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.

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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.

Recipe: Irish Soda Bread

This recipe has been in Bill's family for decades and is a traditional St. Patrick's Day treat for us.

4 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
1 cup raisins
1 TBS. caraway seeds
2 TBS. melted butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 ½ cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the sugar, caraway seeds and raisins. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and stir into the flour mixture. Mix until all the flour is moistened. Shape into a round loaf and place in a greased two-quart casserole dish. Cut across the top with a knife. Bake for one hour.

Food Find: Fried Dumplings

102 Mosco Street (bet. Mott and Mulberry Streets) No phone or website

The best part about jury duty is lunch hour. You have Chinatown directly behind the courthouse, and most of the establishments offer dirt cheap lunch specials. It is fun to sit at large round communal tables, and the food arrives super fast--so have your chopsticks in hand ready to eat.

A few weeks ago, while walking around and looking for a crowded place, the absolute best lunch value in NY was discovered. On tiny Mosco Street, right behind the Church of the Transfiguration, there is a four-stool hole-in-the-wall that sells fried pork dumplings at the unbelievable price of five dumplings for $1. They are a nice size with a bit of scallion, and you can watch the two ladies make them as you eat. A bottle of hot sauce and a vinegar solution are the only condiments. Local shop workers, court officers and attorneys come and go and take-out is very popular. Our advice is to keep your plate because it’s likely that you’re going back for five more!

The lady with the serving ladle also sells 30 frozen dumplings for $5, which we will try the next time when we have our ice cooler with us.

Food Shop: Chocolate Bread at Amy's

Available Only on Saturdays at all three locations:
672 Ninth Avenue (bet. 46th & 47th Streets) 212-977-2670
75 Ninth Avenue (bet. 15th & 16th Streets) 212-462-4338
250 Bleecker Streetat (at Leroy Street) 212-675-7802
http://www.amysbreads.com/

One recent Saturday morning, we stopped in at Amy's Bread in Hell's Kitchen. This tiny shop is always busy, often with the fast-moving line going out the door. Right away we noticed a large dark round loaf on display, with a sign sticking in it, "Decadent Chocolate Cherry Bread, $6.95." Yes, New York chocolate lovers can have chocolate bread, even if it's only one day a week. It's quite good, flavored with Valrhona cocoa and studded with dried cherries and chunks of Callebaut chocolate pieces. And, David Chasen, the production manager at Amy's swears it makes outrageous French toast! Sounds like a good breakfast idea to us.

Wine Expo Report

On Saturday afternoon, we stopped in at the 1st Annual New York Wine Expo. Despite the pelting rain and $95 admission fee, seemingly enough wine lovers decided it was worth the trek to the Javits Center to meet winemakers and sample some 600 wines. The aisles were quite crowded and at some stations, you had to wait for a taste. And don’t get us started trying to understand the mobs lining up to taste a cube of Cabot’s cheddar cheese. If you wanted to attend one of the special seminars offered, you would have needed to ante up another $30-35. But there were a few things of interest.

City Winery will be opening in the fall of this year in a 21,000 square foot building on Varick Street. Starting with a $5,000 membership fee and then adding in production charges, the winery will help you buy grapes, work with their winemaker and create a barrel of your very own wine, which will yield about 250 bottles (you can create the label too). Figure on around $30 per bottle for something simple. http://www.citywinery.com/

Aeration for better tasting wine seems to be a trend. Taste of Purple sells wine glasses with a patented “dimple” that greatly increases the aeration when the wine is swirled. http://www.tasteofpurple.com/ And the Wine Enthusiast said a big seller lately has been the Vinturi Wine Aerator for $39.95. Through this six-inch hand-held device, you’re able to mix in air as you pour wine. http://www.wineenthusiast.com/

Francis Ford Coppola has introduced a new line of wines called, “Director’s Cut” that are made from grapes grown in the “very best vineyards in Sonoma County,” according to the rep who was pouring tastes. We tried the Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alexander Valley, which was quite good. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel will also be sold under this new label. www.rossobianco.com/#wines_dc

NY Wine Weekend

This evening kicks off with the 1st Annual New York Wine Expo at the Javits Center. Tickets are a whopping $85 for Friday evening and $95 for Saturday afternoon. But you can save $10 by buying tickets online before 5 pm today. http://www.wine-expos.com/wine/ny. The organizers advertise that there will be 170 wine producers and you can sample over 600 products from around the world.

