To all,
Sue and I are getting away for a few days, sans the chaps, over this coming weekend and we are going to NYC, staying in Midtown just off Broadway at 34th. I have a suspicion that there may be some shopping undertaken so I need a good wine bar in the area. You know the kind of place where I can drink Latour and aged Rousseau by the glass. Any suggestions?
I don’t know about any places near you at 34th and Broadway though there might be some new places. If you go up to 54th and 9th, there’s Casellula, which is a pretty good cheese bar with a nice wine list. There’s also Xai Xai, at 51st and 9th, for interesting South African wines. On the East Side, you have Bateau Ivre at 51st between 2nd and 3rd which has revamped its wine list and has some cool French things.
Bar Veloce on 7th between 20th and 21st Streets has Italian wines. There’s also a Bar Veloce on 2nd Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets. For Spanish wines, you have Pata Negra on 12th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues, which has a Reserve List that offers some values, and across 1st you have Terroir for Rieslings.
Lastly, the best place right now for interesting, esoteric wines is Ten Bells, on Broome Street in the Lower East Side.
Sitting at the bar at Veritas will get you Rousseau and Beaucastel, and their list is 25% off until the end of the year.
Have fun!
Cheers! ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Michel hit the main high points. Just a few added comments and suggestions:
I seek out odd-ball wines, but I have to say I’ve been disappointed at Casellula, and I’ve been there a half dozen times. Too many spufified things for me. It’s the food (small plates) that brings me back. That’s terrific, provided you aren’t lactose-intolerant.
Xai Xai is cool (a young, sometimes loud crowd), and there’s a more formal sister restaurant down the block, closer to 8th, where I had a good meal a month ago.
Bar Veloce is as good or better than ever when I was there two weeks ago.
I haven’t been to Veritas since it was newly opened a dozen years ago and I was briefly feeling rich.
I would add to the list:
The bar at Eleven Madison, at 24th and Madison, which is sedate and usually has interesting things by the glass. That’s an easy walk from Herald Square.
Enoteca at I Trulli on 27th between Park and Lexington, also an easy walk. Always an interesting line-up of Italian wines, usually not crowded, and you can order off the restaurant menu if you like.
La Pizza Fresca (near Veritas) for Italian, as well as Alto.
Del Friscos steak house probably pours some interesting Cali wines.
Gentlemen,
Thank you a great bunch of suggestions.
Whoops, forgot Turks and Frogs, on W 11th in the West Village. Eclectic, small wine bar/lounge.
Whatever you do, stay away from the tourist and guido-filled Meatpacking District. What was once an industrial, artsy area has become a complete pretentious, plastic nightmare.
Add to that the revamped Cru down at 5th Avenue & 8th St. Wine prices have been reduced by 30%.
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I hear they’re having “blow-out” prices! Stuff’s all over the place! 
30% off is good so long as I can still recognize Sue when she’s done shopping.
You will be just down the street from my roof garden. What evening works?