401 West 52 Street
(between Ninth and
Tenth Avenues)
www.casellula.com
Best cheese and wine bar in NYC!!!
Order your wine, and then just put the fate of your meal in
the hands of Casellula’s fromager.
I normally would not order a white wine—as I tend to think
reds accompany cheeses better—but decided to ask the server to recommend one
since I didn’t wish to be sleepy or too full as it was just the start of my
evening.
After listening to our preference for reds, but wanting to
experiment with a white he recommended the Kabaj, a Rebula from Slovenia—a heavier
white wine.
The “back” story of the winemaker appears on the back of the
bottle.
As we had decided to go with a bottle that was not offered
as a wine by the glass, we were unable to get a tasting before ordering. So we
basically put our trust in the server’s opinion of what we would like.
And, boy, was I wrong in my assumption that white wines
don’t go well with cheeses! First, the color of the wine was dazzling. Against
the city lights, it glittered like copper gold or amber. And it tasted like
marmalade!
Once the wine is selected, the fromager takes a sip and then
comes up with the perfect cheese flight.
The selected cheeses are then presented beautifully, with
condiments on the side. The condiments are what make the meal such a unique and
special experience.
Helpful Hint:
Combine the cheese with its accompanying condiment, and then have a sip of
wine. Pure joy!!
Two of the cheeses were not even on the menu! I believe the
first cheese from the top was a Brillat from France. Favorite was the Ardrahan (second from
top)—a pasteurized cow from Cork, Ireland, described as “Stinky. Intense.
Oozy.” on the menu. It was accompanied with a fig spread. The other identified
cheese was the Beenleigh Blue (fourth from top)—a pasteurized sheep from Devon,
England. It’s described as “Crumbly. Fruity. Vanilla notes.” The third cheese
from the top was from Spain.
We then decided to have the fromager select two additional
cheeses for us, since we were still not finished drinking our wine. Again, the
cheese plate came with a lovely pairing of condiments—who would think a cheese
would go well with a deep-fried orange slice?!?
Cannot recall the name of the top cheese (think it was from
France), but the second cheese was Garrotxa—a pasteurized goat from
Spain—described as “Earthy. Sweet. Nutty.” It came with dried, pineapple
strips. And it was delicious.
We also had an order of chistorras. Hot and spicy!
As well as an order of campo secco salami, which was
selected by the fromager. The salami was rather a disappointment as it seemed
so banal after a meal of such delightful surprises.
Pros:
Service: Excellent
and knowledgeable.
Wine and cheese list:
Extensive. And as noted, they may even surprise you with cheeses not even
listed on the menu.
Cons:
Opens at 5 p.m.
Restroom is rather small.
Final Thoughts
If you are a cheese-and-wine lover, go! It is an experience
that cannot be missed.
