Buceo 95
I received the following e-mail from Winette on Friday, and she doesn't even know about my "Fridays From the Field.''
Hey!
You HAVE to go to Fig & Olive! (http://figandolive.com/)
I went to the downtown one last night - a very cool dramatic space, I didn't even mind sitting inside on such a gorgeous night!
It was wine/cheese/bread-palooza with tons of veggie options!
In fact I'd go back with you because the menu is huge, we barely made a dent!
I guess this means one of our future pow-wows, as we like to call them, will take place at Fig and Olive. I can't wait.
Winette and I had our most recent pow-wow just this week at a wine bar within ten minutes walking distance of my apartment. This just spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E. I grabbed a beer with a co-worker after work, went to the gym for a quick workout (yes, my timing was a little off), then headed uptown to meet Winette. I turned right on 95th from Broadway, for the first time in my life, and the street looked barren -- could this be right? After a few paces, I spotted a bright fire engine red entrance to a restaurant, with no "Buceo" sign visible. It had to be it. That or I had the blocks wrong.
I walked in and I felt like falling to my knees and shouting "Allelujah!" My prayers had been answered. Were us upper upper west side kids finally to be rewarded with our very own neighborhood wine bar? It appeared so. While I fear it will become a sensation overnight and the lack of a wait for a table was nothing more than a fleeting luxury, I'd rather it be overcrowded and stay in business for the next decade than remain a neighborhood secret and land on Eater's "Deathwatch!" report quicker than you can say vino.
I loved everything about it: it wasn't packed, they had the typical wine bar high tables/high chairs, the hostess came up right away and said sit wherever you desire, once we took our seats a busboy dropped waters at the table, along with bread, olive oil and olives. Winette and I were in heaven. The only problem with the olive oil was the size of the dish it came in. In Oliver Twist fashion, we had to constantly ask for more, more, more olive oil. They need to scrap the cute dish below and just go for a big plate. While I ate the bread like it was going out of style, it was very mediocre bread. Perhaps they should up the ante in their bread-making (bread-buying?) decision. It was tough, bordering stale-tasting.
FoxyLady was joining us later, but we decided to pick a couple of items to snack on in the meantime.
First we tried the oh so artistic beet ravioli with a pistachio paste filling. These were right out of a modern foodie museum.
This dish reminded me of something you'd find at Pure Food and Wine. It wasn't beet pasta like we were expecting. It was literally pistachio paste sandwiched in between two thin beet slices and it had a hardened texture to it.
I'm really glad we tried Buceo's spin on ravioli, but I wouldn't order it again. I prefer traditional ravioli -- gooey pasta with a gooey middle. The beet part was a little tough to swallow, though I did enjoy the pistachio paste. I could have eaten that plain.
Next we tried the grilled artichokes with a roasted red pepper marinara. This was definitely one of the tastiest artichoke dishes I've ever eaten, and Winette agreed. This is no small compliment to the chef since I've eaten my fair share of artichokes in their motherland California. They were the perfect blend of crisp and chewy and the sweet roasted pepper on the side was a perfect accompaniment to the salty veg.
Once FoxyLady arrived we went for the gusto and ordered ham and cheese croquettes. We killed these. Winette stuck to the vegetarian shapes and FoxyLady and I split the ham squares. We were toying with ordering another batch they were so good but we decided on cheese and fried mussels instead.
FoxyLady and I were supposed to share the fried mussels, but I think I ate the entire thing. My guess is they were too salty for her. I inhaled them. I love fried seafood, especially oysters, so when I heard they had fried mussels I was eager to try them. I could still taste the mussels underneath the light layer of batter.
We ordered a good mix of soft and hard, goat and sheep's cheeses. The pieces don't look that big in this picture but they were plenty for the three of us, especially since by this point we'd all had an entire baguette to ourselves. I was happy they served quince along with the cheese. This always seems to lessen the intensity of the dairy.
There were many stories of work and boys that were shared that evening. I was gearing up for a dinner with Swimster the next night and I received a much needed pep talk from the ladies. I hadn't seen him since our dinner at Chanterelle almost a year and a half ago and we all know how that ended. A lonely hour ride home on the subway bawling is never good for anyone.
I'd also just cut the ties from a boy I'd hung out with a few times. Over the phone, I got the unsolicited "I just got out of a relationship" talk, followed by a "I might get back together with my ex," followed by "I'd still like to hang out." Seriously? I really liked this one and I do believe he's a good guy, but I couldn't help busting out in laughter when I got off the phone. Boys. They never cease to amaze me...
Buceo blew me away. It blew all of us away. Not to mention our server was a sweetheart and each time we ordered a new glass of wine she always always always brought us tastes without a blink or us even having to ask. Buceo serves wine in quartinos and it's a huge deal for what you pay.
After three years in the neighborhood, I think I've finally found my hangout, where I will perhaps go during the week for a solitary glass of wine, some cheese and a book and where everybody will (eventually) know my name.
*****
I've been neglecting Winette and our always fun lush and gush nights for way too long. Instead of writing long reviews about each of our previous wine-induced benders, here are a few highlights.
Wine and Roses: It's a solid spot for wine on the upper west side, though the scene can be a bit mixed. There were old guys hitting on us left and right, which was amusing at first, but got old after the third or fourth failed attempt. The bartender Monica was super sweet and helpful. She let us taste wines without a fuss and was spot on with her cheese recommendations. They have a great outdoor seating area, sidewalk-style, but it's not a place you can just hop in, relax and start boozing. There's guaranteed to be a wait (or a fight) for a table if you don't show up at four o'clock.
Park Blue: I met Winette and FoxyLady here, along with a former co-worker CineFile and his girlfriend. I had no idea there was such a cool, swanky lounge/bar right across the street from my gym. Had I known this, I certainly would have been suggesting this as an alternative to my team's standby P.J. Carney's. We had the amazing Park Blue signature cocktail to start, which was blueberries, champagne, gin and lemon juice. I don't usually like fruity drinks but this was a great combo of two of my favorite poisons, which I didn't know would taste so good together.
The wine-by-the-glass list wasn't that great -- they only have four reds and four whites, but we each found one we could drink all evening. We ordered some small plates to split and all of them were top notch, especially the cheese puffs. You could taste more cheese than puff which in my book is the key to a good gougere.
For dessert we ordered creme brulee and chocolate mousse...
and the bartender was so sweet he even threw in a few dessert cocktails for us, on the house. This was a really nice gesture and I've since meant to return simply because of his generosity, and OK, the gougeres. He informed us it was a mixture of vanilla vodka and chocolate, and it made for the perfect end to our evening.
Artisanal: I'd been to Artisanal once before and I know I will return several more times. I am a sucker for all things French and fromage. However, the last time I went, I was disappointed in our fondue fare. It was a repeat of the Park Blue crew. I should probably come up with a name for the group as we seem to have made a habit of getting together over wine and cheese. We sat in the same spot that I did with Winette and Hawkeye almost a year ago, and we happened to have the same unfortunate waitress. She's just not on the ball -- we kept on having to flag her for things we had already asked for-- and unlike most servers you encounter, she's not a people person.
CineFile had an important announcement to share with us that evening and after hearing the exciting news of his engagement to his girlfriend, we all ordered glasses of champagne to toast the happy couple. CineFile is the sweetest guy you'll ever meet and it's about time he found Mrs. Right.
Maybe I'm just not a fondue person. In theory, fondue always sounds so good to me. What steak and potatoes girl wouldn't love a pot of melted cheese to dip stuff in? But the past few times I've had fondue in the city I've been disappointed. The cheese is always bland and there are never enough "fixings" to go around for the entire table. Who wants to be the one rationing out bite-size pieces of bread and potatoes? Maybe I should just stick to dessert fondue from now on.
And to add fuel to the fire, we all decided that Park Blue's gougeres were better than Artisanal's. Artisanal is the temple of cheese in this city, or so I thought, and the fact that a little unknown lounge in midtown outscored them in the gougere department is just plain outrageous.
Next up for our wine night pow-wow? Terroir. Consider this your open invitation to lush and gush.
