CHAPEAU PHILIPPE GILBERT !

Ah..the Spring Classics are over for another year. What a season! For the un-initiated, the Spring Classics are the professional bike races held in northern France, Belgium and Holland during March and April. They are my favorite races of the year. Yes, the three week long grand tours of France, Italy and Spain are beautiful events that garner most of the press coverage world wide. Here in the US it seems only the Tour de France gets any respect, although that may be changing, we had pretty good TV coverage of the Classics this year. The tours are a majestic chess match that requires a special type of rider who can climb the high mountains, conserve energy, work well within a powerful team,  and know when to attack for greatest effect. The Spring Classics, however, are for a different type of rider. These are the hard men of pro cycling. Not to take anything away from the grand tour contenders, but the one-day races demand  big, powerful -"he who suffers the longest has a chance at glory" racers. Riders who are usually 5-10 to 6-1, 165 to 185 lbs and can motor over the cobbled roads of Flanders and the narrow, hilly routes through the Ardenne, for often times more than six hours, are the most likely champions of these great events. The feather-weight climbers who dance on their peddles through the Alps and Dolomites  come summer are phenomenal to see, yet are usually not animators in the spring. And the weather! Early spring in northern Europe can bring sunny, warm temperatures or snowy, wet, bone-chilling conditions. The races go on regardless and only adds to the drama unfolding on the road.  

This year a Belgian rider named Philippe Gilbert won three Classics: Amstel Gold, Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.  All won with class and leg searing power. 


To all the classics riders....raise a beer....Cheers. 

Now we wait another year for the Classics to be run again.    

Classics Video Links:

Liege-Bastogne-Liege Video

Thor Hushovd prepares for Paris Roubaix
Gilbert Wins Amstel Gold video

SPRING BREAK 2011

Well, we started spring break last week and it has been outstanding. Not outstanding in an undergraduate debaucherous way but rather a much needed respite. While the students of the senior class at the school we teach at are nervously deciding where they will attend college in the fall, we are reading, riding, eating and tasting wine.  

The wine deliveries from my friends at Garagiste WInes, Kermit Lynch and Montelena will continue into this week. More on that in a later entry.

In the spirit of pairing drink with literature, I am fully engaged right now in Graham Greene's The Comedians and if you are a rum aficionado I would recommend the pairing. I am not, so bourbon it is. Having spent some time in Haiti during the 1990's, Green's words are penetrating, but would we expect anything else from him?


Cheers.

Les Halles, NYC

If you are a fan of Anthony Bourdain's cooking, writing or television career then you'll know this restaurant. Located on Park and 28th, the Les Halles staff offers an outstanding opportunity to experience expertly prepared classic french bistrot dishes. It's a great neighborhood restaurant: dark, crowded and energetic. 

If you're in the mood for red meat, frites and big chewy red wines; then you'll love Les Halles.  We always make an effort to dine here when we're back in the old neighborhood and it's always a start to a fun night out. 

La Grenouille, NYC

March, 2011

As one of the few remaining temples of haute cuisine in the United States, dining at La Grenouille is to step back in time to an era when fine dining was defined by culinary expertise coupled with understated and refined service. With all due respect to trend chasing restaurateurs, occasionally dining in luxury offers a respite from the hyper-paced, cookie cutter and intrusive cell-yell world outside. 

From the moment you enter La Grenouille, and receive the gracious greeting by the Matre d' (usually in French - which is a fun test), you realize  a special evening is underway. The perfect lighting, interesting art on the walls and comfortable banquettes set a relaxed yet sophisticated ambiance for serious dinning. 


The food and wine are well.....outstanding. The wine list is vast and replete with classic old world offerings and new world stalwarts.  We usually choose red Burgundy when dining at La Grenouille. Mainly because they have selections not easily found on the west coast and I believe Pinot Noir is a versatile food wine that marries with a host of dining options. The food is prepared with the passion and technical expertise of professional artisans. I doubt wanna-be actors, surfers or college students are allowed on the line there. On this cool early spring evening we began with Champagne while we enjoyed a silky and perfectly prepared foie gras au torchon with warm brioche. After the bottle of Gevrey-Chambertin “Mes Favorites” Alain Burguet 2006  arrived, we dined on duck breast, cote de boeuf and the signature chocolate souffle. 


The room was lively with that sophisticated New York feel and after a few hours of culinary bliss, great conversation and pampering we left to a warm "a bientot" from the Maitre 'd . We strolled the neighborhood and eventually tucked into a spot for a cognac to end our evening out.  


Life is good.