Manoavino Taste!

Local Adventures – Manhattan’s Upper West Side - By Veronique Deblois, Food & Wine Chickie

My friend and fellow wino and foodie Veronique Deblois shares her recent local adventures on the Upper West Side for our "Being a Tourist in Our Own Backyard" section.

I live 40 minutes from Manhattan and love to play tourist every chance I get. Each time my girlfriends come to town, I plan a foodie adventure across the city. What that consists of is drinks, appetizers, lunch, wine or dessert at different places throughout New York City. Fun, no?

On our last gathering, we focused on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. We arrived at this upscale neighborhood just in time for brunch on a Saturday.

Red Hook, Brooklyn, Shopping, Drinking and Dining

Red Hook Bair and Tackle Bar

Last week the NY Times ran an article on Red Hook, "Treasures on Every Block" it was called. We've been wanting to check out this thriving neighborhood for sometime so when Diana asked "When are we going to Red Hook?" The unexpected response was "This Saturday." And so we did.

Just 40 minutes from Montclair by car, it is a world apart.  Nell tagged along with us on this adventure. We felt like tourist, we weren't alone. Saw many people from all over the world, NY Times in hand.

New Jersey Wine & Food Festival at Crystal Springs Resort

Who says you have to leave New Jersey to find great food and wine events. The Fifth Annual New Jersey Wine & Food Festival at Crystal Springs Resort is on for March 15 – 17, 2013.

We attended last year and let me tell you this is a great event. This year the Guest of Honor is Chef José Andrés of Made in Spain. Recognized in 2011 by Conde Nast Traveler’s as the “Hot Restaurateur” of the year, Jose is credited with introducing Americans to both avant-garde and new age in traditional Spanish cooking.

There is an amazing line up events.Get the full listing and ticket info here: www.njwinefoodfest.com or call 888-881-6991.
 
Proceeds to benefit James Beard Foundation and World Central Kitchen

Sunday in NY, Trees of Central Park, the Sex Museum and 3 Great Food Stops

This was an extraordinary day. Once again playing "Tourist in Our Own Backyard." Started like this, drove into NYC, found free parking on Amsterdam near 82nd street. Walked over to Columbus and 82nd to Tarallucci E Vino and got some great Italian coffee.

 

Walked over to Central Park and met our group, a fundraiser for Anatta World Health & Education Outreach, and Central Park tree expert, cartographer, and guide Ken Chaya, to begin our tour of Central Park’s amazing trees.

Virginia Wine Country – Barboursville Vineyard - Virginian History Meets Italian Tradition

In August of last year we toured the Virginia wine country surrounding Charlottesville. It was a beautiful introduction to many of the fine vineyards there.  I just realized a couple of days ago that I never wrote about one of our favorites Barboursville Vineyard.

It is a perfect time to share our experience as October is a great time to visit Virginia. On the weekend of October 27th and 28th Barboursville is hosting their annual Autumn Barrel Tasting, an event not to be missed.

More NY City Adventures, Central Park Lakes and Castles and a 5th Avenue Rooftop Brewery, Birreria

Julie Delpy's great film Two Days in NY got me interested in exploring a part of Central Park I had never visited, Belvedere Castle. What a wonderful place. Our walk there took us through other enchanting sections of the park, including Shakespeare Garden and the Ramble.

A subway ride, stroll downtown, and an elevator ride brought us to the 5th Avenue Rooftop Brewery and Restaurant, Birreria, for a very happy birthday dinner.

Early Morning Beach, Early Dinner Langosta Lounge

So this is the drill. Get up early, be on the Parkway by 7:00, drive to Sea Girt. Stop at the Starbucks on 35. Get some coffee and breakfast, to go. Get to the beach while there are still spaces left by the boardwalk. Enjoy a blissful breakfast on the boardwalk and take in the the invigorating sea air.  Then.....

Biking and Lunch in the CatskillsAshokan Reservoir and Sunfrost Farms

Up in the Catskills near Woodstock is the great Ashonka Reservoir which has a great walking or biking path. There are a lot of great biking routes in this region, you can find maps and information here. It is just under a 2 hour drive from Montclair. I like to bike along water and so we picked this route. After a vigorous ride we drove over to a favorite lunch spot, Sunfrost Farms. And then into Woodstock for a causal stroll.