Noreetuh is where just about everyone in the NY wine scene hangs out. You might want to check with Jin the owner who is incredibly hospitable to see if he could accommodate your guest.
Trying to think of a place with good wine, lively and lower priced. Hmmm…
Wait I have it Pasquale Jones! Great Pizza and non Pizza dishes with a good wine list.
Check out Wild Air as well but it is mostly natural wine.
Is Brooklyn an option?
There was a fantastic wine dinner at Nooretuh on Wednesday. Kelby James Russell, excellent winemaker in the Finger Lakes, did a Riesling themed dinner there that was a mix of his wines plus some rieslings from the restaurants cellar. I wasn’t able to make it but really wanted to go.
If you give notice, this will not be an issue. This is a very very professional kitchen of ex - Michelin folks.
Finally made a return visit to Dept of Culture. There is just something about Chef Ayo’s food that just hits me deep in my soul. First the flavors are unique to me. The heat and spice are fascinating, they are hot without being hot and the length of the flavors are endless. The textures are surprising but work. At first bite the goat tastes overcooked and then you realize it is intended to be that way and it becomes really enjoyable. I also really like how Chef designed last nights meal. Four decent size dishes which were perfect for us because we brought four wines and we wanted to play around with the pairings which the substantial portions allowed. I sometimes hate eating small plates or sharing because you don’t really get to enjoy the dish. My absolute favorite restaurant of the moment!
Hers is my IG from the first meal:
A new review is up on World of Mouth.
We absolutely loved our dinner there last year. Have you been to Radio Kwara?
Yes. I liked it very much. The focus is around noodles. Just made a reservation for next weekend!
I am so in agreement on small plates. I am thoroughly sick of them. They are as annoying as they are ubiquitous. If I hear one more time “our concept is small plates, all meant for sharing” I may scream. They are often impossible to share (one scallop? Really? How do you share a small plate of pasta? Three strands each?) And I get the sense it’s sometimes service/kitchen laziness because nothing has to come out at a certain time or together. I feel about small plates the way many people feel about tasting menus, though for different reasons, obviously. Done with that.
totally with you on execution. my preference is small plates, by far. it’s how i cook and prefer to eat - grazing across several ideas, textures, and ingredients. i never, ever want a steak for myself. but i’d love a few bites of great beef, please. the execution, as you note, is usually terrible. i don’t know why, actually. i don’t think it’s laziness as this concept usually requires more work in the kitchen to prep and assemble many complicated dishes instead of a few larger ones. but if a “small plates” dish is 2 scallops and there are 3 people, the restaurant must adjust the dish (and price) accordingly if 3 people are sharing it - and the service staff should suggest this or ask. i just think that most places don’t have operational presence of mind to handle this.
the whole “dishes come out as the kitchen prepares them” is total bullshit, of course.
To be clear - I also love having several things to try at a restaurant. If I am by myself, I often order more dishes than I need and finish none of them. At home, we tend to have a big protein with sides, because that is how Jonathan likes to eat and he does most of the cooking. It’s all delicious, so no objections. But the option of variety at restaurants is appealing. It’s the execution, mostly, as you said, and the expectations of sharing an unshareable dish. And hate the " everything comes as it’s ready," which is awful for making a meal and wine choice.
The staggered service is annoying but I am also particularly irritated by this widespread need for fairly standard restaurants to have ‘concepts’ for sharing that I am supposed to consider. Yes, a few culinary geniuses can impose their concept on diners.
Otherwise, as a customer, the concept is that we buy the food and decide to share or not as we see fit!
“Small plates meant for sharing” is the most annoying phrase in a restaurant I ever hear.
It is so good I am just going to keep beating the same old drum another incredible meal at Foxface! The bbq goat dish was new this week. Incredible.
Another fantastic meal at Eyval. A 2022 Wasenhaus paired extraordinarily well. This restaurant is always packed but for some odd reason does not seem to be known by the food crowd. It is also really well priced. Our bill with $40 corkage was $175 and we had food to take home.
looks incredible! you always remind me of restaurants on my list that I haven’t been to yet.
It is really, really good. I use the notify feature. I always get hit for resys the day of. You can also do walk-in if you get there 5-10 minutes before opening.
does le district still have the french market?
in need of some bordier butter and going to be near there this week
any other places currently stocking it?
Mark,
I haven’t been to Le District in about a year or so, but it’s a shadow of it’s former self and I highly doubt they have Bordier. IMHO, there is no reason to go to Le District anymore.
bordier seems to come and go all over; i’ve seen it at murray’s and even whole foods once. every time i’ve gotten it, it hasn’t been very good and nothing like in france. i’ve given up on it.
the one that does seem easier to find and is excellent is Rodolphe Le Meunier. no crazy flavors just salted, but it’s quite rich and has a bit of that cheesy funk you’d expect.
if you really want a deeply rich and even funkier butter to serve as a thick slice on a bagguette, Ploughgate Creamery Cultured Salted is absolutely bomb. the texture really is closer to a cheddar in how dense it is.
Please delete
thanks yaacov
i guess i’ll wait til next time in paris