How to Be a SAV V Y FIN E DIN ER
BY STEVE COOK
I
LOVE WINE. I’m not sure why I enjoy any particular style
or vintage or winery. My palate is not that sophisticated. But I do know what I like. However, I recognize my limitations and prefer not to advertise my ignorance when ordering wine in a fine dining establishment, especially when I’m in the company of friends or business associates. It’s not that I’m overly interested in trying to impress, but who wants to be sitting in a fancy restaurant and look like a rube? Believe me, it’s not as much fun as you might imagine. So I took advantage of this special beer and wine issue of the magazine to go out and ask some wine experts the 5 8 We s t E n d ' s B e s t
questions that I’d be too intimidated to ask while sitting at the table. If you truly are an educated wine enthusiast, then move along, there’s nothing to see here. However, if you’re even a bit like me, you might find a morsel that you can use. I went to two of my favorite fine dining spots, Hondo’s Prime in Innsbrook and Ruth’s Chris in the Shoppes at Belgrade. At Ruth’s Chris, I spoke with their wine director, Daniel O’Neil. Over at Hondo’s, general manager Pouria Amiri humored me and my rather tedious questions. Here are some excerpts from our conversations: