Memorable dining experiences can usually be attributed to several factors, great company, amazing food and wine, or something intangible that makes the night unforgettable. But when you get all three rolled into one, well, I have one word to describe it…magic.
I turned 44 yesterday and while not a milestone birthday for those who keep score, I did decide to go out to dinner with very close friends in Venice (aka Hipsterville, USA). Ah, to be the aging father of two with an 8:00pm reservation on a Thursday night…
We dined at Gjelina, a dining establishment so trendy the need for a sign outside the door is rendered moot. And given the off-spelling of the name (not to mention its unpronouncability), I can only assume the owner’s intentions were to force older people like me to navigate the world wide interweb, where we’d no doubt stumble with the odd letter arrangement and never even find the website, leaving only the beautiful and young to part with their spare recessionary change.
Lucky for me the guy who made our reservation is 34. Had they known he was also bringing three 40-somethings, lets just say we’d still be waiting for a table right now some 12 hours later.
For all its velvet rope posturing, Gjelina is a dark paneled, small plates cornicopia of culinary wonder, from the Mozza-esque pizzas to the garlicky broccoli, the salt and pepper frites to a spinach salad so amazing I squirreled away a piece of the ruffage into Linda’s purse and have since planted it in my backyard (keep you posted).
The wine list is eclectic and reasonable, from the sparkling Vouvray we started the evening off with to the light but flavorful Burgundy we enjoyed through most of the meal.
The viticultural highlight of the night though was a half-bottle of 1999 Chateau d’Yquem brought by my partner and noted Bon Vivant, and was the perfect ending to an up till then perfect evening.
Our waiter, an impossibly good looking Adrian Grenier look alike, brought the bottle to the table with four dessert glasses and a smile on his face. He recounted to us how excited everyone behind the bar was at this bottle and how the owner/sommelier would love to try some.
Now it’s good form, I believe, to share a special wine you’ve brought to a restaurant with either the chief wine geek or even ones server, but it’s usually something the customer initiates, not the other way around. I didn’t give it much thought at the time, but of course we were happy to oblige.
“Adrian” comes back with another dessert glass and proceeds to pour himself a FULL glass – this mind you from our HALF bottle. I didn’t say anything – no one did – but as soon as he thanked us and floated away we all looked at each other as if to say, “did you just see that?” We were shocked – but in a friendly, incredulous way.
He returned to let us know that our corkage fee and dessert charges were waved because of our nice gesture.
Yeah, like, no shit, I’d gladly cut $30.00 off a bill to drink $80.00 worth of wine too…
In the establishment’s defense the owner did come over (with plenty of d’Yquem left in his glass) to thank us personally for sharing our bottle with him and frankly if the food wasn’t so spectacular and I didn’t plan on reminding him of who I am when I call to make another reservation with the expectation of a red carpet being rolled out for us next time, I might have railed more against the gall, whether knowing or not, to take so much of a customer’s wine.
But the restaurant is a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED destination.
One last note about the d’Yquem, specifically for the wine’s importer Liquid Link. This is the sticker they’ve placed on the back of the bottle, “Liquid Link, the Wine Source imports French Bordeaux. The Aromas and flavors of this wine are Bordeaux’s Magic. Enjoy!”
I understand the excitement of being able to import one of the oldest, most prestigious wine brands the world has ever known and maybe I’m being presumptuous here, but it’s not as if you’re selling a wine like this at Ralph’s. Thus the cheesy salesmenship on a wine as historic as d’Yquem makes them look as if they don’t know what they’re doing…
Am I being douchy here???
You made me laugh this Sunday morning.
Mission accomplished then. Thanks!
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Mazal Tov, Eric!
Happy Birthday.
How serendipitous that for the title of this post you chose the title of a 70s miniseries which ran in Poland during my childhood and whose title was translated (roughly) as “The sun shines on the rich”.
I think the only DBs here (sans the Hot Chicks) are the staff of the restaurant.
I’m sure the food was good, but there is an air of douchebagery conveyed in their behavior, never mind the name and the too-hip-for-a-sign demeanor.
or is that: “douchebaggery” … or “douchebagerie”…
Hey – Happy Birthday. I don’t think you are being douchy at all. But I will say this. I recently dined at Morton’s and cracked a 1999 Opus One ( certainly not a d’Yquem)- I offered the sommelier some and he poured about a half glass. Later on he told me he shared it with the bartender and his manager. So maybe the waiter did share it with a bunch of people. Still it’s a douchy move to pour a full glass and I would have said something for sure. But maybe you will get the red carpet treatment next time you go to this place…