Recalling a night out in Paris, Bondir chef/owner Jason Bond especially remembers one restaurant’s Champagne cart that lent an extra special touch. Back in Cambridge, Bond reached out to North Bennet Street School grad and furniture maker Richard Oedel, who measured the height and space between tables so the cart could fit seamlessly in Bondir’s intimate space. The cart has served various duties, displaying everything from bread to haggis, but it also sports a copper bucket that drains melting ice, so it most often showcases Bond’s carefully curated wine list. “There’s nothing too aggressive, no hammers here,” he says of the bottles chosen to pair with his ever-changing menu. Bond says he’s also on the lookout for stories, adding, “Just like the old reserve beers that we have, I like to find things made by individuals that have their own sort of ideas they want to convey.”
-When entertaining at home, Bond says, “I always like a good mix—a couple Champagnes, a rosé, a rich white, a beautiful red. You might offer different wine for the different courses; you might just have one big serving.”
- -“I’m a Champagne guy,” Bond admits. And with a list that fluctuates between 20 and 30 bottles, “There’s not that many wines where we’ll have multiples from the same producer.” But Bond made an exception in the case of Eric Rodez, an eighth-generation organic producer who was once a cellar master at Krug. In addition to Rodez’s cuvee style, Bond stocks a rosé—which happens to be Bondir’s top-selling bubbly—that’s partially aged in oak and lends notes of cranberry and raspberry.
-“I love finding good reds that have good age on them,” Bond says. “It’s something hard to find.” One standout discovery: a Barolo from Alessandro Ceretto boasting notes of tar, tobacco, rose and dark fruits, meant to age for up to 20 years. “I’d be happy to drink that Barolo for most of the night.”
- -While not a fan of America’s grassy viogniers, Bond picked up the French viognier Les Contours de Deponcins, made by former chef turned self-taught producer Francois Villard. “He’s on really steep vineyards; they’re old terraces that were built by the Romans.” With handpicked, barrel-aged grapes, the concentrated white wine features notes of honeysuckle and dried fruits.
Bondir 279A Broadway, Cambridge (617-661-0009) bondircambridge.com
Off the Carts
From baristas to bartenders, hospitality pros weigh in on tableside offerings you can roll out at your own holiday bash.
By Sarah Hagman | Photo Credit: Holly Rike | Nov. 11, 2016
Bondir’s Wine Cart
Recalling a night out in Paris, Bondir chef/owner Jason Bond especially remembers one restaurant’s Champagne cart that lent an extra special touch. Back in Cambridge, Bond reached out to North Bennet Street School grad and furniture maker Richard Oedel, who measured the height and space between tables so the cart could fit seamlessly in Bondir’s intimate space. The cart has served various duties, displaying everything from bread to haggis, but it also sports a copper bucket that drains melting ice, so it most often showcases Bond’s carefully curated wine list. “There’s nothing too aggressive, no hammers here,” he says of the bottles chosen to pair with his ever-changing menu. Bond says he’s also on the lookout for stories, adding, “Just like the old reserve beers that we have, I like to find things made by individuals that have their own sort of ideas they want to convey.”
-When entertaining at home, Bond says, “I always like a good mix—a couple Champagnes, a rosé, a rich white, a beautiful red. You might offer different wine for the different courses; you might just have one big serving.”
-“I love finding good reds that have good age on them,” Bond says. “It’s something hard to find.” One standout discovery: a Barolo from Alessandro Ceretto boasting notes of tar, tobacco, rose and dark fruits, meant to age for up to 20 years. “I’d be happy to drink that Barolo for most of the night.”
Bondir 279A Broadway, Cambridge (617-661-0009) bondircambridge.com
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