LI Arrest Prompts Manhattan Galleries to Serve—Gasp—Seltzer!

I went to an art opening in Manhattan last night on 25th Street, which is a veritable Gallery Row in Chelsea. The street was hopping with art lovers taking in a number of openings.
Now you can’t always count on the art being good, or even understandable, at these opening night parties, but one thing you can always count on is wine being served. But the rules have changed in NYC. The Memorial Day weekend arrest of Long Island gallery owner Ruth Vered (see related story) has some of the Chelsea galleries shaken up. Vered, an art scene veteran who owns a gallery in East Hampton, refused to stop serving alcohol after the police showed up. She was carted off to headquarters in handcuffs.
An assistant at Lohin Geduld Gallery said Vered’s arrest caused them to serve only seltzer that night. “And it’s not even like we serve anything expensive. It’s, like, $7.00 for a double bottle.” So now we know that even when the galleries pour wine, they’re doing it as cheaply as possible. O.K., that really wasn’t a surprise.
At CUE Art Foundation gallery a few doors down, wine was being served at a book signing party. I asked a gallery worker about the LI arrest and their decision: “Yeah, we heard about it, but we’re pouring wine anyway. Let them come arrest us.” He told me they would probably starting buying permits in the fall.
A one day permit to pour wine at this type of event costs $31. But according to the gallery people I spoke to, it’s more the inconvenience than the cost. “The permit is for only one day. You have to buy a permit every day you want to pour wine.” As one attendee said, “You’d think the police would have better things to do.”

Wining and Dining at The Red Cat

Had a fantastic meal Tuesday at The Red Cat, an upscale restaurant in the gallery district of Chelsea. Starting at the bar, I was thrilled to see their by-the-glass menu included unusual pours like Grüner Veltliner and a Trocken Riesling. Best of all— Proseco "Jeio" NV, Bisol. It was gorgeous and fruity and full of fizz. I adore Prosecco as an aperitif, and it’s far too rare to be able to get it by the glass. One unfortunate evening I ordered a glass at Primavera, an over-rated joint in West Orange. After hounding waiters for 45 minutes, I finally learned they don’t sell it by the glass! But I digress.
The Red Cat is a lovely place. Huge iron lanterns hang along the corridor of the restaurant. My friends and I started with a mouth-watering grilled octopus and an unusual fondue…the melted cheese was served on a plate with chopped salad and bacon on top. The crunch of the vegetables contrasted nicely with the warm liquid cheese.
My main course was sensational: braised shortribs served over polenta. The ribs were amazingly tender. We choose a very affordable ($27) bottle of Petit Chapeau Côtes Du Rhone 2005. It had nice big tannins that worked great with the ribs.
I love the way The Red Cat presents their wine list. They break down the reds into Soft Reds (including Burgundies), Earthy Reds (including our Côtes du Rhone), and Full Bodied Reds (including Bordeaux). For whites, you could choose from Clean Whites (including Sancerre and Chablis), Floral Whites (including Riesling) and Rich Whites (pretty much your oaked Chardonnays).
With aperitifs, wine, appetizers, mains, a shared dessert (Brooklyn blackout cake with heavenly Earl Grey icecream) and even a shared cheese course (divine), this meal was a true indulgence that I whole-heartedly recommend. So wine and food lovers, head to Chelsea and enjoy the gustatory pleasures of The Red Cat.