Piquant

Embrace your inner Dr. Zhivago at Pravda

There's no shortage of vodka and caviar at Pravda (281 Lafayette St.), the Eastern European-inspired subterranean speakeasy owned by Keith McNally and his partner Ana Opitz.

With 70 varieties of vodka and a caviar list offering Sturgeon and other fish roes ranging from $11 to $350, we can all brace ourselves against the dread economy. 

And to make parting with your cash a little less Draconian, the restaurateurs have created a special menu to give guests the Russian experience without completely depleting the purse. 

Embrace your inner Lara and Dr. Z with a shot of vodka and a selection of cured meats and cheeses (each $8) served with warm, dark bread and butter.

Wild Mushroom Pate
Duck Liver Pate
Air-Dried Beef (Buendnerfleisch)
Speck (Smoked Prosciutto)
Dry-Cured Sausage
Francuzky Syr (French Cheese)
Ispansky Syr (Spanish Cheese)
2 Rollmops (Pickled Herring)

 

Context Tours do Canada.

  

Context , the tour for intellectually curious travelers, is taking on Canada. 

Look for tours that detail food history, art and architecture, photography, and gastronomic delights. 

The network of scholars and professors who organize in-depth walking tours of European and American cities, most notably Rome,Paris, London and New York - is now being represented by Exclusive Tour (http://www.exclusivetours.ca), experts in small ship cruising.

"Exclusive has great resources in Canada,” says Context co-founder Paul Bennett. “They’ve built a solid reputation in the travel business." 

What does this mean for the walking public?

Context’s inventory of scholar-led half-day “walking seminars” will be rolled into Exclusive's portfolio of tours and other travel services supplied to the Canadian travel market. The travel group will also represent Context’s newly launched multi-day tour packages.

Founded by National Geographic writer Paul Bennett and designer Lani Bevacqua, Context is a network of scholars and experts in such fields as art history, archaeology, gastronomy, and architecture who organize and lead thematic walking seminars in eight cities: Rome, Paris, New York, London, Naples, Florence, Venice, and Istanbul.

Travel + Leisure named Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context visit its website at: www.contexttravel.com.

 

 

Pretty and functional; Soirée in-bottle wine decanter

Can a decent, full-bodied young red wine be a better bottle with oxygenation?

Absolutely, since aeration is essential to bringing out the best in nose and flavor. Contact with air allows wine to ripen or open and the makers of Soirée's innovative bottle-top decanter get it.

Using a cool climate Pinot Noir, William Cole Alto Vuelo 2007 (Chile), I put the little decanter that could to the test.

First, I tasted my Pinot Noir the old-fashioned way.  After pouring a generous glass, I gave it a good swirl and a long whiff - bright berry aromas, hints of vanilla and cinnamon.  The mouthfeel was softly tannic. A nice value at $9.99.

Would Soirée make a drinkable wine tastier?  Yes, without a doubt.

I poured my next glass using the delicate-looking but sturdy ornament-shaped decanter.  The nose was a jammier strawberry and the finish longer with the more subtle spice flavors prolonged.

During another tasting, I sampled a 2007 Altos de Cuco from Yecla in the region of Murcia, little known for its quality, better known for its quantity.  Intense and full-bodied, the ruby red wine blossomed with deep blackberry aromas.  The experience was a bit like nostalgia for an old lover, decidedly better for having the space to consider it.

Soirée comes equipped with two rubber gaskets, to accommodate any bottle, and a nifty stand. Retailing for $24.99, it makes a fun gift paired with a bottle of wine, and a must-have for your home accessories collection.  

Click here to buy yours.

Dévi restaurateur to sign cookbook at Authors & Inns Tour

New York restaurateur and cookbook author Suvir Saran will be a featured guest of the 3rd Annual Authors and Inns Tour hosted by the Historic Inns of Spring Lake, NJ, May 16-17.

Suvir Saran, author of two widely acclaimed cookbooks, Indian Home Cooking and American Masala: 125 New Classics From My Home Kitchen, demystifies Indian cuisine, making it accessible to home cooks.

Teaming up with tandoor master Hemant Mathur, Saran has created the authentic flavors of Indian home cooking at their highly touted restaurant Dévi in New York City. 

The restaurateur is widely praised for setting the standard in Indian cuisine. NY Magazine calls Dévi, the “Best Indian Cuisine” while the NY Times Diner's Journal says the restaurant is “perhaps the city’s best Indian restaurant.”  

Dévi delights with tantalizing dishes such as Tandoor-Grilled Lamb Chops, Crispy Okra Salad, Onion-Parmigiano Kulcha and an ethereal Mango Cheesecake. 

Saran, Chairman of Asian Culinary Studies for the World Cuisines Council at The Culinary Institute of America,Saran will be signing his book Indian Home Cooking at the Spring Lake Inn on Sunday, May 17. 

Eating in: Saturday night dinner

My smart and thrifty mother raised three teenagers who loved to eat on a single mom's income. 

I learned early the lessons in economy which have served me well in the kitchen and developed a preference for making many of the foods that are purchased pre-packaged, which here means overprocessed.  

No, I'm not making my own bread each week - though I could and occasionally do. But I'm clever enough to know which tasks to tackle and which tasks to leave to the masters. 

So, what to do when faced with a pinched wallet and champagne tastes? Eat in!

While I realize restauranteurs will cringe when I say this, but if your budget needs a reality check, treat yourself to more dinners in. I'm not advocating giving up a weekly meal out (if you can afford it), but I am saying you can have a fantastic meal in for half what you spend at a restaurant.  

My Sunday morning posts are dedicated to the Saturday night eat-in. Last night I was in the lazy, one dish mood - the perfect mindset for risotto where you get your vegetables and grains all in one flavor-packed plate.  

