my fabulous birthday dinner!

Yes we were in Chicago for my birthday weekend (not because of my birthday weekend but became Rich Warren had scheduled Tom Paton for that Saturday night for a concert at WFMT for Folkstage)

so we made plans well in advance to go to Oriole- my very favorite restaurant in town - heck in the country - maybe even the world LOL

here is the fabulous menu for the evening- starting with a champagne cocktail designed by Star Bartender Julia Momose for my birthday celebration called the "TOR DE FORCE" followed by a special starter course a gift from our friends both attending the dinner and the folks at Oriole- CAVIAR FOUR WAYS!!!!

and then my Genie Kwon birthday cake!!!! chocolate - chocolate and more chocolate- with malted milk balls - and mousse - and white chocolate petals on the amazing cake which I got to take home the leftovers!!!!

a close up of my "all chocolate all the time" cake! it was stunningly beautiful but more tasty than even that!

the wines - the St Aubin showed better than the Corton Charlemagne but the Puligny Montrachet which is a new wine 2014 was excellent.  We had two 99 Nuits St Georges Les Pruliers which were very good and split opinion on the better of the two.  We had a kick butt 1983 Oregon pinot from Yamhill Valley vineyards... and a 96 Clerc Milion Bordeaux and a old 77 Dow Port for port lovers-

it was so much fun sharing the meal with friends Shari and Kevin and Evelyn and Todd--- all perfect dining companions who we met thanks to the Chaine de Rotissuers group in Chicago... lovers of good food and good wines all!

So we are almost caught up with the missing month. And that is a good thing because tonight we went to a special screening of a terrific movie - really enjoyed it and I will be telling you more about it in the post after next- because I have one more to do to be completely caught up with the backlog,,,, so hold on- we will get there!

the main event!

So as you know we have been in NYC for a few days - even though there is a ton of stuff to get done before I leave here for the north- we did not want to miss the opening of our friend Arnaud Tronche's wine bar and restaurant - Racine's NY.... so when all the permits were in place and things all approved we "took" our tickets and headed there to help celebrate the event long in coming!

the evening was lovely despite the uneven first time service - the food was wonderful and the place has the most welcoming ambience- clean crisp lines of natural wood and stone and brick - reflective of the general manager Arnaud Tronche's taste for not just design but wines as well.  The focus is on those wines grown organically and biodynamically... Tribeca will definitely be enriched by the food and wine on offer here!

the menu for the very first night of regular food service-

an amuse of watermelon radish soup- the watermelon is an adjective - LOL - not an ingredient...

the ceviche and the veal tartare starters -

the scallops main and the pork mangalitsa -

the logo to look for-

this morning - the day of the first public dinner reservations and customers- there was an article by FLO FAB (Florence Fabricant) in the NYT (Times) about the opening! See: http://nyti.ms/1ev7Pbs

here is the text-

Headliner

RACINES NY

The notion of opening a restaurant in New York has been percolating in David Lahner’s head for many years. He is finally bringing a branch of Racines, his two Paris restaurants, to New York with his partners: David Lillie, who owns Chambers Street Wines, and Arnaud Tronche, a sommelier who will be the general manager. The somewhat narrow space with an open kitchen has an air of refined rusticity with brick walls and mirrors. The chef, Frédéric Duca, is from Marseilles, but his brief menu has only a light French accent. There is sea bass ceviche, squid a la plancha and lamb shoulder confit. “I want to showcase quality ingredients to go with wines that express the soil,” he said. Mr. Lillie, whose shop holds a trove from small French producers, said they are making a commitment to natural and biodynamic wines, or, as he put it, “wines from the earth.” (Opens Wednesday): 94 Chambers Street (Church Street), 212-227-3400, racinesny.com.

so, bon chance! and congratulations to Arnaud Tronche (and his biggest supporter and help mate - Laure Vienot Tronche...) all the best for you and Racine's NY and many years of success to come! Cheers!

PS- great news! a big article in Zagat! http://www.zagat.com/b/new-york-city/first-look-racines-a-tribeca-outpost-of-a-paris-wine-bar#4

excellent write up - and the people have started coming!!!!!