Testaccio's Wednesday Night Wine & Cheese Tastings

Image by www.testacciony.com

I received word about a fun wine and cheese tasting event, just in time for tonight.  That is...if you're looking for something to do.

And if this Wednesday won't work, the tasting, held at Testaccio Ristorante will take place every week moving forward.  Here are the deets you'll need to know.

Testaccio's Wine & Cheese Tasting - Held in the upstairs level of this modern ristorante, the wine and cheese tasting offers a selection of five wines, paired with five types of Artisanal cheeses.  We're talking about the Artisanal, as in Terrance Brennan's amazing brand of gourmet cheeses, available in specialty food stores stores, online and at his Manhattan restaurants such as Artisanal and Picholine.

The tastings will be held, every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
$30/person

Enjoy and drink up!

Testaccio Ristorante - 47-30 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City NY 11101
718.937.2900
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Avenue
http://testacciony.com/

Artisanal's New Grilled Cheese Bar

Artisanal Bistro - 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016
212.725.8585
6 Train to 33rd Street
www.artisanalbistro.com

I recently found out that the upscale, Artisanal Bistro is offering an extended bar menu, incorporating a grilled cheese bar and various flavors of pomme frites (aka French Fries). This certainly sounded appealing to me and so much so that my friend Katie and I tried it out. While I wasn't disappointed, I also wasn't impressed. I thought that the sandwiches were overpriced and together with drinks and dessert, it was an expensive meal. Our selections included:

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - I chose the 18-month comte with truffle essence for my grilled cheese. And while I enjoyed it, I thought that the slices of bread could've been more generous. The bread was drenched in butter, which gave me yucky, greasy fingers. The cheese itself was fragrant and earthy, which I enjoyed and the potato chips and pickles on the side were nice too.

Katie chose the English Cheddar, smoked bacon and apple grilled cheese. She too was underwhelmed and said that overall, it didn't live up to expectations. I didn't try it but took her word for it.

Herbed Tuscan Pommes Frites - These not only met expectations, they surpassed them. Crunchy, salty, well-done fries, seasoned with fresh rosemary and garlic, they were the perfect accompaniment to our grilled cheese sandwiches. What would've been a better deal is if they were served with the sandwiches instead of the potato chips and pickles. Just a thought...

Chocolate Marquise - This was definitely a treat and included a chocolate-hazelnut block of mousse with vanilla salt on the side. I just mentioned how much I love the sweet and salty combination in desserts and that's partially why I loved it. The whole pieces of hazelnuts were wonderful and I think that they were caramelized. Overall, this dessert was a home run and I'd suggest it to anyone who loves chocolate, nuts or nutella for that matter.

Service and Cost:
I had no complaints about the service. Everyone was polite, friendly and attentive. We ended up getting a bottle of wine and our glasses were refilled in good time, which showed us that the waitstaff was paying attention.

Our grilled cheese sandwiches ranged between $13.50-$15.50 for small portions, which was expensive. The pomme frites were $9.50 while the chocolate marquise set us back $11.50. Together with the wine, we spent a whopping $60 each including tax and tip. Not cheap. Not cheap at all but we still managed to enjoy ourselves immensely. So even though this "special" was designed to attract a new audience, I still think of it as a splurge rather than an affordable meal.

2 Mmmms

Artisanal - A 3-Course Dinner Under $25

Artisanal Bistro - 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016
212.725.8585
6 Train to 33rd Street
www.artisanalbistro.com

Kimberly was here visiting from Chicago about two weeks ago and together with Lisa, we had dinner at Artisanal Bistro. We've been curious about this restaurant for quite some time, especially after the fun wine and cheese class that Lisa and I took there. When we found out that they offered a three course, pre-theater dinner for just $24.50, we knew that we couldn't refuse.

Atmosphere:
Artisanal very much fits in with its neighborhood--it's large, upscale and I imagine it's a place where business lunches and dinners are conducted. But despite it co-existing in a corporate environment, it feels comfortable, friendly and even homey. The minute that you step in, the noise of casual conversations envelops you, and you can't help but feel like you're in a busy French square rather than in a Manhattan restaurant.

Known for its vast variety of cheeses, Artisanal is also referred to as a fromagerie. It features a "cheese cave," a temperature controlled room used to age some of the most exotic artisanal cheeses. And while some people get turned off by the smell, I found it wonderful and a nice way to work up an appetite.