This may be a bit much, even for us, so we decided to find out what might be more our style—a few wines and $0.

The charming Spanish wine shop in the East Village, Tinto Fino is hosting a tasting of three styles of sherry served with samples from Abraço, a new neighborhood coffeehouse (sort of) that sells a variety of sweet and savory treats on Saturday from 4 to 7 pm. http://www.tintofino.com/

Le Dû’s Wines in the West Village will be pouring Bernard Moreu’s Chassagne Montrachet 2005 and Saint Aubin 1er Cru “En Remilly” 2005 on Friday from 6 to 8 pm, and then four Australiain wines on Saturday from 3 to 6 pm. http://www.leduwines.com/

Astor Wines in the landmark De Vinne Press Building in Noho is hosting its fourth annual Natural Wine Event on Saturday from 3 to 5 pm, with tastings from six natural French winemakers. And on Friday evening, from 6-8 pm, they are hosting a triple header: Scandinavian glogg, French Classiques (from Gascony), and Northern Italian wines. http://www.astorwines.com/

Union Square Wines & Spirits is holding an International Women’s Day Tasting on Saturday from 2 to 5 pm. They will be serving wines from female winemakers and producers from all over the world—Germany, Austria, Italy, California, Oregon, Chile, Argentina, and beyond. http://www.unionsquarewines.com/

Start off the weekend with a pop! The Chelsea Wine Vault has scheduled a Gosset Champagne Tasting on Friday from 4 to 7 pm, and then is offering a “Top Ten Tasting” on Saturday from 2 to 5 pm. http://www.chelseawinevault.com/

Upper Eastsiders don’t have to leave the hood. This Friday from 5 to 8 pm, McCabe’s will serve wines from Metropolis Imports and on Saturday from 4 to 7 pm wines from Gabriella Imports. The shop is at 1347 Third Avenue on the corner of 77th Street, telephone 212-737-0790 (no website). They usually have 2 to 4 wines open and offer a 10% discount on the wines tasted that day.

Have a pleasant weekend!

Restaurants: A Tale of Two Pizzas

Adrienne’s Pizzabar
54 Stone Street (off Broad Street)

212-248-3838
http://www.adriennespizzabar.com/

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria
19 Old Fulton St. (under the Brooklyn Bridge)
718-858-4300

http://www.grimaldis.com/

Early last Friday evening, we ventured down to the Financial District and tried the super-thin crust pizzas at Adrienne’s Pizzabar—they were excellent! If you’re a fan of crusts that are more snappy wafer than chewy bread, you owe it to yourself to try an individual pie here, available with about a dozen different toppings. Reportedly, this place is packed and crazy during lunchtime and later at night, but during our experience in the early evening, we found it pleasantly quiet with attentive service.

It turned into a pizza weekend for us, because on Saturday, we found ourselves driving over the Brooklyn Bridge and in Dumbo. We decided to stop in at Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, where we hadn’t been for years. It was lunchtime and there was a long line waiting outside to get in. We obediently took our place, and about 35 minutes later, we were seated at a communal table. The classic pie came with a good and fresh tomato sauce, standard mozzarella cheese, and a crust slightly charred with a pleasant flavor from the coal-fired ovens. It was actually thicker and chewier than we remember. Perhaps we were cold from waiting outside for so long, but while good enough, we agreed that the Grimaldi pie wasn’t worth a special trip or a long wait outside.

Wine Shop: Hudson Wine Merchants

341½ Warren Street, Hudson, NY
518-828-6411
Periodic Free Deliveries to Manhattan
www.hudsonwinemerchants.com

We belong to that group of New Yorkers affectionately known as “weekend warriors.” For the past dozen years, we’ve traveled back and forth to Columbia County when our schedule permits. Over this time, we’ve happily witnessed the revival of the little city of Hudson, and we cheered in 2004 when Hudson Wine Merchants opened up in town.

