Tribeca has gone from up-and-coming to plush and stuffy in a matter of two decades, so it was something of a surprise that Paul Grieco and Marco Canora decided to open an outpost of their hip winebar, Terroir Tribeca (24 Harrison Street) in the land of millionaires, Euro-bankers and moms pushing expensive strollers.
Terroir 2 brings Grieco's signature "wine is cool" sensibility downtown with good effect. The room is well appointed, the bar long and easy to saddle up to, and of course the wine selection is top notch. While a lot of people seemed to be ordering the wine in tetra pak and we hear tell of Finger Lake riesling on tap, we were keen to explore the extensive by the glass list. One of our favorite trends was on hand - the 3 ounce pour - making it easy to try many, many wines (our weak spot). The winelist offers choices for everyone, from the adventurous to the old world connoisseur. We ventured to the wine geek side and were rewarded with excellent by the glass choices such as the Cotes du Jura Nature Berthet-Bondet 2007 ($14.25), La Mothe Pechigo ($11.50), and the Domaine de Montbourgeau 2001 ($16). Also recommended are the Hermann Wiemer Riesling ($13.50) and the nicely balanced Alfred Gratien NV Champagne ($18). Interesting red options by the glass include the Morgon from Domaine Louis Jadot ($11) and the 2007 Givry from Chofflet-Valdenaire ($15).
The entertaining winelist contains all the usual Grieco-isms including "Who Needs a Drink?" starring the Pope, Vladimir Putin and Us (because street fair season has started!) as well as longer pieces on celebrities, obscure and otherwise. Our favorite is the ode to Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff, a member of the International Football Hall of Fame. He had a way with words too and the list includes several famous quotes from him - our favorites being "Italians can't beat you but you can lose to them" and "If I wanted you to understand, I would explain it better."
Canora complements the wine selection with hearty, damn-the-season meaty fare like sage leaves wrapped around sausage, oxtail risotto balls, meatball sandwiches and a few larger "Big Stuff" dishes thanks to kitchen space more than double the EVill location. We definitely dug the "Big Stuff" items - Bev's Famous Pork Blade Steak (right) and the Colorado lamb.
Tribeca has had its ups and downs in the past few years (Chanterelle closing, endless Bouley shuffling), so we can only hope that Terroir's arrival is a sign this neighborhood is going to loosen up and start enjoying life, the way it should.
Terroir 2 brings Grieco's signature "wine is cool" sensibility downtown with good effect. The room is well appointed, the bar long and easy to saddle up to, and of course the wine selection is top notch. While a lot of people seemed to be ordering the wine in tetra pak and we hear tell of Finger Lake riesling on tap, we were keen to explore the extensive by the glass list. One of our favorite trends was on hand - the 3 ounce pour - making it easy to try many, many wines (our weak spot). The winelist offers choices for everyone, from the adventurous to the old world connoisseur. We ventured to the wine geek side and were rewarded with excellent by the glass choices such as the Cotes du Jura Nature Berthet-Bondet 2007 ($14.25), La Mothe Pechigo ($11.50), and the Domaine de Montbourgeau 2001 ($16). Also recommended are the Hermann Wiemer Riesling ($13.50) and the nicely balanced Alfred Gratien NV Champagne ($18). Interesting red options by the glass include the Morgon from Domaine Louis Jadot ($11) and the 2007 Givry from Chofflet-Valdenaire ($15).The entertaining winelist contains all the usual Grieco-isms including "Who Needs a Drink?" starring the Pope, Vladimir Putin and Us (because street fair season has started!) as well as longer pieces on celebrities, obscure and otherwise. Our favorite is the ode to Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff, a member of the International Football Hall of Fame. He had a way with words too and the list includes several famous quotes from him - our favorites being "Italians can't beat you but you can lose to them" and "If I wanted you to understand, I would explain it better."
Canora complements the wine selection with hearty, damn-the-season meaty fare like sage leaves wrapped around sausage, oxtail risotto balls, meatball sandwiches and a few larger "Big Stuff" dishes thanks to kitchen space more than double the EVill location. We definitely dug the "Big Stuff" items - Bev's Famous Pork Blade Steak (right) and the Colorado lamb.Tribeca has had its ups and downs in the past few years (Chanterelle closing, endless Bouley shuffling), so we can only hope that Terroir's arrival is a sign this neighborhood is going to loosen up and start enjoying life, the way it should.
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