Peachy Picks Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe Our Coverage Sponsored by Cosmopolitan Dental, Official Dentist of Whom You Know
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What is a great dinner without great wine? This time, we decided to make wine a priority and dine at the Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe, where we learned that cuisine is a priority for them as well! The Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
and we are pleased to announce it has joined the ranks of Peachy's Picks!
Its obvious killer wine selection, strong culinary aspect, and professionalism of the staff in addition to its lovely Rockefeller Center location make it a place to go. Another plus? The General Manager, Todd Simon, is conversant in hockey. We hope to drink wine out of The Stanley Cup on our next visit to the
Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe .
Sommelier Darren Scott, above, was spot-on all evening in his pairings. Everyone knows that Peachy Deegan adores full-bodied red Italian wines so he intelligently assigned the above Brunello Lecciaia 2004 to her first course, which was black pepper crab crostini on brioche:
Peachy is a huge proponent of crab anything and thinks crabby is a positive adjective. The chunks of lump crabmeat were fresh and as succulent as they look and this is a fantastic summer option we think will appeal to many, even if you are just swinging by the bar for a sip.
You know we are advocates of monograms as well and that lovely M was not lost on us! We are so into details, and in a discussion with the CEO of a major fashion brand recently, he told Peachy that when he was growing up in France the first thing he did when "checking out" a restaurant was to visit the loo (Irish term for bathroom). Mainly as a result of the downpour but partly because of this conversation, Peachy headed for the loo at Morrell's and did find it to be pristine (we don't always comment on loos) and she really liked the tiles of wine labels-a lovely touch!
For her entree, Peachy graduated to the above Barolo (we love all forms of Barolo!) which she'd also highly recommend. Server Susan Pirvan, a veteran, was highly professional all evening and her tenure even exceeds the time Todd has spent at Morrell. We understand she doubles as a bartender. As an entree, Peachy opted for the delicious Wild Mushroom Pappardelle:
In a symphony of wild mushrooms, truffle essence and parmesean cheese, the pappardelle was just the right thickness and al dente, as it should be. This classic dish was excellent and the components were in perfect proportion to each other and the size was ideal. This is the bigger version.
Finally, at the conclusion of our experience we enjoyed a lovely tawny port that was the perfect match to the Toffee pudding, which you cannot miss:
Clearly, this is no ordinary wine bar and the outside looks fantastic for a sunny day!
Rockefeller Center is the heartbeat of Manhattan, and don't they say that a bit of wine is good for your heart?
Our esteemed panelists add:
Having a nice glass of wine with a great dinner is probably one of my favorite activities. This is why I absolutely love Morrell Wine Bar! Their friendly staff delivers an unparalleled experience that combines fantastic food with top quality wines. Coupled with the modernized art deco atmosphere, a meal at Morrell's will not fail to impress!
My evening started off with a glass of Burgans Albarino wine from Spain. This fruity and flavorful white wine was the perfect pairing to go with my appetizer, the Seared Rare Tuna.
This dish was served with edible "charcoal" and Kyoto inspired BBQ sauce. The charcoal is actually very much like gnocchi, but made with vegetables. It was a very tasty addition to the perfectly prepared tuna. All the flavors of this dish really came together to create a wonderful start to my meal.
For my main course, I tried the Risotto with spring garlic, laughing bird shrimp, pomello, and toasted lavender. This dish was excellent. The risotto was tender and the shrimp was delicious! The garlic and spices in this dish were complemented by the citrus and floral flavors of the pomello and the lavender. This choice was unique and extremely satisfying to the palate.
The glass of Leroy Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir, recommended by the restaurant's sommelier, paired perfectly with this course. It really brought out the robust, spicy flavors of the dish. Finally, for dessert, I sampled the Sticky Toffee Pudding, the Chocolate Truffles, the Butterscotch Pudding, and the House Made Cookies. Although I would say you could not go wrong with any of these choices, my favorite dessert was the Sticky Toffee Pudding. This dessert was incredibly rich and moist. It was nearly impossible to put down my spoon!
The Chocolate Truffles, shown above, were also a very interesting treat. They were flavored with five spice and goat cheese. This provided a welcomed tangy flavor in addition to the taste of the decadent chocolate. It was a great way to end such an excellent dinner. To ensure you have the best wine paired with a perfect meal, I recommend heading over to Morrell Wine Bar! You will love it!
When we arrived at the Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe, we were greeted by the very friendly manager Todd, who made some great menu recommendations so I knew right off the bat we were in for a phenomenal experience. The level of care and detail that went into the pairings by Darren were terrific. I started with the Pan Seared Diver Scallops. Since I
love scallops and have ordered them at other top Manhattan venues, this was a great appetizer for me to sample and Morrell's scallops measure up.
The scallops were
cooked in a coconut polenta with cilantro and lime. I snuck a few
spoonfuls of Peachy's Black Pepper Crab, which was also delicious! I'm
usually not a white wine drinker, but I tried a glass of the Hudson
Vineyards Chardonnay which went well with the appetizer.
I also went with Todd's recommendation for the main, the Cold Poached
Scottish Salmon:
The salmon tasted very fresh and was an excellent companion to the
red baby potatoes. My main was paired with a Marc Colin Saint-Aubin
Burgundy, which I also enjoyed.
Dessert was very interesting. I was really impressed with the homemade
Butterscotch Pudding, and for sure had a few more spoonfuls of it with the other panelists
! The goat cheese chocolate truffles were also a pleasant
surprise which I would highly recommend.
A great experience at Morrell Wine Bar! I hope to return when it isn't
raining so I can enjoy the outdoor seating overlooking Rockefeller
Plaza. However, the cozy indoor atmosphere was a great place to enjoy
some wine on a rainy day.
Peachy Picks the Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe!
The Morrell Wine Bar and Cafe is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
