The Lowdown
Pizza, Pasta, Italian-Style Pilsner, Soft Serve...
Welcome to The Lowdown, an all-new, expanded edition of what I’m drinking, eating, reading, writing, watching, and listening to. It is also a space to spotlight a few of my favorite things. This paid subscriber exclusive is sent out on select Fridays.
Drinking
Vintage Braulio
Finally, a vintage amaro actually older than me. After grabbing dinner at The Long Island Bar recently with Faccia Brutto Spirits founder Patrick Miller, he pulled a bottle of 1959 Braulio from his bag and soon we were tasting it side-by-side with contemporary Braulio. Grazie, Patrick!
Mister Paradise
I admit, I’m spoiled, but whenever I’m at Mister Paradise and ask for a cold pilsner, "Sazerac” Jack “Big Cat” Sullivan delivers, serving the can of the Italian-inspired pilsner TALEA Al Dente alongside a marble wine cooler filled with ice to keep it chilled. Boom.
Maialino
Even before I knew Maialino would be closing its doors next week I had planned to attend their “Postcards from Italy…” Sicilian wine event with Liz Nicholson. I tried three of the six featured pours and was strategically situated near the pass where servers were coming out with trays of spuntini. I loved and ate a lot of the Gamberi e Pesto all Trapenese (shrimp and potato pesto).
Eating
Maialino
After the wine event, I grabbed a seat at the bar at Maialino for a farewell dinner of sorts.