Comestiblog

Champagne Taste on a Tap Water Budget

Indulge your champagne taste at one or more of these free bubbly tastings:

Friday, 26 December:

Nicolas Feuillatte tasting at Long's

Nicolas Feuillatte represents, in my opinion, one of France's best Champagne values.  Sample the Brut (40% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay; 40% Pinot Meunier), the Brut Rosé (60% Pinot Noir; 10% Chardonnay; 30% Pinot Meunier.  One of my favorites!), and the Cuvée Palme d'Or Brut 1998 (50% Chardonnay; 50% Pinot Noir).

Long's Wines & Liquors

7917 5^th Avenue (between 79^th & 80^th Sts), Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.  Free.

(718) 748-6505

http://www.longswines.com/

By train: R to 77^th Street
By bus: B63

Kluge Estate tasting at Zachys

Try a couple of sparkling wines from Virginia!  The tasting will feature two, 2004-vintage selections from Kluge Estate: the SP Sparkling Rosé (89% Chardonnay; 11% Pinot Noir) and the SP Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay).  Situated near Charlottesville, on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Patricia Kluge's vineyards are just a short distance from America's viticultural roots at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.  Incidentally, Patricia is the former wife of Metromedia's (remember when Channel 5 was WNEW-TV?) founder, John Kluge.

Zachys™ Wine and Liquor

16 East Parkway
Scarsdale, N.Y. 10583-4109
4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.  Free.

(800) 723-0241

http://www.zachys.com/

By train: Metro-North Harlem Line to Scarsdale

Saturday, 27 December:

Uncorking #1

This is the sort of tasting I've come to expect from Zachys.  It features the Champagnes of Veuve Cliquot, Charles Ellner, Godmé, Moët & Chandon, and Ruinart.

Zachys™ Wine and Liquor
12 Noon to 4:00 P.M.  Free.

Sunday, 28 December:


Uncorking #2

Another fine tasting in Scarsdale.  This one showcases champagnes from the houses of Bollinger and Taittinger.

Zachys™ Wine and Liquor
1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.  Free.

Tuesday, 30 December:


Grower Sparklers

Five sparkling alternatives to Champagne will be poured.

The Greene Grape

765 Fulton Street (between S Portland Av & S Oxford St), Fort Greene, Brooklyn
5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.  Free.

(718) 797-9463

By train: C to Lafayette Av; G to Fulton St
By bus: B25, B26, B52

http://brooklyn.greenegrape.com/

Ayala Tasting

The Champagnes of Ayala were reintroduced into the United States market after an extended absence.  This tasting will feature: Ayala Brut Majeur NV (35% Chardonnay; 45% Pinot Noir; 20% Pinot Meunier), Rosé Majeur NV (51% Chardonnay; 30% Pinot Noir; 10% Pinot Meunier; 9% still red wine from Mareuilsur-Aÿ (Pinot Noir from old vines)), Blanc de Blancs 2000 (100% Grand Cru Chardonnay)

Columbus Circle Wines & Spirits

1802 Broadway (between 58^th & 59^th Sts), Midtown Manhattan
5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.  Free.

(212) 247-0764

http://www.columbuscirclewine.com/

By train: 1 (IRT), A,B,C,D (IND) to 59 St-Columbus Circle
By bus: M5, M7, M10, M20, M104

Wednesday, 31 December:


Bis!  Bis!

A couple of the foregoing tastings will be repeated on New Year's Eve.  Columbus Circle Wines & Spirits presents an encore of its Ayala tasting from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.; Long's Wine & Liquors in Brooklyn reprises its Nicolas Feuillatte tasting from 5:00 P.M. till 8:00 P.M.  Both tastings are free.

Cheers!

"Seasoned" Greetings

Helping the Hungry for the Holidays

As our busy schedules find us scrambling to buy last-minute gifts for friends and loved ones, we often overlook those who could also use a little holiday kindness.

Since its founding in 1982, City Harvest has dedicated itself to feeding New York City's hungry men, women, and children.  Through contributions, food-rescue, distribution, and education, this non-profit organization has helped reduce hunger in our city.

