Pierre Loti Chelsea

Last weekend, I visited the last of the three Pierre Loti locations in Manhattan (for now). This one was in Chelsea, located at 258 W 15^th St. In some ways it was similar to my previous experiences at Pierre Loti, but it did stand on its own in a couple of areas.

This location seemed like more of a wine bar than the one in Midtown. The bar was long and the space was divided into two narrow areas by the old looking wooden bar in the center of the room. The walls on either side of the room were red and white, so it may have once been two separate buildings, which would explain the briefly confusing dual entrance to the bar.

The wine list featured glasses from $9 to $18 and bottles started at $30 up to $186. I felt that the by the glass selection was a little limited and many of the wines were the private label “Pierre Loti Reserve” that still makes me cringe due to my last encounter with Pierre Loti. The wines by the glass were overwhelmingly French and I just haven’t been impressed with the wines from France at this group of wine bars. So, I went with a 2010 Manon Tempranillo from Spain. It smelled like tart cherries and had an herbaceous character to it, like a tomato leaf. The wine had flavors of red berries and brown sugar and was decent, but nothing special, unfortunately.

The atmosphere was relaxed with a low-key sophistication. The front windows were open to let the warm air in, the light was low, there were quiet conversations, and once some live jazz started in a corner of the bar some not-so-low-key middle-aged PDA began as well.

The service was much nicer and more helpful than at the Midtown location, although the waitress probably could have stopped by our table a little more often.

Compared to the other Pierre Loti locations, I would probably rate this place #2. My favorite is still the Pierre Loti at Union Square, although their wonderful wine list has probably changed since I last visited if the other two bars are any indication. This particular wine bar had a pleasant atmosphere but even though the wines were relatively inexpensive, they were lacking in variety and quality. I give Pierre Loti Chelsea a rating of 3 out of 5 glasses.

 

The old world bar

My glass of Tempranillo

Edi & the Wolf

 A few weeks ago (sorry for the delay) the hubby and I found ourselves in the East Village and decided to go to a wine bar. We went to Edi & the Wolf, located at 102 Avenue C. I have to say, this place probably has the coolest and most mysteriously welcoming entrance that I’ve seen in the city. The ramp leading up to the front door was shrouded in shrubbery and hanging plants. When we walked up, the garage doors in the front of the building were open, letting some Latin music pour into the streets and showing off the very unique interior. The best way I can describe this place is that it feels like you’re walking into vacation. Later when the chilly spring breeze picked up, the garage doors were closed, but the carefree vibe still stayed.

As I mentioned, the interior is unique and covered in detail. A long metal light fixture hung above the tables in the center of the room, plants and huge ropes were hanging from the ceiling, the benches were made of a plush, tufted, luxe fabric, and each of the tables had a big floral arrangement on it. It is a really beautiful space.

Now, on to the wine! Given the exotic vacation vibe of Edi & the Wolf, I was expecting to see a wine list filled with selections from Spain, Argentina, or the Mediterranean. However, the menu was heavy on Austrian wines. Although there weren’t many wines available by the glass, they were well priced at $9 to $13 and bottles started at $42 and were no more than $130. Although I’m familiar with the grape, I’ve never actually tried Zweigelt, so I ordered the 2010 Tinhof Zweigelt. It smelled like dried red fruits and had some mineral notes. It didn’t really taste anything like it smelled though! It had a very citrus-y palate and almost a lemon flavor, which I can’t say I’ve ever encountered in a red wine. It wasn’t very well balanced and was honestly, super weird. Maybe something was wrong with this particular wine, although I don’t know what it could be. While this style of wine can be tart, in general, Zweigelt grapes produce a wine that tastes of red fruits, like cherry, with a zesty acidity and a peppery finish. This wine, however, expressed none of these characteristics. So, this was not a good first experience with Zweigelt.

I wasn’t impressed with the selection of wine at Edi & the Wolf. I wish there were more wines to choose from by the glass, and wines that fit with the atmosphere a little better. Overall, this place is very cool and I definitely want to come back here for dinner. But strictly as a wine bar, I have to give it a rating of 3 out of 5 glasses.

This just screams for a mojito, not an Austrian wine :(

The super weird glass of Zweigelt