Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 44

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Vini e Fritti

Fried food and sparkling wine-what more do you need to know? The plates are Italian-style-think cheesy, mushroom-infused suppli, crisp artichokes and airy sweetbreads just out of a deep-fryer bath; the wine list is cherry=picked from the bubbles
selection at Marta, Danny Meyer's full-scale restaurant on the other side of the Redbury Hotel, and priced even more competitively. Order a glass of the Roger Coulon
Henri Hodie ($17) while dipping crisp vegetables into bagna cauda, then debate
whether to move on to Geoffroy's Expression or Laherte Frères Beaudiers Rosé for
the fried things. -T.Q.T.
30 E. 30th St.; vinifritti.com

The Simone
At The Simone, an Upper East Side hideaway
that exudes the warmth of a chic French country inn, Tina Vaughn knows every dish intimately-an advantage that comes from marriage to the chef, Chip Smith. That advantage
plays into the wine list, an eclectic mix of drinkready bottles that ranges all over Europe, with
many selections from importer Neal Rosenthal,
who helped the couple find their partner in the
restaurant, Robert Margolis. Don't miss chef
Smith's daily terrines, his savory tart or his epic
duck with morels, the breast pan roasted, the
thigh slow roasted. -J.G.
151 E. 82nd St.; 212-772-8861,
thesimonerestaurant.com

The Modern

With 3,000 bottles that span the globe, it's
easy to get lost in the wine list at The Modern.
Better to let Michael Engelmann and his able
sommelier team navigate, so you can spend
your time gazing out at MoMA's sculpture garden, or focusing on chef Abram Bissel's elegant, opulent cuisine. The wine list goes deep
in classics and back vintages, especially in
France and Germany. Or, they can steer you
toward something less expected, like a Yarra
Valley nebbiolo from Luke Lambert or chenin
blanc from Testalonga in Swartland. -A.B.
9 W. 53rd St.; 212-333-1200,
themodernnyc.com
44

WINE & SPIRITS

The Office

Villanelle
Go for the food-precise dishes based on whatever's in season at the nearby
Union Square Greenmarket-but save space for the drinks. The bar team works as
hard as the kitchen, whipping up three types of oleo saccharum, as well as bitters,
amaro, orgeat, tinctures and dozens of syrups daily, and regularly steals ingredients from the walk-in: For El Bandido, cocoa nibs find their way into a syrup that's
shaken with egg whites, lemon, mezcal and Amaro Montenegro and garnished
with grated cayenne pepper and star anise. -D.G.
15 E. 12th St.; 212-989-2474, villanellenyc.com

From Chicagoans Grant Achatz and Micah Melton, The Office is a different world from The Aviary, their experimental cocktail bar next door. Full of quilted leather, dark wood and animal hide, the focus is on Prohibition-era cocktails, with a twist.
An Amaretto Sour gets a boost from Cynar 70, black truffle and smoked salt while the Passionfruit is a happy, if unlikely,
marriage of rum, Dijon mustard and Chartreuse, made silky with an egg white. If cocktails aren't your thing, raid the
liquor cabinet, stocked with vintage Chartreuse, a collection of Scotch, Bourbon and whiskey spanning decades, and an
1835 Cognac available by the ounce. -D.G.
80 Columbus Circle; 212-805-8800, aviarynyc.com/the-office

APRIL 2018

photos: Vini e Fritti by Liz Clayman; Villanelle by
Signe Birck; The Office by Mandarin Oriental NYC

http://www.vinifritti.com http://www.villanellenyc.com http://www.thesimonerestaurant.com http://www.aviarynyc.com/the-office http://www.themodernnyc.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2018