Z'Auction

There are many auctions in the wine world, but Zachy's remains the undisputed king of them all; according to their own corporate propaganda, Westchester's finest records sales 81% above their nearest competitor. The lots are consistently diverse in variety as well as price, and personally, I prefer their casual environment inside Daniel as opposed to lines of chairs at Christie's. So, Gotham Gastronomy spent Friday and Saturday at the Z'Auction. Here's the report, kids.

Wine...
Although threat of tax deadlines yielded a slightly slimmer turnout, the bid was brisk and often high (on the midrange items.) However, bargains were manifest for the patient patrons who devoted the necessary time.
But, in the blogosphere bargains are boring, so here are some blockbuster highlights, as well as a few of the more moderate moments...

- Chateau Lafleur 1982 (6 magnums), $50,000
- Chablis Les Clos Raveneau 1992, GC (2 bottles), $1400
- Screaming Eagle Vertical from 1997-2002 (3 bottles each year), $20,500
- Hermitage JL Chave 1989 (12 bottles), $2800
- Chateau Haut Brion 1961 (1 bottle), $950
- Chateau Cheval Blanc 1928 (1 bottle), $2000
- DRC, 2002 (3 bottles), $9000
- Chateau Margaux 1990 (1 imperial), $9000
- Chateau Meyney 1975 (12 bottles) $650

Note: We were happy to see (and hear) Goddess of the Gavel, Ursula Hermacinski, and cult crier, Fritz Hatton; in addition, the Zachy's folk have hired a new hand on the block,. While she had an unfortunate habit of reading lot numbers, but not their contents, we have high hopes that she will grow into the gavel.

Daniel...
There is a reason that Monsieur Boulud's establishment is ranked within New York's top five, and it ain't graft. The luxurious interior has not lost any of its charm and with the arrival of spring, we were treated to perfectly placed tulips adorning the restaurant in such quantity that I can only speculate the Danish GNP has doubled.
Registered bidders were offered lunch for sixty dollars in what amounts to the nicest all-you-can-eat that I've experienced outside of Vegas. (Okay, this jackpot makes Vegas look like the Turning Stone.) A simple chilled pea soup with croutons was followed by an overwhelming selection of charcuterie and terrines. Then, two treats followed. The first was a small reed wheel about three inches in diameter and one inch tall resembling a tuna tartar, placed atop a cracker; in fact, the dish was a "Tomato-Tartin". The second was simply Gravlax. Both of these dishes were extremely simple, but relied on the best ingredients to deliver tastes in their purest form: delicious!
The feast to follow is too much to describe at once, but worthy of note was the salt crusted cod, a classic french preparation delivered flawlessly by Boulud. The beef canelloni with a reduction and wild mushrooms (cepes?) warranted a second serving. The usual short ribs were absent, and in there stead, an equally tasty braised veal cheek with polenta was offered. On the poultry side, a simple bacon wrapped chicken was shockingly succulent, and tender. The accompanying carrots peas were well done, but not particularly exciting.
Daniel's buffet played to the crowd offering quarter sized servings of his trademark DB burger and fries under a heat lamp. The presence of this preposterous device and the fact that this section of the buffet was the only area lacking a server signaled his indifference and one could taste it! The usually overrated and overpriced entree, was underpriced, but still overrated this weekend.