When dining out I typically order off of the bottle menu; it’s more economical and let’s not kid ourselves, I typically want more than 1 glass.  But when dining with friends with different taste preferences, I’m relegated to the by the glass list.

I was excited to try Le Turtle, a new wave “French” restaurant on the Lower East Side in NYC.  I scored a reservation for 8pm on a Friday night and invited 3 girlfriends to join me.  While the other girls preferred red, I wanted a white to pair with their infamous roast chicken.  I was faced with 4 options, the Chardonnay option was a white Burgundy, and something I knew I’d like, but I was unfamiliar with the other 3 options.  I wanted to take this opportunity to expand my horizons beyond my typical White Burgundy (I also wasn’t too keen on paying $19/glass).  So I asked our waitress for some help and suggestions and if I could sample to see if I liked what she suggested.  I was met with disinterest and disdain.

After a little back and forth, one taste, and being made to feel like a bother, I caved and ordered the Chardonnay because I knew I’d like it.  

My complaint is this; if you’re going to have obscure bottles on your by the glass list, the staff should welcome the opportunity to educate the consumer.  

The meal was ok, the infamous chicken was….chicken, albeit beautifully presented in a cloud of smoldering hay.  When there are countless options in this fine city of ours, I won’t be rushing back here.