Wine and a Word for Pranna

This is an advertisement. You might have noticed there are no banners on the site, but every once in a while I have something to promote for me, or for a friend. And here I'm giving a shout out for a friend as well as those looking for some a food and wine refuge (that is not going to break the piggy bank) on Madison Avenue restaurant, Pranna. Last spring they asked me to write their wine list. I was a little surprised. This was going to be a very trendy, three floor restaurant near Madison Park. I love setting up lists for Indian restaurants (readers will know that I find cabernet franc from the Loire and Lime Pickle an extraordinary combination) and this food was going to blend Indian and S. E. Asia flavors. I was up for the challenge. I knew it would be good for me, but would I be good for them? I told them I would love to but it had to be Alice-like. They called my bluff and said, that is exactly what we want. My philosophy was their philosophy. I went to work. Being an extremely 'stylish,' cocktail oriented restaurant, I had to make some compromises. I knew that most people eating there were not going to be wine geeks and they needed some wines to enter their comfort zone. Wine compromise is not that easy for me but I'm not that stubborn that I can't see what a situation needs and rise to it. I couldn't avoid putting new world wine on the list. But here they are: Edmunds St. John, Lioco, (two of my favorite West Coasters) Nalle, Vino Noceto and for a full blasted pinot fix, Resonance. I give them a chardonnay by the glass, but I selected one from the Jura. Also by the glass, Julien Meyer pinot gris and Binner riesling. Last time I looked Domaine Durban Beaume de Venise (red) and the JM Raffault Chinon were being poured as well. In other words, if you're near Madison and 28th and want to spend as little as $25 for a bottle of wine (Notre Dame de Cousignac) or $98 for Chateau Musar or $125 for the Bedel Ciel et Terre Champagne or have a bottle of that 1999 Furmint ($42) and chow down on some spicy bar snacks/satays or even take dinner, Pranna is a safe oasis. I might be prejudiced but I love the food, I adore the family who runs the restaurant (brother Chai heads up the kitchen). I love the way he has his way with tofu, and I can't believe I'm saying this, the best sweet potato fries are hard to resist and perfect with the Pinon also by the glass. Pranna 29 Madison Avenue @ 28th street