Puck vs. Park

It's become an annual tradition. I trek to the Puck in the blustery cold. There, I swirl and sip some of Italy's finest wines, while enjoying the view. The view consists of a steady stream of attractive Italian men in attractive Italian suits.

Aaaah, the Tre Bicchieri, sponsored by Gambero Rosso and Slow Food, showcasing over a hundred different vino in all its glory.

This year, however, I wasn't enchanted.

This year, it wasn't at the Puck. Instead, it was at 583 Park Avenue.

Suddenly the stifling crowds of signores didn't feel hip and cool. Nope. They simply felt stifling.

Who knew that uptown could feel so...uppity? Even tastes of an Elena Fucci Aglianico del Vulture Titolo 2005 and a Pietracupa Greco di Tufo 2006 couldn't dissuade me from exiting bid haste.

I can only hope that next year, it's back downtown. Otherwise, I may have to find my Italian wine and Italian men elsewhere.