It’s a charming shop—exposed brick walls, sleeping dog on the floor, and an attractive array of wines arranged mostly by region. Whether we need a bottle for a simple dinner or are planning a more elaborate party for a group, we gladly put our trust in co-owner Michael Albin for his recommendations. He loves, loves to talk wine, and we think does an excellent job of stocking his shelves with interesting selections at good values. It’s difficult to think of another wine shop owner who is as enthusiastic, pleasant and accommodating as Michael, and that extends to his policy of periodically delivering to Manhattan addresses at no charge and providing a 10% discount on cases.

This Thursday, March 6, Michael will be coming into the city. Look at the website and see what you might like. Better yet, give him a call and ask what he might recommend.

Chocolate Shop: Mondel Chocolates

2913 Broadway (bet. W. 113th and W. 114th Streets)
212-864-2111
http://www.mondelchocolates.com/

Pass by Mondel, and if the door is open, you’ll be treated to an irresistible whiff of chocolate. Some of the goodies sold here are actually made right in the back of this little shop, which has been in the same family since it opened in 1943. While most of the customers are students from Columbia University and residents of Morningside Heights, there are chocolate-loving New Yorkers who will travel uptown just to shop here. Around holidays, the line stretches out the door.

Our favorite time to visit is right before Easter, when the shelves are brimming with plush bunnies and all the traditional makings for an old-fashioned Easter basket. Don’t miss the bittersweet chocolate-covered coconut eggs and the small milk chocolate bunnies that are filled with a terrific caramel. If you’re shopping for a Passover gift, Mondel has a lovely selection of nuts and dried fruits that can be paired with their kosher chocolates.

Year-round favorites include dark chocolate-covered orange peels, champagne truffles, fudge, butter crunch, and “turtles”, which are nut, caramel and chocolate clusters. Stop by anytime, and you can pick up a few pieces of your favorites. Paula, the manager who has been there for 17 years, will put your selections in a little brown paper bag. And a treat from Mondel is more than affordable. During a quick stop in last week, three yummy treats set us back only $2.88.

Food Shopping in Paris

We celebrated Bill’s birthday (a Valentine’s baby, but we did it on the 16th) with his family by hosting a dinner at our apartment on rue de Seine. We always love food shopping around our Left Bank neighborhood (in the 6th arrondissement), and beyond, so this—a celebration and visitors from New York--was a terrific excuse to indulge.

We started out on Saturday morning going to the Place Maubert outdoor market on Boulevard St. Germain in the 5th. Here we picked up seasonally fresh and beautiful watercress and endive for a salad (to be dressed with walnut oil from nearby LeBlanc on rue Jacob). Then some Ratte potatoes and haricot verts to be served with the main course. And we couldn’t leave without scooping up some meaty olives from the family that comes up every week from Provence. Unlike the New York greenmarkets in the dead of winter, the array of produce at the Parisian markets is much more varied and bright this time of year.

From there, we hopped on the metro to go to the 14th, to see our butcher, Hugo Desnoyer. And while he is always extremely busy running this shop and taking orders from many of the very best restaurants in Paris, “Butcher Hugo” is always happy to stop what he is doing and come out from behind the counter to greet and chat with the crazy Americans (us!). We left with a fabulous looking piece of beef to roast, something similar to, but not exactly like a shell steak here. We also took a small slab of absolutely delicious pork rillettes, which we knew would be nice to spread on some Mulot bread and eat with the provençal olives while sipping our champagne aperitif.

Now, over to the 7th, and to the holy grail of cheese, Barthélémy. A perfectly aged Époisses made in Burgundy from raw milk, and a dry goat from the Loire were carefully selected for the cheese course, and we added in a wedge of an outstanding Roquefort to go with the aforementioned salad.

