I met up with Dr. Stange yesterday for lunch. Our first stop was supposed to be NoHo Star, but the hostess didn’t seem to pay attention to the people waiting to be seated. We decided to leave this hectic lunch spot and walk down Lafayette. I remembered seeing a nice eatery on Spring and Lafayette, so we chatted and walked in the drizzle. Alas we made it to the Spring Street Natural Restaurant. It was a less rowdy atmosphere and a perfect spot for us to sit down, enjoy our meal, and catch up on things. We were seated immediately. I ordered a glass of Syrah and the Grilled Free Range Chicken entree with snow peas and carrots, and potatoes. Strange ordered Syrah as well and the Salmon Entree with brown rice and broccoli. Food arrived and it won me over. The chicken was spectacular. Not the over-well-done chicken that I expected to get, but it was perfectly grilled and juicy with the right amount of gravy on top.
Syrah – I still wonder what it is. Is it a shiraz, but lighter? They sound the same. Research must be done.
Lunch Wine Choice:
Petite Syrah – Foppiano Vineyards, Russian River Valley, Sonoma ’02.
According to my nifty Wine Bible, petite syrah, also spelled “petite sirah” is not the same as syrah. Petite syrah comes from a type of syrah that bears small grapes, hence the name petite. Over decades, other wines were mixed with the syrah vines, creating a fine blend of varieties, including true syrah, carignan, zinfandel, barbera, and grenache. Just keep in mind a petite syrah is different from a syrah. (Source: The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil)
My next quest – taste a syrah and compare it to a petite syrah.
