LIONS, TIGERS AND BEARS OH MY OR IN NEW YORK CITY Bagels, Pizza and Pastrami OH MY waist is growing
Give you pickles and cold slaw at the table. More convenient, less noisy, more refined and the fries are still very good. Finally, on the Upper East Side where I live, there’s Pastrami Queen – and she’s no queen. You can’t eat here they have like three tables so you have to take out. The pastrami is acceptable but by the time you get it home solidification happens. However, the guys serving are the best and always friendly. As for California you want some pastrami – keep walking. There was Jerry’s Famous Deli but famous no more actually all eight locations are closed. Ran into Larry David and the Hof there but that’s a whole ‘nother story.
Let’s Talk Pastrami – when done well it’s beyond satisfying. The Pastrami champion – Katz’s Deli – not conveniently located. Still with the annoying paper tickets but oh the wonder. Of course, you have to go when no one else is going. Think mid-week around 4 PM. No lines here and you can just walk in. Not empty but extremely tolerable. Those in the know head all the way to the back and make a right. This is the private area only real New Yorker’s know about. Waiter service required – no skimping here to save a tip and standing in line. Next up Ben’s Delicatessen – midtown Macy’s area not glamorous but the pastrami is good, not as good as Katz’s but no slouch either. More of a restaurant setting.
WINE For some to think, they need to drink. Humans have been drinking for thousands of years. We all need water but sometimes we prefer something stronger. Wine is an alternative. Having resided in California for 23 years and California being the US wine capital I’ve partaken. In Cali there was a wine chain called Bev Mo meaning the dumping ground of California wineries. When the northern California wineries had too much product, they dumped them here. Even the most expensive wines were dirt cheap or cheaper here. So, on some cold winter night where you might need some inner warmth or after a hard week of output and you need to relax and celebrate here are three of my favorites. Your liver requests that you don’t overdue it and imbibe in moderation and at the price of these bottles moderation is the key. For a Cabernet Sauvignon I have always liked Silver Oak the Napa Valley one versus the Alexander Valley.
you have to order directly from Sonoma and have it shipped. They do ship single bottles and many times without shipping fees. One of the fun things we did in California was going up North to San Francisco for a weekend and then out to Napa. Over the years I actually met many of the proprietors of the vineyards up there. Hard to believe but true. To be able to go to their big houses sit outside on their veranda overlooking the winery while enjoying a glass of their creations under a clear sky and right temperature can bring true bliss.
They all are good and the older are even better. When you taste a wine more than 10 years old, they seem to feel thicker and more mellow but even the five-year- old vintages are just fine. For a Barolo Damilano Cannuli 2016 is quite good. Of course, the Barolo is from Italy but with some cheese, olives and bread you can almost imagine you’re on the Coast of Italy enjoying the view and sun of the Mediterranean. The Queen of Pinot Noir is Merry Edwards who has been turning them out for decades. It really does not matter which varietal of hers you choose. They are all good but impossible to get here in New York meaning
So choose a wine and enjoy.
2 www.reitdds.com
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