Returning closer to home, we stopped in the Marche St. Germain, a covered market, to check in with one of neighborhood wine merchants. The owner of Bacchus et Ariane is always glad to make recommendations, and this time he led us to a lovely champagne and a fine premier cru Chablis, both good values from small productions. The main course red Burgundy, Clos du Tart, came up from Bill’s personal collection in the cave. Dessert, picked up at Gérard Mulot, was one of the shop's signature creations, the Amaryllis, which is like a giant macaroon filled with pastry cream and studded with raspberries around the sides. (The photo above is Mulot's Valentine's display.)

After all of this shopping, the preparation and cooking seemed minimal. And the end result was a meal that the entire family savored from beginning to end, acknowledging that the cross-Atlantic voyage wasn't so bad after all.

Returning Monday to a NY state of mind.

Back from Paris: Restaurants & The Exchange Rate

Forgive this delay, but we are simultaneously recovering from jetlag and the aftermath of the dismal dollar. After our plane landed at CDG on Valentine’s Day, we headed straight to our apartment in the sixth arrondissement, dropped off our bags and went down the block to the local café. Two coffees and a hot chocolate set us back more than $20. From that point on, in order to enjoy ourselves, we simply refused to convert prices in our heads, although it would have been easy enough to multiply everything by 1.5!

We had a terrific lunch at L’Ami Louis on the following Sunday afternoon. We always call this place the Peter Luger’s of Paris—high prices, gruff service in a dark, masculine room. But the chicken, like Luger’s steak, can’t be beat. We’ve been here several times, and it always seems that the room is at least half filled with Americans. This time, we were the only ones.

Dinner the following night at Taillevent was incredible. Never has the food been better, and maitre d'hôtel, Jean-Marie Ancher has taken over the dining room with incredible aplomb. He is at once attentive, charming and humorous. If you’re traveling that way, keep in mind that they do have a 70-euro lunch, which helps ease the currency pain.

A few more Paris food highlights tomorrow before we return to our New York roots.

Going to Paris

We're leaving in a few hours for Paris. If Noos, our French internet provider, is cooperating, we'll post from there. Otherwise, we'll see you when we return on February 25.

Wine Shop: Italian Wine Merchants

108 E 16th Street (bet. Park Avenue and Irving Place)
212-473-2323
http://www.italianwinemerchant.com/

For some time now, we wanted to visit the Italian Wine Merchants. Two of the owners are famous restaurant people. Chef Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich own Del Posto (among numerous other places) where last month, we sampled two interesting Italian wines. Since they were being offered on the restaurant week menu, we knew they were reasonably priced. Then when the waiter told us we could buy them at IWM, we were practically on our way.

The store only stocks Italian wine and is spacious because with everything sold, there is only one bottle on display. One of the managers, Debbie, explained how all the wine is properly stored downstairs. After you make your selections they are sent up on a dumbwaiter while you pay. Another unique thing is that the shelves are arranged from lower to higher priced wines.

So right by the front door, was the Tuscan red we enjoyed called, Lo Mozza Morellino di Scansano I Perazzi 2005 ($16.50). It turns our Chef Mario, partner Joseph and his mother Chef Lidia Bastianich own Lo Mozza. The white was a Bastianich Tocai Friulano 2006 from the other Bastianich-owned winery in the Friuli region of Italy ($15.95).

The shop gives an 8% case discount and free shipping in Manhattan. On the website there is loads of information. This is another case of wine becoming a passion more than a business. Now on our Saturday trips to the Union Square Greenmarket, we will need to make a detour over to the IWM and see what is going on.

Manhattan Fruitier for Burdick Chocolates

105 E. 29th Street (bet. Park and Lexington Avenues)
800-841-5718
http://www.manhattanfruitier.com/

Manhattan Fruitier is a little known retail source for terrific Burdick Chocolates (http://www.burdickchocolate.com/). More of a warehouse, this spot on E. 29th Street is in the business of assembling and delivering some of the best looking fruit baskets around. But they get frequent shipments of Burdick Chocolate (based in New Hampshire). You can walk in during business hours on Monday through Friday, ask at the front desk, and buy the assorted chocolates that come in handsome wooden boxes in a few different sizes. An ideal gift, perhaps for that special man in your life on the 14th?