Go Light with Torrontes
Argentinean white goes perfect with warm winter
By Josh Perilo
I left the house on Tuesday to move my car and I wasn’t wearing a coat.
Yes, this is the wine column, but I felt that sentence needed to be said. It’s both thrillingly amazing (considering the snow spanking we got last year) and very, very scary. By the way, thanks, Al Gore! I still have trouble sleeping whenever it’s unseasonably warm. Read more
Upgrading Your Sippie Cups
Some do’s and don’ts when it comes to buying wine glasses
By Josh Perilo
“What on earth are you drinking out of?” I gasped.
My good friend Aaron froze mid-pour as he stared down at the bottle of burgundy in his hand, then at the plastic, fake bejeweled chalice that he was pouring the burgundy into. His face registered no shame whatsoever. Read more
South Indian Up West
Authentic Indian food comes to the Upper West Side
The first time I traveled to Chennai, India, my uncle-by-marriage swore the best cup of coffee could be found at Saravanaa Bhavan, a restaurant specializing in classic South Indian vegetarian fare. Naturally, we had to try it.
As they served us metal bowls containing tiny metal cups filled with steaming, light brown liquid, my Americanized coffee snobbery blossomed. Visions of glorious pounds of fresh roasted beans and hot mugs of black-as-night coffee and a general distaste for the world of sweet coffeeshop chains flitted by, but with a single sip, those recollections faded. The coffee was at once creamy, sweetish and comforting, with bold coffee back notes—indeed, the finest I tried in the whole country. Read more
Impress the Sommelier
Ignore the barolos and go for a Valpolicella
By Josh Perilo
I had been sorely missing my good, angry friend Jesse since he and his wife moved to Los Angeles. I knew that I could always rely on him for a good fight or two about everything from the meaningless to the epic. Now, my sparring partner was gone. Read more
Food and Family
Recipes from my grandmother’s kitchen to yours
By Josh Perilo
No disrespect to my wonderful, sweet mother, but my passion for cooking did not come from her. No, I would describe my mother’s relationship with cooking more like a daily wrestling match in which she choke-slammed it into submission. With five kids (four of them boys), there was little room for creativity or improvisation—it was all about what would fill us up as quickly as possible while still trying to stay somewhat healthy (although I’ll never forgive her for the canned green beans). Read more
Antique Cocktails to Usher in the New Year
Holiday drinks with a twist
By Josh Perilo
When most people think of New Year’s Eve, they conjure up images of chugging cheap, fizzy alcohol straight from the bottle while wearing glasses in the shape of the New Year’s number. I, on the other hand, have a much more romanticized dream of what New Year’s Eve could be: Ladies in long gloves sipping on Krug in bowl-shaped glasses (true, while Marie Antoinette glasses aren’t as good for holding the effervescence of Champagne, they look damn sexy) and gentlemen in tuxedos smoking cigarettes in holders, sipping on arcane cocktails made with muddled whatnots and long-ago-produced bitters and extracts.
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A Gift to Make You the Life of the Party
Unusual sparkling wines to bring to holiday parties
By Josh Perilo
“Is this the third time I’ve worn this suit this week?” I said as I turned to Natali, straightening my tie.
“Yeah,” she said, pulling up her tights, “but you haven’t done that tie and shirt combo yet. You should be okay.”
Penniless Picks
The best wines of 2011
By Josh Perilo
From the moment I smell turkey in the oven to the seconds before the ball drops in Times Square, I rejoice in the same holiday gift every year: a bevy of “best of” lists. Top TV shows, top movies, top albums…it is my No. 1 annual guilty pleasure. Read more
Lights, Camera, Fermentation
Taking a sip of celebrities’ newest hobby, winemaking
By: Josh Perilo
My wife and I had just finished watching the Orson Welles classic The Third Man. The credits were rolling and my head was swimming—not only from the brilliant piece of cinema I had just seen but from the man, Welles himself, and what would eventually become of him. Read more
No Title Required
Museum dining artfully done at Untitled
Hit the gift shop, skip the restaurant.
Unless you’re part of a tour group, hypoglycemic or having a day out with your nana, this has always been the accepted wisdom for museum visits. If you happen to be an unlucky member of one of these groups, you can look forward to a selection of dry sandwiches, a steam-table entrée and a sweaty, pre-cut cheese plate. The best to be hoped for is a tolerable wine to drown your sorrows and some art to remind you of the reason you’re there.
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