Restaurant: Weekend Brunch at Tía Pol

205 Tenth Avenue (bet. 22nd and 23rd Streets)
212-675-8805
http://www.tiapol.com/

We enthusiastically recommend this tapas bar for brunch. On a Saturday morning a few weeks ago, we walked in right at opening time (11 AM) and were the first to arrive. In the ensuing hour, more customers wandered in, but the place was never more than half full.

The brunch dishes we tried that morning were amazingly good. Something as deceptively simple sounding as a watercress salad with ham and poached egg ($9) was perfection. The ham was a sublime Serrano, enhanced by a wonderfully fresh and fruity olive oil. Scrambled eggs with chorizo ($8) sounds so basic, but at Tía Pol, it’s something else. The eggs, nearly orange in color from the chorizo juices, were cooked to a perfect creamy consistency with the sausage giving just the right amount of spice to the dish.

The long, extremely narrow room is spare, with only about eight high tables, each with a few stools. At the bar, there are a few more seats where you can view many Spanish wines displayed on shelves. Rumor has it that Tía Pol is impossibly busy at night during peak times, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings. Our waitress told us that Sunday night can be a calmer time to come. We’ll happily return to try the tapas as a way to end the weekend on a high culinary note. And without a doubt, the calm setting, delicious food and reasonable prices make it a repeat weekend brunch destination for us.

Wine Shop: Le Dû’s Wines

600 Washington Street (bet. Leroy & Morton Streets)
212-924-6999
http://www.leduwines.com/

We had the opportunity to meet the engaging sommelier Jean-Luc Le Dû several times during the years he worked with Daniel Boulud. To us, his knowledge of wine seemed bottomless and his enthusiasm was contagious. In 2005, he opened his own wine shop on a quiet strip of Washington Street in the way West Village.

A few weeks ago, we stopped in at Le Dû’s Wines. It’s a spacious, almost industrial place, kept to a cool 65 degrees. And the back room, where the highest of the high end wines (many bought from estates) are stored, is even cooler, around 55 degrees.

There is an emphasis on small producers from the classic wine producing regions around the world. Service is extremely helpful; salespeople will happily spend time talking about what they like and why. They will also do a search if you're looking for a rare bottle. And, while we've never tried it, we understand that they will conduct private tastings.

Prices are high. Delivery is free in the immediate local area; and to other neighborhoods with purchases over $200. A 15% case discount is available.

Fee-based classes are usually scheduled on Wednesdays, and free tastings are offered on Saturday afternoons from 3 to 6 pm. Details are on the website.

Road Trip: Burdick Chocolates

47 Main Street
Walpole, New Hampshire
800-229-2419
http://www.burdickchocolate.com/

We missed a posting on Tuesday, March 11, because Pat was traveling up to New Hampshire, stopping in Walpole along the way. About four hours north of New York City, this New England town is home to Burdick Chocolates, one of our all-time favorite chocolate makers anywhere in the world.

Larry Burdick started his business in Red Hook, Brooklyn, in 1987 and later moved to East 93rd Street in Manhattan. In 1993, he moved with his family to this village in the southwest corner of New Hampshire and set up operations there. While we have been fans of Burdick chocolates from the start, we can honestly say they’ve never been better.

Burdick views chocolate as part of the whole gastronomic experience—a nice ending to a special meal. He claims that the way to make quality chocolates is very simple: Just use the best ingredients and sell the product at its freshest.

Extracts and flavorings are taboo. Instead, coffees and teas are brewed, fresh fruits are cooked. Nuts come from California and Turkey, vanilla beans from Mexico, milk and cream from local dairies. The chocolate base, Valrhona from France, is widely considered the best available. Burdick chocolates are cut and shaped by hand, which according to the chocolate maker, gives a more pleasant eating experience.

When you open a box of Burdick chocolates, the first surprise is their appearance. They are delicate, imperfectly shaped, and tiny—about 80 pieces per pound. More astonishing is how wonderful and fresh they taste. Each piece melts in your mouth as the flavors unfold. In the quarter-pound box ($15) that we bought, there were about 20 varieties. There seems to be a subtle surprise in every bite. Take the Richelieu, a milk and dark chocolate interior with cherry liquor, cherries and an unexpected hint of cumin seeds.

