The Wine Bar invites for lunch and dinner just across from Le Bernardin..
Unfamiliar with the area I thought I would just go to Le Bernardin and ask about the Wine Bar but as soon as I sat down the friendly waiter pointed right behind me through the window and told me that the newly opened Wine Bar is located just opposite in the next building. After lunch I visited the Bar and immediately loved the atmosphere.
The chefs from Le Bernardin started a new lunch and dinner menu, as I was told by the waitress there. She handed me the menu featured here and can be seen left on the first photo through the wooden bars. The whole concept and interior was tailored for Aldo.
Collectibles on a back lit shelf and a rather get to know your neighbor style of interior with a comfy sofa and close tables speak of the communicative character of wines in general. A perfect place to get to know New Yorkers and visitors, and to enjoy their charcuterie from Brooklyn Charlie's.
It looks like I have to come back soon to try the more vegetarian dishes on the menu - there is an impressive variety featured.
I chatted with Aldo Sohm, the Austrian inspiration and highly awarded chef sommelier. One is most likely to succeed in what one believes and trusts and loves to do. He is kind and warm hearted and it seems like New York made it easy for him to be at home, so far away from Austria.
Aldo, we wish you the most of success and a vibrant clientele at the new Wine Bar!
Between galleries on 24th Street and the Museum of American Art, I was in for a treat at Le Bernardin on 51st Street this day. They serve a business lunch and a tasting menu. As you can see on the menu they donate 5$ of the menu price to the City Harvest Foundation. A wonderful way of saving absolutely fine and healthy food that is otherwise dumped for the benefit of the needy.
As you can see on the menu, I had the salmon with pumpernickel croutons, the fish called Merluza, new to me and absolutely amazing and then I asked for sorbets instead of the hazelnut praline. Each of them an explosion of delicate flavors and my favorite was the Lychee - Green Apple sorbet. I would not mind having that everyday!
Chef Eric Ripert and his team is a phenomenal chef and poissonnier. But what strikes us all is that he was able to hold the four stars by the New York Times for the longest period in a row ever and was awarded with 3 stars Michelin. That is only possible if you are a hard working team player and have the ability to set trends, to keep creating a new understanding of the product and absolutely and passionately love what you do on top of the outstanding talent. Their website says:
Everything we do in the kitchen—using subtle textures and flavors, seeking out the freshest ingredients—has the same goal: to enhance and elevate the fish. New York is a constant source of creativity from which we draw. We combine this creative energy with our own French cooking techniques and a sense of global inspiration, while always paying homage to the ingredients themselves.
