Chez Patrick
That was a ripe plum of an example: a restaurant bistro that should have had a terrible wine list, but the shock was there were extraordinary finds, plucked from the vin naturel world. This was a resto outside of the hip insider world of those wines, this was evidence of these wines going mainstream. This has not happened in New York City.
As we left, Jenny and I were talking about the restaurant list we would prepare for Lynch the next time he went to Paris and she said, "One if the worst trends I'm seeing are restaurants going to supermarket wine to save money."
Because I've been home eating asparagus mostly, I had a hard time believing this.
"No!" impossible. Don't restaurateurs know that is stupid?
Then we walked into the wine bar Gottino. The food there is always delicious. I looked at the wine list and I saw the Barone Cornacchia. Now I haven't had this particular wine in ages, but it's not a wine I expect to see on a list at a wine bar. Then I saw a list of other --what I consider supermarket, mass palate oriented wines--and we walked out. The last time I was there, July '08, the list was better, marginally, at least I could order a Frappato from Della Acate, not the best, but worked.
Gosh, I said, that's what you mean?
Exactly Jenny said.
So we went next door to Gusto. I'd been before and enjoyed the meal there. Informal. I've been able to get something to drink there. Not great but something. And when looking at the by the bottle, I would have been wine challenged as well.
We were starved. I looked at the wine list. That's okay, I said, I see. I can go one night without drinking.
Jenny looked at me incredulous. No you can't! she said. That's heresy.
We were sitted outside over the grate that enters the cellar. Every few minutes the wind blew up the smell of dead rodents and mildew. We moved to the next table. Our waiter was very sweet. Then the wind kicked up and we moved again. Finally safe from smells we chomped down a few of their radishes with sardine particles, just enough fishiness to make life interesting. Order? The fava and mint salad that seems to be taking over New York along with the unforunate lists.
Wine?
Gottino started to look good to me. But we stayed put. Jenny urged me to decide on a glass.
I'll get the rose from--damn --cannot remember the name but it was from Emilia Romagna. The waiter was a little concerned. He started to push the La Scolca which was fresher and fruiter. That's okay, I said, I'll take the darker less lively wine. I am into gloom.
My salad was perfectly lovely. Jenny's Buccatini and sardines was finished with no looking back. The rose was okay but I couldn't have stood another glass.
So, a plea: Restaurants? Alice's tip for survival in this economy: turn your restaurant into a cozy destination, take less profit on your wines and have better wines. Why risk losing business because of going industrial?