Last night's menu:

Wild mushroom and carrot risotto

Vanilla ice cream with bittersweet dark chocolate sauce

Wine:

2007 William Cole Alto Vuelo Pinot Noir

Light ruby red in color with notes of cherries and thyme on the nose. The palate is layered with primary flavors of strawberry and herbs, accompanied by secondary flavors of smoke and subtle oak. A light bodied wine, with silky tannins and a lingering finish. A beautiful example of cool climate Pinot Noir, should cellar well for several years. The wine is aged for 12 months in French barrels (Pop the Cork Wines)

You can have your cake and eat it too.

Grab a stogie & a single malt at Chicago's TESA Cigars

Get to know The Glenlivet single malts and the cigars that love them.

TESA Cigars, Chicago, (464 N. Halsted, (312) 929-3075) & The Glenlivet host a Single malt tasting Saturday, April 4th,  from 5:00p.m.-10:00p.m.

Come in and smoke with us, the Glenlivet Ambassador will be coming to TESA to do a private tasting of their high end single-malts. An evening of scotch and cigars, it doesn’t get much better than this. I will be doing a buy 3 get 1 special for the event on TESA cigars.

Ticket price is $10.00 and will include appetizers, tasting, and your first cigar. Please visit the shop to get on the list! (Social Cigar)

My cigar hero or how to pick and smoke 'em

Coronas, Churchills, Culebras, Robustos. 

Mild, bold, spicy, chocolate-y, peaty, mossy, earthy, nutty, woodsy, berry-rich, coffee-flavored.

Who knew that huffing on a stogie could be so complex.  Justin Becker of AskMen.com lights my fire with his smokin' how-to article on the enigmatic and charismatic cigar.

It you think that all you have to do to exude an air of class while smoking a cigar is inhale (which should not be done) and exhale, do not go near a cigar before reading this!

Cigar smoking is a culture in itself, and in order to appear Cary Grant-like, you must know how to cut a cigar, light it and finally, smoke it.

choosing a cigar

When purchasing a cigar, either from a tobacco shop or a site like Canadian Cigar Company, there are certain things you should keep in mind:

The length and diameter of the cigar is related to the intensity of the cigar. So if you're a novice cigar-smoker, then you may want a longer, thinner cigar (with cooler smoke) rather than a small stubby one, which may make you cough some.

Verify the quality of the cigar by squeezing it slightly to make sure there are no lumps in the it, and check to ensure that the tobacco at the end of it is not discolored. Also, avoid purchasing cigars with discolored wrappers.

Remember that if you're purchasing cigars in the United States, you'd be hard-pressed to find Cubans, which is too bad, as these are top quality stogies.

Ask the salesperson whether the cigar consists of 100% tobacco -- that's what you want.

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Drink me now: Castello di Monastero 2005 Chianti Classico

  Bargains are beautiful any time, but especially in these difficult economic times.  Regularly a fab find at under $20, this Chianti Classico, 85% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot and Cabernet, is now specially priced at $13.99 per 750 ml bottle.

Wine & Spirits rated 92.

Salute!

In the past year, Wine & Spirits blind tasted 311 new-release Tuscan reds.

Out of these, 36 were nominated as "Best Buys" -- including the 92 rated Castello di Monastero 2005. Chianti Classico. 

What a great bottle of Chianti Classico for the price! Perfectly balanced, with red cherry, a touch of dark pepper, and mocha; finishing dry, intense, complex and harmonious. (Wine.com)

Waiters, what they're thinking about you, guestcheck #00057

Ever wonder what your waiter is thinking of you behind that Chesire Cat smile?  Wonder no more. 

Ouch. 

Shift Drink's The Waitstation senior editor Warren Peace (uh, I'm pretty sure this is a pseudonym although I'm confused at why one is used when there is a cute bio headshot).

Looking forward to that debut coming-of-age novel, Getting Lucky, set in the seething seedy underbelly of Greyhound bus stations.  

"Do you have a water preference, sir, bottled or tap?” I humbly ask. “Giuliani Water is fine,” he proudly answers to the delight of his guests. I don’t smile. Two terms after our beloved former mayor has become a private citizen, those who drink tap in New York City restaurants continue to amuse themselves and irritate waiters with this remark. Some elect for the more contemporary “Bloomberg Water” or simply ask for “New York’s Finest.” Occasionally, they’ll take it further by assuring everyone present, including you, that “It’s the best water in the world!” in case anyone thought the springs of the Italian Alps might be a safer bet. A big part of our job as waiters is to humor people who say infinitely stupid things. Here are a few of my favorite scenarios:

1. “We Hated It!”
You clear with the requisite “How was everything?” then—as though no one has ever considered the irony—they proclaim, “We hated it!” But how can that be? Everything is completely devoured from the plate? The party erupts with hysterical laughter, while you struggle to muster a service smile. Other popular variations include: “Send it back!” “Can we get a refund?” or “Tell the chef he should take this off the menu!” Withhold your phony laugh until you hear theirs since it’s always possible that they may, in fact, hate it.

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San Fran Wine 2.O Expo: it's great to be geek

 

Is there any better pairing than a good glass of red and a geek?  We think not.  And it seems we are in the majority on this one.

Wine 2.0 Expo San Francisco presented by Crushpad is on for April 2nd from 7 pm – 10 pm. Once again we’ll be hosting over 1,000 wine and tech lovers in one fantastic evening. Last year we had a jam packed event with over 100 wineries and 40 Wine 2.0 companies in attendance. We hope to see you there.

What: Wine 2.0 Expo San Francisco presented by Crushpad
When: Thursday April 2nd from 7 pm to 10 pm
Where: Crushpad, 2573 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94107

(Wine2.O)