A good friend of mine was having a bad day recently and I offered to go cheer him up. When one’s been sitting around all day it’s good to get out into the open and go for a walk. With the autumn nip in the air we bundled up and started to journey the 6 or so blocks to Central Park. I didn’t have a lot of cash on me, but decided that nothing heals a bad mood like some comfort food accompanied by the nectar of the gods. En Route I stopped into a corner package store and picked up the remarkably priced ‘Gnarly Head’ 2004 Old Vine Zinfandels. I have to say that ever since I saw some of those Old Vines in Lodi, I’ve had a bit of a fetish for zin, those vines really are gnarly! After picking up the Zin we stopped off at the classic and hard to find ‘The Burger Joint’ which is nestled behind the curtains of Le Parker Meridien hotel on 57^th Street. Of course, to cheese burger fanatics its no secret that this place does one of the best hamburgers in the world, and at $5 its ant this neet little spot. No frills or garnishing, just a great burger in butcher paper, that’s how it should be. Burgers and Zinfandel in hand we trekked up into Central Park and sat on one of the rocky outcrops overlooking the ice-rink. Sinking our teeth into our sumptuous fast-food delicacies we discreetly took swigs from our little brown bag that sat between us. There’s nothing quite like washing a burger down with the rich spicy notes and luscious layers of bursting berry flavours incumbent to Gnarly Head Zinfandel, elegantly wrapped in a brown paper bag so as to avoid arrest. Dinner and drinks in a classic Manhattan location for under $25.00: unbeatable!

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