Austin Johnson & Thomas Pastuszak’s Niche
The Wines
1. Domaine Giacometti, Patrimonio Blanc Cru des Agriate 2015
The Giacometti family has been farming vines in a literal desert since 1987. Christian and his 2 kids biodynamically farm indigenous grapes on the granite soils of Patrimonio, on the Northern tip of the island of Corsica. This wine is made from the Vermentinu grape (called Vermentino in Italy), fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts, and aged on the lees for 6 months. A very unique wine showing citrus, salinity, and minerality.
2. Terrassen, Blaufränkisch Rosé Finger Lakes 2019
Sommeliers Thomas Pastuszak and Jessica Brown are the power couple behind Terrassen, a project dedicated to showing off the beautiful terroir of the Finger Lakes. This rosé is made from the Austiran Blaufränkisch grape, sourced from a single vineyard on the West side of Seneca Lake. A slightly longer maceration on the skins produces a savory and balanced wine just begging for a summer bbq!
3. J.L Chave Selection, Offerus Saint-Joseph 2017
The Chave family has been making excellent wine in the Northern Rhône of France for over 500 years! Jean-Louis is the 16th generation to farm these beautiful hills, and in 1995 dedicated himself to rehabilitating their abandoned vineyards in St. Joseph. This wine, made entirely of Syrah, is elegant, ripe and structured.
4. Dönnhoff, Riesling Norheimer Kirschheck Spätlese 2018
The Dönhoff family has been farming in the Nahe region of Germany for over 200 years. Their estate is made up entirely of “Erste Lage” or Grand Cru vineyards- and some of the best in the country. This riesling is grown in one of the oldest vineyard sites in Germany and has wild cherries growing amongst the vines. Though it is off-dry it is not cloying and absolutely bursts from the glass with luscious fruit and racy acidity.
(Supplemental) Paul Bara, Rosé Champagne 375ml.
In the Grand Cru Village of Bouzy in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne, Paul Bara is a legend. Now helmed by daughter Chantelle, the Bara wines are known for their power, depth and complexity. This rosé is made mostly of Pinot Noir with a bit of Chardonnay, spent 4 years on the lees and another 3 in the bottle before release. Treat yourself to this decadent delight and we will donate all proceeds to the Black Lives Matter Global Network!
The Menu
Thank you so much for ordering and supporting myself, Thomas and Niche Niche.
I am so excited to bring this meal to your home. It is certainly a new way of thinking about cuisine and I have truly enjoyed the process with the team here. I wanted to keep this balanced with freshness and seasonality, while also showing some of my favorite summer dishes.
For the Gazpacho: Simply place the relish that is made up of toasted almonds, pickled melon, cucumber and jalapeno. I would suggest keeping this cold in the refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy your meal. Enjoy with wine 1.
For the Salad: Simply toss the chicories in the caesar dressing and parmesan and then sprinkle the toasted bread on top with a squeeze of lemon for freshness. Enjoy with wine 2.
Parker house roll: Please remove the foil top and place that foil over the short rib container (after removing the plastic lid). Heat the roll in the oven @375 degrees for two minutes.
For the Short Rib: Please remove the plastic lid and replace with the foil that is covering the parker house roll. Please crimp the sides of foil around the edges tightly and place in the oven @375 for 12-16 minutes, or until very hot. Remove foil and enjoy. Enjoy with wine 3.
For the Passionfruit: Remove the lid and add the meringue to the top of the dessert. Enjoy with wine 4.
Bon Appétit!!!
Austin Johnson - Former Chef de Cuisine, Frenchie (Paris) / 1 White Street (Tribeca), coming soon...
Hailing from Nebraska, Austin started his culinary career at 14 and since then he hasn’t stopped! Working initially in Seattle, he then would head to Alaska cooking for the crew of a salmon fishing boat. From there, Austin moved to New York landing at Eleven Madison Park, then Noma in Copenhagen and The Nomad Hotel again in New York. Seeing an opening in Paris, he took it and started at Frenchie in 2015, returning to New York this past year to helm Goodman’s Bar at Bergdorf Goodman, and is currently planning a restaurant in John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s former townhouse.
Thomas Pastuszak - Wine Director, The Nomad Hotel.
Born & bred in New York, Thomas studied neurobiology and classical piano at Cornell University, and all the while worked in restaurants to pay-off his student loans. In January 2011, Thomas diverted from his path toward a medical career, and took on the role of Wine Director at Chef Tom Colicchio’s restaurant Colicchio & Sons in New York City, and would soon thereafter join the team behind the world-renowned Eleven Madison Park to create The NoMad in Spring 2012. He opened The NoMad as its Wine Director & helped it achieve its 3-Star New York Times rating within a few months of its opening, and how has moved into a new role as Executive Wine Director of all of the NoMad properties. Thomas was chosen as one of the Best New Sommeliers of 2012 by Wine & Spirits Magazine, recognized as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2013, and was named one of Food & Wine’s Sommeliers of the Year of 2015. Most recently, Thomas has gotten into the world of winemaking, launching three exciting new wine labels: Terrassen in 2013, Empire Estate in 2014, and VINNY in 2018, all with a focus on New York's exciting upstate wine region, the Finger Lakes.