Cabernet is Hard Rock
Red wine cornerstone is a superstar
By Josh Perilo
Recently, I talked a little about an obsession I’ve had: Comparing different wine varietals to different genres of popular music. Any critic loves making lists and metaphors, and, even better, lists of metaphors. I started by laying out my thoughts on why I think Merlot could be compared to Pop Rock. This week, I present my second thesis: Cabernet Sauvignon is Hard Rock, or in classic terms, good old-fashioned, straightforward rock ‘n’ roll. Read more
An Empire Comes to Midtown
Richard Sandoval spices things up with his newest creation
A few years ago, I was at this exact same spot when it was Jeffrey Chodorow’s Wild Salmon, the last of his multiple attempts to make the location successful. I had a great meal in a beautiful space, but it folded.
Now it’s chef Richard Sandoval’s turn. Perhaps the impresario behind 14 other restaurants around the world will have the Midas touch with his Asian and Latin fusion cuisine. Partner Placido Domingo, a friend of Sandoval’s, opened Zengo weeks after surgery, so things may already be looking up. Read more
The Underground Gourmet
Book shows the changing face of restaurant food in New York
By Josh Perilo
In 1965, writers Milton Glaser and Jerome Snyder set out on a mission. They began scouring Manhattan to find great meals, in every neighborhood, that could be had for no more than $2. Granted, at the time, that was an easier feat, but $2 was still a relative bargain for an entire meal. Read more
Another Dose of Dosa
After an inexplicable hiatus, the Dosa cart is back in Morningside Heights, but in a new incarnation. The bigger, spiffier cart touts a tantalizing list of vegetarian Southern Indian staples—from varieties of dosa and uttapam to flavored rice, aloo tikki, samosas and exotic drinks like tamarind and guava. Read more
Merlot is Pop Rock
Classic vino is a sugary superstar
By Josh Perilo
“If you had to describe a Merlot to someone who had never had it before,” my friend Bryan challenged, “how would you do it?”
This was the statement that started me thinking about the metaphor that I eventually obsessed over: wine and music. These were, after all, my two greatest loves (after my beautiful wife, of course). The thought went round and round in my head, and I started coming up with some entertaining comparisons. The first and most obvious to me, however, was this:
Merlot is Pop Rock. Read more
A Foot Long of Philly
Would getting a Philly cheesesteak in New York City be like getting a New York bagel in Philly—inauthentic and ultimately unfulfilling? Well, my Philly cheesesteak was not only filling, but it was fulfilling in an “I really need some red meat in a bun” kind of way. Nothing like watching be-suited businesspeople stalking along Park Avenue to make you feel like tucking into some steak. Read more
Portugal’s ‘Green’ Wine
Vinho Verde is a delicious and light wine for summer
By Josh Perilo
When my friend Shirley returned from her trip to Spain and Portugal, she couldn’t stop talking about it. I was completely intrigued.
“It’s called green wine!” She kept saying, “And they have it everywhere!”
“What’s it like?”
“So light. So refreshing. It’s like mineral water with a kick!” Read more
Neapolitan Cookery Ready For Its Close-up
Wood-burning oven provides savory flavors
By Tom Steele
I can’t remember ever visiting a two-week-old restaurant that had its act so completely together. Credit must be bestowed on Tiella’s co-owner Mario Coppola, whose hands-on management style results in a tightly run ship. And Peppe Castellano’s Neapolitan cookery is as authentic as it is intensely delicious. Read more
Antiquated Fixtures of Wine
Wine artifacts and customs from the past
By Josh Perilo
“Her name was Mara Palmer,” instructed Artemus in his genteel Southern drawl, “and she was a Bulgarian Aristocrat.”
“And this thing she had,” I said, “it was like an antenna?”
“It was a swizzle stick. A Champagne swizzle stick. It was made by Dunhill.”
Artemus described again, in detail, the odd contraption that this fascinating Mara (who sounded like a character from a Raymond Chandler novel) would use whenever she drank sparkling wine. A small, silver cylinder encased a set of prongs. When extended, the prongs would be inserted into the glass of Champagne and twirled quickly. Read more
Ace in the Hotel: Part Two
There’s always a line and nowhere to sit at Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Yet, you can eye the cute, tattooed wait-staff in their jaunty hats and bring your robust cold brewed coffee ($2.50) and small savory sandwich ($4.50) into the Ace Hotel lobby. Like the New York Public Library reading room, albeit with food, a bar and chatting, the space features an oblong table with brass lamps where a line of patrons sat tapping at their laptops—except for one man who bellowed into his cell:
“ANNIE LEIBOVITZ… You know THE PHOTOGRAPHER. YES, she’s going to be the stylist.” Read more