Hey!
You HAVE to go to Fig & Olive! (http://figandolive.com/)
I went to the downtown one last night - a very cool dramatic space, I didn't even mind sitting inside on such a gorgeous night!
It was wine/cheese/bread-palooza with tons of veggie options!
In fact I'd go back with you because the menu is huge, we barely made a dent!
I guess this means one of our future pow-wows, as we like to call them, will take place at Fig and Olive. I can't wait.
Winette and I had our most recent pow-wow just this week at a wine bar within ten minutes walking distance of my apartment. This just spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E. I grabbed a beer with a co-worker after work, went to the gym for a quick workout (yes, my timing was a little off), then headed uptown to meet Winette. I turned right on 95th from Broadway, for the first time in my life, and the street looked barren -- could this be right? After a few paces, I spotted a bright fire engine red entrance to a restaurant, with no "Buceo" sign visible. It had to be it. That or I had the blocks wrong.
I walked in and I felt like falling to my knees and shouting "Allelujah!" My prayers had been answered. Were us upper upper west side kids finally to be rewarded with our very own neighborhood wine bar? It appeared so. While I fear it will become a sensation overnight and the lack of a wait for a table was nothing more than a fleeting luxury, I'd rather it be overcrowded and stay in business for the next decade than remain a neighborhood secret and land on Eater's "Deathwatch!" report quicker than you can say vino.
I loved everything about it: it wasn't packed, they had the typical wine bar high tables/high chairs, the hostess came up right away and said sit wherever you desire, once we took our seats a busboy dropped waters at the table, along with bread, olive oil and olives. Winette and I were in heaven. The only problem with the olive oil was the size of the dish it came in. In Oliver Twist fashion, we had to constantly ask for more, more, more olive oil. They need to scrap the cute dish below and just go for a big plate. While I ate the bread like it was going out of style, it was very mediocre bread. Perhaps they should up the ante in their bread-making (bread-buying?) decision. It was tough, bordering stale-tasting.
FoxyLady was joining us later, but we decided to pick a couple of items to snack on in the meantime.
First we tried the oh so artistic beet ravioli with a pistachio paste filling. These were right out of a modern foodie museum.
This dish reminded me of something you'd find at Pure Food and Wine. It wasn't beet pasta like we were expecting. It was literally pistachio paste sandwiched in between two thin beet slices and it had a hardened texture to it.
I'm really glad we tried Buceo's spin on ravioli, but I wouldn't order it again. I prefer traditional ravioli -- gooey pasta with a gooey middle. The beet part was a little tough to swallow, though I did enjoy the pistachio paste. I could have eaten that plain.Next we tried the grilled artichokes with a roasted red pepper marinara. This was definitely one of the tastiest artichoke dishes I've ever eaten, and Winette agreed. This is no small compliment to the chef since I've eaten my fair share of artichokes in their motherland California. They were the perfect blend of crisp and chewy and the sweet roasted pepper on the side was a perfect accompaniment to the salty veg.
Once FoxyLady arrived we went for the gusto and ordered ham and cheese croquettes. We killed these. Winette stuck to the vegetarian shapes and FoxyLady and I split the ham squares. We were toying with ordering another batch they were so good but we decided on cheese and fried mussels instead.
FoxyLady and I were supposed to share the fried mussels, but I think I ate the entire thing. My guess is they were too salty for her. I inhaled them. I love fried seafood, especially oysters, so when I heard they had fried mussels I was eager to try them. I could still taste the mussels underneath the light layer of batter.
We ordered a good mix of soft and hard, goat and sheep's cheeses. The pieces don't look that big in this picture but they were plenty for the three of us, especially since by this point we'd all had an entire baguette to ourselves. I was happy they served quince along with the cheese. This always seems to lessen the intensity of the dairy.
