London Lennie's Gets Wine Enthusiast Award

London Lennie's, 63-88 Woodhaven Blvd., Rego Park, was honored with Wine Enthusiast Magazine's Award of Distinction for 2007. The award recognizes the unique, imaginative, and successful wine experience that London Lennie's provides its patrons. For more information, call 718-894- 8084 or visit www.london lennies.com. Wine Enthusiast's fourth annual restaurant awards recognized the most select group of restaurants in North America with three levels of awards based on the depth and quality of the establishments' wine lists and wine service.

"We are thrilled to be honored with this prestigious award," London Lennie's owner Les Barnes said. "Our every man's wine list consists of quality, well priced wines offering a great experience that won't break the bank."

The London Lennie's wine list is comprised of approximately 100 selections ranging from $20 to $225 per bottle that hail from artisanal producers whose wines are often limited and rotate on and off the list according to their availability. For a restaurant that emphasizes a raw bar and market picks of fresh fish selected daily, a rotating wine list paired with seasonal dishes offers patrons a variety of innovative and unique dining options at any given time of year.

The staff at London Lennie's views wine as an added extra ingredient to the dish. For example, the baked or broiled lobster with drawn butter is complemented by the buttery sweetness of the Sbragia Family Vineyard's Gamble Ranch Chardonnay or contrasted with the clean vibrant acidity of Domaine Carroir Perrin's Sancerre, that seems like squeezing lemon onto the butter. The knowledgeable staff can offer guests an alternative to the classic options on the same dish such as suggesting a single vineyard Chablis like DeMoor's Belair 2005 or the aromatic, almost Riesling-like quality of Sakonnet Vineyard's Vidal Blanc.

Matching the weight of the wine with the weight of the dish is part of the method the London Lennie's staff uses to guide their customers in their wine selections. Light and delicate fish, such as lemon sole and raw bar selections, are matched best with light and crisp wines. Unoaked Chardonnay, Loire Valley Sauvignon Blancs, Muscadet, Gavi and Arneis make for suitable pairings. Medium-bodied fish such as sea scallops and soft shell crabs match the weight of list selections of Gewurtztraminers, Mosel Rieslings and lighter styled reds Chianti, Barbera and Pinot Noir. Heavy reds, such as Red Bordeaux, California Cabernet, Malbec and Chateauneuf du Pape, are choices the wait staff recommends with the grilled rib-eye steak or the braised Monkfish Osso Buco.

London Lennie's cuisine complements its carefully honed wine list by offering the finest ingredients available, including native, organic produce, fresh, local seafood and raw bar and choice cuts of beef, artfully prepared to showcase the complementing flavors of each dish.

At 15, Lennie Barnes ran off to sea, spending his young teenage years in a fishing fleet up to his waist in mackerel. His stint in the merchant marine took him all over the world. He would head to the local fish market wherever his ship would make port and became an expert at spotting the freshest fish. At the end of his seafaring life, Lennie returned to London, where in a few short years, he owned four fish and chips stands before moving to America to convert an old fish store into London Lennie's fish and chips shop.

Owned and operated by the Barnes family since 1959, London Lennie's has evolved from a quintessential fish and chips shop to Queens' premier seafood restaurant. The best in fresh, local seafood is selected daily at the worldfamous Fulton Fish Market for the restaurant, which also offers the area's finest raw bar and an expanded wine selection, featuring bottles that pair perfectly with the London Lennie's extensive menu.

London Lennie's is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday from 11:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., and for dinner Saturdays from 4 to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 2 to 9 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, call 718-894-8084 or visit www.london lennies.com.