Travel
with the Wine Skinny, jun/jul 2007
aka How many meals can we squeeze into
one weekend?
Hit the ground running with this food and
wine immersion weekend that still leaves
time for a shot of performing arts!
City
Club Hotel - Nestled on West 44th
Street, the City Club Hotel is ideal for
this kind of weekend. Just steps away from
Broadway, it offers 65 rooms done in soothing
earth tones and a modern, but not too modern,
style. Our room was one of the most spacious
we've seen in the city, with two queen size
beds, a plush window seat, an extravagantly
large shower coated in chocolate marble,
and plenty of walking around space. The
staff is friendly; the rates are reasonable-ish.
In fact, the only two downsides were a clanky
A/C unit and a TV that was hidden behind
a mirror - a clever idea, but didn't do
much for the TV's picture or sound. Doubles
from $310. 55 West 44th Street, 212-921-5500.
 Another
plus to the City Club? The building also
houses DB
Bistro Moderne, one of Chef Daniel
Boulud's restaurants. We were there on a
Friday night, and the place was packed -
good to know it hasn't lost its buzz since
its 2001 opening. This is where the renowned
db burger was born, billed as "sirloin
burger filled with braised short ribs, foie
gras and black truffle served on a parmesan
bun." Excited to check it out, we were
disappointed when it arrived overcooked,
mostly tasteless (if pretty to look at),
and altogether underwhelming.
On the bright side, an artichoke veloute
soup was silky and delicious and studded
with fresh morels. Simply grilled halibut
was served with lovely spring fava beans
and velvety spinach puree. And roasted John
Dory came with a delicate green pea risotto
that we could eat every single day. We opted
for a cheese course for the table rather
than dessert, and it was wonderful. I'd
tell you what was on it, but, frankly, we
were into our second bottle of wine at that
point - a tasty and affordable Domaine de
la Chapelle 2003 Gigondas suggested by sommelier
Arnaud Devulder (who seemed completely
nice and helpful, by the way) - and I simply
don't remember. All in all, a great evening.
(Plus we sampled breakfast here one morning
and had one of the best egg dishes we can
remember anywhere - "slow poached"
eggs served over thick whole grain toast
on a bed of dreamy creamed spinach - don't
miss it!)
+++++
 Just
down 44th, Kellari
Taverna was a good spot for a late
Friday lunch - blissfully calm at around
3pm, which was nice after a long flight
and bumpy taxi ride from JFK. A bottle of
cold Greek white wine was just what was
needed alongside the great crusty bread
that arrived. Then one of the best Greek
salads in recent memory, a vegetable
moussaka (ate every bite), and Pikilia -
an array of tsatsiki and tsatsiki-like spreads.
Service is a little rough, but fine in this
cavernous space, and on the whole it was
just what the doctor ordered. The bar scene
was just starting to heat up when we were
leaving - a preview, I suspect, of the busy
evening to come. 19 West 44th Street, 212-221-0144.
+++++
  René
Pujol was our pre-theater meal on
Saturday. Recommended by a friend (thanks,
Joe) who regularly dines out on client expense
accounts and knows all the priciest places
by heart, René Pujol was described
to us as "really good French food that
isn't too expensive."
We really fell in love with this place.
Definitely on the quaint side, with silk
flower napkin rings and other Old World
charm touches, this is no Vegas-style restaurant.
And what a relief, to be honest. The $44
prix fixe menu includes a starter, main
course and dessert, with dishes that range
from a goat cheese and potato cake salad
to duck liver mousse, classic escargot,
dover sole and bouillabaisse. But the best
dish of the evening - in fact of the entire
weekend - was an off-the-menu duck. Perfectly
crispy skin, perfectly tender meat, we were
all reaching in for more. Portions are
generous, and service is good. The wine
list is totally appealing, with a range
of selections that shows some attention
to good wines and okay prices. We chose
an excellent bottle of Chateau d'Issan 2003
Margaux for $95 (retails around $30).
How we've spent this many years trying
to find a good meal in the theater district
without knowing about René Pujol
is a mystery. But we're glad to know now
- we'll be back! 321 West 51st Street, 212-246-3023.
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