Eating Around the Apple

by Lisa Elbert, Tastemaker in Residence

Anyone who knows me well can tell you that New York City is my favorite place on the planet. There are plenty of reasons, but one of the most pertinent is its culture of food and drink. One of the most exciting things about visiting the big apple is hopping around from place to place, tasting new dishes, and trying to keep the bill below budget.

Last weekend I was lucky enough to visit Manhattan, and I did just that. On Sunday night, I went on a restaurant crawl. Not surprisingly, the places were still packed and there was still a bustle about the city (I challenge you to find a time when the city is asleep). I went to three different places for three different dishes. And it should come as no surprise that each dish had a very particular glass of wine to match.

Our first stop was for raw oysters on the half shell. A crisp, clean white wine will highlight the freshness and salinity of the oyster, and make for a wonderful land-meets-sea experience. I selected a Chablis. From the Burgundy region of France, Chablis tends to have a lemony tartness and a sense of lightness on the palette that aid the oysters in any way you choose to consume them.

Next stop: my beloved bone marrow. Traditionally served with bread, it spreads on like butter. A high acid wine like Champagne will pair wonderfully to balance out the fat of the marrow. The yeasty, bready quality of the Champagne will perfectly match the rich, buttery complexion of the dish.

And finally, a rich finish with foie gras. The best wine to cut through the fatty flavor and texture of this luxurious liver is Sauternes. Sauternes is a dessert wine from the Graves region of Bordeaux, France. Its highly concentrated sugar levels make the wine itself a bit more weighted, matching the weight of the foie, and the acidity and sweetness of the wine soften the salty nature of the dish. It is a classic match, and a wonderful end to my evening.