When most of us hear the word ‘Beaujolais’ the French Burgundian countryside doesn’t necessarily come to mind. Rather, we tend to think of those tacky cardboard boxes that come with twist off dispensers or gigantic gallons of glass jugs that scream ‘sacrilege’ to even the most elementary wine enthusiast. In fact, I come from the school that believes, the bue-joe-lays- as the labels phonetically sound out on grocery store shelves, should be put in a cellar and aged right next to the novices’ Reserve. But those of us who just a few years back drank buttery Chardonnays - with ice cubes, no doubt - and now sip sophisticated Sancerres and full-bodied Chateneufs must know and admit that the Beaujolais has indeed gone bourgeois.

On a recent visit to New York I went to a recommended restaurant called Freeman’s. Located at the end of a shady alley – Freeman’s Alley, appropriately enough – in the Lower East Side, I began to question if this was in fact a recommendation or revenge. Once you step off the busy cross sections, you’re left walking down a dark alley, with abandoned graffitied buildings and barely a match for streetlights. But once I reached the large wooden doors, I realized I made it home. Freeman’s is that place that has everything one needs in life; meat, booze and pretty people to look at. Of course, all very well executed.

Freeman’s décor is reminiscent of your Wisconsin uncle’s hunting den (if you have one and he has the other), which showcases the latest drained, stuffed and mounted kill over dark stained living room mantels and dim antique lighting. The wide rustic floorboard which kept my heels wedging in between were also a nice touch, adding that little threat of danger every good dining experience should have. Freeman’s had that air of timelessness. The cocktails were classically prepared, the wine list was well thought out, global and eclectic, and the food was hearty Americana; not for the faint of heart.

Truth be told, that I am a self-proclaimed eating expert. I love food. I love to eat it, prepare it, and talk about it. So much so, that I opened my own restaurant. But what grabs me nowadays, is a great bottle of unassuming wine; the type where you expect little and get more. On this particular visit, to my surprise, that was the case. We ordered a bottle of the Morgan 2004 Beaujolais.

For those of you ordering Pinots at every waking chance you get because you fell madly in love with the serial pinot monogamous from Sideways, let me sway you in another adventurous direction without going too far off the beaten path. Morgan is a premier cru, one of 10 in France that produce Beaujolais. This wine, solely gamme, has a deep rubyesque color. It is fruit forward without being jammy and carries a smooth finish. Beaujolais is similar to Pinots in that it is completely food friendly and grown in the same climates. And since the food at Freeman’s swayed toward the heavy side, this wine complements it perfectly by finishing strong but not ruling the table. If interested in finding or trying more Beaujolais, I highly recommend Freeman’s. But, you can also find it at David Bowler Wine 119 West 23rd Street, Ste. 703 New York, NY (212) 807-1680.

Freeman’s 8 Rivington St. New York, NY (212) 420 - 0012

Margaret McLaughlin is a writer and former owner of The Public, a three star restaurant in San Francisco’s SOMA district.