things started out on the wrong foot. First, when the waitress took my order, instead of executing it, she started to chat with another waitress about her new beau. I was right there, and she continued unabashed and unaware. Makes you wonder about their management. Little did I know, I’d be meeting that management in just a few minutes.
When my egg came, it was half raw. The manager was quick to return the dish, asking me plainly, “How do you want the egg cooked?” To which I answered, again, “Soft boiled.”
I went back to my papers. Time passed. The second egg appeared. Cooked rock solid. For $4.39, I want to enjoy the rich taste of the runny egg yolk! I talked to my waitress, who apologized, and back went the egg.
The Financial Times saved them for a while as there were tons of good articles to keep me busy. But a newspaper is only so long. When the new egg was placed before me, it was time for final judgment. Lucky for PQ, the egg was just the way it was supposed to be. Good. I enjoyed and savored it. When I asked for the bill, I told the waitress very calmly that I did not expect to pay for the egg. Minutes passed and the manager came by to ask me, “Is there a problem?” I responded cool as a cat, “Yes, it took you three tries to get me my boiled egg, and you’ve wasted a lot of my time this morning. For a regular customer, I’d hope the minimum you can do is show some courtesy.” I was obviously speaking a foreign language to her. She walked away without a response or apology.
It wasn’t the $4, but frankly for that kind of price, the customer deserves a perfectly cooked egg in one try. Obviously the problem came before the egg.
I Scream Stout Ice Cream
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
November 25th, 2008
Devon House I Scream
Devon House
26 Hope Rd
Kingston 10, Jamaica
West Indies
876-926-2243
Jamaica is abundant in many things to fall in love with: tropical fruits, callaloo, banana and pineapple varietals, rum, the sun and Blue Mountain coffee, just to name a few. But who would have expected to fall for a stout ice cream?
Made from the local brew, Dragon Stout, this ice cream (JMD$150 for a scoop, ~$2) translates the dark chocolate, coffee, and nutty flavors of the liquid version quite well while the creaminess and alcohol add extra texture. I devoured mine.
Guess you just have to hitch a flight to Jamaica to try it for yourself.
Two Mary’s from Jane
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
October 30th, 2008
Jane
100 W Houston St
(Thompson St & West B’way)
212-254-7000
By now you probably know about me and Bloody Mary’s on the weekends. Come Saturday, as soon as I’m ready to brunch, I’m thinking about that cocktail. So on the way to run some errands in SoHo a few weeks ago, I stopped by Jane. I opened the menu and was immediately intrigued by the Rose-Mary ($12), made of rosemary-infused vodka and a splash of the Jane bloody mix. After a couple of exchanges with a very friendly bartender, he described this drink as more of a martini or “5-o’clock drink” than a morning opener. “It’s more like vodka with a bit of Bloody Mary flavoring,” explained the bartender. And he assured me that if I didn’t like it, he’d get me another drink. I have never been a lightweight, so I went for it, and I ended up really liking it. But he made me a mini regular Bloody Mary anyway for comparison. So I became the girl at the bar with the Mary’s. I told you, I’m not a lightweight.
Golden Hour in Chelsea
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
October 30th, 2008
That hour around 5pm has the most mesmerizing natural light. This building in Chelsea was literally beaming on this fall afternoon.
