Chef John Fraser, whose 701West holds
Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence, opened Iris April 21 in Midtown Manhattan. The restaurant offers Aegean-style dining, influenced by Turkish cuisine and Fraser’s Greek background, with an emphasis on plant-based dishes.
“This restaurant is such a direct expression of my heritage and passion, as seen through the lenses of cuisine and travel,” Fraser told
Wine Spectator.
Leading the wine program is the group’s beverage director, Amy Racine, who also oversees 701West’s 650-selection list. Iris features about 180 labels highlighting regions along the Aegean Sea, with Greek and Turkish bottles making up about half the selections. There is a diverse selection of sparkling wines as well, plus picks from Napa, Piedmont, Burgundy, the Rhône Valley and beyond. “It was a privilege and very fun to explore these new varietals, to introduce our guests to something new,” Racine said. “We really wanted a ‘If you like Sance
Dec 31, 2020
The past 12 months have been a year to remember . and one almost everyone would like to forget. A global pandemic killed more than 1.76 million people and shut down multiple nations, often more than once. The restaurant and travel industries were particularly devastated and have yet to recover; in the United States, more than 110,000 restaurants have permanently closed and the number is expected to rise.
Wildfires devastated parts of Australia and the U.S. West Coast, with the Glass Fire destroying buildings at more than two dozen Napa Valley wineries and other fires blanketing wine regions from Santa Cruz to Washington with heavy smoke for weeks. A trade battle between the U.S. and the E.U. continued to hurt wine importers, retailers and consumers.