In addition to monetary contributions, food donations, and volunteer programs, there are numerous other ways to help City Harvest accomplish its mission.  Among them: buying Holiday Cards or a City Harvest apron (or both!), making online purchases (at no additional cost) through Shop for Charity, purchasing "City Harvest blends" from serendipiTea, and ordering a $40 prix fixe lunch ($5 of which is donated to City Harvest) at Le Bernadin.

 

City Harvest, Inc.

575 Eighth Avenue, 4^th Floor
New York, N.Y.  10018-3069

(917) 351-8700
(917) 351-8720

http://www.cityharvest.org/

A Gift of Trivia for the Board

Looking for a comestible-related gift that's under $20?  Foodie Fight is a trivia game that challenges food lovers to flaunt their knowledge of food history, culinary science, celebrity chefs, and exotic cuisine.  With more than a thousand questions, there are plenty of servings for everyone.  The set includes a deck of trivia cards, six game boards, and a colored die.

Foodie Fight by Joyce Lock

Angon-izing Over a Decision

Because it had been a while since my last visit to Curry Row in the East Village, I hadn't kept apace with the restaurant situation there.  As we all know, times are tough.  Nowhere is the flagging economy more evident than in the mostly empty Indian eateries on East 6^th Street.  We were surprised to find that, contrary to its takeout menu's stated hours, Angon was open on a Monday.  I wasn't certain whether I'd eaten there previously, but decided to give it a (possibly second) try.

As with many restaurants on this block, Angon's dining room is a few steps down from street-level.  The "Indian Culinary Den" is attractive, tasteful, and comfortable.  We were welcomed warmly and enthusiastically.  Our server was solicitous, without being intrusive—a task facilitated by our being the only guests.

I admit to being a sucker for sampler platters—especially when feeling particularly indecisive or unfamiliar with a restaurant's strengths (and weaknesses).  Maybe it was a combination thereof that led us to order the ultimate dinner-for-the-irresolute.

Assorted Appetizers

To begin, we selected the Assorted Appetizers ($10.95), a small sampling—e.g., samosa, pakora, and such—of their popular starters.  Unfortunately, the plate was overwhelmed by deep-fried, shredded vegetables, to conceal, perhaps, the dearth of more substantial items.  Were the appetizers tasty?  Yes, albeit each was a bit dry.  We were off to an adequate start.

The Garlic Nan ($3.50) sounded too interesting to pass up.  It was not quite garlicky enough for my tastes, but I found it preferable to plain Nan.

For the main course, we split the Mixed Grill Combo Platter ($19.95), a representative selection of Angon's tandoori specialities.  (It's well-suited for sharing by two.)  The Chicken Tandoori samples were nicely seasoned, but alas, slightly overcooked.  On the other hand, the Fish Tikka (salmon) and the Kababs were moist, tender, and tasty.  The second course was quite an improvement over the starter.

Mixed Grill Combo Platter

In sum, the sampler platters afforded a good overview of Angon's offerings.  Having favored the salmon, I'd like to pursue that as an option on my next visit.

 

Angon on the Sixth

320 East 6^th Street (between First & Second Avs), East Village, Manhattan

(212) 260-8229

http://www.angon.biz/

By train: 6 to Astor Place; F,V to 2 Avenue
By bus: M15, M8

Not Ravin' About Cake Man's Red Velvet

In 2000, Harlem-native Raven Patrick De'Sean Dennis III put a large, red dot—with frosting—on the map in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.  Not long after he opened Cake Man Raven Confectionery on Fulton Street, his Southern Red Velvet Cake became such a sensation that he began limiting each customer to four slices.  Furthermore, whole cakes had to be ordered "at least" a week in advance.  In spite of these restrictions (or, perhaps, because of them), hour-long waits on lines stretching down the block were common.  Fanfare for Raven erupted anew within the past year, when Applebee's announced it would serve the Cake Man's signature confection at its Brooklyn restaurants.

Thus, imagine our surprise when, on a recent visit (in late-afternoon, on a Friday) to the "home of the official Red Velvet cake," we encountered no lines and, more tellingly, no other customers!  (Two people did come in after we made our purchases: one bought two slices of cake, though not the Red Velvet; the other picked up a pre-ordered sheet cake.)  Equally surprising were the ready availability of whole cakes and the absence of a purchasing limit on slices.  Was this a fluke?  Cakewoman Maven and I were determined to find out.

Hype is a funny thing.  It can lead one to enjoy things more than otherwise warranted, or it can sensitize a person to noting all the subtle (and not so subtle) flaws of the object in question.  The question here is: How did Cake Man Raven's Red Velvet cake become one of the hottest dessert properties in town?

Red Velvet cake is one of Cakewoman's passions—to the extent that she considers it to be not only a favorite dessert, but an all-around favorite food.  We've found that most bakeries follow—if not perfectly—the basic precepts: a spongy, rich chocolate cake with its moistness enhanced by copious amounts of red food-coloring, preferably not too sweet, with a creamy frosting (usually made with cream cheese, ricotta, or both).  The sides of the cake are typically sprinkled with finely crumbled chocolate cake or dark chocolate shavings.

Excessive sweetness is a widespread problem.  It's characteristic of Stop & Shop's otherwise near-perfect version (on the rare occasions they offer it), as well as Stew Leonard's less-than-velvety attempt.  Without question, the best Red Velvet cake was that of our recently deceased caterer-friend, Barbara.  Her cake's texture was spongy and had just the right amount of give.  She used enough red food coloring to enhance the deep chocolaty flavor (and, importantly, moist texture) in that uniquely savory, "red-velvet" way, without overwhelming the chocolate.  Her lightly sweetened whipped-cream frosting further contributed to a finished product that wasn't cloyingly sweet.  Yum!

Alas, "cloying" is a word that came up repeatedly as we discussed our recent cake slices ($6 apiece) and identically tasting cupcakes ($5 for two) from Cake Man Raven.  But saying the cake is too sweet is merely the tip of this confectionery iceberg.  It is more significant to note that, had we tasted it blind, neither of us would have identified it as Red Velvet cake.

First, the texture is out of balance.  Though moist, the cake is neither springy nor spongy—it's just a heavy, starchy lump.  And, instead of any inkling of chocolate, the artificial taste of the food coloring, together with that of something vaguely almondlike, predominates.  Finally, the whole thing is slathered in an inch-thick coating of outrageously sweet frosting.  There's a hint of cream cheese, but the overpowering sugar element in both cake and frosting eliminates any possibility of detecting subtleties of flavor.  In sum, our blindfolded palates might have deemed this to be a moist, but leaden, yellow cake, laden with sugar and artificial flavoring.

Two options are available when ordering this confection: plain or with a pecan-coating on the frosting.  We found the latter preferable, because the nuts help to mitigate, albeit ever so slightly, the cake's, yes, cloying sweetness.

As mentioned earlier, Cake Man Raven doesn't limit himself to Red Velvet cake.  Also on display at his shop (and the only other slices sold during our 15-minute visit) were an alarmingly green coconut cake, alongside a yellow cake of a hue one might actually find in nature.

In sum, the two of us agreed that, had we been served this in a restaurant (assuming it weren't advertised as "Red Velvet cake"), we'd not have been terribly impressed—though we'd not have been terribly disappointed, either.  The cake's moistness is quite acceptable, and we might have enjoyed a few bites of it, without the frosting.  But to seek out this confection when the occasion calls for a Red Velvet cake—especially given its steep price?  In a word: No.  I'm afraid we'll have to look elsewhere.

Cake Man Raven Confectionery

708 Fulton Street (between S Portland Av & S Oxford St), Fort Greene, Brooklyn

(718) 694-CAKE (2253)

http://www.cakemanraven.com/
http://www.myspace.com/cakemanraven

By train: C to Lafayette Av; G to Fulton St
By bus: B25, B26, B52