Food:
We clearly knew why we came--for the $24.50 pre-theater special. While this prix-fixe is only available between 5:00pm and 6:30pm, it's definitely worth dining early for because it doesn't leave you unnecessarily full late in the evening. So do as the French, and eat early! Here are some of the items that we ordered:

Sheep's Milk Ricotta Tartines - Apparently these are pretty famous, and I saw them featured as Chef Brennan's specialty. Seeing as cheese is done very well here, I decided to order them. The ricotta was the freshest I've ever tasted and as milky white as they come. The soft, airy quality of the cheese was also lovely and it was topped with crunchy strips of radicchio and a drizzle of honey. The sweet with the bitter was a great combination, and the dish overall set a high standard for things to come.

Moules Frites - I was really looking forward to trying the mussels, as they're usually delicious in French restaurants. This one was no exception and it ranked as one of the top three moules frites I've ever had. The excellence of this dish was in the sauce, which had just the right amount of garlic, tomatoes and parsley. There was so much of it, that when I finished all of the mussels, I was able to dip several pieces of bread--and even my French Fries--into it.

Creme Brulee - A typical French dessert, I had to see how it was done here. Although it was creamy and luxurious on the inside, the outside crust was slightly burned, which bothered me. In every bite that I took, I tasted bitter, burnt sugar and it was unpleasant.

Baba au Rhum (Rum Cake) - This was a winning combination--soft warm cake coupled with raspberry preserves, fresh whipped cream and a sprig of mint. The cake dough was light and fluffy with only the slightest hint of sweet rum. It was especially nice to top a forkful with whipped cream, as it neutralized the strong flavor of the raspberry preserves. Both Lisa and I agreed that this was the preffered dessert choice.

Cheese and Wine Flight - Kimberly decided to get a sampling of three seasonal cheeses and three Spanish wines. She seemed satisfied despite the small cheese portion. I think that because the cheeses were so rich and fresh, the portion was perfect and Kimberly had no complaints. The wine sampling was also served in smaller glasses so don't expect to get three full glasses of wine if you order this.

Service and Cost:
Our waitress was quick and efficient--and surprisingly down to earth, given the upscale environment. Because the restaurant got super busy, she seemed to disappear at the end of our meal and we had to flag her down to get our check. She was really nice however, especially because she let us get the pre-theater special, despite us arriving a few minutes after 6:30pm.

The cost of our meal was very affordable at $24.50 a piece for the food and about $10 extra for wine. Kimberly ended up paying about the same amount for her wine and cheese flight. However, if you're not taking advantage of the pre-theater special, dinner will set you back at least $40 per person without alcohol. This place is not cheap but if you're smart about it, you could make out like a bandit.

3 Mmmms

Cheese and Wine Tasting at Artisanal

Artisanal Premium Cheese Center - 500 West 37th Street, New York, NY 10018

877.797.1200

A/C/E Train to 34th Street or 42nd Street

www.artisanalcheese.com

Four of my girlfriends, Rikki, Katie, Julie, Janel and I took a really fun and educational Cheese and Wine 101 Class at Artisanal last Saturday. Aside from doing something different with friends and pretending to be grownups, we learned about various cheeses and how to pair them with wine.

Our Setup

The class included a fun welcome reception with snacks and champagne. I think that it was meant to be a meet-and-greet with fellow classmates but first impressions could be awkward and everyone hung out with people they knew. After that, we walked into a classroom-style setting, fully stocked with individual cheese plates and four types of wines for everyone. To say that we felt a little woozy after sampling the wine is an understatement--but no surprise there. We did pay $60 to drink and eat cheese for two hours--not a bad deal. Note that this class actually costs $75 but if you book it with a group of four or more you get a $15 break for each person.

Our Instructor

Our instructor was a lovely man by the name of Max McCalman. He's a cheese extraordinaire and author of two respected books called, The Cheese Plate and Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best. He's got a great sense of humor, more than once telling us that the only thing left after good cheese is good sex. I doubt he's wrong!

Our Cheese

We tried 8 different types of cheeses, which spanned from a luxurious silky brie to a stinky Swiss Beer cheese. My favorite was called the Old Kentucky Tomme, which is a goat's milk cheese with mushroom overnotes. It has a smoky taste, which might be nice to crumble into a salad.

Our Wine
An offering of 2 whites and 2 reds was what we got with our cheese plate. From an '06 Gruner Veltliner from Austria (gentle and dry white) to an '00 Tempranillo from Spain (a dense fruity red), each had a distinct taste before and after the various cheeses. It was fun to observe how the taste of the wine changed on your tongue after each cheese--sometimes intensified and sometimes dulled.

Overall, the tasting was great experience for everyone. We bonded whether by agreeing about a particular cheese and wine pairing or getting grossed out about a cheese's "unique" smell. I can also see it being a fun thing to do with couples.

Interested in joining the next one? Click here.