Winesday

NOWFE is almost in full swing so what better time to start drinking wine than right now.

Rene: Wow. Just a nicely balanced red wine. Dark fruit, tannins that won't give me a headache tomorrow, and a long finish. Give me something substantial. Something medium rare. Preferably the hanger steak with red wine and marrow reduction at Restaurant Patois. With a side of fries. I'd be happy with that.

Peter: A little spicy. A wine with spice always puts me in the mood for Spanish fare. Thinking of a bowl of lamb meatballs with mint from Restaurant Madrid, which works out perfectly because I can bring my own wine. Or how about a trip to Barcelona Tapas for a double order of patatas bravas with the fiery sauces.

Joe the Wine Guy: That is a 2007 Uppercut Cabernet Sauvignon straight to the jaw. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder being Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. This cabernet has aromas of dark fruit, espresso, violet, and spice while smooth blackberry, black cherry, and cocoa coat the palate. Small nuances of caramel and toffee are there as well, the result of new oak barrels. This wine goes best with meat-grilled ribeye or braised short ribs. A bottle of Uppercut will set you back about $19 in the store and you can find it on wine lists at Bouche, Ste. Marie, Mike's on the Avenue, and Byblos.

Restaurant Madrid

In this month's issue of OffBeat, we take a look at Restaurant Madrid. Located in a building that once housed one of the many mini-marts that would sell us beer during high school, Madrid offers a taste of Spain from the idyllic comforts of Lakeview. Our assessment of Madrid is much in line with our general opinion on Spanish food in New Orleans - for best results, stick with the tapas/appetizers. A thick, custardy torta, a bowl of lamb meatballs fragrant with mint, and a BYO bottle of Vina Tondonia makes for a nice meal at Madrid. Check out our full review by clicking here.

We usually like to include a picture with our OffBeat articles, but the low lighting at Restaurant Madrid does not present the most opportune setting for food photography. So instead we offer you a picture from Peter's summer excursion with The Pope to the City of Madrid back in 2009.* That's La Papa there on the left in Plaza Mayor. His identity has been protected by a plate of jamon, which was omnipresent at the table during their Iberian adventure.

And as you can see from the photo, The Pope has not matured much since our days in high school when we had no choice but to buy beer from the mini-mart.

* To read more about their musings in Madrid, Porto, Lagos, and Lisbon, click here.