In mid-July a notice was plastered to their door declaring that they owed their landlord over $50 grand. We haven't seen it open in weeks. Too bad- it was the only joint in the neighborhood with a solid wine selection (most under $25 a bottle) and people who knew how to serve it (unlike other bars where you get 5 day old reds dumped in your glass). I recall being there Valentine's Day with Zelduh. We lugged in a $125 Brunello di Montalcino that some foolish wine company had sent me. We started the meal with an Australian Sauvignon Blanc and a German Riesling. Both were good, and did well with our duck salads. Then we cracked the Brunello with steak (said, steak, mind you, had won accolades from at least one major Manhattan paper) and, as I recall, ravioli. The meal was delicious and near its end we invited the owner to stop by and taste our Brunellowhy be greedyit was a 1993 Castello Banfi and it was superb. He was happy to do so, then, finding us wine fiends, he proceeded to treat us to a few samples from his barincluding two dessert wines, on the house. It was a wonderful eve, a classy but utterly un-snobby night of eat and drink. And gadzooks was our server a knockout, a brunette Dorothy Stratten with what sounded like an Olde London towne accent. Chez Goo Goo- R.I.P. -F. Sot Fitzgerald mail@freewilliamsburg.com | August 2001 | Issue 17 Please send us submissions |