By Filippo Bartolotta
I know that I am late with my blog and I maybe should follow a chronological train of thoughts, but I just had an amazing dinner at 50WD in Cilnton Street and Rivington.
It has been thank to an great friend and one of the best “absolute palate” I have ever met in my life: AJ Bocchino, an dedicated artist and a serious and yet gourmet lover: http://www.ajbocchino.com.
I had a couple of journeys to Italy with him and his dad and grand nephew, Chas. The first time it was in Langhe with Bruno Giacosa, Bartolo Mascarello and Roberto Conterno of Monfortino and all the best skunky  trattorias and Michelin Star Restaurant.
Then  it was time for Tuscany with the good old man: Gianfranco Soldera, tasting away his savory 1980, 1981, 1989 together with 1964 Angelo Gaja first Vintage and 1968 MastroBerardino -simply one of the densest, most comples and supple wine of my life…thank you AJ.
Tonight Vanessa and I caught up with Aj again. After the Lobester Bar in Lexington and Prince, where the Lobster roll is worth alone a trip to NYC, we went to WM50 for a four courses menu and two amazing wines:
Barolo Bruno Giacosa 1964 and  Chavalier Montrachet Le Flaive 2000.
One first opened the Montrachet was a little oaky, I thought while Aj didn’t say a word. Then after half an hour the wine rock, just like New york CIty.
We had a very enjoyable dinner with a very bitter daring and challenging cuisine all the way through dessert.
The incredible thing is that Aj favorite restaurant is 20m away from Milo and Daphne’s school…this is this morning when Milo woke up saying: Daddy its 0730 and it’s snowing. Now its 0230 and so you get what’s going to happen to me tomorrow!
The Montrachet was rich and fat and velvety and Laprohaigh Smokey complex anisette and butterscotch taste which lingered even after destert. A wine with a lot of shelf life.
We got three appetizers but both wines were opened. The Giacosa ’64 at first was a little dirty, but then it cleaned up and yet always retaining an amazing acidity and life…another 30 years.
The fact is that the evening flew by and the wine with it and the awsome http://www.wd-50.com/ menu.
We had three appetizers:
| Pumpernickel soup, smoked sable, blood orange, puffed gruyere |
| Smoked eel, spice bread, black radish, campari |
| Bay scallops, bone marrow, bulgur, crosnes, tamarind |
The soup was pretty leathery and the Barolo was perfect while I think the Montrachet struggled; the Eel was perfect and perfect was the match with the LaFlaive. The scallops was maybe the best dish with a lot of fatty and savory contrast.
Then it was time for main course:
| Arctic char, snow pea, fried yucca, cherry-black bean |
| Scallops, pine needle udon, grapefruit dashi, chinese broccoli |
The Char was like a nice Salmon dish, but nothing too fancy and the scallops where very luscious and complex.
The dessert is absolutely a must here:
| Licorice custard, sake sorbet, bartlett pear: very sexy and complex dish, perfect with the Trockeberenauslese Pichler Krutzler 1997.
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| Cheesecake, pineapple, raisin, saffron, lime. The most enjoyable of all. |
| Lemongrass mousse, brown sugar, jack fruit, whole wheat sorbet. very fresh and yet not to remember. |
| Soft chocolate, peppermint ice cream, black cardamom, toffee. Very good but too salty.
Right after this wonderful evening I thought we were going home and instead thanks to AJ we went to visit a NO NAME WINE BAR in the Lower east Side:
I promise I’ll update with Kansas City, the Berkshires with The Nutrition Centre, Davide Manzo and The Stage Coach; the White House and mythical Joan Nathan in Washington…Keep you posted… Good Night, filippo |
