New York Daily News

Grenier entourage off to E. Village

- “Eat the World With Emeril Lagasse” BY JOE DZIEMIANOW­ICZ Cafecito de Mixing Ascent Lounge’s sweet Pop Rocks drink.

will perform at the venue at least once a month. You won’t need to buy tickets, says Grenier. The record store has no affiliatio­n with VNYL, the recordsubs­cription music service. Grenier teamed up with the Late Late Bar owner James Morrissey for the massive three-floor space that was formerly Nevada Smiths. Emeril Lagasse is launching his new namesake docuseries

next Friday on Amazon Prime. follows the world-famous chef as he gets a history lesson on culinary techniques and cooking traditions from a few of his famous colleagues like José Andrés, Mario Batali and Marcus Samuelsson. You may want a good cigar

I’ve often grumbled in the grocery store about paying a fortune for fresh fruit — but no more. I can thank an afternoon of picking berries for turning over a new leaf. After sweating my way through a sun-soaked field, swallowing part of a spider web, being stalked by the world’s most persistent bee and spending more than an hour of a precious vacation day to end up with a batch of blueberrie­s that tasted no better than ones I could have bought at my local supermarke­t, I didn’t end up with a blueberry thrill.

Far from it. But I did learn a lesson.

I like convenienc­e — a lot. And I don’t want to spend more than a minute snagging berries to toss on top of my cereal.

My blueberry expedition last week seemed like a good idea in the planning stage. I was back in my hometown of Lake George in upstate New York. I found out that Hicks Orchard in Granville, where I’d often picked apples as a kid, offered “u-pick” blueberrie­s. to go with this cup of Joe. Nespresso is getting a jolt of Cuban coffee. The Nestleowne­d espresso brand has launched the first batch of its new

made from arabica coffee beans produced by Cuban farmers. It’ll be the first time in more than 50 years that Americans can get a taste of java from the Caribbean island nation here. Like other goods, Cuban coffee has been subject to a ban in the U.S. since 1962. The capsules are available for Nespresso OriginalLi­ne machines and will go on sale in September. Why not? I’d never done that — a new experience. That said, three older, more experience­d pickers at the orchard explained that the season for blueberrie­s here typically runs through the end of August — maybe a bit longer. The fruit would likely be on the small size. No matter. It’d be fun. But it wasn’t. Reality set in quickly as I scanned the late-season pea-sized blueberrie­s growing on bushes a bit taller than me, growing in tidy rows. Berry picking is boring. I’d break the tedium with an occasional taste of the slightly sweet-tart fruit. And by dodging the bee obsessed with me. Mother Nature sucks sometimes. I left the orchard with just under a pound of blueberrie­s — which cost $3 — and a silent vow not to grouse about the price of fruit in the Big Apple ever again. I also left with a half-dozen cider doughnuts. The great thing about these sublime fried treats — you don’t pick them. You just ask for them at the counter. Now that’s my jam. Park amid a modern elegant ambience complete with crystal chandelier­s. The cocktail list, by Carrie Packin, features signatures like The Ascent, a riff on the French 75 made with Hendrick’s Gin, Canton Ginger Liqueur and fresh lemon and topped with Veuve Clicquot. There’s also the sweeter Pop Rocks drink, made with a berry-flavored sorbet ice cream cube submerged in gin. Expect menu items like mini-miso lobster rolls.

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