I’ve been having a blast this year curating the wine list at Sotto, which has just been named “one of the best new restaurants of 2011” by Esquire.

Chef Steve Samson (above) and I became close friends nearly a quarter of a century ago when we were on our junior year abroad in Italy. He and Chef Zach Pollack have been doing great things in the kitchen and the Neapolitan pizza is imho one of the best if not the best in the country.

Congratulazioni ragazzi! You ROCK! :)