Charging

Half the pleasure of having a dinner party is setting the table. How the table looks and feels is key to creating the setting for a perfect meal. At Le Bernardin as I was about to be seated I noticed their charger, which I coveted at once. I've been looking for a perfect charger because I love the look of a plate with a napkin on it when you first sit down. Trust me, I'm not into overly elaborate table settings, but making a table look simple is not so simple. Luckily, Melissa Feldman our fabulous Style editor was present and knew exactly where the charger came from—J.L. Coquet's "Hemisphere" Collection, available at many retailers. I love the platinum striped version Le Bernardin uses, but they make a white textured one which appeals to me as well. Maybe I'll get both. A charger makes all the difference.

Loving Rosé
While talking about Spanish wines with Troy Daigle, the new wine director at Le Bernardin, he mentioned that he had had a blind rosé wine tasting with the chef/co-owner, Eric Ripert. Troy gave Eric two rosés to taste—a Spanish rosé from Muga, a producer in Rioja, and one from Domaine Ott, the cult rosé from the heart of the Côtes de Provence region of France. Eric, a member of the Domaine Ott cult, was shocked to discover that he had picked the Muga. Jay and I tasted the Muga in Spain last spring and loved it. (The price is also outstanding.) Check out Jay's upcoming column in August on rosé. He hits the bullseye again.

Le Bernardin. 155 West 51 St. NYC, 10019. 212.554.1105.