Jay Miller
Jay Miller
The sommelier at August deserves special praise, both for the service and for the wine list she's put together. Where Stella was rigorously up to date with "in" wines (many of which I love) August's list was full of familiar gems. Where Stella has Peter Lauer and Equipo Navazos August has JJ Prum and 2012 Luneau Papin L d'Or Muscadet by the glass. Who can't love a list that is sensible enough to serve great Muscadet alongside a seafood centric menu?
When the vintage on the list turned out to be slightly out of date (the half bottle of 2011 JJ Prum WS Spatlese turned out to be a 2012) due to all the business they've been doing lately the sommellier was very apologetic and brought us 2 complimentary (and complementary) sweet wines with dessert. The Bera Moscato d'Asti (she must be psychic to know that it's one of Arnold's favorite wines) and a luxurious BA made from Sylvaner.
They also allow BYO though it seems a shame not to take advantage of a list which has so many good choices at reasonable pricing.
The restaurant was also the highlight of the trip foodwise. The Gulf Grouper "courtbouillon" was the best fish I've had in a long time and the breaded trout Poncharterain wasn't too far behind. The amuse bouche was a perfect mix of lightness and richness leaving you satisified. potato crips P&J oysters (oysters breaded with potato) was also delicious. Only slight disappointment was the grilled octopus and wild boar sausage salad. Personally I wouldn't have ordered a non-local fish like octopus when you have so much wonderful Gulf seafood available but Arnold loves octopus. You can get better any number of places in NYC these days (Though I'm old enough to remember when the only option for grilled octopus outside of Astoria was Periyali).
I couldn't stop laughing as I ate the incredibly delicious banana pudding. The flavors were like a delightful joke reminding me of a peanut butter and banana sandwich that someone's fairy godmother waved a wand over and made into something magic. The meyer lemon souffle tart was excellent and tart but the gingersnap ice cream accompanying it was heavenly.
A truly fine meal and a fitting conclusion for dining in New Orleans.
When the vintage on the list turned out to be slightly out of date (the half bottle of 2011 JJ Prum WS Spatlese turned out to be a 2012) due to all the business they've been doing lately the sommellier was very apologetic and brought us 2 complimentary (and complementary) sweet wines with dessert. The Bera Moscato d'Asti (she must be psychic to know that it's one of Arnold's favorite wines) and a luxurious BA made from Sylvaner.
They also allow BYO though it seems a shame not to take advantage of a list which has so many good choices at reasonable pricing.
The restaurant was also the highlight of the trip foodwise. The Gulf Grouper "courtbouillon" was the best fish I've had in a long time and the breaded trout Poncharterain wasn't too far behind. The amuse bouche was a perfect mix of lightness and richness leaving you satisified. potato crips P&J oysters (oysters breaded with potato) was also delicious. Only slight disappointment was the grilled octopus and wild boar sausage salad. Personally I wouldn't have ordered a non-local fish like octopus when you have so much wonderful Gulf seafood available but Arnold loves octopus. You can get better any number of places in NYC these days (Though I'm old enough to remember when the only option for grilled octopus outside of Astoria was Periyali).
I couldn't stop laughing as I ate the incredibly delicious banana pudding. The flavors were like a delightful joke reminding me of a peanut butter and banana sandwich that someone's fairy godmother waved a wand over and made into something magic. The meyer lemon souffle tart was excellent and tart but the gingersnap ice cream accompanying it was heavenly.
A truly fine meal and a fitting conclusion for dining in New Orleans.