Category Archives: East Village

In Vino–Italian Winebar

Posted on by

Want to be transported to an Italian caverna without having to book a flight? Head to In Vino winebar on 4th street at Ave B. With your back to the door, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to an underground wine cellar in a Renaissance building, with low-arching walls hugging the intimate wood booths. Everything about the ambiance feels rustic and home-made, from the small space to the low lights. This description extends the wine list–their wines, all Italian, have that fresh-from-the-vineyard taste instead of the straight-off-the boat tang that I often experience with imported wines, most notoriously younger Chiantis.

I found out about this place for one simple reason–it’s owned by my wine guys at Alphabet City Wine Co. Therefore, I hadn’t any doubts about the quality of the selection, but they managed to impress me anyway. G and I dropped in on our way home from a movie. We had eaten a light dinner, so we took our seat at the bar. The owner immediately brought us the wine list, or rather, wine book. The first few pages list their mission statement, their desire to introduce quality Italian wines to the New York community, as well as the wines offered by the glass and the quartino (about 3 glasses worth–a better deal if you’re ordering in two!)

The rest of the menu reads like a book… and in fact, it feels like a book in your hands, with its weightiness and soft leather cover. Each page describes one of Italy’s regions and its wine-making history, and then at the bottom, lists the wines available by the bottle that are representative of the region’s best. Here’s a blurb:

Sicily produces more wine that any other region in Italy, which comes as no surprise as it’s also the largest region in the land. However, the island has always been known to emphasize quantity over quality. To this day, less than ten percent of the wine made each year makes it into bottles, with the rest used as blending grapes to boost the alcohol content of low quality wines both in Italy and elsewhere. That said, Sicily does make some fantastic wines and has built a solid reputation for itself as one of the upcoming wine regions in Italy, particularly when it comes to reds. The native Nero d’Avola seems to be the focus these days, though much attention is being given to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah—which some Sicilians claim as a native grape as well, named after the town of Siracusa. Given the intense heat on the island, whites tend not to fare as well. However, some producers have gotten great results out of grapes such as Grecanico and the native Inzolia. Look to Tasca d’Almerita for a beautifully floral, somewhat sweet, example in their “Regaleali”.

G and I decided to have a quartino of Grillo, a Sicilian white which I had tasted for the first time in Agrigento a year ago (if you find your way to this southern Sicilian town, look for the restaurant Per Bacco and try the shrimp and pistachio risotto with your Grillo… heaven). Ever since, I’ve been hooked. It’s a refreshing white, not too sweet or aromatic, but without the mineral quality I associated with drier whites like a Sauvignon Blanc. Perfect for relaxing after a hot day of walking around New York.

Even more perfect if you pair it with cheese, specifically the sottocenere they offer. G and I had ordered a small tasting to have with our wine. The Robiola a Tre Latte (a soft goat/cow/sheep’s milk cheese) and the Sottocenere (a truffled cow’s milk cheese with an ash rind... the name literally means “under the ash”) were served with thin slices of apple and a small pot of honey. I love Robiola because it’s an interesting cheese that pleases any palate, but the Sottocenere with a spot of honey brought out a tangy-ness to the Grillo that was absolutely delicious… We left an hour later having savored everything, down to the last drops of honey and wine.

Now, my next mission is to have the wine guys at the shop order me a bottle… and tell me who gives them their cheese.

In Vino, 215 E. 4th St at Ave B
Quartino of Grillo $20
Two cheese tasting $13 (let’s add that they are very generous portions)

Looking for Greek food? Try Pylos

Posted on by
Last night, I took an out-of-town friend to the Greek restaurant Pylos–she’d had a hankering for something different, and I decided it would be a fun place to try. The word “pylos” (pron. pee-los) refers to the clay pots that are common amongst the ruins of ancient Greece, and in fact, the restaurant’s entire ceiling is covered in these little clay jars. It is a small, home-y space that fills up quickly–in the front are several tables for smaller parties, while the back is filled with cozier bench seating and the communal table that also doubles as a bar.
The decorative motif echoes Pylos’s food philosophy of rustic home-cooking. Renowned chef Diane Kochilas, who specializes in Greek cuisine and lives almost full time in Greece, is the primary consultant on the menu, making sure that the food is as authentic as it can be away from the Aegean. The menu is full of traditional dishes: hot and cold appetizers that include dipping sauces and stuffed grape leaves; comfort foods like pastitio, the Greek take on lasagna; as well as lamb, steak, and fish, all dressed in traditional Greek sauces. And of course, there is a Greek salad.

Menu aside, Pylos’s unique selling point is its wine list. They only serve Greek wines (and primarily Greek varietals, although there are some international… and more familiar… grapes on the menu). Before dinner, I checked it out online, and when it all sounded, well, Greek to me, I did a little research. With the Pylos selection as my guide, I focused on 3 varietals. The first was a white, assyritiko, grown primarily on the islands and reminiscent of a Riesling. The second and third grapes that I looked into turned out to be Greece’s most important red grapes–the agiorgitiko (which means St. George) and the xinomavro (acid-black). The St. George produces a lighter-bodied, fruitier wine, with a hint of tannins, while the xinomavro, like the name hints, makes a dark-red wine, deeper and spicier, that is akin to Italy’s Nebbiolo grape.

I arrived a bit early, and as much as I like wine with a lot of kick to it, I decided to go for the agiorgitiko–a change from summer’s whites and roses, not too heavy, and named after G’s patron saint. Two were available by the glass, the Nemea Haggipavlu and the Red on Black; since both were the same price, I went for the one that sounded more Greek. It was served in a glass goblet, and I found it to be very drinkable–light, a little tannic on the tongue–nothing too special, but it kept me company while I waited.

