A Surprise on Bond Street
Two nights ago, I dropped by Mercat, a new Catalan restaurant in the neighborhood, with my good man Mike Gitter, and found the atmosphere eminently convivial and the front-of-the house staff solicitous and polished, quite a feat considering that it was the Bond Street eatery’s first night officially open for business.
Not at all fair to go into great detail about what I thought of the food, given that the place is so spanking new, I still have to give a nod to one dish that definitely worked: a grilled skewer of snails, chorizo, and cioppolini topped with salsa verde, an unlikely combination of textures and flavors that must be enjoyed all at once, with one slide of the skewer, to get its full effect. An inspired creation that’s part of their house menu (as opposed to traditional offerings).
Even more surprising were the two house Riojas by the glass, the “Orobio” white and red from the house of Artadi, famous for their blockbusting new-generation wines. Priced at a fraction of the cost of its flagship red, “El Pison,” the new “Orobio” white and red are meant to be, according to the website of American importer Eric Solomon, “fresh, fruity wines of easy consumption,” and I would say that that’s exactly what they are. The red, a 2004 with six to ten months in French oak, not enough oak age to qualify as a Crianza, goes down super-easy, but still has a well-integrated tannic structure and plenty of acidity, a balance that invites food.
The white, though, is the real stunner. Half of the 100% Viura grapes are barrel fermented in French oak, the other half in stainless steel; the blend is utterly enticing in its aromatics (thanks to the oak) without being punch-you-in-the-mouth tropical fruity; the wine’s acidity is absolutely bracing. Mike and I dropped another $100 ordering two bottles of Spanish whites we thought might outdo our aperitif Orobio whites, and both choices were outgunned by this affordable spring beauty.