"One of the city’s more ambitious French wine bars right now is still Claud. Hidden downstairs in a commercial strip in the East Village, the food is so good, it nearly overshadows the wine. Glasses of wine, half of them French, are in the $13 to $32 range and change periodically, boasting a cellar of up to 1,000 bottles. Look for dishes like soft shell crab fritters, striped bass with razor clams, and the famous devil’s food cake for two." - Melissa McCart