Gramercy Tavern and Pure Food and Wine

By West Village Bill

I enjoyed memorable dinners this week at two highly sophisticated yet decidedly comfortable restaurants in the vicinity of Union Square: Gramercy Tavern and Pure Food and Wine.

On Sunday, Bob, Jen, Tony, and I had dinner at Gramercy Tavern to celebrate my birthday, which was earlier in September, and Bob's birthday, which is early this month. Last year, when Bob and I both turned 40, I gave him a bottle of 1969 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. We said then we'd have to go to a fancy restaurant sometime soon and see whether the bottle of wine had held up as well as us. Or at least me. Ha!

It took us almost a year, but we finally had that dinner, thanks to Jen's initiative. (J&B have young kids, so it was always easier to eat pizza and everyday red wine at their place.) Jen sent an e-mail to Bob and me four weeks ago with the subject "'69 was a very good year": "sept 25 is about in the middle of your birthdays. let's say we go out and drink some 41-year-old wine? invite tony and we'll have a wild and crazy time." Gramercy Tavern has a strict "no wild and crazy time" policy, but we still had a wonderful evening. A day later than that planned date because GT was filled up on that Saturday.