Eat & Drink
Originally published on Tuesday, 10th August 2010
Wine Chap's Wine Tips: August
WineChap: Bar Boulud
New York’s star chef Daniel Boulud has brought his show to town and set up shop in the basement of the Mandarin Oriental. The result: solid American-influenced French bistro food and an excellent winelist concentrating on Burgundy and Rhone – entertainingly organised as ‘the discoveries’, ‘the classics’, ‘the legends’, ‘the cousins’ (from the US) and ‘the heartthrobs’ (everything else good). All at almost worryingly reasonable prices for Mayfair’s grandest of hotels.
Vintellect Tips
Its no secret that the burgers are the best in town (the Yankee, Piggy and Frenchie) but on Sundays only you can enjoy Boulud’s Foie Gras burger. And, like in his NYC bistro, a selection of fun wines are poured from large format (double magnum) bottles.
Mandarin Oriental, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA
www.barboulud.com/barbouludLondon.html
WineMate: Sam’s Brasserie
This much-beloved Chiswick local is definitely worth a stop when heading West. Friendly, well-priced, with food you actually want to eat – why, you can almost forget you’re still in London. The weekly-changing winelist has just started to list some of co-owner Rick Stein’s personal selections … and as you’d expect he certainly knows what quaffs comfortably alongside the fabulous halibut, etc.
Vintellect Tips
(The following whites were paired with a juicy chunk of grilled salmon slathered with lemon and shrimp butter. The rosé and red with an equally tender lamb rump.)
1. Duckbill Riesling 2008, Great Southern Region (Western Australia) – floral with a pleasant, peachy sweetness
2. Rick Stein's 2007 Sauvignon Blanc/ Semillon, Hunter Valley – quite meaty and herbal, an impressive mouthful
3. Touriga-Nacional, Quinta da Falorca 2009, Portugal – a red drinker’s pink: brassy and strappingly rumbunctious
4. Barbera del Monferrato, Volpi Carlo Botter 2007, Piemonte – light, toothsome red: a great summer gulp
Sam’s Brasserie, 11 Barley Mow Passage, W4 4PH
www.samsbrasserie.co.uk
