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A Parrot Fish Decanter, a Wine That’s Priced Too Low, and Our First Video Interview
Plus: an introduction to sake for wine drinkers, Smithereens goes West, a Shanghai restaurant pops up in New York, and a buffet-style restaurant coming to the East Village.
Happy Thursday!
We went to Le French Diner on what felt like the coldest night of the year. A week later, we were back.
It’s the kind of place where two hours feels like twenty minutes. Where portions still feel generous in an era of small plates. Where chunky European bistro glasses might not be the obvious choice, but they’re the only ones that make sense. An open kitchen sits just feet from the bar, run by a tight three-person team—porter, chef, and a server who also plays host and sommelier—and somehow it’s more than enough. The hospitality is effortless. You don’t rush through a meal there and you don’t want to.
The wine list at Le French Diner is concise, with solid choices throughout. We do wish it stretched a bit further, especially with more options under $80, but it’s a minor quibble in a place that gets so much else right.
There’s no shortage of coverage on Le French Diner, and for good reason. If you happen to be unfamiliar, it’s worth going out of your way to experience. And if there’s a wait, you’re in good hands: the surrounding blocks offer plenty of places to pass the time. A few nearby favorites include Contra, Babysips, Copper & Oak, and Somm Time.
In this week’s newsletter, we’re revisiting an article we published a few months ago that serves as an introduction to sake for wine drinkers, ahead of a new sake-focused piece coming soon. We’re also linking to an article from SevenFifty Daily that dives into one of our favorite Spanish producers.
Enjoy, and thanks for reading!
— Nathan Bodenstein
This isn’t an article, but we just released our first video interview—adapted from a conversation we published earlier in January. If you’d like to read the full interview, you can find it here. Or click below to watch an excerpt in our new video series, Wine Stories.
Ahead of a new sake-focused article coming in the next few weeks, we wanted to reshare a piece we published that breaks sake down in a digestible way, especially for readers coming from a wine background.
For nearly 150 years, López de Heredia has crafted traditional, long-aged Rioja wines. How did they develop a following among collectors and reshape the mindset around Rioja along the way?
From a Hidden Alley in Shanghai to Chinatown NYC
Ahead of Lunar New Year festivities, Chinatown wine bar Lei is hosting Bastard, a modern Chinese eatery based in Shanghai, for two nights only on Monday, February 9th, and Tuesday, February 10th. Tucked at the end of an alley inside a former hostel, Bastard offers a contemporary take on traditional Chinese cuisine. As described by a Shanghai food and drink blog, the menu is a mash-up of Chinese regional flavors layered with Western influences.
Austria-Focused Pop-Ups and Seminars at Wine Paris
Wine Paris is a major international wine and spirits trade fair held each February in, yes, Paris, bringing together producers, importers, buyers, and press from around the world. Unfortunately, it’s restricted to trade professionals only. During this years fair, there are a number of Austria-focused pop-up seminars that will showcase Austria’s wine diversity, which can all be found here!
From Bistrot to Taverna: A Back-to-Back Pop-Up at Casetta This Weekend
This weekend at Casetta, Sofia Swanson of Swans and Katerina Liakos return to the Lower East Side, where they first met while Sofia was pastry chef at Wildair and Contra and Katerina was a line cook. On Friday night, Sofia brings her project Swans to Casetta, exploring bistrot culture. On Saturday, the space shifts into something closer to a taverna as Katerina digs into her Greek-American heritage.
For Our LA Readers: Smithereens Heads West for a Collab We’re Dubbing Baby Smithereens
On Tuesday, February 24th, Baby Bistro in LA welcomes East Village’s Smithereens for a one-night-only dinner! For the cross-country collaboration, chefs Miles Thompson and Nick Tamburo will follow the way of Baby Bistro’s six-item menu, each helming different dishes that showcase their distinct approaches to vegetables and fish. Partners Andy Schwartz of Baby Bistro and Nikita Malhotra of Smithereens will be pouring some very fun wines for the eve! We wish we could be there for it.
When: Tuesday, February 24th
Timing: 5pm — late
Location: Baby Bistro, 1027 Alpine St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Reservations link: See here!
Original Instagram Post: See here
Upcoming Events We Previously Mentioned
“It must be wine fair season.”
A wine product we love & think you’ll love: Easily our favorite decanter yet—a hand-blown glass parrot fish with a stunningly playful design that’s unfortunately quite expensive.
Wine recommendation of the week: A white blend from Alsace we love, typically priced in the $50+ range but currently a great value, available at one of our favorite shops in Beacon, New York. And if you need another bottle in case there’s a shipping minimum, here’s a Pinot Gris from an Oregon producer.
Non-alcoholic recommendation of the week: This botanical blend from a London-based brand that consists of rosemary, bitter orange, rhubarb, and clove.
A restaurant opening we’re excited about: A buffet-style restaurant that’s coming to the East Village.
A wine book we’re loving: One of the leading voices in wine released a book that serves as a guide to wine and food pairing that teaches readers how to think like a sommelier, moving beyond simple rules to understand the principles of flavor, acidity, and tannins to make intuitive choices.