Burdick packaging is always lovely and the business has expanded to include nice choices for wedding favors and corporate gifts, all the while maintaining top quality. Special attention is given to all holidays, from expected ones like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day to smaller ones like St. Patrick’s Day and Chinese New Year.

The Main Street location in Walpole is home to a restaurant, café and chocolate shop. But you don’t have to take the trip. With a click of your mouse, you can have Burdick chocolates delivered to your door in about a day’s time.

On Spring Break

We'll be back on Monday, March 31.

Food Shop: La Guli Pastry

25-19 Ditmars Blvd., Queens
718-728-5612
http://www.laguli.com/

Today, March 19th, is Saint Joseph’s Day. In Italy, they celebrate the feast of San Giuseppe by enjoying a special pastry, which here in NY is referred to as a St. Joseph Cake. There are bakeries all over town that sell these tasty Sicilian treats, but one of our favorite sources is the La Guli Pastry Shop, located in the Astoria section of Queens since 1937.

There are two kinds of St. Joseph Cakes. Both are made with fried zeppole dough; the difference is in the filling. One is called the sfinge, and it contains a sweetened ricotta cream filling that is also found in the cannoli—another famous Italian pastry. The sfinge at La Guli’s is substantial, and is studded with chocolate chips and topped with a slice of candied orange peel along with a cherry. The other St. Joseph cake has a custard cream filing and it too is topped with a cherry. The La Guli website has a nice picture of both kinds in the pastry section. They sell for $2.75 each and every year around this time, we have an excuse to sample them both in commemoration of St. Joseph’s Day.

Wine Shop: Appellation Wine and Spirits

156 Tenth Avenue (bet. 19th and 20th Streets)
212-741-9474
http://www.appellationnyc.com/

This past Saturday, while wandering around Chelsea, we stopped in at Appellation Wine and Spirits. This inviting, boutique-like shop, which opened in 2005, specializes in wines with organic, biodynamic or sustainable origins. About 70% of Appellation’s inventory carries one of these designations.

Shopping here can be a pleasant experience for both oenophiles and non-oenophiles alike. With its clean, modern layout and well-labeled racks, you could happily spend serious time here browsing. Shopping with someone not so interested? A pair of chairs and an assortment of magazines are available for those who would rather sit it out. A child in tow? No problem. Chances are he will be offered a seat at a table and be given a toy to play with. We found the service to be friendly, informed and helpful, and the more we looked, the more we wanted to drink organic.

As often the case with small, specialized shops like this, the selection is concentrated in more expensive wines, with few bottles under $15. But we did find the Chono Carménère 2006 for $12.99. We opened it last night, and were very satisifed with this robust, dark, fruity red from Chile. We plan to go back for more.

.
Free tastings are usually held on Saturday afternoons from 3 to 6 PM. A 10% case discount is offered and delivery is free with purchases over $100.

Chocolate Shop: Easter Treats at Li-Lac Chocolates

40 Eighth Avenue (at Jane Street)
212-924-2280

Grand Central Terminal Market Hall
212-370-4866

http://www.li-lacchocolates.com/

If you’re looking for good, old-fashioned, made-in-NY Easter candy this week, you can’t go wrong with a visit to Li-Lac Chocolates. And do try to go to the Village location, both for the festive display and wider selection. This past Saturday afternoon, we were beckoned into that shop by the giant chocolate bunnies and treat-filled baskets in the window. Inside, the shelves were brimming with dozens and dozens of Easter goodies, including bags of jelly beans, different flavored filled eggs, and every size and shape bunny imaginable.

This NY chocolate institution has been around since 1923. When we wrote our original chocolate book, we remember visiting at the old Christopher Street location and watching the candy being made in the back, starting in an ancient copper cooker, and ending with the chocolates cooling on a long, moving conveyer belt. Three years ago, the retail shop moved to its current location (with an additional outpost already in Grand Central), and the factory relocated to the Sunset Park neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Some of our standard Li-Lac favorites are the chocolate-covered orange slices, nut fudge, buttercrunch, and freshly made chocolate-covered cherries ($1.85 each). Much of what is sold by weight is in the range of $25/lb. Li-Lac has a fantastic collection of molds, including antique metal ones from Germany, so no matter what time of year, you’ll be sure to find chocolate in a shape to suit the occasion.