Once my friend arrived, we were seated at the front of the restaurant, in the open window. We immediately took care of ordering so that we could get to talking. We decided to go the route of small plates, so that we could taste and talk more easily. Pita bread came out with some homemade hummus, and then the plates came out as they were ready, slowly filling our small table. First, the poikilia, 3 traditional dipping sauces (the yogurt-based tzatziki, the fish roe taramosalata, and the eggplant melitzanosalata), came out in little cakes on a plate, followed by the heavier anginares moussaka, a small layer-cake of artichoke hearts, caramelized onions, herbs, and three greek cheeses. We balanced it with the lighter Greek salad, a bowl full of fresh tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, capers, kalamata olives, feta, and a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing.

Round two consisted of more pita, grappa-soaked haloumi cheese logs topped with cooked grapes, “light-as-air” meatballs (heavier than advertised), and dolmathes avgolemono, grape leaves stuffed with rice, ground beef and pine nuts, served with a lemony sauce. Every flavor was distinct–the moussaka was creamy but retained the texture of the artichoke hearts; the grape leaves were grassier than I had expected; and the haloumi cheese was a soft white cheese, hardened a little by the grappa. My personal favorites were the tzatziki, the moussaka, and the haloumi, as long as I scooped the grapes up at the same time, for the sweetness cut the strange texture, making it more palatable. Everything was delicious, and we even had leftovers. I can’t wait to go back to try a new combination.

Pylos
128 E. 7th St, near Ave. A
212.473.0220


Restaurant Review: Candela Candela

Posted on by

*now closed

Last night, G and I went to Candela Candela, a Cuban-Italian fusion restaurant on 2nd avenue between 5th and 6th. Strange mix? I thought so too, so I decided it was worth a try. The interior has a purposefully dated look–old photographs and a mural decorate the walls, and rough-hewn wood tables and countertops characterize the space. It’s sure to have a cozy feel in the wintertime, although we sat halfway between the open window and the patio.

Our waiter, a Franco-Israeli, was extremely attentive and helpful. He brought us the menus immediately, as well as the wine list. The wines, however, were available only by the bottle, so for wine by the glass he resorted to memory. There were three whites, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and a Sauvignon Blanc (all to be expected), and five reds. No labels or provenances were mentioned. He helped pair our wine to our meal choices–Cabernet Sauvignon with my red pepper souffle and a Pinot Noir with Giorgio’s chicken.

Despite the extensive selection, the menu left much to be desired–there was no true sense of fusion of the two cuisines. Instead, the Italian dishes were listed alongside the Cuban ones, saltimbocca next to ropa vieja. We decided to go for an appetizer and a main course between the two of us. To me, the Tortino sounded the most appealing–a red pepper souffle baked with walnuts and served over chickpeas and corn puree. For G, I thought the Perugina sounded perfect–chicken breast rolled around baby spinach, prosciutto, and pine nuts, served with a gorgonzola sauce. He typically likes the most heavy-sounding thing on the menu.

Our wine was served, and a few sips later, the food came out, served on country crockware that matched the restaurants rustic feel. The Tortino was about a palm’s size, as I had expected, but I noticed G blanch when he was served–5 tiny little medallions of chicken and spinach rolls. We dug in, however, and both dishes proved to be quite filling. On the other hand, the flavors were unadventurous. His gorgonzola tasted more like a cream sauce, and I couldn’t trace the red peppers anywhere in the cake, which was more of a veggie pattie than a souffle. It lacked any sort of airiness–I can only assume eggs were included for it to have been given that name.

The service was the most exceptional part of the evening. Candela Candela is a great neighborhood joint–you leave full and satisfied–unless you have your own spot that your already love to frequent. Nothing about the food, from the concept to the flavors, is very special, and the Cabernet leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Restaurant Review: Giano

Posted on by

In Roman mythology, Janus (Giano in Italian) was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings—so it’s fitting that I’d choose Giano as my entree into this blog. There is nothing like this East Village treasure, which takes the Roman god as its inspiration to put a new twist on Italian cooking. Like Janus, the restaurant looks both to the past and to the future—its innovative take on the traditional dishes combined with creative new approaches to a more modern cuisine results in the most mouth-wateringly delicious food that I have tasted on either side of the Atlantic.

The antipasti are all wonderful. I’ve tried the summer spinach salad with strawberries, the goat cheese and black olive terrine, and the caprese (the mozzarella is surprisingly fresh and nutty). However, the real winner is the carpaccio di polpo, thinly-sliced raw octopus—for you non-octopus eaters, stash your prejudice. There is no off-putting texture or fishiness, just a refreshing start to your meal. The lemon dressing really caps it off nicely.

I Primi: The gnudi, traditionally conceived as “naked” spinach and ricotta ravioli filling, are whipped into tiny souffles (a far cry from their normal rustic texture) and drizzled with butter and crispy sage leaves. I dream about these little Italian dumpling, they are that good. That’s not to say the other pasta and risotto should be missed–the taviolini tartufo e bottarga, a creamy truffle and fish sauce over the long, tubular noodles, is surprisingly amazing, while the pappardelle con ragu biano d’agnello (a white lamb sauce) is an ultra-modern take on the old comfort dish. And what’s there not to love about circular lasagna? As for secondi and dolci, the stuffed pork cutlet followed by tiramisu are really unbeatable.

Everything about Giano, in the end, is about the present: the meal, the ambiance, the presentation, the service, the wine. It’s all wonderful, beautiful, and encourages you to stop and savor every bite, sip, and moment.