After having such a great experience on the first visit, I knew I had to haul the media-porteña for a second visit soon. Arriving 15 minutes late for our 9pm Saturday evening reservation, we barely had time to hand our coats to the greet staff and say hello to Steve behind the bar (who remembered my cocktail from a month prior), before being shown to what is already my favorite table in the place: a small table in the back corner. You can see enough of the dining room if you wish, but it feels more intimate than certain other parts of the room. The table service differed somewhat from the bar service in pacing and steps, but the same high level of service persisted.
At the table the server brings by a butcher block exhibiting each of their signature cuts and explains texture, preparation, sourcing, and anything else you may want to know. We went for it again, this time with the Cote de Boeuf. I don’t mean to give the salad or Kumamotos we started with short shrift, but let’s be clear what we came here for: the beef is outstanding, cooked spot-on with the right amount of medium-rare blood and salty outer char. The brussels sprouts, the wines by the glass (we went for the Catalonian red, which the Barcelonan could not help but correct the menu’s printing of the name), and the cocktails were like a 440 Hz A-note: scientifically perfect in every way.
When the bill came, my companion nearly fell out of her seat. I didn’t even flinch. To me, it was like a Ferrari: it was worth every red cent I paid for it and I look forward to happily shelling out in the future for one of the consistently finest meals I’ve had in years.
Address: 2d Visit, Bowery Meat Company, 9 East 1st Str., New York, NY
The nose smells exactly like blackberries. Blackberries. Like blackberry pie. It evens out a bit with some slate and vanilla notes as it opens. A luscious, voluptuous and generous wine. Strong, percolating vanilla, black fruit, and salty stone notes and a great mouthfeel. The tannins pull together in just the right way, at just the right time. It is amazing with pata negra jamón and valdeon cheese. I picked this one up in San Sebastián and am so glad I did. Just a lovely wine. For around 20-25 euros – I will find this one again.
Chocolate, cherry, and raspberry on the nose. Cocoa and tart berry pie flavors and tight, tannic mouthfeel. This is a big beast of a wine. Gorgeous and effervescent (figuratively, not literally). Musty leather and tobacco come together with muscular tannins to make a full body that’s better when slightly warmer than I normally drink a red – right at 70-72 Fahrenheit. Goes great with just about anything, but particularly robust and rich Spanish hams or paella. I picked this one up at Astor in SoHo NYC for around $20-24, and will do so again.
A powerful nose of baked berry pie, leather, crushed flowers with a hint of jasmine at the end. Some strawberry notes develop as it sits open in the decanter. A really amazing bouquet worth lingering on. Chewy leather, cocoa, and dark red fruit at the front end with a powerful, typically Catalan, tannic finish with stone and slate. This is a fascinating and powerful expression of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. About 30-45 minutes after decanting the nose shifted to a strong maple note – sheer stunner. Truly a roller-coaster; it opens, concentrates, opens again. A deep black garnet color. Cherry popsicle near the end. Yes, I said cherry popsicle. Melted. Cherry. Popsicle. I picked this up in Barcelona on Patricia’s recommendation. Damn glad I did. Wine Searcher can’t seem to find a bottle in the U.S.
Dark cherry, cassis, and white pepper notes on the nose right out of the bottle. Rich, bold leather and balsamic notes, some creamy vanilla flavors on the front end with tight tannins bringing up the rear shutting it all down just before you get bowled over. This has been one of my favorites for a few years now and I’m working my way through the final few bottles of a case I’ve been nursing. An hour after the cork pops and after some of the 15% alcohol burns off it opens a bit further, the tannins combine with a creamy cocoa note and chewy leather. The nose takes on a faint greenness, like crushed flowers. It’s more common to run into this wine’s cousins by Fabre Montmayou – the Mendoza Malbecs are nice, but can’t quite keep up with this Rio Negro, Patagonia Cab. I believe this ran around $20-25/ bottle when I bought it. Attempts to find it in the myriad, noisy online wine resources (ya know, the reason why I started this blog in the first place) ran on several later vintages hovering in the $16/ bottle range.
Posto Novo 