Another Thing about Avanti

Think of the Manet painting – the Barmaid at the Follies Bergere – as you consider this view of Katie Cater, sommelier and oenophile at Ristorante Avanti. With Cater’s guidance, I chose a soft, ripe Fuentespina Ribera del Duero 2001 to accompany a recent dinner of flawless chicken cacciatore. I’ve been ordering this dish at Avanti for a decade, and it has never been better than it was last week, succulent braised thigh and leg burnished with red wine, rosemary and top note of sage. There’s always some tangy green – broccoli rabe, endive, chard – that accompanies the chicken, although I confess that the soft pillow of polenta that soaks up those juices is pretty much the prime reason to order this dish. Perfect with the Spanish wine. Cater knew that.