Wednesday, May 30, 2001
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Wineries From California to France Now Have Tasting Rooms

1. Main Course: There's a Genie in the Cellar
2. Recipe of the Week: Sauteed Red Snapper With Rhubarb
Sauce
3. Wine List: Whatever You Do, Don't Swallow
4. Multimedia: Video Tours of Recently Reviewed Restaurants
5. NYC Restaurants: Say 'Cheese' and Try Not to Smile
6. Reader Opinions: The Perfect Barbecue Fire

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1. Main Course: There's a Genie in the Cellar
=============================================

From Mattituck, N.Y., to Mendocino County, Calif., hundreds
of wineries devote almost as much time and money to their
tasting rooms as to their cellars. Frank J. Prial examines
the trends and picks his favorites.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/30/living/30WINE.html?0530wd

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Blanc-Manger: Simplicity, Translated Into French

You might get away with calling the sweet and creamy dessert
known as blanc-manger a French take on panna cotta, but
don't try that in France.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/30/living/30BLAN.html?0530wd


2. Recipe of the Week: Sauteed Red Snapper With Rhubarb
Sauce
=======================================================

Mark Bittman, the Minimalist, combines a tart fruit and
smoky saffron into a simple sauce for fish.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/30/living/30MINI.html?0530wd

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White Asparagus Three Ways

Geoffrey Zakarian, the chef at Manhattan's Town, talks about
that delicious delicacy, white asparagus, and works it into
a soup, a salad and a side dish.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/30/living/30CHEF.html?0530wd


3. Wine List: Whatever You Do, Don't Swallow
============================================

Getting the most out of a tasting room takes a bit of
planning and, once you're there, a good deal of discipline.
Amanda Hesser explores tasting room protocol.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/30/living/30PROT.html?0530wd

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Prial's Picks: Tasting Rooms for Wine, or a Cup of Education

Frank J. Prial lists his favorite places around the world to
taste wines, from Napa to Burgundy, the North Fork to
Florence.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/30/living/30ROOM.html?0530wd

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Wine Picks: Leslie Sbrocco's Cellar Suggestions

Zinfandel has a cult following unlike any other grape
variety. We're not talking about the wimpy white kind,
either. Every January more than 5,000 Zinfandel fanatics
converge on San Francisco to taste the serious red stuff at
one of the largest tastings in the country. What's so great
about America's classic grape? Give these wines a try and
you'll see:

1998 Peterson Winery Bradford Mountain Zinfandel
$22 - Many Zins are known for their powerful,
take-no-prisoners style, but this lovely wine is elegant,
restrained and full of black cherry and plum flavors.
4 stars
http://winetoday.com/search97cgi/s97_cgi?Action=FilterSearch&SearchPage=result_end.html&collection=WineTodayReviewsEnd&Filter=result_end_filter.hts&ResultTemplate=result_end.hts&querytext=&wineid=20165&SUBMIT.x=28&SUBMIT.y=9

1998 Ridge Vineyards Geyserville Zinfandel
$30 - If there's a first-growth of Zinfandel then Ridge tops
the list. Complete with all the spice and ripe fruit
Zinfandel is famous for, this wine is one for the cellar.
4 stars
http://winetoday.com/search97cgi/s97_cgi?Action=FilterSearch&SearchPage=result_end.html&collection=WineTodayReviewsEnd&Filter=result_end_filter.hts&ResultTemplate=result_end.hts&querytext=&wineid=17582&SUBMIT.x=28&SUBMIT.y=9

1998 Pepperwood Grove Cabernet Franc
$7 - Zinfandel used to be one of the best-value reds around.
Not true anymore. But here's a wine that offers bright
blueberry flavors, good peppery spice notes and still
carries an affordable price tag.
3.5 stars
http://winetoday.com/search97cgi/s97_cgi?Action=FilterSearch&SearchPage=result_end.html&collection=WineTodayReviewsEnd&Filter=result_end_filter.hts&ResultTemplate=result_end.hts&querytext=&wineid=19598&SUBMIT.x=28&SUBMIT.y=9


4. Multimedia: Video Tours of Recently Reviewed Restaurants
===========================================================

From Marcus Samuelsson's kitchen at Aquavit to the
spectacular dining room at Le Cirque, enjoy video tours of
some of Manhattan's top restaurants.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/dining/index-video.html?0530wd


5. NYC Restaurants: Say 'Cheese' and Try Not to Smile
=====================================================

Artisanal, which gets two stars from William Grimes, is a
big, very good-looking brasserie with more varieties of
cheese than most human beings will encounter in a lifetime.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/30/living/30REST.html?0530wd

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A Dining Empire and the Guardian at Its Door

In the late 1960's and early 70's, what Michael Tong was
attempting at Shun Lee Palace seemed at once improbable and
daring. Adam Nagourney profiles the owner of the popular
Midtown Chinese restaurant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/30/living/30TONG.html?0530wd

Find a Restaurant
http://www.nytoday.com/RestaurantAdvanced.html

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Bar Pick of the Week: Paisley

An exotic alternative to the bars in the Flatiron district
has opened in Paisley, a shop and bar which specializes in
Asian furniture and decorative accessories.
http://www.nytoday.com/search/bin/bar?st=bar&bid=990121539109

Find a Bar
http://www.nytoday.com/search/bin/bar?st=cat_nei&cat=NYToday%20Pick&nei=Manhattan


6. Readers' Opinions: The Perfect Barbecue Fire
===============================================

From building the perfect barbecue fire to the best methods
for saving open bottles of wine, readers share their
insights and answer fellow readers' questions.

Q. One of my family's GIANT outdoor grilling days is coming
up, and here's a problem that always troubles me: How do you
decide how many briquettes are going to be enough? How do
you know when the fire is hot enough to cook without
cremating? How do you get it to last until everything is
done? -- KennethRay

A. Those chimney-style fire starters work *really* well, and
you can have briquettes ready to go in a very short time . .