Why We Go: Wine and a moan.
What We Eat: Lovely party foodstuffs without having to mingle: thin tartes flamb%u017Des with cr%uFFFDme fra"che, poached jumbo shrimp with a horseradish Hangar One cocktail sauce, smoked meats from Neopol, Farmstead cheeses, a bowl of briny olives. Chilled ros%u017D cuts the rich, smoky, and salty flavors for us, but whatever wine you choose, buy the bottle and pay the $5 corking fee--it's worth it.
What We'd Change: More greens and other vitamin-loaded vegetables, please. We need something to balance our addiction to cold meats and cheeses.