There were many stories of work and boys that were shared that evening. I was gearing up for a dinner with Swimster the next night and I received a much needed pep talk from the ladies. I hadn't seen him since our dinner at Chanterelle almost a year and a half ago and we all know how that ended. A lonely hour ride home on the subway bawling is never good for anyone.I'd also just cut the ties from a boy I'd hung out with a few times. Over the phone, I got the unsolicited "I just got out of a relationship" talk, followed by a "I might get back together with my ex," followed by "I'd still like to hang out." Seriously? I really liked this one and I do believe he's a good guy, but I couldn't help busting out in laughter when I got off the phone. Boys. They never cease to amaze me...
Buceo blew me away. It blew all of us away. Not to mention our server was a sweetheart and each time we ordered a new glass of wine she always always always brought us tastes without a blink or us even having to ask. Buceo serves wine in quartinos and it's a huge deal for what you pay.
After three years in the neighborhood, I think I've finally found my hangout, where I will perhaps go during the week for a solitary glass of wine, some cheese and a book and where everybody will (eventually) know my name.
*****
I've been neglecting Winette and our always fun lush and gush nights for way too long. Instead of writing long reviews about each of our previous wine-induced benders, here are a few highlights.
Wine and Roses: It's a solid spot for wine on the upper west side, though the scene can be a bit mixed. There were old guys hitting on us left and right, which was amusing at first, but got old after the third or fourth failed attempt. The bartender Monica was super sweet and helpful. She let us taste wines without a fuss and was spot on with her cheese recommendations. They have a great outdoor seating area, sidewalk-style, but it's not a place you can just hop in, relax and start boozing. There's guaranteed to be a wait (or a fight) for a table if you don't show up at four o'clock.
Park Blue: I met Winette and FoxyLady here, along with a former co-worker CineFile and his girlfriend. I had no idea there was such a cool, swanky lounge/bar right across the street from my gym. Had I known this, I certainly would have been suggesting this as an alternative to my team's standby P.J. Carney's. We had the amazing Park Blue signature cocktail to start, which was blueberries, champagne, gin and lemon juice. I don't usually like fruity drinks but this was a great combo of two of my favorite poisons, which I didn't know would taste so good together.
The wine-by-the-glass list wasn't that great -- they only have four reds and four whites, but we each found one we could drink all evening. We ordered some small plates to split and all of them were top notch, especially the cheese puffs. You could taste more cheese than puff which in my book is the key to a good gougere.
For dessert we ordered creme brulee and chocolate mousse...
and the bartender was so sweet he even threw in a few dessert cocktails for us, on the house. This was a really nice gesture and I've since meant to return simply because of his generosity, and OK, the gougeres. He informed us it was a mixture of vanilla vodka and chocolate, and it made for the perfect end to our evening.
Artisanal: I'd been to Artisanal once before and I know I will return several more times. I am a sucker for all things French and fromage. However, the last time I went, I was disappointed in our fondue fare. It was a repeat of the Park Blue crew. I should probably come up with a name for the group as we seem to have made a habit of getting together over wine and cheese. We sat in the same spot that I did with Winette and Hawkeye almost a year ago, and we happened to have the same unfortunate waitress. She's just not on the ball -- we kept on having to flag her for things we had already asked for-- and unlike most servers you encounter, she's not a people person.
CineFile had an important announcement to share with us that evening and after hearing the exciting news of his engagement to his girlfriend, we all ordered glasses of champagne to toast the happy couple. CineFile is the sweetest guy you'll ever meet and it's about time he found Mrs. Right.
Maybe I'm just not a fondue person. In theory, fondue always sounds so good to me. What steak and potatoes girl wouldn't love a pot of melted cheese to dip stuff in? But the past few times I've had fondue in the city I've been disappointed. The cheese is always bland and there are never enough "fixings" to go around for the entire table. Who wants to be the one rationing out bite-size pieces of bread and potatoes? Maybe I should just stick to dessert fondue from now on.
And to add fuel to the fire, we all decided that Park Blue's gougeres were better than Artisanal's. Artisanal is the temple of cheese in this city, or so I thought, and the fact that a little unknown lounge in midtown outscored them in the gougere department is just plain outrageous.
Next up for our wine night pow-wow? Terroir. Consider this your open invitation to lush and gush.
posted by Mona at 6:59 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home